trailer:
FilmSite.org describes it this way:
A masterfully-directed, poignant melodramatic comedy by director George Cukor and producer David O. Selznick, Dinner at Eight (1933) was filled with a tremendous cast of stars ... who are all invited to a Manhattan formal dinner party during the height of the Depression.Slant Magazine gives it 3 out of 4 stars, points out a couple of weak links and says, "when it's great, all is forgiven." DVD Verdict concludes, "Fans of Hollywood's golden age have no excuse not to add this disc to their collections. ... for sheer pounds per inch of star quality—not to mention the behind-the-scenes talent—it's one of the greatest achievements of the early 1930s." DVD Bearer has some good still shots. Rotten Tomatoes gives it a score of 100%.
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Reading the reviews and descriptions of movies is an adventure in story telling sometimes. Some movies defy categorization and so dramas become comedies because it is hard to sell something as just a story.
ReplyDeleteyes, this one is hard to categorize. it's a picture of real life as much as any movie i've seen, with each character going through their own joys and sorrows adapting to life changes. filmsite's description "poignant melodramatic comedy" is good. i've never seen a film quite like this one with such a good balance of drama, comedy, tragedy, and character.
DeleteI cared what happened to the characters, and that is the mark of a good story, I think.
ReplyDelete-- A Pal
yes, i agree. i was actively concerned about some of them.
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