Review: An Affair to Remember

An Affair to Remember (1957):

Synopsis- He’s a womanizer, she’s a woman, its inevitable right? But this isn’t just some one night stand. This is an affair… to remember. Plus, it would have been really hard to only have a one night stand, because the whole thing starts off on a ship. I mean, can you imagine Jack avoiding Rose after hooking up on the Titanic? I guess the Titanic was a lot bigger than the ship in this movie, but you get what I mean right? And they didn’t even hook up anyway, just some smooches. BUT IT WAS LOVE I TELLS YA.

Starring- Cary Grant, Deborah Kerr, other actors who don't really bear mentioning.

The first movie in my March film project, An Affair to Remember was recommended to me by my mother. I asked her what made this movie special to her, and I love her answer:

“I guess because there is a fascination about fate. And in things meant to be. That there can be a positive pay off for pain and suffering… Makes me cry every time.”

Fate is a strong word. I’m rather glad this movie didn’t harp too much on what was “meant to be” or “written in the stars” because then it wouldn’t have been a nice movie about 2 people who weren’t looking to fall in love but did. It wouldn’t have been a fantasy novel. What we got was a sweet little travel log love story, all about starting over and working your way to success. It doesn’t come easy for either of the lovers. Cary Grant has always had an easy life, so when he decides to become a self-made man (through painting of all the crazy things) he has to struggle and work to get himself recognized as something other than a playboy. There is a scene where he is working as a billboard painter to pay the bills, and he finds out from his art dealer friend that he has sold his first real painting (for 200 smackers. That’s a lot of dough!). Grant then leans against the billboard smiling. I really expected him to realize he had just leaned on wet paint, but I suppose that was a little too much into the farce category for this movie. Deborah Karr has been in a relationship with a well to do man for 5 years, and has not been want for much since. When she takes steps to move on, she chooses to become a lounge singer, a job she had left  before, when she had met the “well to do man” and he told her she was better than that. It’s kind of touching the way they both fall back on what they know best when starting over, and both of them are artists in one form or another.  When the midpoint event of the film happens, it seems that Kerr is once again stuck at a new starting point, but this time almost completely of her own design. Is she too embarrassed to go and see Grant and explain what has happened in her life? It doesn’t make any sense to me. But it was from a different time, and people didn’t seem to like to say what they meant in any situation. It could have ended there in a Hitchcockian move, but the story ends much nicer than that.

My favorite part of the movie took place at Grant’s character’s grandmother’s house. It was so touching I actually teared up. I miss my grandparents.

What I Liked:

-Cary Grant is pretty charming, as usual. He was a strange orange color, but that seemed to be a style at the time. A style that has held over with certain types of older men. But the way he talks is kind of magical. It’s the tempo of his speech, it is simply hypnotizing.

-Beautiful production design. Even if the backgrounds were mostly projected to make it look like we were on the ocean or in a high rise looking out at New York it was still quite lovely to see. I don’t know if Technicolor did the coloring, but whoever it was really made the scenery and costuming work.

-Witty dialogue. Movies from this era typically insert the slightly suggestive and slightly insulting jokes in a rapid fire succession, and it can be really annoying at times. This movie mostly avoids that by being focused on the two main characters and not mixing it up with too many dumb side foils. There’s that one goofus on the ship, but he’s alright.

What I Didn’t Like:

-As I mentioned earlier, I don’t understand the motivation behind the secrets in the second half of the movie. If she loves him, and he loves her, there should be nothing that would stand in their way. But nooooooo. People are so dumb sometimes. And by people I mean movie people. And real people.

What I Hated:

-Nada

Verdict:

An Affair to Remember was a delight to watch. It happens to be on HBOgo right now if you have it. Sit down with your significant other and give it a watch. Don’t be afraid of cheesiness. Get over your hang ups and have a good time.