Perfect Understanding (1932) seems to be the movie that everyone loves to hate. But I enjoyed it – right up to the last quarter-hour or so. I thought Gloria Swanson was in fine form, even though super-lovely Genevieve Tobin had the more suitable role. Admittedly, Laurence Olivier tended to be a bit dull at times, though his boat-racing sequence was a genuine thrill. My only real quarrel was with the climactic courtroom scenes which – although produced on a grand scale – were just too outlandishly ridiculous to be taken seriously. I was also a bit disappointed that John Halliday's role disappears about halfway through. It would have made more dramatic sense to save him for the courtroom climax which needed a steadying influence and now comes across as just too absurdly farcical. Halliday would have given these scenes a believable basis in solid reality. I thought this stratagem was so obvious that I actually kept waiting for his re-appearance, but no such luck. Now I wonder what Halliday was doing in the movie at all. Why go to a lot of trouble to introduce a character into the plot, make a big to-do about establishing his credentials and then drop that character when you most need him? It doesn't make sense! And there's yet another player who is elaborately introduced into the action and then simply dropped – although she is still referred to in the dialogue – namely the super-lovely Genevieve Tobin! Well, maybe it was a case of making a film in haste and repenting at leisure. Available on an excellent Cohen DVD.
Review of Perfect Understanding
