Max Ophüls was an excellent director and the two leads (Joan Bennett and James Mason) were excellent actors. So why then is "The Reckless Moment" such a disappointing film? Well, it's the writing...and if you look there are MANY writers credited for the movie...a sure sign that it is going to disappoint.
When the story begins, Lucy Harper (Bennett) confronts a man at least her age. Why? Because this old lech has been dating Lucy's 17 year-old daughter on the sligh! And, she threatens to go to the police or do SOMETHING unless he stops.
A bit later, the lech secretly visits the daughter and they get into an argument. He falls and is killed...and it's an accident. But the daughter didn't see this and had no idea he was dead. The next day, Lucy goes outside and finds the man's body. Now clearly you can see where he fell through a railing and died...a rather clear case of an accidental death. But she hides the body anyway!!
Later, a 'nice' blackmailer (?!) arrives and announces that Lucy must give him $5000 or he'll give some incriminating letters from the daughter to the dead man to the authorities. Again, her daughter didn't kill him...so WHY would she agree to pay the blackmail...or at least try to?! This doesn't make sense.
What also makes no sense is when the blackmailer soon falls in love with Lucy! By his own admission, he's a career criminal and now he has a conscience?! Well, his partner is NOT pleased and he soon arrives....demanding the $5000 from Lucy. When the 'nice' blackmailer arrives and finds this, he attacks his partner!! Does any of this make sense? No...and what follows REALLY makes no sense....and in fact there were MANY other scenes which made little sense.
The sad thing about this movie is that it has many wonderful scenes and much of it is written well. But too often folks behave in ways that simply defy common sense and a good crime film instead turns into a very disappointing one.
When the story begins, Lucy Harper (Bennett) confronts a man at least her age. Why? Because this old lech has been dating Lucy's 17 year-old daughter on the sligh! And, she threatens to go to the police or do SOMETHING unless he stops.
A bit later, the lech secretly visits the daughter and they get into an argument. He falls and is killed...and it's an accident. But the daughter didn't see this and had no idea he was dead. The next day, Lucy goes outside and finds the man's body. Now clearly you can see where he fell through a railing and died...a rather clear case of an accidental death. But she hides the body anyway!!
Later, a 'nice' blackmailer (?!) arrives and announces that Lucy must give him $5000 or he'll give some incriminating letters from the daughter to the dead man to the authorities. Again, her daughter didn't kill him...so WHY would she agree to pay the blackmail...or at least try to?! This doesn't make sense.
What also makes no sense is when the blackmailer soon falls in love with Lucy! By his own admission, he's a career criminal and now he has a conscience?! Well, his partner is NOT pleased and he soon arrives....demanding the $5000 from Lucy. When the 'nice' blackmailer arrives and finds this, he attacks his partner!! Does any of this make sense? No...and what follows REALLY makes no sense....and in fact there were MANY other scenes which made little sense.
The sad thing about this movie is that it has many wonderful scenes and much of it is written well. But too often folks behave in ways that simply defy common sense and a good crime film instead turns into a very disappointing one.