It is hard to resist a film with such a lovely title or a premise that immediately resonated with me. Janet Gaynor was an immensely talented actress, her Best Actress Oscar win for more than one role for that year being proof that year (this was ground-breaking too, being the first ever recipient for the award and being the only one to get it for more than one role in the same year). Frank Borzage was always a sensitive director with some of his best directing coming from his three collaborations with Gaynor and Charles Farrell.
'Lucky Star' is the third and last of those film collaborations, the others being 1927's '7th Heaven' and 1928's 'Street Angel'. Of the three, 'Lucky Star' is my personal favourite due to being the one to connect with me the most emotionally. It is one of Borzage's best and most relatable films and one of the finest examples of showing what his strengths were as a director. Gaynor is as just as she was in the three films that gave her her Oscar and it is a shame that Farrell didn't become a bigger star after his collaborations with Gaynor and Borzage.
First and foremost, 'Lucky Star' looks wonderful. Borzage began developing a lush romantic style in the lead up to '7th Heaven', 'Street Angel' and 'Lucky Star' and had fully done so when it came to those films. The photography is lush and often dazzles, making the sets and costumes even more beautifully elegant than they already are. Borzage directs typically sensitively and intelligently, not allowing the film to become too lightweight or too heavy.
Moreover, 'Lucky Star' has a lot of sensitivity and subtlety in the writing too. The story has moments of real charm, the chemistry between Gaynor and Farrell is irresistibly charming and affecting with some truly lovely little things between them (well actually 'Lucky Star' is full of those little things). It is also incredibly moving to me, Borzage specialised in the sort of films where the characters had to go through and overcome great adversity and how he portrayed love through those trials. 'Lucky Star' is one of those films, being disabled myself the story was very relatable to me.
As were the characters, ones that were interesting and easy to get behind every step of the way. Gaynor is expectedly marvellous in a deeply felt performance that is as good as the performances that got her deserved awards attention. It is a shame that Farrell didn't become a bigger star, judging from his restrained and equally poignant performance that is perhaps the best one of his three collaborations with Gaynor and Borzage. The rest of the cast are all fine if not quite in the same league as Gaynor and Farrell, both of whom doing amazingly at telling so much through their eyes and faces.
Overall, absolutely wonderful. 10/10
'Lucky Star' is the third and last of those film collaborations, the others being 1927's '7th Heaven' and 1928's 'Street Angel'. Of the three, 'Lucky Star' is my personal favourite due to being the one to connect with me the most emotionally. It is one of Borzage's best and most relatable films and one of the finest examples of showing what his strengths were as a director. Gaynor is as just as she was in the three films that gave her her Oscar and it is a shame that Farrell didn't become a bigger star after his collaborations with Gaynor and Borzage.
First and foremost, 'Lucky Star' looks wonderful. Borzage began developing a lush romantic style in the lead up to '7th Heaven', 'Street Angel' and 'Lucky Star' and had fully done so when it came to those films. The photography is lush and often dazzles, making the sets and costumes even more beautifully elegant than they already are. Borzage directs typically sensitively and intelligently, not allowing the film to become too lightweight or too heavy.
Moreover, 'Lucky Star' has a lot of sensitivity and subtlety in the writing too. The story has moments of real charm, the chemistry between Gaynor and Farrell is irresistibly charming and affecting with some truly lovely little things between them (well actually 'Lucky Star' is full of those little things). It is also incredibly moving to me, Borzage specialised in the sort of films where the characters had to go through and overcome great adversity and how he portrayed love through those trials. 'Lucky Star' is one of those films, being disabled myself the story was very relatable to me.
As were the characters, ones that were interesting and easy to get behind every step of the way. Gaynor is expectedly marvellous in a deeply felt performance that is as good as the performances that got her deserved awards attention. It is a shame that Farrell didn't become a bigger star, judging from his restrained and equally poignant performance that is perhaps the best one of his three collaborations with Gaynor and Borzage. The rest of the cast are all fine if not quite in the same league as Gaynor and Farrell, both of whom doing amazingly at telling so much through their eyes and faces.
Overall, absolutely wonderful. 10/10