offbeat bit of insanity with Jane Powell far too mature to be playing the "adopted daughter" of Hedy Lamarr -- though pert, she has the voice and manner of a seasoned broad. Hedy Lamarr can barely say her lines, she acts like a confused Pekingese. Some may find George Nader a pretty decent hunk; he spends much of the film shirtless. this film tries to imitate sunset boulevard in its way. lines are mock-sophisticated fast-talk delivered in throwaway style. Jan Sterling does a good job as usual. film is not believable in its depiction of gigolos and gigolees in any realistic sense. this film tries for both drama and humor (hedy makes humorous remarks which fall flat due to the fact that she doesn't appear to understand english), but it only succeeds as camp -- jane powell is a raving alchy who acts like she's playing a susan hayward "Oscar" role, george lovable and passive as a lamb somehow incredibly is in love with her after she acts like a non-stop banshee and he has to sober her up by throwing her in the shower. The finale is right out of "Sunset Boulevard" with hedy slipping into drunken madness and almost plunging to her death. The hatred of jane for her mom hedy is kind of interesting, the vitriol, the emotions. hedy is supposed to be a very shallow movie star who comes to her great moment of enlightenment only when her daughter steals her latest boytoy. One other thing to mention-- this film is in a gorgeous looking black and white, and all the shots are beautiful.
Review of The Female Animal
