Bella Are Ringing (1960) :
Brief Review -
Judy Holliday is magically gorgeous in Vincente Minnelli's call centre romantic musical. Okay, so somebody made a call centre romance film in 1960, and we call it a modern theme nowadays. Slow claps for us. Minnelli's Bells Are Ringing did it a long time ago and so exquisitely. It's a call centre romance with two of the most used themes: the tricked identity of the girl and someone falling in love by just listening to the voice (not seeing the face). Minnelli's film is based on the Broadway hit, so the credit goes to the musical play. The film is about a female operator of an answering machine who falls in love with a man suffering from depression. They meet, and the love story blossoms, but the girl can't reveal her true identity. At the same time, she becomes an angel for two other fellas and numerous others with whom she has been speaking through an answering machine for months. I doubt if Judy Holliday has ever looked so gorgeous in any of her films. A film like "Born Yesterday" (1950) or "It Should Happen To You" (1954) shows her less glamorous, as per the character's demand. Here, she is breathtaking from the first scene, and she is lonely too. That's a trick, you know. And that red gown scene is simply exhilarating. Judy has everything in the film, be it looks, comedy, romance, dance, and generosity. Dean Martin is better than a dream, as Mel/Ella says. The supporting cast has done well. There are some scenes that are rushed, while others have subtlety. That "Say Hello" scene was simple but subtle. Vincente Minnelli's flick is a mix of 3-4 themes, and that's why it's entertaining and interesting. However, the script isn't good enough to match the beautiful merger of themes and genres. Despite that, it's a fine, exciting, glamorous, and colourful watch. A must-see for Judy Holliday fans.
RATING - 6.5/10*
By - #samthebestest.
Judy Holliday is magically gorgeous in Vincente Minnelli's call centre romantic musical. Okay, so somebody made a call centre romance film in 1960, and we call it a modern theme nowadays. Slow claps for us. Minnelli's Bells Are Ringing did it a long time ago and so exquisitely. It's a call centre romance with two of the most used themes: the tricked identity of the girl and someone falling in love by just listening to the voice (not seeing the face). Minnelli's film is based on the Broadway hit, so the credit goes to the musical play. The film is about a female operator of an answering machine who falls in love with a man suffering from depression. They meet, and the love story blossoms, but the girl can't reveal her true identity. At the same time, she becomes an angel for two other fellas and numerous others with whom she has been speaking through an answering machine for months. I doubt if Judy Holliday has ever looked so gorgeous in any of her films. A film like "Born Yesterday" (1950) or "It Should Happen To You" (1954) shows her less glamorous, as per the character's demand. Here, she is breathtaking from the first scene, and she is lonely too. That's a trick, you know. And that red gown scene is simply exhilarating. Judy has everything in the film, be it looks, comedy, romance, dance, and generosity. Dean Martin is better than a dream, as Mel/Ella says. The supporting cast has done well. There are some scenes that are rushed, while others have subtlety. That "Say Hello" scene was simple but subtle. Vincente Minnelli's flick is a mix of 3-4 themes, and that's why it's entertaining and interesting. However, the script isn't good enough to match the beautiful merger of themes and genres. Despite that, it's a fine, exciting, glamorous, and colourful watch. A must-see for Judy Holliday fans.
RATING - 6.5/10*
By - #samthebestest.