Reviews

Obviously, I liked this film more than most. I found it touching and

well acted. And it had a realistic character who is quite frustrating

to watch, even with her therapist. I also felt her insecurity when the

charming Italian shows up. A chick flick? Believe it or not, men

sometimes feel insecure and threatened, too. Moreover, the

actors had a chance to really journey through an "arc", ending up at

a place different from where they began. That doesn't happen in

most films. Finally, if you see "Martha" and don't love it, I suggest

you watch it a second time, with your eyes closed. Listen to Paulo

Conti. He's incredible! If nothing else, the film introduced me to

his music, and that alone would be enough.

It was very long ago, but this film touched me deeply. A became obsessed with Shostakovich's 11th Symphony, and remember vividly some scenes. When Maximillian Schell is finally "released" and goes out into the city (Hamburg?) to see what Germany has become, he is repulsed. When Frederich March is told he will die, he is solemn. The plot, that they have hidden their son because he is a wanted war criminal. That they collaborated willingly with the Nazis, as an industrial power. Perhaps I have forgotten important details. But the movie resonates with me.

After viewing this movie for the second time, and after deriding it as a "chick flick", I take it all back. It has enough plot changes and interesting characters to overcome the occasional heavy-handedness. And Licia Maglietta grows on you. She is somehow sultry, without seeming to try. And I liked the cutting, since there don't seem to be any superfluous scenes, or even frames.

Aside from the ponderousness, I was especially dissappointed to see an icon, Michael Caine, play a sniveling, groveling religious fantatic, alternately crying and kissing his St. Christopher's medal, in hopes of gaining absolution. Well, he'll never get it for this performance. And what were Charlotte Rampling and Alan Bates doing in this heavy handed message movie? Did they arrange a private screening for the Pope?

Regrettably, this is one of the worst noir films I've seen. Robert Montgomery as a hard-boiled Philip Marlowe? C'mon. His accent alone is pathetic. Luckily, with the POV technique, we don't have to see him, since he looks even less authentic. As for the supposedly wonderful, pungent prose of Raymond Chandler--it's laughable. There are so many wonderful noir films--Double Indemnity, Out of the Past, Woman in the Window, Shadow of a Doubt, etc--it's a shame this is around to drag down the genre. Sorry.

Viewing this film and "The Lady in the Lake" back to back, I was struck by the incredible difference in the writing. This film is very well crafted, and the dialogue doesn't call attention to itself as Chandleresque "See how clever I am". Robinson is terrific, and so is Joan Bennett (Scarlett certainly would have been different in her hands). Great plot points when Robinson mentions "murder" and the DA says--who said anything about murder? Also, the "walk in the woods" scene. Kudos to everyone. Now about that lame ending...