LV
9
- Messages
- 20,111
- Reaction score
- 35,597
- Awards
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- Location
- Plotville, Shenanigan
- Member Since
- April 2002
THE MISFITS (1961)

It took me only 5 minutes to realise I was watching an unusual film, an almost experimental mix of classic Hollywood and Indie cinema.
The acting, editing and cinematography looks excitingly vibrant even though the story starts somewhere in the middle of another story.
Thelma Ritter plays a landlady of sorts and she has devoted her life to the guidance of soon-to-be-ex-wives, maybe that's why I got Australian vibes from her.
Her arm is bandaged and I wonder if it was a real injury because story-wise it doesn't serve any purpose.
It was Knots Landing's Ben Gibson all over again .
Marilyn Monroe is the weak link in this otherwise great ensemble cast, but perhaps the story wouldn't make sense without her Marilyn Monroeness.
While the physical attraction is addressed, sometimes even in a crude way, it seems rather unlikely that three single men would be content with her friendship.
But if a filmmaker wants to tear up the rulebook of "movie romance" then I'm all for it.
And it's very nice to see that Marilyn is a champion in solo-pingpong.
Some histrionic outbursts come out of nowhere, and Clark Gable's scene in which he can't "find" his daughters could rival Patty Duke's infamous meltdown in Valley Of The Dolls.

But all these unusual an entertaining goings-on disappear in the second part of the film, it's almost as if a new team has taken over.
Marilyn Monroe's character's childlike idealism and mid-sentence deep breaths become increasingly challenging to watch, and the feel of the story becomes more explanative in dialogue and I think it's a pity that they decided to hammer it home in such a traditional way.
Incidentally, Thelma Ritter doesn't star in the second part, but I'm not completely sure if that has anything to do with it.
It's difficult to rate a film that is partially wonderful and partially underwhelming, but I don't regret watching it.

It took me only 5 minutes to realise I was watching an unusual film, an almost experimental mix of classic Hollywood and Indie cinema.
The acting, editing and cinematography looks excitingly vibrant even though the story starts somewhere in the middle of another story.
Thelma Ritter plays a landlady of sorts and she has devoted her life to the guidance of soon-to-be-ex-wives, maybe that's why I got Australian vibes from her.
Her arm is bandaged and I wonder if it was a real injury because story-wise it doesn't serve any purpose.
It was Knots Landing's Ben Gibson all over again .
Marilyn Monroe is the weak link in this otherwise great ensemble cast, but perhaps the story wouldn't make sense without her Marilyn Monroeness.
While the physical attraction is addressed, sometimes even in a crude way, it seems rather unlikely that three single men would be content with her friendship.
But if a filmmaker wants to tear up the rulebook of "movie romance" then I'm all for it.
And it's very nice to see that Marilyn is a champion in solo-pingpong.
Some histrionic outbursts come out of nowhere, and Clark Gable's scene in which he can't "find" his daughters could rival Patty Duke's infamous meltdown in Valley Of The Dolls.

I get the feeling that Huston and Miller have tried to inject a bit of Eurocinema into their black & white Americana, and if that's true then the effort is very much appreciated.Gayloooooord! Rose-Mae!
But all these unusual an entertaining goings-on disappear in the second part of the film, it's almost as if a new team has taken over.
Marilyn Monroe's character's childlike idealism and mid-sentence deep breaths become increasingly challenging to watch, and the feel of the story becomes more explanative in dialogue and I think it's a pity that they decided to hammer it home in such a traditional way.
Incidentally, Thelma Ritter doesn't star in the second part, but I'm not completely sure if that has anything to do with it.
It's difficult to rate a film that is partially wonderful and partially underwhelming, but I don't regret watching it.