TrueJoshNight Truly Dreadful Film

GazerRise Fantastic!

Sexyloutak Absolutely the worst movie.

Jenni Devyn Worth seeing just to witness how winsome it is.

TheLittleSongbird With such a winning cast, who can go wrong with Don Ameche, Claudette Colbert, John Barrymore and Mary Astor, the brilliant Billy Wilder and Charles Brackett penning the script and a talented director, it was hard not to highly anticipate 'Midnight' with such a love for classic film. 'Midnight' turned out to be one of those films that met those expectations and even exceeded them, that cannot be said for many film viewings recently. Of all my recent viewings, and actually in a long way, 'Midnight' is easily up there in the top 5 of the most rewarding. It is a real shame that it is so overlooked today and it has nothing to do with quality, it's a fantastic film. To me, what struck me as the reason was timing, with it being released in the year that saw the releases of two of the biggest and most highly acclaimed films ever 'The Wizard of Oz' and 'Gone with the Wind' (two of my favourites as well). 'Midnight' is not quite on their level or scale, but although fondly remembered here it is deserving of more attention.It is beautifully made for starters, especially in the sumptuous costumes and photography that is so easy on the eyes. 'Midnight' is directed with a real eye for atmosphere and visual detail and with an ability to keep the story moving along. The music is never intrusive or too syrupy.A contender for the best asset of 'Midnight' is the script. The script here is brilliant in classic Wilder and Brackett fashion, sparkling and sizzling at every turn effortlessly and the best parts are truly hilarious. The story is filled with charm and sophistication, it is also stylish, impossible to dislike and never hard to follow.Cannot fault the cast either. Don Ameche oozes with charm and likeability in one of his best roles (to me at least), Claudette Colbert is luminous and with great comic timing and John Barrymore was never funnier and gives one of his best later performances. Mary Astor, Rex O'Malley and Hedda Hopper give classy support.Overall, a wonderful film deserving of more praise. 10/10 Bethany Cox

n_r_koch Totally charming-- a Cinderella farce that's one of the forgotten peaks of '30s comedy. It's so well-paced that you never feel like you're waiting for the next scene, and it's over fast. It's written like a Continental farce, with familiar high and low and pretend social types, but it has the distinctively sour Brackett-Wilder tone-- plus the in-jokes typical of '30s comedies (Colbert has no French, jokes about her nose, etc.) The actors, even Ameche (a block of wood in the Fox musicals but effective here) all seem unusally relaxed. Maybe it's because they have such good lines to read. It's all high artifice with every line turned and polished; it never touches the ground. Colbert is the American showgirl who floats into Paris high life on a cloud of lies and luck. She gets ensnared in a plot made up by a man (Barrymore) whose wife (Astor) is cheating (with Lederer). Meanwhile, an honest cabbie (Ameche) who's fallen for her turns up and complicates everything. Ameche and Colbert, totally different types, look magnetic in their scenes together-- but maybe it's because she keeps staring at him with those beautiful eyes. What makes it funny is that it's all entirely plausible. Remade in 1945 and 2008, but if you like '30s comedy don't miss this one.

axsmashcrushallthree "Midnight" may be the best of the great 30's screwball comedies, and we're talking about "Libeled Lady", "The Awful Truth", "Bringing Up Baby", "Nothing Sacred", "Ninotchka", and "Holiday", among others.What makes it so extraordinarily great? The movie simply doesn't touch ground throughout the proceedings - a bit like a faster-paced Lubitsch concoction. This is much to talk about, but in particular, the Wilder-Brackett script is loaded with so many memorable jabs and rejoinders that one is grateful for the opportunity to rewind the action to relish them. The pacing is just exactly right, with its many high points, particularly at the point of introduction and re-introduction of characters in various states of array or disarray.With Colbert, Ameche, Lederer, and Astor, it's hard to point to stand-outs, but Barrymore's performance is worth more for what he does not say than for his lines (which he supposedly had to read from cue cards) - his mute reactions of curiosity, skepticism, abashment, and astonishment are priceless. The appearance of Monty Woolley near the end of the film couldn't come at a better time, nor could the end of the film itself! If you like films of this type from this period, this is a must - 10/10.

moonspinner55 Claudette Colbert at her best, playing a down-on-her-luck singer in Paris who is mistaken for a member of Hungarian royalty; she goes along with the deception, but only to help wealthy John Barrymore out of his marital fix. Tightly-wound screwball farce written by Charles Brackett and Billy Wilder, from a story by Edwin Justus Mayer and Franz Schulz (with such a distinguished pedigree, the movie has to reach some high expectations--and does so joyfully). Directed in an efficient, brisk manner by Mitchell Leisen, with superb performances by the cast and pleasant, airy surroundings. Remade in 1945 as "Masquerade in Mexico". *** from ****