ThiefHott
Too much of everything
Voxitype
Good films always raise compelling questions, whether the format is fiction or documentary fact.
Zlatica
One of the worst ways to make a cult movie is to set out to make a cult movie.
Cineanalyst
"M'Liss" is a pleasant, if pointless, Marry Pickford vehicle. In it, the then-26-year-old played a mischievous teenage mountain girl who sports a slingshot. Mary often played child roles, but it's somewhat unseemly here considering that little time elapses between her character placing a doll in a coffin and grave to her and her schoolmaster falling in love. Today's audiences might also find it interesting to see in the film a public classroom where Bible stories appear to be the main curriculum (and Mary is amusing playing the skeptic)."M'Liss" is a mostly breezy and light film, but it would've benefited from further shortening, namely in the plentiful number of title cards. Scenarist Frances Marion deserved much credit for helping to launch Mary's stardom and typecasting her in child roles, beginning with "The Poor Little Rich Girl", and Marion is one of the most important screenwriters in film history, but in the silent era, she sometimes had the vice of talking too much. The subplot of inheritance from a rich relative, which helps tack on a happy ending, was also unnecessary.
caldoni
I have little or anything to add the comments of others who have spotted this movie for what it is, a story-vehicle for Mary Pickford, which is okay.The story itself isn't worthless but it feels a little worn in. I did however appreciate the messages ingrained in about families not being traditional, it's mediations on alcoholism, vigilantism and even pedophilia are interesting peaks into a time and a place we missed, but they don't occupy a lot of screen time. Some of the cinematography is great, but really the supporting cast is excellent, in particular the drunk old dad.The most relevant story convention is that of the indigent people ousted by cruel capitalist bent on their land, but that story is told better in both "Tess of the Storm Country" and "Heart O' The Hills" (this movie is featured on Milestone's "Heart O' The Hills DVD release.)
Snow Leopard
This adaptation of the Bret Harte story is a ready-made vehicle for Mary Pickford, with a blend of comedy and melodrama that allows her to perform a lot of different material. Although there are some serious story developments, the tone is usually kept rather light, and Pickford is as engaging as ever.The story has her playing a wild daughter of a now-destitute miner, meeting the town's new schoolteacher, and contending with a plot to deprive her father of an inheritance. Actually, some of the incidental sequences are the best, and give her the best opportunities to develop her character while entertaining the audience.Theodore Roberts is sympathetic as the father, Thomas Meighan is solid as the schoolteacher, and some of the other cast members get an occasional good moment. The story largely follows a familiar formula, but it works, and it provides good entertainment with a great leading actress.
burntoutsquid
It may not be Pickford's best movie, but it's definitely her cutest. I can't help but be a little biased, however: I always felt that her melodramas were a little too dated, and the ones that really last are these scantily plotted, silly comedies that don't take themselves too seriously.It's priceless to see her "hold up" a stagecoach with a sling shot, or wonder what "-??-" means when put between "none of your" and "business." (They already showed a willingness to print "damn," so that narrows it down.)The inter titles are funny, although in a silent film they don't have to be, and the supporting characters are just as fun to watch as Mary. It's on the "Heart o' the Hills" DVD that came out in '05 as only a special feature, but it's the more enjoyable of the two.
