Wednesday, September 9, 2009

The Rat- Ivor Novello/Graham Cutts (29.05.08)

Part of the 2nd Fashion in Film Festival, this is a 1925 British silent film. Co-written by Novello who starred in the lead
role, this was the first of three set in the Parisian underworld with his syarring as a jewel thief. A rather melodramatic
story in which Mae Marsh confesses to a murder he committed to save her from the villain (a grossly overacted performance
by Herman Stetz) though she is acquitted on the grounds of self-defence. Isabel Jeans plays the demi-monde mistress
of Statz who seduces Novello and hers is the showier of the two roles. Novello shows his profile a lot and tries to display
anguish when Marsh is in jail though not that convincingly. The settings are well done but the filming and acting leave much to be desired. Why it was part of this festival is beyond me unless it was for the inserted footage from the Folies Bergere
which was mirrored by 5 young ladies who paraded through the auditorium.

1 comment:

Prettypink said...

Interesting to see, if not particularly wonderful -- but a heck of a lot more interesting than the five pointless young ladies strutting their stuff.