Review of All About Eve (1950) by Michael Y — 02 Mar 2011

Very original and mysterious from beginning to end, All About Eve is a story of fame and deceit and whether actions are justifiable in the crazy world of being a star.

The movie begins with Eve recieving an honourary award in theatre, then flashes back to how it all began. Margo is one of New York's best actresses to grace the theatre. Or at least she was a few years ago, but she is still gets all the best roles, even though she's not quite a likable person. Then she meets her no. 1 fan, Eve, a charming young lady who makes such an impression on Margo that she lets her be her assistant. But as the weeks go by Margo finds something odd about Eve. She's too good. She's making her look look bad. Does Eve end up sabotaging Margo's career, or is Margo's paranoia getting the best of her? This movie is very intriguing from start to finnish. The tention between the characters is very interesting due to the amazing preformances of Bette Davis and a quite enjoyable character played by George Sanders, leading up to an interesting climax.

Writer and director Joseph L. Mankiewicz does a great job directing his vision of the story. His narration and focus on the characters in the beginning says enough. The cinematography of scenes isn't something completely out of the ordinary at times, but there are many interestingly shot scenes that, combined with the way the story is told, will keep you in suspence and wonder about the situations going on. Costumes and sets look amazing for it's time though, really capturing a different side of fame and the world of theatre. It might not look as impressive by todays standards, but this movie's mystery and sence of paranoia and betrayal is done very well.

This isn't a muder mystery or a tale, but a story much worse. The loss of everything one once was. We know Margo was once at the top, but when we first see her she is in jealous rage of Eve. This story of 'rise and fall' in so interesting because it's so original. And if you stay and watch, you'll see a pre-famous Marilyn Monroe. All About Eve is a story that takes a while to get across, but it's a slow burn of excitement that's interesting to watch, especially for fans of the classics.