Review of Autumn Leaves (1956) by Veronique K — 09 Nov 2008
This film's plot covers prime Joan Crawford territory. We get to see Crawford in one of her roles of glorious, glamorous suffering. Lonely spinster Milly (Crawford) has given up on love and life until she meets Burt (Cliff Robertson).
He's good-looking and much younger. Milly doesn't understand why such a young man would be interested in her. Since she's Crawford, we feel her star quality that her character downplays. Even so Milly soon must confront a worse situation than she feared--her husband's mental collapse.
The film feels fairly realistic until it descends into pure, delicious melodrama. Some killer quotes abound. The supporting cast enrich the film and their small roles by their realness. I miss the days when supporting character actors were allowed to seem like real people with unique presences that gave their tiny roles some heft.
This review of Autumn Leaves (1956) was written by Veronique K on 09 Nov 2008.
Autumn Leaves has generally received positive reviews.
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