Review of The Barefoot Contessa (1954) by Nathan G — 18 Oct 2010

Meh--I don't know why--I'm just not a huge fan of Gardner. I think her performance here is uneven, failing to really demonstrate the arc of a living person's life. She plays Maria Vargas as a cartoon of a hollywood ice-queen.

Come to that, most of these characters are cartoonish "types." The imperious producer, the war-weary and wounded European uber-class, the idle rich expats, the washed up never-was actress, etc.

.. Obviously, O'Brien's lauded performance is the highlight of the flim. It's easy to see why. He really brings life to a character that could have also become a cartoon. You can see conflict in the character of Oscar.

He doesn't pretend to be very principled, but he remains dedicated to his calling: public relations. The conflict? How to do best for himself. His observations are the most detached of the film. The life of Vargas is illuminated from the vantage points of three men, but I think the story would have best been told from Oscar's point of view alone.

He has no real interest in anyone else, save their relationship to his survival. Of course, he couldn't have observed every moment of the story that is laid out, hence the need for other observers.