WHAT I ALREADY KNEW ABOUT THE MOVIE:
Absolutely nothing. In fact, I first thought it was the story about a 50-foot tall man, but that's "Gulliver's Travels".
LET ME EXPLAIN...
Once I learned that this film was about a film director who goes on a journey to learn what it's like to be "down and out", I was excited. I thought that sounded like a good premise. The actual movie, however, wasn't that great. In fact, if I had to describe it in one word, it would be "lame".
The pace of the movie was annoying because it felt like the story would start, then go back to the beginning, start again, and go back again. It wasn't until we were already an hour in that the story actually decided to go somewhere. In essence, I may have been more entertained watching a car engine try to turn over for an hour than "Sullivan's Travels" try to do the same thing.
Then there's the "comedy" of it. Lame! It's described as a screwball comedy, and it was so corny that what I can only assume are considered the "funniest" scenes were simply dumb to me. I mildly laughed only a few times and genuinely thought something was funny twice throughout the whole movie.
And, aside from Veronica Lake, I thought the acting wasn't very good. Particularly, the lead actor didn't seem to want to venture too far outside his normal demeanor. And when he did, he seemed uncomfortable. Like a 1940's version of Kevin Costner.
What makes this a "Top 100" Movie?
Well, it was about Hollywood, which I've noted before is something the AFI really seems to like. "Sullivan's Travels" is also a dedication to laughter in general (even including a shout-out to everyone who makes people laugh), so the universality of that idea probably helped. As a film, however, this was absolutely nothing special. It did not receive any award nominations when it came out.
Complaints:
Lame humor and a story that wouldn't go anywhere until the end.
LET ME SUM UP...
Except for Veronica Lake's performance and the couple times I actually laughed, this film was lame.
MY RATING: 3/10
TOTAL # OF FILMS WATCHED: 92
1 comment:
My dear sir, I'm afraid you're sadly mistaken about Sullivan's Travels. While it is not a comedy filled of belly laughs, it does possess a heart and a fine blend of poignant drama and genuinely amusing comedy. Perhaps you're not an avid fan of classic film (or evidently of Joel McCrea), but try to understand that pacing and the art of acting have changed greatly since 1941. Of course it's a little sentimental and verges on Capra-corn, but as Sullivan himself asks, "What's wrong with Capra?"
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