Love Affair (1939)

Good movie but grossly overrated

Did you people see the same film I saw?

I like movies that are aware of what they are selling... without [any] greater aspirations than to make people laugh and that's it.

This is a tender, generous movie that likes its characters and presents them as real people, full of flaws and strengths.

Nominated for six Oscars way back when, 'Love Affair' starts as an interestingly fresh kind of romance movie. We meet our lovers, Terry and Michel on a boat cruise and the first half of the movie focuses on their bonding: a great tip I learnt from Michel is that taking your girl on her first date to visit your grandmother is a winner. The main reason we never feel guilty that our protagonists are engaging in a softcore affair is that we never really meet their spouses and when they enter the story, we are already rooting for the pairing that is 'Tichel', with their undeniable chemistry. However, after their first meeting goes to shizz when Terry is involved in an accident, the plot starts to slack. The entire last third of the movie turns into a Christmas musical for some reason and although Terry and Michel get their emotional conversation at the end of the movie, you can't help but feel annoyed they didn't get to spend more time together.

The first half of this movie, through the arrival of the steamship in New York, is as good as it gets. Dunne and Boyer are marvelous as the young individuals who discover that, though they are engaged to others, they love each other. Maria Ouspenskaya gives a touching performance as Boyer's grandmother. (Why they are speaking French on Madeira I have no idea, but I guess it doesn't matter.) Once they arrive in New York and Dunne is injured in a car accident the movie seems to lose its focus, however. It's not bad, but it lacks the power it had in the first part.The last scene, however, when Boyer's character, without uttering a word, realizes that Dunne's character cannot walk, is very moving, as is the last several minutes.I haven't seen the remake, An Affair to Remember, in a long time, so I can't compare them. But this is definitely A Movie to Watch.

French painter Michel Marnet (Charles Boyer) and American singer Terry McKay (Irene Dunne) fall for each other on the Atlantic crossing. He is engaged to heiress Lois Clarke (Astrid Allwyn) and she to Kenneth Bradley (Lee Bowman). They stop at Michel's grandmother Janou (Maria Ouspenskaya) in Madeira which solidifies the relationship. As they get to NYC, they agree to clear up their lives to meet 6 months later at the top of the Empire State Building. Michel abandons the life of a playboy for a simple billboard painter while Terry is struck in the streets on the way to the Empire State Building.The movie starts with a questionable premise because the two leads are having a love affair. The fact that this movie works so well is that they are able to maneuver around that. Irene Dunne is absolutely winning and that is a large part of its success. This isn't all gloom and doom. The movie has some very funny lighter moments. The later encounters between the lovers are heart-breaking and that's what put the movie over the top.

(If I could have given this an 8.5 star review I would have. But it's up there as one of the best.) If you're a romantic and love fine acting, few films beat the story and acting in this fine film. And you'll never forget it - which is, of course, the sign of a great film. One reason it is so moving is it demonstrates the best in humanity and loving people, with a subtlety and nuance that is rarely seen in films - certainly since the '30s and '40s. And if you are not yet a fan of Charles Boyer, you will be after this film. And...Irene Dunne - to say this is one of her finest movies is really saying something because she put in some really stellar performances in film. If you're not crying at the end, like a baby, you don't have a heart! What a great great story - and so unique. Although it was remade later (at least twice that I know of) - and An Affair To Remember with Cary Grant and Deborah Kerr was quite good - this is the original version and the very best telling of the story. This defines true romance and love!!!