Lucky Star (1929)

A Masterpiece!

Pretty good movie overall. First half was nothing special but it got better as it went along.

The movie's neither hopeful in contrived ways, nor hopeless in different contrived ways. Somehow it manages to be wonderful

Through painfully honest and emotional moments, the movie becomes irresistibly relatable

The story is indeed hackneyed, and the title cards ("it's gran", "Baa- Baa") are a minus, but this is a simple little romance back when sentiment and honest emotions were allowed to be expressed, instead of drowned in cynicism as they often are in today's films. Janet Gaynor was the bigger star, but Charles Farrell is the heart and soul of this film and he gives a moving performance. He never allows Tim to be an object of pity even when the script presents him as one. He expresses his emotions on such a pure level. There's a scene where Tim hugs Mary ("Baa Baa") and as she clings to him, we see expressed on his face the full, startling realization of how much he loves her. It is a gorgeous performance and one which, if you see the film, I don't think you will forget.

If someone wants to understand what happened between the end of the silent period and the beginning of sound, to experience an immersion in the sort of lyrical romance that people responded to at the time, there are few better films than Lucky Star. Both of the featured players, Janet Gaynor and Charles Farrell had already established themselves as audience favorites in films from Seventh Heaven on, and this simple tale of a crippled soldier finding love with a rustic local girl allowed both of them to give rich, likable performances without gross exaggeration or hysteria. For contemporary moviegoers, accustomed to multiple layers of irony and a cynical take on romance between a man and a woman, this film may be laughable, but for those willing to transport themselves to another world (which is what film can do so well!) director Frank Borzage's magical, shadowy, soft-focus rustic never-never land creates a sweet, idyllic romance

I noticed that one reviewer referred to this as a 'perfect film'. Well, there are some serious problems with the plot towards the very end that, to me, make it less than perfect. But, aside from this, the film abounds with charm and is among the better silents I have seen--and I've seen a lot.A couple notes before I go on with the review. First, while this film originally was a part-talking picture with sound effects, the sound has been lost. However, I don't think this was a bad thing, as many such hybrid films aren't that great due to poor sound and integration of this. And, frankly, had you just assumed it was always a silent, you'd never notice the difference thanks to the excellent restoration. Second, if you get the film from Netflix, you'll find that their summary of the film's plot is very wrong.The film begins in a small town just before the US gets directly involved in WWI. Charles Farrell is a nice guy who decides to enlist. But, before he does this, he has a run-in with a tom-boyish girl (Janet Gaynor). There is no hint of love on either of their parts and Gaynor appears to be way too young anyway.In the war, Farrell is badly injured and his legs are paralyzed. He returns home after two years and is relatively upbeat considering everything--but he's also quite lonely. Gaynor begins to visit him and he assumes she's just a girl. But, slowly they both help each other--he gets the needed companionship and he cleans her up and reveals her to be a pretty young lady--a lady of almost 18. At this point, it's obvious both are starting to fall in love, but he's afraid to allow his feelings to show, as he sees himself as a cripple.Later, a horrible person (Guinn Williams) returns to town from the war--the same guy who may have contributed to Farrell's injury and the same guy who has no compunction about getting a girl to sleep with him by promising to marry them! When Williams starts to show the now prettified Gaynor attentions, Farrell cannot sit back in his wheelchair and acts. Now this action on Farrell's part was fun to watch but 100% ridiculous--no man can make a recovery THAT fast! His hopping out of his wheelchair and going on crutches for the first time--and in the snow--is ridiculous. Yes, it made for a fun finale...but one that makes no logical sense. It's a shame, actually, as up until then it WAS the perfect film. Still, the ending does not ruin the film and is well worth seeing even with its flaws.

Lucky Star begins in a small town and focuses on a small tomboy (Janet Gaynor). She spends her time carting various goods around town to make money for her family and brings some milk to a work site for sale. There she causes trouble between two of the men, one named Martin who believes she tried to cheat him out of his money (Guinn Williams) and the other, Tim, who defends her innocence (Charles Farrell). Suddenly, the quaint sentiment is broken by the announcement of WWI and then scatter off to enlist. A few years later, we see the town after the war. Tim has lost the ability to use his legs and is confined to a wheelchair. Martin is a man about town who uses his stint in the war for his own personal gain. The tomboy is a bit older now, but still as mischievous as before. She befriends Tim, who by this time is very lonely, and the two form a strong bond. However, Martin sees how beautiful the girl has become and goes about wooing her mother for her hand in marriage.A heartfelt movie with a great cast, Lucky Star is one of those movies that should be released on DVD. It is talked about often among cinephiles but is rarely seen. The copy I saw was a terrible print with an ill-fitting soundtrack; if it was good in spite of those things, just think of how wonderful it could be with a clear print and a great soundtrack! Unfortunately, most of Frank Borzage's beautiful cinematography was lost in the haze of the damaged print, but it was no doubt an asset to the film. The outdoor scenes show a picturesque town with almost fantastical homes. It adds to the charm of the love story.