Film Review
Remarkably well preserved for a film of this era,
The Circle serves as a good example
of Frank Borzage's early period as a filmmaker, before he went on to
make the masterpieces at Fox Studios which have earned him lasting
recognition - timeless classics such as
7th Heaven (1927)
and
Lucky Star (1929). A
workmanlike but otherwise pretty uninspired adaptation
of a popular play by the British writer William Somerset Maugham, the film
shows little, if any, of the dramatic power and stylistic brilliance of Borzage's
subsequent films and is little more than a filmed stage play, with virtually
all of the action filmed in mid-shot.
Some fine opportunities for comedy are either botched or else needlessly underplayed, and
so the film is more plodding and lacklustre than it deserves to
be. The film's charms, such as they are, lie almost entirely in
the characterful contributions of its engaging cast. Eugenie Besserer and
George Fawcett are a particular delight as the dowdy
mother-in-law and cantankerous interloper, whilst a future Hollywood
icon makes her first screen appearance under the name that would
make her immortal, Joan Crawford (previously, she had been credited under
her real name, Lucille Fay LeSueur). It was in another Somerset Maugham
adaptation that Crawford would have one of her most memorable screen
outings, as Miss Sadie Thompson in Lewis Milestone's
Rain (1932).
© James Travers 2011
The above content is owned by filmsdefrance.com and must not be copied.
Next Frank Borzage film:
7th Heaven (1927)
Film Synopsis
In 1890, Lady Catherine makes up her mind to leave her aristocratic
husband, Lord Clive Cheney, to start a new life with her lover, Hughes
Porteous. She leaves Cheney with a baby son which he must
bring up alone. Thirty years later, Cheney's son Arnold is
married, but history is about to repeat itself as his wife Elizabeth is
contemplating leaving him to elope with his friend Teddy Lutton.
Unsure whether she is doing the right thing, Elizabeth invites her
mother-in-law and Porteous back to the Cheney estate to see whether
their love has endured. She is at first shocked to see the toll
that time has taken on the two people. Lady Catherine has lost
her good looks and is quite a dowdy, garrulous old woman, whilst
Porteous is sour tempered on account of his rheumatism and badly
fitting false teeth. And yet it is clear to Elizabeth that her
mother-in-law is still a happy woman; her sacrifice of comfort and
honour has not been in vain. So, without further ado, Elizabeth
persuades her lover to take her away. Alas, Arnold has
anticipated this development and has his own plans...
© James Travers
The above content is owned by filmsdefrance.com and must not be copied.