★ 9 / 10
Very charming film is more a straight romantic
talisencrw
Very charming film is more a straight romantic comedy than a Christmas film per se, but any chance to see cinematic greats such as Barbara Stanwyck (especially…
Very charming film is more a straight romantic comedy than a Christmas film per se, but any chance to see cinematic greats such as Barbara Stanwyck (especially at this vintage) and, one of the finest character actors ever in Sydney Greenstreet, together is definitely not a lump of coal in a cinephile's Christmas stocking, no-siree!
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★ 9 / 10
I greatly loved this yuletide film, with excellent
talisencrw
I greatly loved this yuletide film, with excellent performances by Barbara Stanwyck and Sydney Greenstreet, and fine direction by Peter Godfrey. Had they a…
I greatly loved this yuletide film, with excellent performances by Barbara Stanwyck and Sydney Greenstreet, and fine direction by Peter Godfrey. Had they a stronger actor in the lead than Dennis Morgan, it would be a perfect film, but it's still a wonderful Christmas perennial and favourite to watch. The Oscar-winning short Star in the Night, directed by Don Siegel and a bonus on this DVD, is even better...Very charming film is more a straight romantic comedy than a Christmas film per se, but any chance to see cinematic greats such as Barbara Stanwyck (especially at this vintage) and, one of the finest character actors ever in Sydney Greenstreet, together is definitely not a lump of coal in a cinephile's Christmas stocking, no-siree!
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★ 7 / 10
A cure for a lonely Christmas
timothywalton-31924
Christmas In Connecticut is, in my estimation, one of the most breezy, runaway joys to have reached the screen. Controversially, I find it plays out better…
Christmas In Connecticut is, in my estimation, one of the most breezy, runaway joys to have reached the screen. Controversially, I find it plays out better than many other Christmas movies like It's A Wonderful Life. Christmas is a time to be merry and happy, to feel the warmth and cosiness of one's comfortable physical and human surroundings amid the cold harsh winter outside. This movie, through superbly acted characters, achieves just this.The movie is unabashedly a joyous comedy which does not feel constrained to representing reality with some moments of sentimentality. The rich atmosphere it creates from its talented cast achieves just that. Sydney Greenstreets performance is just fantastic, playing a newspaper mogul whose authority and confidence means he does not know how to shut up and listen to people. This character trait of him is played for laughs, endearing the audience with him. Barbra stanwyck is also pitch perfect as the flustered writer who now has to navigate cobwebs of lies she spun herself. S Z Sakall is also exquisite as her well meaning friend. He steals the scenes which he is in, playing matchmaker for our two leads, and his character oozes loads of likeability. We all wish we really did have an uncle like him. Part of the great fun of this film is, inevitably watching how Stanwycks Lane has to navigate the web of lies she has spun for herself, and this plays out delightfully. The schemes and plots through which Sakall helps postpone the imminent wedding is also funny. The only complaint however is that the film is of course predictable and formulaic- the old romcom formula of having two leads separated, then reunited is adhered to stringently here. But that shan't be too much of a deterrent especially for a Christmas film, for it is the process by which out two leads are pulled apart and get back together we are interested in, and this process is delectably charming in this film. Christmas in Connecticut is a pleasantly breezy film that takes its place among the great Christmas films, and it warms the cockles of the heart- the cure for a lonely Christmas.
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