Memorable, crazy movie

Absolutely the worst movie.

A waste of 90 minutes of my life

Blending excellent reporting and strong storytelling, this is a disturbing film truly stranger than fiction

Here, in "Autumn Leaves," Joan Crawford is a writer who prefers her own company over having just anybody – unlike so many today. She has been burned. So, when Cliff Robertson asks to sit down at her table, (the only seat in a packed restaurant,) she replies, "I'd prefer it if you didn't." But he stands right beside her table, waiting for an available table. She meant for him to go away. She can't have him stand there. She couldn't enjoy her lunch. She gives in. They get to talking and they start to form a relationship, quickly. He's a jovial and nice-lookin' guy, but there's something not quite right there. It seems that everything he says can't be taken at face value. Despite the fact she hasn't been this happy in years, there's something wrong. He has mood swings, and she takes it all on her shoulders, taking care of him. Then Vera Miles and his father Lorne Greene show up, telling her that he should be in a "home." If you love someone, you take care of them, she says. You can't just throw them away. Then an unsavory truth comes out. All actors are excellent in their roles, especially Cliff Robertson, who gives an eerily and captivating off-balanced performance. The quiet moments of his desperation and depression are most convincing. "Autumn Leaves" is not your usual romantic movie. Maybe it's not trying to be. Can love cure? Can one's sanity be found through the thick fog of muddle? "Autumn Leaves" is for those who appreciate good performances in good movies and who know that love can be found in dark places.

Something is very wrong here. How is it possible for such an intelligent woman of high presence and awareness not to see from the beginning that something is wrong with this so much younger and immature man so persistently making love to her without even knowing her? The story is not credible, and it gets worse all the time. It is a cinematic masterpiece, one of both Robert Aldrich's and Joan Crawford's best, and the splendid direction and cinematography conceals the psychological flaws. Worst of all is the end, which gives you the impression of pasting up a psychological failure. Of course, if the story had been more realistic, it would not have made the same brilliant and fascinating film, which indeed at least keeps you on edge until the dreadful final scene, which ruins everything. I am sure Hitchcock would have called this false ending a disaster. Lorne Greene and Vera Miles add to the story and make it really interesting, but they are too soon disposed of. It's definitely worth seeing for the sake of Joan Crawford, her beauty and splendid acting, but everything else is just put there for the enhancement of her performance.

As the opening credits of "Autumn Leaves" are benignly rolling by, the viewer is treated to listening to the golden, mellow voice of Nat "King" Cole as he effortlessly sings this melodrama's title song.And even though there were no autumn leaves anywhere to be found in "Autumn Leaves", this song and its lulling effect played (surprising enough) a somewhat significant part when it came to setting the pace and mood of this film's stormy plot-line.Many years following this picture's 1956 release, Joan Crawford stated, in an interview, that of her later films, "Autumn Leaves" was, indeed, her #1 favourite.I think that that was kind of a funny thing for Crawford to say, since, from my perspective, I clearly found her to be miscast in her role as Millie Wetherby, the longing, lonely, middle-aged typing-dynamo who finally finds her man (who's half her age) only to discover that an unbalanced mind lurks behind those twinkling, baby-blue eyes of his.From my point of view, even though "Autumn Leaves" had all the makings of being a fairly intriguing picture and its subject matter was certainly handled in a mature fashion, I found that a lot of the story (especially the ending) just didn't ring true.Like I said earlier, Joan Crawford just wasn't well-suited for her role as a woman who would allow a man (regardless of how cute he was) to slap her around and brutalize her. And, then, after all was said and done, actually come crawling back for more. (Oh? Yeah!?) Yes. "Autumn Leaves" was a decidedly flawed affair and its dead-serious dramatics contained some unintentionally humorous moments, but, all the same, I think that this 1950's Chick Flick was certainly well-worth a view just to see how mental illness was looked upon in the realm of Hollywood movies nearly 60 years ago.Filmed in b&w, "Autumn Leaves" was directed by Robert Aldrich whose other notable films included - Kiss Me Deadly, Whatever Happened To Baby Jane and The Dirty Dozen.

Unconvincing soap about a May/December romance between Joan Crawford and Cliff Robertson. Turns out Cliff is crazy and already has a wife (Vera Miles). Crawford gives a decent performance but her looking like a female impersonator throughout most of the picture is distracting. Robertson is terrible. He plays his role as though he's mentally ill. You would think that's appropriate given the story, right? Well the problem is it's not revealed he's crazy until midway through the film. Prior to that we have him romancing Crawford while speaking like a simple-minded half-wit. Putting aside how Cliff could fall for Joan (he's crazy after all), how could Joan fall for Cliff when he talks like a moron? The romantic dialogue is insipid. The lack of chemistry between the two drags things badly. There is a laughable scene where they rip off From Here to Eternity. The entire first half of the movie where they play things like a straight romance film is terrible and can't be taken seriously. It's actually painful to watch. Once the plot about Robertson's illness and other wife kick in, things get better. Joan's big fight with Miles and Lorne Greene is the film's highlight. Of the cast, Ruth Donnelly comes out best as Crawford's friend. Miles and Greene are also good. It's tough to recommend because the good doesn't outweigh the bad. At most, it balances out. Fans of Joan Crawford and director Robert Aldrich might be more forgiving. Nice theme sung by Nat King Cole.