This is a must-see and one of the best documentaries - and films - of this year.

The movie is made so realistic it has a lot of that WoW feeling at the right moments and never tooo over the top. the suspense is done so well and the emotion is felt. Very well put together with the music and all.

The movie is surprisingly subdued in its pacing, its characterizations, and its go-for-broke sensibilities.

The movie really just wants to entertain people.

Intermezzo is directed by Gregory Ratoff, produced by David O. Selznick and Leslie Howard, has a screenplay by George O' Neill, is based on an original story by Gosta Stevens and Gustav Molander. The film stars Leslie Howard, Ingrid Bergman, Ann Todd and Edna Best.This beautiful love story features the Ingrid Bergman in her first English speaking role.Renowned violinist Holgar Brandt(Leslie Howard)returns home from a tour. He is warmly welcomed back by his loving wife Margit(Edna Best)and young daughter Ann Marie(Ann Todd). He meets his daughters piano teacher Anita (Ingrid Bergman)and the two fall in love. As time goes on they begin an affair and Anita leaves her employment with the family and becomes Han's piano accompanist on his tours. Holger soon begins to miss his wife and daughter and comes to realise the pain he is causing them.You feel for Holger and Anita because they genuinely do love one another but they both know their affair is wrong and Anita tries to find the strength to end it, even though it is very painful for her to do so.Ingrid is excellent in her American debut, she conveys her characters feelings so well through her expressions, her eyes especially show so much to the audience. Howard is very good as a rather self centred man, his music is his greatest passion and he falls for Anita partly because she shares his love and talent for music, Holger would be difficult to like if it were not for his love of his daughter, it's obvious he cares for her and that is a redeeming quality.Edna Best is very good as the long suffering wife, confused as to why her husband seems to have stopped loving her and who finds herself unable to forget him or hate him even when he has the affair.The film looks beautiful thanks to Gregg Toland's exquisite photography. Classical music lovers will enjoy the soundtrack and both Howard and Bergman are quite convincing in the scenes where they have to play musical instruments.

This is a nice little film about Holger (Leslie Howard), a married concert violinist who falls in love with Anita, his daughter's young piano teacher (Ingrid Bergman, in her US debut).The two go on tour together and true to the old lyric: "music leads the way to romance", the two musicians begin an affair. But can they ignore their duties to family and career? The film is a re-make of the Swedish film 'Intermezzo' (which also starred Bergman) and it retains the Swedish names. As none of the cast are Swedish except Bergman, they might as well have changed the names and location to suit a British setting as the film isn't shot in Sweden anyway.The film is very short- only 70 minutes long- and so even if it wasn't your cup of tea, you could still give it a go. It's an entertaining old-fashioned melodrama. It would have been nice if the characters could be fleshed out slightly more, but Intermezzo is a thoughtful study of adultery. If you liked Brief Encounter, this is worth a shot too.

"Intermezzo" is a beautifully photographed, bittersweet story about a the love affair between a concert violinist (Leslie Howard) and a pianist (Ingrid Bergman). This was Bergman's second time at the role, the first time being in her native Sweden. This film catapulted her to fame. Her natural beauty and freshness is shown to wonderful advantage here, as is her sensitive acting in the role of Anita Hoffman.Howard plays Holger Brandt, a married man with two children who leaves his wife and family when his affair with Bergman becomes too intense. Hoffman becomes his accompanist on tour, sublimating her own career plans because she wants to be with him. While vacationing, he becomes attached to a little girl who obviously reminds him of his daughter (Ann Todd), whom he adores, and Anita wonders if their illicit affair can ever bring them happiness.The film is rich in subtext and metaphors. "Aren't you giving it too much importance?" Anita's piano teacher asks as she rips into a concerto. "We were all impressed with you the night you played here ... with my husband," Holger's wife says, asking Anita about her studies. "I really had no choice," Anita almost whispers. Even the title of his daughter's favorite piece that he plays, "Intermezzo" takes on a special meaning.Few actors have cut the romantic, ethereal figure that Leslie Howard did during his film career. Tall, blond, with that soft voice and faraway look in his eyes, he makes a perfect musician who is always listening to a melody in his head. Though some people feel his phoned-in Ashley Wilkes doesn't hold up today, in fact, he was the embodiment of Ashley without making much effort, a soft dreamer with impractical values from another time. And so he is here, not thinking ahead and lost in a romantic fog.A touching and dramatic film with very effective performances.

Gregg Tolland, Cinematographer, did win the 1940 Oscar, for Wuthering Heights, but he was also nominated for Intermezzo: A Love Story, in the same ceremony that same year. Having replaced Harry Stradling Sr., who passed away in 1970, and whose final three movies were with Barbra Streisand on Funny Girl, Hello Dolly, On a Clear Day You Can See Forever and The Owl and the Pussycat. He goes uncreated on the Black and White 1939 movie of Intermezzo: A Love Story.This is a piece of Cinematographers heaven, with the sheer beauty of light and shade that fill you with awe and astonishment, the atmospheric moods that highlight the drama that enlighten before us. This is visual storytelling at its brightest and never a dull moment.Gregory Ratoff, Russian born in 1897 and who died in 1960, was in his life, an actor, and at other times, director, with director credits going to him for Intermezzo: A Love Story. He has the honour of directing the very beautiful Ingrid Bergman in her first Hollywood role. With her reprise of the same role from the 1936 movie: Intermezzo, this is her first English-speaking role too, (using also, the original screenplay writers of the 1936 movie). As this movie, minus front and rear credits, is only one hour and five minutes long, it would seem that such an recognisable plot would benefit both Studio Bosses and actress alike, no doubt, as an introduction to the English speaking masses.Ms. Bergman's acting comes across as sincere and with her talent and beauty holds no bounds, she is amazing, her perfection and delivery are second to none. She perpetuates her skills with grace and professionalism that any would aspire too. Whilst on the other hand, Leslie Howard plays the decorous stick in the mud, with his simplistic role of the very upper middle class, and with his values and etiquette's that are so now dated, in the movies that is. He tries too hard to please, to come over as the archetypal highbrow and well-heeled good friend to everyone, except his own family. His greed for the other Love, in the end, breaks up this very happy, well-to-do, high society life. This can't be a bad thing by any means, for then we would not see the wonderful and charming acting ability of the young seven year old Ann Todd, who plays the victimised daughter caught between the heartbreak of the betrayed Mother and her cheating Father. Ann Todd is young, but her performance is extraordinary, next to any Hollywood actor of the time, they too would find it hard not to be out classed by Ms. Todd."Oh my God! Did I just see "that" or was I dreaming?" There is a very brief moment in Intermezzo: A Love Story which happens with Ms. Bergman, while she is in a shot all off her own, while looking down at her Lover, it took me by surprise and was, in a way, quite shocking and breath taking, you'll know what I mean after you have seen it. Very inventive and unexpected. Overall, Intermezzo: A Love Story is a beautifully shot movie that conveys the struggle of Marriage and how to keep the Family values together, while in the face of temptation. To convey the message that the grass may be a little greener on the other side, but only for a short while, and that Love, in the end, really does Conquer All.One hour and five minutes of Hollywood bliss. Lose yourself.