Must See Movie...

A Surprisingly Unforgettable Movie!

All of these films share one commonality, that being a kind of emotional center that humanizes a cast of monsters.

Yes, absolutely, there is fun to be had, as well as many, many things to go boom, all amid an atmospheric urban jungle.

The title of this movie, "Two-Faced Woman," might just as well be labeled "Two-Faced Man." Greta Garbo gets all dolled up from her outdoors skiing persona to become a New York glamor puss, all in the interest of pursuing her husband. She gets passed off as a twin sister, wherein most of the comedy of this film lies. Melvyn Douglas is her recent husband of a very short whirlwind romance on the ski slopes somewhere out West. But he has returned to the daily grind as a magazine impresario in the Big Apple. Although he fell for the attractive ski instructor hook, line and sinker, he can't tear himself away from the excitement of his big city persona. He's addicted to work, glamor and recognition.Garbo plays Karin Borg and her would-be twin sister Katherine, and Douglas plays Larry Blake. Some great laughs are provided by the supporting cast, especially Constance Bennett as Griselda Vaughn, and Roland Young as O.O. Miller.While this is an entertaining piece, it's not a very sharp or witty script. It's a weak story and the screenplay is choppy in places. It's not among the best work of either Garbo or Douglas. They had made three movies together, this being their last. The film bombed at the box office and turned out to be Garbo's last movie. She quit films and retired to New York where she became a favorite of among the jet set for many years. She never married and died in New York at age 84 in 1990. She was buried in her native Stockholm, Sweden.Garbo never won any major honors in her career, just short of 20 years. But she received several nominations including three Oscar nominations. The Academy Awards gave her an honorary award in 1954 for her unforgettable screen performances. Who could ever forget her In "Grand Hotel" (1932), "Anna Karenina" (1935), "Queen Christina" (1933) or "Camille" (1936)? And, she was the essence and embodiment of excellent comedy in "Ninotchka" of 1939. I think that may be the best satire ever put on film. Douglas was her co-star in that smashing success.Interestingly, Douglas never won an award or even received a nomination during these golden years of Hollywood. But he kept his career alive and won several awards in the 1960s to 1980, including two Oscars.A little added enjoyment is a couple of skiing scenes early and late in the film. A very good skier did some excellent stunt skiing as Douglas's character. Garbo and Douglas fans should enjoy this movie as a light sample of their comedy work. Others may find it so-so.

"As shocking as seeing your grandmother drunk!" I believe Louis B. Mayer said about this film. Certainly, after performances as Anna Christie, Mata Hari, Anna Karenina and the lady of the Camillas, Garbo's reputation made her the Eleanor Duse of the silver screen. But after success in the subtle comedy "Ninotchka", Garbo was ready for something quite different, and proves that, just like Meryl Streep did after her series of accent laden weepers, that she could be really funny! Unlike Streep who turned to song in a few films, Garbo dances, and quite delightfully in the "Chica Choca", a dance she makes up quite by accident, getting her evening gown stuck in her shoe to the orchestra leader's delight.The basic storyline surrounds ski instructor Garbo who spends six months teaching people how to ski and the rest of the year waiting for it to snow. When New Yorker Melvyn Douglas comes to her resort for a vacation, she rescues him after a bad fall, and they are impulsively married. But his business takes him away from her the morning after, and Garbo decides to see if he truly loves her as she is by posing as her more scandalous sister. Not much in the way of reality, but still delightful and witty, a reverse of the same director George Cukor's other 1941 classic, Joan Crawford's "A Woman's Face".It is Constance Bennett who steals the scene as the temperamental near-sighted stage star as Douglas's jilted flame who has temper tantrums like other people say good morning to their co-workers. Walking into a ladies room with a very sophisticated gait then screaming into a mirror, politely warning Garbo to keep her paws off of Douglas (not for the supposed twin's sake, but for her own) or just squinting at something, Bennett is hysterically funny. It is roles like this that today get Oscar Nominations but back in the 40's, got lost in translation.Roland Young and Ruth Gordon are fine as Douglas's business associates, Young determined to keep Douglas and Garbo apart, and Gordon aware of Garbo's ruse and in favor of it. Those looking for a hint of Gordon's future wacky old ladies are going to be disappointed; She's pretty normal in this one. Beautiful winter photography and some great New York art deco scenery make for a glamorous if not unique film in MGM's cannon of sometimes sitcomish romantic comedies that they were giving to the team of William Powell and Myrna Loy and would finally perfect with Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn.

Two-Faced Woman (1941) ** 1/2 (out of 4) At the age of 36 screen legend Greta Garbo made this MGM comedy, which tried to take her out of the costume drama and place her into a present time comedy. The results were a disaster when the film was first released and depending on which myth you believe, the bad reaction caused Garbo to retire. I've heard a lot of bad things about this film but in the end it isn't nearly as bad as its reputation. In the film Garbo plays a ski instructor who ends up marrying a man (Melvyn Douglas) after a few hours. Later that night he demands she follow him to NYC but she refuses. As time goes on the husband stays away but Garbo decides to go after him only pretending to be her vamp twin sister. This certainly isn't the greatest comedy ever made but it's not nearly as bad as some would make you believe. Yes, Garbo certainly isn't herself here but I really don't see that as a bad thing because seeing her like this is at least interesting. Seeing her smile, act drunk, playing love able and this type of thing isn't exactly what she's known for but I found her act to be quite charming even if that thick accent came off not working too well here. She also struggles during a few scenes but you can't deny that she's giving it her all as she works her way through the material. Douglas manages to be quite pleasant and ends up delivering a fine comic performance. Supporting players Constance Bennett, Roland Young and Robert Sterling turn in some fine work as well. Another plus was some of the subject matter, which certainly wasn't seen in too many films after the Hayes Office went into effect seven years earlier. The stuff is hidden behind the "marriage" but it's still fairly risqué for its time. Apparently the version currently being shown is the "cut" version missing four minutes and alternating one of the subplots. Either way, this film is a minor entertainment but those expecting something great should probably stick to Garbo's earlier films.

TWO-FACED WOMAN is a harmless but forgettable comedy. Greta Garbo stars as a sexy ski instructor who falls for big shot magazine editor Melvyn Douglas. With the charm of their young marriage fading (along with her faith in her hubby's faithfulness), she pretends to be her own (nonexistent) twin sister to see how he will react. But hubby knows the truth and is just playing along.TWO-FACED WOMAN plays a bit like an old variety show skit that doesn't quite know when to quit. Don't get me wrong. The fairly well-scripted film does have its moments, and Garbo is as cute and charming as ever. But there really isn't enough movie here for the 90 minutes filled. Several scenes, particularly when the alleged twin sister first meets her hubby, drag on far too long. And Douglas is a poorly cast leading man, exuding arrogance in an unfunny-from-the-start role.Garbo fans are understandably intrigued by this picture because it was the starlet's final film. The fact that she retired at a relatively young age only adds to her allure. For everyone else, however, TWO-FACED WOMAN is nothing too special.