The Star

Although some of Bette Davis' films were not great, a few like'Wicked Stepmother' not even good, her best films were incredible. 'All About Eve' in particular is a personal favourite film and performance of mine, both for Davis and in general. 'The Star' also has a subject that is easy to relate and is still relevant oddly enough today, on the outside stardom seems glamorous but underneath all the glamour it is much darker than it looks and many struggled, and still are struggling, with the pressure it causes.

'The Star' may not be one of Davis' best films or performances, but she still comes off very well which says a lot about the general high quality of her performances and her as an actress. It took a lot for her to give a bad performance, even in her twilight years. The film does a good, if not quite great, job with the subject, it is relatable and it holds up. For what 'The Star' lacks in subtlety and an ending that is in keeping with the rest of the film, it makes up for in emotion and intelligence.

For my, and other people's, tastes, 'The Star' does go a little too over the top on the melodrama. Melodrama can tend to get overheated, and the melodramatic bits here are on the overwrought side. It can be contrived with things happening too easily.

Did have reservations with the ending. It did admittedly leave me misty eyed, but it had a tacked on and studio interference-like feel and doesn't gel with the rest of the film, a darker and more daring ending would have been better perhaps.

On the other hand, Davis gives it absolutely everything in a meaty role and is terrific. Gutsy but also vulnerable. There is also strong work from Sterling Hayden playing his role with integrity and young pre-'Splendor in the Grass' and 'West Side Story' Natalie Wood is also worth looking out for. The direction is very skilled and judges and paces everything well, though other more distinguished directors understood Davis' strengths more perhaps.

It is an in general intelligently scripted film, subtlety is not a strong suit as said already but there are some memorable lines that made me think and came over as sincere. The story moves swift and, although it is far from flawless, it has the right amount of tension and poignancy when needed and doesn't soften the subject too much. 'The Star' is not lavish visually but it has atmosphere, as does Victor Young's haunting score.

All in all, not great but well done. 7/10

Bette Davis is doing a dry-run/out of town opening for her own future in "The Star". Playing a actress down on her luck and getting it from all sides (creditors are selling her possessions, her ex-husbands' new wife is constantly condescending and her sister is always at the door for a crisp $20.), her only refuge is her daughter, played by Natalie Wood in what appears to be her gawky, teenage phase.

Bette smokes as much as usual, completely blows her top at least five times, and in the most memorable scene, takes her Oscar on a drunken tour of all the young actresses houses - good thing they all live on the same street!

This character is a step below Margo Channing, well on her way to Baby Jane Hudson. Davis received her second-to-last Oscar nomination - her last being for "Baby Jane". She owns the screen because she brings a humanity to the character - she still has her pride, even though that doesn't get you very far in a town with a short memory.

I believe the Oscar used was one of Bette's - at least they didn't use one of those phony ones. Its a symbol in the movie of what once was.

I give Davis a lot of credit for playing characters close to her own life ( I would imagine even she felt the ageism of Hollywood ) and when she says that she's directed more than one director, you can tell she knows what she's talking about.

Its also poignant and a little disturbing to see Natalie Wood on a sailboat at one point.

Davis (in an Oscar-nominated performance) plays Margaret Elliot as washed out has been actress. She was big once but now can't get a job. She's divorced and penniless but refuses to give up hope for one more acting job. She also has a man who loves her (Sterling Hayden) and is trying to get her to face reality. There's also a scene or two of Margaret with her daughter played by an impossibly young Natalie Wood.

It's a depressing movie of course but you can't stop watching. It's short (89 minutes) and moves quickly. It does have a ridiculously false but happy ending that had me getting misty-eyed. This is worth seeing for Davis alone. She's just great. She also gleefully said she modeled her character after Joan Crawford! OUCH!

Watching The Star I wondered how close to him it all was for Davis. There's a scene in the end where it gets meta and you can almost see Davis as Margaret hearing the script storyline that she is offered. Regardless, this is a fine film and it has Davis working with her usual spark and unlikeable presence. But like always, she knows how to make you root for her. I also think the running time, while seems short, is pretty much the perfect length for the story the film is trying to tell. This is a problem I thought Mr. Skeffington had, way too long for its own good. So yeah, if you want to seek out all of Davis this is still a fine entry and a required one really.

The story of a washed up and penniless movie actress who doesn't want to give up her hope of making a comeback. The critics hated it, but I knew I would love it, and sure enough, it was one of the best films I have ever seen, simple, unpretentious, human-scale, full of compassion, eloquence and BEAUTY. This is one of the most BEAUTIFUL films ever made, visually ravishing in its simple and unobtrusive way. It instantly draws you in. The camera is warm and friendly. It doesn't browbeat you.

Unlike "Sunset Boulevard", this film does not put on artistic garb, but it triumphs as a work of art. The story, though similar, is far more interesting. In Sunset Boulevard the faded star is wealthy, and money is no object. That impoverishes the plot. Movies about the rich are invariably poor.

It is most sad that such wonderful films are almost never shown. This is one of Davis' best films and performances. Several scenes are memorable. Davis' sister remarks, she can't imagine where all the money went. Davis is justifiably furious at such ingratitude, and throws her out of her room, after reminding her that she spent countless thousands helping her. In another scene Bette has been talked into giving up "chasing rainbows" and works as a sales clerk at a department store. Two elderly women recognize her, and she overhears one of them say: "What a disgrace they hired a jailbird". Davis loses her temper and quits yelling: "The disgrace is that I am waiting on two old bags like you!!!".

Although Davis has her flaws, you have to give her credit for selecting so many good films. There are many famous actors who do not have a single solid film to their credit.