Feuilles d'automne

There's something very rewarding about discovering a well-acted mid-20th century movie you never heard about, in this case, Autumn Leaves starring Joan Crawford and Cliff Robertson, which I saw on TCM. In some ways dated, this movie shines with excellent acting by the two leads - one a star of the film noir era, and the other, a future star making his film debut. The story involves a romance that work-at-home secretary Joan Crawford only reluctantly embraces because her lover is a much younger man. Cliff Robertson falls head over heels in love with her and they marry. Of course, you know the wheels are going to come off this match. The young man becomes traumatized by the appearance of his father, played by a distinguished looking but thoroughly evil Lorne Green and his femme fatale, Vera Miles. Crawford is confused by the bizarre situation and her husband suffers a complete mental breakdown. There is some surprisingly strong language and domestic violence for a movie of the 1950's. Crawford and Robertson deliver strong performances, particularly as the movie moves to its climax. For his first movie, Robertson shows surprising range and strength as an actor. Presented with a husband who is now unhinged, Crawford, takes action to help him, knowing it might have unintended consequences for both of them. Directed by Robert Aldrich, this is a movie that keeps its momentum and doesn't disappoint. Highly recommend.

I thought this movie was fabulous. It is a woman's picture, but the tag line made it seem like some William Castle horror flick. By no stretch of the imagination is this a silly little weepy. Parts of it seem to be designed to disturb (the typewriter scene), and even the tender moments are edgy to me. (I just used the word "tender" in a sentence. Kill me now.)

Joan Crawford (one of my favorites) plays Millicent Weatherby, a 40ish spinster who spent most of her life taking care of her invalid father and bemoaning her ridiculous name. Score one for Joan already, as she was not 40ish, but 50ish. Cliff Robertson (I tell everyone "Uncle Ben" from "Spiderman") is the 20ish fella she meets in a restaurant. I think he was 20ish, but score one for him too; he's adorable. Cliff hides some horrible secret, and he's a major liar, but Joan falls for him anyway. He takes her to the beach, where they make out in the sand. (I love it when the surf comes crashing up against Joan and boy! does she flinch. Must have been chilly out that day.) They trot off to Mexico and get hitched. Then Joan starts to realize that maybe she doesn't know Cliff as well as she thought she did. He lies and then tells the truth, and who's to know the difference? Even he doesn't. Eventually Cliff's relatives get involved and then things get really sticky. Is Joan out to get Cliff? Tune in to the next episode to find out!!! Seriously, I felt for Joan. She had a rough time. First the invalid father that caused her to lose all contact with the outside world, and then this guy who can't get his lies straight. Oh, but she manages beautifully. At this point in her career, Joan believed that acting and hand gestures didn't have to go together. You sometimes begin to wonder if her arms even function. (I suspect this was a jab at the arm-flailing Bette Davis, but that's just a hunch.) Just watching her stand there, all broad-shouldered and strong, makes you realize that of course she is going to get through. Former chorus girls always do, because they've got guts and know how. Best moment--after Joan decides she's no good for Cliff, she goes back to that aforementioned beach and just sits there. It's a lovely shot, and Joan looks less ironclad than usual.

By the by, a note to the other reviewer whose name I can't remember. Joan Crawford would not DARE say "And you, YA slut." She says, very precisely, "And you, YOU slut." Enunciation was very important to the Texas-born Lucille LeSueur/Joan Crawford. Bette Davis might say "ya slut," but never Joan Crawford.

Saw 'Autumn Leaves' as somebody who admires Joan Crawford, 'Mildred Pierce' being a prime example of what made her such a good actress. It was interesting seeing Cliff Robertson in an early role and a large part of me was very intrigued in seeing how he would fare alongside the more experienced Crawford. Also seeing how one of Robert Aldrich's earlier films would rank with his other films. Melodrama does vary in execution and always has done, but there has never been any personal bias against it as there are some great ones out there.

'Autumn Leaves' is not going to connect with everybody, am aware that some respected critics and fellow prolific reviewers didn't care for the film. For me though, it was very good and a near-must see for anybody that likes Crawford, Robertson and Aldrich. Can totally see why Crawford herself thought highly of the film and her reasoning mirrors my feelings on it (also agree with her that it should be better known), and to me it is among Aldrich's better films if not quite in the same league as the likes of 'Whatever Happened to Baby Jane' and 'Attack'.

It is not a perfect film. With my biggest reservation being the ending, which for me and some others was too abrupt and tonally was completely at odds with what came before. For a quite dark story to end on such a jarringly pat note was a shame.

Maybe the film is a little too long as well.

Crawford on the other hand is in a role that she was born to play and pulls out all the way. Robertson gives a very distinguished turn in a not easy role to play and actually appreciated that he doesn't go over the top, a big trap for a character that changes as much as he does here. He works very well together with Crawford and personally didn't think that they were too much of a mismatch together in age and acting style and that their styles of acting didn't clash too much, actually thought that the more understand acting of Robertson contrasted well with Crawford's. Lorne Green and particularly Vera Miles are very good in support and Aldrich directs beautifully with material that he is completely at ease with, thematically this is already classic Aldrich.

Visually, 'Autumn Leaves' is handsomely mounted and photographed with a real sense of atmosphere. The music is haunting and sears in intensity, without intruding too much. The script is soap opera but intelligently written and naturally flowing soap opera that doesn't get too overwrought or heavy-handed. The story deserved a much better ending, but the psychological aspect is hard-hitting and pulls no punches (regardless of any debate on how well it has dated) and it is very intense and moving.

On the whole, very good with a lot of things that come off greatly. 8/10

Trashy delight about the ill-fated marriage of a naïve middle-aged woman and an enigmatic younger man. Director Robert Aldrich worked surprisingly well with a latter-day Joan Crawford, taming the Hollywood queen bee and bringing her volatile personality down to scale. This gusty, absorbing nonsense gives Crawford a solid role as a single, stay-at-home typist who falls for shifty Cliff Robertson, a pathological liar. Florid melodrama filled with overripe dialogue, overheated set-ups (like the infamous thrown typewriter), fluttering hands and fluttering eyelashes. Aldrich keeps it all simmering nicely, and the entertaining results are certain to please soap buffs. *** from ****

Even 50 years after it was released, this movie is shocking. The betrayal is appalling. The incest is not romanticized or played for any sort of laughs. The physical violence is both subtle and horrifying: We don't quite see what Cliff Robertson does to typist Joan Crawford but we get the idea very clearly. And it is shocking almost beyond words.

Crawford does a fine job. She may have been better in a couple other movies -- her signature, "Mildred Pierce"; "Sudden Fear." But as entertaining as "Mildred Pierce" is and as beautifully made as "Sudden Fear" is, I'd choose this as the best movie in which she appears (if possibly not her single best performance.) Cliff Robertson is perfectly cast as the handsome young man who woos her. He IS handsome. But this character is troubled, and Robertson plays that brilliantly. This is the movie for which he should have won as Oscar.

Lorne Greene is a sneering villain. He's even farther from "Bonanza" here than Raymond Burr was from "Perry Mason" in the many film noir outings that predated that series.

Vera Miles turns in a fine, evil performance too. She did well for Hitchcock but I think this is the best I've ever seen her.

Ruth Donnelly is Crawford's landlady and pal. She is cast against the type she played in her standard movie. And she's very good. I'm not entirely sure the slightly light touch she gives the character is right in this context. But Aldrich knew what he was doing; so it must be.

I saw "Whatever Happened to Baby Jane" when it first came out. I was a child and had never seen Bette Davis or Joan Crawford before. I was totally confused by the whole thing. In later years, I've seen it again and it's fun.

But though it shares one star with Autumn Leaves," "Autumn Leaves" is closer to Aldrich's greatest picture in style: "Kiss Me Deadly." "Autumn Leaves" seems like a high toned soap opera on the surface. It's about an older woman who allows herself to fall in love. Etc. But that's not what the movie is. It's dark and it's deep.

I can't quite figure out whether it could have been better with a less turgid actress. In a way, some of its themes presage those of "Room at the Top." Signoret could have blown us away in "Autumn Leaves." So could Jeanne Moreau. But would the movie have been as believable? Maybe not. It may be just about perfect as it is.