Rating: 
Summary: Joan To The Bone
Review: Joan Crawford's big, Oscar-winning comeback from being labeled Box Office Poison as exquisitely chronicled in Mommie Dearest, Mildred Pierce is a fine jewel in a noir setting. A chillingly sordid tale of a woman, Mildred, who sacrifices everything to give her ingrate of a daughter, Veda (played to perfection by Ann Blyth), the best that money could buy. Manipulative Veda, never one to be satisfied so easily sets her sites on her own stepfather, Mildred's husband, the ineffectual and foppish Zachary Scott."Alligators have the right idea-they eat their young," says Professional Best Friend, Eve Arden, who is delightful, as is Professional Ninny, Butterfly McQueen, as supporting players in Mildred's grand scheme. And as Mildred, Joan is Joan To The Bone, struggling up from utter tackiness to even greater tackiness with her string of pie and chicken restaurants, all for the greater glory of Veda. But Veda isn't impressed with Mildred's money and its smell of grease. She fakes a pregnancy to blackmail money from a boyfriend, runs off to become a hoochie dancer, and seduces her mother's husband, all on short order. And then things go from bad to worse. And the movie goes from divine to sublime.
Rating:
Summary: Knock-Out Noir
Review: Film Noir never had it so good: "Mildred Pierce" combines the toughness of the Cain novel; a gutsy cast delivering knock-out performances; and at the center of it all one of cinema's great hard-shell dames, Joan Crawford. Do not be misled into thinking this is a "women's picture" typical of the 1940s. Given that the story concerns a woman who must find her own way after a bitter divorce, it may have a special appeal for women as a group--but let's face it, Joan Crawford ain't your average wife and mother, and while Mildred Pierce may engage our sympathies she ain't exactly a "little woman" stereotype herself. As noted, the plot revolves around Mildred/Joan's need to make her way in the world--but more to the point, her need to endow her daughters, particularly eldest daughter Veda, with all the best that money can buy. (Never mind, of course, that Veda is clearly a man-hungry, social-climbing little serpent dripping poison from both fangs.) And if that entails kicking out the husband, playing house with a society heel, or even... just possibly... murder... well, then so be it. The cinematography is light-and-shadow film noir classic; the production values are first rate throughout; and Joan and company deliver enough double-dealing spirit to make "Mildred Pierce" a vastly entertaining ride. And if you ever wondered what made Crawford one of the great stars of her era... Mildred Pierce will show ya and how!
Rating:
Summary: Mildred pierce a true gem who never directed Douglas Sirk
Review: Mildred pierce in his spirit the film together with The Pastoral Symphony of Jean Delanoy who better explores the female world in this decade so filled with trouble and fear.
The close experience of the Second World war in a certain way was a crossroad for a huge crowd of directors. 1945 is the birth of the italian neorealism, the full comittment of the film noir, the first aproximations of the social film (Remember Kazan , Wilder , Dmytrik , Losey, Wyler,) and I think it was the starting point of the sparkle for the new wave cinema ten years after.
If you watch this movie, you`ll forget you`re in the a a film from the forties. Because the story is told so perfectly and the matter in question is so related with everyone of us that all the explored universe of feelings , the proud, the anger and the constance of the main character in a ravishing performance of Mrs. Crawford and the astonishing Anne Blyth, makes that film not only a cult movie but a obligated reference for those who love the art of cinema.
If I coukd, I`d give it ten stars instaed of just five.
Rating:
Summary: CRAWFORD'S VICTORIOUS ROLE.
Review: MILDRED PIERCE is a classic film noir with exceptionally fine performances. Joan plays the title role with such dedicated conviction that you feel both angry and empathetic for her character: her daughter Veda (Ann Blyth) has got to be the most ungrateful daughter of all time! Crawford plays the valiant, hardworking, ambitious Mildred who eventually owns a chain of successful restaurants (with the help of a ne'er-do-well playboy by the name of Monte Berrigan (the unique Zachary Scott)...Jack Carson gives his usual unaffected performance as Wally and Eve Arden is a hoot as the very tall Ida, Mildred's cynical, no-nonsense friend who initially hired Mildred as a waitress against her better judgement - and, as a consolation prize, later works for Ms. Pierce...Classic line from Ida: "Personally, Veda's convinced me that alligators have the right idea. They eat their young". As the selfish, affected, mercenary Veda, Ann Blyth plays the teenage wench with such venomous sincerity that 1945 audiences were quite impressed with her performance. P.S. I find it rather amusing that a tune heard on the radio during a key love scene comes from a Bette Davis picture: IT CAN'T BE WRONG from NOW, VOYAGER; it's a kind of subtle reminder of their legendary feud! About a year and a half priorly, Crawford had left M-G-M and signed a Warners contract. Davis, the undisputed Queen of Warners, refused to do this film when the role of Mildred Pierce was offered her. Crawford won her long-awaited AA while Davis's career was rapidly faltering...
Rating: 
Summary: Mean, moody, magnificent!
Review: MILDRED PIERCE (1945): A downtrodden housewife (Joan Crawford) works hard to become a successful restaurateur in order to accommodate her spoiled daughter (Ann Blyth), leading to betrayal and murder... The movie which netted Joan Crawford her first and only Oscar and revitalized her flagging career is a top-class melodrama, beautifully constructed by screenwriter Ranald MacDougall (from a novel by James M. Cain) and photographed in moody black and white by ace cameraman Ernest Haller (HUMORESQUE, REBEL WITHOUT A CAUSE). Aimed at the market for so-called 'women's pictures' which had emerged during the Second World War, the movie contains all the ingredients of a modern day soap opera, piling the agony on Crawford's tragic character until she's redeemed by a moment of happiness at the very end of the picture. Crawford is a tower of strength in the leading role, and she's given strong support by an exceptional cast, including Blyth (KISMET, THE HELEN MORGAN STORY) as her vicious, mean-spirited offspring, character actor Jack Carson as a wily businessman who pursues Crawford romantically and loses out to a succession of unsuitable paramours (including a deceptively suave Zachary Scott in one of his first screen appearances), and Eve Arden in a hilarious turn as Crawford's friend and business colleague who doles out the wisecracks like candy (after being leered over by Carson, she retorts: "Leave SOMETHING on me, I might catch cold!"). Attentive viewers will be amused by some eyebrow-raising dialogue which hints at a lesbian subtext in Arden's character, having somehow managed to elude conservative-minded censors in 1945! By this stage in his long career, director Michael Curtiz was an old hand at this sort of thing (ANGELS WITH DIRTY FACES, CASABLANCA, etc.), and he orchestrates the dramatic highlights with visual aplomb - the confrontations between Crawford and Blyth are particularly strong, though Crawford's stubborn devotion to such an ungrateful daughter seems faintly ridiculous at times - and the sumptuous production values represent Hollywood craftsmanship at its finest. Beautiful, doom-laden score by Max Steiner, incorporating a number of cues heard earlier in NOW, VOYAGER (1942), and vivid, expressionist set designs by Hollywood veteran Anton Grot. Butterfly McQueen (immortalized forever in GONE WITH THE WIND) appears uncredited as Crawford's maid. Warner's region 1 DVD - which runs 110m 40s - reproduces the 1.37:1 frame in full-frame format, and picture quality on this fully restored print is absolutely stunning, with barely a mark on the entire negative. The 1.0 mono soundtrack is clean and forceful, and English captions and subtitles are included. For some reason, Warner has opted for a two-sided presentation rather than dual-layer, which means you have to turn the disc over to access a series of trailers from Crawford's heyday at Warner Bros. (including one for MILDRED PIERCE itself) and a fascinating documentary on Crawford's life and career (86m 58s), produced for the Turner Classic Movies channel in 2002. Contributions from co-stars, family and technical personnel provide a rounded picture of Crawford from her beginnings as a wild party girl to a respected actress whose career hit rock bottom toward the end of the 1960's. The documentary doesn't shy away from allegations of abusive behavior made by her adopted daughter Christina (the basis for MOMMIE DEAREST, book and film), but it also reminds us of her enduring legacy as one of the shining lights of Hollywood's golden age.
Rating:
Summary: Essential for Old-Movie Fans
Review: Everyone who has a weakness for old movies should have this one in his/her collection.
Steely Joan Crawford evokes sympathy as an abandoned, financially-strapped wife and mother, though you know all along that Mildred will make it somehow.
Make it she does, stumbling into the restaurant business and making a success of it in spite of the fact that men find her so darned irresistible that she has to stop and peel one off every few steps.
Adding to Mildred's troubles is the fact that oldest daughter Vida(played by dewy-eyed young beauty Ann Blyth) has become an insufferable snob somewhere along the line, in spite of her middle-class upbringing. Mildred worships Vida, in spie of the fact that Vida is moody, verbally abusive, and impossible to please.Vida wants to be "rich", but when Mildred makes lots of money, it still doesn't suit Vida because her mother worked (ew, yuck) for it. You wish that Mildred would shake her, or at least ground her.
Eve Arden, one of my all-time favorites, is her usual wonderful self as Mildred's shrewd secretary and loyal friend.
Butterfly McQueen gets wasted once again in the role of the family's maid.
Even if you're not a Joan Crawford fan, buy this one; it makes terrific rainy-night viewing.
Rating:
Summary: Knock-Out Noir
Review: Film Noir never had it so good: "Mildred Pierce" combines the toughness of the Cain novel; a gutsy cast delivering knock-out performances; and at the center of it all one of cinema's great hard-shell dames, Joan Crawford. Do not be misled into thinking this is a "women's picture" typical of the 1940s. Given that the story concerns a woman who must find her own way after a bitter divorce, it may have a special appeal for women as a group--but let's face it, Joan Crawford ain't your average wife and mother, and while Mildred Pierce may engage our sympathies she ain't exactly a "little woman" stereotype herself. As noted, the plot revolves around Mildred/Joan's need to make her way in the world--but more to the point, her need to endow her daughters, particularly eldest daughter Veda, with all the best that money can buy. (Never mind, of course, that Veda is clearly a man-hungry, social-climbing little serpent dripping poison from both fangs.) And if that entails kicking out the husband, playing house with a society heel, or even... just possibly... murder... well, then so be it. The cinematography is light-and-shadow film noir classic; the production values are first rate throughout; and Joan and company deliver enough double-dealing spirit to make "Mildred Pierce" a vastly entertaining ride. And if you ever wondered what made Crawford one of the great stars of her era... Mildred Pierce will show ya and how!
Rating:
Summary: A classic!
Review: A fantastic movie! Beautifully directed, wonderfully acted, and a great story! If you enjoyed the movie, read the original by James Cain. There are a few things about Mildred that the movie didn't tell - it may surprise you!
Rating:
Summary: Ultimate Crawford
Review: Here is the story of your average post-World War II housewife who believes that nothing is too good--or too much--for her two precious daughters. By the time this great soap opera is over, she has buried one child, experienced the murder of a cheating, mooching sleazeball of a husband, sent the other daughter off to prison, and gone into bankruptcy. But at least Eve Arden's character is good for a few laughs. At the end, though, she seems to reconcile with her first husband, whom she kicked out of the house in the first reel for losing his job. It's nice to know one can sometimes start out all over again.
Rating:
Summary: Crawford at her best---DVD features are great!
Review: Wonderful DVD of Crawford's still-wonderful portrayal of "MILDRED PIERCE." She acts all over the place, earning that Oscar, scene by sumptuous scene! And this is what DVDs are all about...you will enjoy not only assorted Crawford trailers from her years at the Warner Brothers studio, but the excellent documentary on "Crawford: The Ultimate Star." A real bargain! The only thing that is missing would be a commentary track by someone in-the-know about the making of this great picture.
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