Rating: 
Summary: lively Depression-era story
Review: John Barrymore shines in "Counsellor at Law", along with an extremely strong supporting cast in this 1930s-era tale of an ambitious New York lawyer. We meet him in his offices at the Empire State Building, where a procession of clients streams in and out of his extremely busy day. When his sweet immigrant mother appears, we realize his humble roots, so different from "the Mayflower boys" whose professional ranks he has penetrated. Fast-paced, with witty dialogue, brittle humor, and barbed social commentary, this film transports us back to Great Depression. Barrymore, faced with an ethical dilemma, also finds his marriage is in jeopardy; his wife, a superficial society woman, holds values quite different from his own. Although in some ways light and frothy, as befitting movies made for 1930s audiences seeking escape, this William Wyler film remains timely with its deeper questions of integrity and what goes into true success and authentic relationships. Barrymore's masterful performance reminds us yet again that as an actor, he was far more than a handsome facial profile. Highly recommended for a step back into another time!
Rating:
Summary: lively Depression-era story
Review: John Barrymore shines in "Counsellor at Law", along with an extremely strong supporting cast in this 1930s-era tale of an ambitious New York lawyer. We meet him in his offices at the Empire State Building, where a procession of clients streams in and out of his extremely busy day. When his sweet immigrant mother appears, we realize his humble roots, so different from "the Mayflower boys" whose professional ranks he has penetrated. Fast-paced, with witty dialogue, brittle humor, and barbed social commentary, this film transports us back to Great Depression. Barrymore, faced with an ethical dilemma, also finds his marriage is in jeopardy; his wife, a superficial society woman, holds values quite different from his own. Although in some ways light and frothy, as befitting movies made for 1930s audiences seeking escape, this William Wyler film remains timely with its deeper questions of integrity and what goes into true success and authentic relationships. Barrymore's masterful performance reminds us yet again that as an actor, he was far more than a handsome facial profile. Highly recommended for a step back into another time!
Rating: 
Summary: John Barrymore's monument
Review: One of the biographers of John Barrymore says that he felt himself miscast here. But he was the only possible choice, and he makes a direct hit. At a time when Hitler was just coming to power, would a real Jewish actor really be able to elicit as much sympathy from a middle-American audience outside of New York City for a high-powered Jewish lawyer desperately seeking acceptance into Gentile society? Mr. Barrymore seems to bring all parts of himself to the role -- his own neglected street-kid background, his sense of failing in his career, his anxieties, insecurities and deep compassion for others -- in a subtle, nuanced and very modern performance at a time when actors and directors still relied upon silent-movie histrionics and still didn't seem to feel comfortable with the presence of the microphone. For all of us who never got the chance to see him as the greatest Richard III and Hamlet of his era, this film can stand as John Barrymore's monument.
Rating:
Summary: Barrymore performance transcends conventions
Review: The more theatrical movie acting style of the first half of the 20th century may strike some modern viewers as hopelessly artificial, but for those observers, John Barrymore's performance in "Counsellor-at-Law" may be instructive. Barrymore wasn't part of the Group Theater/Lee Strasberg school of acting that revolutionized the art by mid-century, but realism isn't always conveyed by the Method. Watch Barrymore in the scene when he talks to the rebellious son of a old family friend, who has been arrested and beaten for espousing Communism. Listen to his tone of voice as he tries to convince the kid to do things his way. Watch his facial expressions. This is a convincing job of acting, and Barrymore maintains this level of integrity throughout the film. Bebe Daniels, as his devoted secretary, and Doris Kenyon, as his spoiled wife, are very good, as well. Their portrayals are much more obviously grounded in the conventions of 1930s film acting, yet remain completely effective.
Rating:
Summary: Barrymore performance transcends conventions
Review: The more theatrical movie acting style of the first half of the 20th century may strike some modern viewers as hopelessly artificial, but for those observers, John Barrymore's performance in "Counsellor-at-Law" may be instructive. Barrymore wasn't part of the Group Theater/Lee Strasberg school of acting that revolutionized the art by mid-century, but realism isn't always conveyed by the Method. Watch Barrymore in the scene when he talks to the rebellious son of a old family friend, who has been arrested and beaten for espousing Communism. Listen to his tone of voice as he tries to convince the kid to do things his way. Watch his facial expressions. This is a convincing job of acting, and Barrymore maintains this level of integrity throughout the film. Bebe Daniels, as his devoted secretary, and Doris Kenyon, as his spoiled wife, are very good, as well. Their portrayals are much more obviously grounded in the conventions of 1930s film acting, yet remain completely effective.
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