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Love Affair Movie Review

Love Affair is a 1939 romance film directed by Leo McCarey and starring Irene Dunne and Charles Boyer. It’s a sweetly charming, but overly melodramatic movie.

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“The things we like best are either

illegal, immoral or fattening“

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A French playboy and an American former nightclub singer fall in love aboard a ship. They arrange to reunite six months later, after he has had a chance to earn a decent living. However, tragedy strikes as the woman is struck by a car and may not be able to walk again. Yes, that entire third act was way too melodramatic for my personal taste. It was deeply romantic, but still overly tragic.

This movie was later remade into a much more popular ‘An Affair to Remember’, but I personally find the original just as good. Both are solid, if far from great, but certainly very pleasant and highly romantic. Some of the romantic scenes between these two are so lovely, in no small part thanks to two very strong central performances. The dialogue is solid, but it could have been better overall.

For sure, Irene Dunne is wonderful here. She was always amazing in whatever role she was, but here she played probably her most romantic role ever. She’s radiant and so lovely. As for Charles Boyer, I could say the same for him too. He was born to play the suave male love interest, and here he is very charismatic and sensual.

Love Affair is also suitably well shot with some very elegant takes and shots. I particularly liked its ship setting that was so well utilized into the overall plot and romance. The atmosphere in this movie is undeniably wonderful and elegant in the best classic movie way possible.

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But still, the direction and editing are just fine without ever being impressive, and the entire third act really impacted the movie negatively for its excessively melodramatic streak. The supporting characters could have been more memorable as well. The nominations at the Academy Awards weren’t all that much deserved to be honest, but two of them were highly deserved – Best Art Direction for its undeniably great sets and Best Actress for wonderfully radiant, beautiful Dunne.

Love Affair was seriously undone by its excessively melodramatic, needlessly tragic third act. Still, most of the movie is immensely charming, elegant in its sets and cinematography, and very atmospheric and romantic throughout. The highlight is Irene Dunne who has never been more lovely and radiant than she was in this sweet role for her.

My Rating – 3.5

You can get Love Affair on Amazon.