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# 249

I wasn't entertained by the comic parts, the romantic parts quite bored me and the whole political atmosphere just felt out of place. Yet another movie meeting Hollywood's average for me.

A very charming romantic comedy with all the wit you'd expect from Lubitsch.

Yes, wherever bicycles are broken, or menaced by International Communism, Bicycle Repair Man is ready! Ready to smash the communists, wipe them up, and shove them off the face of the earth. Mash the dirty red scum! Kick 'em in the teeth where it hurts! Kill! Kill! Kill! Filthy bastards! Commies! I hate 'em, I hate 'em! Aaaah! Aaaah!

Kinda hokey and campy (for Garbo anyway).

A man walks into a diner and tells the waiter, "bring me coffee, without cream." A minute later the waiter comes back and says, "I'm sorry sir, we're out of cream. Would you like it without milk?" hahaha

Greta Garbo.

Not as funny or romantic as advertised. It felt as if a Marx Brothers film had been slowed waaaaaaaaaay down.

rewatch

Normally, I hate Lubitsch. I have to eat my words. Hot fucking damn. I am completely won over. Not *everything* works, but I laughed very often and very hard at this movie. I even applauded when she finally genuinely laughed. This is exactly the metric ton of charm and humor and joy for which Hollywood shoots every time it makes yet another romantic comedy with Sandra Bullock or Kate Hudson or whoever; usually, they fail so badly at it

A refined, sophisticated dramedy that has aged very well; I guess Ernst Lubitsch's name became synonymous with that description, but this is perhaps particularly funny and moving. Garbo and Douglas are very good in their roles.

Nice work here from Lubitsch. Love the fluidity of his camera, the wit of the writing, and the willingness to do comedy based in the real world with real conflict.

282

Greta Garbo is one of those immensely charismatic actors who can make even the otherwise utterly forgettable movies worth watching (see Mata Hari), and here she gets to work with Ernst Lubitsch...

Lubitsch must be the undisputable king of sleek comedy. And there are not enough compliments for Garbo's performance.

What a wonderful picture. It is romantic, funny, and extremely edgy. The idea of conflicting romance because of opposing ideologies is seemingly blown out of proportion, but at the same time, it feels acceptable. Garbo is extremely charming, and seeing her crack a smile for the first time in the film made me smile.

Lubitsch and Wilder are both hit & miss with me, and this one is definitely a miss. McCarthy would have loved this movie, it never misses a chance to get in a broad jab at Soviet Russia. Ninotchka's transformation is ridiculously abrupt, and quite unbelievable, considering how much Garbo overplays the cold, no-nonsense Bolshevik role. And Melvyn Douglas is an unlikeable, smarmy little twit. Some of the one-liners are amusing, but it's more like they're amusing on paper. Not much fun.

So fucking pithy you'll want to drill a hole in the side of your head. Not that funny either. Is this sci fi? Am I watching androids? No, those aren't androids, they're Communists.

Garbo is luminous, Douglas and Ina Clair are the hight of sophistication, and the three Russian comrades are endearing and very, very funny. A classic.