Sadly Over-hyped

Memorable, crazy movie

As Good As It Gets

It's easily one of the freshest, sharpest and most enjoyable films of this year.

Atmosphere but little real tension. Maybe the horror has dated. Overlong for such a slim plot.

My 8-star rating reflects my fondness for this movie, despite its imperfections. The extraordinary B&W photography builds a sumptuous noir atmosphere from the start, magnificently aided by Charlotte's stately home, by Aldrich's assured direction and, above all, by de Havilland's superlative performance, resting on a controlled, mellow voice that disguises a cunning criminal mind, and mesmeric eyes that convey more than any amount of words. Bette Davis' shrieking performance provides contrast to de Havilland's, but sadly limits her range. Cotten is a fit sidekick to de Havilland but this is clearly a woman's picture, and despite playing the part of a psychiatrist with some very clever tricks designed to confine Davis to a home for the mentally handicapped, he is no match to either woman in terms of smarts, and his uneven and clown-like character ultimately leaves the viewer in some uncertainty about his motivations. Victor Buono and Agnes Moorehead provide splendid supporting performances; sound screenplay, with some sharp one-liners, although some of the dialogue and action could have been subtler; there are weaknesses in the story's structure (that letter at the end seems to serve no purpose other than relieve Davis of guilt - but by then she must have known that she was wrongfully accused of Dern's murder, just from listening to de Havilland and Cotten); but, every time I watch it, by the time the closing titles roll down, I'm happy to have re-watched this beguiling and beautiful film, however murky some of its characters might be. Recommended.

Bette Davis is holding forth on an old mansion in the South. She is a sort of Miss Havisham, having faced the death of her fiancée years before. It was likely her father killed her lover, but over time people started to blame her--she was simply weird. The mansion becomes the obstruction in an eminent domain case which would put Bette on the street. She call for her cousin to help her (Olivia de Havilland) but she turns out to be an adversary with her own motivations. Soon awful things begin to happen at the house with a series of efforts to put the old lady over the edge. In addition to a wonderful score, this film works quite well. There are also performances by some terrific actors, including Agnes Moorehead. Quite fun with lots of surprises along the way.

HUSH... HUSH, SWEET CHARLOTTE was one of those chillers that chilled me when I saw it on television as a kid. Too much water under the bridge in the succeeding years has dulled its edge in my estimation, but it's STILL a solid bit of business. "It's only real when it's dark," the creepy Davis intones: "Dark and still..." The assortment of Sordid Southerners here are as quirky and creepy as they come- and the import (the lovely Olivia De Havilland) stacks the deck further still as far as Grand Guignol goes. "Innocent fancies can become fixed delusions," Joseph Cotton tells De Havilland. Amen, brother. Were someone to do yet a third version of WILLARD, they could do far worse than to evoke the kind of unsettling Southern Charm gone Guignol that HUSH... HUSH, SWEET CHARLOTTE delivers.