Love Affair , starring Irene Dunne and Charles Boyer, is truly one of the quintessential romance films of the 1930's. It has been remade twice, most notably as An Affair To Remember in 1957, by the same director, Leo McCarey (That version starred Cary Grant and Deborah Kerr). The story follows a famous French playboy and painter Michel Marnet as he falls in love with American singer Terry McKay. They two meet shipboard and Terry is at first weary of his playboy image and does not want to have her picture taken with him. Later however at port, they visit Michel's grandmother, played by a memorable Maria Ouspenskaya, and realize they are in love with each other. Later, before they disembark the ship, they agree to meet atop the Empire State Building in 6 months if they are fiscally able to marry each other, even though they are each kept by other people (Lee Bowman and Astrid Allwyn).
What is wonderful about Love Affair is that even though it's been done before (like in Chained from 1934, starring Joan Crawford and Clark Gable) it doesn't feel old hat and doesn't lag or get boring. This was the first time I had seen Dunne or Boyer, and both are completely wonderful and captivating in their roles. They have a good chemistry together as well. Dunne is an amazing actress. She was a good comedic and dramatic actress as well as an amazing vocalist. She gets to show off all three skills here. Boyer plays his role to perfection and goes through the range of emotions believably. The film never at any point seems overtly melodramatic or corny. The script is full of funny moments as all as tear jerking moments. Bowman and Allwyn as Dunne and Boyer's "others" respectively, turn in good performances, but they maybe seem understated only because of Dunne and Boyer's chemistry. Ouspenskaya is the other draw here, and she is simply wonderful and memorable in her role as Grandmother Janou.
| Dunne and Boyer lovingly embrace before leaving each other. |
The film also has amazing 1930's period flavor, including it's costumes and sets. Some of the sets and costumes just made me go "Wow!". In short, it is a nearly perfect and well crafted film. It will make you laugh as well as tug at your heart-strings.
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