planktonrules Review of Angel Face

Angel Face (1952)

Fun to watch, but filled with ridiculous improbabilities

[6/10 · 14 May 2007]

This is a fun film to watch and it's really interesting to see the usually sweet Jean Simmons (the actress, not the rocker) play a femme fatale. And there are also many interesting story points--particularly her desire to murder her step-mother. However, time and again the film seems to chose the path of improbability and when you put together all these difficult to believe moments, the overall effect is rather muted. The best example of this was the end of the movie. Sure, it's a lot of fun to watch but who would believe that Mitchum would get in a car Simmons is driving after he's positive she murdered her dad and step-mom by fiddling with the car! Plus, the usually street-wise and cool Mitchum plays a real chump who is practically led around by the nose by a woman--something that you just can't believe about the Mitchum persona. A few other hard to believe moments would include Mitchum agreeing to be tried along with Simmons for murder when he's sure she did it, agreeing to marry her and sticking around in the first place soon after the film began--it was obviously a set-up. Interesting but quite flawed like MANY of the films of Howard Hughes (who, behind the scenes was VERY involved with the film).