movie backdrop

over 2 years ago

This Above All

a review by CinemaSerf

A really strong ensemble cast get together for this wartime drama that sees the posh "Prudence" (Joan Fontaine) sign up to join the Women's Auxiliary Army Force - much to the chagrin of her old-soldier father Henry Stephenson. Not long into her new career, her pals set her up on a date with the handsome "Briggs" (Tyrone Power) and she is soon smitten. Snag is, her new beau has a bit of a secret and that could send both of their lives into a turmoil. Fontaine and Power have chemistry, both deliver well and although there is maybe just a shade too much pontificating from the young woman, this makes for an enjoyable, if maybe just a bit far-fetched, wartime romance with a hint of the peril faced by those in London during the blitz. With Thomas Mitchell, Nigel Bruce and Melville Cooper amongst the solid and engaging support team, Anatole Litvak presents us with an enjoyable, artistically very good looking film that's well worth a watch.