Perfect Understanding (1933)

Too much of everything

Excellent but underrated film

By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.

The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

Perfect Understanding (1932) seems to be the movie that everyone loves to hate. But I enjoyed it – right up to the last quarter-hour or so. I thought Gloria Swanson was in fine form, even though super-lovely Genevieve Tobin had the more suitable role. Admittedly, Laurence Olivier tended to be a bit dull at times, though his boat-racing sequence was a genuine thrill. My only real quarrel was with the climactic courtroom scenes which – although produced on a grand scale – were just too outlandishly ridiculous to be taken seriously. I was also a bit disappointed that John Halliday's role disappears about halfway through. It would have made more dramatic sense to save him for the courtroom climax which needed a steadying influence and now comes across as just too absurdly farcical. Halliday would have given these scenes a believable basis in solid reality. I thought this stratagem was so obvious that I actually kept waiting for his re-appearance, but no such luck. Now I wonder what Halliday was doing in the movie at all. Why go to a lot of trouble to introduce a character into the plot, make a big to-do about establishing his credentials and then drop that character when you most need him? It doesn't make sense! And there's yet another player who is elaborately introduced into the action and then simply dropped – although she is still referred to in the dialogue – namely the super-lovely Genevieve Tobin! Well, maybe it was a case of making a film in haste and repenting at leisure. Available on an excellent Cohen DVD.

"Perfect Understanding" is a simply dreadful film--very, very dated, dull and filled with folks you really cannot relate to or like. It also features the rather odd romantic pairing of Gloria Swanson and Laurence Oliver--a pairing that doesn't quite work.The film begins with Swanson singing--something you just don't need to hear unless you are a masochist. Fortunately, Olivier's character didn't love her singing either, though otherwise they play rich folks who have nothing better to do than go to parties, travel the world and talk...a lot. And one of the things they love to talk about is their love for each other. However, Swanson's character is apprehensive to marry, as she's afraid that over time their love will fade. So, they agree to marry and stay married until they begin to argue (ooo, how romantic).The biggest problem about this film is that it was the Depression and folks were out of work. So, such a mannered and dull film involving the rich and lazy seems strange--and hard to enjoy. The characters seemed rather one-dimensional and annoying. In particular, Swanson's acting didn't help, though Olivier did a nice job in spite of the film's many shortcomings. Dull and probably not worth your time.

That's the song Gloria sings over the closing credits; the reverse could be emblematic of the film, a trying-to-be-chic trifle that is nonetheless amusing in its stilted sophistication and odd cinematography. Gloria and Olivier swan about modern London--she's an American interior decorator, he appears to be independently wealthy--and do some rather pre-Code making out before deciding to marry. Misunderstandings quickly pile up as each, though nominally terribly terribly in love with each other, contemplate extramarital affairs. There's also intrigue about his suspicion that she's carrying someone else's child--it's far too racy to have been made in the U.S. at the time, and was filmed in Britain by Gloria's production company. The dialogue strains to be Somerset Maugham witty and the supporting cast is nothing special, though Miles Malleson has a nice bit. Gloria is certainly glamorous and good at eye-batting, and Olivier, playing a spoiled bachelor it's hard to root for, has some charm. Also fun is the hilariously overemphatic musical scoring--every comma seems to be accentuated with a crescendo. Not much of a movie, but an interesting look at two stars at uncomfortable times in their film careers.

One of five talkies Gloria Swanson made in her early talkie period. This is a forgotten gem of a romantic comedy-drama about "two modernes" whose marriage is not a traditional one but a "perfect understanding." Like THE TRESPASSER, INDISCREET, TONIGHT OR NEVER, and MUSIC IN THE AIR, a solid film with a terrific performance by its star--Gloria Swanson. But along with WHAT A WIDOW (a lost film) this was a flop at the box office after the smash hit talkie debut with THE TRESPASSER in 1929.Swanson plays an American interior designer who marries a wealthy Brit, Laurence Olivier, but only after agreeing to have a perfect understanding of a marriage. After a lengthy honeymoon in Europe Swanson heads back to London to do a few jobs while Olivier stays behind in Cannes. Enter the spoiler: a woman who schemes to break up the marriage. Back in London Olivier admits his indiscretion so Swanson sets out to get even. She can't do it but he believes she did. Divorce proceedings begin. Nothing really new here but the two stars are wonderful and gorgeous and worth every minute of screen time.Co-stars include John Halliday, Nora Swinburne as the spoiler, Miles Malleson, Genevieve Tobin, Miles Malleson (who also wrote the script), and Swanson's then husband, Michael Farmer.Terrific scenes include a "cocktail regatta," which involves cocktails served at various stops during a speedboat race at Cannes! The race is the catalyst in breaking up the marriage. Swanson also sings a nice song, "I Love You So Much That I Hate You." Both Swanson and Olivier look great and the sets and lighting are beautiful in the newly restored print. The plot twist at the end is neat and satisfying.