Svengali

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Valerii Ege D Besides John Barrymore's magnificent acting, the movie actually has a good story. What makes it good is that even though Svengali can turn people into anything he wants with his power, he knows it is not real. Like, Love. Rated 3.5/5 Stars •  Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 11/13/23 Full Review Andy F More comedic than you might expect (apparently at the lead actor's request). Nonetheless John Barrymore's Svengali is a stunning portrayal and the film dazzles with its visuals. Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 11/01/23 Full Review StephenPaul C The greatest 01 hour: and 16 minutes ever!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 05/19/23 Full Review Louisa E I got a bit bored in this one. I didn't love the plot. I liked how it portrayed mind control and how much of a narcissist this character was, but I didn't feel connected enough to any of the characters to feel anything for them. The acting wasn't great. Marian Marsh was ok. Barrymore was pretty good, but the make-up let him down. There was no connection between Marsh and Barrymore, and this could be because she was still a teenager while he was almost 50. I get that it is a tale of a man taking advantage of a young girl, but something about it fell flat. The songs are not to my taste. I liked the use of contact lenses to make Barrymore's eyes look freaky, and the costumes were pretty good. There were some good design choices, and the cinematography had some lovely moments. But overall, I didn't enjoy this movie very much. Rated 3/5 Stars •  Rated 3 out of 5 stars 05/08/23 Full Review David K This pre-code entry is odd. Early on, it bears some resemblance to German expressionism as it veers into horror. The last third, though, is fairly traditional pre-code stuff. The affair between a 50-year old grizzled, manipulative hypnotist and an 18-year old beauty that occurs only because of his spell on her is the driving force. Well worth a watch only because you may have never seen anything like it. Barrymore is at his best. Rated 3.5/5 Stars •  Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 04/30/23 Full Review Audience Member Based on Trilby an 1894 novel, did not perform well at the American box office. There's much debate as to whether or not this is a horror film. The film is creeping, intense, human and at times believable. John Barrymore was brilliant in the role and the production was elaborate. Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 02/08/23 Full Review Read all reviews

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