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Now, Voyager Movie Review

Now, Voyager is a 1942 drama film starring Bette Davis, Paul Henreid and Claude Rains. It is a very emotional, superbly acted melodrama.

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“Oh, Jerry, don’t let’s ask for the moon.

We have the stars“

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Boston heiress Charlotte Vale is a neurotic mess, largely because of her domineering mother. But after a stint in a sanatorium where she receives the attention of Dr. Jasquith, Charlotte comes out of her shell and elects to go on a cruise. Aboard ship she meets Jerry and falls in love, despite his being married. They enjoy a brief tryst in Rio before returning to the States, where Charlotte struggles to forget him and find happiness.

While this movie is overly melodramatic and way too convenient in its third act (the whole Jerry’s daughter subplot was quite implausible and unnecessary), the raw strength of its emotions is undeniable. Not only is the film highly romantic with such a beautiful, instantly quotable ending, but it’s also a heartbreaking tale of a seriously disturbed mother-daughter relationship.

That relationship is the crux of the storyline and the sole reason why the movie has aged like fine wine. It explores parental mistreatment and how they can destroy the happiness of their children. Simply seeing a Bette Davis picture where she is the victim instead of a villain was refreshing and this is by far one of her most authentic roles where she was cast against type and still delivered in spades. Whether playing complex emotions or being reserved and meek, Davis killed it throughout in what is one of her greatest performances.

Others also impress in smaller roles. Claude Rains is reliably strong in a very likable role while Paul Henreid is charismatic and suitably tender as the love interest of Charlotte. As for Gladys Cooper, she channeled the horrible Mrs. Vale stupendously, delivering an outstanding performance as this immensely detestable woman.

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Now, Voyager is gorgeously scored by Max Steiner and he undoubtedly deserved his Oscar win for this soundtrack. The superb music coupled with some competent cinematography made for an audio-visual treat. It’s an epic melodrama that only 40s Hollywood could produce. The dialogue is fantastic as well. I just wish that the pacing was better as the second act is significantly less engaging than the other two acts. And the convenient nature of the script was also a problem, but overall the movie delivered for the most part.

Now, Voyager is an epic 40s melodrama that features a tremendous cast of performers. Claude Rains and Gladys Cooper impressed in smaller roles, but it is Bette Davis who here delivered one of her best performances in a role where she admirably went against type. The convenient nature of the third act and clunky pacing aside, this is a heartbreaking, deeply romantic picture that is still relevant in its central fraught mother-daughter relationship.

My Rating – 4