Grade: B
Synopsis: With the help of a psychologist (Claude Rains), a Boston spinster (Bette Davis) breaks out of her shell and finds a lover (Paul Henreid) only to face complications.
Now, Voyager is a classic melodrama buoyed by universally strong performances and a script that eschews a pat, Hollywood ending.
Claude Rains gives one of his most charismatic performances as the firm, but kind psychologist who helps lead Bette Davis’ character break free of her mother’s oppressive influence. He carries the film’s opening.
For her part, Davis is amazing, playing what’s almost a dual role, yet she makes the transformation believable, imbuing her new persona with just enough uncertainty to remind you of the woman she once was.
Opposite her, Paul Henreid takes a little getting used to but once he settles in he’s great, and very believable as a man torn between his love for Davis and his sense of morality and honor.
Finally, there’s Gladys Cooper who was nominated along with Davis for an Oscar for her role as Davis’s character’s domineering mother. She plays a bitch, but does it well, conveying a deep seeded fear and hurt behind her character’s vitriol.
Granted, Now, Voyager is basically one long soap opera (and one that does drag a bit toward the third act) but it’s tremendously well done, pushing all the right buttons but never being obvious about it, right down to the bittersweet finale that fits just right. It may be popcorn drama, but it’s entertaining nonetheless.
One Response on “Now, Voyager (1942)”:
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grapeshot said:
Grade: A-
I remember watching this movie many years ago when I was in college with my then boyfriend. Although I’d characterize this movie as a women’s weeper, it should be noted that it also held my boyfriend’s attention, which is saying a lot, I think. I certainly enjoyed it at the time. I remember in particular that my boyfriend and I were struck by the actions of Paul Henried in a scene where he lights two cigarettes, one for Bette and one for himself. We had neither of us seen such a move before, and it struck us as smooth, urbane, and sexy. Since we both smoked at the time, we started doing that same move for each other. Now I can never see this title without remembering that scene, and my old boyfriend, and it always makes me smile.
