All About Eve is one of the greatest movies about theatre—an idea that, in itself, opens an ironic abyss into which Mankiewicz spelunks with an impish, riotous aplomb.
All About Eve is my idea of a perfect film,(and I am 17) beautiful and brooding at the same time. People consider this as one of the finest films ever made, and I cannot disagree. This and Shawshank Redemption are actually films that deserve to be in the top 250. The black and white cinematography is gorgeous, and the script is sharp and focused with great lines such as "Fasten your seat belts, it's going to be a bumpy night". The direction is excellent, and this is further advantaged by a terrific cast, a very good subject matter and sumptuous costumes. I couldn't help being captivated by Bette Davis's performance as Margo Channing, her presence in the film is actually the film's main merit. Davis was an incredible actress, and while not exactly pretty compared to Maaureen O'Hara and Rita Hayworth and not very easy to work with at times, she always brought a sense of command to all her roles, especially in this film. I still think that All About Eve is her best film, I honestly do, and she is well supported by a terrific supporting cast with the likes of the idealistic Anne Baxter and the suave George Sanders. All in all, a beautiful film, that is a must-see, if you haven't seen it already. It is quite long, but it is well worth watching for Davis's performance. 10/10 Bethany Cox
The best, GREATEST movie ever made! With the best movie character ever portrayed: Anne Baxter as Eve Harrington! Plus the best movie quote ever spoken: "Fasten your seat belts. It's going to be a bumpy night." And the best movie score ever composed!
Set in the Broadway jungle rather than among the ‘sun-burnt eager beavers’ of Hollywood, Joseph L Mankiewicz’s film dissects the narcissism and hypocrisy of the spotlight as sharply as Wilder’s, but pays equal attention to the challenges of enacting womanhood.
If you're not interested in all the backstage tittle-tattle, just settle back and enjoy a film whose script is studded with barbed and quotable bons mots, the finest ever part by suave cad George Sanders and a memorable cameo by Marilyn Monroe as an aspiring starlet (practically everyone was playing variations of themselves).
The stinging bon mots occasionally sound handcrafted rather than raspingly spontaneous, but aspiring actress Anne Baxter’s rise to the top over the corpse of her supposed idol, Bette Davis, remains rousing and endlessly amusing.
The dialogue is sharp and justly famous, though writer-director Joseph L. Mankiewicz has trouble putting it into the mouths of his actors: nothing sounds remotely natural, and the film is pervaded by the out-of-sync sense of staircase wit—this is a movie about what people wished they'd said. The hoped-for tone of Restoration comedy never quite materializes, perhaps because Mankiewicz's cynicism is only skin-deep, but the film's tinny brilliance still pleases.
Intelligent, almost intellectual with all the literary references yet very emotional, erudite and totally accessible at the same time, bursting with life while filmed almost exclusively in stuffy enclosed locations, this film is a testament to the humanistic genius of mainstream American cinema (Better years of our lives, Night of the hunter) when cinema was still tethered to theatre. Maybe the cinematography isn't avant-garde but it doesn't count: This is acting at its finest. It's filmed theatre, and that is fantastic in itself.
This movie should be watched in classrooms along the ones mentioned above.
The classic backstage Broadway diva witch fest soap opera. Nastiness done to a hoot. Landmark performances by Bette Davis and Anne Baxter sell this wackiness. And Marilyn Monroe shows up for a few minutes of eye candy. Yay. A little more editing and tightening of the more draggy scenes, would've boosted my rating higher
that happens to be your practical abnormality..
All About Eve
Despite of being termed "All About Eve", its barely about Eve and I mean it in as an undercooked character way that never reaches its destination until the last act and when it does it seems like makers jumped or skipped some beats. Joseph L. Mankiewicz; the screen writer and director has done some appreciative work but his sheer effort to create this character driven feature with a wafer thin script **** the feature into bits and pieces of some good material that fails to make a definite point or even bind it all. Bette Davis is the actual winner in here that is supported amazingly by George Sanders but unfortunately one of the lead actors Anne Baxter's performance is what itches all the way through. All About Eve is your slow pill that is definitely effective in its own way but when it does, the question starts to beg whether all of it was worth or not.
Bette Davis as the acclaimed theatre star, Margo Channing, who is befriended by the film's protagonist Eve Harrington, a simple devoted fan of Channing, played by Anne Baxter. Davis and Baxter turn in high quality performances in this tale of intrigue as we watch the layers of the two characters fall away throughout the film.