Saturday 14th November 2009

His Girl Friday

Director: Howard Hawks
Year: 1940
Stars: Cary Grant, Rosalind Russell

I'm not entirely sure what to make of this movie. I recorded it from TV a few weeks ago, and took a while to get around to watching it. I wanted to like it - the reviews made it sound good and I often enjoy Howard Hawks movies.

The story concerns a journalist, Hildy Johnson (Russell), who is desperately trying to leave the world of journalism behind and marry a man in insurance. Desperately trying to stop her from leaving is Walter Burns (Cary Grant).

This is by no means a bad movie. The script is slick and there's a decent (if convoluted) plot behind the film. Watching Grant and Russell banter back and forth can be a lot of fun too. The problem is, none of the characters are especially likeable - even the prospective husband, who just comes across as a bit of a sap. And the longer they're on the screen, the less you like then. A movie I just can't make my mind up about.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5

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