Madame X (1966)

So, this film tricked me twice. I would hate to be the one to say this, but I thought when I rented this film that it was going to be the 1920s version directed by Lionel Barrymore. Alas, I was completely off. Not only was it as colorful as the 1960s could be, but it also starred the incredible Lana Turner (embarrassingly it was my first Turner experience) as the scorned woman frightened of a life without love. I did say that this film tricked me twice, and here was the other - I didn't see what was going to happen to Turner's Holly Parker in the end, but I hated trying to get there. For me, her entire ride dirctly from the wealthy into the gutters of Mexico, just came as one shock to the next, but again, I hated the effort put in to get there. This is a paradox of a film. I thought that the premise was strong, the casting was even better, but I think I needed a timeline to help me. It seems to all occur over a weekend, which doesn't help this story at all. So, it tricked me. It tricked me into watching it all - and it tricked me by being the wrong film ... alas, I think that last part may have been a user issue.

Madame X. What a interesting film. First, let me say, I am eager to watch Lana Turner (eerily equal to a modern day Kathleen Turner) in more films. She was the only stand-out in a film full of cardboard characters. She teared at the right times, she drank heavily throughout, and she was insecure in everything except her children. She loved her children, which made for great viewing to see that internal struggle, but she seemed to passive about everything else. That is where my problems began with this film. While Turner was great in the role, the role was a bit obscure to the screen. I didn't understand why she ran when Ricardo Montalban fell down the stairs. He was abusive and aggressive, and the world would have bought that. By running, she created a film - and I didn't understand why. When did absinthe suddenly become her best friend? How did she get to Mexico? Perhaps these were answered within the film, but they were missed by me. The entire ending, taking place in NYC, was absurd. There was no evil surrounding the mother figure. She was dark, insistent on her son's life, but from the beginning I was never sure why she didn't support Turner's Holly Parker. Aside from the story issues, there wasn't much else to hate about this film - it was dark and grueling at parts when I didn't think this film was going to head in a certain direction. It shocked me. It was 1966 - I didn't think a film like this would go that dark - but then it seemed to have that redeeming ending that just didn't fit.

Lana Turner. Did anyone else happen to see the way she grew into poverty? Her teeth changed, her eyes grew older, she became less attractive as the days progressed, and that was wild to see. I think what I am trying to say is that Lana Turner impressed me. Having been a virgin to her films, it was a surprise to see how dark she would develop her character - but the rest was just fluff. Director David Rich had something with Turner, but I just don't know if the rest fell into place. Montalban seemed ill fit for his role. That is the catch with this film. You want to see Turner, she pulls you in deeper than imagined, but the film itself - the story, the scenes, the emotion - just doesn't grab you. It is a good story, just not a great one.

Alas, I would love to say that I found this in my "Movie Awards" book, but I picked the wrong film on NETFLIX. So, this is a limbo film, but excited that I watched it. Give me more Lana Turner anyday. Could she be the original "cougar"? Time will tell. Alas, Madame X as a whole was not the film I was hoping for - so to even out the two worlds - this is going to get a pink mark. Watchable once - would even watch it forced, but I will not own this in my collection.