Wonderful, wonderful stuff....and I'm seriously crushing on Carole Lombard, who just might be the perfect crazy chick (in a recent review for MY SASSY GIRL, I dubbed a rom-com subgenre "the straightedge and the crazy chick" where a normal guy has his world turned upside down by a nutty gal - stright forward, dont' ya think?).
GODFREY seemed very Sturgess-like in its use of satire exploring the class divide. Although I think the end was a bit of a slap in the face. The way for "forgotten men" to regain their self-worth is to serve the upperclass? After 90-minutes of watching how idiotic and undeserving the upperclass is, the ending undermines the satire - "all in fun, but still remember your place."
I'm not really sure Lombard was deserving of Godfrey, she really wasn't much more than spoiled brat, albeit a goodnatured brat. It would have been nice to see the maid's role heightened and explored.
Just read the essay myself, and was surprised to learn Powell and Lombard were divorced a few years prior to filmming. I've known no one to keep the civility after divorce, muchless display wonderful on-screen chemistry....
It is. I love this film. This film has got to be one of the great mood elevators. I think it was one of the first netflix reviews I ever wrote. It went something like this.
Greatest movie. Poor print. Powell. Lombard. Why can't life be a screwball comedy?