All About Eve

ALL ABOUT EVE (1950) - Mar. 8, 2010
It was interesting to watch this film so soon after All About My Mother, which pays pretty extensive homage to All About Eve. The two films aren’t particularly similar, but Mother outright references Eve at least a couple of times; I’d be interested to watch it again just to see if there were any other allusions that flew right over my head. As for which “All About _____” is the superior film, I’m going to have to go with a tie. Yes, that’s a pretty lame answer, but what can I say? I liked them both.  So yeah, it is definitely a justified classic and deserves its place on the list. Both Bette Davis and Anne Baxter give really compelling, above-average performances. Baxter in particular does a great job of starting out sweet and letting the insidious nature of her character come out really gradually. It’s definitely an impressive performance. The supporting performances are just as good, with the standout being George Sanders as the smug and vaguely sinister Addison Dewitt. The scene towards the end of the film where he completely eviscerates Eve (verbally, of course) was definitely one of the better things I’ve seen in a while. I like Sanders because he’s one of those rare actors who has the ability to liven up even the dullest of material; when he’s given something that’s already good… well then he’s really good.  ***1/2