DipitySkillful
an ambitious but ultimately ineffective debut endeavor.
SeeQuant
Blending excellent reporting and strong storytelling, this is a disturbing film truly stranger than fiction
Brenda
The plot isn't so bad, but the pace of storytelling is too slow which makes people bored. Certain moments are so obvious and unnecessary for the main plot. I would've fast-forwarded those moments if it was an online streaming. The ending looks like implying a sequel, not sure if this movie will get one
winstonchurchill-93755
No one suffers more in movie after movie than Ann Harding. The suffering is gloriously acute, intense and wonderfully relentless.
ksf-2
Robert Milton directed all of eleven films, and this was somewhere in the middle. Ann Harding stars as the prim and proper governess, who is only taking the job to be near Mr. Trent, a successful lawyer. Trent is played by Leslie Howard, who is slow to catch on, even when he is introduced to "the governess" out of costume, and without her wig. Harrington is played by Robert Williams, who would die quite soon, after making "Platinum Blond" with Jean Harlow. It's all well done, but moves quite slowly. There are complications, of course, and nothing is easy. Enjoyable enough, but so predictable. Harding was nominated for her part in Holiday; Howard was nominated for TWO oscars. and the awesome Alison Skipworth is in here as Mrs. Coggins... she had worked with W.C. Fields in FOUR films! great cast!
mysterv
An enjoyable movie if you can suspend belief that Ann Harding can disguise herself as an older woman. Thankfully the story moves on beyond that concept. I found the Robert Williams role to be the most interesting part of the film and why I would recommend it, beyond that it does star Ann Harding and Leslie Howard. Without going into the story too much he plays a character that we do not know whether to like or not. There is a lot of gray in who he is. The same can be said for the Leslie Howard character. I have watched a number of movies from the thirties and this is one of the ones that I would recommend watching if you have a chance.
bkoganbing
Ann Harding, wallflower daughter of O.P. Heggie and Louise Closser Hale, for a lark takes a job as the governess to barrister Leslie Howard's son. She's got a thing for Howard, but she's too shy to come out with it. Harding makes herself up with a wig and glasses to look way older than she is and it's as 'Mrs. Halifax' she takes the job. She fools Howard for a while, but she doesn't fool artist Robert Williams who is Howard's client as well. It's Williams's job to know faces and he spots her right away, but allows her little deception any way.The best two in the film have to be Howard's two married servants, Dudley Digges and Alison Skipworth. Digges plays the butler quite a lot like his most famous role, Mr. Bacchus in Mutiny on the Bounty. Of course without quite the alcoholic craving that Bacchus has. He refers to Skipworth as the 'commander-in-chief' and when you see them together you'll know why.Robert Williams whose career got cut so tragically short does a nice turn as the artist and rival of Howard. Appendicitis and accompanying peritonitis did him in like Rudolph Valentino. Williams was a good light comedian, might have had a long career in Fred MacMurray type parts had he lived.It's a nice film, but I can't see why it was titled Devotion.
