Ensofter Overrated and overhyped

Patience Watson One of those movie experiences that is so good it makes you realize you've been grading everything else on a curve.

Sameeha Pugh It is encouraging that the film ends so strongly.Otherwise, it wouldn't have been a particularly memorable film

Sarita Rafferty There are moments that feel comical, some horrific, and some downright inspiring but the tonal shifts hardly matter as the end results come to a film that's perfect for this time.

mark.waltz A promising start doesn't transfer into a successful middle or end, leaving this romantic drama about a classical pianist as an interesting artistic disappointment. Catherine MacCleod, an innocent young pianist, like Ingrid Bergman in "Intermezzo", falls in love with her mentor, Philip Dorn. But unlike Leslie Howard in that 1939 classic, Dorn is not married, just a philanderer who treats MacCleod like a child and as any task master, work her too hard, often abusing her and when she shows him up in her Premier concert, accuses her of trying to overshadow him. In ascent, she's sort of a trilby to hit send golly, and not even his kindly Mother, Maria Ouspenskaya, can bring him down to earth.One of Republic studio's more ambitious endeavors, this was filmed in color and certainly looks lovely. The performances for the most part are sincere, although Ouspenskaya's constant slow delivery of lines often bothers me. Elizabeth Patterson adds a humorous touch of warmth to the role of MacLeod's landlady who owns the farm boarding house with her kindly father, Felix Bressart. Patterson's son, William Carter, falls in love with the young Catherine, and is obviously more worthy of her love than the egotistical Dorn. As directed by Frank Borzage, one of the great creators of classic melodramas, this is often very slow, plodding and sometimes even a bit too artistically over ambitious. There are many moments where thus feels like it is about to wrap up, but on it goes to another plot development which often changes its mood. While the first quarter is breezy and light hearted, the remainder bogs into pretentiousness which often makes it a bit of a bore. The music is of course lovely, but then again, so are lullabies.

ricbigi I love Frank Borzage's films (STREET ANGEL, 7TH HEAVEN, A FAREWELL TO ARMS, DESIRE, THREE COMRADES, THE MORTAL STORM being my favorites). Borzage was a director of immense talent and sensibility, a true master in every sense. I'VE ALWAYS LOVED YOU is his most lavishly produced film, in glorious Technicolor, and contains extremely beautiful sequences, but unfortunately falls short of being a great work. Borden Chase, the screenwriter, must be responsible for this, as he presents the character of the great Maestro Goronoff as not only arrogant, which could be easily understood, but also immature and frankly ridiculous in his womanizing, thus rendering him a type of buffoon most of the time. One can never understand the love that Myra Hassman feels for him, in spite of Catherine McLeod's fine performance. Thus, when the story reaches its first climax and Goronoff tries to steal the brilliance of his pupil first public concert (in Carnegie Hall, of all places) out of sheer jealousy, the impact of the scene is lessened. We never see the somber shades of his personality creeping in. The effect is incongruous. We cannot take this man seriously. Philip Dorn does not help, either. His acting is unnatural, a pure caricature that does not let a possible tragic dimension of his character shine through. Too bad. The ending is satisfying, at least, and we are left with the lovely image of Catherine McLeod in our memory. She was indeed a good actress and deserved to have had a more successful career.

drednm Catherine McLeod gives a terrific star performance as the luscious center of this ambitious romance film from Frank Borzage.McLeod plays a young pianist of promise who comes under the wing of a famous and slightly crazed pianist (Philip Dorn) whose demands are limitless. She leaves behind her father's farm and the man (William Carter) who loves her selflessly. Will she marry the mad musician or the simple farmer? More than a standard "woman's picture" or romance, this film features role reversals among the male characters with the lusty, aggressive pianist battling the effete and quiet farmer for the girl's affections. There's also this weird synergy between the girl and the pianist because they share the same passion for music while she seems to have nothing at all in common with the farmer .... except love.McLeod gives a star-making performance and looks great, but her career never quite took off. Dorn and Carter are perfect as the men orbiting her. Co-stars include Maria Ouspenskaya, Fritz Feld, Felix Bressart, Elizabeth Patterson, Lewis Howard, Vanessa Brown, and Cora Witherspoon. And yes that's the young Andre Previn as the student Dorn dismisses.Maybe not a masterpiece, but this film from Republic, filled with great music and filmed in lush Technicolor, shouldn't be among the forgotten.

dbdumonteil ...and I always will...Some say his post WW2 works were inferior to the thirties major works .Perhaps so.But it is no reason to dismiss them."I've always loved you" is unique,it defines music as a way of communicating emotions.Leopold and Myra use Rachmaninoff (mainly "Second" ),Beethoven ,Lizt and other musicians to express their admiration,their tenderness,their love,their jealousy,their pride,their lust for life,their hate,their contempt ,you name it.In the central scene ,where Myra plays the piano with Leopold's full symphonic orchestra is a real desperate fight ,probably the best concert scene ever filmed (with the eventual exception of Hitchcock's "the man who knew too much" (1956))And that scene is followed by another one where the two musicians ,although miles apart ,continue their "conversation" in a strange telepathy.The audience who knows Borzage's earlier works (such as "three comrades" "little man what now?" "mortal storm" "cargo" ...) might be disoriented while watching the beginning of the movie .But the master's touch is still here.Two elements are Borzagesque:the first is George's character.He is akin to Hans ("little man" ) and to the "three comrades" .He is the man who believes in true love ,the simple man who is like a bull in a china shop when he attends the first concert but whose heart is always in the right place.And the other one is Mme Maria Ouspenskaya (she is granted a "Mme" during the cast and credits!) who was the unforgettable mother of Martin (James Stewart) in Borzage's memorable "mortal storm" .Here she portrays Leopold's mother with authority.Her death is a great moment of delicacy when the music stops in her hand.Probably not as appealing as Borzage's earlier works,this film is yet waiting to be rediscovered.