mraculeated The biggest problem with this movie is it’s a little better than you think it might be, which somehow makes it worse. As in, it takes itself a bit too seriously, which makes most of the movie feel kind of dull.

Sameer Callahan It really made me laugh, but for some moments I was tearing up because I could relate so much.

Keeley Coleman The thing I enjoyed most about the film is the fact that it doesn't shy away from being a super-sized-cliche;

Edwin The storyline feels a little thin and moth-eaten in parts but this sequel is plenty of fun.

Tweekums Philip Carey was an aspiring artist in Paris but it was clear that that profession was going nowhere so he returns to his native London where he starts training as a doctor. He soon falls for Mildred, a waitress who clearly isn't really interested in him. They go out on a few dates but soon she tells him that she is marrying another man. He starts getting on with his life and seeing another woman but when Mildred turns up, pregnant and claiming her husband left her Phillip starts looking after her. She doesn't treat him any better and is soon mocking him and flirting with his friends. Eventually it appears that he is over her and seeing the daughter of a friend… of course Mildred turns up like a bad penny and but this time he won't let her ruin his life; he'll help her but he won't love her; something that infuriates her.This film is over eighty years old but it is still a difficult watch at times; not because it isn't a good story but because it is painful watching poor Phillip ruining his life pursuing a woman who holds him in contempt. The protagonists are interesting; a nice man self-conscious about his club foot and a thoroughly unpleasant woman. Leslie Howard does a fine job as the sympathetic Phillip but it is Bette Davis who dominates as Mildred, a character it is impossible to like with her barely concealed contempt for the man who keeps helping her. The supporting cast do a fine job. The ending is as one might expect for a film of the time but that isn't a problem. Overall I'd recommend this to fans of classic films but can't really say I enjoyed it as it is so hard to watch at times.

Hot 888 Mama . . . but a Critic's Cabal of a Certain Perspective has Cowed the World into thinking that ANYTHING dashed off on Willie Maugham's note pads during the 1900s must be the Best Thing since Will Shakespeare put down his quill. WRONG!! You needn't be a Maugham Completist to realize that almost ALL of his twisted tales stem from personal grievances involving his unhappy childhood. Anyone exposed to Willie's dozen "best" stories will see that they share a monotonous misogyny and outrageous themes of Sadomasochism. OF HUMAN BONDAGE pretends to offer some deep Goldilocks Theory about Love: Norah's too hot, Mildred's too cold, but Sally's just right. Yet after Mildred croaks with a lit cigarette in her hand (eerily foreshadowing infamous Hollywood Chain Smoker Bette Davis' Real Life Breast Cancer Demise), Teaching Hospital Resident Phil's smirk as he rushes into the Autopsy Theater to dissect his Dead Crush is unmistakable. No, nothing here smacks of Family Values, which is why Kino Lorber includes an 87-minute expose on Willie's sordid personal life to help mainstream people decide whether it's safe to touch BONDAGE without a ten-foot pole.

Ordinary Review Of Human Bondage is one of these old movies that fell into the public domain by lack of copyright renewal, therefore it is widely available and when I saw that it had both Bette Davis - who I enjoyed in All About Eve (1950) and What Ever Happened to Baby Jane (1962) with her characteristic gaze; and Leslie Howard who was in Gone with the Wind (1939) but also in the lesser known The Petrified Forest (1936), a friend and supporter of Humphrey Bogart he helped him rise to fame.In the film, Philip Carey is a young English man living in Paris hoping to become a painter. One night a man who he asked for advice tells Philip that he is talentless and needs to find another meaning to his life. Philip decides to become a doctor, however, a club foot severely impends on his self-esteem and confidence . When Philip goes to a café and sees the young flirtatious Mildred with another patron, he falls in love immediately. Mildred turns out to be really cold towards Philip and only uses him to go to the theater when it pleases her, while still seeing the man of the restaurant. Nonetheless, Philip decides to ask her to marry him but Mildred prevents it by saying she is already getting married. A few months later, Philip finds himself in a similar situation where a woman, Norah, loves him but he doesn't love her back. When Mildred reappears, broke, pregnant and alone, Philip can't help it and helps her, leaving Norah pondering about what happened to him. Philip and Mildred are unable to live together yet their paths will cross many times and again.The best thing in the movie has to be Bette Davis' performance of the cold and cynical Mildred. She is despicably perfect in her vanity. The main issue I had with the film is probably a very personal one, but it's the fact that a man falls desperately in love with a woman. I don't believe in such a thing. Now, I do believe a woman can take advantage of a man in this very same way, but Philip felt too at loss with his own feelings that I found it hard to believe--especially because of the fact that while Mildred is absent from Philip's life, he gladly partake in another woman's life, with or without shared feelings that remains to be seen.The dialogues are very clever, particularly the discourse which inspired the movie title about human bondage. I wish there were more to be analyzed from the line of work of Philip who goes from painting nude women to medical student to business man without particular choices, as if on railtracks. What pleased me the most was the character of Mildred, it was powerful and weak at the same time. A thin line that makes characters real.I liked: Strong female lead. Cyclic. Pride and vanity - a downfall.I disliked: Filming letters is annoying for the plot, I sometimes couldn't decipher them. The role of the child. Last scene with blocked out sound.73/100 Not your typical romance, fortunately carried out by two grand actors of the 30's.Read more reviews at: www.theordinaryreview.blogspot.com

SilkyWilky A must watch film, I genuinely loved it. Easy to watch and get drawn into, not that dated at all, and a good story we can all relate to.Lots of reviews here waxing lyrical about Bette Davis' bawdy performance, and in general I go along with them, bar her pitiful attempt at a cockney accent.Its worse than Dick van Dykes (Mary Poppins) and I never thought I'd say that about anyone. Dick had a naiive comedic consistency in his americanised version. Bette is all over the place, mainly sounding like a posh girl pretending badly to be cockney and throwing in intonations I've never heard anyone speak. Very false and messed up, and irritating - but that is what she's portraying too, so it kinda works. She was either sheltered and made no attempt to get out and hear how people speak or she wouldn't have dared do what she did, or else she has no accent skills.Beyond the accent, yes, Bette makes the film funky and fun. The other actresses I think perform better, are more convincing character wise. Kay Johnson (Norah) is stiff upper lip British and understated, a mirror to Leslie Howards character, though lighter. Frances Dee (Sally) plays a young girl who accepts her place with a charm and a wisdom beyond her years - and is the heavenly beauty of the film.Watch, enjoy, and indulge in reminiscences of the unrequited loves in your life.