Glucedee
It's hard to see any effort in the film. There's no comedy to speak of, no real drama and, worst of all.
Dirtylogy
It's funny, it's tense, it features two great performances from two actors and the director expertly creates a web of odd tension where you actually don't know what is happening for the majority of the run time.
Brendon Jones
It’s fine. It's literally the definition of a fine movie. You’ve seen it before, you know every beat and outcome before the characters even do. Only question is how much escapism you’re looking for.
utgard14
Bland period soaper about a woman named Irene (Greer Garson) in a loveless marriage to a man named Soames Forsyte (Errol Flynn). Trouble comes when Irene falls in love with the beau (Robert Young) of her young friend June (Janet Leigh). Oh and Soames' cousin (Walter Pidgeon) is in love with Irene. He's also June's father. It's all very "As the World Turns."The main selling point of any movie with Garson and Pidgeon is their chemistry and inevitable romance. Unfortunately the romance between them here is a bit of a tough sell, due to the polygonal nature of the relationships in this. I'm never a big fan of these types of things. Maybe I'm old-fashioned or something but it feels cheap to me, particularly given how their romance finally comes to pass. A huge problem with this movie is how miscast every major part is. Garson, Pidgeon, Flynn, and Young are all wrong for their parts. At least Flynn makes his villainous role work. The best thing about Robert Young in this is his laughable hair. Janet Leigh is fine in an early role that requires little of her but to look pretty and flip out when she discovers her cougar friend is stealing her man.It's all rather sedate and boring. There's an audience for this type of film but I'm not part of it. I found it a chore to sit through despite the cast and the nice production values. I've read this is based on a novel and was later made into an acclaimed BBC TV serial. Never read the book or seen the show. No intention to, either, as this isn't my cup of tea.
bkoganbing
According to the Citadel Film Series book, The Films Of Errol Flynn, MGM and Warner Brothers did a swapping of stars for the services of the other. Errol Flynn went to MGM for a picture in return for Warner Brothers getting the services of William Powell for Life With Father. I think Powell made out far better in the deal than Flynn did with an Oscar nomination for Best Actor for his film.Not that Errol Flynn was bad in That Forsyte Woman, in fact his casting as the proper and stuffy Soames Forsyte was quite a revelation. But the movie-going public simply wouldn't buy it. Errol, not the dashing hero with sword in hand and cape over the other shoulder was not accepted. If That Forsyte Woman had been made a decade earlier and for Warner Brothers, Flynn would have been perfect to play Robert Young's role of Philip Bossiney.Flynn is married to Greer Garson and is guardian of niece Janet Leigh. Leigh is the daughter of black sheep brother in this proper Victorian family, Walter Pidgeon. Pidgeon years ago ran away with his niece's governess after the family did not permit the recently widowed Pidgeon to marry her. Back in those days proper English families did things like that.Anyway the rather staid marriage of Flynn and Garson gets a jolt when opportunistic Robert Young who Leigh has been keeping company with, falls for Garson and she, him. In modern times it would be a no fault divorce, but things aren't done that way in Victorian England.If there is a weakness in casting it's that of Robert Young. I'm surprised that MGM did not use someone like Peter Lawford whom they had under contract and was British besides. Greer was British, but the rest of the cast had two Americans in Young and Leigh, a Canadian in Pidgeon and Flynn was Australian. Young was older than Errol Flynn and just doesn't come over as the young opportunistic lover.Garson of course is the perfect English lady who usually wan't allowed dalliances by MGM, but she's fine here. Greer wrote the introduction to the Films Of Errol Flynn and she says that she found Flynn to be a perfect gentleman and anxious to prove himself a serious actor.He did in many ways in That Forsyte Saga. He was a prisoner of his own legend at this point.
whpratt1
Found this film quite unbelievable because of the fact that so many men seemed to be attracted to Greer Garson,(Irene Forsyte) first met a very rich man named Soames Forsyte, (Errol Flynn) and Soames falls immediately in love with Irene and he keeps asking Irene to marry him and after many years of trying, Irene decided to say yes to marriage, however, she told him she does not love him. Irene finds it very difficult to join the family named Forsyte who were a very close family who thought Irene was just a gold digger since she was not a very wealthy woman at all. Through out this picture Irene is hit on by many men who fall in love with her, namely: Philip Bosinney,(Robert Young); Young Jolyon Forsyte, (Walter Pidgeon) , all these men want to marry Irene and do not care if she is married or not. Irene even breaks up a marriage between June Forsyte, (Janet Leigh) who was going to marry Philip Bosinney. It is very hard to understand just who Irene really falls in love with, and you will never see the men going to bed with her since this film was made in 1949.
simba-18
How could any woman choose another man over Errol Flynn? I don't know either. That's why I didn't buy the premise of this but was impressed with the performances. Errol Flynn is always great to watch and proves here that he can deliver the acting goods and always of course looks distractingly handsome. Greer Garson and Walter Pigeon are a treat to watch together. A previous poster mentioned the fact that Greer Garson having an adulterous affair didn't work because she was just too likable really doesn't apply here because the fact that their marriage is unhappy is established. Robert Young comes off less sympathetic than Flynn's Soames Forsythe, in my opinion. Here he takes advantage of the young and naive June Forsythe and the unhappy marriage of Mrs. Forsythe at the same time. The story is contrived but overall a good flick to watch on a rainy day. I would recommend it.
