Ring around the Moon is one of those supposedly cheery little romance films from the mid-30s that halfway to through turns into a depressing romp of financial insecurity, perceived status and the heck of a lot of lying.
It's kind of weird to watch the first 15 minutes. It's so cheery and ridiculous. Even when our main character loses his job you're not too bothered about it.
Because the tone of the movie seems to indicate that he'll find something else with minimal effort. And everyone else is working with seems relatively indifferent to it as well. As if we're expecting this kind of thing to happen. And I guess given that it's the 1930s that would be par for the course.
I almost wish the entire movie was based on the first 15 minutes. All these ridiculous over-the-top newspaper men and women going about their day, collecting interesting stories and talking in that (what is now perceived) ''old-timey'' newspaper voice. Even by the standards of the day was considered and funnily cheesy and unrealistic. It would have been like a Daily Planet movie from Superman only without the man in Tights.
But instead the movie turns into this perceived love triangle. Which actually does a big old switcheroo and turns into a different Love Story. Originaliy it's a sitcom problem of man engaged to Woman A but loves woman B.
Because of circumstance and his own stupidity he gets engaged to woman A which ostracises him from woman B.
This makes him upset, this also makes woman B upset who pretends she's also getting engaged just to get under his skin.
And if she hadn't said anything he would have broken off his engagement with the original woman just to hook up with her. But because of her outbursts now he's stuck with this other woman who he doesn't really love.
It's made all the more worse with this newspaper article that comes out detailing how the rich woman purposely altered this man's financial situation so she could snap him up for marriage. And of course the rich woman thinks that it's the other girl who had printed the article especially given the photo that was used in the info that was discussed. But in reality it with this other woman who was just looking out for her friend and wanted to make an article to even the score if you will.
But then other events start to take shape. For one thing our protagonist man starts to fall in love with this pompous woman who he didn't assume he had any chemistry with.
You discover overtime that her family's having financial problems which only comes the more worse when her father kills himself. Leaving her penniless as the entire estate is worth nothing because of a bank error pause during one of the outbursts of the Great Depression.
On top of that the other woman who found herself in a depressing slump ends up hooking up with this really nice piano Guy who has better chemistry with her than the original guy ever did. And they end up getting married and living their own life.
Ann Doran as Kay Duncan (The B woman of the love triangle) has some of the best acting and definitely the best of line delivery in the entire film.
She gets to play this kind of sassy reporter lady who's made all the more enjoyable to watch when her life turned upside down and she's just miserable.
There's something about her in different style of attitude that makes for a really entertaining character. I'm almost a little sad that Erin O'Brien-Moore character became the focal point of the film in the second half. Which is nothing against Erin.
But it's just hard to follow up such a fun act. Especially when O'Brien's character became such a sad and miserable character throughout the later part of that film.
Really it's the women who make this film. O most of the male characters have fine performances but the Charisma and energy they create just isn't enough to hold this movie Up.
Overall it's a surprisingly good film. The acting for the most part is solid. The story (though a little confused with what direction it wants to go in) is fun enough to watch and overall it Alters itself just enough to keep things fresh without completely losing itself in internal drama or some awkward secondary plot.
Really my only problem with it; is its abrupt ending. This film could use another 10 or 20 minutes just to make up for the kind of out of nowhere happy ending the film precedes to have.
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