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8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
The Title Says It All: "Bitter Sweet", September 17, 2003
"Bittersweet" is NOT a favourite of mine... hard to say whether it or "I Married an Angel" is my least favourite J/N flick. Still, due to Nelson's presence, it is somewhat bearable. I really adore both Nelson and Jeanette, don't get me wrong. What I really didn't like was the fact that the entire thing seemed tossed together without much thought or plan for a plot. Like what point did that Tokay scene make?? I mean, it was adorable to see him bouncing Jeanette on that table, but usually the songs and scenes in their films serve some purpose. The storyline in general is just rather obscure.Jeanette's gowns I found a bit much - it seems Adrian must have been in a wild mood a couple times... some were okay: I really liked the blue one she wore at the beginning and the satin ones she wore at Schlick's. The apricot one at the last café scene was the best! The purple one in the Tokay scene drew all attention away from anything else in the scene and drives my eyes buggy with those perfectly matched, zig-zagging stripes. Good for a laugh only. I loved Hawwy and Jane. Even though they were both despicable. I thought the scene where Jeanette breaks down trying to sing that song for Herr Wyler was very touching. And I love the part where Nelson's two friends start pulling out the pawn tickets. The look on his face when they said, "That's for the bed," was hilarious. And Jeanette, "Oh, Carl, it's just the bed!" Men and their strange values. And of course the scene when he carried her upstairs was darling. I laughed so hard the first time I saw him toss her over his shoulder and cart her the rest of the way up. I too hate that Nelson has to die... they adored each other so much... and it WAS too abrupt. Somehow though I start laughing, because I think of one website where a lady put a picture of Nelson in Jeanette's arms in the death scene, with the caption, "Carl! How many times have I told you to stay away from sharp objects??!?" (Of course, she meant it as a joke.) Honestly though I hate that he dies. It's despicable. George Sanders is despicable. Despicable is my current buzzword. This movie overall is NOT despicable, simply not Jeanette and Nelson's best example of collaboration. If you are new to Nelson and Jeanette, I would recommend "New Moon" or "Maytime" as good films to start with. Save this one for after you become a fan, so you can watch it with a little more sympathy and leniency than otherwise you would.
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