'I Know Where I'm Going!' - Movie Review

This is a British romance movie made in 1945 by Powell and Pressburger (those names will mean something if you know the period movies). It stars Wendy Hiller as Joan Webster, a woman determined to marry for money - despite the fact that her father is a bank manager and their not being too badly off. But on the way to her wedding, she meets someone ...

This is the earliest use of plot interspersed with credits that I've ever seen (this was made in 1945). At the beginning of the film, we see part of the opening credits, then a voiceover tells us about Joan's youth (she always knew where she was going) as we see it, then more credits, then another piece of her childhood, more credits, etc. I mention this because I've watched a fair number of older films, and I think this is the earliest I've seen this - by about 20 years.

The man Joan can't avoid, and unwillingly falls for, is Torquil MacNeil (Roger Livesey). I only really know Livesey from "The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp" (also a Powell and Pressburger project) an epic movie that I absolutely love, and the lead role Livesey was born to play. He is only serviceable here. And Hiller is so headstrong and so determined to do a stupid thing, I couldn't see the appeal. This is also (a problem I've mentioned before) a "rom" as opposed to a "rom com." Romance movies that aren't also comedic are often dull - and this one could have used a bit more comedy.

Not a bad film, manages some good moments. But not worth digging out of the archives ...