SUNSET BOULEVARD

My first of the '100 films' challenge is Sunset Boulevard. A noir-ish thriller, staring the mesmerising Gloria Swanson

In short, a fabulously creepy, over sexed, frightening old woman who lives in what appears an old haunted mansion, finds her long awaited solace in Joe Gillis, a grumpy and trouble ridden film writer, who out of desperation (running from debt collectors) drives in to her garage one night and ends up living there in what becomes a deranged and ultimately fatal relationship.

Mind you, if he had any sense about him in the first place, he would have considered the fact that he was initially invited into the mansion having been mistaken for an undertaker who was expected to bury Norma's monkey........o.k.......he might have left about that point, he didn't, instead sticking around for a stiff drink, in which case, i say he deserved a similar fate to that of the monkeys.

Gloria Swanson gives about as magnificent a performance as your ever likely to see in a film. She is whole heartedly pathetic and completely delusional as an ageing silent film star, who over the years has created a kind of permanent film set of her own within the very secure walls of her Hollywood fortress. Max, her ex husband, who is now her butler and confidant of sorts, plays a huge part in reinforcing this secret world of hers where she is still a major star, a coming attraction, the worlds greatest actress!

Gradually we figure out, as does Joe, that she is not and has not been for a very very long time now. At this point, he very quickly starts to 'put the car in reverse'. One night he successfully manages to escape Norma's claw and attends a friends party in town, it's there that he bumps into Betty Schaefer, the cutesy, all American blonde studio writer, who is clearly taken with Joe and subtly pursues him until they start collaborating on a script together. This, inevitably leads to a love affair and the gradual discovery of this affair by the mad old bitch back at the mansion.

To be fair, I wont unravel every detail just incase you end up seeing the film.
And in the very humble opinion of this amateurish film critic, I strongly recommend you do!

The final scene in Sunset Boulevard is spectacular, riveting, mesmerising, mad and brilliant.
Possibly the earliest and greatest film account of the stark raving lunacy in which intense stardom and success is capable of manifesting.

Just as relevant today, as was yesterday.