Mildred Pierce (1945)

The critic calls this Curtiz's masterpiece, a knotty, invigoratingly bleak women's picture-noir hybrid that remains a tight genre film accounting for real life's rocky terrain. They single out the combustible mother-daughter dynamic and Crawford's headstrong performance for praise.

Michael Curtiz’s 1945 film remains a rip-roaring entertainment and noir classic, even if not as faithful to the novel as later adaptations. Joan Crawford won an Oscar for her performance as the single mother-turned-restaurateur whose good intentions pave the road to hell.

The critic finds Michael Curtiz’s noir thriller utterly gripping for its narrative control, photography of vanished 1940s suburban California, and Joan Crawford’s compelling central performance. Crawford is singled out as an electrifying diva presence in a story of pride, social shame and passionate but unreturned maternal love.

The film is a superbly nasty noir that plays havoc with the era's American ideals of women, home, mom and her apple pie. Throbbing melodrama doesn't come with more conviction, and Mildred is compelling even to those usually turned off by the tough Crawford.

The role rescued Joan Crawford and was largely her own story, prophetic of her real life as a success-driven mother who loses her daughter's love. The American Dream falls to pieces in Mildred's case, with a stinging rebuke when she slaps her ungrateful child.

The critic praises Curtiz’s 1945 melodrama for its focus on a determined woman’s struggles in a male-dominated world and the way it blends noir elements with class fable and mother-daughter drama. Crawford’s powerhouse performance, especially in key emotional scenes, is singled out as virtuosic and central to the film’s resonance.

The film contains enough excitement to jolt even the most lethargic customer despite its length, with a deft adaptation of Cain's story of mother love, murder, and blackmail. The critic praises the lucid photography and Crawford's subdued, reasonable performance amid a highly competent cast.

The critic calls it a classic Hollywood comeback vehicle for Joan Crawford in the title role of this noirish melodrama from Michael Curtiz, noting her mesmerising, steely and teary performance. Crawford’s rise from housewife to restaurateur is highlighted alongside the fractious mother-daughter relationship.

The cleanup job on Cain's novel has resulted in a class feature, showmanly produced and tellingly directed, that keeps the development adult while skirting the censorable. The dramatics are heavy but skillfully handled, with Joan Crawford reaching a peak of her acting career.

The critic finds the film a tortured drama that will likely succeed with audiences despite its demanding premise and lack of driving force. Joan Crawford gives a sincere and effective performance as the troubled mother, though the direction lets the character of the daughter become incredible.

The film succeeds on the strength of Joan Crawford's definitive performance as the central character, a strong woman driven by love for her children but stymied by patriarchal society. It is one of noir’s most sympathetic and purely humanist tales, sandwiched within a probing whodunit.

The critic calls it one of the best black-and-white classics, praising its sharp script full of camp, emotional punch, stellar performances by Joan Crawford and others, and strong cinematography and direction by Michael Curtiz. They highlight the noir mystery elements, Crawford's Oscar-winning comeback role as a determined self-made woman, and the film's enduring appeal as an overly theatrical but delightful tale.