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Powerful

This is an astonishing documentary that will wring your heart while it bends your mind

It's funny, it's tense, it features two great performances from two actors and the director expertly creates a web of odd tension where you actually don't know what is happening for the majority of the run time.

This is a gorgeous movie made by a gorgeous spirit.

I don't know which film I thought this was when I ordered it, but I was wrong. Nevertheless, I was glad to watch it because I have always liked Greer Garson and Walter Pidgeon when they performed together, and I always liked Errol Flynn. This film starts out a bit stuffy, but rapidly improves once you get a ways into it.Before giving details, I should mention that as available, as of this writing, this is one of those DVDs that is DVD-R. Fortunately, the master print is in good condition, and while not as crisp as one might prefer, the color is quite well preserved, so it's enjoyable to watch from a technical perspective.There's an excellent cast involved in this film, and an interesting plot. Errol Flynn is the younger generation of a rich and staid British family; he appears to be a bit of a dandy to the older generation, but in reality, he's as stuffy as they are. He falls in love with a lowly piano teacher (Greer Garson), but is it love or does he simply want to own a wife? Can he hold a marriage together without emotional love? Meanwhile the even younger family member -- Janet Leigh -- is being courted by a poor, young architect (Robert Young). Young falls in love with Greer Garson, and wends his way into her life! And always around the edges is Flynn's brother, the disinherited painter Walter Pidgeon. While it may sound like just another romantic triangle, it is much more involved than that! The casting here is very interesting. Swashbuckler Errol Flynn is playing the incredibly stuffy man of wealth who makes his older stuffy family look downright animated; he is as cold as cold can be. Surprisingly, after disliking him for almost the entire film, toward the end of the movie the sympathy of most viewers will be will him. On the other hand, Walter Pidgeon plays the gentle-hearted artist brother quite well. Of course, Greer Garson is perfect (as she almost always was) as the piano teacher who married into wealth but is now pursued by two other men. I was never particularly impressed with Janet Leigh, although she does her job well here. Wonderful Harry Davenport is along as the family patriarch...and he is as wonderful as ever in what was one of his final three films (he died later in the year this was released).This was clearly a well heeled production. Sets and costumes are first rate. And, while it could stand a digital upgrade, the color has stood up very nicely.A very sold "7", and recommended for its interesting plot, a surprising plot twist, and the development of the characters.

Greer Garson in a role tailor made for...Bette Davis. She plays a Victorian era woman who marries into a wealthy family only to find out that her husband is a possessive psychopath. Garson finds solace in young architect Robert Young (not bad, but very much miscast), who happens to be the beloved of her niece (Janet Leigh, even more grotesquely miscast than Young). Topping it all off is Errol Flynn as Garson's crazy husband. Walter Pidgeon is in the mix too. It's all high gloss drama complete with ironic (and completely unrealistic) ending. It's like a Henry James novel if James had zero talent. This was among the last of the grand dame roles for Garson. Oddly, Flynn manages to give a very respectable performance. Directed by Compton Bennett.

According to the Citadel Film Series book, The Films Of Errol Flynn, MGM and Warner Brothers did a swapping of stars for the services of the other. Errol Flynn went to MGM for a picture in return for Warner Brothers getting the services of William Powell for Life With Father. I think Powell made out far better in the deal than Flynn did with an Oscar nomination for Best Actor for his film.Not that Errol Flynn was bad in That Forsyte Woman, in fact his casting as the proper and stuffy Soames Forsyte was quite a revelation. But the movie-going public simply wouldn't buy it. Errol, not the dashing hero with sword in hand and cape over the other shoulder was not accepted. If That Forsyte Woman had been made a decade earlier and for Warner Brothers, Flynn would have been perfect to play Robert Young's role of Philip Bossiney.Flynn is married to Greer Garson and is guardian of niece Janet Leigh. Leigh is the daughter of black sheep brother in this proper Victorian family, Walter Pidgeon. Pidgeon years ago ran away with his niece's governess after the family did not permit the recently widowed Pidgeon to marry her. Back in those days proper English families did things like that.Anyway the rather staid marriage of Flynn and Garson gets a jolt when opportunistic Robert Young who Leigh has been keeping company with, falls for Garson and she, him. In modern times it would be a no fault divorce, but things aren't done that way in Victorian England.If there is a weakness in casting it's that of Robert Young. I'm surprised that MGM did not use someone like Peter Lawford whom they had under contract and was British besides. Greer was British, but the rest of the cast had two Americans in Young and Leigh, a Canadian in Pidgeon and Flynn was Australian. Young was older than Errol Flynn and just doesn't come over as the young opportunistic lover.Garson of course is the perfect English lady who usually wan't allowed dalliances by MGM, but she's fine here. Greer wrote the introduction to the Films Of Errol Flynn and she says that she found Flynn to be a perfect gentleman and anxious to prove himself a serious actor.He did in many ways in That Forsyte Saga. He was a prisoner of his own legend at this point.

How could any woman choose another man over Errol Flynn? I don't know either. That's why I didn't buy the premise of this but was impressed with the performances. Errol Flynn is always great to watch and proves here that he can deliver the acting goods and always of course looks distractingly handsome. Greer Garson and Walter Pigeon are a treat to watch together. A previous poster mentioned the fact that Greer Garson having an adulterous affair didn't work because she was just too likable really doesn't apply here because the fact that their marriage is unhappy is established. Robert Young comes off less sympathetic than Flynn's Soames Forsythe, in my opinion. Here he takes advantage of the young and naive June Forsythe and the unhappy marriage of Mrs. Forsythe at the same time. The story is contrived but overall a good flick to watch on a rainy day. I would recommend it.