1942, TSPDT Rank #619
One of Bette Davis' better performances in my opinion, outside of All About Eve. Her being a "fat, ugly duckling" is a little hard to believe, but out of all the Hollywood stars at the time, she was the most able to play a role like that I suppose - and the transformation from ugly duckling to beautiful swan is breathtaking nonetheless. The romance with Paul Henreid is in the foreground early on, but then takes a backseat until the end, to Davis' volatile and traumatic relationship with her mother. Domineering and psychologically consuming mothers practically made the psychoanalytic profession, and this is one of many notable movies to feature them (although I'd rather take Psycho anyday). A bit melodramatic of course, but interesting and enjoyable anyway. Now, Voyager has aged considerably well, and other than Davis, features another great character role for Claude Rains, who can be seen in so many wide-ranging supporting roles around this period. An above-average romantic classic.
(Rating: 7/10)
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