Monty's face is gorgeous and Olivia's performance is faultless. I put this on whenever I feel bad about a past relationship. I relish the ending every time.

This particular viewing made me appreciate the significance of the father-daughter relationship. I began to correlate things I largely ignored before. I guess Montgomery Clift is just that distracting.

I don't watch this for the analogy or social commentary. (I don't relate at all to suburbia or sitcoms.) I just like the way the colors look after the black-and-white. I saw this when I was a kid and a lot of visuals never left my head: the makeup scene, the Matisse-like window, and that burning tree. This isn't groundbreaking, so I'm taking off half a star. This is still a relaxing watch though.

The best thing about this is the subtle likening of Old Hollywood to an idealized relationship. It's nostalgia for something that wasn't real, and that's why it's heartbreaking.