Portrait of Jennie (1948) & Port of Shadows

32. Port of Shadows (1938) Carne Jean Gabin stars as a French deserter who goes to Le Havre to catch a ship leaving France. There he falls in love with a prostitute and crosses both her sinister guardian and a local gangster. Well-directed and acted especially by Gabin and Michele Morgan (the girl). Most notable are the location of Le Harve's waterfront and the foggy, film-noir atmosphere. Sadly, the story itself is unexceptional and rather morbid.Summary - A well executed film noir, with good acting and characters - but the story is nothing special and the script is sometimes repetitive. Rating **1/2

33. Portrait of Jennie (1948) Dieterle Jennifer Jones never looked lovelier as the lead character Jennie, a mysterious figure who bewitches a struggling painter (Joseph Cotton). Pluses: Jones and Cotton have excellent chemistry. The last 15 minutes are quite good, as is the cinematography and location shots of NYC circa 1948. Flaws: Story doesn't make much sense - even for a fantasy. Too much time is spent on Cotton's life before meeting Jones - she's only on-screen 10 of the first 35 minutes. Summary: A romantic fantasy that starts slow but ends strong. Excellent action and direction. Would have rated it higher, except the first 35 minutes are mediocre. Rating **1/2