Very well executed

I like movies that are aware of what they are selling... without [any] greater aspirations than to make people laugh and that's it.

A story that's too fascinating to pass by...

By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.

This is a nice little film about Holger (Leslie Howard), a married concert violinist who falls in love with Anita, his daughter's young piano teacher (Ingrid Bergman, in her US debut).The two go on tour together and true to the old lyric: "music leads the way to romance", the two musicians begin an affair. But can they ignore their duties to family and career? The film is a re-make of the Swedish film 'Intermezzo' (which also starred Bergman) and it retains the Swedish names. As none of the cast are Swedish except Bergman, they might as well have changed the names and location to suit a British setting as the film isn't shot in Sweden anyway.The film is very short- only 70 minutes long- and so even if it wasn't your cup of tea, you could still give it a go. It's an entertaining old-fashioned melodrama. It would have been nice if the characters could be fleshed out slightly more, but Intermezzo is a thoughtful study of adultery. If you liked Brief Encounter, this is worth a shot too.

I normally don't gravitate toward melodramas nor would I approve, frankly, of a film that centers around adultery. However, this film has such much going for it that I wound up loving this movie the first time I saw it, and still do six viewings later. Off the cuff, here are seven reasons why:1) There IS a good message here: that a married person having a fling with a pretty young woman might be an exciting prospect but in the end, "you reap what you sow" and if either of the two parties has a conscience, the illicit romance will be doomed, especially if there are kids involved.2 ) For male viewers, Ingrid Bergman, making her English-speaking debut, is a real feast for the eyes. She was one of the more naturally gorgeous women to grace the silver screen, I think.3) Gregg Toland's photography. To fully appreciate his work, get the DVD for this film. Toland was one of the best ever, and this is a beautifully shot piece of work. 4) At 70 minutes, the film flies by, which also makes it easier to watch and enjoy multiple times.5) Leslie Howard and John Halliday also were excellent in here as the two male leads. I thought Halliday, in particular, had some great words of wisdom.6) For those who appreciate how difficult it is to forgive people, this ending contained another nice message.7) Classical music lovers will very much appreciate the soundtrack to this film.

(Some Spoilers) Touching 1939 tear-jerker that introduced to the movie going public here in the USA the beautiful and stalely 23 year-old Swedish actress Ingrid Bergman as Anita Hoffman. Who's the piano teacher for the young Ann Marie, Ann E. Todd, the daughter of famed concert violinist Holger Brandt, Leslie Howard.After being a smashing success in America ending his concert tour at Carnegi Hall in New York City Holger tell his star struck admirers that he's leaving for his home in Sweden together his mentor and fellow musician Thomas Stenborg, John Holliday, to be with his family and get a long and well deserved rest from his grueling string of public performances. Back home with his loving wife Margit, Edna Best, and his two beautiful children Ann Marie and Eric, Douglas Scott, everything is wonderful for the Brandt family. Thats until Holger lays his eyes on Ann Marie's piano teacher, and also Thomas' music student, the stunning Anita Hoffman and it's love at first sight, or at first sound. Holger actually fell in love with Anita's music before he fell in love with her looks. In no time at all Holger and Anita fall in love and both leave together for Europe as a duet, him playing the violin and Anita the piano, on the concert circuit. The two musical dynamos tear up the continent with record-breaking crowds attending their performances as Margit and the children are left behind in Sweden. With the only contact from their estranged husband and father being the radio that broadcasts his and Anita's musical acts. Taking time off from their Europen tour the two lovers spend some time on the French coast where they run into Thomas who has, well both good and bad, news for them. The good news is that Anita has been awarded a scholarship to a major music academy and the bad news is that he has the divorce papers from Margit's lawyer for Holger to sign, which he doesn't. This bring a touch of reality into Holger and Anita's life where she realizes what she's done to the Brandt family by being the "Other Woman" in Holger and Margit's divorce papers. At the same time Anita tearfully leaves poor Holger all by himself by going back to Sweden to the music academy to accept her scholarship.Holger soon becomes a man without a country, or family, as he bums around Europe afraid to go back home to face his family that he so selfishly destroyed by having an affair with Anita. Getting up enough courage to bring himself to go back to Sweden to give Ann Marie a birthday present, a camera, that he promised her soon turns out to be a tragedy. The happy Ann Marie, after seeing her dad, runs across the street from the school yard only to get hit by a speeding car and left in a coma. Completely destroyed by his actions with his wife and son not even speaking to him and little Ann Marie on the brink of death or ending up crippled for life Holger, now for the first time, sees what a heel he was. Holger also sees how his love for another woman, who later left him, blinded him of all the good and wonderful things that he had in life. That he so foolishly threw away in the pursuit of his love, forbidden as it was, for Anita.The movies contrived ending is a bit far-fetched but it's just how you would want it to end.Leslie Howard is perfect as Holger the tortured soul who was torn between the beautiful piano teacher Anita and his loving wife Margit. You could understand his actions even though you wouldn't agree with them. As for Ingrid Bergman as Anita? she was simply beautiful.

Spoilers HereinI loved this movie, although it was sad. The only problem I had with it was that Stenborg, I thought, tried to break the couple up. He convinced her to go to Paris to accept the award, and then tries to persuade him to go home and start over. Isn't he supposed to be a good friend? When someone falls in love when they're married, it ruins the marriage and cannot be started over, IMHO. Anyways, if he didn't come back Ann Marie would have never had the run in with the car, and the whole family still doesn't like him as much after Anita. Me, being old-fashioned, would like a happy ending but oh well. Very good, dramatic movie anyways.