Thehibikiew Not even bad in a good way

Beystiman It's fun, it's light, [but] it has a hard time when its tries to get heavy.

SpunkySelfTwitter It’s an especially fun movie from a director and cast who are clearly having a good time allowing themselves to let loose.

Guillelmina The film's masterful storytelling did its job. The message was clear. No need to overdo.

misswestergaard Man of the World (1931) suffers from dreary pacing and uncertain tone.If this were a B- picture starring unknowns, I'd say it had a lot to recommend it—A lovingly rendered fake Paris, a bittersweet romance, charismatic actors... but for a Powell-Lombard picture, it's a disappointing slog. The primary issue is pacing. Editing is sluggish —static medium shot after static medium shot—and the dialogue really drags. In a film about romance between con-artists, and socialites, you'd expect witty dialogue to come fast and furiously, but in Man ofThe World, actors deliver their lines at a solemn and stately pace, so what should be an exciting whirl of romance and scandal becomes weirdly glum.Further, there's not nearly enough time spent on the courtship between Lombard and Powell. Sure, he seems suave and sophisticated, while she seems pleasant and attractive, but they don't share much screen time. And when they do, there's no electricity. They don't bandy or bicker,they just fall into a pleasant little romance because the script tells them to.Weirdly, far more time is given over to the unhappy relationship between Powell and ex-lover Wynne Gibson (a stiff, unappealing performer). Despite the movie's premise—an adventurous socialite falls for a charming blackmailer—this isn't really a Lubitsch-style romantic comedy. It's not nearly fun enough. So I guess it's a failed drama? I did like the story itself, particularly the unexpected ending (which I won't reveal). This is one from the vaults that deserves remaking morethan reverence.

tavm Having ordered Disc 1 of The Carole Lombard Collection from Netflix, I just watched the first of two films on it-Man of the World. She plays the young niece of a rich uncle in Paris who's trying to avoid a scandal. William Powell is a former reporter who actually is the blackmailer but doesn't let anyone know about that. That changes when he meets Ms. Lombard and her fiancée. I'll stop there and just say that while some dialogue exchanges are interesting, the pacing was lethargic to the point of me recognizing when the backgrounds were film projections whenever things threaten to get dull. I guess the fact that this was an early talkie had something to do with that. Still, it was interesting enough so on that note, Man of the World is worth a look if you're interested in this sort of thing.

mark.waltz In what seems to be a promising drama of rich and poor, noble and naughty Americans in Paris, William Powell and Carole Lombard rise above a dull screenplay and add class to a mediocre project. Powell is a society blackmailer, an American novelist down on his luck who sets his money hungry sights on the niece of one of his victims. That lovely lady is Lombard, probably the most likable young actress every in the movies. Her natural beauty and charm betray her 21 years, making her a delightful surprise among a list of barely legal thespians who seem artificial on screen. Lombard has much chemistry with the older Powell, and in this (their first of three films), the age difference is one that never distracts. Powell's seemingly not so noble rogue is hiding a big heart that only hardens when forced by his jealous ex-lover (Wynne Gibson), his partner in crime that can't believe that Powell would actually fall in love with Lombard.Guy Kibbee is Lombard's wealthy fun-loving uncle who longs to see her with the more age suitable Lawrence Gray, while veteran sleazy portrayer George Chandler is Gibson's equally nefarious cohort. Viewers will find the film delightful as far as the performances, sets and costumes are concerned, but the dull dialog isn't as snappy as other similar pre-code films. A brief view of minor characters (wealthy older male and female American with obvious "working" members of the opposite sex) is amusing, particularly the stout woman's reaction when her gigolo suddenly runs off after a warning from Powell. At 71 minutes long, you'd think this would fly by, but for some reason, it seems longer and is therefore a dull disappointment. Powell and Lombard don't get much of an opportunity to utilize their tremendous comic talents, but on occasion, the magic does slip out (with some nasty dialog crispy sneered by the underrated Gibson) and for that, this is worth a viewing.

bkoganbing About the only thing that this pre-Code drama is significant for is that William Powell and Carole Lombard met on the set of Man Of The World and were married shortly thereafter. They did another film while both were at Paramount, Ladies Man and then were divorced with Powell leaving Paramount for Warner Brothers and a short stint there. Neither of these films is anything close to that third film they did, My Man Godfrey.Powell along with Wynne Gibson and George Chandler has a nice little racket going in Paris. A former reporter he prints a newspaper if you can call it that of gossip distributed among visiting Americans. But for a consideration he'll make sure the item never gets printed. We have a political blogger in my area who actually does the same thing, so this racket I know well.But problems ensue when he actually falls for visiting American tourist Carole Lombard who is a niece of Guy Kibbee whom Powell has already put the bite on. Bill Powell was at a crossroads in his career, during the silent era he mostly played villains, that clipped mustache of his was guarantor of those kind of parts. Here he is a rat, but a rat with a conscience. How that plays out you have to watch the film for.Powell and Lombard are good, but Wynne Gibson as a woman who knows the score in life gets all the acting kudos in Man Of The World. She should have done a film called Women Of The World.Man Of The World is not a classic like My Man Godfrey, but Powell and Lombard do have good chemistry. Of course they had better chemistry once they were divorced.