Mannequin: Joan Crawford, Spencer Tracy, and some questionable marriage dynamics

Is it worth a watch?

If you like old-school melodramas where people talk in long, sharp sentences and smoke cigarettes like it's their job, then sure. You’ll probably love it if you’re a fan of Joan Crawford just doing her thing. If you need a movie to be morally grounded or make logical sense, you are going to absolutely hate the way these characters handle their problems.

Spencer Tracy is doing that thing he does where he seems like the only person in the room who isn't trying to win an award. He just kind of stands there, looking tired and rich. It works, though. It balances out Crawford’s intensity, which is set to about an eleven for most of the runtime.

The plot is... a lot.

The whole premise of the husband, Eddie, basically pimping his wife out for a payday is genuinely gross, but the movie treats it like a standard Tuesday. I kept waiting for someone to point out how insane that is, but instead, they just keep moving to the next dramatic room. It’s a weirdly cold vibe.

There’s a scene where the dialogue gets so snappy it sounds like they’re playing tennis. It’s fun, but it doesn't give you much room to breathe. Sometimes I wanted them to just shut up and look at the scenery for five seconds.

• Joan Crawford’s wardrobe is the real star here, obviously.
• The pacing feels like it’s being pushed down a hill.
• Spencer Tracy could make a cardboard box look interesting.

I couldn't help but compare the frantic, desperate energy here to some of the earlier stuff like Fast Company, though they are obviously miles apart in tone. This feels way more manufactured, like it was assembled in a factory line of 1930s studio dramas.

The middle of the movie really starts to sag. They spend so much time in these fancy apartments that I started feeling claustrophobic. It’s like the characters are trapped in a museum of their own bad decisions. I don’t know.

Watching this, I kept thinking about how much better it would have been if they let the quiet moments actually be quiet. Instead, they fill every second with music or talking. It's exhausting! Still, if you're into the golden age stuff, you've probably seen worse. It’s fine. It’s just... fine. 🙄