(1927)
2
Craig Butler
The last of the collaborations between director Monta Bell and star Norma Shearer, After Midnight is dated and melodramatic, but it still exerts an undeniable power. To modern audiences, Shearer is known for creating characters that were stalwart, upstanding, and just a bit too corny, but the truth is that this reputation is based on a handful of later films. Earlier in her career, Shearer was feisty and full of life, and though she was generally respectable, she was also sexy and sensual. Director Bell was especially aware of this fact, and it's clear that he is absorbed by the actress -- the camera lingers lovingly on her every chance it gets, but it's not afraid to show us the character being a bit petty or angry or spoiled. Bell seems to adore every aspect of Shearer, and as a result, so does the audience. The story Bell is telling is no great shakes, and Lawrence Gray is only adequate in the crucial co-starring role -- perhaps the director's fascination with Shearer caused him to neglect Gray, which ultimately damages the film. As drama, Midnight is only so-so, but as a study of a director-star symbiosis, it's quite illuminating.
After Midnight on AllMovie
After Midnight (1927)
