Anastasia (1956)

(On Cable TV, April 2022) While I’m not a target audience for Anastasia’s mixture of costume drama, historical mystery and overwrought melodrama, I have to admit that there’s a certain grandiose nature to all of those elements brought together here. Add to that an Oscar-winning Hollywood comeback performance from Ingrid Bergman, a typically strong turn from Yul Brynner and you’ve got something that can be watched even if you think you’re not interested. (And it throws in a metatextual final line to reward everyone who made it to the end.)  Even if you haven’t grown up with European royalty ballroom fantasies, there’s enough cynicism going on in the conman subplot to make things interesting, and the lavish production design should satisfy those who did grow up wanting to become princesses. There’s a uniquely lavish 1950s quality to the result that makes it a very nice period piece. I can’t say that I’m a big fan, but Anastasia is watchable enough.