The promotion and summary for this film tells what it's about. John Gilbert was one of the biggest stars of the silent era. He was MGM's leading man when Greta Garbo arrived in Hollywood, fresh from her second film in her home country, Sweden.
But for the general theme - the romance between Gilbert and Garbo, and some specific incidents, one should be wary of considering the story very accurate. After all, it's based on a fictional novel by Gordon Kanin, and that only partly includes Garbo and Gilbert. "Moviola" was a broad fictional novel about Hollywood movie production.
This film focuses on the affair of several years between Garbo and Gilbert, after she once settles in Hollywood. Brian Keith's role is that of Garbo's Swedish mentor and film director, who was the reason that Garbo even went to Hollywood when she did.
The portrayals of some of the major characters of the time seemed to fit the personas for which they were known. John Rubinstein plays a bright, cool and very capable MGM partner and producer, Irving Thalberg. And Harold Gould does very well as the flamboyant, boisterous, egotistical and socially awkward American producer, Louis B. Mayer
Barry Bostwick gives a very good performance as John Gilbert, as well as one might know him these many decades later from articles, legends and samples of his work. The casting for Greta Garbo's character would naturally be the most challenging for this film. Kristina Wayborn got the part and did okay. It might be unfair to compare her to Garbo because of the latter's unique face and beauty. One doesn't have the sense that Wayborn is into the role of Garbo, or really portraying her persona.
The film is true to its billing about the period of the Garbo-Gilbert romance. But, by barely including anything of shooting her films, except for a couple of scenes with Gilbert, I think the film falls way short. Just toward the end Garbo meets the actor who is playing Robert Taylor. He would be starring with her in her next picture, "Camille." It seems that showing much more of Garbo's acting and film work would have enhanced the story considerably. And that would include showing her later filming with closed sets, which she demanded.
This is a somewhat interesting film, mostly on how Garbo got to Hollywood, and her early long romance with John Gilbert. But anyone wanting a more open story about her Hollywood years in general - including the several actors with whom she performed, will be disappointed.
This is just a fair film and fictional look at a period in Greta Garbo's arrival in Hollywood and early romance, with just a peek at her dealings with MGM and her film career. Garbo was a striking actress - considered to be one of the most beautiful of all time. She was very capable and starred in some exceptional films. She never won an Oscar but was nominated three times. While drama was her special field, she starred in one of the best comedy and political satires ever made by Hollywood. So long as there is a public memory or knowledge of the Soviet Union of the past, "Ninotchka" of 1939 will remain a tremendous comedy that will entertain people.
Garbo will be remembered and watched for decades to comes in some of the great films she made. Among those are "Anna Christie" of 1930, "Grand Hotel" of 1932, "Queen Christina" of 1933, "Anna Karenina" of 1935, and "Camille" of 1936, which she said was her favorite film. Robert Taylor, who co-starred with Garbo in that film, said it was one of his favorite films also and that Garbo was his favorite co-star.
