ThiefHott Too much of everything

Actuakers One of my all time favorites.

Protraph Lack of good storyline.

Odelecol Pretty good movie overall. First half was nothing special but it got better as it went along.

thinbeach Von Raden falls for an attractive woman named Tania at a music hall. She turns out to be a Russian spy who steals important information from him. The loss of this information lands Von Raden in jail, before his senior in the Secret Service lets him out to go and steal some important information back off the Russians, with help from Tania. Whether he can achieve this or not rests on the basis that she still loves him, which is one of the films major falling points - we are given no reason to believe she ever loved him in the first place. Well, we are given a reason - he treats her to a nice day in the forest - but its not overly convincing. Even worse, apparently Von Raden still has feelings for her - despite the fact she lied to him, ruined him, and put him in jail. Nothing about any of this is believable at all, and those are just the main details - there are a hundred other falsities like it. We might forgive these logic flaws if we were entertained, but we are not really. The entertainment relies on the tension of being caught out, and towards the end has some elements of Hitchcock-esque suspense, but that tension is negated by the unreality of it all. Noticeably - and typically, for positive reviews of bad films - most of the complimentary comments here focus on either the cast or the production values - topics which are less significant for the enjoyment of the film for general audiences. But who am I kidding, general audiences don't visit this forgotten patch in 2017. I'm talking to the air.

stateoftheunion This is really a superb film. I have seen quite a few silents and most of them do look rather dated now to me. But this one transcends time due to its beautiful sets, expert camera work, wonderful direction and best of all we have a truly luminous performance by Greta Garbo as the leading lady. Never have I see her looking more beautiful and appealing as in this movie.One of the things that is missing with many actors and actresses today is their lack of ability to portray good facial expression in a scene to display emotion. It's not enough just to speak, you have to show too. Its one of the things I always look for in performance in any movie old and new.Garbo is wonderful here at appealing to the audience with her range of expressions. Normally I would miss dialogue. But it's so well produced and finely acted that I found I hardly missed it at all. Conrad Nagel was excellent as the leading man and had great chemistry with Garbo. The rest of the cast do justice to the movie too. And all in all it's well worth seeing, especially if you want to find out why the movie going public fell in love with Greta Garbo. It's all in here.

Snow Leopard Greta Garbo's usual fine performance, along with a good supporting cast and an interesting (if somewhat familiar) story, make "The Mysterious Lady" a very good melodrama. It has a good mix of romance, intrigue, and suspense that gets the most out of the fairly simple premise, and along the way there are also some good touches by director Fred Niblo.In a part similar to her role in the better-known "Mata Hari", Garbo here plays a glamorous Russian spy who targets an Austrian officer, aiming at first to steal important military secrets, but soon genuinely falling in love with him. The conflict between personal feelings and perceived patriotic duty sets up the rest of the drama, and it builds up to an interesting climactic scene, with an exuberant party taking place in Warsaw while, in a private room, a tense confrontation plays out.Besides keeping a good pace and atmosphere, there are a few places where Niblo's direction also highlights key props in a fashion that would have pleased Hitchcock. And while Garbo as usual dominates the screen, the supporting cast features solid performances. Conrad Nagel plays the Austrian, with Gustav Von Seyffertitz as a Russian spy-master. Perhaps the best performance in the supporting cast is by Edward Connelly, in a smaller role as Nagel's uncle. It's a good combination that makes for a very good movie.

Ron Oliver A young Austrian officer doesn't realize how profoundly THE MYSTERIOUS LADY he meets at the Opera will change his life.Greta Garbo's entrancing beauty is the main attraction in this Silent drama from MGM. Her face alone would have assured her a place in film history. But this film, which deals with World War One espionage, has other things to offer, including a good performance from Conrad Nagel as Garbo's co-star. The story is a wee bit ludicrous, but MGM graced the film with excellent production values as befits a movie starring their enormously popular star. (The idyllic afternoon sequence shared between the two lovers is especially commendable.) The plot does have some fair degree of excitement and should not disappoint the typical viewer.Ably filling smaller roles are Gustav von Seyffertitz as the evil Russian spymaster and Edward Connelly as the head of the Austrian Secret Service, who also happens to be Nagel's uncle. Movie mavens will recognize an unbilled big Russ Powell as a rain-drenched carriage driver.This silent film has been given a fine orchestral background score by Vivek Maddala.