There's no denying that Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn had some good chemistry, both romantically and comedically. They play off each other extremely well in Desk Set, and it makes for a light and breezy feeling to the film where you can chuckle along as they go through a number of misadventures. I like the bit of mystery they build into the plot, so we are left guessing (along with the characters in the research department) what is actually going on, and what the bosses have planned. You can kind of make some guesses because it fits into a number of romantic-comedy tropes, but I liked that they didn't drag out the conflict between the protagonists at the end too much. There was certainly potential to make it painfully awkward for a longer section of the film, which isn't all that fun for me.
There's something weird going on in Desk Set, though. I love films where they have a playful tone and you never feel like they are taking things too seriously. It can really work to get me laughing, and having a good time. Yet in this film it seems that they take nothing seriously. Every little thing that happens is chuckled off to the point where it doesn't feel authentic. Even the big potential conflict in the middle of the film between Hepburn's character and her boyfriend fizzles out as if no one cares. But unless you're making a farce, someone has to take things seriously, someone needs to ground things. As a result the film feels so light-hearted it threatens to just fly away. By the end it felt the plot was so unimportant that I never for a minute feared there were negative consequences for anyone. Plus that machine is utterly ludicrous and kind of annoying, but I guess that's the point. Anyways, I still had a fine time with Desk Set, but I fear there was something lacking so it won't stick with me for long.
There's something weird going on in Desk Set, though. I love films where they have a playful tone and you never feel like they are taking things too seriously. It can really work to get me laughing, and having a good time. Yet in this film it seems that they take nothing seriously. Every little thing that happens is chuckled off to the point where it doesn't feel authentic. Even the big potential conflict in the middle of the film between Hepburn's character and her boyfriend fizzles out as if no one cares. But unless you're making a farce, someone has to take things seriously, someone needs to ground things. As a result the film feels so light-hearted it threatens to just fly away. By the end it felt the plot was so unimportant that I never for a minute feared there were negative consequences for anyone. Plus that machine is utterly ludicrous and kind of annoying, but I guess that's the point. Anyways, I still had a fine time with Desk Set, but I fear there was something lacking so it won't stick with me for long.