Inside Daisy Clover (1965)

Natalie Wood certainly seemed to want to be a big musical film star, but she really lacked the basic equipment (as witnessed by the dubbing of her singing in her only successful musical, West Side Story). This lack is one of the problems with Inside Daisy Clover; building a film about a musical comedy star around someone without real musical talent is just not a good idea. Still, Wood is clearly game and gives it her all -- sometimes to the point that the viewer wishes she would just pull back and relax a little. Perhaps if Daisy had been helmed by someone like Robert Aldrich, who has a gift for shepherding stars through ghoulish black comedies about Hollywood, the actress and the film might have been better served. Unfortunately, Robert Mulligan's direction is very hit-and-miss and lacks a cohesive vision. At times, Daisy is played straight, at others, much like the satire that it was in its original novel form. This indecisiveness is damaging, but Mulligan still creates some powerful moments, such as Wood's breakdown scene. Clover's supporting cast comes off better on the whole than its star, especially the always interesting Ruth Gordon and Christopher Plummer, operating in top "oily" mode. Daisy is ultimately unsatisfying, but there's enough "right" about it to make one regret that it didn't become the sharp and devastating picture that it could have been. ~ Craig Butler, All Movie Guide