Not as great a classic as it's chalked up to be...

Rating: 6/10 (29 November 2001)

I usually love old classics, but I have never understood the appeal of this film. It's not a bad movie by any stretch; it's just a rather pedestrian one if you ask me.
When I first saw "Casablanca", the opening minutes felt bizarre and had me wondering if I was watching the right movie. Ingrid Bergman's enchanting performance is probably the best thing in the entire film, although the Ilsa Lund character is hardly one of her best roles.
Claude Rains was superb, whereas Paul Henreid was totally bland and completely forgettable. To sum it up, "Casablanca" is watchable, but it has no place in my 'Greatest movies of all time' list.