Console
best movie i've ever seen.
Derry Herrera
Not sure how, but this is easily one of the best movies all summer. Multiple levels of funny, never takes itself seriously, super colorful, and creative.
Scarlet
The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.
filmalamosa
After watching Terry Thomas in Make Mine Mink this film was unbelievably better. It has piqued my interest in British film making in general.Both movies however had one thing in common both allow the main characters to get away with the crime--the ending you want to happen.The movie was intelligent and funny...the female author handing out rewards made me laugh just looking at her. But there is much much more.It will make my list of films I would recommend to people as one almost anyone would like.Watch it.
Robert J. Maxwell
Great cast in this story of a publisher, Dennis Price, who threatens to publish a tabloid magazine spelling out the peccadilloes of many prominent celebrities, including Peter Sellers, Terry-Thomas, Peggy Mount, and Shirley Eaton. Their reputations and happiness are at stake. Price gives them two weeks to come up with a blackmail sum that none can manage.It has its funny moments but the script isn't what it might be. The story is mostly disjointed because the victims don't know one another, so we wind up with four separate threads of victims trying to prevent Price from implementing his scheme.And the humor is all spelled out. Nothing is left to the imagination. If the mystery writer, Peggy Mount, tries to drown the blackmailer, she knocks the wrong man out and tries to drown him in a pond. The attempted drowning is all drawn out and devolves into slapstick. The sprightly musical score tries desperately to underline the comic features of each scene.Among the funnier scenes is Peter Sellers (in one of several disguises) hiding under the bunk he assumes belong to the blackmailer. Instead, a young couple of newlyweds show up and kick off their shoes and kiss voluptuously. Sellers, scooched back against the wall, looks at the two pairs of feet, glances up at the bed, and stares in exasperation at the camera, breaking the fourth wall. (Dissolve.) The show really belongs to Dennis Price, who plays the role of suave villain with aplomb. Even unconscious he seems to wear a superior smirk. He has the cleverest lines too, at times harking back to his splendid performance in "Kind Hearts And Coronets." "I do hope this isn't an appeal to my better nature because I haven't one." It's Sellers who quotes the happy villain of Richard III -- "Why, I can smile, and murder while I smile" -- but it's Price who embodies him.I wish the script had been more taut and the direction less explicit. As it is, it's not a failure, but it's a loose-limbed and lowbrow success.
MartinHafer
This is one of the darker comedies I've seen in a long time and I really liked its wicked sense of humor. The film begins with several people committing suicide or at least attempting it. You have absolutely no idea why this is happening--it's like an epidemic! However, whatever the causes, they are awfully funny and never has suicide seemed so full of laughs. It later turns out that the reason for all this mayhem is because a horrid man is blackmailing people. In fact, the guy has a huge file on lots of people, though the film centers on four of them--four who are so desperate to keep their "naughty business" private that they contemplate taking extreme action.Most of the movie consists of three of these four victims deciding that the best possible course of action is to kill the blackmailer because if they don't pay him off, he promises to publish a tell-all magazine detailing their peccadilloes. Seeing these folks planning and repeatedly botching the murder is pretty funny...and very, very dark.Ultimately, however, the murder plans are scrubbed, as the blackmailer is caught by the police. But, what if he spills the beans? What can they do to stop this man from talking?! This all leads to an immensely clever final portion of the film when over 300 blackmail victims all work together to end this nonsense once and for all! The final scene is particularly enjoyable, though the gunshot at the very end was unnecessary and even a bit dumb.In this film, there are many nice performances, though the one that stands out the most is Peter Sellers. He plays a TV star who changes costumes and personalities constantly as part of his job...as well as the plot to stop the blackmailer. In many ways, it's like a precursor to DR. STRANGELOVE--giving Sellers ample opportunity to try out his many accents and impersonations.Overall, a very funny and clever comedy that is so good because it's so different.
sol-
An interesting premise is worked on well in this delightful British comedy. It has a number of amusing moments, and Peter Sellers is as good as ever in it. Joan Sims, on the hand, has a tendency to overplay her role, but the performers generally do quite well with their roles. It is a bit slow in the build up, but it is great once it gets moving. Some of the shots are definitely too dark though, even if set at nighttime, in that it is hard to see what is happening. I am not sure what, but something in the lighting set up could have surely been changed. With the plot of foiling the plans of a blackmailer, the different unsuccessful attempts start to get repetitive, but they are still amusing. It is a good film overall, even if a bit of a silly one.
