The Lavender Hill Mob (1951) :
Brief Review -
A humorous, witty and whimsical robbery-drama from British Cinema that created evergreen clichés for future films. The Lavender Hill Mob gotta be viewed by everyone but with different perspective. It is a crime-comedy alright, but the kind of crime scenes you see in the film aren't that vicious. It's just a robbery with a bit of smuggling attached to it. There's no bloodshot, high-end criminal activity, so that makes it different from other British crime-comedies. A meek bank clerk who oversees the shipment of bullion joins with an eccentric neighbor to steal gold bars and smuggle them out of the country as miniature Eiffel Towers. The plan succeeds only to follow a small yet big mix-up later and I better not reveal anything here. The British audience calls it one of the greatest films ever and I don't wonder why, but I also wonder why Greatest Ever? It is not my intention to bash here, but I think this adjective 'Greatest' deserves to be used for even better films which do exist there in British Cinema. This film is funny but not hysterical. Getting that genuinely funny touch right works here, but somewhere in the middle it does feel boring. It isn't a long film, so that saves it from becoming a headache, but the question is: Why does it feel boring despite having a short runtime? The writer must know it then, so let's just forgive him today. The best thing about the film is its unpredictability and, interestingly, it makes you laugh at those shocking moments where you are supposed to feel surprised. Alec Guinness and Stanley Holloway both deliver suitable performances, and the supporting cast is immensely supportive. Just a few slow moments but the rest, I must say Charles Crichton has made a film that deserves to be watched by smart viewers.
RATING - 7/10*
By - #samthebestest.
A humorous, witty and whimsical robbery-drama from British Cinema that created evergreen clichés for future films. The Lavender Hill Mob gotta be viewed by everyone but with different perspective. It is a crime-comedy alright, but the kind of crime scenes you see in the film aren't that vicious. It's just a robbery with a bit of smuggling attached to it. There's no bloodshot, high-end criminal activity, so that makes it different from other British crime-comedies. A meek bank clerk who oversees the shipment of bullion joins with an eccentric neighbor to steal gold bars and smuggle them out of the country as miniature Eiffel Towers. The plan succeeds only to follow a small yet big mix-up later and I better not reveal anything here. The British audience calls it one of the greatest films ever and I don't wonder why, but I also wonder why Greatest Ever? It is not my intention to bash here, but I think this adjective 'Greatest' deserves to be used for even better films which do exist there in British Cinema. This film is funny but not hysterical. Getting that genuinely funny touch right works here, but somewhere in the middle it does feel boring. It isn't a long film, so that saves it from becoming a headache, but the question is: Why does it feel boring despite having a short runtime? The writer must know it then, so let's just forgive him today. The best thing about the film is its unpredictability and, interestingly, it makes you laugh at those shocking moments where you are supposed to feel surprised. Alec Guinness and Stanley Holloway both deliver suitable performances, and the supporting cast is immensely supportive. Just a few slow moments but the rest, I must say Charles Crichton has made a film that deserves to be watched by smart viewers.
RATING - 7/10*
By - #samthebestest.