BootDigest Such a frustrating disappointment

Grimerlana Plenty to Like, Plenty to Dislike

Beystiman It's fun, it's light, [but] it has a hard time when its tries to get heavy.

Frances Chung Through painfully honest and emotional moments, the movie becomes irresistibly relatable

talkbaktalk Kind Hearts and Coronets (1949)A black comedy about the British Victorian era, with it's aristocrats, those hoping to be aristocrats, snobs, hypocrites, rich capitalists, high-minded idealists, outrageous women's headgear and a photographer is there too. A British film, it combines class-consciousness and Victorian societal wit and manners with the peculiarly British taste for murder in a comedic context. The first 15 minutes are frankly boring, setting up the scenario for all that comes later. A distant poor relative of the Duke of D'Ascoyne plots to inherit the title by murdering the eight other heirs who stand ahead of him in the line of succession. The British flare for satire and irony is never better displayed. Alec Guiness plays the part of eight members of an aristocratic family, each one a different character, and pulls it off. The protagonist, Dennis Price, by turns charming, calculating, ironic, plays the poor relation, determined to get to the top. Valerie Hobson plays the good woman, Joan Greenwood, in her best film performance, plays the bad. She steals every scene with nothing more than her sultry voice. Dialogue, acting, even set design are all superb. This is the kind of film that Hitchcock tried to make all his life, and only succeeded a few times.

Tweekums This classic Ealing Comedy opens with protagonist Louis Mazzini, the Tenth Duke of Chalfont, in the condemned man's cell; as he awaits his execution he writes his memoirs and in doing so tell us how he came to be there.He tells how his mother was disowned by her family, the D'Ascoynes; heirs to the Dukedom of Chalfont, for marrying and an Italian singer. When they refuse him a position at the family bank he is forced to work in a clothes shop then when they refuse to let his mother be interred in the family vault he vows revenge… he will kill the eight D'Ascoyne's between himself and the dukedom. Meanwhile he proposes to his childhood sweetheart Sibella but is rejected in favour of a wealthier suitor. His first opportunity comes when Ascoyne D'Ascoyne comes into the shop to buy something for his girlfriend. Louis overhears him saying where they will be going for a few days; he goes there too and kills Ascoyne and the poor girl. He is quick to give his condolences to the family and soon is offered the post at the bank that he had been rejected for earlier. That doesn't stop his plans though and soon other D'Ascoynes are dead and he is getting closer to his ultimate goal. While all this is going on another dilemma arises; he has been carrying on an affair with Sibella but has fallen for Edith, the widow of Henry D'Ascoyne; a far more suitable match for a future duke. Inevitably the police eventually catch up with him… but not for a death he had thought about.There are a lot of great Ealing Comedies but I think this is my favourite. The comedy is fairly dark but there are plenty of laughs to be had. This is largely down to Alec Guinness's brilliant performance as no less than eight members of the D'Ascoyne family; both young and old, even including Lady Agatha D'Ascoyne. Dennis Price is also great as Louis; his performance is such that it is easy to sympathise with this mass murderer as he coolly works his way to the Dukedom. His character isn't too likable though; he does have an affair with Sibella then, as he gets closer to the Dukedom, he decides she really isn't good enough. The rest of the cast are impressive too; most notably Joan Greenwood who plays Sibella; a character who proves to be surprisingly devious in the end. Overall I'd strongly recommend this to anybody who likes their comedy dark; it may be an old film but it still feels surprisingly fresh… possibly because it was set forty years in the past when it was made.

Rickting Dennis Price plays a young man who murders his way through his bloodline to become a duke. The brilliant Alec Guinness, who has given so many great performances outside of Star Wars, superbly plays 8 roles and dies 8 times. It's not like modern comedies at all, but Kind Hearts and Coronets doesn't feel dated. It's not your typical laugh out loud comedy. It's conveyed in a very dry, detached way, but it's very funny in an incredibly dark way. Admittedly, there are times when you don't know whether you're meant to laugh or not but it still has loads of genuinely funny moments. This is a film which actually manages to make murder funny, but what's most impressive about it, aside from the great performances, is the social commentary. The main character is pretty despicable, yet he is sympathetic and the moment where he confronts the last victim and explains his motives is actually very moving as well as blackly comic. This is an excellent mix of drama and humour, and it is easily one of the darkest comedies ever made. The fact that it manages to make such dark material so entertaining and do so in such a clever way solidifies the film's position as one of the definitive Ealing comedies.9/10

SnoopyStyle The movie starts with Louis Mazzini (Dennis Price) the Duke of D'Ascoyne in prison on the verge of execution. Then the movie flashes back as he narrates his life story. He has always resented his mother's family who shunned her for running away with an Italian commoner. Her family even refuses to allow her to be buried in the family vault. As a young man, Sibella refuses his proposal of marriage to such a poor man. Then he is fired from his lowly job as a draper's assistant after an altercation with Ascoyne D'Ascoyne. He decides to take the title of the Duke of D'Ascoyne by killing all other heirs in front of him.The movie is best known for Alec Guinness who plays all the D'Ascoyne heirs, 8 characters in total. One of my pet peeves has always been overly long unnecessary narration. The problem here is the long low energy narration that acts as Louis' inner voice. It takes away all the tension. It is fascinating to see Alec Guinness play each character with personality. This is a vicious skewering of the English class system. Dennis Price does a fair job but I can't take the almost constant narration.