As long as she's carrying the ‘magic eye’ talisman that once saved the life of her late husband*, charwoman Elsa Lancaster feels protected from all harm. Especially after a series near misses from Nazi bombs during a WWII London blitz attack. Damn that Hitler! She’ll show him! Certain that she’s safe with the ‘magic eye’ on her person, she starts off on a journey (by boat, by train, by foot), jobbing her way all the way to Berlin as a ‘deaf & dumb’ cleaning lady; carrying a wash bucket proudly labeled ‘Made In England’ on it’s bottom & picking up all sorts of tips as she listens in on conversations no one bothers to keep her from 'harmlessly' overhearing. Deaf, ya know. (Finally reaching Berlin, she heads straight to a phone booth so she can look up Hitler’s address in the book. Of course!) Lancaster’s just the eccentric actress to pull this one off, a goofball programmer from journeyman director Ray McCarey who makes sure it’s quick paced & good-natured, winningly absurd. A sui generis oddity for 65 grin-filled minutes.
DOUBLE-BILL: *Naturally, the snapshot Lancaster carries of her late husband is real life mate Charles Laughton, at the time filming THE CANTERBURY GHOST/’44, heavy-handed prestigious whimsy against this Dada-esque whimsy. OR: For a serious/pretentious look at an immortality complex, Peter Weir’s FEARLESS/’93 with a truly fearless perf from Jeff Bridges.
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