Review of Arsenic and Old Lace (1944) by Bill T — 09 May 2011
"Arsenic And Old Lace", despite its cute premise, and the fact that the movie stars Peter Lorre AND Cary Grant, is not my favorite Capra movie that I've seen. I mean it's good for a chuckle or too, but doesn't really hold up well.
Cary Grant, who is just WAY too "Look at the goofy situation I'm in!", stars as a newlywed who stops by his Aunts to pick up a manuscript he's been working on. He finds more than what he bargained for.
When he finds a body instead. What's even more peculiar is that his Aunts cheerfully admit that they did the dirty deed, and leave the body for Teddy Roosevelt to bury in one of his locks in the Panama Canal (don't ask).
During all of this, his long lost brother and a weasely doctor come by, on the lam, themselves carrying a body, and so the whole thing becomes a cat and mouse, bait and switch thing, that somewhat tries to resolve itself but leaves us wanting the whole thing to end just so we can stop watching Grant mug for the camera all the time.
The best thing about this, is the interesting atmospheric lighting there is in some scenes, and the very unexpected scare in the middle of this. But other then that, it's pretty bland.
This review of Arsenic and Old Lace (1944) was written by Bill T on 09 May 2011.
Arsenic and Old Lace has generally received very positive reviews.
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