Review of Experiment Perilous (1944) by Jay N — 04 May 2013
Pleasingly sinister and slightly fruity melodrama set in New Yoick at the turn of the 20th century. A suave and very Hungarian Paul Lukas tries to convince psychiatrist George Brent that his missus Hedley, sorry, Hedy Lamarr is bonkers (technical term) but is she? Director Jacques Tourneur was a dab hand at films like this and he doesn't disappoint, putting together an entertaining and diverting piece of nonsense which looks splendid - the set design and swirling snowstorms help in creating a hedley, sorry, heady atmosphere.
It's not all out of the top drawer though: George Brent's performance is as woody as the non-business end of asparagus but even that is quite charming. And the music is a bit intrusive at times.
Someone really should have told the orchestra to go pianissimo.
This review of Experiment Perilous (1944) was written by Jay N on 04 May 2013.
Experiment Perilous has generally received mixed reviews.
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