Review of Kind Hearts and Coronets (1949) by Josh M — 17 Jan 2010

Gleefully dry and dark British comedy about murder, class warfare, and civilized behavior. Born to a woman whose marriage for love rather than status got her excommunicated from her wealthy family, a young man decides to take his title back by eliminating all the other heirs.

There's no doubt that one of Kind Hearts and Coronets' greatest claims to fame is the fact that all eight heirs are played by Alec Guinness, and it's a worthy claim - unlike modern day multiple performances, while Guinness is heavily made up, his characters are as much differentiated by their performances as their look.

But there's so much more to Kind Hearts, from the gleefully twisted ironies throughout (my favorite might be Guest's disdain for hunting birds as he sets out to murder another heir) to the increasingly evident gap between Guest's charming behavior and his amoral, sociopathic narration.

Part social commentary, part dark comedy, Kind Hearts and Coronets is a great little film that works on every level. Come for the remarkable octet of Guinness performances, but stay for the smart (and dry) comedy and social satire.