I enjoyed this film, its easily equal to the screwball comedies being made in the US at that time. In some ways even more daring since it deals with subjects that would quickly be censored in the US. Suicide, extramarital sex & office romances, a single woman staying and traveling with a single man (It Happened One Night), cross dressing, rowdy stag parties that walk a thin line just to mention a few. Plus the scenes around pre-war London are fun. But the real reason for watching this film is Laura LaPlante, what a terrific actress. Great comedic timing, a natural accent, pretty in a non-30's way (I kept thinking of Laura Dern), and obviously willing to do slapstick. LaPlante energized every scene she was in, and put sappy Margaret Lockwood to shame. Its a mystery why she couldn't compete with the likes of Carole Lombard or Myrna Loy - she was definitely their equal. I particularly liked the scene by the river when Mary is trying to get her nerve up to jump in, but her nerves and the river aren't quite up to the task. The stag party scene made me cringe, was that planned by the director - or was that truly a more innocent time. While Mary may be a dreamer - she's not stupid, she enjoys a challenge, and she has found it in the Fairbanks character. There was an off hand chemistry between La Plante and Fairbanks and its a shame that it wasn't nurtured. I would like to see more of the British La Plante movies screened.
Review of Man of the Moment
