Virginia Maskell lives her part, and the screen lights up when she's on view. Sellers tries, but he just doesn't convince as a fairly humble small-town Welsh librarian, hoping for promotion. Seriously miscast. Nothing else really convinces, either. Not the plot, nor the other characters, many sporting faces familiar from other British films of this era. Conversely, Mai Zetterling is fairly unfamiliar. It's not that she doesn't convince, it's more that she's entirely improbable as the lustful wife of a local dignitary. The whole conception, as well as the direction, seems to me flawed, and lacking steam. Pity about Maskell. Although it was apparently a success on release, perhaps it was Sellers' objections which scuppered the film in the long run. He was fine as the Rev Smallwood in "Heavens Above", and just great as Kite in "All Right, Jack", but doesn't seem to score here as Librarian Lewis.
Review of Only Two Can Play
