Years and years before Tarantino was a gleam in his father's eye, a sumptuous and delightfully dark British comedy demonstrated that revenge, indeed, was a dish best served cold. And speaking of dish, I savored like a gourmet every bit of "Kind Hearts and Coronets". Movies like this are the kind of experiences that can be equaled to a diner in a fancy restaurant where every sip of wine, every bite of meal, from the appetizers to the dessert, plays like a carnival of sensations in your taste buds. I can't exactly pinpoint in which department Robert Hamer's movie most succeeded, but it is a combination of many factors that movies seldom achieve. It starts with the story, the title derives from an excerpt from Alfred Tennyson's poem: "Kind hearts are more than coronets, and simple faith than Norman blood." The story features the spectacular ascension of Louis D'Ascoyne Mazzini, a young man of common birth but not so common lineage. His mother is a Noble but due to her marriage with an opera singer and her self-inflicted exile from the Family, she made herself a Persona-Non-Grata. Louis grew fatherless and all her mother's efforts to reconnect with her family or get a job for Louis met with rejection. She doesn't even get the privilege to be interred in the family vault. Meanwhile Louis proposes Sibella, a childhood friend, for marriage but only gets cruel mockeries about his rank and then-job as a draper's assistant.For newly orphaned and love-stricken Louis, these are two rejections too many and the starting point of one of the most elaborate and perfectly oiled schemes ever concocted in a film, all in pure British refinery. Holding the D'Ascoyne family as primarily responsible for all the troubles that affected his life, he decides to take his revenge and kill each member of the family to get his way to the Dukedom: eight D'Ascoyne and so many different ways to kill that you'd come to regret the Edwardian era and the bursts of stylish creativity it could inspire even in the deadliest actions. Poisoning, explosions, arrows and even plain bullets are so many weapons used by a cold and meticulous mastermind. There is something in Louis that evokes the patient efficiency of the Jackal.And more than the story, there's the storytelling. When the film opens, we actually see Louis in the night preceding his execution. He's referred to as the Duke and the executioner seems rather impressed and nervous. At first, we take it for granted that Louis was a Duke from the start, even his manners and the way he addresses a snoring cop shows that this is man cautious about his social status. But then the flashback, as narrated by his memoirs, reveals his past, and we understand that what we saw first is only the proof of his success. And this is how the narration works, it either precedes our comprehension or completes it, sometimes, what we hear and what we see effectively overlap, sometimes, narration adds to the visual enjoyment, sometimes, visuals have a literate level of appreciation. And some other times, it is just funny as hell.There's a moment in the film where Louis has just prepared an explosion to one of his targets and while he's talking about his victim's future to his soon-to-be-widowed wife, in the midst of the discussion, there's a sort of 'poof' sound. He probably heard it but he continues talking and so does the wife while you can seem a thick cloud of smoke in the background. This is pure gold of hilarity, something of comic books and cartoon levels, and yet it fits in this refined social study on the Edwardian mentalities. And of course, the comedic masterstroke remains the little gimmick the film is celebrated for: the casting of Alec Guinness in the roles of each D'Ascoyne member. Not only that, but the director even found a way to compile six different characters in the same frame, and it's refreshing to have a director try such stunts in the 40's. And I thought that Sellers was a genius and Guinness was unrecognizable in "Ladykillers", this is nothing compared to what Guinness achieved, especially since he's convincing in every role.Naturally, it would be unfair to associate the film's success with Guinness' talent only, there's no actor who proved unworthy, and certainly not Dennis Price, a face I found myself surprised not to know. It is sad that the actor's fate didn't match the prestige of such a debut, but he couldn't have a better lifetime role. This is one of the greatest British antiheroes that the story tactfully manages to prove sympathetic through some pivotal scenes, ethical moves and ironic twist of fates. Yet, as perfectionist as he is, the man has a weakness… "cherchez la femme!" Joanne Greenwood as the luscious mousy Sibella and Valerie Hobson as the dignified Edith are two pawns in the same game and provides clever complications, proving that the film didn't just take its "serial killing" plot for granted. The women also contribute to the ambiguity of the ending, one I dare not to spoil, except to say that it was the perfect note to conclude such a masterpiece.And masterpiece is the word for I've rarely encountered films where the story, the writing, the acting, the storytelling, the directing created such a delightful combination. The film is in the Top 10 Greatest British Movies of All-Time and for reasons, and after discovering "Ladykillers", another gem of Ealing Studios, I'm looking forward to discovering all these titles I've heard about such as "The Man in the White Suit" and "The Lavender Hill Mob". There's something so irresistible about these films, but I doubt they will ever equal the experience of "Kind Hearts and Coronets". I hope I'm wrong.

KIND HEARTS AND CORONETS is very tasty and satirical film. I will not be so much heed to the black humor, which is certainly present. I will describe as mentioned skilled British satire. Well, the film's main protagonist is a murderer. The secondary protagonist is each of the eight victims.Alec Guinness as eight members of the D'Ascoyne family: Ethelred "the Duke", Lord Ascoyne "the Banker", Reverend Lord Henry "the Parson", General Lord Rufus "the General", Admiral Lord Horatio "the Admiral", Young Ascoyne, Young Henry and Lady Agatha D'Ascoyne. He also plays the seventh duke in brief flashback sequences to Mama's youth. I do not want all the credit rewrite to him. Performance is unusual. Some roles are short, but they are quite impressive.The dialogues are perfect, in every moment you expect a gruesome joke. Impoverished and humiliated young man kills all your relatives (almost all), so that inherited wealth and the ducal title. There is a reason. However, the killings are so clumsy and humorous, and therefore the reason it sounds frivolous. This film for general wonder lack inspiration. I'll explain. I do not think anything bad. This movie can serve as an inspiration with with anything. After the film, remains a void in which extinguishes a slight smile. The narrative is a constant, monotonous and reminiscent of the confession.It is interesting how everything works with elegantly and flawlessly. Often you can fall into the trap and think that all of this is true.Dennis Price as Louis Mazzini is a young man, who made a entertains scheme of his own kills. Dennis Price in this role seems quite skillfully. His play with women is much more interesting. After all, can continue indefinitely.The story can be seen as a kind of contempt for the society in which they are pranks, lies and kills some kind of justification. However, great humor and satirical performances give the film a completely different picture.

Kind Hearts and Coronets is funnier in concept than in execution. I can think of things from it and laugh at the idea but thinking of the scenes doesn't make me laugh. It leaves me confused. I found the movie a bit slow and boring. Perhaps I need to know more about England, literature and class systems to properly appreciate it. Some humour may have gone over my head. But good comedy should transcend barriers, it should speak to every keen audience member. And it should fire on all cylinders if possible. This Is Spinal Tap has funny dialogue, sight gags, a mockumentary style, funny gestures and facial expressions, everything. But this movie seems to depend almost solely on words with only a handful of visual gags.Alec Guinness doesn't get to do a whole lot. Mostly he wears various costumes and sits and talks like an old man or says nothing at all. It's an acting job that many would be capable of. Why not make better use of him? Dennis Price is too plain and calm for my liking. I found this to make him forgettable and uninteresting. He doesn't seem to feel anything. I get that there is subtlety but then it should be witty or ironic the whole way through. The problem is that half of the lines aren't funny at all and we're left with too many dull moments. There is no drama or romance to speak of so why not go all the way with the comedy? It's confusing. I spent scenes trying to find the humour and couldn't. What are those scenes there for?A handful of parts were hilarious. Price puts gasoline in a photographer's camera. Eventually the photographer goes off to develop the film. We hear an off-screen "boom" and then smoke slowly rises in the distance. The characters barely notice but eventually Price goes to investigate. "Needless to say, it was too late." One character he wishes to execute is in jail. So he helps petition for her release. He expresses his gladness when another one of his targets dies. He somewhat liked them and is now relieved from the duty of murdering them. A captain of a ship confuses the sea terms for left and right and gives instructions that lead to an easily avoidable crash with another ship. Both sink and everyone comfortably survives except for the captain - he stubbornly chooses to go down with his ship. The image of him saluting as he goes down is hysterical.I can see what Kind Hearts and Coronets is trying to do. But that's the problem - I should love this movie. I love sarcasm and irony and subtle wit and juxtaposition. The idea of a gentleman planning the vaguely justified murder of a series of rich relatives (played by one actor) and then running into numerous little difficulties is appealing. But this movie feels a bit too slow and pretentious for my liking. It presumes our attention rather than working for it. Not all of the jokes are great and I think most could be done more effectively. Too many scenes are unnecessary and waste time. They don't build tension or develop important plot points.I definitely need to give this another viewing at some later date, perhaps after becoming more familiar with Ealing movies and British humour in general. But I also have to trust my current judgement and say that aside from an overall mildly amusing undercurrent and some laugh out loud moments, Kind Hearts and Coronets is quite plain and underwhelming.

Kind Hearts and Coronets is a morality tale and social satire combined into one. Although it is well known for the eight roles played by Alec Guinness, you will discover that some of the roles he plays are rather brief.Louis Mazzini is played coldly and rather understated by Dennis Price. He is the grandson of the Duke of D'Ascoyne whose mother married beneath herself to a singer and was exiled by her rich family and died destitute.Louis is toiling in a shop and ends up losing his job thanks to a D'Ascoyne and wants to get revenge against the pompous family. So he brutally bumps them off one by one and gets nearer to the line of inheritance and at the same time his social and financial status elevates.This film is one of the well known Ealing comedies which has a dark heart. In fact the film opens in prison as Louis is facing the gallows which indicates that he might had not got away with his plans. Even then there are further twists to emerge as Louis complicated love live threatens to derail him.Although Guinness grabs the headlines this is Price's film and he is well supported by a sly, witty and literate script.