7/10
Revenge is rarely sweet; folks quickly get in over their heads in this fair comedy
17 April 2017
Henry (Sam Neill) has just lost his job and has been very unlucky in love, too. After hatching a plan to jump off a tall bridge, Henry is surprised to see that someone else is there ahead of him, with the same idea. Its Karen (Helena Bonham Carter), who has been dumped by a man she thought loved her very much. As Henry and Karen convince each other not to end it all, Karen proposes a plan straight out of Hitchcock. Karen will get revenge on Henry's ex boss if Henry will go after her ex and the wife to whom he returned. Bewildered and still emotionally raw, Henry agrees to talk about the idea back at Karen's home. Wait, its a castle and obviously the lady is quite rich. Doubting whether Henry is really sincere, she invites him to spend the night but, when he wakes, Henry's clothes are gone and he is tied to a bed. Nothing will free him except the promise of taking her ex down. He agrees. Soon, Karen has disguised herself as a frump and wormed her way into a temp job as Henry's ex-boss' (Steve Googan) secretary. Meanwhile, Henry reluctantly seeks out the farm where his targeted couple abide, including the lovely wife, Imogen (Kristin Scott Thomas). All too soon, Karen seems to be achieving her goals while Henry drags his feet, because Imogen has transfixed him. What, what will Karen do as revenge to Henry if he doesn't do her bidding? This is a funny tale but by no means exceptional. Neill is great as the hero trying to turn to the dark side for a bit while Bonham Carter is one nasty female. Thomas, Coogan, Rupert Graves and the others do nice supporting work. Sets, costumes, script and direction are quite above average. Therefore, those who enjoy British comedy and light romance will find this a satisfying view for an evening.
2 out of 2 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink

Recently Viewed