Plenty to Like, Plenty to Dislike

A brilliant film that helped define a genre

The story-telling is good with flashbacks.The film is both funny and heartbreaking. You smile in a scene and get a soulcrushing revelation in the next.

An old-fashioned movie made with new-fashioned finesse.

Two seemingly sweet little old ladies bump off their lonely male lodgers much to the horror and surprise of their newlywed nephew Mortimer (Cary Grant).What I had hoped would be a charming American comedy classic turns out to be amongst the most tortuous two hours of cinema I have ever sat through. Directed by Frank Capra, the film stars Cary Grant as Mortimer, a writer renowned for his anti-marriage diatribes, who has just done the unthinkable and got hitched to beautiful blonde Elaine (Priscilla Lane). But before Mortimer can leave with his wife for their honeymoon, his discovery of a dead body at his aunts' Brooklyn home throws him into disarray.With zero concern for subtlety from either Capra or his star, Arsenic and Old Lace is a loud, repetitive, drawn-out exercise in absolute tedium, the plot going round and round in circles until the viewer is finally put out of their misery with a really dumb ending. Grant over-acts like his life depends upon it, mugging and doing double takes whenever possible, as though this is all that is needed to drum up laughs; it isn't. The majority of the supporting cast are just as insufferable: the guy who thinks he is Teddy Roosevelt really grates, the old ladies are far from endearing, Raymond Massey (as Mortimer's escaped criminal brother Jonathan) glares a lot, and Peter Lorre merely plays a caricature of himself.Somehow this movie has earned itself a solid reputation and a high IMDb rating (8.0), which confuses me just as much as It's a Wonderful Life's place at #25 in IMDb's Top Rated Movies. What is it that others see in Capra's films that I don't?

a crazy story. and a great cast. absurd events. and dark humor. and the complicity of viewer to crime. because two lovely aunts and the noble purpose who gives force to their gestures are axis of a chaotic, lovely story about love, family, web of secrets and a young man looking save situation. like many classic films, the flavor is the basic instrument to seduce. but not only. because it is a strange film noir and a wise expression of comedy. because the atmosphere of play remains but in the clothes of Frank Capra's comedy. nothing new. but original in a delicate manner because it mix the stories in inspired manner. so, one of films about old well known things in a nice manner. and the admirable couple Jean Adair - Josephine Hull.Cary Grant in middle of strong tempest. and the final as a form of sunrise. so, old flavors. memorable ones.

I saw this play in the theater years ago and thought it was a masterpiece.The cast of this movie is first-rate, and includes many of my favorite actors.Frank Capra is one of my favorite directors, in both comedy - *You Can't Take It with You* - and drama - *Mr. Smith Goes to Washington*, etc.Why, then, did this movie seem so flat to me? Cary Grant, whom I have enjoyed in many comedies, seems to ham it up far out of all proportion.The timing often seems bad.And nothing explains how Mortimer, on his wedding day, can completely forget about his attractive bride - in an era when the audience could well have assumed that they had not already spent the night together.I watched this whole movie - at 118 minutes, it's long for a comedy - in the hopes that something would work for me. It just didn't.I must have been in the wrong mood, but I was really in a very good mood.

"Arsenic and Old Lace" is a comedy movie in which we watch a newspaperman and author being married at city hall and after that he goes to tell the news to his two maiden aunts. While he is trying to tell th news he discovers that his aunts have a hobby. Their hobby is to kill lonely old men and burying them in their cellar.I liked this movie because of the plot which I found very good and in many moments simply hilarious. I also liked this movie because of the direction which made by Frank Capra and for one more time he did great job on it. About the cast I have to mention the great interpretation of Cary Grant who played as Mortimer Brewster and of course the equally good interpretation of Priscilla Lane who played as Elaine Harper. This movie reminded me at some points the movie "Bringing Up Baby" in which also played Cary Grant and his interpretation had many commons with his interpretation in this movie.Finally I have to say that "Arsenic and Old Lace" is a nice movie to watch and it combines very well comedy with crime and the result is very good. I strongly recommend it because of you watch it I am sure that you will have a great time and you will enjoy it.