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“Almost Perfect”
- Kind Hearts and Coronets -
Ealing Studio’s brilliant black comedy KIND HEARTS AND CORONETS was far ahead of its time in terms of screenplay writing. Just when it appears that multiple murderer Louis Mazzini (Dennis Price) has finally gotten away with everything, one little monkey wrench is about to mess it all up. Louis Mazzini’s mother married a poor Italian tenor and is disinherited by the noble D’Ascoyne clan. He is determined to set things right. He does so by cleverly murdering eight other heirs (all played by Alec Guinness) who stand ahead of him in the line of succession. When he is arrested for a murder he didn’t commit, it looks as if he is about to hang for it. During the night preceding his execution he writes his memoirs, describing all the murders he committed in devilishly clever detail. The following morning new evidence is presented to the court, which exonerates Louis. As soon as he steps out the gate things are looking very good for him. He is a rich duke now, he has gotten away with many murders and two beautiful dames are waiting for him. Then a publisher approaches him, asking for the publication rights to his memoirs, Louis suddenly remembers the manuscript he left in his cell. A brilliantly ironic and ingenious ending that is also wonderfully in keeping with the movie’s overall wit.
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