School for Scoundrels

Henry Palfrey is a loser in life. He never gets the girl that he wants, the table he ordered or the car he selected. So Henry visits the school of One Upmanship. The school where everyone goes in order to be on top of everyone else.It has a motto that is very simple, 'either you are one up or you are one down in life. The head of this establishment a Mr Potter, prides himself on the ability to be number one out there and in his school. He is the person that everyone else goes to, in order to solve their loser problem. So he sets out to solve Henry's little issue and make him one up on the world and its opponents.

In the late 50s British Cinema was going through a renaissance somewhat. It was on the very edge of the new wave that was about to smash apart the classic film movement and its 30 years of control. Just before this rapid paced change came a series of films that were looking to the past and a genre that British film had much comfort in. Comedy had been a staple under the ealing banner from the late 30s and had risen to epic heights. In the war period it had created comic gold and had the nations eyes on it. However as it had moved into the 50s it met with less success. This film was modelled on a popular series of novels by Stephen Potter that were read nationally. It would seem this was in order to build on that popularity and also try to connect the audience to the comedy value within.

Well it works. The film is very funny in places and Though it has been remade twice (Once in English and Once in Hindi) it still has the level of success with what it does. Hamer is a director that knows what makes a film funny. Carmichael in the lead is very good in playing an idiot turned cad, turned nice guy. Sim is a delight and so is Thomas. Above all the whole cast and crew do what they do very well indeed. The only problem is that the film is very outdated and is very soft humour at the best of times. I love this style of film. It looks good, sounds ok and has a rhythm to set a watch to. Acts come and go and the whole is paced like a classic. The problem is I fear the current audience will reject it as old hat and dull. To soft and lacking bite.