Screenwriters Sidney Gilliat and Val Valentine have come up with a most promising idea -- a political comedy. True, politics has entered humorous British screenplays in the past -- most notably in George Formby's devastatingly amusing but oh-so-realistic "He Snoops To Conquer" (1944). This entry centers on a house-of-parliament election rather than the underhanded doings of a local council, and you would think that the wider scope thus offered would allow Gilliat and Valentine to really get the boot in. But they do not do this. Nothing like it! It soon becomes obvious that they have opted for a light romantic comedy that merely skates over the surface of the political pond. Within the limits thus imposed, however, the screenplay still has a lot of promise. But unfortunately, Gilliat's dull, leaden, heavy-handed direction looks set to scuttle much of this fun. Fortunately, many of the players manage to shake themselves free of Gilliat's smothering influence and play their roles with sufficient style and energy to keep the fun bubbling. Lavish production values also help to divert our attention from Gilliat's dull camera set-ups and slow-as-she-goes pacing.
Review of Left Right and Centre
