This early film is difficult to assess. On the one hand, it's a wonderful historical document as it's one of the first sit-com or rom-coms ever made. It introduces situations which would become more familiar in subsequent decades. But, on the other, the style of the film is crude and antiquated--even when it debuted.
The Huttons are a stupid couple. And, through a series of misunderstandings they come to suspect (incorrectly) that their spouse is being unfaithful. When they go to their lawyer, he suggests they 'live together separately'. In other words, stay together in the same home but have nothing to do with each other! This brilliant plan seems plausible at first but naturally by the end the couple realizes their lawyer is a complete idiot and they reconcile.
The film has a great plot. The problem is that instead of playing as a fluid narrative, it's shown in vignette form--with intertitle cards over-explaining what is going to happen. As a result, it comes off as preachy and forced, not at all natural. This really blunts the comedic value in the film.
The Huttons are a stupid couple. And, through a series of misunderstandings they come to suspect (incorrectly) that their spouse is being unfaithful. When they go to their lawyer, he suggests they 'live together separately'. In other words, stay together in the same home but have nothing to do with each other! This brilliant plan seems plausible at first but naturally by the end the couple realizes their lawyer is a complete idiot and they reconcile.
The film has a great plot. The problem is that instead of playing as a fluid narrative, it's shown in vignette form--with intertitle cards over-explaining what is going to happen. As a result, it comes off as preachy and forced, not at all natural. This really blunts the comedic value in the film.