The Missionary (1982)

User Rating:

6.1/10   

Director:

Richard Loncraine

Writer:

Michael Palin (written by)

Release Date:

2 November 1982 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy

Tagline:

He gave his body to save their souls.

Plot:

In 1905, after 10 years of missionary work in Africa, the Rev. Charles Fortesque is recalled to England...

Plot Keywords:

Bishop | Africa | Prostitute | England | London

Cast

Michael Palin	...	The Reverend Charles Fortescue
Maggie Smith	...	Lady Isabel Ames
Trevor Howard	...	Lord Henry Ames
Denholm Elliott	...	The Bishop
Michael Hordern	...	Slatterthwaite / Narrator
Graham Crowden	...	The Reverend Fitzbanks
David Suchet	...	Corbett
Phoebe Nicholls	...	Deborah Fitzbanks
Tricia George	...	Ada
Valerie Whittington	...	Emmeline
Roland Culver	...	Lord Fermleigh
Rosamund Greenwood	...	Lady Fermleigh
Timothy Spall	...	Parswell
Neil Innes	...	Singer in Gin Palace
John Barrett	...	Old Man outside Hotel

Runtime:

USA:90 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

UK:15 | Iceland:L | Australia:M | Finland:K-16 | Sweden:7 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Ardverikie House, Ardverikie estate, Highlands, Scotland, UK

Company:

HandMade Films

Trivia:

Frances Barber's first film.

Quotes:

Slatterthwaite: You can't miss it, sir. Turn right out of the station. Or left.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Comedy Connections: Ripping Yarns (#6.4)" (2008)

Soundtrack:

Put On Your Ta-Ta Little Girlie

Shows what we had in Hordern/Harrison/Elliott. Sad, sad losses.

This is a delightful film. Watch it with two or three of you in the room, because laughter is infectious. As ever with films that Harrison invests in, it's not afraid to mix styles, but also, there is no point that it labours. Too often films are afraid of changing their tone, as if they had to nail their colours to the 'tonal' mast early on and then obey that: a screwball comedy has to be screwball, a period piece has to be charming, engaging, but not dramatic, etc etc etc.

The script, written by Palin himself, is an absolute gem, and for once his silliness is kept well within bounds. As someone else said, this isn't the 'expansio ad absurdum' technique of fine, fine Python, nor the pull-faces-and-use-silly-words-can't-think-of-an-idea of Palin on his off days. Enough, but not enough, has been written about the cast, all of whom provide top-notch performances. Whom to praise most? I note as well, that the "Memorable Quotes" section still misses what may be the funniest exchange in the whole film, the sequence which begins, "You know perfectly well why we got rid of Margetson." The only people who are going to be disappointed by this film are those people who have dogmatic views about what a Palin film should be, or who think a comedy should spare them the trouble of thinking and leave them in a heap of rubble on the floor. Take the film on its own merits and, though you might think of ideas which the film didn't touch, places where it didn't go, you will still find enough in there to remember those ninety minutes fondly. Would I see it again? When's it on next?