A Shock to the System (1990)

User Rating:

6.5/10   

Director:

Jan Egleson

Writers (WGA):

Simon Brett (novel)
Andrew Klavan (screenplay)

Release Date:

23 March 1990 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Crime | Thriller

Tagline:

Killing is easy... Getting away with it is murder.

Plot:

Graham Marshall already celebrates his anxiously awaited promotion in an advertising company, when he learns that Roger Benham...

Plot Keywords:

Advertising | Match | Private Plane | Train Accident | Smoking

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Michael Caine	...	Graham Marshall
Elizabeth McGovern	...	Stella Anderson
Peter Riegert	...	Robert Benham
Swoosie Kurtz	...	Leslie Marshall
Will Patton	...	Lt. Laker
Jenny Wright	...	Melanie O'Conner
John McMartin	...	George Brewster
Barbara Baxley	...	Lillian
Haviland Morris	...	Tara Liston
Philip Moon	...	Henry Park
Kent Broadhurst	...	Executive #1
Zach Grenier	...	Executive #2
David Schramm	...	Executive #3
Sam Schacht	...	David Jones
Christopher Durang	...	Convention Speaker

Runtime:

91 min | UK:85 min | Canada:89 min (Ontario)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Canada:14 (Ontario) | Iceland:12 (re-rating) | Iceland:L | UK:15 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Essex Fells, New Jersey, USA

Company:

Brigand Films

Goofs:

Continuity: A detective questions Michael Caine's secretary and writes down his telephone number on a piece of notepad paper for her. Later, when she decides to call him, she has his business card.

Quotes:

Robert Benham: Gentlemen, gentlemen... you don't understand! We are the young, the proud! We shouldn't be ashamed of success! We should say, "Yes, I *have* a boat. I *have* a country home. I *have* a girlfriend named 'Tara'!" Say it with me, brothers.
Executive #3: I do have a Mercedes.
Executive #2: I have a condo with a pool.
Executive #1: I have a personal sports trainer.
Graham Marshall: I have a wife, a mortgage, and two dogs.

Movie Connections:

Version of Le couperet (2005)

Crime DOES Pay if You Kill Horrible People!!!

Who says Michael Caine is a so-so actor? He plays the perfect combination of a truly nice guy ground down by his shrewish wife, his slimy peer-then-boss, and corporate life, in general. Movies like this give us corporate slaves a little relief from the utter amoral depravity of the 'civilized' world we inhabit in these rabbit warrens, otherwise known as 'Cubical Hell'.

This man makes you completely sympathize with every one of his murders, all nicely planned to look like accidents. In fact, I am amazed that some lawyer hasn't pulled the 'Shock to the System' defense. Certainly, it has as much attraction for the frustrated as the films usually blamed. It's just more subtle, more high-brow and takes a little more finesse.

The detective is wonderfully nosy, but how he can walk up to Caine in the middle of New York City is quite amazing to me. A little too much dramatic license, too much coincidence to be believable but you tend to forget your logical approach to life.

Reality is easily suspended as Caine gets in his licks for all the humuliations we nice people have suffered in the corporate world, where the rapacious are rewarded by CEO salaries. The laughs are fast and furious, all delivered in that great understated British fashion.

Mr. Downtrodden gets his licks in and when the new boss talks about his Cessna, you've already fixed the engine. There are traces of 'The Ruling Class' in here, as Mr. Nice Guy becomes king of the mountain by firing everyone 'who is not a contributor', thus ingratiating himself with Mr. Cessna. McGovern gives her Basset hound, soulful looks all through the film, and you feel her conflict about turning this wonderful guy in. She is promoted out and away, and all is well, which is usual for corporate shenanigans. They just usually don't involve murder.

Buy it and love it. Forget the professional reviewers for once on this. It's not meant to be 'Hamlet'.