Hobson's Choice (1954)

I was hoping for a little more from this film. I should clarify I was not disappointed as such in the film - it was well made and had some visual polish. It had great actors (John Mills and Charles Laughton), and in particular one truly outstanding performance from Brenda de Banzie.I think the main 'problem' I have with the film is because that the script is a little pedestrian and clichéd in places. It has a lot of 'ee by gum' references sprinkled through out the dialogue.From the 'ee by gums' you should be able to locate this film as a Northern film. Indeed it is set in Manchester in the 1880's and concerns the family of the often drunken boot shop owner Charles Laughton and his three long suffering daughters and in particular his oldest unmarried daughter played by Brenda de Banzie. They are unmarried because the father will not pay dowries to marry off his daughters. In revenge she decides to get married to the fairly dim, if likable boot maker who works in the shop. They then leave to set up their own business in spite of her father's wishes.There are great moments in this film; one I think I remember already seeing in a documentary about Lean. This is where an intoxicated Charles Laughton follows the moon reflected in puddles, splashing away childlike as he goes along in fits and starts.There are some nice visuals flourishes including vistas of open city parkland, as well as in other scenes factory chimneys punctuating brooding industrial landscapes. Overall though I did not find the cinematography quite as atmospheric as I hoped although I was probably spoiled by remembering the marvellous cinematography in Leans earlier 'Great Expectations'.This is a film that relies upon the acting therefore to make it work, and does not fail because of Brenda de Banzies performance. She plays a fantastically strong female lead. Determined, and clever wanting something better than just to be stuck in a boot shop ministering to her ungrateful father.Charles Laughton is good but not great in this film (puddle scene excepting). I think Charles Laughton does his turn as Charles Laughton, which is what he does best. This should not be seen as a criticism, but it perhaps over balances this film a little bit; whereas in the film 'witness for the prosecution' his performance is brilliantly judged.John Mills performance doesn't quite work in this film either. He appears slightly uneasy in the role. It's not a bad performance, but because it's John Mills you expect a little more.I would therefore put this film in one of David Leans lesser works. It hasn't the peerless brilliance of Great expectations, the visual splendour of Dr Zhivago or the epic grandeur of Lawrence of Arabia. It does show a film maker helping what might have been creaky cliché into something better than the sum of its parts. Yet this film, and I cannot stress this enough depends on Brenda de Banzies superb performance to make it truly worth watching.I would also note that Prunella Scales(Basil Fawlty's wife) appears in an early role as one of the daughters.

Henry Hobson is a successful bootmaker and tyrannical widower of three daughters. The girls each want to leave their father by getting married, but Henry refuses as marriage traditions require him to pay out settlements.In the opinion of Daniel Etherington of Channel 4, the "character interactions between the couple and the old bugger of a dad are fascinating, funny and moving." His verdict is, "Displays the Lean mark of quality and sterling work from its leads. A gem." The real stand out is, of course, Charles Laughton, who had been a master actor for decades. But David Lean really brings out the best in actors. While perhaps better known for his epics, he does a fine job here on a smaller scale of human interaction.

I LOVE films and I LOVE IMDb but if you have not seen the movie Hobson's Choice yet, then you shouldn't be doing anything else. Everything else is a pathetic waste of time in comparison to seeing this film. Yes. It's THAT good. Flawless. Perfect. FOR everyone. So STOP reading right now and go watch this film. NOW. GO. I'M NOT KIDDING. (Let's see if this gets past the "Review" proof readers. It would if they knew I never give up an audience - even of just one. So if I'm shooing you away, it's because this film is THAT good.)Why are you still here? Go watch this film. Why am I still here when I could be watching it again. I'm 'outta' here! Laura-Lee

Thank God for Criterion. Over the past year I've had the chance to see Summertime, Brief Encounter, Great Expectations and now Hobson's Choice, all great films by David Lean. My understanding of the British film industry post-1945 has deepened, and I can now rank Lean, Powell, Read and the others among the great movie creators.This adaptation of a famous play has two great performances: Brenda De Banzie as Maggie and John Mills as Mossop. The way Maggie takes hold of the hapless Mossop, informing him of his impending marriage to her and his new business career, is a wonderful piece of acting. Somehow the makeup artist has taken 15 years off De Banzie's face (she was ten years younger than Laughton in reality) so she can play the eldest daughter staring at spinsterhood. John Mills makes the transformation from illiterate semi-slave of Laughton to capable businessman seem believable. What is not believable is Laughton's performance as Hobson. I wonder if his heart was in it. I never had the sense of a Victorian tyrant ruling over his three daughters and two employees with an iron fist. Even the scene when Hobson whips Mossop with his belt seemed perfunctory ("glad that's over with" he must have thought). Lean's direction merited the award for best British film that year, and Hildyard's cinematography is splendid, every bit as good as that of Great Expectations.I wish Trevor Howard had been able to play Hobson, but he was too young to play the father of adult children. I am left with a sort of discontent with what was meant to be the central performance in the film.