Hysteria (2011)

Thoroughly delightful, this story of the 1880's English doctor who invents the vibrator is pretty much flawless. Based on true events, with Oscar-worthy wardrobe, sets, and gadgets, it has good acting and story, too. Starring the cute-as-a-button Hugh Dancy (after I wrote about him in Adam I saw him in Martha Marcy May Marlene) as Dr. Mortimer Granville. Jonathan Pryce (first came to my attention as the hapless hero of Terry Gilliam's masterpiece Brazil (1985), was very good in Gilliam's The Adventures of Baron Munchausen (1988), part of the award-winning ensemble in Glengarry Glen Ross (1992), as the love interest in Carrington (1995), as Juan Perón to Madonna's Eva in Evita (1996), as Keira Knightley's character's father in Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End (2007), and many more) is practical and matter-of-fact as Dr. Dalrymple, who utilizes "pelvic massage" to "help" women who seem irrational, therefore hysterical, to their men. This and the Greek word for uterus, hystéra, are the origins of the term hysterectomy, but it was the irrationality link that made hysteria such a negative term. Maggie Gyllenhaal (covered in Away We Go, then was in Crazy Heart) beautifully embodies (pun intended) the Victorian-era feminist, Dalrymple's uncooperative daughter Charlotte. Sweet Felicity Jones (Like Crazy) is also delightful as Charlotte's obedient younger sister Emily. Additional color is provided by Rupert Everett (my favorites include Another Country (1984), Dance with a Stranger (1985), The Comfort of Strangers (1990), Prêt-à-Porter (1994), The Madness of King George (1994), his biggest hit My Best Friend's Wedding (1997), An Ideal Husband (1999), A Midsummer Night's Dream (1999), and The Importance of Being Earnest (2002)) as Granville's friend (and son of Granville's patrons) Edmund St. John-Smythe (fans of Mad Men and others will know that St. John is pronounced sin-jin), and, as ex-prostitutes Fannie and Molly, Ashley Jensen (first came to my attention as Ricky Gervais' friend on Extras, then America Ferrera's friend on Ugly Betty and Jenna Elfman's friend on Accidentally on Purpose) and Sheridan Smith (she's done quite a bit of TV, none of which I've seen, but as a still from this movie is her profile pic on imdb I'd venture to say this is her break-out role--she's funny as the suggestive red-headed maid) respectively, as well as many of the other female patients.

Director Tanya Wexler is new to me, though she's made two other movies. She's the niece of cinematographer Haskell Wexler and step-sister of Daryl Hannah, among other Hollywood relationships. I suspect this one will put her on the map as well. The original story is from an article by Howard Gensler, a writer for the Philadelphia Daily News. Here's a nice article about him and the movie and here's a bad one about something else. Wexler then took the idea to the married writing team of Jonah Lisa Dyer and Stephen Dyer who ran with it and created the wonderful script. The spectacular wardrobe is by Nic Ede (Me and Orson Welles, more) and the lovely photography shot in Britain and Luxembourg by Sean Bobbitt (Shame, others).

Gast Waltzing, a native of Luxembourg with 58 music credits, is credited with composing the light classical music, Christian Henson (an Englishman with 83) with additional tracks, though they share the credit on amazon.

With 22 producers, this earns a tag for the producers plethora, but it doesn't win the prize.

It will be playing for at least a week here in town. Highly recommended by both Jack and me for mature, un-prudish audiences.