Excellent, a Must See

Disturbing yet enthralling

I wanted to like it more than I actually did... But much of the humor totally escaped me and I walked out only mildly impressed.

One of the best movies of the year! Incredible from the beginning to the end.

PENNY GOLD is a murder mystery thriller of the 1970s that feels very much like a TV movie, even though it isn't. The soundtrack is quite unappealing and dates this film considerably and not in a good way. There's an opening shower murder before the rest of the story follows around a weary middle-aged detective and his sidekick as they try to solve the crime.Their crime-solving skills include a lot of questioning and the occasional car chase. Scenery-spotting accounts for much of the fun when watching, that and the appearances by future famous folk. John Rhys-Davies is a rugby player early on, and Penelope Keith brings her plummy tones to a one-scene cameo. John Savident, best known for playing Fred Elliott in CORONATION STREET, has a youthful turn, and Una Stubbs is amusing in support. Watch out for Marianne Stone, Britain's most prolific actress, and Joss Ackland to boot.Unfortunately James Booth's detective isn't a very interesting character and I found him quite unappealing. Nicky Henson, as his sidekick, acts like Robin Askwith. Francesca Annis is a highlight playing the role of twins, even though one of them is only seen in flashback, and very appealing she is too. A shame the rest of the movie is only middling rather than engaging, although it does have a nice twist ending.

Penny Gold is a priceless stamp. Francesca Annis plays dual roles as twins with contrasting personalities. One of them is found murdered with half the her face bludgeoned. Their stepfather is a dealer in rare stamps who also turns up dead later on.James Booth plays the detective who has a soft spot for the surviving twin. Nicky Henson plays his loyal sidekick. The film is directed by Jack Cardiff better known as a legendary Oscar winning cinematographer.The film rather reminded me of those Edgar Allan Wallace mysteries but in colour and set in the 1970s with a lot of filming in and around Windsor with Windsor castle as a backdrop.This potboiler never gets more than lukewarm. The fun is seeing Windsor of yesterday and some familiar actors in early roles. As a mystery it fails badly. I quickly started to put the puzzles together and what about that mysterious American blonde in a bad wig who kept popping up here and there.

This particular type of Detective mystery, set in the world of the professional and the prosperous, was a most unusual theme for what passed for the British film industry in the 1970s. The genre had gone out of fashion about a decade earlier, a situation that was to remain until the advent of the Morse TV movies in 1986. Nowadays, a format that may have seemed outmoded in 1973 can be seen replicated on channels such as ITV3 on most nights of the year. Too bad then that PENNY GOLD provides such a tame example.Fittingly, for a Jack Cardiff film, the photography is superb, as is the art direction. But in general, the director and his cast are unable to bring the characters or the uninspired story to life. James Booth is good as the Inspector though, with Nicky Henson as his faithful sidekick and there are all too fleeting appearances from Penelope Keith and Sue Lloyd. A crime story revolving around stamp collectors hardly sounds exciting to begin with, although there had been at least one thriller on the same theme before, BARBADOS QUEST, with Tom Conway in 1955. Then fairly early on we learn that the murdered woman, whose face had been damaged beyond recognition, is one of twins, one good, the other evil. You hardly need to be Hercule Poirot to see where this is going. The film's at its worst when the murder of a typically tedious character is announced, which we're then shown in a slow-moving flashback. I could hardly wait. The location shooting and reminders that the Britain of forty years ago was not the nanny state it is today hardly compensate for moments such as this.

The British film industry was dying on its feet when this film was made in the early seventies.The fact that it was directed by Jack Cardiff speaks volumes.Anyone can see the basic premise of the plot after only about 10 minutes.So there isn't a lot of suspense merely an interest as to how the plot unravels.Booth seems to be doing an imitation of Jack Regan but despite the car chase and the rough handling of suspects this is no "Sweeny".Penelope Keith is seen in a small role before her rise to fame.This is the sort of film that was far more at home on the TV screens than on the cinema screen.At the end of the day this is little more than a potboiler.