Review: Hysteria

*Based on True Events… Really.*  [ Hysteria Movie Review ]

Medically, according to the old school of thought there was no level of anxiety, anger, aggressiveness and possible depression that a good ol’ fashioned “pelvic massage” couldn’t cure! Last evening I settled down in the dire need to be upgraded chairs of Cinema 2 at the Varsity to watch an advanced screening of soon to be released comedy “Hysteria” directed by Tanya Wexler. Set against a Victorian time-period in the 1880’s “Hysteria” was the medical term used to refer to women who suffered from its likely “symptoms” of nervousness and/or anxiety that needed to be cured.

The story follows a smart, dedicated and medically forward-thinking practitioner Mortimer Granville (Hugh Dancy) who gets let go from several jobs for trying to move away from “leech-and-bleed” treatments being applied to patients and steering towards the application of the new hygienic practices that stemmed from the “germ theory”.  Mortimer (Dancy), finally lands a very suitable work position with the esteemed Dr.Robert Dalrymple (Jonathan Pryce) who runs an elitist club sort of medical practice that exclusively caters women’s medical issues. It is here that Mortimer discovers the art of the “pelvic massage” or in more simpler terms,  the act of “fingering” done by Dr.Dalrymple (Pryce) on female patients until they get an orgasm. In the name of medical practice and share curiosity Mortimer (Dancy) goes along with it and shortly after gets his own booked up schedule of “tending” to “patients” 8 hours a day . Not to mention that this job offer also came with eventually landing a suitable bride, Dr.Dalrymple’s (Pryce) youngest daughter, the very prim and proper, exactly what you expect Emily (Felicity Jones) along with the possibility of inheriting the business.

However, as the saying goes “opposites attract”,  it’s quite obvious from early on in the film that the doctor’s elder daughter, Charlotte (Maggie Gyllenhaul) is very much destined to be with Mortimer ( Dancy). Charlotte, (Maggie) is loud, more independent, intelligent, wise feminist who mocks her father’s practice for wasting it on pleasing women than putting it to good use by treating those in need of serious medical attention. From her very first presence on screen you can see that she is a staunch advocate for women’s rights and throughout the film is working on a community-driven project in London’s east with the hope of eventually getting women to change their mind-sets. Come to think of it the context of the film is quite befitting as even a century and some later in current times we are still battling for  getting women’s issues of choice, freedom and say over their own bodies resolved.

But honestly speaking how much foreplay can a man (or audience) really take before he cracks? Mortimer (Dancy) seriously cramps his hand from all the amount of fingering that he performs and is let go from this job as well which leads to him landing at his very wealthy, witty and subtle funny friend Edmund Smythe’s  (Rupert Everett) place where the invention of the very first vibrator takes place. It almost seemed like the hilarious Edmund’s (Everett) role was cut short and left the audience wanting more as every little screen presence he made overshadowed Mortimer’s (Dancy) simplistic persona. Not to say that Dancy didn’t have a presence, he truly carried the film throughout the best that his proper, rational character would allow him to. Quite a few of the hilarious moments felt like they rested in the first 15-20 minutes of the film when you are introduced to the characters and taken by a funny surprise by the actual “pelvis massage” scenes being performed on women from behind a tiny curtain! After that it almost feels like the topic of sexual pleasure is sort of being dragged on, sort of makes you wonder if it would have even been possible or not to get that many jokes made on it. The funny does return upon the invention of the vibrator and the moments in which it is tested on women but that does not successfully carry on for too long.

Being a fan of the old period sort of films I truly enjoyed watching the film being shot in locations and on sets that really make you reminisce over that era gone by. The performances were extremely strong across the board from Dancy, Pryce, Maggie and Edmund, however it felt like the story could’ve used some more strength than it just the prolonging on the subject of sexual pleasure and the eventual coming together of the two lead characters.Some of the characters could’ve definitely used some more substance and well fleshed out character lines so to add more value to the storyline of the film.

I would however recommend the film as worthy of a watch if you are in the mood for a good light comedy, (all in all keeping low on expectations of some serious hysterical laughters’) which also involves the almost true story of the invention of the most famous sex toy in the world AKA the vibrator.


By Myra Rehman

T: @myrawales / F: www.facebook.com/myrarehman

Also posted on: http://www.iheartmoviesto.com/

3.5/5 Stars