1947 / 124m - USA
Crime, Comedy
1.0*/5.0*
Monsieur Verdoux poster

Watches

December 09, 2022

1.0*/5.0*

And so he finally speaks. This is the first time I see Chaplin in a speaking role. No more slapstick, no more Tramp skits. I was glad to see the old Chaplin go, only I can't say I was very charmed by the new one either. Monsieur Verdoux is a pretty tiring and dialogue-heavy comedy, only I didn't even smirk once.

Chaplin plays Verdoux, an older man who was fired from his job after 30 loyal years. For his new job, he travels a lot. On his travels he courts older ladies, gets chummy with them, plunders their bank accounts, and kills them afterward, moving on to the next. It doesn't take too long before the police are on his tail.

Chaplin's character isn't very fun, the dialogues are plentiful but never witty, and the film is overly long at more than two hours. The cinematography and score aren't much to care for either. It's all very pedestrian, but at least I had a slightly easier time with it compared to his slapstick work. Silver linings I guess.