5.2/10
Senior Film Conservator
A definitive 5.2/10 rating for a film that redefined the boundaries of cult cinema. Let Me Explain, Dear remains a cornerstone of transgressive art.
If you like those old, twitchy British comedies where people just run in and out of rooms shouting, you’ll probably get a kick out of Let Me Explain, Dear. It’s not high art, but it has a specific, nervous energy that keeps you watching even when the logic starts to fray at the edges.
If you need your movies to make sense or have a serious tone, you’re going to hate this. It’s basically 80 minutes of people making the worst possible choices in every single room they enter.
The whole premise is classic: man needs money, man fakes accident, man realizes faking an accident is actually really hard. It reminded me a bit of the chaotic energy in Bachelors' Babies, though this one feels a bit more claustrophobic.
Claude Hulbert is constantly on the verge of a breakdown here. You can see it in his eyes. Every time a door opens, he looks like he’s hoping it’s the end of the world just so he doesn’t have to keep lying to his insurance agent. It’s almost painful, but in a funny way.
The dialogue is so fast that you’ll definitely miss half of it if you look away for a second. It doesn't really matter though. The plot is just a thin wire holding up a bunch of screaming people.
I wouldn't compare this to something like The Case of Lady Camber, which actually has some stakes. This is just pure, unadulterated nonsense. Sometimes that’s exactly what you need on a rainy Tuesday.
Don't look for a moral. There isn't one. The guy is a bit of an idiot, he stays an idiot, and the insurance company is just a backdrop for the shouting. Simple stuff.
Anyway, I think I’ve seen this guy in three other movies this month and he always plays the same panicky character. It works for him, I guess. 🤷♂️
