Looking on the Bright Side: A bit dusty, but Gracie Fields still shines

Is it worth the watch?

Honestly, you only watch Looking on the Bright Side if you have a serious itch for old-school British musical comedy or if you’re a big fan of Gracie Fields. If you need pacing that feels like modern cinema, keep walking. You will probably hate this if you get annoyed by stage-bound setups and actors who project their voices like they are performing in a theater the size of a football field. But, if you like watching someone hold a movie together with sheer personality, stick around.

Gracie Fields is basically the entire gravity of this film. When she isn't on screen, you can almost feel the air leave the room. She’s got this way of looking at her partner, Laurie, that says she knows exactly how full of himself he is, even when she’s trying to play it cool. It feels like she’s carrying the heavy lifting while everyone else is just kind of… hanging out.

The story? It’s thin. It’s basically the oldest song in the book: girl writes hits, boy gets a taste of the fancy life, boy leaves girl for a 'glamorous' type. It feels a bit like watching a precursor to the messiness seen in Husbands and Lovers, just with more singing and less brooding.

There is this one scene where the dialogue just drags on for about three minutes too long. You can see the actors waiting for their turn to jump back into their musical cues. It’s awkward. It’s not smooth. But there’s something kind of charming about how much they’re all trying to make it work despite the clunky script.

Odd bits and pieces:

• The musical numbers are clearly filmed in a way that makes me think they were trying to hide the lack of set budget.
• Some of the reactions from the supporting cast are so over-the-top that I actually laughed out loud at the wrong time.
• The 'glamorous actress' character is played with such cartoonish villainy that you almost expect her to twirl a mustache.
• The lighting in the final act makes everyone look like they are standing in a very dusty cupboard.

Watching this made me think about The Wedding March, mostly because both movies are obsessed with the idea of 'making it.' But where that film feels like it’s chasing a grand aesthetic, this one is just trying to get through the song and dance. It doesn't have the grit of Safe in Hell, obviously, but it isn't trying to be that, either.

It’s not a masterpiece. It’s a relic. Sometimes, that’s enough. 🎶