Mad Holiday: A Cruise to Nowhere

Is it worth your time?

If you like old-school, snappy banter and don’t mind a plot that feels like it was scribbled on a napkin during lunch, you’ll probably have a decent time. But if you need your murder mysteries to actually make sense, or if you get annoyed by characters who make stupid decisions because the script demands it, skip this. It’s a rainy Sunday afternoon kind of movie. Not great, not terrible, just kind of… there.

Edmund Lowe is pretty great as the lead. He’s got that tired, world-weary look down pat. He plays Philip Trent, an actor who just wants to drink a cocktail and ignore the world. Too bad the movie won't let him.

The whole setup is classic Hollywood fluff. You’ve got the cruise ship setting, the mysterious dame, and the inevitable dead body in the cabin. I’ve seen this setup a thousand times, and honestly, the movie doesn't do much to reinvent the wheel. It just kinda rolls along.

There’s a weird moment where the tone shifts from light comedy to genuine tension, and it feels like whiplash. One minute they’re cracking jokes, the next someone is dead. It didn't quite land for me. Maybe it’s just the pacing. Or maybe the director just wanted to get through the scene so everyone could go to dinner.

I couldn't help but think about how different this is from something like Tire au flanc, where the military setting actually adds some texture to the humor. Here, the boat feels like a stage set. You can practically see the painted backdrop if you look hard enough near the windows.

Zasu Pitts shows up, and she’s always a delight, even when the material is thin. She has this way of looking confused that makes even the most boring scene worth watching. She’s definitely the best thing about the middle act.

Random thoughts:

• The lighting in the cabin scene is weirdly dark. Was the budget that low?
• The dialogue is fast, almost too fast. Sometimes I felt like they were trying to beat a timer.
• I’m still not sure if the mystery was actually solved or if the characters just got bored and quit.
• The guy playing the villain is doing a whole lot of work with very little screen time.

It’s not as tightly put together as Watch the Birdie, but it has a certain charm. It feels like a movie made by people who were just trying to fill a slot on the schedule. It’s not trying to change the world. It’s just trying to keep you entertained for 70 minutes.

I’ll be honest, I stopped taking notes about halfway through. The plot stopped mattering. I just enjoyed watching the actors bounce off each other. That’s probably the best way to watch it, anyway. Just turn off your brain and let it happen.