Pleasure: A dusty old drama that actually keeps you guessing

If you have a soft spot for old-school melodramas where everyone is wearing suits that cost more than my car, Pleasure is worth a look. It’s for the folks who like their romantic triangles served with a side of betrayal and high-society stiff upper lips. If you hate movies where people just talk in parlors for eighty minutes, though, steer clear.

Gerald Whitley is the kind of guy who thinks he is the smartest person in every room, which is usually the first sign of a character who is about to lose everything. He’s married, but he’s playing the field with Joan, an artist’s model who has no idea he’s already spoken for. It’s a setup as old as dirt, but there’s a certain charm to how clumsily they hide their tracks.

The brother, George, shows up and just makes everything worse by falling for the same woman. It’s awkward to watch, especially since the movie doesn't bother to make Gerald look sympathetic at all. He’s just a jerk with a fountain pen.

I found myself distracted by the furniture. Everything is so perfectly placed in these scenes, it feels like the actors are afraid to sit down and actually ruffle a cushion. 🛋️

The dialogue is thick, maybe a bit too thick, but there are moments where it cuts through the fluff. When the truth finally starts to crack open, it’s not handled with a lot of grace, but that’s kind of the point. It’s messy.

You might find yourself thinking of The Last of Mrs. Cheyney while watching this, mainly because both films lean so hard into that posh, drawing-room aesthetic. They share that same DNA where everyone is trying to keep a secret behind a glass of sherry.

There is a scene toward the end involving a portrait that felt like it dragged on for a week. The camera just sat there, waiting for someone to say something profound, and when they finally did, I’d already stopped caring about the painting entirely.

The ending, though? It’s genuinely weird. It didn’t go where I thought it would. I love when a movie just decides to veer off the road at the last second, even if the wheels come off.

It’s not a masterpiece. It’s barely even a 'good' movie by today’s standards, but it has a pulse. Sometimes that’s enough.

• The lighting in the studio scenes is surprisingly moody.
• George 'Gabby' Hayes makes an appearance, which is always a treat for eagle-eyed fans.
• The hats in this movie are genuinely aggressive.
• There is a distinct lack of people actually working for a living.