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6.4/10
Senior Film Conservator
A definitive 6.4/10 rating for a film that redefined the boundaries of cult cinema. The Keyhole remains a cornerstone of transgressive art.
If you like old movies where people talk in rooms for ninety minutes, you might get a kick out of The Keyhole. It’s not exactly a classic, but Kay Francis has that weird, sharp energy that makes even the fluffiest scripts watchable. If you need a movie that challenges your brain or has a tight plot, stay far away. This one is for the late-night crowd who just want to watch people in tuxedos acting frantic.
The whole premise is that Anne Brooks, played by Francis, is legally married to two guys at once. Instead of calling a lawyer, she goes to Havana. Because of course you do. 🌴
There’s a scene early on where the dialogue feels like it’s being read off a cue card held by a distracted intern. It’s clunky. But then Glenda Farrell walks into the frame and suddenly the movie has a heartbeat again. She’s the only one who seems to know that this is supposed to be a comedy.
The plot gets really twisty once they hit Cuba. I stopped trying to track who knew what about the two husbands around the forty-minute mark. It reminded me a bit of the frantic energy in The Public Enemy, though obviously with a lot less violence and a lot more fancy cocktails.
Honestly, the movie is a bit of a slog. It tries to be a sophisticated comedy but gets bogged down in its own silly setup. You can almost feel the writers struggling to get Kay Francis back to the hotel without another scene of someone shouting at her.
It’s not as interesting as something like Prisoners, which had a much darker, more focused grip on its audience. The Keyhole just sort of drifts along. It’s fine if you’re folding laundry or scrolling through your phone, but don't expect it to change your life.
There’s a moment toward the end where a character pauses for, like, five seconds too long. It was probably a technical glitch in the print, but it felt like the actor was just genuinely tired of the whole thing. I felt that. 🥂
IMDb 5.7
1915
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