The Price of a Song: A vintage crime caper that almost gets away with it

Is it worth your time?

If you have a soft spot for grainy, old-school British crime dramas where everyone is wearing a suit and looking slightly guilty, you might enjoy this. It’s not exactly high art, but it’s a decent way to kill an hour if you like watching people try to be clever when they’re actually just kind of desperate. If you need explosions or fast pacing, stay away. This is for the folks who like their mysteries served with a side of tea and bad intentions.

Felix Aylmer is doing a lot of heavy lifting here as Grierson. He has that specific look of a man who has calculated his retirement plan and decided that murder is just another line item in the budget. It’s creepy in a quiet, polite way.

The Setup

The whole premise of forcing a step-daughter into a marriage just to pay off debts feels like something out of a much older, grumpier novel. The songwriter, Nevern, is just the right amount of 'caddish.' You find yourself waiting for him to get his comeuppance, even if the person planning it is a complete worm. It’s funny how movies like this make you root for the disaster, really.

I couldn't help but think of the schemes in Cheating Cheaters while watching Grierson build his little web of alibis. He’s so proud of himself. He’s literally ticking boxes in his head like he’s filling out a tax form. It’s the kind of overconfidence that makes for a great watch because you just know he’s going to trip over his own shoelaces.

The Tangent

There’s a moment in the middle where the film just stops to let a character talk, and I swear, the background wallpaper in that scene is more distracting than the actual plot. Why was it so busy? It felt like the set designer had a vendetta against the audience's eyes. 🙄

The pacing is… well, it’s definitely from a different era. Some scenes linger on a door closing or a cup being set down for an eternity. It’s not quite as breezy as Excess Baggage, which keeps things moving even when the story is thin. Here, you really feel the weight of every minute.

• Grierson’s obsession with his 'perfect' alibi is borderline pathetic.
• Nevern is so unlikeable you almost start to feel bad for the guy.
• The dialogue is stiff, but in a way that feels oddly realistic for a bunch of stuffy people in a room.

When the 'incredible slip' finally happens, it’s almost frustrating. You want the guy to be caught, but the way it happens is just so… simple. It’s a classic trope, sure, but it feels like the writers got tired of building the trap and just decided to drop the anvil on him. 🔨

It’s not a masterpiece, but it’s a perfectly fine, dusty little relic. Don't go looking for deep meaning. Just enjoy the misery of these people and the fact that, eventually, everyone gets what's coming to them. Probably.