After is a marvellous film, a bit like a getting to know the Charles' a little better than in the first one (at 108 mins and with a print in great condition), as well all their friends and enemies in San Francisco. They finally made it back from New York after a two year train ride to be greeted by reverse projected buildings, Asta making every pole his own, and their house full of inebriated mystery strangers to welcome them back.
A nasty piece of work who married into Nora's weird and ancient family is murdered, to no-one's regret but the culprit still has to be found. Along the way Nick has an illuminating after-dinner conversation with some of Nora's relations, Asta has his own thing going in a love triangle - why was Mrs. Asta cooped up? He also has some cutesy slapstick scenes with Nick and Nora which unfortunately ran on a bit too long for me - the film is long, but not much time is wasted overall. The badinage between the leads was as bright and breezy as in the original film, only with more room for character development. The denouement was a little trite as only Nick would have known the surprising answer, but still satisfying for all that.
A worthy sequel, imho pretty close but not quite as brilliant as the first, Powell and Loy a joy to watch and listen to.
A nasty piece of work who married into Nora's weird and ancient family is murdered, to no-one's regret but the culprit still has to be found. Along the way Nick has an illuminating after-dinner conversation with some of Nora's relations, Asta has his own thing going in a love triangle - why was Mrs. Asta cooped up? He also has some cutesy slapstick scenes with Nick and Nora which unfortunately ran on a bit too long for me - the film is long, but not much time is wasted overall. The badinage between the leads was as bright and breezy as in the original film, only with more room for character development. The denouement was a little trite as only Nick would have known the surprising answer, but still satisfying for all that.
A worthy sequel, imho pretty close but not quite as brilliant as the first, Powell and Loy a joy to watch and listen to.