Like many of the Ealing comedies (British flicks in the 1950s starring Alec Guinness), I found The Man in the White Suit to be far more dramatic than funny. I probably laughed twice during the entire movie, and when it was over, I felt an intense wave of sadness.
Alec Guinness stars as a man with big ideas. He works in a huge scientific laboratory, but since he's only a lowly janitor, he doesn't have access to use the materials, nor to the bigwigs who might listen to him. One day, when no one's looking, he sneaks some use of some extra chemicals and concocts a formula. We hear the gobbelty-gook of the chemical reactions, and as they grow louder and attract more attention, Alec grows happier. At last it's ready: he's created a formula for clothing that won't get dirty and never wears out.
The reason I don't consider this a comedy is because after he successfully makes his formula, he thinks it'll be an easy sell and a hot commodity. However, he fails to recognize human nature for what it is. Everyone else in the movie tries to stop him from putting his product on the market, and at times, it's quite upsetting. If you can take strongly ironic and cynical movies, you might be able to appreciate this one. But just don't expect to split your sides laughing.
Alec Guinness stars as a man with big ideas. He works in a huge scientific laboratory, but since he's only a lowly janitor, he doesn't have access to use the materials, nor to the bigwigs who might listen to him. One day, when no one's looking, he sneaks some use of some extra chemicals and concocts a formula. We hear the gobbelty-gook of the chemical reactions, and as they grow louder and attract more attention, Alec grows happier. At last it's ready: he's created a formula for clothing that won't get dirty and never wears out.
The reason I don't consider this a comedy is because after he successfully makes his formula, he thinks it'll be an easy sell and a hot commodity. However, he fails to recognize human nature for what it is. Everyone else in the movie tries to stop him from putting his product on the market, and at times, it's quite upsetting. If you can take strongly ironic and cynical movies, you might be able to appreciate this one. But just don't expect to split your sides laughing.