Watch Home at Seven For Free

Plenty to Like, Plenty to Dislike

Good , But It Is Overrated By Some

It’s not bad or unwatchable but despite the amplitude of the spectacle, the end result is underwhelming.

The movie's neither hopeful in contrived ways, nor hopeless in different contrived ways. Somehow it manages to be wonderful

Ralph Richardson arrives home from work at seven as he does every day, where he finds his wife Margaret Leighton sobbing. When she shows him the newspaper, it hits him: it's not Monday evening but Tuesday evening! He's been missing for an entire day, and he has no recollection of where he's been. While trying to figure out what happened with family doctor Jack Hawkins, they get news that the safe of Richardson's social club has been robbed, and a steward at the club murdered. Inspector Campbell Singer is investigating and all clues seem to lead to Richardson...Based on a play by R.C. Sheriff (and inspired by personal experiences) that also starred Richardson ('The Fallen Idol'), this is the sole movie that he directed. Which is quite a remarkable feat as he's in almost every scene. He does a very nice job tho, both in front of and behind the camera. He gives a great restrained performance and Leighton ('The Good Die Young') is perfectly cast as his wife. Together they make one of the sweetest couples I've seen lately, with some very touching scenes (esp the one where he tries to prepare her for life without him, while having tea and toast). The resolution of Richardson's predicament is quite satisfying and also adds depth to the movie and Richardson's psyche. It also shows how an innocent little white lie between husband and wife (and this one really is innocent), can have grave consequences... Richardson's directing and the camera work by Jack Hilyard ('The Bridge On The River Kwai') and Edward Scaife ('Night of The Demon') is straight-forward and devoid of flourishes but efficient and solid. It's not the most exciting movie ever made as it is primarily dialogue-driven, but it's a good uber-British stiff upper lip take on an amnesia noir thriller, with excellent and touching performances by Richardson and Leighton. Recommended. 7/10

Taking a look at UK DVD company Network during their Christmas sale for titles that I could watch with my dad over the X-Mas season,I spotted a Film Noir that I remembered reading a good review for in Empire magazine,which mentioned that this was the lone movie that British actor Ralph Richardson directed,which led to me setting my clock so I could get home and watch the title at 7.The plot:Returning home,banker David Preston starts talking to his wife Janet about how work went.Stopping David in the middle of his stories,Janet asks David where he has been,due to having been away from home (and at work) for an entire day.Telling Janet that he does not know what she is talking about,David picks up the newspaper,and is shocked to discover that he has missed an entire day.Trying to piece together what took place,David finds himself unable to remember anything that happened on his lost day.As he tries to make sense of what has taken place,the police discovery that a member of David's private members club has been found murdered,and that the entire savings of the club have mysteriously disappeared.View on the film:Before I get to the movie,I have to mention that Network have given the title a superb transfer,with the picture being pin-stripe sharp and every forgotten footstep from David being clear to hear. For his lone shot behind the camera, Ralph Richardson (joined by Assistant Director/future Bond director Guy Hamilton) keeps the movie close to its stage roots,as long,stilted takes peel away at David's anxiety over the events that took place.Whilst he does keep things grounded,Richardson boils up a classy Film Noir atmosphere,as elegant low-lighting brightens the fragments of David's memory.Taking R.C. Sheriff's play from the stage to the screen, Anatole de Grunwald gives David & Janet a perfect image,which gradually fractures as David tries to regain his memory.Calming opening up David's "perfect" image, Grunwald casts David off into a shattered post-war Film Noir world,with a wonderfully left-field twist allowing David's PTSD nightmare to be shown in raw daylight. Appearing prim and proper, Richardson gives a great performance as David,whose mild-manner behaviour is given a sharp sense of doubt by Richardson,as David fails to get home at 7.

I wonder how much dialogue you can squeeze into an 80 minute movie. "Home At Seven" tries its darnedest to break the record, in a film that is long on discussions but short on action.It starts with a great idea. A man comes home from work, to discover that he has missed an entire day, during which a murder has been committed. So far, so good. But I found out that it is almost possible to talk a good idea to death, as there follows an endless collection of discussions, confrontations, meetings and heart to heart talks. Now, I understand that in such a situation explanations must be in order, but the whole movie began to seem like a 3 hour ordeal.Ralph Richardson is the hapless husband and Margaret Leighton is wonderful as his devoted wife. Jack Hawkins is their doctor-friend and all three principals try their best to move things along. Granted, it is a clever concept and ultimately brought to a surprise ending, but it's not a good sign when you keep checking your watch throughout the picture.But it is well worth a look, especially if you have more patience than myself.

A long forgotten British film, that has David Preston ( Ralph Richardson) as a lowly bank clerk, who returns home, as usual, only to be told by his wife, that he has been missing for 24 hours.He slowly starts to come to terms with what has happened, only to find out that the steward of his local club has been murdered, and that he has been implicated. Margaret Leighton as his wife, and Campbell Singer,as the police inspector give good support. I find these films from 40's and 50's fascinating, as they show a way of life that has long since disappeared.