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When a movie has you begging for it to end not even half way through it's pure crap. We've all seen this movie and this characters millions of times, nothing new in it. Don't waste your time.

It's the kind of movie you'll want to see a second time with someone who hasn't seen it yet, to remember what it was like to watch it for the first time.

There's no way I can possibly love it entirely but I just think its ridiculously bad, but enjoyable at the same time.

Exactly the movie you think it is, but not the movie you want it to be.

The most English of all English comedies and something of a tour-de-force, particularly for Clive Brook who produced, directed and adapted Frederick Lonsdale's play as well as taking the lead as a penniless Duke in love with an American heiress. She's Googie Withers but she doesn't love him back. They end up as chaperons, he to Roland Culver and she to Beatrice Lillie, on a Scottish island where Lillie has brought Culver for a month 'on approval' to see if she likes him enough to marry him. All four are superb but Lillie, in one of her few major film roles, walks off with the movie as the obnoxious Maria, though in the acting stakes Brook does give her a run for her money. The film is seldom revived, however; could it be just too sophisticated for mass consumption?

ON APPROVAL has very, very glowing reviews so far and I am not surprised. It's a smart and funny comedy of manners that had a freshness that pleasantly surprised me. However, at the same time, I understand that this is NOT a film for everyone, as its droll sense of humor is certainly not what the average person would enjoy. In other words, it is probably more for a niche market--people who can enjoy a funny film with great subtlety (such as an Oscar Wilde play). In other words, if the humor of Jim Carey and Rob Schneider make you laugh, then you probably aren't a good candidate to see ON APPROVAL.In the beginning of the film, a narrator talks about love during recent history. Eventually, this takes the movie back to the mid-late Victorian era. I loved this part, as occasionally the characters broke character and talked to the narrator. This took me by surprise and let me know this was not the typical comedy.The story then focuses on four middle-aged upper class people--two men of noble birth but with less than noble bank accounts and two ladies of better financial means. They are all single and the two men both seem to think marriage (finally) is a good idea to solve their financial woes--in particular, Richard's dire economic problems. If he were to marry the rich Helen, he could live a very, very comfortable life. There isn't a whole lot of love behind his proposal and it's probably in light of this that she has a shocking but intelligent solution--they will go off on a vacation together and see how it is to act like husband and wife for a few weeks. However, much to Richard's chagrin, this does NOT grant him conjugal rights--after all, this is the Victorian era and Helen brings along a friend to guarantee this.Now these are not the only two who go on this vacation. The very boorish and rude George insinuates himself with Richard to ostensibly help him, though it seems he's along much more as a freeloader as well as to woo Helen's American friend and chaperon, Maria. Most of George's contribution to the effort is to try to increase the likelihood Richard beds Helen...though the film never is so bold as to state this explicitly. However, for the most part, George is just in the way.When they arrive, the servants in this Scottish retreat soon leave--refusing to stay as it ends up that the four unmarried people will be living in the same mansion (gosh, what a shock). So, the four of them are expected to cook and wait on each other. In hindsight, this is a very good thing, as it either brings out the best or the worst in each of these four--leading to a few twists and surprised.The film has sparkling dialog and a nice wit. It's rare to see such a well-written film and managing to gently poke fun at Victorian morality works very well because of this writing. The acting, likewise is very good. However, there is one odd problem with casting. Maria is supposed to be an American, but Ms. Lillies sounds about as American as the rest of the cast--as she has a very unmistakable English accent. Perhaps since the film was made during WWII it was hard to get an American actress for the part, but Ms. Lillie, though a fine actress, didn't even attempt the correct accent...or perhaps that's how we all sound to the Brits! Still, if this is my only complaint, then it must have been a pretty good film.By the way, Clive Brook not only played George in the film, but he directed and wrote the movie as well! Wow. I am impressed.

This is a send up about British society people set in the 1890's that not only keeps your interest but gets progressively funnier with time. Beatrice Lillie plays Maria and Googie Withers plays Helen, with Maria deciding to go for a trial marriage for a month's holiday in Scotland with Richard. George, a Duke, tags along and through a series of planned misadventures, all four of them end up in the same castle on an island they have to row to to reach. This film must have been a breath of fresh air in 1943, as the war was still going on. Sixty five years later, it is still fresh. I had a great time watching it, it is a well made farce, and the acting is terrific. If you like British comedy at all, this is absolutely essential.

On Approval is an extremely amusing comedy of upper class British manners. It is wickedly malicious without being mean-spirited. The four leads play off each other flawlessly. Unfortunately, it seems to be one of those forgotten gems. The DVD release awhile back may have given it some new recognition. (And the DVD transfer is first rate.)Clive Brook, who also wrote and directed the film, is priceless as an aristocrat who finds it entirely reasonable to take his pleasures at the expense of others. He was a major star in the Thirties, but made only one more movie, The List of Adrian Messenger, after this one. At 76 he proved he still could hold his own against all comers, including George C. Scott.