The Man in the White Suit
Dir: Alexander Mackendrick
1951
****
Alexander Mackendrick's The Man in the White Suit is classic Ealing comedy and so much more. I'm a huge fan of the studios comedy spree that lasted for 17 films (The Man in the White Suit being number 9) made between 1947 and 1957. All of the comedies are inventive in their own unique way but only The Man in the White Suit deals with political similarities. Passport to Pimlico dealt with politics but mainly highlighted differences, here they explore similarities between Big enterprise and trade unions and how both can quash development for their own gain. Doesn't sound like much of a comedy but I assure you it is. Alec Guinness typically plays it straight to great effect but is supported by a great list of actors who exaggerate each performance perfectly. It's quite a revealing subject considering the time it was made, post-war Britain was on the up but this film really was ahead of its time.