Sweet Revenge 1998

views updated

Sweet Revenge ★½ The Revengers' Comedies 1998

Even this professional cast can't rescue this predictable black comedy that is condensed from two 1991 Alan Ayckbourn plays, “The Revengers' Comedies.” After saving each other from committing suicide, depressed businessman Henry Bell (Neill) and orphaned aristocrat Karen Knightly (Bonham Carter) agree on reciprocal revenge plots. Karen will punish the guy (Coogan) who stole Henry's job while Henry will destroy the neurotic wife (Scott Thomas) whose husband was once Karen's lover. Then Henry discovers Karen hasn't been telling him the truth. Too much seems to be lost from the original source. 82m/C VHS, DVD . GB FR Sam Neill, Helena Bonham-Carter, Kristin Scott Thomas, Martin Clunes, Rupert Graves, Steve Coogan, John Wood, Liz Smith, Charlotte Coleman; D: Malcolm Mowbray; W: Malcolm Mowbray; C: Romain Winding; M: Alexandre Desplat. CABLE