Linbeymusol Wonderful character development!

RyothChatty ridiculous rating

Huievest Instead, you get a movie that's enjoyable enough, but leaves you feeling like it could have been much, much more.

Quiet Muffin This movie tries so hard to be funny, yet it falls flat every time. Just another example of recycled ideas repackaged with women in an attempt to appeal to a certain audience.

Leofwine_draca DR. CRIPPEN is an effective retelling of a true crime story, bolstered by a typically excellent turn from Donald Pleasence in the titular role. Pleasence makes every facet of his flawed lead his own, and in the end you can truly believe that he is Crippen. He also helps to make Crippen a sympathetic character despite the turn of events that occurs.The format of the film is kept simple and straightforward, with much of the story told in flashback and courtroom drama making up the rest. It feels a little bit staid and ordinary, but Nic Roeg's cinematography at least makes it look good and the cast is decent: Samantha Eggar convinces as the youthful mistress, while Coral Browne is so overbearing that you can't help but sympathise with poor Crippen. A typically fiery Donald Wolfit (BLOOD OF THE VAMPIRE) plays the prosecutor with his usual aplomb.

LeonLouisRicci A Rather Dry and Low-Key Re-Telling of the Infamous Real-Life 1910 Case involving a Prominent Doctor, a Domineering and Battle-Axe of a Wife, an Attractive Mistress, and a Grisly Murder and Dismemberment. The "Good" Doctor was Tried and Hanged, but like so many of these Cases, the Jury, at least Publicly, is Still Out.This Movie is a Well Cast, Talky, Claustrophobic Story that Attains a British, Stuffy, Tone and never Varies. It is Compelling, if not a Top-Notch, Thriller or Mystery Who-Done-It or Courtroom Drama. The Film just sort of Whispers its way from one Scene to Another with just Enough Intrigue to keep one Interested.Nicholas Roeg's Cinematography is Crisp but Confined and it is the Performances that Grip this True Story and make it Involving with Samantha Eger and Donald Pleasence Standing Out, but Everyone Contributes to this Somewhat Creepy, Fireside, True-Crime, Turn of the Century Tale.

Robert J. Maxwell The British seem to have more interesting murderers than America, disregarding the current serial killer mania. The British have Jack the Ripper, Christie and Crippen, and what have we got? Lizzie Borden, and that's all.Crippen was a doctor who, in 1910, poisoned his virago of a horny wife, disarticulated her body, hid it, and ran off with his pretty young secretary, Ethel La Neve.According to this story, Crippen poisoned his wife by accident. La Neve had no idea she was dead and disposed of, believing Crippen's story that the wife had run off to America with one of her many boyfriends. When he comes under suspicion by Scotland Yard, Crippen tries to pull the same stunt. Well -- if you can mismanage an escape, this one is thoroughly bungled. Crippen shaves his mustache and disguises La Neve (played by the succulent and beautiful Samantha Eggar) as a boy. On the ship to America, the deceit is obvious, if for no other reason than that Crippen keeps grabbing his "son's" ass in public. The wireless is put to work and the duo are met by the Canadian police, returned to England, and Crippen gets the noose while La Neve goes free.No one can fault the performances. Donald Pleasance plays Crippen as a henpecked husband who stifles every emotion. Coral Browne is his frowzy, unfastidious wife always importuning her husband to bed her, which he hasn't done in years. (It's pretty frank about these matters.) But Pleasance doesn't seem to have any trouble with Ethel La Neve. Why should he? Not being the right kind of maven I don't know how closely the film hews to the historical record. The framing story is Crippen's trial and there are many flashbacks, sometimes illustrating events the witness could never have seen. The writing is clumsy and the direction pedestrian. It's a bald presentation of the facts, done with what appears to be a limited budget. It's artless. There is no poetry.There could have been an entirely different take on the matter. Ethel La Neve -- Homewrecker. She's Crippen's typist and wears low-cut dresses to work. She seduces Crippen who is, after all, every young lady's dream -- a doctor -- and persuades the smitten doc to get rid of the harridan at home and bury her dismembered corpse in the cellar.Still, there is an adult intelligence at work behind the flavorless presentation of fact and fancy. Every character is given a touch of some humanity, from Crippen the murderer, through his loveless wife, to the corrections officer at the jail before Crippen gets it in the neck. It's too bad that it all comes out rather spiritless.

Coventry Some of cinema's most fascinating & involving court dramas are inspired by notorious historical cases, and Robert Lynn's masterful Indie-production "Dr. Crippen" is definitely no exception. The factual case of Hawley Harvey Crippen was one of the most talked-about events back in 1910, because he was the first person the police ever arrested with the aid of wireless communication techniques (cleverly processed into the film as well) and - moreover - he was executed despite the fact that it was never fully clarified whether he intentionally murdered his wife or that he accidentally gave her an overdose of medicine. Especially since the true circumstances of Belle Crippen's death remain unknown to this date, the film also remains quite vague about it and only suggests a hypothetical situation of what could have happened. Writer Leigh Vance opted for an ingenious and rather unusual narrative structure in which extended scenes at the courthouse are interfered with extended flashbacks about how the accused got there. The first chapter largely focuses on portraying what type of woman Belle Crippen was. She was an arrogant and selfish woman, openly committing adultery and humiliating her docile husband in public ("you're unattractive, but you're my husband so I guess I have to sleep with you"). The second chapter subsequently depicts Dr. Crippen's sincere affection for the young Ethel Le Neve, who works as an employee in his medical cabinet. Despite Belle having many lovers, she threatens to ruin Crippen's career and reputation if he would choose to leave her for Ethel. The second segment ends on the night of Belle's death. The film's first hour is compelling enough and the case's background is of course essential need-to-know information, but the pacing is rather slow and several sequences appear to be a bit tedious. The last half hour, however, is close to brilliant and literally had me on the edge of my chair. Terrified of the possible consequences, Dr. Crippen convinces his sweet but extremely naive mistress to flee to the United States, disguised as father and son. The alert captain recognizes them and uses the newly invented wireless communication system to inform Scotland Yard about Crippen's whereabouts. The finale is absolutely powerful and unforgettable, handling about the verdict in court and the prison days prior to Dr. Crippen's execution. For as far as I read about the Crippen case in reference books and various websites, this film is very accurate and complete. Even the characterizations are truthful, which actually makes you sympathize with the Dr.'s side of the story, as he and Ethel experience true love whereas Belle is an insufferable battle-axe. On the other hand, if it was just an "accident", how could he bring himself to dismembering his wife's corpse and hide it from the police? As you can tell, this film is extraordinary involving and thought-provoking. Donald Pleasance gives away a tour-de-force performance as the titular character, once again reassuring us he was one of the most talented, but sadly underrated, actors who ever lived. The cinematography is very tight and wondrous, which shouldn't come as a big surprise considering the man responsible was Nicolas Roeg. Very much recommended!