utgard14
An unassuming Englishman named Fotheringay (Roland Young) is given miraculous powers by celestial beings (perhaps gods, the film never says). He doesn't know where he got the powers from or why and, at first, he doesn't use them for anything more than simple tricks. Gradually he starts to realize the gift he's been given and decides to use his power for the greater good. But he isn't sure how to do this so he consults several respected men in the community and gets wildly different suggestions. A delightful fantasy comedy with a script co-written by H.G. Wells, adapted from one of his short stories. It's leisurely-paced and well-directed. Amazing special effects for the time, particularly when you consider this wasn't a Hollywood production. Roland Young (wearing a toupee) is perfectly cast. I can't imagine another actor from this time playing this part so well. The rest of the cast is terrific with a few recognizable faces in the mix, including Ernest Thesiger and, in a small role, George Zucco. Ralph Richardson steals the show as a blowhard colonel quite put out by Fotheringay's miracles. A shirtless George Sanders plays one of the 'gods.' One of my favorite scenes is when Fotheringay tells a policeman to "go to blazes" and winds up sending the man to Hell! The policeman's reaction while there and Fotheringay's subsequent attempt to fix the situation are hilarious.Reportedly Wells intended the film to be more preachy, like his script for Things to Come the year before. But thankfully director Lothar Mendes and co-screenwriter Lajos Biró chose to focus more on the comedy and getting the points across that way. The result is a funny movie but with some big ideas that gives you a lot to think about.
WarnersBrother
I can't add much to what has already been said of this wonderful film, but I would like to comment further on an observation made by an earlier reviewer vis-a-vis Ralph Richardson's superb portrayal of Colonel Winstanley.The earlier reviews stated that this character was the inspiration for David Low's immortal Colonel Blimp, but that could not be the case. By 1936 Blimp was a well known cartoon character, Low having begun drawing him for the "Evening Standard" some years before.Having said that, I have not the slightest doubt that the xenophobic, colonialist, anti-science and closed-minded Blimp was the inspiration for Colonel Winstanley.And I have no further doubt whatever that Winstanley was forefront in the mind of Powell and Pressburger when they brought him to life as the much more sympathetic Colonel (later General) Clive Wynn-Candy in the the masterpiece "The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp" eight years later.Having seen "Blimp" many times prior to seeing "The Man Who Could Work Miracles", my ears immediately went up in the scene where the character is first mentioned, thinking Hello, could it be? And then in the next cut, there is Winstanley in all his Blimpish glory and the little light bulb above the head goes off and you get that immensely satisfying moment of having put another film thread together...
Igenlode Wordsmith
After a somewhat stilted beginning, this cheerful little fantasy caught my imagination. The extended plot has been enlarged almost seamlessly from the original short story, and in very much the same wry spirit: this is recognisable as authentic H.G.Wells in a way that, say, the adaptations of 'The Time Machine' and 'The Invisible Man' are not... but despite being characteristically didactic, it is also amusing and thoroughly entertaining.Roland Young, in the downtrodden role of the eponymous Everyman, is more or less required to carry the film singlehanded and makes an admirable job of it, his hesitant body language alone speaking volumes. He is entirely believable as the voice of puzzled common sense amid all the conflicting demands being made of him, but when the worm turns he is also a strangely formidable figure.Of the special effects -- the 'miracles' themselves -- there is nothing more to be said and no higher praise than that after the first few minutes, by and large, one simply takes them for reality, accepting the logic within the story. Those footprints in the hearthrug are a little obviously fake, though!This is no great classic of its era, but its ideas have worn well, and, more importantly, it still makes for an enjoyable night out. Its main flaw is the introduction of the framing 'godly powers' plot, which was evidently felt necessary to explain just what was going on, but today verges on the embarrassing; in my opinion, the story could have stood up perfectly well without it.
bob the moo
The gods sit in the stars looking down at the humans and wonder at their patheticness. To see what will happen they give one man the power to work miracles. When Mr Fotheringay finds his has this gift he first treats it like a novelty only to be exploited by those seeking to make money from his gift before he finally finds his power corrupting.A mix between an English comedy and a morality tale, this doesn't always work but has interesting bits in both camps. The story follows the development of the hapless Mr Fotheringay as he discovers his powers and reveals the hearts of him and others along the way. The point being that humans aren't ready for such power and are too selfish to use it. It manages to raise a few smiles along the way, but gets far too heavy towards the end.Young is good as Mr Fotheringay and handles the gradual shift in his character really well. The rest of the cast are average, ranging from comedy policemen to the usual range of pretty girls. The effects are really good considering the age of the film, and they still look pretty good today. However the moralising of the film doesn't always work and it takes away from the comedy value of the piece (especially towards the end). It's downbeat message means it'll never be up there with `It's a Wonderful Life' but it still makes an interesting case.Overall it's interesting but neither it's comedy or it's messages are strong enough to make it a classic - but it's good nevertheless.
AD
