A Masterpiece!

It's funny, it's tense, it features two great performances from two actors and the director expertly creates a web of odd tension where you actually don't know what is happening for the majority of the run time.

One of the worst ways to make a cult movie is to set out to make a cult movie.

One of the most extraordinary films you will see this year. Take that as you want.

Alastair Sim stars in this morality tale as Inspector Poole who suddenly appears like a spectre in the house of a provincial wealthy family and interrogates them over the death of a local girl which each members of the family have been associated with.An Inspector Calls is better known as a stage play and here it has been filled out with flashbacks as we find out more about the life of the dead girl and her interactions with the various members of the family.Although the film is set in 1912 it its themes are still relevant today and especially when you see the division in attitudes with the younger characters in the play and the older characters who are not only more selfish but less remorseful that they pretended to be.Sim is sly and powerful as the Inspector who brings down the selfish members of this family a peg or two, he keeps you watching. Jane Wenham is likable as Eva the deceased girl who over time crosses paths with the Birling family and not for the better.

I'd not seen any other version of this J B Priestly play and its reputation preceded it, for me. I'd seen on TV Alistair Sim in classic war-time films such as Green For Danger, a few Ealing comedies and Christmas favourites, such as Scrooge.His measured and clipped tones always steal the scene, in both the above and 'An Inspector...', the way his gaze is locked onto the eyes of his subject and is thus always enthralling. Not ever having known it to be on TV, at least recently, I bought this lovely, BFI release, in its trademark distinctive packaging, that always stamps an air of superior approval over other editions. The transfer is very good, with good blacks and clean whites and with good, undistorted sound.These days, it may seem all a bit Agatha Christie 'whodunnit' but there's far more to it than that. Not only Sim, quietly and cleverly quizzing the family, but social comment on the 1912 in which it is set and the various members of a factory-owning, exploiting upper classes, that goes far beyond mere history books or documentaries. In between the layers of the story are all types of characters that we all know must have existed but in the interests of social whitewash, were quietened, to the point of extinction.The acting is superb throughout and the script intelligent enough to keep everyone, of all ages and types, intrigued and entertained. Guy Hamilton's direction is without flair, which might have made it gimmicky but is far enough removed from a theatrical setting to ensure no-one can argue that it's just a filmed play.Critics argue that the play originally had far more impact - who can argue with that?I was disappointed that An Inspector is not available in the Alistair Sim Collection, or other boxed set, as this version on its own, can be expensive, though secondhand, like mine, can be affordable.

A toff English family dinner is interrupted by the appearance of Inspector Poole, he announces that a young lady has committed suicide by the ingestion of disinfectant. At first the family is oblivious as to why this concerns them, but as Poole interviews each family member, it's apparent that one thing binds them all to the mystery.Adapted from the J.B. Priestley stage play, An Inspector Calls is everything that was great about 50s British Cinema. Simple in structure it may be, but the lack of clogging in any form shines brighter than many a lavish production from this particular decade. The films cause is helped immensely by the quality of the writing, Desmond Davis adding further quality to the already great source provided by the talented Priestley. At first the film leads you to believe that it's going to be a one room interrogation piece, but thru a series of flash backs we are taken out of the room to follow this intriguing story to its quite brilliant finale. There are no histrionics from the actors in this piece, all of them are wonderful because they adhere to the necessity of letting the story be the star. Alastair Sim is perfectly cast as Inspector Poole, a large presence with those highly sympathetic eyes, Sim may be playing the main character, yet he's playing second fiddle to the fleshing out of the Birling family deconstruction, it's a wonderful case where the acting glue is holding it all together.Director Guy Hamilton does a smashing job of making the film permanently edgy, a sense of unease is palpable throughout, and it's only during the final reel that the heart of the film shows its ace card, and even then, the makers have one more trick up their sleeves. Also worth mentioning is the editing from the sadly uncredited Geoffrey Botterill, so many films containing flash back sequences feel intrusive to the flow of a picture, it isn't here, it's spot on. An Inspector Calls is a wonderful mystery piece that is dotted with moments of unease, but all this would go to waste if the pay off was merely a damp squib, it thankfully isn't, and the likes of Rod Serling and Charles Beaumont were surely nodding in approval.Highly recommended 9/10.*Footnote:Alastair Sim is listed on this site as playing Inspector Goole, that is the characters name in the Priestley play, but i can assure everyone that his characters name is definitely Inspector Poole for this film version.

I've just seen An Inspector Calls for the first time and found it very enjoyable. The ending was a bit of a surprise.The Birlings, a rich English family are having dinner one evening when a copper calls round to see them and tell them about a girl who has just been found dead. At first, they deny they knew her but each member of the family did know her and had a different connection with her. These include being a former lover and a former employee. Later on, we learn the truth and there is something strange about the Inspector...The Inspector is played brilliantly by the great Alastair Sim (Scrooge) and the rest of the cast includes Arthur Young and Brian Forbes.This is a must see, especially for old movie fans. Brilliant.Rating: 4 stars out of 5.