Popular reviews

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  Review by St. Sebastian ★★★½

  Every time I start to lose faith in the goodness and integrity of contemporary society, I rewatch "Kipps". This film restores faith in the existence of young people with pure hearts like Kipps, who are innocent, decent, and deserving of our hope. There are also girls like Ann who are willing to face any challenges with their loved one and are unafraid of them. A little bit naive, but still a fantastic tale with a happily ever after. And I can say that the best and most completely insane (in a good way) people (who fortunately do exist!) are probably flighty directors and playwrights riding bicycles at night with a bunch of crazy ideas!

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  Review by heatherNZ ★★★★ 1

  Awww. Michael Redgrave. Look at him brooding in that header photo and tell me you want anything more from a film. You also want to see him bathe? Well have I got the film for you. Delightful.

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  Review by Chris 🍉 ★★★★½

  michael redgrave really was so effortlessly charming and funny in these breezy romance/comedy/dramas 😭 i could stan endlessly

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  Review by Cate ★★★★ 3

  What if you could clap three times in a draper's boutique and summon Michael Redgrave to appear, as soon as he finishes admiring his moustache?

  What if you hit Michael Redgrave with your bicycle, ripped his trousers, then spread all 6ft3 of him across your lap while you stitched them back together?

  Kipps is totally charming and lovely, including a gorgeous daydream sequence where Redgrave's character watches himself leave his body, suddenly bold.

  It's also fun to see the two tall, bisexual, British Michaels of the 1940s onscreen together; Wilding is great in a minor role, all smarm and false polish.

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  Review by Jumpingfrog ★★★★

  Based on H.G. Wells' picaresque novel, Kipps is a superior literary adaptation from Carol Reed. Michael Redgrave is excellent as the title character, a draper who unexpectedly inherits a fortune, but he's well supported by a superb cast of British character actors.
  Infinitely better than the loud and obnoxious Tommy Steele musical film version (Half a sixpence) this film is subtle, warm and right, a gentle satire impeccably played and unostentatiously directed.
  The film exists in two cuts, the original British version runs around 111mins, the American cut (The Remarkable Mr. Kipps) only 82. While neither version is readily available the British version is well worth seeking out (hint: someone has posted it on YouTube.)

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  Review by PUNQ ★★★

  Kipps (1941) is a adorable movie. Sure it could have been trimmed down a lot, or made more out of a few of the scenes, but it was the gentle story with gentle execution which made it was it is. Michael Redgrave really took the role to heart.

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  Review by 🇵🇱 Steve G 🐝 ★★★

  This light comedy was tucked away in-between all manner of acclaimed releases for Carol Reed back in the 30s and 40s and subsequently has become rather forgotten.

  Considering it was directed by Reed and based on a story by HG Wells with scripting by Sidney Gilliat and Frank Launder, the talent behind the camera alone might have led to Kipps being more substantial than it was. Then there's Michael Redgrave and Phyllis Calvert in front of it.

  But like I say, this is all very light and familiar in subject matter and intention. A rags to riches to rags to riches story with a comedy of manners and a romcom packed in too, it makes it sound like there's more going on than there actually is. Not really though, and not much to say about the class issues it makes some noises about.

  Charming and funny enough but very forgettable.

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  Review by gabz ✧ ★★★★

  Michael Redgrave is a whole ass 6’3, 30-something-year-old BABY in this and you cannot convince me otherwise

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  Review by robyn ★★½

  set at the turn of the 20th century, kipps is an endearing little early 40s british drama adapted from an h.g. wells’ novel and directed by carol reed. michael redgrave is as delightful as ever and made this quite enjoyable! there’s something dickens-esque about this in my opinion, but i’m not sure if others would agree.

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  Review by flex martian ★★★★

  This is so fun, and Michael Redgrave is adorable with his accent and little moustache, smoothly descending staircases as a harried shop boy. Plus I love Phyllis Calvert being working class, she's always so sweet and frustrated.

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  Review by paige ★★★★

  so so sweet. michael redgrave is so charming and lovely to watch

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  Review by Reza Said ★★★★

  Kipps (Carol Reed, 1941) 8/10

  Rags-to-riches story about class differences as it traces the rise, fall and rise again of a draper's assistant (Michael Redgrave). Based on the novel by H. G. Wells the plot follows the adventures of a naive young man working as an apprentice in a drapery shop, his infatuation with the beautiful but class conscious young woman (Diana Wynyard) who teaches him woodwork, the sudden discovery of an inheritance, his entry into polite society which leaves him flustered and his love for his childhood sweetheart who is now a maid (Phyllis Clavert). Kipps is surrounded by colourful characters straight out of Dickens and the film rests on the utterly charming performance of Redgrave. Humourous and perceptive this is one of the classic British films from the 1940s.