Saw Seven Chances, a Buster Keaton comedy. The plot is that in order to cash in on a $1M inheritance, Keaton must marry someone by 7pm that day. The end of the film is clear before the action even begins: we are told he's been pining for this one woman but can't pluck up the courage to ask her to marry him. She is offended by his proposal now because she assumes she's just "any" woman who will do. With this refusal, he goes hunting for another woman, ultimately resorting to newspaper advertising. The film has three acts: Keaton asking random women to marry him, Keaton being overwhelmed by too many brides, and finally Keaton running a lot.
I enjoyed the film a great deal. I particularly liked the second act, when he suffers from his own success. There's something deeply funny about Keaton running from an angry mob of dainty, wedding-dress-clad brides. Just the volume of them is great! Also, of course Keaton is a master of the dead-pan and of telling stories in little micro-motions and gestures. There's a great mix of subtle acting and extremely un-subtle stunts.
Alas, the film was made in the 20s and there's some gross-ass black-face we have to deal with. I also felt like there's something Freudian about the image of a man fleeing from brides. Generally the women come out on top in this film however. They are the gatekeepers of their sexuality in this film and poor Keaton spends a lot of time being jeered at by failed partners.
So the film was pretty good. Weird 20s-politics aside, I thought the film was funny and exciting. There's all kinds of gags that I rewound to watch again. Good film!
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