That being said, let's focus on the sly humor.
- Jonathan Pryce ("Very Annie Mary") is Dr. Dalrymple, a charlatan who treats women suffering from hysteria through "manipulation" that results in "paroxysms," after which the women are "greatly relieved." His waiting room is jammed with "sufferers."
- Hugh Dancy ("Adam") is Dr. Mortimer Granville, the physician who really DID develop the first vibrator, which remains the most popular "sex toy" in the world. After Dr. Dalrymple hires him, it's clear that our hero soon suffers from Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, so he has to invent something! His treatment was for muscle aches, as masturbation was considered deviant.
- Maggie Gyllenhaal ("Crazy Heart") is Dr. Dalrymple's progressive daughter Charlotte; she runs a soup kitchen, teaches children to read (and wash their hands), and then to cap it off, passes out literature that promotes women's right to vote. Hussy!
- Rupert Everett ("Wild Target") has a blast as the tinkerer Edmund St. John-Smythe, Dr. Granville's good friend and collaborator. Edmund is always struggling with one invention or another and is constantly trying to get that new-fangled gadget, the telephone, to work: "Ahoy! Ahoy! Is anyone there?"
- Felicity Jones ("Like Crazy") is Dr. Dalrymple's other (perfect) daughter Emily: acquiescent, cultured, well-groomed and lovely.
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Here is a link to a preview:
http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi3021120281/
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Here is a link to a preview:
http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi3021120281/
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