The premise of I Thank a Fool is very intriguing, so don't be surprised if you rent it on that alone. Add in the cast of Susan Hayward and Peter Finch and you're in for a dramatic treat. Suzy plays a doctor who mercy-kills her boyfriend and gets sent to jail. When she's released, she doesn't know what kind of new life she'll have, since she obviously can't practice medicine anymore. She gets summoned to a large, beautiful estate to interview for a caretaking position. Diane Cilento seems normal enough, but her husband, Peter Finch, says she's not all there. . . Suzy's very reluctant to take the job - because Peter was the prosecutor who sent her to jail in the first place!
This movie really is as exciting as it sounds. I was hoping for a little more romantic tension between the two leads, but it's not that kind of movie. With the exception of the last five minutes, I was riveted and kept wanting to watch more. I'm always forgiving when a movie doesn't end the way I want it to, because you never know what got altered during screenplay revisions, studio insistences, and preview screenings. So, with that in mind, I'll recommend I Thank a Fool for anyone who likes the cast and is in the mood for a drama with a slightly mysterious and thrilling edge to it.
