Blame It on the Bellboy

Three different men check into a Venice hotel for very different reasons. Melvyn Orton has come to look at property being sold by Caroline Wright. Maurice Horton has come to meet a blind date that has been set up by a dating agency. Mike Lawton is a professional hit-man who has come to do a job. On their arrival each man is due to get information delivered to the hotel but the similarity of their surnames combined with language difficulties sees them getting the wrong contact information without knowing it. So Orton goes to view a house and finds himself held by a mobster. Horton thinks he is on a date with property seller Wright while Lawton thinks he has to kill Patricia Fulford (who thinks she is on a blind date).

Although this film produced the odd laugh from me, I found it very difficult to get past how very contrived and forced this farce was for the most part. It is a very dated British comedy that is rather predictable and very silly, those with low expectations might not be too disappointed because it occasionally amused me but there wasn't a great of wit here and everything was painted in very broad strokes. The characters are obviously thin and the comedy is supposed to come from all of them talking to one another at cross-purposes. At first this is a little funny but after a while it gets a bit tiresome and there isn't a great deal to distract as it moves forward. However I must contest those that call this the worst film they have ever seen; it isn't that bad – basic of course but it is weak, not terrible.

The cast mainly have little to do apart from act confused. Brown and Wilton are probably the best of the bunch and even they are not that good. They manage to produce interesting characters and are better for it. Moore has nothing to do of value and this is a poor thing to remember him by. Griffiths is amusing and works reasonable well with Kensit, but they don't have good material to work with. They all try hard to make the most of what they are working with but generally there isn't much there other than mugging.

Overall a faintly amusing farce but one that is far too contrived, forced and obvious to really be that funny. I can understand why many viewers hate it but it really isn't that bad – but it is pretty damn weak throughout but maybe if you are in an undemanding mood you'll get tickled by it a bit.