Watch Absurd Person Singular

Absurd Person Singular is a 1985 film adaptation of the 1972 play of the same name by Alan Ayckbourn. The film, directed by Michael Simpson, stars Cheryl Campbell, Michael Gambon, and Nicky Henson, among others. The film portrays the social and domestic lives of three couples from three different socioeconomic backgrounds. Their interactions take place over the course of three Christmas gatherings, each at a different couple's home. The characters' behavior is revealed in each act, and the drama unfolds in a style reminiscent of a French farce.

The film opens with Sidney Hopcroft (Henson), an ambitious, working-class entrepreneur who desires to climb the social ladder. He is married to a social climber named Jane Hopcroft (Campbell), whose only concern in life is material possessions and social status. They arrive at the first couple's home, Geoffrey Jackson's (Gambon) and his depressed wife, Eva Jackson (Alison Steadman), where they try to strike up a conversation that will enhance their social status.

Throughout the film, the couples continually change places in terms of wealth, power, and status. The second act takes place at the home of the newly rich Hopcrofts, where they throw a party, inviting a variety of guests, including the third couple, banker Ronald Brewster-Wright (Geoffrey Palmer) and his alcoholic wife Marion (Prunella Scales).

The final act takes place in the luxurious home of Brewster-Wright, who has become bankrupt and suicidal. Hopcroft, who has risen to the top of the social ladder, is now in charge of a construction company that is doing business with Brewster-Wright's bank. His wife Jane, now a socialite, is more concerned with the gory details of Mrs. Brewster-Wright's suicide attempt than the human tragedy behind it.

The film's plot is driven by the characters' obsessions and ambition, and their relationships with each other. The film's comedy is often dark, exploring themes of social climbing, greed, and failure. The film critiques the upper classes with wit and biting humor, portraying them as obsessed with their social position and material possessions, despite their emotional and psychological shortcomings. The film also pokes fun at the nouveau riche and working-class social climbers who seek to emulate them.

The film's performances are excellent, particularly Cheryl Campbell as Jane Hopcroft, who relishes in the character's crassness and ambition. Michael Gambon, who plays the depressed and ineffectual Geoffrey Jackson, and Nicky Henson, who portrays the ambitious and unscrupulous Sidney Hopcroft, are also notable.

The film's direction is competent, adapting the source material well. The play's three-act structure is effectively translated to the screen, and the pacing is brisk, with each act running around 30 minutes. The film's sets and costumes are lavish, reflecting the characters' desire for material possessions and social status.

Overall, Absurd Person Singular is a biting and darkly comedic look at the upper classes and their ambition, as well as the working-class desire to emulate them. The film explores themes of social climbing, greed, and failure with wit and humor, and the excellent performances by the ensemble cast make this film well worth a watch.