Seven Chances (1925)

See how old this is? They were still using sundials!

Genre: Silent Family Comedy

Starring: Buster Keaton (The Saphead; Speak Easily), Ruth Dwyer

Directed By: Buster Keaton (The General; Our Hospitality)

Overview: When a down on his luck businessman inherits 7 million dollars, he goes on a mission to fulfill his part of the obligation: to be married by 7 PM tonight.

Acting: Buster Keaton. His acting and direction style is more subtle than most people of his generation, and the physical acting portions of his films are what he's all about. I don't think I'll ever have a problem with this guy. He's amazing. As a director, he also knows how to pick a good cast, that's for sure.
Rating: 8

Cinematography: Aside from the great and dangerous stunts that Keaton pulls off, he knows some pretty good cameramen. Vignetting, scene set up, cropping, all those extra brides chasing him scene after scene cracked me up constantly. I must admit, the shooting of this was critical for the comedy, and it's terrific.
Rating: 8

Script: Silent film tends to tell just enough without overdoing it, but sometimes suffers from under-explanation from time to time. Not so with this one. The dialogue was just enough to get us going and even the narrative had some art in it, even if it was only a branch through the season. Perfect for the genre.
Rating: 8

Plot: The story isn't as good as Our Hospitality, it's definitely a thinner plot, but great nonetheless. Man inherits money, but has to get married in the next few hours. He proposes to his lady, and she takes it the wrong way. By the time she's changed her mind, his inheritance is all over the paper with women lining up outside. The chase is the best part, cause that's when Buster gets stunty!
Rating: 7

Mood: Comic stunts is this man's forte and though I was wondering when they'd kick in, I was NOT disappointed when they did. He prides himself in danger I suppose. In this one, he's lifted about 15 feet in a crane and swung around with only his hands to keep him safe. He runs in front of a movie train and rolls and falls down mountainsides. If you don't appreciate this kind of stuff... You suck.
Rating: 9

A church full of women to marry, including one black lady and a dude with a beard!

Overall Rating: 80% (Seven Chances is a First Time Hit!)

Aftertaste: A great movie with a couple great friends. Keaton is the kind of guy whose movies you can watch every few years and never get bored on. You know why his name has endured through the ages, and it's cause he's insane! Can't wait to see more of his stuff.