B-movies quite often never really have much to say. They are made for the simple lightness of entertaining, but mostly to make easy money. And yet, sometimes you find one that can be pretty satisfying, and sometimes even displaying the skills of an underrated filmmaker. Here, Bernard Vorhaus shows that he is quite extraordinary in mise-en-scene, which is something that often lacks in quality in b-movies. The lighting of the overall film is quite good too (particularly in the mansion of Lexus, where light plays an important role in setting the tone).
Of course, he is helped by some very good acting, also rare in b-movies. All of them never slip into the stereotypes of the era, and deliver good, almost unsettlingly good performances for a film that is called "The Amazing Mr.X".
Then, of course, there are the many flaws. The conventionality that plagues the film is quite unjustified. It's hard to get past the moral standards of the film and view it simply as a paranormal film, particularly once we see that Paul is alive and well. Then, the priorities are switched. First, the marriage between Chris and Martin cannot happen because she was already married with a man she loved, hence, there is a conservative unsettling feeling every time they kiss. But once we find out that Paul is an evil crook, we root for Martin. And it is disappointing that in the end, Martin doesn't play and important role.
In fact, it's almost absurd that the main characters of the plot would suddenly become the three characters that weren't in the beginning. Lexus is the most explainable. But Janet, up to the final fifteen minutes or so, looked like a side character, and Paul wasn't even alive in just over the first half of the film. So, after we grow sympathetic towards the characters of Chris and Martin, the filmmaker decides to make them the supporting characters towards the end, and uses them as props, leaving us watching a rather uninteresting love story between Lexus and Janet and Paul's and Lexus's plot to become rich, that never quite catches our intention, and both are never quite believable (Lexus is much too old for Janet, and the 'resurrection' of Paul is a much too easy plot twist).
I have decided to take this film in such consideration because I have decided that I shouldn't view B-movies as smaller films. Lately, I have been very disappointments with films released in the cinemas that have been more interested in overdressing the extras than making something good overall. I have also come to the conclusion that a film like The Little Shop of Horrors is a better film than Out of Africa. Because of such views, I have learned that all films, great or small, must be taken in equal consideration, regardless of what the major critics tell us, and I suggest that everyone do the same.
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