I stumbled across this film on Turner knowing nothing about the plot, so I didn't know where it was heading. (I'm fascinated by the early talkies, good or bad.) Unfortunately, I found this one very slow going. Like so many films of this era, everyone stands around and talks and then talks some more, and they do it in a scenery-chewing style that reminds me of the spoofs on "The Carol Burnett Show." The overplaying is combined with some very slow pacing and a script that repeats everything in case you missed it the first three times it was said. Leslie Howard's character, in particular, raves excessively about their fate as the other passengers repeatedly scoff at him. We get the point, already. Yes, I know this is Howard's first film, but I didn't believe for a second that he was panicked. His histrionics seemed very insincere to me, especially in the scene when he lunges at the reverend; Howard seems as limp as a wet towel, waving his arms in the general direction of the pastor. Regarding the cinematography, there are some very nice shots here and there, but mostly it's shot in the three-camera sitcom style with players occasionally walking in front of the person talking and unintentionally blocking them from view. By this time, they really could do a better job if the director has stepped up to the plate.
Review of Outward Bound
