A Shock to the System

Graham Marshall (Michael Caine) already celebrates his anxiously awaited promotion in an advertising company, when he learns that Roger Benham (Peter Riegert), one of his subordinates, will be promoted instead of him. Frustrated that his hated life will never change, he starts a cunning ploy to take bloody revenge on everyone who humiliated him -- starting with his unnerving wife.

I think if you had anyone but Michael Caine in the starring role and this film would have failed. The story is very good, but seems hollow or flat for much of the film. Caine just commands any scene he is in, so what could have been a lackluster film becomes something better. Probably nothing great, but at least a good show of his talents.

The only other person who seems to try is Elizabeth McGovern. Peter Riegert is alright, but his character is not deep enough to allow him much range.

My review was written in March 1990 after watching the film at a Manhattan screening room.

"A Shock to the System" is a very dark comedy about escaping the current rat race via murder. Unsympathetic, poorly motivated central character and flat direction nullify Michael Caine's reliable thesping, spelling tepid box office for fledgling distributor Corsair's first release since "Miss Firecracker" a year ago.

Caine is cast as a Britisher working for a New York firm who's passed over for the post of marketing department head when John McMartin (in an affecting performance) is forced to take early retirement. Upstart Peter Riegert (way too sympathetic for the role) gets the job instead and starts throwing his weight around.

Caine is also fed up with his wife Swoosie Kurtz' habits, but Andrew Klavan's script (based on Simon Brett's novel) fails to motivate Caine's sudden turn to cold-blooded monster.

After doing away with Kurtz by rigging faulty electric wiring in the basement, he blows up Riegert (and obnoxious assistant Philip Moon) on his sailboat. Plodding Connecticut cop Will Patton discovers plenty of clues (a cigarette lighter lost by Caine is given inordinate screen time in a vain attempt to drum up suspense), but inexplicably is unable to nail the obviously guilty antihero.

Film's easy targets allow an undemanding audience to vicariously enjoy killing one's boss or nagging spouse, but events are unbelievable and thereby uninvolving. A key early scene of7 a beggar seemingly killed in the subway by Caine is clumsily staged and confusingly resolved. Jan Eagleson's direction slos to a snail's pace during the middle reels and lacks the style of the classics in the genre: "Monsieur Verdoux" by Charles Chaplin and "Kind Hearts and Coronets" by Robert Hamer.

Despite script deficiencies, Caine almost pulls it off with a nasty turn (replete with James Cagney-isms) reminiscent of his early '70s "Get Carter" persona. His third-person voice-over narration further distances the already cold action, acting in an opposite manner to his "Alfie" intimate asides. Elizabeth McGoven is effective as his romantic interest, with Jenny Wright appealing in an underwritten role as her roommate.

Paul Goldsmith's lensing of New York locations is functional and the pic is punched up considerably by the catchy use of amplified acoustic bass in Gary Chang's scoe.

Little-noticed on release and little-seen thereafter, the annoying thing is that this has to rate as one of Caine's better films; yet trying to find a copy of/transmission of it (at least in the UK) can be quite difficult.

Caine's portrayal of the central character, Graham Marshall, an advertising executive sidelined and humiliated during a corporate restructuring, is deliciously wicked (even down to his devilish facial expressions), both in its comedy and thriller components. Elizabeth McGovern, playing the role of Stella, Marshall's PA, is sweetly convincing as the innocent dupe in Marshall's subsequent plotting.

Part of the (admittedly dark) fun with this film is that, thanks to the monumental unpleasantness of the characters which Marshall comes up against, you really want him to do terrible things and to get away with them. Enjoy!!

A Shock to the System is directed by Jan Egleson and adapted to screenplay by Andrew Klavan from the novel written by Simon Brett. It stars Michael Caine, Elizabeth McGovern, Peter Riegert, Will Patton and Swoosie Kurtz. Music is by Gary Chang and cinematography by Paul Goldsmith.

Graham Marshall (Caine) is once again overlooked for promotion and once again his harpy wife (Kurtz) belittles him.Then a heated exchange at the train station results in the accidental death of a beggar, and he gets away with it, something which gives Graham some devilish thoughts, one of Satan's light bulbs ignited above his head.

By his own admission Michael Caine has readily done films just to pay the bills or build a new house. His success ratio as per great films and performances to bad films and tired performances probably stacks up as 1 in 10, consider this, in this same year he made Bullseye! What we do know though, is that when he gets it right he knocks it out the park and thus makes all his bad films easy to forgive.

A Shock to the System is an under valued film on his CV, a brilliantly constructed black comedy that finds Caine effortlessly shifting through the emotional gears. From beat down Milquetoast to ruthless killer with a glint in his eye, Caine plays it to perfection. There's stabs of humour along the way, Caine a natural at this of course, and he even gets a young love interest in the form of the unbelievably cute Lizzie McGovern. Interesting to note that Graham's sex life improves greatly once the killing begins!

Driven by an antagonist who toys with the audiences sympathies and moral repulsions, this is a film that's deserving of greater exposure and is ripe for re-evaluation. Great film, great Caine. 9/10

This wasn't a bad movie overall and while I didn't full in love it I would revisit it again. The storyline was simple and easy to follow and that simpleness was put to shame by having Caine as the lead actor, putting on a performance that made the movie better, just as you would expect.