Review by I_Ailurophile

One can tell in the fashion of the writing that this is adapted from the stage: the feature is characterized by long scenes, with deliberate timing and no meaningful variation in setting, and a small rotation of characters coming and going. That tight focus allows the interactions between characters to flourish, and it's a great pleasure that star Ray Cooney and co-writer John Chapman do us the honor of translating their own play to film - and that Cooney also doubles (triples?) as co-director. With these sharp minds guiding the production, 'Not now darling' is allowed to revel in the utmost farce of the scenario, the characters, and the fantastic dialogue. I wasn't sure what to expect as I began watching, but in no time I was laughing - this is so, so good!

The twisted tangles the characters quickly knot is rife with outstanding comedy - exaggerated characters, sight gags, marvelous wordplay and repartee, sex jokes and innuendo, and a little bit of physical humor to taste. The fun is as endless as it is fast-paced, and while the timing from one instant to the next is impeccable, every minute is filled with so much wild freewheeling that I never once lost the smile from my face. The entire cast is exceptional, all true delights as they bring these snappy 90 minutes to life. For all the madcap energy herein, they nonetheless demonstrate great range, nuance, and physicality befitting the ridiculousness - showing even in this capacity that each is a swell actor. One can hardly even name a favorite; the moment I do, I think of one of their co-stars.

Relatively simple as the production is, everything here looks and sounds good, even though it didn't need to be. Needlessly but gratifyingly complementing the silliness are elements like Cyril Ornadel's vibrant original music, the cheeky costume design, smart set design and decoration, vivid cinematography, and so on and so forth. Of course, these take a back seat as the bustling romp never loses our attention; one doesn't like to make one comparison after another, but I'm reminded at times of 'Monty Python's Flying Circus.' And I think that's really about all the more I can say without beginning to betray plot points or some of the jokes: anchored with superb performances and terrific, funny writing, 'Not now darling' strikes me as an underappreciated gem that demands more recognition. I should note a fair bit of nudity, and that the narrative revolves an antiquated concept (high-end fur coats) that are thankfully going away, but even with those caveats in mind, I enthusiastically give this my very highest recommendation - this is worth going out of your way to find!