Rated R, 95 minutes
Good vibrations can be found in the new comedy "Hysteria"
"Hysteria" isn't your average, predictable rom com, after all, it's based on a true story of the guy who invented the vibrator. Snicker if you must, but "Hysteria" (named after an old-age common misdiagnosis of women) isn't low-brow and doesn't star Adam Sandler, but a (no pun intended) feel good comedy about feeling good. The British cast includes Hugh Dancy ("Our Idiot Brother") as Dr. Mortimer Granville, the British doctor and scientist who patented the first electric version of the device, causing a stir in London in 1880. The opinionated doctor got the idea after working as an assistant to a doctor (Jonathan Pryce) who specialized in women's issues. The doctor he's working for has two daughters, the prim and proper one (Felicity Jones) and the very outspoken one (Maggie Gyllenhaal), causing even more problems after he invents the special device, which becomes a huge hit. "Hysteria" is an enjoyable romantic comedy with some fun jokes and feminist rhetoric thrown in for good measure. Some of it creates an uneven flow, but it's well-cast and well-acted by Dancy and Gyllenhaal, who have some nice chemistry together. I like that it plays it for laughs without becoming too dirty about it; "Hysteria" makes it point quite nicely without a great deal of nudity (the facial expression of the women is the chief highlight of the film). There's also nothing wrong with the feminist ideals and sexual liberation, but it seems unnecessary and redundant given that the subject matter itself is a tribute to women's sexuality. "Hysteria" is an entertaining, fact-based romp that's worth a look and a few laughs.
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