Played out in Victorian England, it tells of the invention of the vibrator, by a doctor, who (digits worn to a frazzle with manual manipulation) required an implement to assist in relieving female patients of ‘hysteria’. Hysteria being the medical name given to what was clearly basic sexual frustration, that was primarily due to the collective inadequacies of their husbands who were, in the main, going at it (to paraphrase Frankie Boyle) like hungry children wearing oven gloves trying to get beetroot out of a jar.
That’s clearly the ‘com’ bit then. The ‘rom’ aspect is the relationship between Maggie Gyllenhaal’s (headstrong and liberated) character and that of Hugh Dancy, who plays Dr Granville, the inventor of every 21st century girl’s bedside best friend.
There’s the worry that it might all be a bit ‘Oooo Matron!’ and the trailer does little to assuage those fears - lots of women (mainly Sheridan Smith) with their skirts up, pulling faces and making funny noises – but it also appears witty and warm and, being based on true events, not lacking in historical interest. Think 2010’s ‘Burke and Hare’ with sex instead of grave robbing. Interested? Check out the trailer here.
