Charlie Chaplin's movie are always sublimely entertaining from start to finish, and Monsieur Verdoux is no different. It is, however, extremely different in style from his silent comedies. There's no real body humor to speak of, which is certainly Chaplin's strongest aspect. But who would've thought that the silent master was also so adept with words? The wit in this movie shines--it is on the same level as Kind Hearts and Coronets. The plots are also very similar, but being a Chaplin movie, Verdoux has an important message as well: the world is tumbling downhill, but a little kindness can make it all seem worth it. The two most important scenes arise from the same plot device, the first being one of the most tender, delicate scenes of emotion I've seen in any movie, the second being the most side-splittingly hilarious scene I've seen in a long time. The way Chaplin is able to pull this off with such ease in the same movie is a testament to his ability as a filmmaker.
It starts off a little wobbly; it just sort of sets the stage without really being very funny. The movie also feels a little bit jumpy, moving from one story to the next in a sometimes erratic fashion. M. Verdoux's real family is introduced somewhat suddenly and ignored almost equally abruptly. To be more nitpicky, it was a bit bizarre to see Chaplin with a French mustache instead of his signature stubby one, but I thought it worked well and was incredibly funny. It was also a little off-putting to see so little physical humor in a Chaplin movie, and not something you'd expect, but Chaplin is able to make the change with style and panache, and is equally able to ensure that you don't regret it.IMDb link: http://imdb.com/title/tt0039631/