Hysteria

Way back in the seemingly sexually constipated Victorian era, a handsome young doctor (Hugh Dancy) fresh out of medical school seeks a venue for his forward thinking and finds it in the lush parlours of a popular doctor (Jonathan Pryce) who pays his bills by lending a hand to London women suffering hysteria. Hysteria being a euphemism for horny as hell, and lending a hand being, well, just that. Of course, their practice makes perfect and becomes very, very popular. But with only so many fingers between them, carpal tunnel soon rears its ugly hand and by necessity the creation of the vibrator is introduced into the mix. Cut to many, many middle-aged women working on their O-faces while a firebrand suffragette (Maggie Gyllenhaal) is slipped in to spice things up and fulfill the needs of the romcom template. While the execution is clever and witty, it’s still pretty much one joke presented in many ways over the course of the running time. While the Dr. Frankenstein allusions are amusing, Hysteria is just a li’l too self-satisfied for its own good and the constant winking gets wearisome. But mostly it hums along pleasantly enough. Pageant Theatre. Rated R.