By Jeffrey Speicher
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It's a shame that the most recent generation will only know Michael Caine as Alfred from Christopher Nolan's Dark Knight Trilogy and as the duplicitous NASA scientist in Interstellar. While those are excellent roles in their own right, Caine has so much more to offer and pretty extensive filmography to prove it. The prolific and highly acclaimed actor is as versatile as they come. His filmography, dating back to 1950, with over 130 movies, is a remarkable collection of roles that span every genre. From the espionage drama, The Quiet American, to the original action thriller, Get Carter, there is seemingly no role he can't play.
However, the actor also has a whimsical side that doesn't get enough credit. Many of his fans remember him as the congenial ladies' man who was one of the first actors to break the fourth wall in 1966's Alfie and the hilarious con artist in Dirty Rotten Scoundrels opposite Steve Martin. Still, there is a 1990 film of Caine's that is criminally overlooked and one of the best dark comedic performances of the actor's vast oeuvre. A Shock to the System is an underrated movie that allowed Caine to bring a menacing but colorful and carefree presence to an enigmatic character.
What Is 'A Shock to the System' About?
Based on a 1984 novel by British author Simon Brett, A Shock to the System sees Michael Caine play Graham Marshall, a middle-aged, upper-middle-class executive caught in his New York 9 to 5 job rat race. His wife, Leslie (Swoosie Kurtz), is also materialistic and only concerned with appearances, making his life even more difficult. He's already losing interest in his work and his wife, but an expected upcoming promotion and raise keep him buoyed and, at the very least, perfunctorily giving an effort. But when Graham is passed over by his pretentious and obnoxious new boss, Bobby (Peter Riegert), whatever kept him tethered to the reality of his existential dread vanishes.
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An already irascible Graham is waiting for the subway when a panhandler approaches him. Frustrated, he shoves the man, pushing him in front of a speeding subway car to his death. At this moment, Graham's reaction to the horrific turn of events signifies that he has turned the corner and doesn't care about anything anymore. After he looks around and realizes that no one saw the incident, he smirks. From that point on, murder becomes the only thing that gives Graham any pleasure, and the more orchestrated and complex the murder is, the more he gets off on it.
Michael Caine Shines in a Darkly Hilarious Role in 'A Shock to the System'
We've seen the fiendishly mischievous Caine before in many roles, but this aspect of his skill set as an actor sometimes gets overlooked because he's so brilliant in dramatic, serious roles. In A Shock to the System, he delivers a winning mix of fun and light-hearted charm with seriously dark and demented deviousness. That makes this particular film stand out because we've seen the fun Caine and the dark Caine, but rarely in the same performance. The decorated actor dives into the character of Graham Marshall, a man in the middle of a full-blown midlife crisis, and the only way he sees getting out of it is by permanently eliminating everyone and everything that is making him miserable. The only joy left in his life is planning murders and toying with the local Lieutenant Laker (Will Patton), who is trying to narrow his list of suspects in the series of gruesome murders. No one is safe in A Shock to the System, and Caine revels in the latitude director Jan Egleson gives him.
After Graham kills his boss, Bobby, he decides he needs a catchphrase for his diabolical acts. Caine is magnificent as he works through a variety of taglines before finally settling on the well-known Cinderella saying "Bibbidy, Bobbidy, Boo!" extending his hand and fingers to emphasize the "Boo!". For most actors, this would be a morose sign that they have completely gone off the rails, but Caine delivers this in a way that makes it almost laugh-out-loud funny. It definitely puts the "comedy" in A Shock to the System's black comedy designation.
Michael Caine's Graham Proves He's Even Willing to Kill His New Love Interest
After killing his wife in a meticulously devious and thought-out way, Graham soon discovers that he isn't completely dead on the inside. Stella (Elizabeth McGovern) works in the same office, and the two quickly become a romantic item. However, when she starts to put together the clues and suspects that Graham is the man behind the murders and thinks about getting the police and Lt. Laker involved, he shows he isn't above killing her to keep his secret safe and his carefree lifestyle on course. After Stella discovers a gold cigarette lighter linking Graham to Bobby’s death, he follows her into the subway station, where he finds her standing on the edge of the platform. Caine's temptation is an exhibition of less is more, minimalist performance. Still, they both know that she is not above Graham's new bloodlust hobby. The exchange of knowing glances between Graham and Stella is the most tense scene in the film, leaving the audience to wonder whether the possibility of redemption or an ounce of kindness is left in him.
Graham approaches Stella on the platform, her heels perilously close to the edge, and she succumbs, returning the lighter. In what is easily the most noir and thrilling scene of the movie, he puts his hand gently on her face, and for several seconds, as the oncoming train is bearing down, the tension is palpable. In a way that only Caine can, he begins with Graham's inner dialogue, saying, "She had felt his power. There was no way she would testify against him now." It is a culmination of years of getting trodden on by society and life captured in a harrowing "will he?" or "won't he?" moment in film. These are the moments that Michael Caine is built for and thrives on, and A Shock to the System delivers an hour and a half of what we love about the actor in spades.
A Shock to the System (1990)
R
Comedy
Crime
A Shock to the System (1990) explores the story of a man who undergoes profound personal and professional changes after experiencing a life-altering event, triggering unforeseen consequences. This dramatic narrative delves into themes of morality, ambition, and the human capacity for transformation.
- Release Date
- March 23, 1990
- Director
- Jan Egleson
- Cast
- Michael Caine , Elizabeth McGovern , Peter Riegert , Swoosie Kurtz , Will Patton , Jenny Wright , John McMartin , Barbara Baxley , Haviland Morris , Philip Moon , Kent Broadhurst , Zach Grenier , David Schramm , Sam Schacht , Christopher Durang , Mia Dillon , Alice Haining , Patience Moore , Darrell Wilks , Scotty Bloch , Kim Staunton , Alicia Hoge , Mike Cicchetti , Rick Petrucelli , Victor Truro , Rik Colitti , Mike Starr , Miguel Pérez , John Finn , Tyrone Jackson , Marie Sylvia , Samuel L. Jackson , Jonathan Freeman , Elizabeth Moran , Joe Zaloom , Socorro Santiago , Welker White , Frank Ferrara , Sheila Stainback
- Runtime
- 91 Minutes
- Main Genre
- Comedy
- Writers
- Simon Brett , Andrew Klavan
A Shock to the System is currently available to stream on Peacock in the U.S.
- Movie Features
- Michael Caine
- Thriller
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