The
time is in the 1880s when most ‘women’s problems’ such as cramps,
depression, nervousness and anxiety were treated by some doctors with
their massaging the woman’s genital area, covered discreetly with a
square curtain, not aware that they were giving the woman orgasms.
Watching some of the reactions from the women are side splitting.

A
very successful doctor, Robert Dalrymple, (Jonathan Pryce), who uses
this method, always has a roomful of patients waiting so when a young
doctor, Mortimer Granville, (Hugh Dancy) comes for a job Dr. Dalrymple
hires him in spite of the fact that the young doctor has been let go
from many jobs. The latter believes in recent studies regarding germs
theories and other new medical studies. More than anything Dr. Granville
believes in the Hippocratic Oath and helping people.

Doctor
Dalrymple has two daughters, the older one being the aforementioned
Charlotte who runs a settlement house for the poor, getting money from
her father, his rich friends, and anyone else, who eventually is cut off
by her father. The other daughter, Emily (Felicity Jones) is the lady,
and good daughter, any father would be proud of and who is proposed to
by Granville. Does anyone have to be told where this part of the story
is heading?

The
younger doctor has an inventor friend, Edmund , (Rupert Everett) who
comes up with an electric powered duster which in turn is used on the
carpal tunnel syndrome that Granville gets from the work he is doing on
the patients and is the beginning of the vibrator as we know it today..

The
screenplay, by Stephen Dyer and his wife Jonah Lisa Dyer, is light,
funny and avoids the smirks that could have easily been incorporated in
the film but at the same time does make fun of the obvious turns the
script takes. The production values from the sets to the costumes to the
surroundings of London in the 1880s are all first rate.

The
film is directed by Tanya Wexler who handles the actors and camera with
ease having very few false moments though, mainly because of the
actors, when Hugh Dancy and  Felicity Jones have scenes together
everything becomes bland. Due, probably to the way his character is
written and directed, it is hard to believe the ending.

The
biggest surprise to me in the film was Rupert Everett, not because of
his role, who I did not recognize until the end credits. By the way this
is the latest of films that you have to make sure to stay for the
ending credits.

“Hysteria”, as the opening credit states, is based on a true story but it certainly plays with the truth for good.