Reviews (535)

THE GREATEST MOVIE OF ALL TIME
I LOVE THIS MOVIE. It is si-fi action film which is made perfectly. The cast is amazing with my favorite actor, Bruce Willis who does a good job. Please buy this and enjoy it as much as I do!

Awful crap
We can't believe this load of crap was called Star Wars for the ninties! Three of us were watching it. One fell asleep as the other two watched a ridiculous plot with annoying as hell characters unfold. If you have insomnia, this movie is recommended but if you vomit frequently, don't watch it!

Great.
This movie is a great furturistic fantasy style movie in which a cab driver played by Bruce Willis has to save the world from the evil, Darkness. This movie has great special effects such as when driving through the city, where I think Star Wars Episode 2 stole the idea. It has a good story but as usual it always ends good. The acting was superb. I still don't know why no one went to go see this when it came out. I guess it was ahead of its time. This is a fabulous movie, Don't miss out.

"The Fifth Element"
The Fifth Element (PG-13) ****/5
Bruce Willis, Gary Oldman, Ian Holm, Chris Tucker, Milla Jovovich.
Directed by: Luc Besson.
Synopsis: A "perfect being" and a taxi driver must save the galaxy from evil.
Special Features: Widescreen and Fullscreen Versions of the Film.
Review: A perfect being (Jovovich) crashes on Earth and must prevent evil from destroying it. She gets help from a cab driver (Willis), and a priest (Holm). Bad guy Gary Oldman proceeds to help the evil attempt to destroy the galaxy for some unknown reason. To be honest I did not understand this film really. I got the basic plot, but it's a bit goofy. Do I care? No not really this was one of the most enjoyable times I had at the movies, and I have no idea why. Willis gives a fun performance, Jovovich is terrific as Leeloo, Ian Holm gets the job done splendidly as usual, and Oldman is one of the best bad guys going. Luc Besson injects this film with energy, and a fantastic futuristic vision. As for the DVD? Weak buy the Superbit disc instead.

This Movie is Art
This movie is a "forty-timer," that is a movie I have watched over and over and still marvel at it. Not only is it a terrific story, fun and and fast paced, but the film is shot and edited with stunning perfection. The ONLY complaint I have about the DVD is there are no extra features. I want to see the "Making of" and hear comments by the director and the stars. There are so many little details and artistic touches to this movie that I don't believe I will ever catch them all. Better yet, I won't get tired of looking as I view this movie time and again. A+++ ... Read more

Amazon.com

Although Sunshine was made by a Hungarian, István Szabó, and deals with the history of Hungary as refracted through three generations of a Jewish-Hungarian family, you might be more inclined to give it three hours of your own life if you approach it as a David Lean movie in spirit. It is an English-language picture, and Maurice Jarre's music recalls his score for Doctor Zhivago. Szabó emulates Lean's intimate-epic style of merging the sweep of history with the crystalline detailing of individual lives, so that the shape of destiny is glimpsed through personal moments that feel at once evanescent and eternal. His lighting cameraman, Lajos Koltai, is one of the handful of cinematographers equal to capturing these moments in lapidary images--cinematic sunshine of the highest order.

"Sunshine" is a literal translation of Sonnenschein, the family name of the central characters. And "destiny" is one meaning of Sors, the name three Sonnenschein offspring choose for themselves to better assimilate as subjects of the Austro-Hungarian empire. Two are brothers, Ignatz (Ralph Fiennes) and Gustave (James Frain); their sister (by adoption) Valerie (Jennifer Ehle) is really their cousin. Both men love her, and Ignatz rocks the ultratraditional family by taking her as his wife. Nevertheless, the Sonnenscheins and the Sors enter upon the 20th century in loving solidarity, grateful to live under a liberal and tolerant regime. That's all swept away by the Great War, the rise of Nazism, and its replacement, the new fascism of Stalinist Communism. Valerie survives them all--though she's played later on by Rosemary Harris, Ehle's own mother. For his part--or parts--Ralph Fiennes goes on to embody two later generations of Sonnenschein/Sors men, the proudly patriotic Adam and his son, the rudderless Ivan, whose guilt over being a compliant prisoner at Auschwitz leads him to buy into the passionate puritanism of the Stalinist purges. Fiennes rises to the awesome challenge of creating three utterly distinct characters who all share the same congenital weaknesses and aching potential for greatness.

This is a film of considerable beauty and sometimes shattering power. Even three hours is not enough to do justice to all the characters, all the wrenching turnarounds of history and political allegiance and rectitude. But the film is never less than gripping, and as an essay on "family values," it's well-nigh definitive. --Richard T. Jameson ... Read more

Reviews (55)

GLORIOUS. BUT COULD HAVE BEEN AN EPIC.
Can't remember the last time I sat through a movie for a full 3 hours, but Sunshine had me riveted. What a glorious message of love and joy subordinating almost every other pursuit in our lives.

We follow the travails of a Hungarian family through three generations -- and three political/ideological regimes. The first forty minutes are replete with their own elaborate costume sets and gorgeous locales of Budapest. The second and the third generations depicted find themselves smack in the middle of the Holocaust and the follow-up Stalinisque regime. As the Sonnenchiens (the Sunshine family) live through these times with a great loss of life and blood, there're also invaluable lessons to be learnt.

I felt the movie did not sufficiently capitalize on the emotions between men and women except for the first Sonnenchiens. Instead, there's a lot of unnecessary nudity. I'd be stupid to mind seeing Rachel Weisz (The Mummy) and Deborah Kara Unger (Crash) in ecstasy but it got to be almost redundant because the man was the same, Ralph Fiennes playing a different generation. The music for such an epic could have and probably should have been much more memorable, it was just any generic symphony you'd expect from a romanticized epic-mode film.

But these are petty quibbles. Like other movies of its kind, e.g., "House of Spirits" or "American History X", Sunshine certainly has its faults, but its messages about tolerance, humanity, and redemption are absolutely glorious.

For a 3 hour film, the DVD could surely have done a lot better by breaking the movie into Sors I, Sors II and Sors III sections. It is still a very worthy rental especially if you care about period peieces, political ideas, Ralph Fiennes, or Hungary.

take my wife please
A lighthearted romp through Hungarian history, "Sunshine" follows the trials and tribulations of three generations of the Sonnenshein family. Ralph Feinnes, in great comic form here, plays all three roles: Grampa, Pops and Junior. While the director was obviously thinking of structuring this movie along the lines of Alec Guinness's great "Kind Hearts and Coronets," in which Guinness played (I think) seven roles, many times "Sunshine" seems to have more in common with an Eddie Murphy film like "The Klumps." Be that as it may, the laughs keep coming when the recipe for the fabled health drink, which has brought the family fame and fortune, becomes lost. Add a few crazy women as love interests (including Deborah Kara Unger who seems ready to reprise her role in "Crash" here) and you've got the kind of film Mel Brooks used to make before "Blazing Saddles." "Sunshine" also has its serious side, as it is set against the backdrop of WWII and Stalin's pogroms. Still, in the tradition of Chaplin's "The Great Dictator" and Jerry Lewis's "The Day the Clown Cried," the serious undercurrent never gets in the way of some inspired sight gags, fabulous one-liners (listen carefully during the "pass the salt sequence") and general silliness.

What a fantastic movie!
This movie is a must-see!
It is a relativly long movie but you won't feel the length since it is very amusing and it absorbs all your attention so well that you barely notice the passage of time.

Epic multi-generational view of the last century in Hungary
By taking a slice of Hungarian history spanning roughly the last century, this movie chooses a historical setting which provides a concentrated message of human frailty and idealism amidst social and political change. In this microcosmic world of a century of Hungarian history, we encounter some broader familiar themes of social mobility (both economically and politically) of a religious minority in a country with its own conflicted sense of national identity through different political regimes. Ralph Fiennes (of the more familiar movie "The English Patient") superbly plays multiple roles, as a male member of three successive generations of a Hungarian Jewish family, spanning the end of the Austro-Hungarian Empire and the two World Wards to (briefly) modern post-communist Hungary. Fiennes' presence throughout this movie in multiple roles lends a curious continuity to several recurrent themes in this tale of political and family loyalty and betrayal. Haunted by the image of his impotence at watching his father being tortured and killed in front of several hundred Jewish prisoners, the leading male character struggles to expiate his guilt and avenge the shadowy forces of anti-Semitism. But his own ideals are dashed as his police interrogator role in communist Hungary leads him to confront the hypocrisy of yet another regime in which ideological purity and political expediency are hard to distinguish. With his own fanatical commitment to pursue the fascist elements in post World War Two communist Hungary, the leading character shares much in common with his grandfather's loyalty, as a high level magistrate, to the monarchy of a crumbling empire of which Hungary was a part, and with his father's blind faith in the willingness of the newly recreated Hungary to assimilate a Jew who converts to Catholicism as he also becomes a national Olympics fencing hero. In the end, all three characters of three generations of the same family become victims of different political regimes, all of which learn to use their willing victims as pawns who become betrayed with their blind loyalty. Oddly, it is the several women characters who invariably become amorously entangled with different male characters, who seem most skeptical of the promises of different regimes. Unfortunately, it is not often we find this kind of epic movie which personalizes large swathes of history through the saga of several generations of a single family - and it is often compared to Dr. Zhivago. Highly recommended.

A masterpiece of WWII storytelling
If you were appalled by films such as Schindler's List, wait till you see this one. Many people consider WWII storytelling an exhausted topic, which is simply not true, as witnessed by the popularity of The Pianist and Adrien Brody's consequent though well deserved stardom.
"Sunshine" has all the elements of a great movie. A top of the line cast, to start with Ralph Fiennes whose performance is superb (in my opinion Fiennes' greatest masterpiece). You might be put off by the length of this movie, though the story carries itself very well. Simply told, it will move you. ... Read more

Reviews (374)

Aliens and bees and corn fields, oh my!
"The X-Files: Fight the Future" is an endlessly fascinating and complicated movie that ties together all the mythology pieces from the popular series upon which it's based. Although I think that people who never watch the show can enjoy this movie, I doubt they can understand it very well. Heck, I watch the show religiously and I still don't think I understand everything.

However, it succeeds in introducing the audience to the characters of Agents Mulder and Scully, without rehashing the things that are familiar to the fans of the show. When we are first introduced to our favorite duo, their conversation on their cell phones is enjoyable to both old audiences and new ones alike.

The film also makes clear the deep affection and love Mulder and Scully feel for each other--something regular viewers already know--which comes to a head in the famous hallway scene outside of Mulder's apartment.

The film is top quality, as we've come to expect no less from "The X-Files," with an intelligent story-line, great action sequences and special effects, and plenty of aliens to satisfy the sci-fi junkie in all of us. But don't get me wrong--you don't have to be a sci-fi junkie to enjoy this film. You have to like a good suspense/thriller, with some action, intelligent story-telling, and yes, a little bit of hinted-at romance. I mean, for "The X-Files," any 'Shipper will tell you that this is a pretty romantic movie. As one of those so-called 'Shippers, I was very angry at that darn bee, which was my biggest disappointment.

The DVD itself is nicely presented, with all the theatrical trailers, an informative commentary track by Rob Bowman and Chris Carter, and an interesting behind-the-scenes look at the making of the film. Best of all, it has added footage not originally in the theatrical version.

This DVD is sure to please all forms of movie-goers. =)

FIGHT THE FUTURE made me a fan
I watched this movie without ever watching an episode of the series before. I came into the movie only knowing that the main characters were FBI agents Mulder and Scully who sought the truth about aliens and government conspiracies that tried to cover up their existance. That was all I knew, I didn't know anything about the black oil, or the bees, or even who the Smoking Man was. This movie did a good job presenting the basics so a first timer (like myself) wouldn't feel totally lost while watching it. David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson were superb in their big screen roles of Fox Mulder and Dana Scully. The hallway (I think you know what I'm talking about!) scene was one of the best scenes of the movie. Now if only there was no bee.... Overall, this movie was X-cellent. The acting was great, the special effects were cool, and the plot kept me on the edge of my seat. I recommend this movie to anyone who has ever watched The X-Files and loved it, and also to anyone who hasn't seen an episode before but likes sci-fi movies. And I'd just like to say thanks to Chris Carter and crew for a really good season 6 - here's onto season 7, unfortunately the very last one. I'll be looking forward to the next X-Files movie, I can't wait until it comes out!

Solid X-Files adventure
"The X-Files: Fight the Future" doesn't answer a lot of the questions that fans were waiting for from the movie. The only difference between this movie and, say, a two or three part X-Files story arc is the size of the budget, effects and the guest stars. The writing, unfortunately, doesn't measure up to the best the series offered. Nevertheless, it's a fine theatrical episode of the series.

Thousands of years ago an alien species ruled this planet. Humanity was just an afterthought. It's clear that these aliens want to regain control of the planet and members of the government have made a pact with the devil; humanity will become a slave race to these aliens (and other things you don't want to know about if you haven't seen the movie otherwise it'll spoil plot points).

Somehow all of this is tied into two little boys that discover an ancient underground cavern. One of the boys is infected with some sort of virus as are several rescue workers. In another part of the US, Mulder and Scully are checking out terrorist threat against the US. The building that Mulder and Scully and the rest of the team believe to be the target is a decoy. Mulder and Scully accidently discover the real target. The mystery at the heart of the film is why the terrorist targeted a building that had the agency FEMA in it when there were more vital government agencies they could have hit. Also, the building was evacuated. So how come there were two victims discovered in the rubble?

All of this remains at the heart of the mystery and it does, indeed, play into the alien conspiracy story arc than began to be undcovered in season one of the series. If you're interested in "The X-Files" but haven't seen the entire series, this movie is still comprehensible to the average moviegoer. The ramifications of the plot, however, will be much more important if you've seen the bulk of seasons 2-6 first (season 1 just sets up the conspiracy angle and is important but not a central part of the conspiracy arc).

The picture quality is pretty good considering this came out close to the beginning of the DVD craze. It could be improved with an anamorphic widescreen transfer (higher picture quality)and with a separate disc of extras. The extras aren't bad here they're just not as indepth as they should be. My guess is that Fox plans on re-releasing this on DVD when the new X-Files movie comes out in 2006 and/or within the next year or two because they've finally got the entire series on DVD.

Well worth picking up for fans but for casual new viewers, I'd suggest starting with seasons 2-6 to fully understand the consequences of this film's plot line. Carter's script isn't his best but there are enough gems in the script to make it worthwhile for fans of the series.

An enjoyable move to the "big screen"
The X-Files "Fight the Future" takes place after the end of season five when the X-Files have been shut down. FBI agents Fox Mulder (David Duchovny) and Dana Scully ( Gillian Anderson) are assigned to a Federal building in Dallas to locate a bomb. Unfortunately, the bomb goes off before it can be defused, and an FBI agent as well as three fireman and a boy are killed in the explosion. The FBI needs someone to blame for what happened and look to Mulder and Scully. Wanting to find out what really happened to save their careers, Mulder starts searching for clues. He soon encounters a paranoid doctor ( Martin Landau) who reveals to Mulder a conspiracy dealing with a deadly virus that could be alien in origin - and capable of destroying all life on earth. Mulder and Scully are soon forced to put their careers and lives on the line, when they are pitted against a powerful group of men known as the Syndicate, who are somehow connected with the virus and willing to kill to keep their secrets safe.

The X-Files film "Fight the Future" offers a very enjoyable transition from the television series to the big screen. I first saw the film, back when it was released in theaters. I had never seen a single episode from the show, and even though there were some things I did not understand, like who the Lone Gunmen were, the Syndicate's role in the overall conspiracy, etc., the film managed to entertain me. Now that the prices on the DVD sets for the show have been reduced, I was able to go back and finally watch the first five seasons. I recently watched the film again, and I really enjoyed it because I was finally able to understand all the smaller details that eluded me the first time around. David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson are in fine form once again as Mulder and Scully. Martin Landau was very good as well. Fans of the show will be happy with the film, because it does a very good job expanding on the overall mythology, as well as bringing in characters from the show like Assitant Director Skinner played by Mitch Pillegi, the Lone Gunmen, and the Cigarette Smoking Man played by William Davis. The special effects, action sequences, and suspense this film brings will entertain people who have never seen the show.

In my opinion, "Fight the Future" can be enjoyed by hardcore fans of the show, as well as a person who has never seen the show. I know this from experience because I was able to watch the film from both points of view. In fact, it was seeing the film the first time around that made me want to watch the show in the first place. The DVD itself offers top notch picture and sound quality, as well as commentary from Chris Carter, and an in-depth featurette on the making of the movie and the transition from the show to the big screen.

A solid 5 stars...

Good series, bad movie
On the commentary track of this movie, someone says that this movie tried to appeal to both the die hard fans of the movie and to potential new fans. Unfortunately, doing an extended 'myth arc' episode as a movie ends up short for both groups. The X Files movie came along at a time where the series's mythology was already, overly complicated and convoluted, so it was hard for newbies to follow the story without having to do extended research about the back story. Die hard fans, on the other hand, would find the story progresses too slowly, compared to the series. ... Read more

Amazon.com essential video

The flaws are easily forgiven in this beautiful version ofLouisa May Alcott's novel. A stirring look at life in New England duringthe Civil War, Little Women is a triumph for all involved. We follow one family asthey split into the world, ending up with the most independent, theoutspoken Jo (Winona Ryder). This time around, the dramatics andconclusions fall into place a little too well, instead of finding life'slittle accidents along the way. Everyone now looks a bit too cute and oh,so nice. As the matron, Marmee, Susan Sarandon kicks the film into amodern tone, creating a movie alive with a great feminine sprit. KirstenDunst (Interview with the Vampire) has another showy role. The youngensemble cast cannot be faulted, with Ryder beginning the movie in a roleakin to light comedy and crescendoing to a triumphant end worthy of anOscar. --Doug Thomas ... Read more

Reviews (113)

What You Would Call a "Beautiful" and Brilliant Movie
In my opinion, this is the best version of "Little Women". Although it sways just a bit from the book, it captures the essence of the book perfectly and weaves a story that works splendidly. The acting is phenominal and the casting was done incredibly well. Claire Daines, Christian Bale, and Susan Sarandon provide a stability to the movie that grounds it (and they do it so well), and Winona Ryder brings the passion and character of the beloved "Jo" that makes it such a fantastic film.

I also find this movie a thing of beauty. Everything about it, from the cinematography, to the color schemes, to the sets, to the seasons and the natural shots, to the Oscar nominated score, to the costumes, to the acting and the storyline, are beautiful. They work together in an artistic collaboration to create an atmosphere of reality and eye candy that can only be achieved through a period film. Certain period films have elements that will stand out and ruin the feeling of belief, but this movie suceeds in it's efforts to keep you suspended there, and the whole movie flows wonderfully together.

This is a brilliant movie.

This film captures the spirit of the book
While this film version of LITTLE WOMEN does not follow the book exactly, it captures its spirit with expert performances and cinematography. The soundtrack beautifully enhances this classic story of a family of women, struggling largely by themselves, in unforgiving New England.

This may be Winona Ryder's best role - she captures the ambitious spunk of Jo with a winning performance. As Jo's sisters, Trini Alvarado (Meg), Claire Danes (Beth) and Kirsten Dunst (the young Amy) give strong, if sometimes uneven, performances. Susan Sarandon as Marmee has the right measure of no-nonsense Puritanism; her feminist lines often are too heavy-handed for this film that otherwise has a light touch, but the way she sweeps into a room overshadows any flaws in the writing.

All in all, this is an excellent adaptation. Children may be bored by the art film pace, but teens and adults will delight in these characters brought to life by nuanced performances.

Highly recommended.

The best movie adaption of the novel!
Of all the versions of Little Women that I have seen, Gillian Armstrong's is the best! She definitely chose her actors/actresses well - the cast includes: Winona Ryder (Jo), Claire Danes (Beth), Trini Alvrado (Meg), Kristen Dunst (Amy), Christian Bale (Laurie), Susan Sarandon (Marmee), and Gabriel Bryne (Professor Bhaer). What an astounding performance they gave - this movie made me laugh, cry, and feel for the characters each and every time I watched it! . . . And though some of my favorite scenes from the book were missing, it still portrays the characters extremely well. I love this movie and highly recommend this to all Little Women fans, the people who didn't bother to read Little Women, and everyone else!

blah
if one was to compare katharine hepburn to winona ryder, the results would be obvious. the book isn't supposed to be a feminist account, it's supposed to be a civil war tale of a family. since it's so modern, and the acting and even the colors are modern, we never feel the full experience, or that we are in the 1800's. In the 1933 version we feel a part of the family. This is less than inspiring. how clare danes became Beth, i'll never know, what Kirsten dunst is doing here is a mystery. Although SUsan Sarandon is fine, she is the best thing in here, but nowhere near spring bryington. Christian bale is too dreamy, and his and winia'a chemisrty isn't right. it doesn't follow the book, and the cast is miscast. I don't recommend, instead watch the beautifully done 1933 CLASSIC, or even the 1949 one with June Allyson and Margaret O'brien. Skip this.

The best version, and NOT just for kids
This version of Alcott's classic story is luminescent, brilliantly acted, perfectly staged, and far more emotional than the book.

Katharine Hepburn's Jo, six decades earlier, was hard to top, but Winona Ryder does it -- with sensitivity, more believable passion, and a far more expressive face. Ryder's Jo is entirely believable in her plunging into writing with reckless abandon, more so than Hepburn, for whom it took second place to love. Yet, paradoxically, the romance is far more believable for the newer Jo when it does come along.

Everyone else in the story reflects her struggles and triumphs, and it's a stellar ensemble cast. Especially adept are Trini Alvarado, a conflicted and beautiful Meg; Claire Danes, trembling and heartbreaking as Beth; Christian Bale, giving a raucous edge to next-door Laurie; and most of all, Gabriel Byrne, a younger-by-15-years Prof. Bhaer, finally made both believable and romantic.

All actors portray the same character throughout except for Kirsten Dunst and Samantha Mathis, who assay Amy at ages 12 and 17. Others have criticized this casting, but it worked well for me, especially in the older Amy taking her propriety and "finishing" far more seriously than it deserved.

The story does depart slightly from the book, but not from Alcott, and the film is better for it -- certainly less precious and affected. A few plot elements from "Little Men" and later books flesh out this story, and Alcott's own attitudes about empowering women are brought into Susan Sarandon's quietly powerful Marmee. The Alcott family's intellectual interests inform Jo's stay in New York, adding some depth and grounding to her character and romantic feelings.

This new DVD's features are a delight, especially in Gillian Armstrong's intense narration on the commentary track. She had a vision and depth of attention to this film's details that ought to be celebrated, yet rarely is for women directors. Outtakes are also narrated, a rarity. The making-of featurette and other elements are well-shaped, though Danes's behind-the-scenes program from HBO is not present, which is a bit disappointing.

The transfers are crisp and clear, both video and audio. Thomas Newman's brilliant music can be heard on a separate audio track, and anyone who likes this film should watch it once with just his evocative (and often-imitated) score filling the ears. ... Read more

Reviews (36)

Hilarious, but where's the big picture?
Quite simply, this movie is hysterically funny. Well written, evenly paced and contains one of the most catchy soundtracks ever recorded. Chances are, if you're looking at this page for the DVD, you've seen the movie. If not, you can read the other reviews for the particulars because I'm going to focus on the technical aspects of the DVD. Besides, this is my second-favorite movie of all time, so any attempt to review the plot would be extremely biased and I know this movie isn't everyone's cup of tea.

First of all, the movie itself looks beautiful. They did a great job on the digital transfer... the compression isn't all that noticeable and everything is crisp and clear. Audio is par for the course. Nothing too special here, but nothing lacking.

However, one question begs to be asked: why, in these days of "Enhanced for 16:9 televisions," is a DVD being released containing ONLY a full screen version? The fact that they have "Full Screen Presentation" bulleted as a special feature shows just how far Columbia/Tristar missed the boat. The lack of widescreen is the only reason I've deducted a star from my rating. As for the other special features, don't be fooled by the "Bonus Trailers," which are all for other movies.

Should you get the DVD? Certainly! If you love this movie, you'll enjoy watching it with a clean digital picture (especially if you've had the tape for years and it's getting worn out.) But if you've been waiting all these years for a widescreen version, you're going to have to keep waiting. This DVD can only be described as a visual and audio upgrade from the videotape, but not a definitive version of the film.

Uneven, not for everyone, but still pretty good
It's uneven because the movie can't quite figure out what it wants to be. It's a comedy, mostly--I burst into laughter several times. Yet, at times it's sad, and at other times it's almost horror, as when people start dying through electrical contraptions gone bad, and possibly through anorexia. It's also pretty scatalogical, what with all the enemas and obsessions with bowels (that's why it's not for everyone). It's a pretty good satire of John Kellogg, of Kellogg's Corn Flakes (who, by all accounts, was a thoroughly strange fellow), and it does a good job of sending up the kind of obsessive vegetarian anti-fur silliness that exists even today (there is an amusing scene when Kellogg shows the audience his "vegetarian wolf"). Anthony Hopkins, with buck teeth and glasses, is unrecognizable, as is Dana Carvey as his rotten-toothed adopted son. What the movie says clearly is that people who are this obsessive-compulsive over their health have sexual problems, and come from dysfunctional families. It's pretty funny, but certainly not for everyone.

Don't read the book first...
I made the unfortunate mistake of reading The Road to Wellville before watching the movie. I think it would be less forgiving if I had watched the movie first, then read the book, but the inconsistencies in the movie vs. the text are so blaring that I just lost all interest in the movie.

The screenwriter took many liberties with the text to make this movie a more "adult" film, and I found this really disheartening since this is not what T.C. Boyle intended it to be. I'm not against "adult" movies (i.e. nudity), but there a few things that occur in the movie that do not occur in the book at all.

The ending of the movie was to most "let's tie this up real quick-like" ending I've seen in awhile, and in fact, the ending (where all the main characters meet to watch the "san" burn down and then slowly walk away) didn't even happen like that.

I know, I know.... it's like comparing apples to bananas to pineapples, but I just want others to know that if you've read the book, don't bother with the movie. If you haven't read the book, then you'll probably get a bit of a kick out of the really quirky movie. Laura Flynn Boyle plays an excellent patient with "green sickness" (this was before she became unusually thin). There is a great cast of actors involved as well. Nice to see them play characters outside of what they normally do.

Blah. Not necessarily awful, just blah.
The Road to Wellville (Alan Parker, 1994)

I have thought for years that the novel upon which The Road to Wellville was based was written by the loathsome Garrison Keillor. Well, my copy showed up in the mail the other day, and I found out the novel was written by the far more easily-digested T. Coraghessan Boyle, so I decided I wouldn't exile the wife to the living room to watch this alone as I had planned.

What a horrible mistake.

The Road to Wellville chronicles, supposedly, the doings of a number of folks in the late nineteenth-century, all presided over by cornflake inventor John Harvey Kellogg (Anthony Hopkins). The story centers, if there can be said to be a center, around the Lightbodies, Eleanor (Bridget Fonda) and Will (Matthew Broderick), who come to Kellogg's sanitarium in order to recover from an unspecified disease of Will's (his wife confides in someone later what it is, and it's something of a major plot point). Also weaving through the tale is that of Charles Ossining (John Cusack), who gets involved with Kellogg's outcast adopted son George (Dana Carvey) and a crook named Bender (Michael Lerner, the "lost another loan to Ditech!" guy). And we haven't even begun to cover the principal actors yet, much less the cameos.

You may already be able to see where I'm going with this. If so, feel free to skip to the end of the review.

I've always considered Alan Parker an inconsistent director, but while mulling this travesty of a film over, I realized why. The movies he made early in his career that worked so very well (Midnight Express, Fame, The Wall, etc.) are movies where a lot of stuff is going on, and the viewer is being bombarded by stuff from every direction at all times. That's how the movies are written, and they succeed very well.

The movies he's made since then have had scripts that are more focused (or, in the case of The Road to Wellville, were in desperate need of more focus), but Parker is still using the same technique. And we're still getting bombarded when we require focus. Simply put, there's too much going on in any two hours of Alan Parker celluloid, and whether or not it works has to do with the material rather than the director or the actors. After all, Parker has a history of getting fantastic actors to work on his films (perhaps another thing; in every movie Parker made until Birdy, he was working with a cast of unknowns. Starting with Mississippi Burning, he started getting the A-list) and do things that could very well destroy their careers. I'm amazed that, after this mess, Hopkins, Broderick, Cusack, and a number of others survived with their careers intact.

Yes, this is a mess. Provides a few good one-liners here and there, but is basically the grown-up version of the unfunny teen sex comedy (and I can never say that without saying "American Pie and its sequels are not funny, and if you think they are, you're wrong"). Will probably be enjoyed by those who thought Scary Movie was a laff riot. Everyone else can safely stay away without feeling like they've missed anything. **

Does no one get this move?
Let me first say that the only reason this movies got made was because it seemed an interesting script to the Hollywood execs. Luckily enough it was shopped to enough big stars that it made at least a little splash in Hollywood. Part historical record, corrupted by the industrialism of America, and part comedy. Not one review I read captures the truth of this movie. I must admit I should read this book first, but having studied Eastern and Western medical practices for over a decade, I understand the premise behind the book, movie, and Dr. Kellog's, somewhat, misguided health practices themselves. The truth behind them is real, despite what your doctor wants you to belive, "become an slave to the pharmaceutical companies." I emplor all that read this to discover the power of "food combining" and a fitness related lifestyle. Your health and longevity depend upon it. Please read anything by Daniel Reid, and any author he recomends. I myself am working on writing a series of books that tackle this problem and many more. This movie is nothing more than Hollywood taking liberty with a, slightly, misguided idealist from almost a hundred years ago. He had the right idea, just a little early for what we really need in this day and age. ... Read more

Description

The Superbit titles utilize a special high bit rate digital encoding process which optimizes video quality while offering a choice of both DTS and Dolby Digital 5.1 audio. These titles have been produced by a team of Sony Pictures Digital Studios video, sound and mastering engineers and comes housed in a special package complete with a 4 page booklet that contains technical information on the Superbit process. By reallocating space on the disc normally used for value-added content, Superbit DVDs can be encoded at double their normal bit rate while maintaining full compatibility with the DVD video format. ... Read more

Reviews (535)

Wild, Giddy Space Opera...
The story goes that director Luc Besson began writing THE FIFTH ELEMENT in his teens, incorporating all the Sci-Fi elements he loved into one over-the-top, grand space opera...sort of an "E.E. 'Doc' Smith 'Skylark' Meets Flash Gordon and Barbarella" hybrid with sex, intergalactic action, and even some pseudo-religious overtones tossed in...in other words, a teenage daydream come true! Critics panned the end result for this very reason, sneering at Bruce Willis' Earth-saving (yet again!) Korben Dallas, and Besson's then-girlfriend, clothing-optional Milla Jovovich, as the innocent demigod, Leeloo.

The critics were wrong!

THE FIFTH ELEMENT is, in the best sense of the word, a classic 'B' movie, a space opera where a prologue vaguely similar to STARGATE leads to a future Earth where traffic jams occur thirty stories above the ground, humanity is ruled by beefy 'Tiny' Lister Jr., and where the Ultimate Evil is served by everyone's favorite villain, Gary Oldman, sporting a Southern accent! If this DOESN'T convince you that this is a 'popcorn' flick, not to be taken too seriously, there is Chris Tucker, sporting a blond hairdo, as the Galaxy's favorite media personality, promoting himself as he hits on his adoring female fans; Ian Holm, as the monk who knows 'the Secret', forced, despite himself, to become an active participant in the adventure; and some of the most ... ugly alien mercenaries you'll ever see, terrorizing a space resort, until they meet their match in Bruce Willis' 'DIE HARD in Space' protagonist! Yippee-Ki-Yay, indeed!

The FX are astonishing, the comedy, broad and sly, the heroics, macho, and as Leeloo, sent to save Earth, Jovovich manages to be both naive and sexy, with broken English and a gymnast's grace.

Bruce Willis is a joy, as always, to watch, and he carries the film with charm and self-depreciating humor, whether dealing with endless phone calls from his mother, driving his sky taxi recklessly (cabbies change very little in the future!), taking on terrorists single-handed, or falling for the exotic Leeloo. When he blows away a roomful of hostage-holding aliens, then asks, "Does anyone else want to negotiate?", you KNOW Besson picked the right guy for the lead!

If you want Profound Science Fiction, watch 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY again...but if you want to kick back and just have fun, look not further...THE FIFTH ELEMENT delivers!

Star Wars Fans can love this movie too!
I grew up with Star Wars, and still love it today, but times, tastes and styles do change. It doesn't make one "better" than another, just different. I, for one, absolutely love this movie! It's fun, flashy, thin in spots and hopelessly romantic, but also very positive about the future (if a bit crowded). Futuristic New York is enough to give you vertigo! The visuals, set designs, aliens and costumes are amazing - if you don't like this movie's look, you are probably dead.

Mila makes Leeloo "perfect" as the Supreme Being out to protect all mankind - innocent and wise all at once; and you just can't fault Bruce for doing what he does so well, a cynical wisecracking working stiff just looking for that "one perfect woman". But the secondary characters are what truly makes this one fun: "Weddings?" - Ian Holm delivers classic straight lines and Chris Tucker is just high-energy comedy as Ruby Rhodd (that trashy radio guy) - I roll on the floor every time I watch this - and it's definitely one to watch over and over for the incredible detail and sheer visual magic.

Buy widescreen and see the whole thing!

QUITE A TRIP
It's entirely possible that Luc Besson was on some kind of drugs when he scripted this way-out, wacky, but extremely entertaining scifi thriller. His vision of the future is both impeccably original and wildly humorous. Cars spinning through space; police cars that still squeal tires when there's nothing to squeal them on! Like a wild video game, the vision of this future is great.
Bruce Willis is fine as Corbin Dallas; he evinces his usual cool macho, with that underlying bit of sensitivity. Milla Jovovich, red hair and all, does a good job in conveying the enthusiasm, innocence and naivete of the newly born. Notice the sadness in her eyes as she views the word "War"; her reactions are poignant. Gary Oldman as Zorg is all out ham and he pulls it off, showing what a versatile actor he is. The usually stoic Ian Holm has never been livelier than in his role as Father Cornelius. He looks like he's having the time of his life and after all the stuffy, laconic roles he's played, he cuts loose and is wonderful. And Chris Tucker---what a character. Tucker is manic, frantic and annoying---but he is also very very funny. I haven't laughed like that in a long time. Note too the capable performances of Tiny Lister (usually a mindless body bag) and Brion James (also a lot looser than in his usually villainous roles).
THE FIFTH ELEMENT is a strange movie indeed, but I found it to be one of the most unusual scifi films in some time.

Silly.
If only they had another director (perhaps Ridley Scott, using a little "Blade Runner" flair), this movie could have had the potential to be very good. Instead, director Luc Besson ("Leon," aka: "The Professional") chose to formulate this sophomoric piece of sour eye-candy that even the geekiest science fiction aficionado would despise. Aside from the poor direction, Hudson Hawk paired with an androgynous (and extraordinarily annoying) Chris Tucker sidekick, is enough to drive anyone to mercilessly strangle a kitten.

the unperfect movie
Give me a break! Milla Jovovich as the perfect woman, a god?! This movie would have not seen the light of day if she was a black woman. I mean there are far better looking white women than this lady, indeed, in a white mans world, would such a film be fashioned in the way that it has been. Outside of the whole white supremacy view, I thought this movie was koo with its special effects, although Judge Dredd did the same exact scenery in its earlier day, so, nothing new in that department. I also didnt care for how the black man was depicted as a wimpy feminine sambo, but this is what white america views as a great film, who cares if they made Tiny lister a black president, that was probably the only good thing about the whole cast arrangement, thats if that didnt have some personal insult to it as well. lmao! The insecurities of ppl who are in denial about such, will always be revealed in some way. As this movie made so brutally clear, dont get me wrong, racist ppl do not bother me in the least bit, I just like show them up, on their hidden agenda's, say what u want, but I would have prefered the perfect being to be nonhuman, as our species has proven to be something less than perfect, to say the least. pun intended ... Read more

Reviews (31)

True story of hope.
While about the only inner city experience I had was working in Buffalo for a couple of months, I did enjoy this movie. If you didn't catch it in the opening, it is based on a true story, and that in and of itself is an awesome testimony of hope. I think that Louanne Johnson would ask for no sympathy being a former Marine. I remember seeing this movie the year after I graduated and enjoying the song, "Gangsta's Paradise" by rapper, Coolio. It was a major status symbol that made this movie great. That was almost 10 years ago. Today, I find myself having a major problem with that song. Listen to the lyrics closely enough, and it appears that Coolio is plain feeling sorry for himself, bathing himself in self pity. That, in my opinion, contradicts the movie by saying, "I am nothing more than a victim of circumstances." Boo-hoo-hoo!! I don't know how many jobs I've been fired from, only to dust myself off and get another one. You are only a victim if you make yourself a victim.

Michelle Pfeiffer played an awesome role, the encourager. You take a close look at the role of Courtney Vance as the principal, the one who wants you to knock before entering and you can't help but ask a simple question, "Is he a prick, or a piller of society?" He almost falls into a neutral category for me because of who he is, and his definition of tough love is not something everyone agrees with. It isn't everyday I'd give a movie of this nature a 5 star, but it is an exception.

THESE MINDS AREN'T DANGEROUS THEIR JUST NOT AT ALL APPEALING
Michelle Pfeiffer who is very talented and very beautiful failed to move me here as an ex-marine who becomes an English Teacher at an tough inner-city school where she confronts freaks and viloent students who don't want to learn. The message here is the fact that kids who are mouthy and think that they are tough have a right to do what they want, kind of stupid to see this film now and think it would actually make an impact on today's youth, with it's bland and unbelivable wish fullfilment. I don't see how poetry can tame tough,restive delinquents. Half hour into the film you will feel dissallusined on why you rented this video, and by the end you will throw the VCR or DVD out the window with the movie follwing behind it. Now that's a dangerous mind.

DANGEROUSLY INSPIRING
Definitely a must see movie. "rage rage against the dying of the light" WOW. Every black and latino person must see this movie and understand how the ghetto life is affecting us and adapt some skills to make it a better place. I absorbed the lessons in the movie.

Wonderful
Michelle Pfeiffer stars in this wondrful movie about a ex-marine who desperatly wants to teach, so takes on the job of teaching a group of troubled teenagers. As time progresses, the teacher starts to learn that the only way to get the children to understand what she wants them to, is to reward them after they do what she asks.

GREAT Movie
This movies is so good that everybody should at least watch it once or twice. ... Read more

Reviews (69)

My Favorite Movie!
Terry Gilliam's mostly-ignored fantasy-adventure is without a doubt my favorite film to watch. The highly imaginative production (infamous for blasting past its budget limit, and for being underdistributed by Columbia) is an incredible film, a treat to watch again and again. A host of major British actors (including John Neville) team up with a menagerie of character players (Eric Idle, Jonathan Pryce) to create the exaggerated, fantastic adventures of the 18th-century cavalry officer Karl Heironymous Friedrich Baron von Munchausen as he flies to the moon in a hot air balloon, falls back to earth into an active volcano, and then gets swallowed by a giant sea monster, all in an attempt to defeat The Sultan. Families: some immoral innuendos, brief female nudity, and a frightening incarnation of Death may make this one unsuitable for some.

Not MY favorite of the trilogy
I seem to be definitely in the minority in these reviews, but I found THE ADVENTURES OF BARON MUNCHAUSEN the worst of Terry Gilliam's trilogy (the other two films being TIME BANDITS and BRAZIL which I love). It wasn't a bad movie; just not a great one. It seemed to drag in parts. The first half hour of the film especially takes far too long to get into the story. Still, even Gilliam at his worst is often a lot more fun than most of the fantasy-based films out there.

The visuals are spectacular and you can definitely see where the money went (I read that this was one of the most expensive films made at that time). Terry Gilliam has an incredible imagination and is able to translate his vision to the screen. I was convinced the Baron could fly holding a cannonball!

The actors seemed to have a good time making it. John Neville uses the proper restraint in his roll to make his character believable while in unbelievable situations. Uma Thurman is incredibly beautiful as Venus. Robin Williams and Eric Idle have a lot of fun in their roles.

Aside from the slow pace in parts, I also am disappointed in the lack of features on this DVD. Where's the onscreen commentary or the behind-the-scenes features? Terry Gilliam did such a great job on the TIME BANDITS and especially the Criterion Collection BRAZIL, I'm surprised that a film that he spent so much time and money into lacks these extras. Perhaps even Terry Gilliam doesn't like this film as much as his others?

The Baron Lives on
Anyone who can sit there and say thay never spun a tale or two in their lives has no imagination. The Baron is a man who has cheated life and death by being both hero and con man but still retaining a sense of "je ne sais quois" Robin Williams steals his cameo and plays it in his usual frantic way. Sarah Polly is wonderful as the child of innocence who looks up to the Baron and the rest of the cast is wonderful as well. Not a movie that should be missed especially by those who enjoy the mania that is Monty Python

Baron Munchausen
See the lovely Uma Thurman years before this "kill bill" nonsense!

Darn Good Movie
check it out. a great fantasy tale. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Ancient curses, all-powerful monsters, shape-changing assassins, scantily-clad stewardesses, laser battles, huge explosions, a perfect woman, a malcontent hero--what more can you ask of a big-budget science fiction movie? Luc Besson's high-octane film incorporates presidents, rock stars, and cab drivers into its peculiar plot, traversing worlds and encountering some pretty wild aliens. Bruce Willis stars as a down-and-out cabbie who must win the love of Leeloo (Milla Jovovich) to save Earth from destruction by Jean-Baptiste Emmanuel Zorg (Gary Oldman)and a dark, unearthly force that makes Darth Vader look like an Ewok. ... Read more

Reviews (535)

Wild, Giddy Space Opera...
The story goes that director Luc Besson began writing THE FIFTH ELEMENT in his teens, incorporating all the Sci-Fi elements he loved into one over-the-top, grand space opera...sort of an "E.E. 'Doc' Smith 'Skylark' Meets Flash Gordon and Barbarella" hybrid with sex, intergalactic action, and even some pseudo-religious overtones tossed in...in other words, a teenage daydream come true! Critics panned the end result for this very reason, sneering at Bruce Willis' Earth-saving (yet again!) Korben Dallas, and Besson's then-girlfriend, clothing-optional Milla Jovovich, as the innocent demigod, Leeloo.

The critics were wrong!

THE FIFTH ELEMENT is, in the best sense of the word, a classic 'B' movie, a space opera where a prologue vaguely similar to STARGATE leads to a future Earth where traffic jams occur thirty stories above the ground, humanity is ruled by beefy 'Tiny' Lister Jr., and where the Ultimate Evil is served by everyone's favorite villain, Gary Oldman, sporting a Southern accent! If this DOESN'T convince you that this is a 'popcorn' flick, not to be taken too seriously, there is Chris Tucker, sporting a blond hairdo, as the Galaxy's favorite media personality, promoting himself as he hits on his adoring female fans; Ian Holm, as the monk who knows 'the Secret', forced, despite himself, to become an active participant in the adventure; and some of the most ... ugly alien mercenaries you'll ever see, terrorizing a space resort, until they meet their match in Bruce Willis' 'DIE HARD in Space' protagonist! Yippee-Ki-Yay, indeed!

The FX are astonishing, the comedy, broad and sly, the heroics, macho, and as Leeloo, sent to save Earth, Jovovich manages to be both naive and sexy, with broken English and a gymnast's grace.

Bruce Willis is a joy, as always, to watch, and he carries the film with charm and self-depreciating humor, whether dealing with endless phone calls from his mother, driving his sky taxi recklessly (cabbies change very little in the future!), taking on terrorists single-handed, or falling for the exotic Leeloo. When he blows away a roomful of hostage-holding aliens, then asks, "Does anyone else want to negotiate?", you KNOW Besson picked the right guy for the lead!

If you want Profound Science Fiction, watch 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY again...but if you want to kick back and just have fun, look not further...THE FIFTH ELEMENT delivers!

Star Wars Fans can love this movie too!
I grew up with Star Wars, and still love it today, but times, tastes and styles do change. It doesn't make one "better" than another, just different. I, for one, absolutely love this movie! It's fun, flashy, thin in spots and hopelessly romantic, but also very positive about the future (if a bit crowded). Futuristic New York is enough to give you vertigo! The visuals, set designs, aliens and costumes are amazing - if you don't like this movie's look, you are probably dead.

Mila makes Leeloo "perfect" as the Supreme Being out to protect all mankind - innocent and wise all at once; and you just can't fault Bruce for doing what he does so well, a cynical wisecracking working stiff just looking for that "one perfect woman". But the secondary characters are what truly makes this one fun: "Weddings?" - Ian Holm delivers classic straight lines and Chris Tucker is just high-energy comedy as Ruby Rhodd (that trashy radio guy) - I roll on the floor every time I watch this - and it's definitely one to watch over and over for the incredible detail and sheer visual magic.

Buy widescreen and see the whole thing!

QUITE A TRIP
It's entirely possible that Luc Besson was on some kind of drugs when he scripted this way-out, wacky, but extremely entertaining scifi thriller. His vision of the future is both impeccably original and wildly humorous. Cars spinning through space; police cars that still squeal tires when there's nothing to squeal them on! Like a wild video game, the vision of this future is great.
Bruce Willis is fine as Corbin Dallas; he evinces his usual cool macho, with that underlying bit of sensitivity. Milla Jovovich, red hair and all, does a good job in conveying the enthusiasm, innocence and naivete of the newly born. Notice the sadness in her eyes as she views the word "War"; her reactions are poignant. Gary Oldman as Zorg is all out ham and he pulls it off, showing what a versatile actor he is. The usually stoic Ian Holm has never been livelier than in his role as Father Cornelius. He looks like he's having the time of his life and after all the stuffy, laconic roles he's played, he cuts loose and is wonderful. And Chris Tucker---what a character. Tucker is manic, frantic and annoying---but he is also very very funny. I haven't laughed like that in a long time. Note too the capable performances of Tiny Lister (usually a mindless body bag) and Brion James (also a lot looser than in his usually villainous roles).
THE FIFTH ELEMENT is a strange movie indeed, but I found it to be one of the most unusual scifi films in some time.

Silly.
If only they had another director (perhaps Ridley Scott, using a little "Blade Runner" flair), this movie could have had the potential to be very good. Instead, director Luc Besson ("Leon," aka: "The Professional") chose to formulate this sophomoric piece of sour eye-candy that even the geekiest science fiction aficionado would despise. Aside from the poor direction, Hudson Hawk paired with an androgynous (and extraordinarily annoying) Chris Tucker sidekick, is enough to drive anyone to mercilessly strangle a kitten.

the unperfect movie
Give me a break! Milla Jovovich as the perfect woman, a god?! This movie would have not seen the light of day if she was a black woman. I mean there are far better looking white women than this lady, indeed, in a white mans world, would such a film be fashioned in the way that it has been. Outside of the whole white supremacy view, I thought this movie was koo with its special effects, although Judge Dredd did the same exact scenery in its earlier day, so, nothing new in that department. I also didnt care for how the black man was depicted as a wimpy feminine sambo, but this is what white america views as a great film, who cares if they made Tiny lister a black president, that was probably the only good thing about the whole cast arrangement, thats if that didnt have some personal insult to it as well. lmao! The insecurities of ppl who are in denial about such, will always be revealed in some way. As this movie made so brutally clear, dont get me wrong, racist ppl do not bother me in the least bit, I just like show them up, on their hidden agenda's, say what u want, but I would have prefered the perfect being to be nonhuman, as our species has proven to be something less than perfect, to say the least. pun intended ... Read more

Description

A brilliant and powerful psychological thriller about a deeply disturbed boy, Spider, who ‘sees’ his father brutally murder his mother and replace her with a prostitute. Convinced they plan to murder him next, Spider hatches an insane plan, which he carries through to tragic effect. Years later, his delusional account of his past begins to unravel and Spider spirals into fresh madness. Starring: Academy Award® Nominee Ralph Fiennes (Red Dragon,Schindler’s List,The English Patient), Golden Globe Winner Miranda Richardson (Enchanted April, Damage), Gabriel Byrne (The Usual Suspects, Enemy of the State), Golden Globe Winner Lynn Redgrave (Shine, Gods and Monsters), Directed by award winning David Cronenberg (eXistenZ, Crash). ... Read more

Reviews (49)

Spider pulls you into it's web.
Spider is a fantastic film. Although slow moving, it's showcases some superb acting and Cronenburg's grittiness, while keeping you filled with anticipation and curiosity. Ralph Fiennes, in his best performance to date plays Spider a mumbling schizophrenic who can be seen picking up random bits of trash or putting his hands down his pants to pull out a sock where he keeps his note. Spider recalls his past, particularly the relationship between his mother (played brilliantly by Miranda Richardson - who plays multiple roles in the film) and his father (played by Gabriel Byrne) while he was a small boy. Young spider is played by Bradley Hall a boy who's trying to deal with the confusing world around him. It's a remarkable performance for this young actor's film debut. The film's quite thought-provoking and ends up playing out like a mystery, to see how a young boy became the Spider he is today.

Realistic representation of madness.
This is a disturbing film because its depiction of madness conveys an astonishing realism. Director, David Cronenberg, (Crash, Naked Lunch and The Fly) has managed to merge the leading character's disquieting mind with the audience. This is no small task considering the subject matter, and the fact that the protagonist is suffering from intense delusions concerning his past. We see through the eyes of Spider - the memories of his childhood, though as the tale unfolds, we begin to distrust his memories and see that they blend with fantasy. The film is a study on the mechanics of repression, and the psychological notion that memory cannot be trusted.

Spider (Ralph Fiennes) arrives at a halfway house somewhere in London. Mrs Wilkinson, (Lynne Redgrave) meets him at the door. This woman is everything you would expect from a proprietor of a house for newly released mental patients. It is here that we begin to learn of Spider's childhood: his relationship with his mother and father, which is the key to the cause of his present condition. Miranda Richardson plays three different roles in the film - Spider's mother, the prostitute and later, the proprietor of the halfway house. The mother and the prostitute are entirely different, but the proprietor is an impressive blending of all three. As we learn more about Spider's childhood, we really don't know what to make of his father (Gabriel Burne)...is he an abusive man, an adulterer and drunk or merely a man doing his best to cope with an unhappy marriage? Gabriel Burne admitted that this was one of the hardest roles he's had to do, because he had to play the character on a fine line, so as not to give anything away to the audience. When you see the end of the film, you'll agree that he succeeded in his intended performance.

David Cronenberg is well known for his fascination with the darker more disturbing aspect of the human mind. He's one of those unique directors that will capture the right atmosphere for the subject under study; in this case, madness is realistically represented and seems to exude that strange feeling of the uncanny. A good example is the scene where Spider lays in the bathtub in the foetus position, blankly gazing into space. This is a disturbing image of a lost soul in the throes of passive insanity.

I would not say that this picture is an enjoyable one, but it is certainly an intriguing journey into a troubled mind, attempting to come to terms with his past and the truth.

Haunting
After sitting on my self for well over a couple of months I decided to give this movie a try. My expectations weren't very high and I expected something on par with Willard.
From the very beginning I was captivated with Ralph Fiennes' performance and he really communicated the feelings of being totally drawn in on himself.
The unfolding of the story was depicted in such a way that we experience the confusion and emotional turmoil of the main character.
While I've never been a big fan of Freud, the movie does make use of Freud's Oedipal Complex theory and models Spider's entire relationship with his parents is based on it. Spider's idealization of his mother made him incapable of seeing her negative qualities. While his mother did make efforts to be a "good mum" she also shared her husbands wrecklessness and drinking problem. In order to displace his mothers undeniable neglect he displaces her, in his mind, with a bar fly who flashes her breast at him at the local pub.
In reality Spider's father isn't too far removed from his mother. A man who makes efforts to be a good father but doesn't do much to eliminate his vices, however, Spider staying true to Oedipal victimhood takes a hostile view of his father and ignores the good qualities and demonizes his father.
While it is clear that Spider's memories are often twisted and others are mere imagination that he uses to make sense of what's going on around him, we can still say with relative certainty that his parents were too selfish in their drinking and partying to have any idea what their actions were having on their son.
The truly sad part of the movie is that Spider is never willing to look the truth straight in the face and the only time he admits to himself that the drunken woman really was his mother is when he kills her. So he selectively chooses to see the truth only when he is at fault. This partial look at the reality of his life is what keeps him locked in his past.

A truly sad movie and one I will not soon forget.

Touching and Disturbing
If Samuel Beckett himself had written and directed this film, I would not have been surprised. I would qualify that statement by saying that Beckett probably would not have considered it one of his best.

While the film is undeniably powerful, and Fiennes' performance deserves an Oscar, there is a certain malaise (perhaps deliberate) about it which reveals a certain laziness in direction. "Spider" the novel is as distant from "Spider" the film as "The Metamorphosis" is from "Kafka" starring Jeremy Irons.

Fiennes' character, Spider, is borderline insane. He has one foot in reality and one foot in his horrific memories of a sordid, miserable, neglected and misunderstood youth. The best parts of the film are the scenes in which Spider stands outside the scenes of his past, reciting verbatim the dialogue between his father, mother, and his repulsive mistress. The ugly reality of insanity is presented here with no romantic embellishment; Spider is deranged, and does not understand the motives behind his own actions. Awash in misery, the mood of each scene is more or less consistent: tragedy and confusion. The only parts which even approach humor consist of Spider's entrance to the madhouse.
We feel sympathy for Spider, but for practically no one else in the film (except at the end, which reveals the somewhat predictable truth behind the murder of his mother.) Cronenberg tried a little to hard to shove the viewer's face in every nasty form of human behavior: alcoholism, degenerate sexual encounters (between his father and his real or unreal mistress), domestic abuse, etc. The mood is almost TOO much Beckett.

Nonetheless, this is a film that deserves to be watched, if only for some scattered scenes and am ambiance of degeneration I have rarely seen in a film. Watch especially for the opening, with Spider stepping off a train. Not a masterpiece, but a worthy curiosity.

Haunting and Captivating
The front cover of the video box really makes it seem like Ralph Fiennes is looking for a killer named spider, making the movie appear not what it actually is. In actuality, it is the tale of a man recently released from the insane asylum to a halfway house to re-enter society. Ironically, it is near where he used to live, where a family murder took place.

Many people may say this movie is slow. I guess it's really to your own opinion - as for me, halfway through I thought to myself, "The pace of this film is rather slow." However, that was regarding the pace. Some films are boring because they present an uneven pace, but this movie takes it's time the whole way through out. It never jumps any where and it never tries to hurry things along - that is a GOOD thing.

I must also say this is perhaps the best performance I've seen Ralph Fiennes give. He barely says any thing in his role except a handful of understandable words - most of the time he is moving about the scene mumbling to himself, constantly lost in thought and with a sad, tortured look on his face. I have to say that through out the whole film I felt absolute PITY for him. Yes, pity. This was a poor man, and I personally wished I could have given him some relief, and I must confess it gave me some compassion for the plight of the mentally insane. Usually entering an insane person's mind is used for murderous psycopaths, but here it is used instead as insight on the mind of the person who wants to be better, but continually finds himself plagued by his own limitations. Here is an actor playing a mentally handicapped character I have absolute pity for when ten years ago he was playing a Nazi I loathed with a passion - if that isn't good acting, I don't know what is.

As others have suggested, this isn't for all tastes. As I've said about other films, this isn't the type of movie you watch with friends over beer and pizza, this is a movie to observe - basically, like a book performing itself in front of you. It was well worth my time, and if you like what you've read, it's well worth yours. ... Read more

Reviews (10)

Well-acted drama presumes too much to itself ...
BEHIND THE LINES, in my estimate, fails to be the powerful commentary on war it aspires to be. Jonathan Price is excellent as the Military Psychiatrist whose duty is to return men to battle. James Wilby is fine as accomplished war hero-poet who comes to self-illumination: war may not be so "dulcet" (sweet/fitting) a path to manhood nor glorious in yielding a "sacramental" death. It's not that the film is hackneyed in exploring these themes. Rather it is too careful and overly "refined". Opening scenes move viewers through Heironymous Bosch-like images of front line horror and chaos. These are effective in IMPLYING the brutally scarred, mental landscapes dominating soldiers' minds. Yet this powerful beginning is squandered. Radical questions of duty, honor and sheer survival are treated like geometry problems rather than spiritual and emotional wounds in REALITY. The fact that the most powerful sequence in the film presents men being tortured (by a stimulus-response fanatic employing SHOCK THERAPY)into "moral" acquiescence as prerequisite for return to war is unnecessary coercion on the part of Director Mackinnon. He seems to finally realize that an abstract "poem-film" won't work.

At least it didn't for me. Existential "crisis" films frequently employ irony, understatement and even boredom to comment on the human conditon. But WWI was one of the most useless wars fought in recorded history (in any Tradition). The one-in-four LOST GENERATION DEATH toll is not a story that does well in drawing-rooms of psychiatric hospitals or tea time T-groups. BEHIND THE LINES Director Mackinnon hedges his bets and makes a clever art film...forgetting(since he has chosen NOT to be entertaining)that war is humanity's frontal assault on itself. Being dulcet( the way the film often affects its own emotional terrain)is deceptive if not false. Therefore,in its own terms, mediocre as art...

a beautiful adaptation of the great novel...
...but why does the american film industry feel the need to change the titles of films. this film is called "regeneration". that it has mutated into "behind the lines" in the united states is ridiculous. that film companies will do anything to the "product" in order to secure an audience means that they will sacrifice anything about the film. the title "regeneration" is an important feature of the story of this book. it is NOT a film about being "behind the lines" (we are rarely behind the lines in this film) but about, as wilfred own put it so well, the pity of war. to make it sound like some gung-ho action movie is to do it an injustice. the director takes barker's orginal narrative - suffering, torment, passificism, objection to war, homoeroticism, class conflict - and turns it into a good depiction. it cannot repressent the book but it repressents something of its own. it is well worth watching for that reason.

Good film, deals efficiently with WW1's secondary effects
First of all (in response to many previous reviews), "Behind the Lines" is a perfectly suitable title for this movie. It directly and accurately conveys the film's focus - literally, on what went on in one particular institution "Behind the lines" during WW1. Being in a military mental hospital certainly qualifies as being behind the lines. Maybe some are reading "behind enemy lines"? Otherwise there is NO reason for confusion here. To think "behind the lines" implies an action movie is silly. If anything it implies detachment from the action.

As for the film, this is a responsible analysis of the effects of trench warfare. Some mute soldiers are treated brutally with electro-shock therapy, but Dr. Rivers takes a more humane approach, all the while questioning his work - is he simply sending soldiers back to die, and is that really noble?

Overall, not terribly exciting, but certianly effective and historical (Owens and Sassoon are principles). A good film.

A great film adaptation
BEHIND THE LINES is a film adaptation of the first volume of Pat Barker's excellent Regeneration trilogy. I was anxious to watch this DVD since I finished reading this book last week, but I had some reservations since film adaptations are often less than par. However, shortly after pressing the play button I was reassured that this DVD did the book a great justice. The directors did a phenomenal job in re-creating the atmosphere of the suffering of the soldiers and the horrific psychological consequences of trench fighting. BEHIND THE LINES follows a group of officers suffering from shell shock who are treated at Craiglockhart War Hospital outside Edinburgh. There is no doubt that what these soldiers experience can disturb even the most strong-minded individual today. The principle psychiatrist is Dr. Rivers, who suffered from his own personal demons and war symptoms. He created strong friendships with many of his patients and cared dearly for their well being. Rivers is a complex, nuanced character. While he portrays an exterior of believing in the War, he holds an internal debate of the War's philosophical warrants.

As stated by a previous reviewer, the original title of this film is Regeneration *not* Behind the Lines. I have no idea why the title was changed when it was released in the United States because the current title doesn't make any sense. Another complaint is that there is a lack of any special features on this DVD. It would have been marvelous to watch a director commentary or behind the scenes footage. It's unfortunate that this is a bare bones DVD. Regardless of these two negative aspects, BEHIND THE LINES is a wonderful and deeply moving film of British soldiers suffering from shell shock during the Great War.

Read Pat Barker's Regeneration trilogy and watch this film. Both are highly recommended.

Far, Far Away the Thudding Guns [Regeneration]
Good grief, I finally found a US edition of this film so I can buy it. Can't the original title be put in brackets or something beside the 'nouveau' so you at least find it?! The philistine who came up with the new title didn't even bother to look at a Sassoon or Owens poem, obviously. My suggested title above (which admittedly may be no better as a film title) is from a Sassoon poem and I picked it more or less at random on the first page I opened in my anthology.

The film did manage to get across the awful (British) Imperial jingoism without ramming it down our throats more or less exclusively. The experiences that caused such acute suffering as displayed by the inmates of Craiglockhard were presented well, as was the personal humiliation of succumbing to mental illness or "shell-shock". Less successful however, was the treatment of the worst thing a soldier can do: failing to act with stoicism and diffidence. (Sassoon for example, developed an intense hatred for civilians as a result of this fairytale "let's all pretend we're having a lovely time in Flanders because that's what they want to hear at home, and we can't go upsetting the ladies, now can we, lads?", that at least outlasted the war.)

This was a well-scripted, well-acted,thoughtful and thought-provoking film. This is not a standard "tear-jerker" but if it does not make you shed a tear of sorrow and rage then you must have been multi-tasking.

This film actually rekindled a schoolgirl interest in the history of the First World War and in the extraordinary change in and range of poetry resulting from the experience of those in the foul trenches of France and Flanders. ... Read more

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The definitive American television series of the '90s comes to the big screen with an anticlimactic whimper. And how could it be otherwise? Why should material so perfectly realized in one medium necessarily translate well into another? The series is crisply and thoughtfully executed in just about every detail, but the heart of its appeal lies in the elegant handling of complicated and evolving ongoing story lines, which is not something movies are especially good at. The big-screen drive for closure cramps the creative style, though it may also help nonfans get a grip on the proceedings. We do get some invigorating thrills and chills, however, and a more satisfying sense of the scale of an all-enveloping human-alien conspiracy than ever before, but there's no more plot development here than in an average two-part season-ending. FBI black sheep Mulder and Scully have been temporarily transferred from the X-Files project to an anti-terrorist unit to investigate an Oklahoma City-style bombing. They uncover a new wrinkle in the Syndicate/Cancer Man conspiracy--basically an attempt to help one bunch of (benign?) aliens fight off another bunch who want to colonize Earth. A spectacular, ice-bound finale thrillingly staged by series-veteran director Rob Bowman offers Mulder (but not a conveniently unconscious Scully) his first clear look at a You Know What, which in some quarters qualifies as an epochal event. Martin Landau offers the agents some crucial clues, and several familiar TV faces (including the Lone Gunmen and Mitch Pileggi's indispensable Assistant Director Skinner) turn up briefly to wink knowingly at faithful fans.--David Chute ... Read more

Reviews (374)

Aliens and bees and corn fields, oh my!
"The X-Files: Fight the Future" is an endlessly fascinating and complicated movie that ties together all the mythology pieces from the popular series upon which it's based. Although I think that people who never watch the show can enjoy this movie, I doubt they can understand it very well. Heck, I watch the show religiously and I still don't think I understand everything.