Reviews (225)

English Romance At Its Finest
Jane Austen is a fine writer, but her wordiness tends to drain the life from many of her characters. Thankfully, Emma Thompson recognized the limitations of the novel and adapted her screenplay accordingly, enhancing the humor of the original story and adding more drama to make the film more enchanting. A cast was then chosen, made up of very talented thespians, including Miss Thompson herself. Add to that splendid English landscapes, excellent directing, and superb cinematography, and what emerges is a modern masterpiece.

This is not a movie for action fans; it is far too cerebral and requires a serious attention span. For those who enjoy a good love story well told, this is it. The characters are three-dimensional and their dilemmas full of human drama, bound as they are by the morals and manners of the times. Three sisters and their mother are left virtually penniless by the stricture against females inheriting property then in place in English law. The half-brother to the Dashwood women receives it all, but his selfish wife talks him out of helping his stepmother and half-sisters. It is up to the two older girls---sensible Eleanor and passionate Marianne---to seek their fortunes in romance while lacking a dowry to help them.

Eleanor finds her soulmate in shy, retiring Edward Ferrars, brother of the selfish sister-in-law. Her budding romance is shelved when his sister makes it clear that Eleanor is "unsuitable" for Edward. The sisters and their mother then go to stay in a cottage owned by a kindly relative, Sir John, and his mother-in-law, the irrepressible Mrs. Jennings. The old woman is a confirmed gossip and matchmaker, bound to see one of the two sisters hitched up to Colonel Brandon, the most eligible bachelor in the area.

Brandon first sees Marianne singing a melancholy song and is incurably smitten. She in turn loses her heart to a dashing young man named Willoughby, who is her ideal of a Victorian-era gentleman, complete with a pocket book of sonnets. Brandon, who loves her more than his own happiness, steps aside and even encourages their relationship, despite his dislike for the handsome rogue.

Things take an unexpected turn for the worse for both sisters---Willoughby drops Marianne and flees to London with no explanation and Eleanor discovers that Edward is engaged to a shallow young woman named Lucy Steele. The ensuing twists and turns in the plot make this film both agonizing and entertaining to watch. Mercifully, everyone winds up happy at the end with the right person as a spouse.

The whole film is solidly done, but it is the acting that really shines. Thompson is perfect for the role of the calmer sister, while Winslett is brilliant as the mercurial Marianne. Grant is endearing as the gentle Edward; Rickman finally gets to display his considerable ability to act the part of a very good and unselfish man. The rest of the cast keeps pace with the leads, and Hugh Laurie is indescribably funny as the sarcastic Mr. Palmer. One very beautiful aspect of this movie, along with the tendency to get drawn into the story, is the haunting and evocative musical score.

All in all, this is a wonderful example of a film genre that is so often overlooked in today's world---period romance. More movies like this one desperately need to be produced. Buy this one today because it's a gem.

JANE AUSTEN'S TIMELESS CLASSIC COMES TO LIFE
This film is so beautifully realized, in its scope and execution, that I have nothing but praise for both screenwriter/actress - Emma Thompson and director Ang Lee. Based on the novel by Jane Austen, the film follows the exploits of Mary-Anne (Kate Winslet) and Eleanor (Thompson) Dashwood; two angelic sisters determined to find romance amidst the sublime grandeur of the English countryside. Also stars Hugh Grant and Alan Rickman.
Columbia's transfer is, on the whole, gorgeous. Colors are well represented and fine detail is rendered accurately. Contrast levels are subtle, as they should be and dark scenes are accurately represented with only a slight loss of fine detail to speak of. Unfortunately, there are several scenes that exhibit pixelization that breaks apart background information. There is also the inclusion of some minor edge enhancement that, while not terribly obtrusive, is nevertheless present. This special edition includes a wonderful featurette and Emma Thompson's witty acceptance speech at the Golden Globes - a real treat. FINAL WORD: There's no costume drama of the 90's more poignantly captured. A British legend becomes an American Movie Classic. Get this one!

A classic based on a classic
It seems that for a few years, Hollywood couldn't turn out Austen movies fast enough. This is the only English production of the bunch, and it is wonderful.

The casting is perfect. I thought it very silly that Emma Thompson was going to be the 19 year old Eleanor, and since she produced the movie I thought that was just silly vanity. But she is actually perfect as the too-sensible-for-her-own-good Eleanor. Kate Winslet is great as flaky Marianne. Even little Margaret (Austen's only fully-realized child character) is great as the spunky pre-teen. I remember when the movie came out one reviewer said that Hugh Grant's character "looks like he's forgotten to take the coat hanger out of his clothing" and that is so true... but he's so good as the clueless cad.

The film is beautifully shot, with great sets and scenery. It's a little hard for a modern person to understand why the Dashwoods were so upset to have to move to such a charming cottage! Historical perspective is maintained in the movie, though.

It is also very well written, with my very favourite line in any movie appearing (though I've read the book twice looking for it). Truly words to live by, Mrs. Dashwood tells blabbermouth Margaret that if she can't think of anything appropriate to say, "please keep your conversation to the roads and the weather!" Advice that has never failed me yet :-)

Great commentaries (contains spoilers)
When I first heard this film was being made and that Emma Thompson and Hugh Grant were going to be in it, I thought, "Yes! Hugh Grant as Willoughby and Emma Thompson as the unpleasant sister-in-law!" But no. However, the commentaries explain the casting and then it made more sense. By the way, Kate Winslet is perfect and Alan Rickman gets the girl.

Very Good Indeed!
This is a wonderful movie with a wonderful cast and beautiful script. I don't really know what else to say except that I absolutely adore this film. Alan Rickman is superb as Colonel Brandon, I fall in love with him over and over again each time I watch this movie. He's wonderful, as is Hugh Grant as Edward Ferrars. Both characters are so likeable and real, they fit perfectly with their characters and make each viewing as enjoyable as the last. Kate Winslet, as well, is one of my favorite actresses. She fits so well in period pieces like this one.

This film is great whether or not you've read the book. It's good all on it's own. My only complaint is that I cannot picture Eleanor as only 19. While I've always pictured her well above her years, I have a difficult time accepting her age in the film. This is overlooked by Emma Thompson's brilliant portrayal of her. ... Read more

Reviews (14)

A real B movie, raised up by great acting
If I could, I'd give this 3-1/2 stars, not just 3. Colin Firth, Ian Holm, Nicol Williamson, and Donald Pleasance, among others, make this film worth watching. History fans might enjoy the before and after synopses of the characters and the historical figures on whom they were based. Colin Firth fans will definitely appreciate his bed and bath scenes, although his acting abilities take everything up a notch. Still, with the gratuitous nudity, modern feel, and slim production values, this film can't aspire above B-movie status.

The plot's a bit convoluted. The story is minimally narrated by Matthieu, the law clerk, yet he figures very little in it. Is the story about his boss--the advocate--or about the town? Maybe it's too ambitious in scope, what with its contrasting of country life and city life, interjections of witches, superstition, racism against Jews and gypsies, fornicating by the local clergy, secret societies of merchants, the Black Plague, unusual hunting prey, and sodomy. Oh, yes, then there's the trying of animals in court, a central theme that adds both humor and pathos to the proceedings and proves to be the unraveling of a dark and dirty secret hidden within the town walls. The ending's twist on the knight in shining armor is a good one.

The film's worth a viewing for some fine performances and relatively interesting Medieval subject matter. Just don't expect it to be high brow.

A brilliantly insane and entirely overlooked film
"The Advocate", written and directed by Leslie Megahey, is an underrated and overlooked film, masterful in its subtle insanity and brutally honest in its depiction of its characters and setting.

The time is 15th-century France, a time when animals were subject to the same civil laws and penalties as humans and could be tried in a court of law. Parisian lawyer Richard Courtois (Colin Firth) and his clerk Mathieu (Jim Carter) arrive in a small rural province. Courtois intends to enlighten the suprstitious and backwards populous, run by an unofficial leader (Nicol Williamson). Courtois' skills are put to the test when he must defend a pig accused of murder. That the pig belongs to a roving band of gypsies only complicates matters. Mixed into the conflict is racism, accusations of witchcraft, political and religious corruption, and whispers of the Cathar heresy.

The movie is wonderfully acted, and the director is sure not to glorify or soften any of the characters. Courtois may be intelligent, but he is also arrogant. The priest (Ian Holm) may be enlightened, but he is also a womanizer. The music and costumes are more period appropriate than most medeival fair, and many themes and signs of the times are apparent: the street preacher that accosts Courtois, the secrets of the Cathar heresy, and a particularly vivid Hieronymus Bosch-inspired nightmare. While the film is ostensibly a drama, their is much bawdy, Canterbury Tales-style humor, enough to keep the film from collapsing under its own weight.

The film is finally available on DVD, and this may bring a new round of fans to it. For myself, who had only ever seen it on video, seeing it in widescreen was a wonderful thing. Be warned, however, the film has a very twisted plot, and multiple viewings may be required to sort it all out. That's not even mentioning the twist ending, a moment of deliciously black irony. Definitely a must for period film fans and certainly for anyone who loves quirky, slightly off-key dramas.

Serendipity Cinema #8
A film you may never have heard of, but really should see. Trust me. (AKA "The Hour of the Pig") A good guy lawyer? A medieval good guy lawyer? A medieval good guy lawyer defending a pig who is charged with murder? And is isn't a slapstick comedy? This you got to see. The Advocate is an delicious medieval court drama that takes placein the days when humans and animals were both known to be hosts for the devil. Courtois, an educated lawyer (Colin Firth), runs from the big city to find peace in the countryside but, instead finds murderous acts holding the a village in fear. I won't give you more for fear of ruining the surprises, but the cast is peopled with dynamite performers like; Ian Holm , Donald Pleasence, Nicol Williamson & Michael Gough. Although there is a common inclination to sell this as a comedy,don't be fooled, there is dark moody drama here also.This is fun, thoughtful, intriguing drama and just one of the best films you are likely to ever see that contains the word "Pig" in the title.

Different take on Medieval stories
This movie is definitely a different take on the usual Medieval movie because it's about a lawyer instead of knights on horseback and battles. The battles in it take place in a courtroom, and give the viewer a slight taste of how bizarre Medieval "justice" seems compared to modern justice.

Handsome, talented Colin Firth does a good job playing a lawyer from the city in search of a simpler life in a small provincial town. He's in for some major surprises. The rest of the cast is good also, full of British character actors.

Watch and listen VERY carefully or you will miss subtle details throughout the film.

Nice movie
When I read about the plot on the tape I imagined it to be more dynamic, so I was a little disappointed by the slow pace. Nevertheless, there are some interesting points that kept me watching. I didn't know some of the historic details, so it was good to learn something new. Colin Firth's performance is very good - he almost carries the whole performance himself. ... Read more

Reviews (57)

Fall in love with Ireland
This movie literally made me fall in love....with Ireland, it's legends, it's music and especially with a certain leprechaun named Mickey Muldoon (Daniel Betts, a phenominal young actor.) The story was creative while staying true to the old Irish tales, and Shakespear's "Romeo and Juliet" theme was never used to better advantage. There were a few incongruities, and Randy Quaid and Whoopi Goldberg seemed to be cast only for their star-power. Also, while my young teenaged daughters enjoyed the whole movie, the smaller children thought that the sections encompassing the human love story were a bit long. But when the movie focused on the actual "faerie story" it was truly captivating for all involved. The vast majority of the acting was superb, the musical score was enchanting, the special effects were very well done, and the entire experience was extremely enjoyable. I highly recommend this movie for anyone who ever had a romantic bone in their body, ever loved a fairy tale, or ever dreamed of Ireland.

Fell In Love with It!!
I absolutely love this movie...I happened to catch some of it when it was airing on the Sci-Fi Channel and just had to buy the DVD...Whoopi brings her comedy to the movie and the love story Daniel Betts (Mickey Muldoon) and Caroline Carver(Princess Jessica) capitivates all of us with that hopeless romantic bug in us. It's a story that makes you want to fall in love and find that perfect someone. I would recommend this movie to anyone and guarantee that they will become a fan...in two words LOVE IT! and I wish I could find a guy like Mickey!!

Fantastic Fantasy
This movie is by far one of the best fantasy films available today. Exceptional fun for the entire family. How many movies can we really say that about anymore?

The best since The Wizard of Oz!
Ok, this has got to be my all time favorite movie! It captivates you with it's two love stories, one in wich involves a fairy and a leprechaun! You'll fall in love with Ireland and all of the folklore in it. You won't only be watching the movie, you'll be part of it! I love this movie so much i just bought it on dvd here on amazon.com! You have to see this movie, and when you do, you'll want to watch it over and over again!

wow this movie is amazing
wow i love this movie, literally. Besides the gorgeous scenery and good special effects, considering it was 1999 the movie has incredible actors and actresses. This movie has everything you want comedy, a love story worked in (actually 2), a "war", and also a bit of magic and fantasy. This movie's story line is well rounded and just amazing. I love it so much, the three hours of film is definitely worth it. haha. i watched it 4 times over a 5 day period once. a bit obsessive if you will. Aside from the story line the actors/actresses are spectacular. Daniel Betts who plays Mickey Muldoon is a great actor and most definitely HOTT! His forbidden love affair (in the movie of course) with Princess Jessica (Caroline Carver, who is also another amazing actress) is just wonderful. i mean i cant put it into words. haha i may be one of the only ones who are this obsessed(prolly not tho) BUT THE MOVIE IS AMAZING! I LOVE IT SO MUCH! haha well i HIGHLY recommend it so get it, you'll fall in love with it too, maybe not much as i have but you guaranteed to at least like it! ... Read more

Amazon.com

Leo (Kevin McKidd) is an endearing pup of a blue-eyed lad lookingfor old-fashioned romance with a happily ever after. Convinced to join afriend's drum-thumping New Men's Group ("Let these strong loving menheal you!" begs leader Simon Callow, who all but steals the film as a manin touch with his inner guru), Leo confesses an attraction to anothermember of the circle in the spirit of sharing. He's the only gay man in the group but his confession starts a cascade of sexual reassessment, allencouraged by Callow's hilarious new age Iron John. Meanwhile Leo's gadflyof a roommate is having sex in other people's bedrooms all over town withhis new real estate agent lover (a sly, haughtily confident Hugo Weaving)and Leo reconnects with his childhood girlfriend Sally (Jennifer Ehle), who brightens the film with her sunny smile and wounded yet spiritedtenderness. Rose Troche, whose guerrilla American indie Go Fishtransformed a lesbian love story into a classic romantic comedy, herestraddles screwball farce and sophisticated sitcom with a clumsy style that skews more toward the latter, but she invests it with genuine affection. As the funny but flippant comedy winds up to almost painfully trite pairingsbetween the ricocheting couples-to-be, Troche's loving direction allowseveryone their dignity and their charm, even through the most contrived and kooky complications. --Sean Axmaker ... Read more

Reviews (28)

Wonderfully comical
I just spent a hilarious three hours (well, the film is only 105 minutes, but I kept hitting the reverse button on the remote) watching Bedrooms & Hallways. This film is clever and funny.

Leo and Darren, both gay, search for romance in their own individual ways. Leo is attracted to someone whom he thinks is straight. Darren just has one hell of a good time, often. And life falls apart from there.

The film begins with a surprise party for Leo, at which we meet all the principal characters of the film. Then by means of one long flashback we enjoy what led up to the current state of affairs (of which there are many). The ending is hair-brained and implausible but many of these films usually end absurdly. So, not an issue.

What makes this film so lovably wonderful are the characters. As for Leo, take him or leave him. He is one of those tiresome individuals who obsesses his way out of what could have been a meaningful relationship by insisting on 100% commitment. Oh, yawn. We've seen it a million times, so ignore him. Tom Hollander plays Darren to delicious excess. You may remember him from the "Absolutely Fabulous" episodes, "The Last Shout," in which he almost marries Saffron. Hugo Weaving (Priscilla: Queen of the Desert) plays Jeremy, Darren's love interest. Jeremy is a real estate agent, which gives him access to empty houses in which he and Darren meet to fulfill some eccentric fantasies. But Jeremy has to have the right decor. These two are the joy of this film. Simon Callow, as Keith, oversees a New Age men's therapy group that is hysterical. And James Purefoy is gorgeous as Brendan.

Finally, a gay film in which there is lots of kissing! And it's the good old fashioned open mouth, "I think you're so hot!" variety. The DVD lacks features, but it has a short and enlightening interview with the director, Rose Troche. One point - ignore the cover. It shows Weaving looking lasciviously at Purefoy. Those two have nothing to do with each other in the film. They never even meet. Just another example of marketing ineptitude. But the disk inside is wonderful! Now go buy it, Honey.

Fluffy but funny
Charming little film about a gay man and the crazy world that surrounds him, the film is delightful but doesn't stand too far above the many charming and delightful gay-themed British films that we've seen in the last little while (Get Real, Like It Is), but is probably most notable for being the one that really makes a concerted effort to stretch people's guidelines of what constitutes sexual orientation: the main character finds himself attracted to a straight man in his all-male therapy group, and the straight man actually goes out with him and ends becoming quite enamored in their relationship. The latter guy's girlfriend turns out to be our hero's ex-girlfriend from college, and they in turn find a possible reignition of their young puppy love. While not anything worth writing home about, the film is bright and lively and features a great Jane Austen-themed sadism dream sequence, complete with one of the film's stars Harriet Walker, who you might remember as the evil Fanny in Sense and Sensibility. Her scenes with Simon Callow are among the film's best ("I love being a woman," she says, "Not because of you but because of me.")

Amazing, funny, open minded...
A very original and satiric comedy ! A great pleasure: very nice story, good study of human behaviours, very well played by many talented actors and actress, never coarse and first and foremost it makes us learn being more tolerant and open minded towards other people. It doesn't matter if people are gay or hetero or anything else ; there only one thing interesting : they are all simply only human with qualities and fairlties.
A very good time in forecast...

Unexpected Twists and strange effections
Bedrooms and Hallways is an enjoyable and at times witty film that follows the lead ( Leo ) on his quest to find romance, love or a husband of sorts. It has the feel of a sit-com with undertones that hit on issues most of us can understand. It's more like light entertainment with a few fairly heavy moments. The production quality is good and the acting was right on. As a note, the actor that plays a kinky real estate salesman is the same actor that plays Mr. Smith in the Matrix movies and it was fun to see him in the truely twisted roll as a Gay sex monger with strange kinks. He hates cheep house wares. Maybe you have to see it to understand. The movie was good and worth picking up and adding to your collection. Its suggestive but tastefully done and would be OK for mixed crowds.

Cliched, but still entertaining due to unexpected situations
First fifteen minutes: the sledgehammer was out and the condescension began. Film was saying "all you people out there who have stereotypical notions about gay people...you're WRONG!".

Next half an hour: sledgehammer goes away, but a dreadfully rehashed plotline comes out. Gay man falls for straight guy who -- shut my mouth! -- may be interested in our hero after all. Agenda is out on the table. Can a moratorium be declared on this plotline?

Next 15 minutes: Straight girl (aka "former girlfriend) appears and wants our gay hero. Because straight girls are ALWAYS in love with their gay male friends, didn't you know.

Last half hour: This is where the story took a turn I had not seen before. People who believe a person is either gay or straight may be dissatisfied with the outcome, but I found it to be very true to life (including, but not limited to, mine). Love and friendship can be confusing enough as they are; throw sex into the mix and one inevitably starts questioning one's own assumptions.

Plot machinations aside, the perfomers are genial and it is nice to see films about modern Britain. There are some truly funny moments and everyone feels like a friend. I wound up enjoying this film a lot. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Given that for Russians, Pushkin's poem Eugene Onegin is sort of like Hamlet, Beowulf, and Lord Byron's Don Juan rolled into one melancholy tale of lost love and ennui among the gentry, it's surprising Russian filmmakers have balked at adapting the film. Having taken a stage production of Hamlet to Russia where it was rapturously received, self-confessed Slavophile actor Ralph Fiennes must have thought he was making reparation when he executive-produced and starred in this faithful adaptation of the film. With Martha Fiennes on board as director, it's something of a family affair with more than a little of the solemnity one often discovers in "personal projects". Pushkin's romanticism comes across amply, but little of his ferocious wit or, inevitably, the authorial voice that makes the poem so compelling, even in translation. Ralph Fiennes typecasts himself in the title role: his Onegin is yet another of the actor's wintry, haunted lovers in period dress (this time early 19th century). The character, a jaded roué from St. Petersburg, summers in the countryside where he inadvertently wins the heart of the impulsive Tatyana (Liv Tyler, the girl they book when Gwyneth Paltrow's busy). Onegin's casual attitude to her love leads to a tragic duel (magnificently tense and perfectly staged), and years later a chance meeting stirs up feelings of regret, triumph, and moral queasiness. Tears well in eyes, letters are sent and read, furs are ruffled in the snow. This is the highbrow end of costume drama: patrician in its literary purity, and rather admirable in its restraint and good taste, if a little dull. --Leslie Felperin ... Read more

Reviews (37)

FABULOUS PERIOD PIECE ABOUT UNREQUITED LOVE, BUT..
Captivating visuals, a very elegant Liv Tyler, a somewhat baffled Ralph Fiennes with round-the-clock disheveled hair, and some excellent costumes. What a brilliant piece of period drama.

However, marred a bit by a very simplistic, unpredictable story. Based on Pushkin's poem of the same name set in 19th century Russia. Isn't there a thing these days of taking some creative liberty with the original work ala "Romeo And Juliet"? Also, in the face of an obvious bent towards cinematographic appeal, the movie's pace suffers and the DEPTH of either the 19th century or Russia is largely amiss.

That said, the acting and sets are very convincing and although you know what's going to happen next, the interest somehow lingers. Until the denouement in fact, when Tyler turns in a marvellously touching performance that more than makes up for her wooden countenance throughout the film, as well as mildly successful attempts at a British accent. Or so I thought.

If you are in for a beautifully shot movie of melancholy romance, this may be your thing. Otherwise, a mild recommendation.

'Love heightens our senses but lowers our perceptions.'
Having never read the novel in verse on which this is based, I regard the story by its own merit. 'Onegin' is a haunting, passionate, beautiful, and unforgettable tale of unrequited love. The film follows the tragic story of Evgene Onegin (Ralph Fiennes), a Russian playboy who catches the eye of innocent Tatyana (Liv Tyler). Rejecting her confession of love, Onegin is lead to commit a spontanious action which leads to eventual tragedy, his seperation from Tatyana, and their reunion years later after her marriage to his cousin, a czar. The film ends with a powerful climax very different from most productions of this nature.

With lush costuming, beautiful cinematography, and rock-solid performances from a fantastic cast, 'Onegin' is an unusual kind of film. Moving along at a measured pace, it demands patience but also evokes obsession. We cringe at the inevitable, shed a few tears, and cheer at the final conflict. It's a story of love, tragedy, circumstance, and choices. I came into it with sincere doubt, certain my hopes would be dashed. For once I was pleasantly surprised at the restraint and dignity shown in the production and its conclusion. When all other aspects are stripped away, it becomes a tale of a woman's honor. It's not a subject often breached, and for this element alone hold my admiration and praise.

It also has one of the most stunningly picturesque and yet chillingly horrific dueling scenes I've ever witnessed on film. The emotion and intensity of the tragic cold winter morning on the docks builds to an inevitable climax and shows the profound sorrow that follows in the wake of a terrible mistake. I much appreciated witnessing the victor's anger, frustration, and sorrow over what he was forced to do in order to defend his good name. Was the outcome by chance or intention? Perhaps we'll never know.

Fiennes' sister directed the film and his claims that she has a "sensual power" over the camera are true. Every frame is full of romantic intensity. I do question her reasoning for moments of complete silence and the soundtrack at times is grating on the nerves, but overall I was very impressed.

excellent translation
There are two theories of translation -- one that you should stick as literally to the original as possible, the other that you should take certain liberties to get a good end result. I adhere to the views of the latter school.

Pushkin has managed to move one of the greatest nations on the earth to the core, to unify them for 200 years. Many Russians would say Evgenii Onegin is Russia's greatest literary work. But the original is in rhyme, a rhyme that feels sort of baroque and fairy-tale-ish to me, and that part of it doesn't translate well to the modern English-speaking range of sentiment.

A Russian sculptor friend of mine once asked me what the difference was between art and decoration, and when I had no answer, he said, "Decoration is about many things. Art is about one Thing."

Onegin is about one thing, and that one thing is faithfully preserved in this film. The film leaves out lots of lesser things, which point to this one thing, but you have to make choices to fit the world into two hours. That one thing is heart and mind of Evgenii -- what makes a man say no to that which he loves and wants above everything else? What makes a man deceive himself into believing he (and even she) don't want it? What becomes of such a man?

God is great.

Tatyana sees right through him even in her moment of greatest agony and she never wavers. It makes me dizzy to think how much pain I might have been spared had I had such insight at 17. And that aspect of Pushkin's story strikes me as beautifully unrealistic. As Pushkin said, "A great story must be a little... hmmm... 'glupovat'..." Perhaps 'dorky' would serve as a translation?

Ralph and Liv act beautifully. (I hadn't given Liv Tyler sufficient benefit of the doubt -- she understands her role and conveys such depth to it.) But I think first prize must go to the director for seeing this one clearly.

Master work of Pushkin
This movie pictured Pushkin's poem in the best possible way. This movie takes you down to the 19th century Russia.
As tailored as Liv Tylor was for this role, I had hard time believing that she is not originally russian! And ofcourse my all time favorite actor, Ralph Fiennes, did his best performance as usual .

A Fienne Film
A lush, truly "artistic" film - dark, subtle yet complex, haunting.
The acting is subtle, and much of the emotion is expressed in looks. Liv Tyler does a more than decent job in her role as an innocent, naive Tatyana. She conquers her British accent well, and her final scene makes up for any lack (of feeling, acting, emotion) one might have felt during the rest of the movie. Ralph Fiennes is in his element as brooding, aloof, bored rich aristocrat. The musical score is hauntingly beautiful and original, yet strange and foreign, and proves that the Fiennes family is talented through and through.
But, don't expect a happy ending - this IS a Russian work, after all!
Having only seen the Tchaikovsky opera, and only having read snippets of the novel, I was more than pleased with this treatment, and feel that this film is a worthy adaptation of Pushkin's work.
I want more films like these, if Martha Fiennes is willing to make them.
A worthy viewing. Very rich. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Minnie Driver stars as an impoverished Jewish woman, Mary,living in an emphatically anti-Semitic England in the mid-19th century. Followingthe murder of her beloved father--who leaves his survivors strapped withhis debts--she camouflages her identity as a Protestant of Italian descentand takes a job as governess to an unorthodox Scottish family. In this filmby Sandra Goldbacher, sundry conventions from Victorian novels mix with a contemporary, feminist take on Mary's subsequent adventures. Maryasserts, with some effort, her authority over her willful charge (FlorenceHoath); she dodges the insults of a vaguely ghoulish matriarch (Harriet Walter);and she becomes an aide, confidante, and lover to the man of the house (Tom Wilkinson), a naturalist dabbling with early experiments inphotography. Goldbacher fails to make it all feel as fully realized as it could be(much of the detail and soul of Mary's life in London is too telescoped and impressionistic to sink in). But the film's middle section, in whichthe heroine's complicity with Wilkinson's married character engages herkeen intelligence as well as her untapped sensuality, is deeply felt. It'snice to see Driver prove she can carry a film, though the dreamy, exotic photography by Ashley Rowe certainly pulls a viewer along as well.--Tom Keogh ... Read more

Reviews (43)

A Beautiful Piece of Art that Will Touch Your Heart!!!!
The governess is a beautiful film that lets you inside the secret parts of the human soul as it struggled to exist during a time so unlike our own. Every character allows you to feel the pain of the lack of freedom of expression and exploration of the 1800's. Mary Black-Church will make you long to be a Jewess, while the pitiful Mrs. Cavendish will make you realize how blessed you are to be a woman of the 90's. You'll fall in love with Charles Cavendish even with all his weaknesses and although it wasn't altogether clear how old Henry was supposed to be, his heart rending performance will bring back memories of that first love and the pains of growing up. This isn't the type of film you'll want to watch on a Saturday night when your looking for light entertainment. But if you love books, art, or history and like a movie that makes you think , you'll enjoy The governess. "The Chinese Box" is another film that explores the phenomanon of why we always love what we cannot have. Also heavy on the history it will make you "feel" the way The governess did.

Beautifully shot, the story of a pre-Victorian feminist
Set in 1840, England, between the times of King George and Queen Victoria, this is the story of a Jewish woman, Rosina Da Silva (Minnie Driver), who after the death of her beloved father, is asked to marry quickly and marry "well" so that the debt-ridden family can maintain its standards of living. Rosina is headstrong, and rejects a marriage proposal from an older, boring man. She would rather be an actress. She takes a job as a nanny for the Cavendish family on the uninviting, desolate, Isle of Skye. She changes her name to Mary BlackChurch to mask her Jewish identity, and is accepted as one of the family. Like Queen Esther of the Purim holiday, she masks her identity and takes up residence in a palace-like household. And then Mr. Cavendish (Tom Wilkinson), an inventor who is focusing his scientific work on photography, takes an interest in Mary/Rosina, as does the Cavendish's teenage son, Henry (Jonathan Rhys Meyers). Beautifully shot, like the photos Cavendish is trying to develop and stabilize. A tad cliché with the pre-Victorian romantic lines. Contains nudity. First 10 minutes contain shots of "recreated" London (actually Venetian style) synagogue and "Sephardic" Jewish life. By the way, the writer / director Goldbach is the progeny of an Italian-Jewish father and Scottish mother. Contains music by the late Israeli singer, Ofra Haza, and Edward Shearmur.

Loved it!
Sensual, sensuous, beautifully filmed, some nudity (which was delightful, although no sex, unfortunately), and a wonderful story of a woman's first love and love affair and blossoming into her power. The soundtrack was stunning. I recommend it highly!

lotta plot(s), but lovely picture(s)
The plots: sexual tension between a governess and her employer, tension of a woman in a foreign place, and all along the struggle to make pictures....

Mary, to the world, is a governess working in a Protestant house in Scotland. But Jane Eyre she isn't-she puts away her dreams of acting after the death of her father forces her to bring in a family income-all in the while she conceals that she is Rosina, a Jewess pretending to be of Italian descent. It is no lie when she reassures the lady of the house she isn't Catholic.

Her new surroundings are more than dyfunctional. The character of the bored mother is unoccupied and perched in a gilded but bland cage, propped up and seated in nearly every scene like she's dead and posed "in state." Her husband, Cavendish, hides away with his mysterious science studies and the daughter(Rosina/"Mary's" charge) whose responds to boredom (and a lack of attention) differently than her mother by playing pranks on her new governess. The son, a decade older and recently expelled from school, is a product of this same boredom, grown but immature as his sister and decidedly perverse.

After a prank by the daughter, the governess quickly lets her student know who's boss, and the student becomes more submissive. But their bonding lessens as Rosina's becomes curious about the father, who becomes equally curious about her. She pays less attention to her student and more to her employer, who, impressed with her knowledge and curiosty (he has no anger after she sneaks into his archaic photo laboratory) she eventually becomes his assistant. All in the while Rosina's dead father visits her in her dreams and memories-until Cavendish replaces her father in dreams and the two have an inevitable affair.

Then there is second plot is Rosina, a Jew of Spanish/Portuguese decent, who feels akward in a gentile setting. She isn't used to the foreign food (she and her sister once believed semolina to be semen) and artifacts. While it's funny to watch her pick up a crucifix for the first time, look at it, then toss it to the side, it's sad to watch her eat passover alone, in secret. She remembers her father and passover as a child as she eats an egg in salt water-which spills on a nearby photo. This is the breakthrough to getting a picture developed, literally, the third plot, Rosina and Cavendish learning the process of photogaphy,outside the sexual tension.

Though both are student to discovering the scientific process, it is only Rosina who is willing to take it a step further, photography as an art. The art/science photography is the undoing of their little situation, the business and pleasure. The final straw is Cavendish revealing his new process and not sharing the credit for it-he was still bitter about her secret pictures of him, nude, as he forbade.

So, Rosina, endowed with a new ability to make an income, decides it's unnecessary to hide her true identity or stay in the employ of a man who betrayed her. She leaves the family in style: on the way out the door she hands bored Mrs. Cavendish what the housewife always sat yearning for, a piece of "culture"-her husband's nude portrait.

That's just a few plot circles and it does feel like a long film at times. Rosina and Cavendish have a strange sexual tension, an attraction to each other (if not a lack of screen chemistry) that both characters seem almost surpised at. The younger Cavendish is an imp, hardly in the film (it's like he's purpose is to barely pop out from the background), and I wish he and Rosina had more screen time. Overall, it's a gorgous period film and the colorful setting of the Sephardic Jewish London is so welcome after a string of movies set in what feels like the same 19th century, Pre-Dickinson-Pre-Industrial rural 'scape. The Austin/Eliot/Brontes have their merits, and I am a fan of Sense and Sensibilty (Emma Thompson's), but I think Hollywood should keep taking us to new places, like in this lovely film.

Okay, Could've been better
Rosalina's family is wealthy and Jewish. When her father dies, she is forced to enter the workforce disguised as a Christian governess "Mary Blackchurch." While she is employed on a remote island of Skye, she falls in love wither her employer AND his son and has affairs with both.

I enjoyed the first half of the movie. But I'm not a big fan of movies where the hero/ine commit adultery. The first affair, in my opinion was rather skanky. The affair with the son, a rebound romance, was worse, because he looked WAY too young, and almost girlish with those HUGE pouting lips. Plus Rosalina seemed oodles more mature than he was portrayed.

Feh... I thought this film was okay, but nothing really special. I'd like to see the heroine in a decent relationship with a decent guy, instead of having a torrid affair with every man in sight... Is this too much to ask for? ... Read more

Description

"Some time in the past when things were much as they arenow, only more so..." A satirical comedy as well as a love story,Bright Youngs Things marks the the directoral debut of actorStephen Fry. "Bright Young Things," says Fry, "is a period film shot with modern pace and cinematography. It deals with fame, sexual scandal, greed, night-clubbing, and the frantic glamour of youth."

While the central plot of Bright Young Things is a romance, it is also a highly topical social comedy that shows a conservative oldergeneration failing to understand the club culture, music, dance, andfrenetic pace of its children, modern society at its most decadent andmost colorful is fully on display as is the popular media fueled bygossip columnists and paparazzi who dominate a tabloid press propelled by rumor and scandal. ... Read more

Reviews (8)

"Vanity Fair" was better
This movie is another one of those too-busy pieces where it is difficult to keep track of who is whom and what, exactly, is going on. The writer tried to compress far too much detail in too little time, when he would have been better-advised to focus on a smaller time horizon with fewer characters. Nice stab at a period piece, and good enough to watch all the way through, but it just falls flat.

Nicely Done Satire, And Well Acted
This is a stylish, satirical and thoughtful movie about people not worth thinking too much about. We're in London in the Thirties. The wealthy, bored young spawn of the upper crust flit from party to party, keeping the dawn at bay and amusing each other with their brittleness and wit. We're in the middle of high society, "that uneasy alliance of bright young things and old survivors."

Adam Fenwick-Symes (Stephen Campbell Moore) wants to be a writer, hasn't a penny, but whose friends are all among the "things." He loves Nina Blount (Emily Mortimer), a young woman who would rather be bored and rich than bored and poor. (She finally marries a very boring, aristocratic young man, Ginger Littlejohn, who is rich. "Oh, darling," she says to Adam, "if only you were as rich as Ginger...or even half as rich.")

Throughout the movie Adam finds himself in situations where he comes close to money and loses it, whether it's gambling in a hotel which has wonderfully loose morals to working as Mr. Chatterbox, a gossip columnist for a press lord. His friends are fun and stylish, but also shallow, condescending and oblivious to any feelings except their own. "You bloody people," one person finally says to them, "Who the bloody hell do you think you are?" As the Thirties pass into the 1939 invasion of Poland and Britain's declaration war, the parties stop. Bad things happen and real life takes over. But eventually Adam and Nina find their way together, without money.

I liked this movie a lot. It has great style and dialogue, and things keep moving. It was based on Evelyn Waugh's Vile Bodies. The characters are superficial but after a while you get to know them. There are first-rate actors portraying these bright young things, including Michael Sheen as Miles, a wealthy young queen, and Fenella Woolgar as Agatha Runciple, a young woman without a reflective thought in her head. There are also wonderful performances by some well-known names in smaller parts: Jim Broadbent as an alcoholic colonel who shows up several times, Jim Carter as a filth-hating customs supervisor, Peter O'Toole as somewhat balmy aristocrat who isn't as eccentric as he appears, Simon Callow as the deposed king of Anatolia, and John Mills in a brief but funny bit as an old aristocrat at a party who mistakes a sniff of cocaine for a sniff of snuff.

The DVD picture and audio are first-rate.

parties about parties at parties
Humans seem to possess a certain natural predilection for celebrity adulation. There is and has always seemed to be a certain compulsion within society to canonize those with the power to subconsciously urge us to emulate their public persona.There has always seemed to be an unacknowledged urge to immortalize the charismatic few who possess what we could only dream of having; those who couldn't possibly be unhappy as they possess the very essence of what we deem as anything and everything anyone could ever want.

A celebrity, in the most basic sense of the word, is one who has garnered notoriety through means other than work or earnest activity.While there is and always has been the occasional celebrity truly worth the gossip column bearing their name, it seems that those who are most tantalizing are those who earn their celebrity via debauchery.The partiers, the outrageous, the gregarious and decadent, those who mingle with the beautiful and who sleep with the criminal are all so ineffably fascinating. Instead of working for their adulation these individuals ascend to the top tier of society by being youthful, beautiful, rich, and most importantly, unapologetically deviant.These individuals willingly engage in their transgression as if it were an occupation, making it seem as if they are the spindle around which every party, every newspaper column, and every mouth in whatever city they reside revolves.

An adaptation of Evelyn Waugh's `Vile Bodies', a book written in the twenties that envisioned a pre-World War Two society drunk with irresponsibility and glamour, Bright Young Things follows a group of young celebrity socialites trying to navigate through a world of hedonism and champagne.The story revolves around Adam Fenwick-Symes [Stephen Campbell Moore], a writer with a book contract who meets the woeful fate of having the only copy of his work confiscated at customs.He is penniless and must do journalistic work for his would-be publisher, Lord Monomark [Dan Ackroyd], making too small an amount to be able to marry his upwardly hopeful girlfriend Nina Blount [Emily Mortimer].He soon finds himself writing a hot gossip column under the alias `Mr. Chatterbox', making up salacious stories of the parties attended by London's hottest socialites.As he manufactures vile celebrity tales, he makes efforts to gain his gambling money back from the Drunken Major [Jim Broadbent], his girlfriend back by a smarmy Ginger [David Tennant] and his writing career back from his uninspired brain.

First and foremost a film about character, Bright Young Things invites the audience to a party populated with remarkably talented new actors and established veterans at the top of their craft.As Adam Fenwick-Symes, Stephen Campbell Moore is both a young fawn as well as someone with such command of his character he seems as if he's been around forever, perfectly managing a character who could seem to pointlessly indecisive in the wrong hands.Emily Mortimer plays his girlfriend who is so gracefully charming, so wryly classic, and who has such a perfect squawky sort of voice its obvious why the likes of Adam or Ginger would want to marry her.Fenella Woolgar stands out as the party girl with a constant smile on her face and quip to deliver, a truly fabulous new actress with such a handle of character and timing its hard to imagine her as being anything other than established.James McAvoy is a perfectly iniquitous Mr. Chatterbox and Michael Sheen a classic dandy who slyly references Stephen Fry's Wilde.

Peripheral roles are all filled with actors of high talent and repute.Peter O'Toole hilariously plays Nina's father, Richard E. Grant shortly appears as a boorish priest, and Stockard Channing conducts an angel choir.Simon Callow frets humorously over a pen, Dan Ackroyd is a punchy businessman and Jim Broadbent serves as a drunken apparition of sorts. Others round out a cast that readily inspires lists in a similar manner that Mr. Chatterbox scandalously touts names.It's a film that isn't so much about an inciting plot as much as it is a set of interesting personalities, and what is important is how these personalities interact and deal with their frequent polarities of class and how they come together to rally against the oppressive decency society presents. It's an examination of characters often ostentatious and flighty, empty and flamboyant, ethically contemptuous and always in search for the party to end all parties. Bright Young Things takes many liberties with its cast, putting great thought into each role to compose an assemblage of actors new and old mixed together like a properly bold martini.

In regards to its technical qualities, the most standout features of the film rest in design areas and in lighting.Costumes are ornate, glitzy, and perfect for the period, while sets are large, aesthetic, and gracefully decorated.Cinematography is absolutely gorgeous, as the film is painted with as much fabulously garish energy as the characters which populate it.The very first shot in the film is of a party entirely lit in bright red, with the camera floating above dancing socialites in what seems like a fish bowl of cranberry juice.Another party is lit in icy blue, allowing skin of the bright young things to take on the porcelain effect of little cherubic starlets, and is a heavenly counterpart to the opening look. Beams of strong light fill Lord Monomark's expansive office, an angel chorus glows in the front of sparkling party guests, and beautiful old lamps are perpetually in the background of the frame.The film is lit as if there is life around every corner, with candles filling up a room, flickering warmly as characters dance in their midst.Dust floats through the air in sunbeams through windows; nothing here is ever still and even the air is full of parties.There is always a spirit of fun, a very distinct glitziness, and an obvious attempt to create a world as energetic as its characters.

In Bright Young Things, Stephen Fry takes us behind the doors and into the nightlife of Adam and his socialite-celebrity friends, plastering the screen with sequin-clad socialites, with starving artists and starry-eyed lovers.He takes the audience on a journey of delightful and utterly irresistible excess where nothing matters and life is acted out like a campy theatrical play. A scandalous tale of scandal itself, Bright Young things is drunk on its own glamour, trying to sustain the tawdry trumpets on its score well past the midnight hour.It's the film version of that drunkard who tries to last well past his prime at your most exclusive party, drawing attention to himself and never showing signs of leaving. Its that drunkard who should be violent but is instead so belligerent his intoxication makes him harmless, and as he stammers around one can't help but laugh and be thankful to whomever had the good grace to invite him.

Bright Young Things is a period piece that is relentlessly modern, with tabloid papers and socialites who gain fame simply for attending parties.It manages to feel very new and relevant despite its failure at being the satire it so pretends to be; instead of commenting on the emptiness of these decadent celebrities it indulges them and goes along for their ride. It allows itself to be as drunk as the characters it pretends to chastise.Little conflicts may be presented to those characters throughout, and sending them to wars and mental institutions isn't exactly congratulatory, but at its heart Bright Young Things cares more for its characters than it would like to admit.This is the hiccup in a story spilling champagne all over, but one that's ultimately not as much a problem as it should be.The hiccup is perfectly acceptable, for while everyone pretends to direct maliciousness towards the young and irresponsible, its impossible not to pay attention to and vicariously enjoy their hedonistic fun. Instead of brandishing these characters with placards displaying the uselessness of their lives as it pretends to do its just as empty and vile as they are, resulting in a film of outlandish color and spirit, teeming with vivacity and effervescent energy that works on an audience like bubbly alcohol coursing through the veins.

See it for the bright "old" things
Evelyn Waugh's brand of satire and sentiment hasn't worn well with American audiences.Of all the screen adaptations of Waugh, and these include "A Handful of Dust," "Decline and Fall," "Scoop," and the "Sword of Honour" Trilogy, only the miniseries "Brideshead Revisited" (aimed at the PBS set) and the cameo-studded "The Loved One" (who could forget Rod Steiger's turn as Mr. Joyboy or Aylene Gibbons as his mother?) have managed to make an impression."Bright Young Things," based on Waugh's "Vile Bodies," managed to disappear from American theatres before most of us registered its arrival, so I was compelled to wait for DVD.The wait was well worth it.This is a delightful realization of the novel, with several "bright young" faces (mostly newcomers) in the leads, and Stephen Fry in the director's chair.The hero in a Waugh novel never makes much of an impression, and the heroine is often bland to the point of being boring (plotting wasn't Waugh's long suit); however, Stephen Campbell Moore and Emily Mortimer are more than serviceable as Adam Fenwich-Symes and Nina Blount.The real fun in the films, as in the books, comes from the parade of eccentric minor characters, and, in these, we are not disappointed: Jim Broadbent and Julia McKenzie make an impression, as the Major and Adam's landlady, but the greatest funlies in the casting of Peter O'Toole, as Nina's check-writing papa, and, of all people, John Mills, who's been playing addled old gentlemen (most happily in "The Wrong Box") for half a century, as a cocaine-snorting party guest.Dan Ackroyd and Stockard Channing are also along for the ride, perhaps as a sop to Americans who only recognize star power when it comes with an American accent.The story is of little consequence here (although the themes of censorship and religious excess have a contemporary ring), and there are some jarringly sober moments, including a young man's suicide, but the comedy wins out.Fry is to be congratulated, not least for his self-effacing turn as a chauffeur (who can fail to recognize the voice of Jeeves?), and his commentary on the film is one of the chief reasons to buy the DVD.

All Parade and No Circus
Everyone who loves British wit and acerbic satire knows the writing of Evelyn Waugh and the acting and wit of Actor/Director Stephen Fry: the idea of Fry adapting Waugh's raucous campy vamp of England in the 1930s seems like the perfect fit.In many ways it is - in particulars, but alas not in the totality of the work that resulted in this vacuous film.

While the camera work is endlessly interesting, it does often upstage the point of the story.Or maybe that is part of the problem with this colorful film - its lack of point. BRIGHT YOUNG THINGS tackles the class structure of England in a bit heavily one-sided foray, leaving us with the feeling that all of England's young folk prior to WW II were party people with little else on their minds than garish flamboyant stupefying parties...and the importance of having money.Manipulation of the gentry, the willy-nilly ups and downs of serendipitous fortunes, and the self indulgent morals of the characters that populate this story seem to be Fry's gleaning of the Waugh text.

Not that this is a bad movie: this is as colorful, darkly witty study of the shallow life of the times and the dialogue is very funny and very cutting.The actors are all in that rare class of Britain's best: Jim Broadbent, Peter O'Toole, Emily Mortimer, Michael Sheen, Stephen Campbell Moore, David Tennant, Fenella Woolgar, Julia McKenzie, Simon Callow, John Mills (and even adding Stockard Channing!) all are entertaining but each manages to keep his character one dimensional.

I suppose there is a point to this, but though entertained by the film, the point of adapting Waugh's VILE BODIES into this bit of fluff remains nebulous at best.Grady Harp, February 2005 ... Read more

Reviews (225)

A PERIOD MASTERPIECE...
The enormously talented Emma Thompson wrote the marvelous screenplay for this brilliant adaptation of Jane Austen's novel of the same name. Ms. Thompson rightly won a Academy Award for Best Screenplay for her efforts. The film itself, first class in every respect, received seven Academy Award nominations and was named Golden Globe Best Picture of the Year.

The film revolves around the two Dashwood sisters, the passionate and highly impetuous Marianne (Kate Winslet) and the more conformist and restrained Elinor (Emma Thompson), who have had a sudden reversal of fortune, having been left impoverished upon the death of their father. Their financial condition is exacerbated by the evil machinations of their sister in law, Fanny Dashwood (Harriet Walter), who manipulates her husband, their half brother, into pinching pennies with them, causing them no end of hardship.

This nineteenth century tale of morals and manners details the romantic trials and tribulations of the Dashwood sisters. Marianne falls in love with a scoundrel, John Willoughby (Greg Wise), who leaves her high and dry for a woman with a fortune. Meanwhile, the kind and courteous Col. Brandon (Alan Rickman) falls in love with Marianne and suffers from unrequited love for some time, until Marianne regains her senses. Elinor falls in love with Edwards Ferrars (Hugh Grant), her evil sister in law's brother, and he with her, but many obstacles to their pairing are interposed along the way. All comes out right in the end, however, but it is the getting there that makes this film a must see.

A witty, funny, and romantic film, it boasts a first class ensemble cast. While Ms. Thompson may be a bit long in the tooth for the role which she plays, her thespian talents and charm enable her to pull the proverbial rabbit out of the hat. Beautifully directed by Ang Lee, this film should top the list of those who love Jane Austen and those who adore superlative period pieces.

True to the Novel
All novels have to be abridged for their movie debut. Those adapting for screenplay must carefully consider scences that can be condensed or eliminated to allow the film to conclude in two hours. "Sense and Sensibility" is no exception. It has been beautifully and skillfully adapted for film. The spirit and beauty of Jane Austen's novel remains intact.

A superb job of bringing Jane Austen's novel to the screen
I suppose it makes perfect sense that if you want to make a 19th-century English romance novel into a superb film you hire an actress almost twice the age of the main character to not only play the role but also adapt the screenplay into a book and then hire a Taiwanese director to direct the film. You might say, yes, such things happen in Hollywood, but the success of "Sense and Sensibility" is due to what transpired in England, not Southern California. Having read the novel and the original screenplay, the largest share of credit goes to Emma Thompson, who deservedly received the Oscar for Best Screenplay Adaptation. Thompson began by dramatizing every scene in the novel, which resulted in 300 hand written pages to be followed by 14 drafts as the 1811 novel was crafted into the final script. The result was a script that manages to be not only romantic and funny, but also romantic and funny in the best Austen sense of both.

After watching the film again I focus on three particular points, which I think best reveal the strength of Thompson's script. First, the entire introductory sequence, which induces us to like the Dashwood sisters because we are introduced first to their step-brother and his shrewish wife (credit for this particular sequence also goes to Film Editor Tim Squyres, who recut the scene so that we get all of one side and then the other instead of alternating back and forth as in the original script). Our sympathies cannot help but be with the plight of Elinor and Marianne. Second, the use of Shakespeare's Sonnet 116 ("Let me not the marriage of true minds"), which Marianne and Willoughby share to their great mutual delight (except he gets a word wrong, in an elegant little bit of foreshadowing) and which Marianne repeats standing in the rain looking at Willoughby's new estate. Third, Austen has Elinor bolt from the room to cry outside during the happy ending but Thompson creates a wonderful moment by having her stay in the room and having the rest of her family flee. There are not too many scenes where you are crying and laughing at the same time, but Thompson certainly created one (and has the added virtue of relying on herself as an actress to nail the performance as well). All of these are marvelous examples of playing to the strength of the cinema to bring Austen's novel to the screen.

The performances are first-rate, especially Kate Winslet as the passionate Marianne, Gemma Jones as Mrs. Dashwood and Alan Rickman as Colonel Brandon (the look on his face when Marianne thanks him for rescuing her is so wondrously touching). Hugh Grant does find a way of slowing the delivery of his dialogue more than usual, but it does fit the overall pace of the film. The supporting cast is exactly what you come to expect from a British production with Elizabeth Spriggs stealing every scene she is in as Mrs. Jennings, Robert Hardy as Sir John Middleton, Hugh Laurie as Mr. Palmer, Oliver Ford Davies as Doctor Harris, and the enchanting young Emilie Francois as Margaret Dashwood ("They always kneel down"). On the darker side of the ledger we have Greg Wise as the less than honorable John Willoughby, and Imogene Stubbs as Lucy Steele and Harriet Walter as Fanny Dashwood vying for the main villainess role in the proceedings. No wonder Emma Thompson's performance as Elinor is almost lost in the proceedings, but she is the center around which everything resolves who has to keep it together when everybody around her is losing it (even when she first confesses her broken heart, she ends up consoling Marianne instead of the other way around).

Ang Lee had already proven he could handle a tale of sisters in love when he directed "Eat Drink Man Woman." In "Sense and Sensibility" he has the script, the actors and the set design all working in his favor to create a sense of 19th century England. But there are a few moments when he uses the camera to great advantage; in particular the overhead shot of Marianne on her sick bed achieves a painting like quality and the tracking shot of Mrs. Jennings running down the street bearing the latest gossip.

I first say this film when visiting England and I was so caught up in the story that I had no idea who was going to end up with who. Actually, I was sort of rooting for Elinor to end up with Colonel Brandon since they were obviously the two finest members of their respective sexes in the proceedings. So the ending was as much of a surprise to me as it was to the Dashwoods, which is certainly something to be cherished. Obviously if you love this film it will lead you to other Austen adaptations (the film versions of "Emma" and "Persuasion" along with the BBC mini-series "Pride & Prejudice" immediately leap to mind), but hopefully it will also lead you to the original novels as well. Finally, Thompson published "The Sense and Sensibility: Screenplay & Diaries," which I would highly recommend after you have done both the film and the novel.

Just A Perfect Movie
This movie is just wonderful! I love the acting of Emma Thompson and Kate Winslet. The two sisters are opposite in terms of one being practical and the other who bases her actions only upon emotions. They both learn through the trials and tribulations of their time how to balance logic and feelings to overcome the odds and fall in love. It was just so heartwarming and I can't say enough about the acting, every little look meant something, every action had meaning. The sets were gorgeous, you could just feel the wind blowing and the beauty all around you when you watched the film. The whole movie was a perfect 5. I don't rate many at this number, so be prepared for a good time well spent. Warning, it may appeal more to the female sex, but men could learn a thing or two from watching this comedy/drama.

I got sense and sesibility too ! haha
Originally I thought it would be a bored movie, but it's much better than what I expected ! It's an old movie...wow... been 5 yrs from now.but I really suggest u to see this film, it's great and give you a fabulous inspiration! ... Read more

Amazon.com

Amateur sleuth extraordinaire Lord Peter Wimsey first meets the lovely Harriet Vane in this clever mystery. At the start of Strong Poison Harriet (Harriet Walter) is on trial for murder. Lord Peter (Edward Petherbridge) becomes enchanted by her and decides she cannot possibly be guilty. What follows are the twin stories of Lord Peter's search to find the real killer and his romantic pursuit of Harriet. Both are charming. As always, Sayers has plotted her story brilliantly, with a satisfying mystery and a sly comic touch (a gentle poke at the spiritualist movement is particularly fun). The period atmosphere is pulled off naturally and with close attention to detail, and the adaptation has a careful reverence for Sayers's novel. The performances are all remarkably strong. Both leads capture the peculiar romance of sharp minds quite well, and Richard Morant is quietly fantastic as the remarkable Bunting. --Ali Davis ... Read more

Reviews (6)

"Except that the girl's innocent."
Things are not going well at Harriet Vane's trial for the murder of her former lover, Philip Boyd - hearing the judge's summation, only the most unrealistic of minds could conclude that she is not guilty as charged.

One such mind, however, is that of Lord Peter Wimsey - the same Lord Peter who, normally a beacon of logic, unfailingly unspins the web of every criminal intrigue to which he brings to bear his intellectual powers, but who now, epitome of a bachelor that he has heretofore been, without so much as ever having personally met Harriet, is dead-set on marrying her. So when he tells his old friend (and as readers of Dorothy Sayers's books know, soon-to-be brother in law) Chief Inspector Parker, who was in charge of the investigation, that Parker has made a mistake, the policeman is unsettled; despite the water-tight case he feels he has put together. "Where is the flaw?" he inquires gingerly. "There isn't one," Wimsey retorts. "Except that the girl's innocent."

Thus, the scene is set for the first entry in Sayers's Wimsey-Vane canon, whose first three installments are brought to the small screen in this delightful miniseries. (The other two installments, "Have His Carcase" and "Gaudy Night," have the sleuthing pair investigate a mysterious knife-inflicted death in a seaside resort, where Harriet has gone to regain her peace of mind after her acquittal; and a serious of poison-pen letters and vandalism directed at independent women, and particularly women in academia, at Harriet's Oxford college. As the movie rights to the fourth and last episode completed by Sayers herself, "Busman's Honeymoon," were sold by the author, the BBC was unable to also include that particular installment; unfortunately so, as their version would undoubtedly have been more faithful than 1940's "Haunted Honeymoon" starring Robert Montgomery and Constance Cummings).

So, while Harriet is pining away in prison, dreading a jury verdict which, she feels, can only be delayed, not avoided entirely, and not knowing how to deal with the sudden attentions of a well-known member of the nobility, Wimsey busies himself with the search for Boyd's true murderer; whom he eventually finds with the help of his confidante Miss Climpson (whose presence in the jury box, unbeknownst to Harriet, has already proved instrumental in producing a hung jury despite the judge's damning summation) and her assistant, Miss Murchison; both of which ladies, while perfectly honorable, do not shrink from unconvential methods when called for in the pursuit of justice.

What most distinguishes this miniseries is its faithfulness to Dorothy Sayers's books, as well as its superb cinematography, marvelously capturing the settings; from Old Bailey and pre-WWII London to sleepy and somewhat seedy seaside resorts and the timeless grace and high spirits of Oxford University. Unfortunately (particularly so in "Gaudy Night") a number of subplots were dropped, but the essence of Sayers's novels is maintained; and much of the dialogue is taken literally from those. Edward Petherbridge nails Lord Peter's tone and exalted mannerisms, as well as his hidden vulnerabilities, to a tee - fans of Ian Carmichael's more physical, over-the-top interpretation be reminded that Sayers herself, in "Strong Poison," describes Wimsey as of "slight" build, while giving a rather unexpected impression of "controlled power." (Granted, though, that, conceivably having endowed Lord Peter with much of her own preferences in men, Sayers would not have Harriet comment, as she does in the BBC's version of "Gaudy Night," that he is "not much to look at;" in fact, she has her heroine veritably pining over a sleeping Lord Peter's physiognomy during that very novel's famous punting trip.) - Harriet Walter, similarly, shares more than her first name with the stories' female protagonist; she is exactly the Harriet Vane one might image when reading the books (I certainly did). Richard Morant as Lord Peter's faithful manservant Bunter is about a knife's tip too much of a jack-of-all-trades for my tastes - I can well see him "insinuating" himself into a suspect's household at his master's behest or (as in "Have His Carcase") shadowing another suspect all across London, but not necessarily fretting, as he does in "Busman's Honeymoon," over the sake of a case of vintage port, packed in eiderdowns in the back of a car and in danger of being rattled (and rendered undrinkable for months, if not years to come) by Lord Peter's brisk driving habits. Still, overall this is an outstanding production; undoubtedly one of the BBC's finest ever, and long overdue to be revived in this format.

One of THE BEST TV series ever made!!
Edward Petherbridge is brilliant!!

I recently acquired these DVD's (Strong Poison/Have His Carcass/Gaudy Night) and they are now my most treasured set. The performances by Edward Petherbridge and Harriet Walter are flawless!

This series is a MUST HAVE for all mystery buffs (especially Dorothy Sayer's fans!) For those who were disappointed in the Ian Carmichael series produced 10 years earlier, take heart--you have now found the answer to your prayers!

My only criticism is that there were no more titles produced in this series. I can't understand why they did not continue to make more of these wonderful productions. And furthermore, I can't understand why the BBC took so long to release this series onto Video/DVD. If I had known of the existance of this series sooner, I would have launched a campaign to demand that they make more episodes. Oh well...I guess we will just have to make do with the three gems that were made. (In fact you should probably buy two sets of these, as you may wear out your original DVD's from watching them over and over and over and ...ahem...oh yes back to the review...)

The first two films, Strong Poison and Have His Carcass, are faithful to the books and each is truly a pleasure to watch. The third, Gaudy Night (or "Gaudy Lite" as I have seen it referred to) skimps a bit in comparison to the novel. However, the extraordinary acting on the part of Edward Petherbridge and Harriet Walter more than makes up for this, ensuring that this version of Gaudy Night is a highly entertaining one. This series should have segued into "Busman's Honeymoon." However BBC dropped the ball on obtaining the rites and left us all hanging.

Perhaps it isn't too late for a continuation of this series after all. It has ONLY been 16 years since the last episode. Surely if Ian Carmichael could have the audacity to play Lord Peter Wimsey at his age, Edward Petherbridge could pull it off for at least another 20 years or so (and do it brilliantly I might add!)

Needless to say, I have become an instant fan of Mr. Petherbridge and can only hope I may find more of his work on film. (This is a daunting task since this distinguished stage performer seems to shy away from the camera. Something about acting for the love of the thing and not the money. Oh these serious actors!! By the way, isn't he WAY OVERDUE for some sort of Knighthood or something ...hmm??!!)

WARNING: Ordinary television will seem even more unsatisfactory after viewing these DVD's.

As I said before, you'd better get at least two copies of each of these DVD's (or to be on the safe side, you'd better make it three!!)

(NOTE: It seems that the UK version of the DVD's contain an interview with Edward Petherbridge as a bonus feature. Unfortunately for me, the American version does not. You lucky Brits!!)

Enjoy!

"Oh that was strong poison, Lord Rendal, my son"
I have been rereading Dorothy Sayer's Lord Peter Wimsey novels of late. A friend drew my attention to the availability of the Edward Petherbridge BBC performances of three of the novels that turn on Lord Peter's relationship with Harriet Vane, and I decided to purchase them. I never quite liked Ian Carmichael's styling of Wimsey on Masterpiece Theater, which always felt a bit out of character to me. Thus, I thought this would be an interesting change.

And a good change it is. Petherbridge's Wimsey is much more like Sayer's character, right down to the irritating bits as well as the admirable one's. And Harriet Walters playing of Harriet Vane is spot on. She is exactly as I imagined her. As we watch the tale of Wimsey's intense efforts to save Harriet from being found guilty of poisoning her ex-lover unfold, it is easy to imagine them eventual lovers. Despite shortness of the screenplay some of the brittle, the bits of sparkling dialogue which makes them a success on paper come through.

I am less comfortable with Richard Morant's version of Bunter, Wimsey's man. He acts well, but is too young by a decade or so. As the result, some of the books camaraderie between the two feels more like borderline insolence, which the real Bunter would never have done. Shirley Cain's Miss Climpson is spectacular, however, the perfect agent for Lord Peter's schemes. In addition, the comic relief scene at Blindfold Bill Rumm's is done to perfection. The old safecracker reborn as a hymn singing lay minister is another of Sayer's tiny masterpieces of caricature.

It is unfortunate that the screenwriters, having managed to navigate the plot until almost the very end with nothing to quibble about, should suddenly decide to deviate entirely from Sayer's own ending. And, in doing so, made Wimsey look sappy and Harriet rather cruel. Whether out of bad romantic taste or a criminal need to shave thirty seconds off the length of the screenplay, it will provide some distress to those of us who have read the book. Hence, a four star rating where I would normally have given a five.

As My Whimsy Takes Me
I never thought I'd see this series again, but miracle of miracles, The Powers That Be have released it and on DVD, no less! I first saw these episodes on PBS in the late eighties when I was entering junior high school. I've been watching those Friday night mystery programs on PBS for as long as I can remember, and no one can top these three adaptations of Dorothy L. Sayer's three most popular Wimsey novels: Strong Poison, Have His Carcass, and Gaudy Night. Absolutely brilliant performances by Edward Petherbridge as my quintessential Lord Peter and Harriet Walter as Harriet Vane. I hope that now this much-loved series will receive the long-awaited praise and recognition it richly deserves.

The REAL Lord Peter Wimsey
While a few of those who first encountered LPW on-screen through the characterization of Ian Carmichael still prefer his earlier series, lovers of DLS's detective will recognise Edward Petherbridge as the true embodiment of the noble sleuth. Petherbridge brings the grace, intelligence, courtesy & thinly veiled emotional vulnerability of Lord Peter to real-life. While both series show their flaws when deviating from the brilliant writing of DLS, the Petherbridge series stays mostly faithful to the books & even truer to the spirit of the characters (particularly LPW & his faithful, YOUNG & charming Bunter). Strong Poison is the first story featuring Harriet Vane, the detective-novel writer who wins Lord Peter's heart & help as she stands trial for her life, accused of murdering her former lover. Not only a top-notch who-dunnit, this is also the beginning of one of the greatest, most uncertain & most delicate literary courtships ever written. Will Harriet gain her freedom, only to lose her heart to Lord Peter? The outcome is less certain than you think.... ... Read more

Amazon.com

The great Lord Peter Wimsey embodies amateur sleuthing at its best in Have His Carcase. Dorothy L. Sayers's impeccable plotting, wry humor, and touching fondness for her favorite characters all shine in this perfect adaptation of her novel. Wimsey's special friend Harriet Vane (Harriet Walter), fresh from a murder trial of her own, tries to get away from it all and ends up stumbling over a freshly killed body. Unable to resist a crime (or, for that matter, Harriet), Wimsey is soon on the case. Edward Petherbridge is perfect as Wimsey, revealing his brilliance and allowing him to be hopelessly in love without ever damaging his dignity. Walter plays Harriet with rich nuance, saying as much with her silences as she does with her lines. Most fun is Richard Morant as the astonishingly resourceful Bunting. The mystery spools out over four episodes, and very satisfyingly too. --Ali Davis ... Read more

Amazon.com

Malicious mischief infects an Oxford college in the Dorothy L. Sayers classic Gaudy Night, which happily reunites Lord Peter Wimsey and Harriet Vane. Wimsey, deftly played by Edward Petherbridge, is still proposing marriage at frequent intervals. Harriet (Harriet Walter), though unable to say yes, is also unable to send Lord Peter entirely away. But enough with the romance. As Wimsey heads off for some foreign service work, Harriet visits her alma mater and lands smack in the middle of a poison-pen scandal. Harriet's status as a mystery writer, naturally, means she's the one who should investigate. Sayers clearly had fun writing this one, using Harriet to gently tweak her own profession, at the same time both parodying and defending the cloistered life at a women's college. The production is beautifully done and the performances are terrific, and Gaudy Night brings a satisfying end to the story arc begun with Strong Poison and Have His Carcase. --Ali Davis ... Read more

Reviews (8)

A Deep Disappointment
Gaudy Night has long been my favorite Lord Peter Wimsey--or perhaps I should say, Harriet Vane detective story. There's no doubt Sayers recreated Oxford lovingly and with extreme vividness. Harriet Vane fully comes into her own in this story. The TV adaptation, however, is truncated, simplified almost beyond recognition. The various characters are cardboard stereotypes. The deepening relationship between Wimsey and Harriet is reduced to cliches. Why in the world were 4 episodes lavished on a much lesser story, "Have His Carcase" and only three on "Gaudy Night". This version simply doesn't do the original story justice at all.

Well done
This is the third in a series of television movies based on Dorothy L. Sayers's famous mystery series featuring Harriet Vein and amateur sleuth Lord Peter Wimsey. The first two programs are "Strong Poison" and "Have His Carcass."

One of the strengths of the BBC production is that they do not try to dramatize so much that the story does not match the book. One of the advantages of this series is that it is long enough that most of the pertinent information is shown. They made an excellent choice when deciding to use Edward Petherbridge as Lord Peter Wimsey and Harriet Walter as Harriet Vane. They match the book character descriptions perfectly. In fact if you see this program before you read the book their images will be in your mind.

Maybe due to time restraints or different directing, many of the most interesting book characters were left out of "Gaudy Night" A chess board plays a significant part in the book and is also left out of this version.

Harriet is invite to her university's gaudy. She soon finds out that it is not an idle indentation. It seems that people are receiving poison pen letters and very nasty pranks. Not wanting the police to be involved they turn to Harriet (knowing of here reputation for solving crimes.) When Harriet receives a letter herself she confides in Lord Peter. Are these innocent pranks or will they lead to some thing more sinister? And who is the culprit?

Gaudy yes, but oh so Brilliant
This is but one of the many Peter Wimsey mysteries I have watched, listened to, and/or read. Everyone of them have had characters so well developed and believable. This mystery is well deserving of the highest rating for its plot, the scenery, and the acting. The period was the 1930's, and strong, independent women were an exception rather than the norm. This story highlights one type of delicate situation professional women could find themselves in during this transitional period. The majority of the cast are female, and all are very well cast. There were even a number of catty encounters between various characters, remniscent of "The Women", by Clare Booth Luce, which were very likely to have actually happened in the situations these characters found themselves in. Having seen Edward Petheridge and Harriet Walter portray these characters in a play on stage, their portrayals lose nothing in the transition to TV. I stongly recommend this show as well as all the other Lord Peter Wimsey mysteries on DVD/VHS. These shows are excellent entertainment and have class most current TV shows and movies of this genre seriously lack.

One of THE BEST TV Series Ever Made!!!
Edward Petherbridge is brilliant!!

I recently acquired these DVD's (Strong Poison/Have His Carcass/Gaudy Night) and they are now my most treasured set. The performances by Edward Petherbridge and Harriet Walter are flawless!

This series is a MUST HAVE for all mystery buffs (especially Dorothy Sayer's fans!) For those who were disappointed in the Ian Carmichael series produced 10 years earlier, take heart--you have now found the answer to your prayers!

My only criticism is that there were no more titles produced in this series. I can't understand why they did not continue to make more of these wonderful productions. And furthermore, I can't understand why the BBC took so long to release this series onto Video/DVD. If I had known of the existance of this series sooner, I would have launched a campaign to demand that they make more episodes. Oh well...I guess we will just have to make do with the three gems that were made. (In fact you should probably buy two sets of these, as you may wear out your original DVD's from watching them over and over and over and ...ahem...oh yes back to the review...)

The first two films, Strong Poison and Have His Carcass, are faithful to the books and each is truly a pleasure to watch. The third, Gaudy Night (or "Gaudy Lite" as I have seen it referred to) skimps a bit in comparison to the novel. However, the extraordinary acting on the part of Edward Petherbridge and Harriet Walter more than makes up for this, ensuring that this version of Gaudy Night is a highly entertaining one. This series should have segued into "Busman's Honeymoon." However BBC dropped the ball on obtaining the rites and left us all hanging.

Perhaps it isn't too late for a continuation of this series after all. It has ONLY been 16 years since the last episode. Surely if Ian Carmichael could have the audacity to play Lord Peter