Reviews (282)

The Best Movie, Horror or Otherwise, of All Time
After having absolutely no sleep, I saw IWTV at 6:30 in the morning, and put off going to bed just to finish watching this incomparable movie. It is the singular best movie of all time. In a nutshell, Louis de Pointe du Lac, the younger vampire, struggles with regret about his killings after being "made" by Lestat de Lioncourt. I had heard in advance that Tom Cruise played an excellent Lestat, but when he appeared on the screen, I was shocked. He was a chilling, amazing character, virtually unrecognizable with fangs and blond hair. Louis, played by Brad Pitt, was occasionally whiny and melancholy, but he certainly fit the part. Stealing the show, however, was an extremely talented and extremely frightening Kirsten Dunst (at 12) as Claudia, the child vampire whose mind and soul matures, but whose body remains that of a 12-year-old. Louis's only love, she keeps him with Lestat in the immortal family. Antonio Banderas, as Armand, was also amazing, although a far cry from the auburn-haired, eternally youthful character of the book. I was inspired to read the novel by Anne Rice after finishing the movie, (I cried for hours at its end, partially because it was over) and it too was great. If only Tom Cruise was Lestat in the feeble Queen of the Damned!

Sumptuous, magnificent and mournful
INTERVIEW WITH THE VAMPIRE THE VAMPIRE CHRONICLES (1994) is that rarity in modern Hollywood terms: A star-driven blockbuster which uses the theme of eternal life to explore the meaning of existence and the nature of death and grieving. Based on Anne Rice's bestselling 1976 novel (itself written as a response to the death of a beloved child), the movie features two of contemporary Hollywood's most recognizable stars - Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt (both astonishingly beautiful here) - as vampire and willing victim, remaining eternally young as the world changes around them. Cruise plays a seasoned bloodsucker who revels in his own outrageous decadence, and his wilful excesses are roughly contrasted with Pitt's horror at the necessity of consuming human blood, until Cruise is forced to create another 'companion' for Pitt in the shape of a little girl (Kirsten Dunst) who subsequently refuses to grow old gracefully, leading to betrayal and tragedy. Scored with melancholy grace by composer Elliot Goldenthal (TITUS, FINAL FANTASY THE SPIRITS WITHIN), and beautifully designed (by Dante Ferretti, GANGS OF NEW YORK) and photographed (Philippe Rousselot, A RIVER RUNS THROUGH IT), the film's epic sweep carries its central characters through the social upheavals of 17th and 18th century America and the horrors of 19th century Europe, where a nest of ancient vampires (led by scene-stealer Antonio Banderas and a miscast Stephen Rea) wreak terrible revenge on those who transgress against vampire lore. But, for all its spectacle, director Neil Jordan (THE COMPANY OF WOLVES) - working from a script credited to Anne Rice herself - allows the story to unfold at a leisurely pace, providing us with a deliberate insight into the monsters at the heart of the story and the catastrophic events which shape their destinies. The film concludes ironically, with a 20th century invention (motion pictures) which allows Pitt to see his 'beloved sunrise' once more (illustrated with clips from the likes of SUNRISE A SONG OF TWO HUMANS, GONE WITH THE WIND and SUPERMAN!), and there's an incredibly moving sequence involving a once-proud vampire laid low by his own vanity. The mood is somewhat spoiled, however, by a silly trick ending which upsets the delicate balance established during the first half of the film. And, as with the novel, the homoerotic undercurrent is mere window-dressing, an unconsummated tease which the filmmakers (and Rice herself) refuse to explore in any detail, lest it frighten the mainstream crowd. Sadly, the film is dedicated to the memory of the late and much-lamented River Phoenix who died during pre-production, and his role (as the interviewer who provides one half of the film's title) was taken by Christian Slater.

Warner Bros.' Region 1 special edition DVD - which runs 122m 20s - is letterboxed at 1.85:1 (anamorphically enhanced) and features a range of extras, from trailers, commentary, documentaries and an introduction to the film by Jordan, Banderas and Rice. Sound format is Dolby 5.1 (with a DTS option), and English captions and subtitles are provided.

Movie Introduction to Anne Rice
A different view on vampirism, a city dwelling kind of vampire who enjoys the good life. Based on one of Anne Rice's several excellent books. Great acting by both Banderas, Pitt and Cruise. A pity they didn't produce any of the other books in this quality.

Marvlous!
This is one of my favorite films! absolutly wonderful. It's true to the book as much as possible, and really brings the emotion across. If you loved the book, this will be right up your alley!

different from the book, but just as good.
this movie was absolutely wonderful. presently my best friend and I are in the middle of reading the book, and still love both equally, but we've noticed all the differences too. if you don't want to know what happens in the book, don't read this book, only know that both are wonderful. In the book, Louis has no wife and child, he is instead mourning the death of his younger brother, who he believes he murdered. He becomes a cold shell of a man...etc. then the movie continues correctly. Louis, as a vampire, falls in love with Babette Franiere, a mortal who runs a plantation not 5 miles from Point Du Lac, Louis's old plantation. he helps her, gives her advice from the shadows. she learns of his true form, and calls him the devil and shuns him from her home. the movie continues. Louis and Claudia leave for Europe, they find that Lestat has sired (to turn a human to a vampire) another. The movie continues, but Louis and Claudia search all of Europe for vampires, but mostly all that they find are mindless killing machines. they finally reach paris, where they find: Theatre des Vampires- a play of vampires posing as humans playing vampires. other than these few differences, the movie is almost exactly like the book. but even with these differences, both are by far some of the best vampire lore/stories i've read/seen ever. ... Read more

Reviews (55)

THE IRISH "BRAVEHEART": LENGTHY BUT ENGROSSING
Passionate screenplay and breathtaking cinematography, supported by Goldenthal's top notch background score: this film truly surprised me.

Plot-wise, you will learn a lot about the Irish rebellion against the British. The story, I found on some googling, has some crevices (e.g., Ned Broy was NOT murdered by the Tans as shown in the movie, in reality he survived the whole thing and went on to become the first head of the Gardai, the unarmed Irish police force.)

Yet, the superbly executed plotline unravels with an exciting pace, and is easy to follow. I was riveted.

Acting-wise, tight convincing performances all around, seems they couldn't have selected anyone better than Liam Neeson to portray Collins, although Julia Roberts was a bit expendable (and what's with that ill-achieved Irish accent!) Alan Rickman as de Valera was stunning as usual.

Despite its length, the film does full justice to the inspiration character of Collins. Recommended!

A Superb Film
I am not qualified to argue the history of modern Ireland, but have a general understanding of it and have experienced British arrogance first hand. No wonder this movie offends Anglophiles. Liam Neeson should have won an Oscar for his portrayal of freedom fighter Michael Collins. The acting and scenery are fantastic and I feel this movie captures the Irish soul. Critics are reduced to sniping at Julia Roberts Irish accent, but she does a fine job overall. If you liked Braveheart, then you will probably enjoy Michael Collins. I came away from this film thinking that Michael Collins is Ireland's greatest hero and would like to know how Irish citizens view the "Big Fellow".

Eire gu Braugh
Liem Neeson is absolutely magnificent. The movie is heart-joltingly rivetting. If you are interested in Irish History at all, you need to see this movie.

Something else altogether!
I'd usually steer well clear of films with alot of death in them (half because it turns my stomach, and half because it's so fake) but Michael Collins has to be an exception. This film is just so *real* in some parts. You can credibly believe the cruelty being doled out by both sides - neither Irish or English side is idolized as being the righteous one - and the pure shock will have you shaking just as much as the characters on screen.

The relationships here are beautiful, whether they're platonic (Michael's dealings with Harry, his best friend, and De Valera who in certain places would have you believe that they are like brothers) or romantic (with Kitty Keirnan) and the reactions of the actors are fantastic - especially De Valera (Alan Rickman)

However, if you're looking for historical accuracy... read the history first. The film takes plenty of liberties, to the extent of having one attack in Croke Park (Pairc Ui Crochaigh) that never actually happened and inaccuracies in the manner of some deaths.

And good gracious, someone kill Julia Robert's voice coach!

If you'd like to sit down with a moving film that never lets up, Michael Collins is perfect ^^;;

Shallow and inaccurate
Set just after the 1916 Easter Rebellion in Dublin, Neil Jordan's film follows the life and times of Irish revolutionary Michael Collins (Liam Neeson), detailing his relationships with Kitty Kearnan (Julia Roberts), Harry Boland (Aidan Quinn), and Eamon de Valera (Alan Rickman). It essentially covers the period leading up to the Civil War in Ireland, and ultimately Collins' untimely death.
It must be said the movie proves to be an opportunity missed, considering the budget and all involved. While it is usual for historical epics to have inaccuracies, "Michael Collins" is rather a disaster. After a very self conscious opening scene, the film seems to loose it's way and trods a distinctly uneven and incomprehensible path. It tries to hard to be all things: epic war film, romantic movie, and politically descisive. It fails on all counts, essentially because it is biased towards one side of the argument, and ridicules the other. The script seems to make no attempt at exploring the intricacies of the politics involved which led to Civil War, and the picture ends up like something a not very knowledgable schoolboy would write in primary school. Despite Liam Neeson's historonics, the casting in disasterous - particulary Aidan Quinn as an americanised Harry Boland, and Julia Roberts resembling a cross between Maureen O'Hara and Tinkerbell. What ultimately comes across from the acting is a cast who just want to pick up their pay check as quickly as possible and move as swiftly as they can onto their next, more serious, production.
The film is particulary offensive to those brave men and women who would not accept half measures, and took the view that the Anglo Irish Treaty was not the Republic of Easter Week 1916. Certain historical figures are missing, especially Arthur Griffith and Cathal Brugha (although Gerard McSorely appears in a brief scene with a "mcsorely" wig on his head which looks like something one would find in the middle of a cow field.

The Boland familly in general were outraged by the production, and the film did extremely well in Ireland, but flopped like a pan cake outside our four green fields.
It also suffers from the tendency to point to the indigenous population saying "Isn't this cool, we're all so important on this production. Yes I played such and such in the movie". I myself turned down any part of it with utter contempt, as I have taken the view that regardless of what side one was on during the Civil War, all concerned were heroes with no villins. Was Robert E. Lee any less in greatness then Grant? Both men are held with equal respect by the American populace.
RTE produced a much rounded and interesting production "The Treaty" which deals with the period in a more mature, intelligent way. The great Brendan Gleason appears as Collins, and the equally excellent Barry McGovern as de Valera.
"Michael Collins" is a total fiasco and an embarrasement ... Read more

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Peter O'Toole (Lawrence of Arabia, My Favorite Year) gives an exuberant performance in High Spirits. Peter Plunkett (O'Toole) hopes to save his mortgaged castle by turning it into a tourist attraction--the most haunted castle in Ireland. When American tourists arrive--among them Jack (Steve Guttenberg) and Sharon (Beverly D'Angelo), a couple whose marriage is rapidly disintegrating--Plunkett's tomfoolery arouses the real ghosts, who decide to give these interlopers everything they're asking for. But when Jack accidentally helps a beautiful ghost named Mary (Daryl Hannah), she decides he's the man to help her break the curse she's been suffering for 200 years. High Spirits is an odd foray into comedy by director Neil Jordan (The Crying Game, Interview with the Vampire). The special effects are clumsy, but the strong supporting cast includes Jennifer Tilly, Peter Gallagher, and Liam Neeson as Mary's murderous 200-year-old husband. --Bret Fetzer ... Read more

Reviews (18)

Still Delightful After All These Years
High Spirits is the kind of movie that the whole family can enjoy. Although the title would indicate that this may be a ghost story, there is nothing to fear. The ghost sequences are only the slightest bit "creepy" and soon lose all their edge when we meet the ghosts themselves. (Liam Neeson and Daryl Hannah) Most folks would probably not mind being haunted by one of these two!

This movie has two BIG things going for it. Number one is the cast, all of whom just shine. Big names of Guttenberg, Hannah, Neeson, D'angelo and most notably O'toole can almost guarantee a good time. Peter O'toole, as always, is especially endearing.

The other thing this movie has is pure charm. Its a good old fashioned almost disneyesque kind of film. Its a love story with enough fun in it to keep everybody entertained. Its MAIN charm comes from the setting. A quaint old "haunted" Irish castle where the servants have a beautiful old fashioned brogue. I found myself wishing I was there on several ocassions. Some will say it is insipid and has no social value. This is true. Its just good old fashioned movie fun. Sit back, kick off your shoes and enjoy. :)

Fabulous Phantoms!
Despite the critics views, I love this movie.... Peter O'Toole is wonderful as a titled Irishman trying to keep his family castle by infesting it with home-made ghosts (the castle staff) to attract an international, phantom-following clietele. A bickering couple from America (Steve Guttenberg and Beverly D'Angelo) discover that there really are authentic ghostly denizens of the castle (Liam Neeson and Daryl Hannah--- he murdered her 200 years before in a fit of jealous passion, and they are doomed repeatedly to reenact the event)-- Steve Guttenberg falls for Daryl, and Liam is randy for Beverly D'Angelo. Peter O'Toole's relationship with his dear old deceased Dad-- wonderful... Entertaining(at times hilarious!), engaging and original; A Might-Have-Been-Great, but still WAY Entertaining movie--- and one I was lucky enough to find on video!

My favorite movie of all time.
It really is! I think everyone has that one movie they never tire of watching whether it's an Oscar winner or not and this is mine. When life gets me down I can pop this DVD in and get lost in this wonderful haunted castle. No other movie I've found has so much "castle" ambiance. I love the large cast as well, only wish more time was spent portaying the wacky Irish staff. Watching it for the first time on my 60" widescreen was a double delight in that all the background detail unnoticed on a smaller set becomes evident, adding new dimension to the film. I even plan on visiting Castle Dromore someday which is the castle this movie was set in. It really is a shame that Neil Jordan's career began a downward spiral after this movie was released with such terrible reviews. Gutenberg and Hannah were probably the real reasons for the bad reviews, not the direction. Luckily he made a comeback years later with another favorite of mine, Interview with a Vampire. Any fan of castles or 80's comedy will really enjoy this one.

Indescribably funny
To save his castle from becoming an attraction in Malibu, Peter Plunkett (Peter O'Toole) came up with a scheme to turn the castle into castle most haunted in the area. Unknown to him is that the castle is haunted and visitors are really really really going to find out just how haunted it is. And if that is not enough Martin Brogan (Liam Neeson) had warts, his feet stank, and he squished.

Be sure to purchas the MGM DVD and not the poor quality Video Treasures VHS

O'Toole and Cast are hilarious!!
This is one of the funniest films I've ever seen. Peter O'Toole and this amazing cast have cooked up a class-act comedy with lots of spooks galore. A must have for the comic collector! ... Read more

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The tangled forest is misty with mystery, the thatched cottages are cute and quaint, and the dashing rogues are devious charmers, but this revision of "Little Red Riding Hood" is not your usual fairy tale. In the troubled dreams of an adolescent girl in the hormonal rush of puberty, it becomes a veritable werewolf story with lush storybook imagery, gothic horror flourishes, and decidedly sexual implications. Director Neil Jordan, who collaborated with author Angela Carter in this 1985 adaptation of her story, applies a knowing intelligence to the bittersweet tale. The often startling transformation effects may appear primitive compared to modern movies, but the delight is in the dark imagination, dense textures, and fantastical wonders of this dream world. Angela Lansbury is the story-spinning granny and David Warner the understanding woodsman father, and watch for a devilish cameo by a sinister and seductive Terence Stamp. --Sean Axmaker ... Read more

Reviews (31)

As You're Pretty, So Be Wise.....
I saw The Company of Wolves with my best friend Bryan when we were both thirteen, and I must confess, we both left the theater totally perplexed. What the hell did we just see? With almost twenty years more maturity under my belt, and having seen (And loved!) most of Director Neil Jordan's films, I decided to give "Company" another try...

It's still a deeply challenging film. The story is basically a fever-dream committed to film. Rosaleen is a young girl on the cusp of becoming a young woman. Her dreams place her in a fairy-tale land where her older sister has strayed from the path and been killed by a pack of wolves. Rosaleen's Granny (The excellent Angela Lansbury) tries to teach her about the ways of wolves (and men...), but will Rosaleen listen? Her burgeoning sexuality is about to lead her off the path, and into the arms of a big bad wolf....

The film is absolutely drenched in rich symbolism and deep parables that resonate strongly in this day of seemingly commonplace child abductions. As Rosaleen's family strives to keep her safe, they must also deal with her desire to forge her own path in life. Director Neil Jordan has crafted a film that rewards multiple viewings, adapting Angela Carter's stories to great effect. The colors are simply gorgeous to look at, and the sets and effects are staggeringly effective. The performances are marvelously understated, and Terrence Stamp steals the show in an all-too-brief cameo. Sarah Patterson plays young Rosaleen, and does a great job. Her recitation of the closing quotation is superbly chilling.

The disc comes with a photo gallery, promo reel, and trailer. Highly recommended for horror fans who are sick of screaming teens running from knife-wielding maniacs....

Gothic fantasy take on a classic story
The screenplay of this film was a colloboration between director Neil Jordan (Interview With A Vampire, The Crying Game) and feminist author Angela Carter, and is based upon a short story by Carter from her collection of short stories 'The Bloody Chamber'. This story, in turn, is based upon the classic children's story 'Little Red Riding Hood', but is filled with dark, menacing, and sexual imagery, all of which are used in the screenplay to create this stunning piece of gothic 'horror'.

That said, I always balk when I see this film placed in the 'Horror' section of any store, and cringe whenever I read a synopsis describing this film as a story about werewolves. Both descriptions are very wide of the mark. This is a story about the transition from childhood to adulthood of a teenage girl, and the symbolism throughout the film is subtle and powerful simultaneously. As such, it pretty much goes without saying that if you are looking for a scary movie, you're probably in the wrong place.

The highlights of this movie are:- Angela Lansbury as 'Granny', who turns in a wonderful performance and really adds a touch of class to the film. Also, the set design and lighting is brilliant, evoking a truly gothic feel to the scenes. For example, most of the movie is based 'outdoors' (like in the woods or in the village), and yet you always get the feeling of an enclosed and somewhat foreboding environment. This feels exactly right given that the story is centred around the character of a young girl, whose world consists solely of the small and familiar surroundings of home, where the outside world is only known to her through the fantastic stories of her Grandmother, where men, wolves and 'straying from the path' are to be feared.

Another, and major, highlight of this movie is the wonderful soundtrack by George Fenton, which is worth having on CD itself. Combining adaptations of traditional folk music with eerie, ominous synth sounds does as much to enhance the gothic atmosphere as the visual effects and set design.

Other than that, the rest of the performances are generally pretty good, especially Neil Jordan's staple actor, Stephen Rea, as well as a fine cameo from Brian Glover and debut from the beautiful and talented Sarah Patterson as the lead charcter 'Rosaleen', who sadly hasn't done much else since as far as I know. The film is also quite famous for it's man-to-wolf scenes and an early use of animatronics. The effects, sadly, do look pretty dated now, but the context of the scenes in which they are used is untainted, and remain powerful scenes both visually and emotionally. The fact that Rosaleen, after witnessing the pain and anquish that such a transition entails, openly weeps and says 'I'm sorry, I didn't know a wolf could cry', is brilliantly emotional and indicative of her almost complete transition from unknowing child, to compassionate and knowing young adult.

The DVD is not perfect by any stretch of the imagination. First of all, it's not widescreen (although oddly the title sequence at the beginning is!) which is a real shame. Also, the menu navigation is pretty tacky and amatuerish. Indeed, even the inlay and cover leave something to be desired. The tagline, which goes something like, "In the dead of night, the beast is unleashed!" is as misleading as it is cringe-worthy, and sounds like it was probably written by someone who has only seen excerpts of the movie once, as opposed to someone like me who has seen this film over 50 times! A plus for the DVD is the 'Promotional Video' which is basically an extended trailer (around 20 minutes long), and is interesting as it contains many scenes that differ slightly from the film itself. In this video, Rosaleen reveals that she is twelve and three-quarter years old, a fact that is not mentioned in the short story or the finished movie!

All in all, this is a great movie, if not a great DVD, that is so full of rich imagery and subtlety, that it promises to provide great re-watch value, and should not be considered as a 'horror-flick'... unfortunately, most stores don't have a section entitled 'Enchanting fantasy gothic adult fairytale stories'...

Freud's Fairy Tales
This is a decidely freudian interpretation of classic fairy tales. The story is immersed in sexuality, defining the loss of virginity in terms of fear, horror and violence. All men are protrayed as predatory animals and savage beasts solely driven by lust, who must be killed before they violate their young maiden prey.

This film boasts a talented director (Neil Jordan, who co-wrote the script) and cast (the beautiful young lead, Sarah Patterson, especially deserves praise) but suffers from a lack of focus regarding the plot structure and overall intent. It has a schizophrenic personality, never quite deciding whether it is a quality family film, an out-and-out horror flick or an adult exploration into sexuality. It never wholly succeeds on any of these levels.

Better pay attention to granny
The Company of Wolves, Neil Jordan's violent retelling of the Little Red Riding Hood tale, is weird, wonderful and gorgeously photographed. It's a story of a young girl's transition to adulthood, with all the sexual awakening and conflicted feelings one might suppose. This part of the story is told with great empathy and imagination. However, be prepared for werewolves, gore, creepy woods and creepy characters. It's hard to tell who's more unsettling, the wolves or granny. A very good movie. The DVD transfer is quite watchable.

Very Dark Retelling of Little Red Riding Hood
This is certainly not, the popular Little Red Riding Hood version written by the the Grimms Brothers,or Perrault.
It is a fantastic adult film, for people who have never stopped loving fairy tales. As a lover of Jack Zipes and Maria Tartar. This is a wonderful movie for someone who wants to devalue into a more or less traditional fairy tale retelling.
Staring as "the Grandmother" is the wonderful actress Angela Lansbury along with, the young, and quiet lovely Sarah Patterson as "Rosaleen" ( Little Red Riding Hood. )
However, this movie is not for those weak at hearts. The transformation from man to beast, is quiet horrifying indeed.
I though surprisingly liked it very well.
Also as a bonus is a beautiful background music that really paces the film well. ... Read more

Amazon.com essential video

"This is a diary of hate," pounds out novelist Maurice Bendrix (Ralph Fiennes) on his typewriter as he recounts the lost love of his life in this spiritual memoir (based on Graham Greene's novel) with a startling twist. It's London 1946, and Maurice runs into his achingly dull school friend Henry (Stephen Rea with a perpetually gloomy hangdog expression). Their meeting is brittle, all small talk and chilly, mannered civility beautifully captured by director-screenwriter Neil Jordan (The Crying Game), and it only barely thaws when Henry suggests that his wife, Sarah (the luminous Julianne Moore), may be having an affair. Maurice's mind reels back to his passionate affair with Sarah during the war years, which she abruptly broke off two years ago. Gripped with a jealousy that hasn't abated, he hires a private detective (a mousy, marvelous Ian Hart) to shadow her movements. He prepares himself for the revelation of a rival but instead finds a deeper, more profound secret: "I tempted fate," she writes in her diary, "and fate accepted."

Jordan's cool remove captures the unease beneath formal manners but never warms into intimacy during the scenes between the lovers, even while Fiennes and Moore almost explode in repressed emotions, their faces cracking under their masks of civility and their resolve shaking through jittery body language. There's more thought than feeling behind this collision of passion and spirituality, but it's a sincere, richly realized portrait of ennui and rage against God energized by brief moments of shattering drama. --Sean Axmaker ... Read more

Reviews (82)

Mature Love for a Anxious Audience
In these times of youth galore and Generation X, it is indeed rare to come around and find a love story which can be labeled *mature* and have that not be an overstatement of fact. This film, while not blowing away the box office upon it's U.S. release, certainly encompasses three sensational performances, a director who truly keeps to the spirit of the written word, cinematography that plays integral part of the story itself and a score that haunts with subtle yet vibrant beauty.

While no one can deny that Julianne Moore is the centerpiece of the tale as Sarah, Ralph Fiennes and Stephen Rea are also to be lauded for their interpretations of Bendrix and Henry respectively. Fiennes, in a role of quiet intensity and soft-pitched rage takes us into the psyche of Bendrix and gives us perhaps the best visual image as to what life must have been been for Graham Greene himself during the affair that marked his life. Rea as the cuckhold Henry is, as has been written a dullard through and through, but what makes his interpretation noble is the fact that he is well aware of it at every instant. It's obvious that his marriage to Sarah was at all moments a marriage of convenience that hoped for something better, but that never truly reached the pinnacle of love.

The tale begins with Bendrix's "diary of hate" and never loses that. Yes, he hates and never stops hating but as a constant, love is tempered and fed by the fuel of such fires. Ultimately, it is fate that becomes the undoing and the true end of the affair.

Dilution of the Miraculous
Graham Greene's The End of the Affair has been for many years one of my very favorite books, so I was excited when I heard that it had been made into a movie. Hollywood, however, in recent years despises anti-heroes and could not bring itself to make a villain out of Morris, played by Ralph Fiennes, as had Greene. It also diminished the impact of the miraculous that the book brought to the reader, that obvious sense of God's presence and love that Morris so firmly rejected even when it saved his life.

This is not to say that this isn't a watchable film: it is only in the last minutes that the film destroys the beauty of Greene's original vision. Fiennes, Moore, and Stephen Lea play their parts very capably: Lea, in particular, acts very capably as the dull, but kind Henry Miles.

But as I noted before, the film removes Greene's ironic ending by making Morris too good. In the novel, Morris (who is also the narrator) is the Seducer who can see only evil in the world. Sarah Miles, on the other hand, often sees selflessness when Morris believes himself to be selfish. When his own life is saved by apparent divine intervention, Morris will not see the miracle nor does he appreciate the sacrifice that Sarah has made on his behalf. Following Sarah's death, Morris is faced with what is for him a very frustrating manifestation of God's presence in the reappearance of the once sinful Sarah as a saint who cures the sick! He continues to reject God, however. In the end, frustrated and alone, he admits that God exists and declares his hatred. "Leave me alone forever." The reader is left with the clear feeling that the joke is on Morris.

The movie softens the case against Morris. It has him bringing glasses of warm milk to the bedside of the cuckolded husband. He prays that Henry and Sarah be taken care of by God "but leave me alone forever". One gets the feeling that the producers/directors/actors had some of the following motives in mind:

* To not make Ralph Fiennes into a villain

* To avoid making a film which would be critical of people who fell in love with married people

* To avoid making a film which in any way might make Catholic teachings palatable. (For the record, I am agnostic.)

* To have a happier Hollywood ending than the book had had.

I ended my viewing of the film feeling that I had just seen a remake of The English Patient with a kinder husband and a slightly less sluttish wife. If I could change the last ten minutes of the film and return to it the sense of Greene's irony, I could give it a full five stars. I had to ask "How truly did this represent Greene?" And the answer was "Not very well." Perhaps those who have not read and loved Greene will feel better about this film. It is, without that comparison, an ably acted and filmed love story, if conventional in its treatment of adulterous lovers.

To quote Greene speaking through Morris: "That's not what I wrote!"

A gentle movie!
This movie was a touching love story. Even though most love stories are lame this one was a strong-flavored movie. I think it is one of the best movies I have ever seen.

Rather a surprise
As per the original, or Jordan's attempt to recreate such, the film is unusually subtle, thoughtful, and, yes, mature. One feels that Jordan himself may be a nice person, as the plot is washed in that which was meant to lend interest to many an older, B&W, British drama: character. Whether or not Sarah (or Bendrick, for that matter) could be seen as good despite her/his adulterous frailty isn't the point - it's a red herring, swallowed neatly and idiotically by this film's 1st Amazonian reviewer. In my opinion, this film is about two things: (1)character, and (2) faith, and its surfacing in the least likely of places. As such it's a nice trip back to a time when, at least via art, themes of maturity, character, and the existance of God were more frequently and successfully shopped around to film producers. I might have given this a "4" had Jordan found a way to better express Moore's mounting attraction for something other than her lover, as well as the events leading up to Bendrick's hatred and distrust of same. Still, a film that leaves so much, as well as the latter, to the imagination, is refreshing, as is its crediting viewers with imagination and intelligence.

The Beginning of Disappointment
As a big fan of Ralph, I was looking forward to The End of the Affair. Maybe my expectations were too high, but this movie is dreadful. Ralph is a brilliant actor, but not even his flawless acting can't compensate for the nonsensical plot and the horrific casting of Julianne Moore. What happened to Moore? It is NOT hard to learn a British accent. From the sounds of it, Moore didn't even try. She sounds so American she fails to convince anyone she has an ounce of English in her. And if that weren't bad enough, the plot is as unconvincing as Moore's accent. She's an adulteress, but miraculously heals a young boy's facial disfigurement and brings Ralph back from the dead. Even the priest admires her--adultery and all! Her husband does not know the meaning of jealously and lets Ralph live in the house even though he knows of the affair. Still amidst the unbelievable, the plot is so predicatable. She coughs a few times here and there. So we know (before anyone in the movie figures it out) that she's dying. We also know why she "ends" the affair long before its "revealed" to Ralph. And by the way, what was with all the nudity? Totally unnecessary and vulgar. ... Read more

Amazon.com

The Crying Game offers a rare and precious movie experience. The film is an unclassifiable original that surprises, intrigues, confounds, and delights you with its freshness, humor, and honesty from beginning to end. It starts as a psychological thriller, as IRA foot soldier Fergus (the incomparable Stephen Rea) kidnaps a British soldier (Forest Whitaker) and waits for the news that will determine whether he executes his victim or sets him free. As the night wears on, a peculiar bond begins to form between the two men. Later, the movie shifts tone and morphs into something of a romantic comedy as Fergus unexpectedly becomes involved with the soldier's girlfriend Dil (Jaye Davidson) and discovers more about himself, and human nature in general, than he ever dreamed possible. Like Spielberg's E.T., The Crying Game was supposed to be director Neil Jordan's "little, personal movie," the one he just had to make, even though no studio was willing to give him money because the story was so unusual. Instead, it became a surprise popular sensation, thanks in part to Miramax's cleverly provocative campaign playing up the hush-hush nature of the movie's big secret. The performances (including Miranda Richardson as one of Fergus's IRA colleagues) are subtly shaded, and the writing and direction are tantalizingly rich and suggestive; you're always trying to figure out the characters' true motives and feelings--even when they themselves are fully aware of their own motives and feelings. The Crying Game is a wise, witty, wondrous treasure of a movie. Director Jordan's credits include Mona Lisa, Interview with the Vampire, Michael Collins, and The Butcher Boy. --Jim Emerson ... Read more

Reviews (75)

A deep , tender study on repressed human nature
Somewhere in Northen Ireland , a group of IRA terrorists kidnaps a british soldier . One of it's members , Fergus gets to know the hostage and starts a friendship with him . In a moment of fear and insecurity , the soldier asks from Fergus to go to England if something bad happens to him and try to find his fiance Dil and see if she's alright . Some years later Fergus arrives to England and traces Dil in the haidresser Saloon where she works .

During the first half of the movie what we watch is probably themost melancholic , beautiful romance ever to be filmed . He's trying just to protect her yet instead he falls for her and at the same time feels guilty for flirting with the soldier's wife . She's haunted by the ghosts of the past and although every word and move of hers is full of confidence , she desperately needs some love and tenderness yet she's much too proud to let it show .

Then somewhere a little after the halfway mark the film has a twist which leaves the viewer speechless . From that point and after , the movie becomes more dramatic and intense . Neil Jordan's direction has that magic something called personallity . I have never seen a scene as atmospheric and sensitive as the one where Fergus cuts Dil's hair . The key element of this film though is it's actors . Stephen Rea and Jaye Davidson give spectacular perfomances without which the film would certainlty be a lot different . Love is the thing Dil needs the most and love is what this great film is all about .

A funny thing happened on the way to the assassination
THE CRYING GAME teaches the lesson that terrorists have relationship problems just as messy as other folks.

Jody (Forrest Whitaker), a British soldier stationed in Northern Ireland, is ensnared in a honeytrap by Jude (Miranda Richardson), kidnapped, and held by Irish militants threatening his execution unless one of their own is released by the British authorities. One of Jody's captors is Fergus (Stephen Rea), who forms a sympathetic bond with his prisoner. At one point, Jody shares a photo of his significant other, Dil (Jaye Davidson), living in London, and exacts a promise from Fergus such that, in case he (Jody) is executed, Fergus will search out Dil and share drinks at the local pub. Jody fails to regain his freedom, but not for the obvious reason. In any case, Fergus ferries over to England and makes the acquaintance of Dil, a hairdresser, through the ruse of getting a haircut. An attraction develops between Fergus and Dil after the former helps the latter out of a tough spot with an overly aggressive male admirer.

I feel a smidgen of guilt for awarding THE CRYING GAME four stars instead of five since the clever screenplay unfolds as a series of unexpected events. The first half of the film culminates when Fergus is privy to a stunning revelation. However, from then on, even after Fergus's IRA colleagues arrive in London and coerce him into another attack on the establishment, the pace of the film seemed relatively languorous as both Fergus and Dil come to grips with, um, issues. I was left marveling at the mess into which Fergus had gotten himself. The conclusion seemed positively anticlimactic, although justice was served and dues paid all around.

Rea is effective as Fergus, though his perpetually sad, hangdog look wouldn't garner him the Charming Boyo of the Year award. The film's best acting job is by Davidson as the emotionally tormented Dil, and an Oscar should have arguably been won for that performance.

If one believes that life is a comedy, then THE CRYING GAME is surely dark humor, though I suspect the film's makers didn't intend it to be. I guess it depends on one's sense of irony. The pleasure of the viewing experience is ultimately in traveling down paths completely hidden during the first thirty minutes of screen time. THE CRYING GAME will leave you muttering to yourself after you've left the theater.

Twist and turns and more twists and turns
The movie starts with Forest Whitaker (playing an English soldier with an accent that does not suit him) gets kidnapped by the IRA. You think the movie will be about the kipnapper and him bonding. It ends earlier however and the kidnapper has to flee to England. FW has asked him to take care of his 'girlfriend' which he does. There he finds out the real secret...

It's a great movie with many great twists in the plot. It's a little slow at times but beware of all the changes in the storyline. There might be some things you did not expect...

Five-star movie on a one-start DVD
No reason to repeat what others have said -- this movie is on my top-ten list.

But whoever did the DVD should be tied to a chair and forced to watch it. Bad focus, shimmers, and several times the sound disappears. It's the worst presentation of a movie on DVD I've seen (apart from a Dennis Hopper flick I got from the $4 bin at the grocery store). I suspect this is a result of the (bad) decision to cram both widescreen and TV versions on the same side of the disk.

This is a brilliant movie, and it deserves better.

not great
i liked this moviebecause it did have originality but the movie went by very slow. that's the only flaw. ... Read more

Description

Writer-director Neil Jordan's breakthrough film is a brilliant, noir-infused love story. Bob Hoskins (who snagged an Oscar nomination for his performance) plays George, a small-time loser employed as a chauffeur to an enigmatic, high-class call girl. His fascination with her leads him on a dangerous quest through the sordid underbelly of London, where love is a weakness to be exploited and betrayed. Criterion is proud to present Mona Lisa in a Director Approved special edition. ... Read more

Reviews (10)

LONDON, SOHO, GEORGE AND SIMONE
Firstly I would say that if you have in your library John Mackenzie's THE LONG GOOD FRIDAY, also available in the Criterion collection, and Neil Jordan's MONA LISA, you already have a good specimen of what the British cinema was able to offer in the eighties. A fabulous actor, Bob Hoskins, is present in both movies; he won the best actor prize at the 1986 Cannes Festival for MONA LISA.

Neil Jordan began his career as a writer and is, in my opinion, one of the most interesting film directors nowadays. It's always challenging for the common viewer to watch a movie directed by a former writer. One often wonders why the director has left his books for the cinema. Some of these ex-writers use the camera as if they were handling a pen and the result is dreadful. Or too intellectual. Fortunately, with MONA LISA, Neil Jordan has created a stunning visual world and George and Simone's night wanderings through the London underworld an unforgettable cinematographic journey.

MONA LISA develops a lot of themes that will touch you in a way or in another. The different levels of the movie are so well mingled in the story that you will be able to watch MONA LISA several times and still discover little pearls hidden by the brilliant director. At the end of the movie, I just wanted to check the sound quality of the commentary track recorded in 1996 by Neil Jordan and Bob Hoskins and I found myself trapped into MONA LISA for an immediate second screening.

Apart from the commentary, this Criterion DVD offers the theatrical trailer and a one page written Neil Jordan commentary.

A DVD for your library.

another Bob Hoskins classic
This review is for the Criterion Collection DVD edition of the film.

In this movie, Bob Hoskins plays the role of George, a man recently released from prison who takes a job driving a prostitute to her customers. George has been shunned by former colleagues and his ex wife and struggles to make a living.

The film has good acting and is very well photographed. Again with having first seen Bob hoskins in the film, "Who Framed Roger Rabbit" and having seen that film an uncountable number of times before seeung him in other films, it is hard to see Hoskins in any other role.

The film recieved an R rating in the US for violence, profanity, and brief female nudity. This DVD has been approved by director Neil Jordan and has 2 special features. There is a theatrical trailer and audio commentary by director Niel Jordan and actor Bob Hoskins which was originally recorder for the laserdisc edition in 1996

I suppose I'm a philistine, but I did not like it
I saw "Mona Lisa" because some critic I read said that it along with "The Long Good Friday" are very fine British crime films.
I saw and loved the "The Long Good Friday." The story was great and so was Bob Hoskins. So I plunked down the cash for "Mona Lisa."

What a disappointment it was. The acting is good, but the storyline manages to be simultaneously flimsy and exceedingly unpleasant. I like watching movies that take me away from reality, not ones that rub my nose in sordid things like the Soho vice world. As for being a crime drama, you probably could learn more about the British underworld by surfing the Internet for a few minutes. Other things I would knock it for is not ever explaining why the heavies in the film are trying to kill the hooker and Hoskins. Finally, Michael Caine may play a bad guy, but I think that he appears in all of five scenes, and that is not nearly enough screen time for him to make his presence felt.

If you love downbeat stories, rent this film from Blockbusters. Don't waste your money buying it like me (I'm giving mine away).

WHAT DOES IT TAKE TO MAKE A GOOD FILM?
Can you make a good film? Maybe. Can I make a good film? Maybe. Can any of us make a good film? Maybe. What does it take to make a good film? Well, if you have a good screen play, great actors, knowledge of film making, a bit of luck and some talent, you may succeed. This film had it all and that is why it came out just fine. Of cause there were a few shortcommings but they were so little that I did not care about them. I liked the film in general and everything about it so much that I thought that the shortcommings just gave it a little extra flavor. Good show and I reccomend it to everyone.

An introspection of London's dark side
Mona Lisa is an atmospheric , bitter and at the same time romantic film which grows on you as time goes by . Jordan displays London's underground society in a dark yet strangely tangible way . Hints and secrets are being constantly unfolded here with a sharp sensitivity . Life has let down our heroes . They rarely smile , even less often relax and enjoy themselfs . Their worries don't let them do so . There's a bizzare chemistry between Hoskins and the extremelly underrated Tyson which is undeniably affecting while Caine is also perfect as the pimp whose demands never seem to end . ... Read more

Reviews (14)

One of my favorite movies of all time
To me any movie with Sean Penn, or Robert DeNiro is going to be a good movie, and the combination of both of them in one movie is a masterpeice. The movie was Funny, and exiting. I hope whoever reads this review, sees the movie and enjoys it just like I did

Sean Penn's best work
I thought it was a GREAT great movie. Funny, sad, thoughtful, but especially, I thought Sean Penn was dynamite! He manages to completely lose himself in the character and become this humble, bumbling, simple 'priest' while maintaining his reality as Robert DeNiro's fellow escapee.

the big movie now, is "The Passion of Christ"
this is the big movie now; but this movie; maybe one needs to be Roman Catholic to totally get it and in that way; some might brace themselves for some sacrilege but it really is not so; it is a very spiritual movie; Penn and Deniro both put out top ranking performances; I watched it on USA network quite a few times before I knew the title of this movie and that some years prior, Humprhey Bogart made a movie with the same title but that the plots are not exactly a like. We see, some redemptions in this movie; Hoyt Axton writer of a song that had some swearing and that is the song "The Pusher" plays his role as Monsignor (or what ever precisely he was in the movie), absolutely devoutly, jovial (like an Irishman which he may well be) and perfectly; I believe, the order of Monks of which they are, are like Benedictines; the nostalgia of the movie is great, the humor, where Penn sees the sign reading some quotation from Galatians or similar; in saving their necks and getting a ride from an elderly lady, after they break out of prison.

Well, is that saying a lot? Didn't follow it?

Well; Sean Penn's role finds redemption in his role, iut is very inspirational; Hoyt Axton seems to find redemption in the role; the deaf girl daughter of Demi Moore, is certainly saved and redeemed; Demi as well; really, it seems that only Robt. Deniro's role, lacks the redemption and he seems to continue his scalawag ways;

Comedy, how grand on a scale, when, through miraculous "God works in strange ways" events, Demi Moore's daughter loses her status of deaf mute and the first thing she can say, is "Convicts" she recognizes Penn and Deniro as being the escaped convicts, but Deniro turns it around to that she said "Converts" and saves themselves there.

Deniro is worldly, Penn experiences a spiritual awakening; that ending could bring tears to the eyes of some, at least me; A+ plus plus is this movie for me.

A movie doesn't have to be great to be enjoyable
I have always found this movie to be entertaining. This may not be a legendary movie, but it is a fun to watch. It's first problem is that "We're no Angles" is a the name of a great movie from 1955, so it easy to expect more from this movie then it could ever deleaver. De Niro and Penn talents make up for a simple script and turn it into a fun story. Demi Moore is dispointing as she provides little to the part of the prostute, yet Hoyt Axton does very well as the head of the monastery.

Both men play excaped cons forced to make they way to Canada, but trapped at the boarder. Un-educated and desperate, De Niro and Penn bluff their way into the local monatery. An annual ceremony provide our two cons a way across the boarder, but the sheriff is closing in.

"We're No Angles" is a good example of how great actors can save a movie. De Niro and Penn both do that very well. If you enjoy light comedy, De Niro or Penn; this movie is well worth your time. It is nice to just enjoy a movie for the talents of its stars with out car chases, blood bathes. and all special effects.

I Never Saw The Original
I don't know anything, but I know what I like. This was Hoyt Axton's last performance on film, and for that alone, it ought to be worth a look. Demi Moore puts in a reasonably amusing performance as a single mom with a mute daughter, who will do anything to make ends meet, and the utter implausibility of the whole film makes me want to watch it over and over again for some reason. I like the grittiness of this period piece, and to tell you the truth, I laughed out loud several times (although probably at all the wrong times and for all the wrong reasons) I enjoyed this film for what it was; a decent piece of work with a lot of good character actors, an otherworldly quality that intrigued me, and some familier faces that I will never see together again, on this side of the veil. Hope this helps. ... Read more

Amazon.com essential video

Anyone who has seen and loved Neil Jordan's The Company of Wolves should feelright at home in his off-beat psychological thriller In Dreams. A sexy, veryadult take on "Little Red Riding Hood," Wolves unreeled as a series ofsurreal "fairy tales" interwoven within the heated dreams of a young girlverging on womanhood. Wolves' patron saints were Freud and Jung (as siftedthrough Jordan's wickedly fertile imagination), and the duo are very much aboard for In Dreams as well.Here's a movie that takes place entirely in dreamtime,where the dark, violent fantasies of Claire Cooper (Annette Bening)--wife,mother, and illustrator of children's books--play out unpoliced by superego,conscience, or society. On the face of it, Claire's a clairvoyant whose mindbecomes more and more possessed by child-killer Vivian Thompson (RobertDowney Jr.). Cops and shrinks refuse to take her seriously until she losesher own daughter and much, much more. Tapping into weird images of hersoulmate's childhood, when he was abused by a hateful mother in a house now submerged in a nearby reservoir, Claire comes closer and closer to hergender-shifting bad boy (and his latest victim). From start to finish, InDreams dwells in hyperreality. Whether leeched of or drenched in color, slipping eerily through an underwater world, rushing madly towardcatastrophe--every hallucinatory shot is saturated with menace. It's the kindof potent, unresolved menace that haunts your waking day after a particularlyunsettling nightmare. Watch this gorgeous film as therapeutic (?) theaterinside Claire's mind, where she and her murderous doppelganger act out aterrible Oedipal drama driven by sex and jealousy. Bening and Downey deliversuperb, risky performances, and Darius Khondji's cinematography, with almostevery frame punctuated by blood-reds, is sensuously dreamlike. In Dreams isone of those great, flawed films that reaches for more than it ultimatelyachieves. But what a welcome change from the dullness and shallowness of theformulaic sure things that dominate movie screens as the 20th century draws to a close. --Kathleen Murphy ... Read more

Reviews (65)

Not Such Sweet Dreams
Add Annette Benning to that long list of performances that didn't get nominated for, let alone, win an Oscar. Annette is simply stunning in this Neil Jordan thriller that got lost in 1998 and did not receive the acclaim it should have.

"In Dreams," based on the book "Doll's Eyes" by Bari Wood, is a haunting, and sometime disturbing, film. Annette plays a woman who has been haunted by strange dreams all of her life, sharing the life of a serial killer, played quite convincingly by Robert Downey, Jr. Aidan Quinn plays her husband, and in a delightful but short role, Pamela Payton-Wright shines as Benning's sanitorium roommate, Ethel.

The film abounds in delicious imagery, focusing on apples and Snow White. The terror mounts subtly, and is quite chilling. When Annette learns the fate of her daughter, Rebecca, she gives one of the most effective expressions of grief captured on film. Later, when she is being questioned by psychiatrist Stephen Rea, she blows you away with her attempt to be in control, when she obviously is not. A totally stunning tour de force for Annette.

Her performance alone makes this a five-star movie, although I would have appreciated a more detailed explanation for why her character shares this psychic link with Downey. Also, her relationship with her husband is not totally fleshed out. And how did Downey's character survive living in an abandoned orchard? Those questions' resolutions would have made this an absolutely perfect five stars. But, nonetheless, "In Dreams" is the kind of thriller that stays with you even after the credits have finished.

Also, kudos to Jordan for his use of songs in the movie. "If," "Ebb Tide," "Don't Sit Under the Apple Tree," and Roy Orbison's title theme, are haunting and sure beats the rock crap we have to put up with most of today's movies.

Watch this and enjoy a really different thriller!

A Chilling Psychological Thriller
I'm a die hard Robert Downey, Jr. fan, so I typically rent any movie that he's in. I got "In Dreams" expecting a run of the mill, Scream-esque horror movie. What I got was the best thriller I've seen since Halloween H20.

In a movie that brilliantly revolves around a type of Snow White theme involving apples, Annette Bening plays Claire Cooper, a woman haunted by clairvoyant dreams.

When a gender shifting killer (Robert Downey, Jr.) invades Claire's dreams, his plans are conveyed to her and wreak havoc on her life and family.

Claire slowly goes insane as the killer, Vivian Thompson, feeds her clues to his next killings bit by bit. She slowly uncovers Vivian's terrifying story in a sequence of coincidental events.

The most chilling aspects of the movie are the least obvious, such as the haunting peace of the underwater town, the Northfield Reservoir, and the cleverly frightening insertions of the Andrews Sisters' song "Don't Sit Under The Apple Tree". Also, Vivian's "nursery rhyme" is one that's been staying with me for a while, proving how good and genuinely scary this movie really is.

"In dreams I walk with you"...
Somehow I feel that if this film had been even stranger, it may have been more critically popular. Had it not bothered with as linear a storyline and just followed the dream-logic plotlines it may have been hailed as a David Lynch-like fairy tale nightmare; add more violence and it could be a Dario Argento film. But instead we have something by Neil Jordan, who gives this film more wonder and magic (albeit dark) than anyone else could. I think it's a great film. See, it's called In Dreams, not In Logic. Its surreality is its strength, staying visually spectacular at all times and boosted by an absolutely great performance by Annette Bening. I think the plot contrivances are almost subversive; OF COURSE there are moments of coincidence because that's what happens in dreams. Moments of opportunity or clarity (claire-ity?) arrive for our heroine and she takes them in stride. The film's general feel is continuously reinforced by the eerie flooded dream village in the reservoir, and the fairy tale orchard. This is a Grim tale alright, but its beautiful, trippy and saturated in atmosphere. Killer ending too, closing a disturbingly satisfying thriller by a masterful director. Highly recommended for those who like to dream.

Within the Mind's Eye
The fabrics from which dreams are woven can be horrendous, and more catastrophic still when the visions return to the fertile grounds of your mind night after chaotic night. This point is made even more pronouncedly when the dreams happen to be about things that are occurring or are going to happen, especially when they teeter on the edge of insanity, or, as is the case with Claire, on areas that hit close to home. For several nights now she has been seeing visions of an apple orchard and a figure leading a little girl through it, leading her to believe that the child in her mind might well be a little girl that has gone missing. So, with an outstretched mentality, her mind goes searching, looking for something which she can clamp onto. Unfortunately for her, the mirror sometimes has a darker side, one that can peer into the mind that dreams visions, and that hands that can effectively whittle away many of the pieces that lead a person toward happiness, security, and the warmth that we like to call home.

In dreams had some beautiful depictions within it, capturing the aura of a town floating beneath waters unleashed by river diversion, showing a person in the first few minutes that it had a surreal feeling to it and that there was the ability to seem frightfully eerie running laps through its veins. This was further accented by the visions that were seen throughout the film, those of children and a past foretold in the shadows of a nursery rhyme wearing a shroud of insane speech and garble imagery, keeping its viewer enmeshed in the tale that was being portrayed upon the screen. It also seemed to have a storyline going for it that was interesting until the final chase that is inevitable begins to ensue, dragging on for a time before leading toward a vindictive ending that leaves everyone shattered as sprawling in the dust and that makes up for the duration of the run. This was an interesting ride, too, because getting a handle on what exactly is going to happen is a bit hard until alter in the movie, and then its all apples from there.

Combine this with the acting, which was done beautifully, the fact that the movie was something containing portions that entranced me within their bleakness, and the madness in the eyes of a Downey seems somewhat believable int he role, and you have something that is worth watching and that does the book its based on, Doll Eyes, a fair amount of justice. It'll make you question all the delightful dreams that manifest within your mind!

amazing Annette in a disturbing role
Annette Bening is great as an ordinary woman who starts having dreams of kidnappings and murders before they happen. Her family and police won't listen to her until it's too late. She discovers that the dreams are actually the communications of a disturbed man (Robert Downey Jr.) who endured horrifying abuse as a child, and for some reason he has chosen her to receive messages of his criminal doings.

This is a terrifying psychological thriller, replete with imagery that will stay with you for a long time. The details of the abuse are not for the weak ---- I am still disturbed, years after watching this, by the treament of the child who later becomes a criminal. ... Read more

Amazon.com

When Neil Jordan is really on his game, as he is with The Good Thief, his directorial skill is a marvel to behold. In the character-driven mode of Jordan's Mona Lisa and The Crying Game, this smooth, underrated caper provides an abundance of cinematic riches, not the least being Jordan's peerless knack for dialogue and a tailor-made role for Nick Nolte. For better or worse, Nolte's off-screen drug abuse served him well in portraying Bob Montagnet, ace thief, recovering heroin addict, and beloved denizen of the French Riviera, where his luck is about to take some very clever turns. The elegant plot is yours to discover: In loosely remaking the French classic Bob le Flambeur, Jordan crafts what one reviewer aptly called "the underbelly of Ocean's Eleven," involving an impenetrable vault full of priceless art, a rescued Russian prostitute, an eccentric band of accomplices, and high-stakes poker in Monte Carlo. Nolte's right at home in this rich-and-risky milieu, and the combined talents of Jordan and ace cinematographer Chris Menges make The Good Thief a pleasure from start to finish. --Jeff Shannon ... Read more

Reviews (31)

Moody Noir, But Lacks Something Powerful to Make Us Care
Loosely based on Jean-Pierre Melville's noir classic, "The Good Thief" offers much for the fans of the genre, but little for the fans of the star Nick Nolte's "48hrs". The film is slow-moving, and the stress is given on the characters, not the actions, so don't expect any Walter Hill-like machismo touch here.

Neil Jordan's newer version follows basically the same plot of the orginal. It is about Bob, aging gambler living in the French Riviera, and is constantly under the influence of some substance. While he rescues a Russian girl Anne one night, and finds himself utterly broke, he takes another (and the last) chance to do heist, this time a very big one. He collects unique members to do this job, but French cop Roger (Tcheky Karyo) is always watching him, knowing that something is going on.

Jordan gives a twist to the story of the original "Bob le Flambeur," but the French film is also influenced by American noirs like "Asphalt Jungle," and here and there in "The Good Thief" you will find what you saw in these old heist films -- a lady, a thwarted plan, and so on. Neil Jordan follows the rules very carefully, but I am afraid too carefully to really engage us.

But the picture itself is beautifully done, capturing the glowing lights of Monte Carlo casinos or the dangers hidden behind the feebly-lit streets at night. (The photographer is Oscar-winner Chris Menges, "The Mission" "The Killing Field" and others) The moody images are one of the assets of the film, so is the strong acting of Nick Nolte as Bob.

The support is interesting, if not always great. Tcheky Karyo can be as bad and evil as he wants (see "Kiss of the Dragon") but he shows unexpected tenderness here, like in "The Core."

You see a cameo of Ralph Fiennes, but his role is too small to need special mention, and so is Said Taghmaoui, who was so impressive in French film "Hate." Emir Kusturica (himself a director of "Arizona Dream" and "Underground") is not bad as a comic relief, a high tech guy Vladimir playing rock guitar. As Anne Nutsa Kukhianidze, though obviously she needs more training for acting, is very seductive and sexy enough.

So, "The Good Thief" is a good noir, but that is all I can say. I find the film needs stronger driving force for any characters involved -- I don't think I saw much of Bob's character as gambler in the film -- but as noir that's ok. Just good.

Nolte is great
Some critics have brushed aside Nolte's acting in this film because his personal life happens to mirror, in some key respects, the life of Bob - an American thief in southern France whose life has degenerated into a daze of heroin and gambling. Frankly, I don't care how Nolte managed to fit so seamlessly into this role, because it was amazing to watch. Bob's life is in the pits, but there's also humanity in him; if you look past the haze of smoke, the shuffling walk, and the droopy eyes you see a gentleman, a person who would never behave cruelly to others. Though the plot gets driven along by a heist on an art vault in Monte Carlo, the movie is also a complex character portrait of an old criminal. The dialogue is entertaining, the soundtrack is excellent, and the supporting characters are sharply drawn and add a lot of color to Bob's seedy world. My one complaint is that it can be difficult to understand Nolte's speech; he has a tendency to mumble and swallow his words, and although this is in keeping with his character, it can be frustrating for the viewer and will necessitate hitting the rewind button many times.

Marvelous tribute to Bob le Flambeur!
At last Neil Jourdan made a free adaptation of that fundamental movie of the purest New Wave spirit film of Jean Pierre Melville , Bob le flambeur .
This remake is very well made , charming and elegant and if it lacks the bitterness of Bob le Flambeur , the characters are very well depicted and loaded of black humor and double twist jokes .
Kusturica as Vlado is outstanding , and the same adjective goes to Nick Nolte . Jourdan handles the camera with legendary masterful . The story never leaves you quiet , it's kinetic and dynamic .
Filmned with very broad gusto in this beautiful paradisiac coast: La rivera francesa .
A triumph all the way!

DECENT HEIST MOVIE WITH GALLIC COOL AND A SNAZZY SOUNDTRACK!
Yet another Last-heist-before-I-change-for-good flick, but executed in style. While not amazing, the script includes a healthy dose of twists, snitches, plots, etc to make it a fair recommendation.

Nolte stars as a junkie gambler who's also the most revered thief in town. The fact that he's a walking train wreck only adds to his grizzled charm. Ralph Fiennes pitches in a pretty convincing performance as an art dealer.

But I have a couple of gripes.

One, as with most European productions that are dubbed into English (or, as in this case, made originally in English) the vocalization of the dialogue sounds like a high school theater audition. The film has quite a whip-smart script, but verbally it sounds somewhat stilted. In particular the Bosnian actress whose voice sounds like she has a broccoli stuck in her larynx.

Second, the DVD has a problem. Each scene ends in a very short fraction-of-a-second freeze frame. I thought this was a problem with my DVD player, or my specific disc, but it seems others have had similar problems.

Not that that stops me from recommending this fairly interesting popcorn heist yarn, for at least rental.

Cool movie, liked it a lot
This was a really good movie, heard about it last year and just saw it on cable. The ending was really surprising and Nutsa is a beautiful girl. I like her character, Anne, a lot. She has this calm, funny, shrewd demeanor. ... Read more

Reviews (282)

The Best Movie, Horror or Otherwise, of All Time
After having absolutely no sleep, I saw IWTV at 6:30 in the morning, and put off going to bed just to finish watching this incomparable movie. It is the singular best movie of all time. In a nutshell, Louis de Pointe du Lac, the younger vampire, struggles with regret about his killings after being "made" by Lestat de Lioncourt. I had heard in advance that Tom Cruise played an excellent Lestat, but when he appeared on the screen, I was shocked. He was a chilling, amazing character, virtually unrecognizable with fangs and blond hair. Louis, played by Brad Pitt, was occasionally whiny and melancholy, but he certainly fit the part. Stealing the show, however, was an extremely talented and extremely frightening Kirsten Dunst (at 12) as Claudia, the child vampire whose mind and soul matures, but whose body remains that of a 12-year-old. Louis's only love, she keeps him with Lestat in the immortal family. Antonio Banderas, as Armand, was also amazing, although a far cry from the auburn-haired, eternally youthful character of the book. I was inspired to read the novel by Anne Rice after finishing the movie, (I cried for hours at its end, partially because it was over) and it too was great. If only Tom Cruise was Lestat in the feeble Queen of the Damned!

Sumptuous, magnificent and mournful
INTERVIEW WITH THE VAMPIRE THE VAMPIRE CHRONICLES (1994) is that rarity in modern Hollywood terms: A star-driven blockbuster which uses the theme of eternal life to explore the meaning of existence and the nature of death and grieving. Based on Anne Rice's bestselling 1976 novel (itself written as a response to the death of a beloved child), the movie features two of contemporary Hollywood's most recognizable stars - Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt (both astonishingly beautiful here) - as vampire and willing victim, remaining eternally young as the world changes around them. Cruise plays a seasoned bloodsucker who revels in his own outrageous decadence, and his wilful excesses are roughly contrasted with Pitt's horror at the necessity of consuming human blood, until Cruise is forced to create another 'companion' for Pitt in the shape of a little girl (Kirsten Dunst) who subsequently refuses to grow old gracefully, leading to betrayal and tragedy. Scored with melancholy grace by composer Elliot Goldenthal (TITUS, FINAL FANTASY THE SPIRITS WITHIN), and beautifully designed (by Dante Ferretti, GANGS OF NEW YORK) and photographed (Philippe Rousselot, A RIVER RUNS THROUGH IT), the film's epic sweep carries its central characters through the social upheavals of 17th and 18th century America and the horrors of 19th century Europe, where a nest of ancient vampires (led by scene-stealer Antonio Banderas and a miscast Stephen Rea) wreak terrible revenge on those who transgress against vampire lore. But, for all its spectacle, director Neil Jordan (THE COMPANY OF WOLVES) - working from a script credited to Anne Rice herself - allows the story to unfold at a leisurely pace, providing us with a deliberate insight into the monsters at the heart of the story and the catastrophic events which shape their destinies. The film concludes ironically, with a 20th century invention (motion pictures) which allows Pitt to see his 'beloved sunrise' once more (illustrated with clips from the likes of SUNRISE A SONG OF TWO HUMANS, GONE WITH THE WIND and SUPERMAN!), and there's an incredibly moving sequence involving a once-proud vampire laid low by his own vanity. The mood is somewhat spoiled, however, by a silly trick ending which upsets the delicate balance established during the first half of the film. And, as with the novel, the homoerotic undercurrent is mere window-dressing, an unconsummated tease which the filmmakers (and Rice herself) refuse to explore in any detail, lest it frighten the mainstream crowd. Sadly, the film is dedicated to the memory of the late and much-lamented River Phoenix who died during pre-production, and his role (as the interviewer who provides one half of the film's title) was taken by Christian Slater.

Warner Bros.' Region 1 special edition DVD - which runs 122m 20s - is letterboxed at 1.85:1 (anamorphically enhanced) and features a range of extras, from trailers, commentary, documentaries and an introduction to the film by Jordan, Banderas and Rice. Sound format is Dolby 5.1 (with a DTS option), and English captions and subtitles are provided.

Movie Introduction to Anne Rice
A different view on vampirism, a city dwelling kind of vampire who enjoys the good life. Based on one of Anne Rice's several excellent books. Great acting by both Banderas, Pitt and Cruise. A pity they didn't produce any of the other books in this quality.

Marvlous!
This is one of my favorite films! absolutly wonderful. It's true to the book as much as possible, and really brings the emotion across. If you loved the book, this will be right up your alley!

different from the book, but just as good.
this movie was absolutely wonderful. presently my best friend and I are in the middle of reading the book, and still love both equally, but we've noticed all the differences too. if you don't want to know what happens in the book, don't read this book, only know that both are wonderful. In the book, Louis has no wife and child, he is instead mourning the death of his younger brother, who he believes he murdered. He becomes a cold shell of a man...etc. then the movie continues correctly. Louis, as a vampire, falls in love with Babette Franiere, a mortal who runs a plantation not 5 miles from Point Du Lac, Louis's old plantation. he helps her, gives her advice from the shadows. she learns of his true form, and calls him the devil and shuns him from her home. the movie continues. Louis and Claudia leave for Europe, they find that Lestat has sired (to turn a human to a vampire) another. The movie continues, but Louis and Claudia search all of Europe for vampires, but mostly all that they find are mindless killing machines. they finally reach paris, where they find: Theatre des Vampires- a play of vampires posing as humans playing vampires. other than these few differences, the movie is almost exactly like the book. but even with these differences, both are by far some of the best vampire lore/stories i've read/seen ever. ... Read more

Amazon.com essential video

You can't write off Francie Brady, apple-cheeked hero of The Butcher Boy, asa bad seed and have done with him. In Irish director Neil Jordan's often-surrealfairy tales, bad seeds grow the fruit of subversive knowledge: Amaster of blending the everyday with the truly mad and wonderfully weird,Jordan loves to encourage charismatic anarchists--driven by amoral energy andimagination--to attack the status quo with extreme prejudice. ExuberantFrancie (Eamonn Owens, making a splendid debut) is a thorn in the sideof rural Irish repression and hypocrisy. Better to call this smart,too-sensitive brat an ambulatory Rorschach, an uncensored billboard of hisdisapproving society's uglier truths and fears. A nonstop standup comedian ("And the Francie Brady Not a Bad Bastard Anymore Award goes to--Great God, Ithink it's Francie Brady!"), he projects fantasies of '60s cold war paranoia(atomic warfare leaves his village a graveyard of charred pigs), American"cowboys and Indians" pop culture, and Catholic Madonna worship (SineadO'Connor appears as an earthy Virgin Mary). But Francie's rich fantasy life is no match for reality's "slings and arrows": His abusive da (Stephen Rea) pickles himself in drink, his fragile mother edges closer to suicide, "bloodbrother" Joe turns Judas, and a punitive stint at a Catholic reformatory endswith our Gaelic Holden Caulfield tricked out in girlish bonnet and ruffles, plaything of an addled old priest (Milo O'Shea). No wonder Francie'sultimately driven to exorcize his own Wicked Witch of the West. (He sees Mrs. Nugent (Fiona Shaw), self-righteous pillar of a callous community, as thecause of his cursed life.) Laced with tragedy and hilarity, great beauty andhorror, Jordan's adaptation of the Patrick McCabe bestseller mutates theadventures of Francie Brady--psychotic killer, performance artist, and purestinnocent--into a sort of saint's life. --Kathleen Murphy ... Read more

Reviews (49)

Full of Sound and Fury
This is one of the most incomprehensible, indulgent movies ever made.It is full of sound and fury with endless shouting and swearing in impenetrable Irish brogue.Nobody's actions make any sense. If you like vandalism, perhaps this movie will appeal for its defecation scene.

This is a movie for bigots who hate the Irish and want to see every negative stereotype about them on screen.

Please release this movie on DVD
I love this movie and think Francie is the coolest character ever.I just love that kid.I just wish they'd release this movie on dvd already.Jaysis!

DO YOU LIKE DARING FILMS? WELL, THIS IS ONE OF THEM.
"The Butcher Boy" is a great experience for those who enjoy complex stories with multidimensional characters. Definitely this movie is not for all tastes, so fans of Adam Sandler's movies, fans of Ben Affleck's movies, or fans of "American Pie", please step aside, go away, we don't want that your brain suffers by giving it something to think about. The rest of us let's enjoy "The Butcher Boy".

Francie is a fascinating character: the first minutes he gives the impression that he is just an annoying brat, but eventually we can see that this kid is a very perturbed person, whose parents are an ugly mess, there are clear signs of madness in his attitude, and his huge imagination frequently carries him a lot of issues.

Eamonn Owens masterfully plays Francie, the average Hollywood child actor could have taken the story and the movie to doom.

"The Butcher Boy" is perhaps the best movie made by Neil Jordan so far, or at least his most daring film. Definitely "The Butcher Boy" deserves an opportunity, not all the movies should be made following the blockbusters rules.

the world goes one way, we go another. get it?
If such a thing may even be said, this may well be the funniest movie ever to be made about childhood schizophrenia. I don't know if I completely buy into other reviewers' interpretations of political subtext. I don't know that the world that eventually gets the best of the Incredible Francie Brady is even a uniquely Irish one- and what is probably the most chilling aspect of this movie is how "normal" life tends to converge with Francie's deepening insanity: the Bay of Pigs (clever story-overlap, huh?), religious mania, science fiction / cold war paranoia. These are the things that lurk in the world that make us look at ourselves and ask, "Just how sane are we, really?"
Eventually, as everything good in his life cuts away from underneath him, Francie (Eamonn Owens, in what might be the best performance by a young actor that I can recall) ricochets back and forth between pathetic and frightening. This film is one of those that is painful to watch, and we are inclined, like Francie, to start to dream of how it would only take one bomb to wipe