Description

A comedy of discriminating taste and dirty little secrets. When a movie star and Hollywood diva Miranda Frayle break up, a playboy prince with a stiff upper lip sweeps her off her feet and boldly takes her home to meet his high-class, society-minded mother, who is none-too-pleased at the thought of having a "starlet" in the family. But when the former boyfriend hears about the wedding, he jumps back in the spotlight--and with the help of Miranda's meddling mother-in-law to be, he may just win her back. ... Read more

Reviews (20)

A Must for Any Julie Andrews or Noel Coward Fan
This recent release is a must-have for any Julie Andrews or Noel Coward fan. The ensemble cast, including Collin Firth, Jeanne Tripplehorn, William Baldwin, Sophie Thompson and Stephen Fry breathe life into this Noel Coward drawingroom comedy originally written for the stage. The film's script remains true to the play; yet the occasional changes to the play's dialogue fit so seamlessly into the original dialogue that one would never know that it had been changed. Sophie Thompson's acting talents are clearly apparent in her transformation from Felicity's (Julie Andrews' character) servant to a "friend of the family" to disguise her real identity from her sister (Jeanne Tripplehorn's obnoxious character) and would have been Oscar material had the film been released originally in movie theaters, rather than going directly to cable television. But the center of the universe is Felicity, the matriarch of the family around whom the entire plot seems to revolve. Julie Andrews was born for the role of Felicity, and her performace does not disappoint. The actors in this film at times give very subtle emotional coloring to their roles merely by a glance or grimmace. There is no question who is in charge of THIS manor! Anyone who finds the differences between Brits and Americans amusing will find this film an excellent choice. The film has a happy and amusing ending and is well worth waiting for.

Relatively amusing.
This is a drawing room comedy based on a play by Noel Coward. Having not read it, I must presume it would come off better as a stage play rather than a movie. Not that this is bad, really...Just that its not as good as it should be. The British cast (Julie Andrews, Colin Firth, Stephen Fry and Sophie Thompson) play their roles flawlessly, the Americans (William Baldwin, Jeanne Tripplehorn) less so.
The plot: a member of the British nobility (Andrews) is dismayed when her son (NOT Colin Firth as some OTHER reviewers would have you believe)becomes engaged to a movie star (Tripplehorn) whose ex(Baldwin) follows her to England to reunite.
Stephan Fry as the butler, and Sophie Thompson as "milady's" companion/secretary are wonderful; as are the various actors and actresses who make up the staff of the manor. Likewise, Colin Firth gives a hilarious performance of her gay nephew, who aids and abets in the eventual reunion. The upstairs-downstairs feel of the film adds to the confusion; a welcome distraction from the Balwin/Tripplehorn storyline. It is so obvious that these two are trying to be amusing, that they fail entirely. In contrast, the others, who do it so effortlesly, succeed admirably.
All in all, light & fluffy, but nothing to rewatch again and agiain (unless, as I always do, you simply want another look at Colin).

I Enjoyed A Lot; Hubby Stayed Out Of Room
Hubby didn't even enjoy what he was hearing on the other side of the house coming from this movie. However, I'd had a hard day, was totally exhausted and needed something extremely light and frothy so I could completely zone out. This fit the bill perfectly. It is an English ensemble drawing room type comedy. Julie Andrews plays a dowager countess in 1953 whose son, the Earl, decides to marry an American movie star. The countess and her nephew (played by Colin Firth) set the stage to seemingly welcome the couple back to their home but really to break them up. Helping them along are William Baldwin, playing an American movie star who was the woman's former boyfriend, plus the countess's maid who knew the woman film star in her earlier life. Slight? You bet but it was just what the doctor ordered.

If you like "Philadelphia Story," you'll like this too
I got this on a lark (basically because of the price, and I needed something to bring my order to $25 for free shipping, plus anything starring Julie Andrews HAS to be worth while, right?). Good choice! This has turned out to be one of my all-time favorites! Every time I watch it I appreciate more and more how smart and well executed this little farce is. Polished script (obviously, from Noel Coward), amazingly good casting of the Brits (the maid Moxie is the REAL star--she positively makes the film), and drop-dead gorgeous sets. Certainly nothing much happens in the end--it's all about what happens in the middle. If you require "action" (read chases, explosions, blood) or "evil threatens good" or earth-changing conclusions, this film is not for you. But if you like smart comedy with hilarious dialog and some truly memorable inspired acting, you'll LOVE this whimsey film. A GREAT new serendipitous addition to my DVD library!!

Relatively Good
Miranda Frayle leaves her boyfriend for an English nobleman. When the two announce their engagement, the press has a field day. Some things don't change. Miranda was hiding her past because she feared that she would be discovered and dissed. She wanted more than what she had and that was fame and fortune. She really loves her movie star boyfriend he won't do.
"Relative Values" is a good movie to watch because it deals with family, social upbringing, and personal conflicts. Jeanne Tripplehorn does a great impression of a movie starlet and Colin Firth is superb in his performance as a gay nobleman. ... Read more

Reviews (30)

Charming
Gregory's Girl is a sweet, graceful little coming of age movie. It's as quirkily funny as anything you'll see, and it totally lacks the crassness of Hollywood products that try to use the same young crush material. (I saw G.G., originally, in the theater, and I remember the American equivalent at the time was a series of John Hughes movies. Next to this, "Sixteen Candles" is predictable and pretty mean.)

Bill Forsyth as a director had (has?)a really special way with character. The plots of his movies go off in unexpected directions, and you get the sense that he's really letting the characters decide how things work out. That works really well with the young teenagers in this movie. The plot's being driven along by the decisions, by the logic, of high school students; you really get into their heads, and it's SUCH a funny, awkward-smiling, self-deprecating place to be... Gregory's pining for his soccer darling, Dorothy, isn't going where you think it will, and it's just flawless the way the viewer figures that out along with the character. It's perfectly timed.

If you love this movie, if you remember lines about Caracas and numbers of Elephants and that sort of thing afterward, you should try Local Hero. They make a great double feature. (You'll speak whatever accent you have with a burr after seeing them together, too.)

How Come High School wasn't This Charming?
Remember high school? Don't worry - neither does Bill Forsythe. Instead, he's made a terribly charming and even touching movie. It's boy meets girl, for sure - but all the kids are clever and smart, and life in this Scottish town is imbued with a kind of magic. Clare Grogan as Susan is the all time charmer, and Gordon John Sinclair as Gregory transcends adolescence itself and comes off kind of cool. Forget high school and buy this film instead.

Did I miss something?
I rented this DVD. It took me three nights to watch it because I kept falling asleep. After finally getting through the movie, I thought I'd check Amazon to see what the reviews were like. I'm very surprised they are all so positive. I thought the movie was slow and silly. I usually like "coming of age" type movies, but this one was really tough to get through.

Funny movie
Gregory (Gordon John Sinclair) is an awkward teenager living in Scotland. He likes to play the drums, spend time with his friends and play football (otherwise known as soccer in the United States). He lives with his parents and younger sister in a modest house.

His football couch approaches him and tells him that they need new blood in the team, and hints of the idea of kicking him off the team. Gregory, who is in the midst of puberty, is now gangly and can't play the sport as well as before, is nervous about his potential ousting of the team. At the football trials, in walks in their latest team member, Dorothy (Dee Hepburn). What starts with fear and frustration about possibly being bumped from the football team, turns into love at first sight.

This movie depicts secondary school life where teenagers are awkward, and unsure of themselves in most aspects of their lives. We see glimpses of Gregory's fellow schoolmates as they too try to catch girls' attentions, by trying to impress them with their vast intelligence, "it's a well-known fact that when you sneeze, it comes out of your nose at 100 miles an hour...". The movie is humorous and light-hearted as it shows us how Gregory tries to catch the girl of his dreams, Dorothy, the one with "the hair, the teeth and the smell".

There is another humorous interaction between Gregory and his father, who is a driving instructor. Gregory is crossing the street, without looking both ways, when his father is trying to teach a man how to drive. In the process, his father has to tell the driver to swerve to the left and right and do an emergency stop to avoid hitting Gregory, who has his hand on the hood of the car running backwards trying to avoid getting hit! Gregory's father asks Gregory if he remembers his mother and tells him how she had been asking about him. Playfully, he asks Gregory if they can make a date for breakfast in the kitchen on Friday at 8! This scene brought back memories as a teenager where I spent most of my time in my room daydreaming about life, and never seeing my parents too. But they way Gregory's father handles Gregory was wonderful.

Another hilarious moment, is when Gregory is in the changing room getting dressed from his football practice, when Dorothy comes into the changing room. Gregory has no shirt on, so he uses his index fingers to cover his nipples!

Gregory's 10-year old sister, Madeline, appears and tries to help Gregory make the change from awkward teenager, to young man in love. She teaches him how to spend more time thinking of the color of his clothes. She gives him advice on how to ask her out. It is very funny to watch Gregory listen intently to her as his younger sister advises him when she clearly is still a child, yet very wise beyond her years.

The movie has an interesting ending when Dorothy stands him up and he sees Carol, then Margo, then Susan, who actually has had a crush on him from the start.

If you would like to see a cheerful, entertaining movie without a lot of profanity, drugs, sex or violence, then this is the movie for you.

A small interesting factoid is, Clare Grogan (the actress who plays Susan in this film) used to be the lead singer to a New Wave band in the 80's called Altered Images.

Need something to lift your spirits & make you feel good?
Then buy this movie! Gotta be the best "feel good" movie ever and it proves that movies can be extraordinarily good without violence, crude humor and graphic sex. Definitely in my top ten list! ... Read more

Reviews (6)

better than Blackadder I - and is no small feat!
This series of episodes has the decedent of the first Edmund Blackadder in Elizabethan times. Atkinson, quite dapper in his beard, is still plotting with a lot of cunning plans to further his lot in life with the decedent of his friend Percy and his Dogsbody Baldrick. This time Edmund is up against Queen Baby who borders on nutso, with nursey at her side.

These episodes 1 - Bells finds Edmund employing a new servant named BOB - much to Baldrick's distress. Just as things seems to turn out all right in comes FLASH his best man and complicates all.

Episode 2 - Head - Queenie appoints Edmund Lord High Executioner and she keep his hopping with "off with their heads" only Edmund gets a little ahead of himself and lops one head too many

In Episode 3 - Potato - Edmund is furious that Sir Raleigh has returned and curries favour with Queenie, so he Percy and Baldrick set out to find the new world...but they bring back something rather different!

Episode 4. Money - has the Bishop of Barton Wells after Edmunds for money owed, only Edmund does not have it and is dashing about madly to get it before the Bishop gets out his hot pokers

Episode 5 - Beer - is one of the best of the series - Edmund has
his uncle and aunt - religious people - coming for supper. But the Queen has Edmund in a drinking contest with her PM. Add an oddly shape turnip in to the mix and the Goblin song and it is riot!

Episode 6 - Chains - has a mad German master of disguise trying to rule the world. He kidnaps Edmund and the PM, and the Queen can only ransom one....

A side-splitting great time!

The Best of the Black Adder Series.
"I am the Queen of England. I may have the body of a weak and feable woman, but I have the heart and stomach of a concrete elephant." "Prove it!" "I most certainly will. First, I am going to have a little drinky-winky and then in the morning I'm going to have you all executed." Miranda Richardson as Elizabeth I is in my opinion the best part of all of Black Adder. At first I though she was being a bit annoying but when she came the lines above, the only thing to keep me applauding her was the fact I was in the room alone. Black Adder is one of Britain's best and this is certainly its best season (though one of the best parts of the series is the way they rewrite history and I think season one probably did the best with that aspect). The only thing I found disappointing was that Queeny didn't actually behead everyone in the last episode.

Great Series...Great Extras!"
It's all been said before...this IS one of the funniest series ever to come out of Britain....FAWLTY TOWERS is probably the best. The second and third seasons are truly hillarious with "...Goes Forth" close behind. The first season, I thought, was pretty flat...and Brian Blessed's infernal screeching voice was headache inducing. It is worth noting that the Black Adder II DVD has some neat extra features including a thing I had never seen before called "Black Adder, The Cavalier Years" which has Edmund Blackadder protecting Charles I from Oliver Cromwell's men only to end up as his executioner instead....despite Baldrick's "cunning plan". It's a slightly shorter episode then the rest but very funny. Highly recommended.

Best British series EVER!!!!!!
Black Adder is without a doubt the funniest series to have ever come from England - yes - funnier than Monty Phython!!! Although I have never been a fan of Mr Bean - Rowan Atkinson proves his comedic genius in this, the best of the Adder seasons. However, it does help to have SOME knowledge of the time period in which this series takes place.If you are new to the Black Adder, I recommend this series as a great starting point.

Black Adder meets Elizabeth (the virgin?)
Black Adder stars Rowan Atkinson, an absolute comic genius who is also the star of Mr. Bean. The screenplays were written by Richard Curtis (Mr. Bean, Not the nine o'clock news) and Ben Elton - possibly one of the funniest modern writers.

In the second series, Rowan Atkinson plays a clever palace courtier in Elizabethan England. Sometimes favourite of queen and scourge of his rivals, Edmond parties in merry olde England.

The six episodes in the second series:

1. Bells - Served by a dungball in a dress and accompanied by a dimwit that he can't seem to shake, Black Adder finds himself strangely attracted to his new servant - Bob

2. Head - Newly appointed Lord High Executioner - Edmund Black Adder - finds himself in a bit of pickle when his decides to cut short on his chores and executes the wrong man.

3. Potato - Not to be outdone by the pompous and boring Sir Raleigh, Black Adder sets out to find the new world and ends up drinking his own urine

4. Money - An angry bishop with a red hot poker tries to collect on Edmunds debts

5. Beer - Juggling dinner with his puritan relatives while conducting a drinking game works fine for Edmund, until someone discovers an oddly shaped turnip

6. Chains - A crazed master of disguise, with an awful german accent, threatens to ruin Black Adder's whole life ... Read more

Description

This uniquely poignant and funny film focuses on the rekindling of a school relationship that has taken on a new twist. ... Read more

Reviews (26)

Different For ... Just About Everything
What a brave and unusual romantic comedy. Thank God the BBC is still open-minded enough for such projects, which are not only important, but ultimately wonderfully entertaining.

At the core of the boy-meets-girl, who used to be one of his mates at school, now transsexual, love story is Steven Mackintosh, who portrays Karl-now-Kim with such dignity and style that this film never feels sticky or cumbersome, as one might fear going into it.

Rupert Graves plays the bad-boy "Prentice" with such charm that one thoroughly understands why Kim allows her new-found, quiet life to be turned upside down. He shows Kim that finding the right gender doesn't necessarily make you a whole person...That comes from conviction and caring. It requires passion - something he's full of and is able to rekindle in his old schoolmate. And who knows...maybe she'll get him to change his socks daily!

Thoroughly charming!

Accurate and empowering
Wow. Steven Mackintosh does a *great* job of portraying a transsexual woman on her journey from fear and stealth to love and empowerment. I'm not sure exactly what it is that Kim is supposed to see in Prentiss (although I do understand about love for one's high school sweetheart being pretty blind), but still, they don't seem to have all that much in common. But that's the way that romantic comedies work, isn't it?

Nits to pick: 1) They had sex with no lube?! Ouch! (Transsexual women aren't usually able to self- lubricate.) 2) Provera is a progestin, not an estrogen, and wouldn't be Kim's primary hormone after surgery. (It's also nasty stuff better avoided in favor of micronized progesterone.) 3) The film editor picked absolutely the *worst* possible angle for Kim in the "afterglow" scene -- she looks like a guy.

Other than that, though, the film was remarkably accurate (right down to the dilating stent in Kim's medicine cabinet), and strongly empowering. It left me with a warm fuzzy feeling.

Good acting, decent script, just not my cup of tea
Different for Girls is an interesting film. It is well acted and well directed. However, I don't know that it is a film for everyone. It deals with the subject of post "change" of a transgendered person and how they try to fit in to society. It is quite touching and sensitive. Steven Mackintosh is quite good as the transgendered person and Rupert Graves is dynamite as he is in everything he does.

If there is a problem with this film, it's that it seems to be preaching a bit more than I think it should. I'd rather see it less a drama and more "a day in the life of" sort of film.

An *Awesome* - BUT - "True* Movie
I throughly enjoyed this movie from beginning to end! When I first saw it, I cried because I am a Transsexual (a label given by the Psychiatric profession to people "Born" with this medical condition). I watch this movie at least once a week because I "Totally" relate to what Kim went through during her Transition as well as her life afterward especially in dealing with her family, friends, co-workers, law enforcement, etc. The actor who portrayed Kim did an "AWESOME" performance in his portrayal of a woman -- in her walk, talk, mannerisms, reactions to every situation that she found herself in, and her quiet moments by herself.

The actor who played her friend "Printice" did a wonderful job in portraying her close friend from earlier in life even if he still exhibited immaturity in different situations. His reactions to Kim, what she looked like as a woman, her attitude towards him, his reactions to her, and the situations he found himself in were wonderful because they depicted the reactions that most people would find themselves in if they experienced the same things that Printess did. I HIGHLY recommend this film to everyone!

The Brits do it again.
If your sole point of transsexual movie refrences is "The Crying Game", you *have* to check this movie out.
Far from the contreversy of "The Big Secret", this movie paints a more realistic portrait of the actual, day-to-day life typical of a modern woman, (who happens to be transsexual), trying to make it through the relentless grind of society and relationships.
It is sweet in watching the re-kindled relationship between Kim and Prentice, old school mates, and the mind-wrapping required to adjust to the reality that is.

A sample quote from the movie that illustrates this:

Prentice: (Slightly stand-offish) "I'm not gay, you know.."
Kim:(with a resigned sigh) "Neither am I"

Although it doesnt tap into some of the darker aspects endured by Transpersons, it certainly tells a story not entirely like our own..with a twist. ... Read more

Description

A hilarious and outrageous comedy from England that throws political correctness out the window! Two Irish lads movefrom London to hit the big time, but end up working as male prostitutes in the gay underbelly of the city. Equal parts John Waters and Quentin Tarantino, 9 DEAD GAY GUYS is a raucous and whacked-out romp! Includes Director'scommenary. Stars Steven Berkoff, Glenn Mulhern, BrendanMackey ... Read more

Amazon.com

A pop-art explosion that makes Austin Powers look demure, Modesty Blaise is a bizarre relic from the heyday of Swinging London. Based on a comic book, the movie is strong on psychedelic art direction, long on camp (especially Dirk Bogarde's aristocratic, white-haired villain), and thin on plot--and what plot there is cannot possibly be deciphered. Italian actress Monica Vitti, the ennui-weary star of many Antonioni classics, makes an odd choice for stylish spy Modesty Blaise (a female 007 without portfolio), especially given her uncertain command of English. The gifted director Joseph Losey, not noted for his humor, apes various New Wave techniques in his approach, even allowing Vitti and costar Terence Stamp to warble an off-key song. But the most coherent contribution is the jazzy swing of John Dankworth's score, which you won't be able to get out of your head, even if you want to. --Robert Horton ... Read more

Reviews (16)

enjoyable hotch-potch of [stuff]
MODESTY BLAISE is an enjoyable, campy little gem that is quite fun. High in style and low in plot, the cast obviously had a ball working on this great film.

Based on the popular long-running comic strip character, the story concerns high-class jewel and art thief Modesty Blaise (played bewitchingly by Monica Vitti) who is called upon to investigate the actions of reclusive millionaire and criminal Gabriel (Dirk Bogarde) who lives on a foreboding island.

Modesty enlists the help of her associate and some-time lover Willie Garvin (Terence Stamp) and soon Modesty is up to her neck in psychedelic espionage and sexy costumes! However, there is always Gabriel's assistant to contend with: the man-eating, sadistic Mrs Fothergill (Rosella Falk)...

The plot is as wafer-thin as Modesty's silken dresses; between the time that Modesty is recruited to the final showdown on Gabriel's island, there is about 90 minutes of plot that I cannot even fathom. Dirk Bogarde relishes his role as the decadent Gabriel, wearing a John Inman-esque fright wig and drinking out of impossibly-sized glasses. Another hilaious scene is where Mrs Fothergill is holding "diving lessons". During the climactic battle, Modesty and Willie have a time-out to sing a rather annoying love song, and somehow Arabs on stallions are mysteriously transported to the island to assist Modesty in her showdown with Gabriel!!...Totally unbelievable and only possible in the 60's.

Nontheless, MODESTY BLAISE is a charming piece of fluffy eye-candy and should be savored as the harmless schlock that it was meant to be.

Highly recommended. (Single-sided, single-layer disc).

BLAZING SPIES.....
ENIGMATIC MONICA VITTI [dead-ringer for a svelte Bette Milder] leads us into this visually mind-numbing frolic of a spy-spoof! An Art-Director's dream - as ARE the continuous costume changes for Ms. Vitti! Quite sensational along the lines of "Casino Royale" - another must-have of this period.

Plot? None really - just a series of delicious and sometimes deadly encounters as Spy vs Spy vs Spy vs Spy ..... in dear old Amsterdam, and then later aboard ships [yachts] and that odd island with the spectacular Arabian finish - [Modesty it seems was adopted!] The petard [mino cannon a Gift to Modesty - pointing at Buckingham Palace - off-lens - is a hoot!]

DIRK BOGARDE has a field-day as Gabriel - the oh so chic and campy bad guy with an umbrella for all occasions - possibly to augment each outfit!

A breathtaking Terence Stamp [still has those 'baby blues'] is Modesty's trusty sick-kick - also with the mandatory hair color change[s].

Quite delightful to behold - but be warned - this one needs eye-shades occasionally - it is in VIVID color.

Great to have on DVD!

The best spy spoof ever!
Modesty Blaise is the best spy spoot ever!! You folks who don't like it need to get a life. Relax, on your plush sofa. Roll a doobie and enjoy Ms Blaise. I dig her the most, baaby!!

Huh?
There's a great moment here where Rosella Falk strangles a mime to death with her knees--and that's about it. Monica Vitti smiles charmingly and looks great in the various odd costumes she's asked to wear, and Dirk Bogarde and Terrence Stamp saunter through as if they haven't a care in the world and are not only going to forget this film after they're done, but might very well be forgetting it as they go along. Joseph Losey added to the list of film he really needed to apologize to the general public for . . .

One of the better Bond spoofs...
This movie is so CHIC, I haven't got the exact words to describe it. The cast is sort of chi-chi: Monica Vitti, Terence Stamp, Harry Andrews, Dirk Boarde and Clive Revill, with Jospeh Losey directing, (Joseph Losey??) A hoi-polloi audience was almost assured! I saw this film in 1966 when it came out and was immediately struck by how different it was from the other Bond spoofs, such as "Our Man Flint" and those awful Matt Helm movies. "Modesty" is avant garde in that notoriously sanitized, late sixties style that made psychedelia palatable for the masses, with op art wallpaper everywhere and decadence celebrated by way of the villains portrayed by Bogarde and "Mrs. Fathergill".

The jazzy score is very reminiscent of the one for "The Tenth Victim", though the lyricked theme song used in the opening credits should do WITHOUT the words, since they're just a WEE bit too arch! The instrumental side, however, is done beautifully, and adds to the "chic" feel of the movie.

The fact that Monica Vitti has an accent so thick, you could choke on it, only adds to this flavor, as does Terence Stamp's prophetic "Alex the Droog" portrayal of her sidekick, Willie Garvin. The casual use of Ferraris, Rolls Royces, Citroens and multi-colored cigarettes make this a fashion-mongerer's wet dream.

It's been stated that this film had no plot....oh, it's got a plot, alright, but there's so much OTHER business going on while it's unraveling, you can miss it! Modesty and Willie's briefs are to make sure fifty million pounds of foreign aid, in the form of diamonds, are delivered to an arab sheikh without the inimitable Gabriel, (Bogarde,) getting his superciliously foppish hands on them. Revill plays his fawning sidekick, accountant and condifante, McWhorter.

Everybody involved seems to be having the time of their lives being in this flick, especially Stamp and Vitti.

Chic, funny, and unique, a DEFINITE change of pace for the classic Hollywood director who helmed it, (if he indeed ever existed)....this movie joins "Help!", "Lord Love A Duck" and a few other zany flicks as icons of sixties aesthetics and cinematic philosophy.

A museum piece of late sixties culture....

(Why ...does she have to be called "Modesty Blaise"?? How about "Modesty Ace" or "Modesty Aqua"?) ... Read more

Reviews (13)

Exquisite cacophony of images
Jan Svankmajer, whose name is almost always mentioned in the same breath as the Brothers Quay, is an animator with a deeply philosophical, psychological bent whose mode de employ is the infinite variety of the grotesque. If you appreciate Joel-Peter Whitkin's stills, you will love Svankmajers films. Objects animated are people, tubers, taxidermilogical failures, etc. Svankmayer takes a thousand separate, shocking little pieces and combines them into a sublimely shocking whole. The end product is always bafflingly surreal and so over the top as to be beatific. His filmography is made up mostly of shorts, and two other feature length films, Alice (1988) and Faust (1996), all would be worth some footwork to catch a glimpse of his intricately wrought madness.

Conspirators is a cohesive series of vignettes about obsessive-compulsive fetishists whose paths cross, in so doing sparking a series of respective erotic destinies that are fulfilled via a spiraling puzzle like path. The movie itself defines fetishism, turning the everyday object or occurrence into a meaning laden ritual; in these cases lives are compelled by a collection of huge fetish projects: the porno stand engineer who is so in love with images that he constructs a television that can be made to love him back; the mail carrier who maniacally turns loaves of bread into compact little balls that she delivers to the news anchor who feeds them to carp who live in a bucket under her desk and get her off on camera (as part of the engineer's project); her husband who hears symphonies in pursuit of junk he later constructs tools that de Sade would have cried over; and a pair of neighbors who obsess over each other's murders, whose will finds a magical way. This film is a must-see just for the exquisite detail with which the nameless protagonist constructs the piece de triumph of all fetish objects- it cannot be hinted at in less than a volume. These frames speak volumes, a wordless cacophony. Conspirators could be seen as a sort of "The Making Of" a Jan Svankmajer animation- the sympathetic voodoo magic worked by a team of discreet players so intense that genius is sparked and makes vital and gorgeous the previously inert and obscene. I'd give this film one star for each story's achievement, plus one for the opening sequence of *truly* bizarre 17th Century porno woodcuts. A must see.

Two reviewers jointly favor Czech animator.
Conspirators was spectacular in weaving its characters and their strangeness together. I couldn't wait to see what happened next. American film keeps us sadly stuck in the 1980s, bullied into accepting only computer animation because it is easy, unsupportably expensive and you can do it with a pull-down menu. Jan Svankmajer's animation is hands-on, time-intensive studio work and palpably realistic. It challenges the limitations of that generation whose imaginations were teethed on music video. Svankmajer is comical, insightful and grotesque as a children's folk tale. He is a singularly visual storyteller. If you want a taste of Svankmajer and aren't ready for an adult theme, start with Alice.

good for begginers
this one from Jan was cool,but just not quite as trippy as Faust or his collection of short film dvds,I thought.I did think it was funny though!I liked the short film "food"(included w/ the dvd)better than "conspirators of pleasure",actually-and you can get that short w/ the jan collected shorts vol. 2 dvd.I couldn't see paying $26 for this dvd, though.get alice,collected shorts 1+2,or faust before this one.those are actually more worth the money as far as I'm concerned.

Utterly brilliant . . .
This was my introduction to Svankmajer -- and I am floored, even more so because his short "Food" is on this DVD as well. Many folks assume that they have a taste for underground cinema because they (rightly) prefer "Withnail & I" to the latest Queen Latifa/Steve Martin muck, and they've seen "Man Bites Dog" a couple of times . . . but this is REALLY underground cinema. It doesn't jiggle the camera or have a shallow visual gimmick like "Waking Life" -- it is hard to exactly give the flavor of this film. None of the audio is live, it seems -- and the exaggerated foley work of hands squishing clay and rolling little balls of bread with spit and even squeezing a tube of glue all becomes decadently marvelous. As these various folk pursue their, um, completely non-traditional fetishes, no explanations are given, and no ultimate conclusion to anything. But each individual minute is precious. This isn't a film where you can say to those who dislike it, "You didn't get it." There is nothing to "get" in that sense -- but how much tactile strangeness can you delight in? I think it is a masterpiece. Give it a try. Let the rest of the public go on thinking that insipid fluff like "Lost in Translation" is independently-minded cinema. THIS is the authentic underground.

"Fringe" doesn't even begin to describe it
This movie is so weird that I don't even know what to think of it. I question whether it is a truly Surrealist film - it's certainly a very _strange_ film, but "surreal" does not mean "strange", and it's time we buried that misconception once and for all - but it will likely appeal to fans of Surrealism and other avant-garde art.

The film follows about half a dozen characters through the machinations of their utterly bizarre fetishes - a woman who gets off by stuffing bread balls up her nose, a man who delights in the texture of live fish, and - well, I'm not even going to try to describe the chicken guy. Though the characters don't always realize it, their secret pursuits are linked by a web of tangents and coincidence.

Though the characters are ostensibly pursuing _sexual_ fetishes, there is very little about this movie that seems sexual. Real fetishes usually involve playing with power or social roles, but these people just like really specific (and really strange) inanimate objects. Their perversions seem to be more about the ritual than anything else.

Though the movie is mostly live-action, there are some of Svankmajer's trademark stop-motion sequences, such as the chicken man's rampage through the forest. Also, there is zero dialogue throughout the entire film, which actually works quite well, forcing the viewer to engage the unfolding events more directly, and contributing to the overall feeling of "what the [heck]are they doing?!"

Maybe this film is just the product of sheer self-indulgence on the part of Svankmajer, but it will certainly challenge you to think. I'm giving it the median rating of 3 stars not because it's a bad film (or because it's a _good_ film), but because it doesn't even exist on that continuum. It is what it is. You'll have to see it for yourself. ... Read more

Reviews (17)

Fasten your seabelts for 'Mr. Toad's Wild Ride'!
'Mr. Toad's Wild Ride' is definitely one of the most charming children's movies that I've ever seen. Based loosely on the classic 'Wind in the Willows' by Kenneth Grahame, the film is set in the English countryside and follows the adventures (and misadventures) of Mr. Toad (Terry Jones of Monty Python!), Ratty (Eric Idle of the same), Mole(Steve Coogan), and Badger(Nicol Williamson) as they battle with the evil, greedy weasels over the rights to Toad Hall. The special effects are minimal but very well done, and the quaint period costumes and animal make-up creates the perfect woodland atmosphere. The songs are short but cute; you'll find yourself humming the tunes before you know it. All in all, children will find the characters delightful and funny, while the darker images of the dangers of industrialization and progress will keep the attention of adults. I'd say my rating is four and a half stars, as opposed to just four. 'Mr. Toad's Wils Ride' is a definite must to any video collection!

Grab It While You Can!
I was totally unprepared for how much I liked this movie. It is an interesting hybrid of Kenneth Grahame and Monty Python which probably works against it for a lot of people who expect one or the other and that is really too bad because the film has so much to offer. Although released by Disney (they own the film rights for the book in America thanks to their 1949 animated film ADVENTURES OF MR TOAD), the film was not made by them which accounts for the lackluster treatment it was given in this country. It went directly to video, was retitled in the process (it was originally THE WIND IN THE WILLOWS like the book), and has already been withdrawn from circulation. So much for it's rather sad history. The good news is that there are still plenty of copies to be had and at very good prices too but probably not for long so grab it while you can. While director-writer-star Terry Jones does take several liberties with the book, he remains true to the spirit of Grahame's work and that is the important thing. The performances from Jones, Eric Idle, Nicol Williamson, and especially Steve Coogan in the principal parts are truly extraordinary. Antony Sher as the Chief Weasel is an absolute delight and the cameos by former Python members and well known British television performers only add to the fun. The production design is stunning from the quirky costumes to the underground homes of Badger and Mole and the period motor cars that Toad dispatches are a wonder to behold. The BRAZIL like subplot concerning the dog food factory has bothered some people but it is in keeping with Grahame's views on rural destruction and urban blight and it also happens to be highly effective. The brief musical numbers scattered throughout the film add a touch of the surreal with The Weasel's Song (a wickedly funny parody of CATS) as delightful as it is unexpected. MR TOAD'S WILD RIDE is not a great movie but it is a highly creative one. It leaves you with a surprising number of sequences that will have you returning to it without really knowing why. Shame on Disney for treating it so shabbily. Let's hope that they will release it on DVD as that is the least that it deserves. An ideal movie for adults and children, it is as Mr Toad would say, "Glorious, simply glorious!"

Mr. Toad's Great DVD
Starts a little slow but is strong throughout, very entertaining - aimed at kids, but parents won't be bored!

My favourite film in the world
I love this film because it is funny it has alot of the monty python stars in it and also that the actors are amazing. The first time that I ever saw this film was when I borrowed it off a friend and ever since that I had fallen in love wwith it.

Great overlooked gem
This movie was barely released in theaters. Great adaptation of the Wind in the Willows stories, with excellent characterizations. Funny and very well-done--not just for kids. ... Read more

Amazon.com essential video

Julie Christie's miracle year of 1965 (she was also in Doctor Zhivago) was capped by a best-actress Oscar® for this sardonic take on Swinging London. Looking about as gorgeous as women get, Christie ascends the ladder of social success, trampling everybody in her path--an ascent that allows writer Frederic Raphael and director John Schlesinger to slash away at the morally bankrupt world that would enable such a person to triumph. Cynics might suggest that Schlesinger's approach, rife with the experiments of New Wave filmmaking, is nearly as empty and showy as the world it describes... which may be why this movie seems more dated than, say, Richard Lester's films from the '60s. Still, with Christie getting generous and suave support from two of the top British stars of the day, Dirk Bogarde and Laurence Harvey, Darling remains a watchable missive from a volatile era. --Robert Horton ... Read more

Reviews (22)

unforgettable psychological drama
Julie Christie gives an acclaimed Oscar-winning performance as ambitious, bed-hopping young model Diana Scott in John Schlesinger's DARLING, an unforgettable psychological drama.

Diana Scott bullies, bluffs and beds her way to "success" only to find life at the top of the heap empty and unfulfilling.

She begins her rapid climb with married reporter Robert Gold (Dirk Bogarde - MODESTY BLAISE, SO LONG AT THE FAIR), only to dump him for sharp businessman Miles Brand (Laurence Harvey - BUTTERFIELD 8). She abandons him for a carefree life with her gay photographer, before settling for the Italian Prince. Diana at first revels in her success before realizing that the Prince will always put his country before private life. Confused and angry, Diana returns to England and to Robert, but he pushes her away and sends her back to her self-made prison in Italy.

DARLING candidly depicts the crazed and debauched lifestyle led by many in Britain in the 60's. At first shockingly controversial, the film was nominated for Best Picture in 1965.

Princess Diana
"Darling" is a searing look into the shallow life of a London girl during the mid-60's. It stars Julie Christie in the title role of Diana Scott and takes us through a few years of her life from mod-model to wife of an Italian prince. Dianna's messy life and total disregard for others is brilliantly shown through the convention of her telling "My Story" to a magazine while contrasting her tale with the actual facts of her life.
Co-stars Dirk Bogarde, Laurence Harvey each serves the story in their unique and gifted ways. Bogarde as Robert Gold is Diana's one brush with real emotion and possible salvation is at the top of his form giving yet another fine performance in support of Miss Christie. Laurence Harvey is cold and calculating as the bored playboy Miles Brand. He has never been better or has his angular face been shown to be more sardonic and deceitful than here in this film.
The direction by John Schlesinger is razor sharp and never misses the truth behind each scene. Cinematographer Kenneth Higgins captures the feel of mid-60's London, Pairs and Italy in crisp and clean shots. His close-ups are nearly surgical in what they render visible to the eye.
John Dankworth executed the composition of one of the most haunting themes from the sixties, which plays over the brilliant opening credits. His score is perfect and underscores Diana's story so well.
Finally there is Julie Christie in her Oscar winning performance. What a revelation this film and Miss Christie were at the time. Movies were changing so rapidly from what they had been all along to a more adult and honest look at life. The cracks began to appear after WW II. They widened in the 1950's but by the time "Darling' came along the movie industry had changed, imploded then exploded into a new and freer form of expression. Riding this wave to triumph in 1965 was the nearly unknown Miss Christie. Her Diana is unapologetic, raw and wonderful. She never holds back in showing us the ugly side of this beautiful vacuous woman and by the last scene she commands the screen with the authority of a truly perfect performance.

Cutting out the charm and character...
This MGM Home Video version of Darling (#1005693) is not a full version of the film. It was enjoyable but rings of media puritanism. A number of defining scenes, albe-them mildly risque, are missing. This is cultural and historical bleaching. We must discourage companies from ruining films. Do not buy it. I am now out the money and looking for the full version on DVD.

Great transfer but..........
MGM's new release of DARLING looks beautiful and more pristine than the Criterion Collection's laserdisc edition from 1995. There are no features aside from the (very dated) trailer; commentary from Christie would have been a welcome feature and made this a great one for your collection. The greatest disappointment is in the brief editing within the Parisian brothel sequence: the standard VHS tape that had been floating around for years omitted Christie's nude scene, a couple of shots hinting at oral sex between she and Laurence Harvey, and the brothel sequence. The DVD keeps almost everything in tact except a shot of a man rushing into a room to 'perform' with his cigarette smoking female partner. What you're left watching is a close-up of Julie Christie's shocked face as she stares at a woman smoking. The impact of the scene is gone. Now, the only version of DARLING that is fully intact is the laserdisc from Criterion and late-night showings on TCM. What gives MGM? Are they afraid viewers might not be able to handle such 'shocking' material?

What a jewel of a movie!
This is the movie that made Julie Christie a star on this side of the Atlantic. (1965 Academy Award for Best Actress.) It is truly a masterpiece that still hits the mark almost 40 years later. Inexpicably, it remains somewhat of a "sleeper"--a delight to discover, but not nearly as celebrated as it should be. Directed by John Scheslinger (at the top of his craft here), this is a beautifully acted, visually stunning examination of the mores of the European mid-1960's "Jet Set." The characters "swing" their way through a hedonistic search for meaning, but don't seem to find what they are looking for. Some of this movie may look dated now, but to me,that just enhances the viewing experience. Watching "Darling" is like finding a time capsule that clearly evokes the feel of a certain time and place. The story is told in a sophisticated satirical style, following the Julie Christie character through amorous opportunism. She sleeps her way to the top of the international fashion world, only to find her success and fame to be empty and soulless. This movie is perfectly poised between serious drama and romantic comedy. It is never preachy; the viewer is allowed the independence and maturity to draw his own moral conclusions. Remarkably appealing in tone and mood-- this is moviemaking as an art form. Do yourself a favor and discover it for yourself! ... Read more

Amazon.com

One of the most winning and intelligent romantic comedies of the '90s, Shakespeare in Love is filled with such good will, sunny romance, snappy one-liners, and devilish cleverness that it's absolutely irresistible. At the 1999 Academy Awards, this dark-horse costume comedy sneaked off with sevenOscars, besting the highly favored Saving Private Ryan for Best Picture. With tongue placed firmly in cheek, at its outset the film tracks young Will Shakespeare's overwrought battle with writer's block and the efforts of theater owner Philip Henslowe (Geoffrey Rush, in rare form) to stage Will's latest comedy, Romeo and Ethel, the Pirate's Daughter. Most of the jokes in the first one-third of the film are along these lines: Will's anachronistic therapist session, a mug inscribed "A Souvenir from Stratford-Upon-Avon," Henslowe's battles to pay off his debts, and the backstage high jinks of pre-production. However, once Will sets his eyes on the beautiful Viola De Lesseps (Gwyneth Paltrow), joking takes a backseat to ravishing romance. Well, almost--turns out Viola wants to break into the world of male-only theater, and disguises herself as a young man to wangle herself an audition. She wins the part of Romeo and, after much misunderstanding, the playwright's heart. Soon enough, Will's pirate comedy becomes a beautiful, tragic romance, and Ethel is shoved aside for a woman named Juliet. Will and Viola's romance, however, is equal parts comedy and tragedy--he's married, and she's betrothed to the slimy Lord Wessex (Colin Firth), and it doesn't take an English major to figure out that it's not all's well that ends well.

Like Shakespeare's work itself, the film is instantly accessible to everyone, from the raucous groundlings looking for low comedy to the aesthetes hankering for some intellectual bite behind their entertainment. The way that Oscar-winning screenwriters Marc Norman and Tom Stoppard enfold their story within the parameters of Romeo and Juliet (and even Twelfth Night) is nothing short of brilliant--it would take a Shakespearean scholar to dissect the innumerable parallels, oft-quoted lines, plot developments, and thematic borrowings. And most amazingly, Norman and Stoppard haven't forgotten to entertain their audience in addition to riding a Shakespearean roller coaster. Director John Madden(Mrs. Brown) reigns in his huge ensemble with a rollicking energythat keeps the film's momentum going at top speed for its entire two hours. Along the way there are small gems to be found: Ben Affleck's riotous egotistical actor, Imelda Staunton's nimble nurse, and of course Judi Dench's eight-minute,Oscar-winning turn as a truly regal Queen Elizabeth. However, the key element of Shakespeare in Love's success rests on the milky-white shoulders of its two stars. Fiennes, inexplicably overlooked at Oscar time, is a dashing Will as we might expect him at the early stage of his career, bundled full of comedy and tragedy but unsure of how to harness his talent. And as for Best Actress winner Paltrow... well, nothing she'd done before could have prepared viewers for how amazing she is here. Breathtakingly beautiful, fiercely intelligent, strong-willed, and lovestruck--it's a performance worthy of Shakespeare in more ways than one. Bythe film's end, you'll be thoroughly won over--and brushing up your Shakespeare with newfound ardor. --Mark Englehart ... Read more

Reviews (456)

Not of an age, but for all time. And better on DVD
Purists who turn up their noses at Shakespeare in Love don't know what they're talking about - or rather, don't know what they're missing. This was, after all, written by Tom Stoppard, author of some of the very best plays of modern times (Arcadia, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead - the latter filmed with Gary Oldman and Tim Roth). He's done a splendid job of balancing accessibility with genuine wit. The screenplay is littered with allusions to the bard's works, and gives some great - albeit hypothetical - insights into how and why he wrote.

Beyond that, in true Shakespearean style, we are offered the "play within the play" - in this case Romeo and Juliet. Excellent editing gives us just enough to convey the mood of an Elizabethan performance, leaving us wanting more. This film does a great job of broadening the appeal of the most popular writer.

And don't miss the topical in-jokes - the "cabby" rowing the boat, and especially Glenda Jackson saying she knows what it's like to do a man's job (she plays "M" in the Bond movies). Bill S. would have approved. High praise indeed.

Top-Ten Romance, and One of the Most Clever Screenplays!
"Shakespeare in Love" is a triumph, pure and simple. With screenwriters Tom Stoppard and Marc Norman at the top of their game and feeding immortal lines to a top-notch cast, "Shakespeare in Love" could not fail to succeed.

The film opens with young Will Shakespeare (Joseph Fiennes) struggling with writer's block . . . he is clearly not yet the magnificent WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE (insert trumpets here), the world's most famous writer. Indeed, the top playwright of the age is Kit Marlowe (Rupert Everett), as Shakespeare is reminded several times. And young Will is also hopelessly infatuated with Rosaline, a woman completely unworthy of his affections.

After some psychotherapy that anticipates Freud, Will is no better. Still, heavily in debt, Will attempts to stage his next opus, "Romeo and Ethel, the Pirate's Daughter." Working with Henslowe (Geoffrey Rush, who would have stolen a lesser film with his perfect performance), who's also heavily in debt, Will seems headed for disaster.

That is, until he sees his muse, young Viola de Lesseps (Gwyneth Paltrow, never better). Smitten, young Will begins to write the romantic poetry that becomes "Romeo and Juliet." Viola, who recognizes Will's genius, meets Will through some classic Shakespearean disguises and mistaken identities. Of course, Viola is betrothed to a true slug, Lord Wessex (a plump Colin Firth), who plans to take her to Virginia in seek his fortune across the sea -- essentially sending her into exile.

Despite the roadblocks, Will and Viola are soon hopelessly in love. Viola, daring to breach the silly rule that only men can play parts on stage, has taken the role of Romeo by day. By night, Will and Viola write Will's most romantic play together.

"SIL" keeps the wheels turning mighty fast, and one of the joys of watching this movie over and over is catching a quick joke that you didn't get the first time around.

It's also a pleasure to watch this stellar cast go through its paces. While Judi Dench won her Oscar for her surprisingly brief performance as Queen Elizabeth, other actors turn in equally entertaining performances. Tom Wilkinson, Simon Callow, Martin Clunes, and Imelda Staunton each bring amazing proficiency to the supporting cast, and even the much-maligned appearance of Ben Affleck elevates the movie -- he is perfectly cast as a self-absorbed theater star (first line -- "What is the play, and what is my part?"). Affleck's comeuppance, when he realizes that he, as Mercutio, doesn't have the title role, is handled wonderfully well.

This is simply a movie that doesn't miss a trick. The film is shot beautifully, the extravagent costuming gets at the ridiculous conformity that we associate with jolly old England (and makes the torrid romance of Will and Viola that much more intimate), and the music is uplifting.

The film's final shot, as Viola walks along the beach and we realize that we've just seen the birth of arguably Shakespeare's greatest heroine, Viola of "Twelfth Night," is a masterpiece of powerful understatement.

This movie is simply a must for the film library!

A GOOFY YET DELICIOUSLY SEDUCTIVE ROMANTIC COMEDY!
The DVD casing claimed in big bold letters "Best Screenplay" Academy Award winner. I can surely see why! Must have been some deviously creative team that crafted this crisp comic period-piece.

The film is really two love stories: one a bawdy romance between two smitten humans, and the other an ode to the art of theatre. The writers'/director's love for showmanship is loud and evident throughout the brilliant screenplay, and if you're a fan of wordplay in any way, well then this is a surefire delight.

Both Paltrow and Fienners turn in lusciously romantic performances in their respective roles -- she pulls off the formidable order of gender-switching without a hitch, and he has just the right pitches and patterns for a young, struggling Shakespeare. Geoffrey Rush is magnetic as usual.

Don't be fooled by the Elizabethan accoutrements, this film and its arsenal of laconic quips could easily shoot several contemporary romances to dust. Buy this one in fact, don't just rent, it quite comfortably stands the test of more than one viewing..

Rush in an unforgettable role
Although Geoffrey Rush is not the star of the film, he delivers a memorable performance, as usual. Fiennes does, also. The costuming is very beautiful, and the humour is delightful. Highly reccommended.

Emotionally Fraudulent and Morally Offensive NON-Love Story
Before I start out, I should say that I am NOT one of those people who think they have to deride "Shakespeare in Love" because it's a "chick flick" and therefore unworthy(?!) of Oscars. Nor do I feel the need to condemn it for winning Best Picture over "Saving Private Ryan," as so many have done. I certainly do have a beef in that regard -- and it's that my own favorite film of 1998, "The Truman Show," wasn't even nominated for Best Picture! But none of these things have anything to do with my loathing for "Shakespeare in Love." My beef is solely with the offensive nature of the film itself. It's advertised as a love story, but is emotionally and morally empty when it comes to any notion of love.

You could see the writers straining to convince us that those two awesomely idiotic characters, Will and Viola, were really deserving to be the inspiration for "Romeo and Juliet." The film wanted to show that "the truth and nature of love" so magnificently expressed in Shakespeare's play resulted from this casual (and to my mind very unromantic) affair between a lying weasel of a married man, and an apparently dimwitted girl who can't be bothered to decide whether she wants to marry him or not, though she's being forced into marriage with a man she hates.

Starting out by having a man needing to fall in love for a mercenary reason -- so he can finish his play -- and then conveniently having him decide that the first pretty girl who comes along is the love of his life, doesn't strike me as a convincing way to start a love story. Did writers Marc Norman and Tom Stoppard really stop to think this out? From the beginning we know he's using this girl, and they never find a convincing way to show us that this ever changes.

The worst line in the film, to my mind, comes right after their first soft-core sex scene. Viola murmurs: "I never would have believed that there could be something better than a play -- even your play!" Will: "Huh?" Well, there goes any possible higher emotional or spiritual aspect to their relationship.

This is the deepest flaw in the movie (which was otherwise well acted, gorgeously shot and beautifully costumed). I could not enjoy it or buy into it in the slightest because the fundamental conception of the filmmakers was based on modern notions of love that don't go beyond the purely physical. Descriptions of love in Western literature have at least on occasion gone much deeper than that. The Will in "Shakespeare in Love" not only couldn't have written "Romeo and Juliet"'s dramatic sonnet "If I profane with my unworthiest hand this holy shrine. . ." he wouldn't even have been able to understand it.

Not to mention the glamorization of a man's adultery, and the strenuous attempts to avoid all the real-life emotional ramifications of such an action, in favor of a feel-good justification of it, in spite of the obvious harm to the young virginal woman who was used by a cad. But it's excused and made to seem no real harm, by having her anger abated by thinking Will is dead, then readily going back to him when she discovers he's alive (a cheap dramatic trick if I ever saw one). Above all, no matter what a real Elizabethan girl's attitude miught have been, Viola is made to adopt the "modern" attitude (love is just a "stolen season").

I think there actually could have been a believable story in the idea of Shakespeare falling in love while writing "Romeo and Juliet." Why not start with the historical fact that Shakespeare didn't even make up the plot of the play at all, much less make it up out of his own love life? In fact, "Romeo and Juliet" was an Italian novella that had gone the rounds of Europe, had been turned into a French play, an English poem and at least one preceding English play. What if Shakespeare finds himself adapting this love story, not believing in love, then actually falls in love in a way that resembles the plot of "Romeo and Juliet"? I think it would have been nice if he had fallen in love with a virgin like Viola, realized in all conscience he couldn't take advantage of her, and wrote his play out of his frustrated love, which he turns into art. I think it would have been more convincing. But of course then it wouldn't have been a Miramax film . . . ... Read more

Amazon.com

When her family moves into a glamorous castle in the Englishcountryside, Cassandra (Romola Garai) imagines great things will happen.But the decaying castle loses its appeal as her novelist father (BillNighy, Love Actually) develops writer's block and her mother diesof cancer. From this sad beginning, I Capture the Castle turns intoan utterly engaging coming-of-age story as 17-year-old Cassandra and herolder sister Rose (Rose Byrne) struggle to win the attentions of their new American landlord (Henry Thomas, E.T. TheExtraterrestrial)--but when everything goes the way Cassandra hopes,her hopes fall apart. Garai's wonderful performance carries the audiencethrough bittersweet discoveries about life and adulthood with hope andyearning. The entire cast---also featuring Tara Fitzgerald (BrassedOff) and Marc Blucas--is superb. I Capture the Castle is anabsolutely lovely movie, delightful and surprisingly wise. --BretFetzer ... Read more

Reviews (23)

Ten stars! What a wonderful surprise
I had never heard of this movie when my husband rented it on DVD - and it is such a marvelous treasure. It's a luminous coming-of-age story about an English child/girl/woman (Ramola Garai) who lives with her father (Bill Nighy), a successful author suffering prolonged writer's block, gorgeous slightly older sister, bohemian arty stepmother (Tara Fitzgerald), and bespectacled young brother. They move to a cold, drafty, leaky, romantic and picturesque castle in the middle of nowhere, fall behind on the rent, wear an odd shade of green that resulted when the arty and lovely stepmom dyed damn near everything one day.
Rose, the older sister, yearns for wealth. The property on which they live is owned by two brothers who come to inspect things - and that's where the real story begins. Narrated through the POV of Cassandra (Garai), the movie turns into an utterly engaging, wise and wonderful coming-of-age tale of hopes, dreams, plots and counterplots, dashed yearnings, and a painful journey toward adulthood. Hilarious and bittersweet at the same time. Absolutely first-rate performances by the entire cast in a film which ends with the realistic but still hopeful line in 'words of one syllable': I love. I have loved. I will love.
I LOVED THIS MOVIE.

Why did they ditch half of the book's humor?
I Capture the Castle is one of my favorite books and I was predisposed to love the film, but it came up short. The movie remains true to the book's plot, but adopted a seriocomic tone that was too heavy on the serious.

The charm of the book lies in the wit of the narrator, Cassandra, even when she writes about her family's poverty, her father's temper, etc. It's all told from a comic slant that contrasts with the subject matter nicely. The movie lost that slant and wallowed in melodrama too often. For instance, the eccentric, selfish, but extremely charming, father becomes simply dysfunctional in the film, stripped of his charisma.

The biggest flaw of the film is that the director, instead of standing in the narrator's 1930-ish shoes, imposes a modern context on the subject, which transformed it into a run-of-the-mill drama, and strips out most of the book's wittiness. The movie even adds a ridiculous touchy-feely reconciliation scene between the father and Cassandra at the end that would have made Dodie Smith puke.

Sigh . . . Maybe someone who's more deft with period pieces will try a lighter hand with this material and get it right in the future.

A More Modern Jane Austen
This was a lot like Emma and Pride and Prejudice rolled into one. It was a bit plodding and too long.

*GLIMPSES OF CASTLE LIFE: NOT THE WINDSORS !!*
Romola Garai plays a winsome Cassandra Mortmain in this adaptation of Dodie Smith's ("100 & One Dalmatians") 1930s story "I CAPTURE THE CASTLE." Cassie is a 17-year-old who wants to be a writer and lives in impoverished naivete in a decaying British castle with gorgeous sister Rose, wise-eyed brother, & the famous author-father who has a decades-old writer's block ~ but lacks Micawber's charm. Topaz, the stepmother, is artistically inclined to frequently 'air' her body on the glorious green hillsides. After the castle's American heir and his brother arrive, the story naturally progresses to 'marrying off' the two sisters.

Teen pulchritude living 'clueless' and tattered in a run-down castle adds up to comic situations and angles. The production is reasonably faithful to Dodie Smith's story. It definitely delivers a light interlude for romance fans in their teens and twenties. The film, rated "R" for some nudity, got scant distribution in the U.S., and that resulted in almost no press. At least watching the DVD will allow viewers to critique some discarded scenes AND even a different ending. ENJOY ~ ~ and more than once......The FIFTH STAR is awarded for Beauty!

different than the book, but still okay
I was prepared to be very disappointed by this movie, as I've loved the book for years. But the film version actually made me think about the serious aspects of the plot - aspects that are under-emphasized in the book due to the narrator's dry British wit. The film focuses almost exclusively on the melodramatic, but it made me realize that the events of the book really are quite serious: the family is nearly starving, the father did serve in prison for pulling a knife on the mother, and Rose's fiance kisses her sister, who then falls in love with him. The film made me think about the deeper story of the Mortmain family, behind Cassandra's humorous narrative. If you've read the book and loved it, don't worry that the film will ruin it for you. ... Read more

Reviews (23)

Wait for the complete series on DVD
Don't get me wrong, the footage is 5 stars - hilarious, being made up of skits from the BBC sitcom, "Mr. Bean", starring the brilliant Rowan Atkinson, but it is just a compilation. True fans will save their money for the complete series on DVD. Well, we have Blackadder, now where is Mr. Bean and "The Thin Blue Line" on DVD? Bean is completely opposite of Blackadder and Thin Blue Line in that as Bean, Rowan is all but mute and completely relies on physical comedy, where as in Blackadder (as Edmund) and Thin Blue line (as Inspector Fowler) Rowan talks his head off and the main source of comedy is in the dialogue, although physical comedy is not absent by any means. Those who only know Rowan for being Bean may be shocked when they see Blackadder or Blue line for the first time because of the drastic character change, but trust me he's just as funny with words as he is with physical action. "The Best Bits of Mr. Bean" is fine for a rental or for an extremely casual fan, but bigger fans of Rowan and Bean are still waiting for the complete series on DVD. I can highly recommend the Blackadder 5 disc DVD set, which contains all 4 series (24 episodes), a reunion special, and other goodies (read my review of that item for much more detail) but I recommend saving your money for the complete "Mr. Bean" series. The BBC series' "Mr. Bean" and "The Thin Blue Line" are essential comedy and I can't wait until they are represented as well as the brilliantly hilarious "Blackadder" series.

AMERICA NEEDS MORE MR. BEAN MOVIES!!!
My husband and I have always enjoyed Mr. Bean.

Well flash forward. Our grand daughter is now his number one fan. Two years old and she can't wait to visit us. She sits for hours watching this wonderful comedian and all his antics. We can't pry her away from the "telly". "Mr. Bean Grandma - Mr. Bean!"

Mr. Atkinson, if you're out there Alexis H. is deffinantly you're number one fan and oh, by the way, please could you do a few more new episodes? I've seen the Best Bits of Mr. Bean about 1000 times. Please just a few new ones for Alexis!

Bean is delightful and funny all his episodes will make you laugh.

Money well spent. Fun for the whole family.

sooooooooo funny. 16th april 2004.
The reason i loved this is because it shows you different parts off different tapes of mr bean. He makes me laugh he is great.

Great DVD
I'm an obsessed fan of Mr Bean and Although this is bits of Mr Bean - it still includes lots of funny footages. Because it's not enough for me, I am ordering the "complete" collection which they say is still slightly edited.

Very Funny
A lot of people are complaining about the length of the clips but if you look in the title it says the best "bits" which means they are only short clips. I think this video does a good job of selecting some of the Classic Mr.Bean moment. All of Mr. Bean is funny but if you want the most popular and most haliarous moment this is a good video to buy. ... Read more

Reviews (9)

time for a reevaluation
after the recent passing of brando i picked up a magazine celebrating his career. it listed this as one of his 10 best films and said this film was beautiful and vastly underrated.
couldnt agree more.
the misfire was in misrepresentation of it as an out and out comedy. of course chaplins films were rarely 'just comedies'.
countess of course relates to the earlier 'woman of paris' and this is indeed a throwback to 1920s sensabilities.
critics have for years pounced on this film (and brando was one of those critics, but then brando pounced on a lot of his own films and his method acting didnt simply gel with chaplins direction)but brando is indeed good as is the film itself.
its a nice small charmer. you'll enjoy it.

a little old-fashioned for 1960s standards
A COUNTESS FROM HONG KONG was director/comedian Charlie Chaplin's final film. In this film he is the director, writer and composer.

The story concerns a beguiling Russian countess named Natascha (Sophia Loren - HOUSEBOAT), a young woman forced into prostitution in Hong Kong, when she happens to meet an American politician named Ogden Mears (Marlon Brando - A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE, SUPERMAN). She stows away in his stateroom aboard a ship headed back to the States, where she belives she can escape her miserable life.

The usual battle-of-the-sexes ensues, when Natascha and Ogden are forced to spend the entire voyage together, bickering and fighting over their different opinions and tastes. But its soon evident that they are in love. Things become complicated when Ogden's icy wife (Tippi Hedren - THE BIRDS, MARNIE) joins the ship at Hawaii, while Natascha finds herself marrying Ogden's valet in order to gain an American passport!

This is a film that feels a little old-fashioned for the 1960s, but it is a rather charming and engaging romantic comedy. Perhaps the film is best-known for launching the hit single "(Love) This is My Song", made famous by Petula Clark. The movie also stars Sydney Chaplin, Patrick Cargill and Margaret Rutherford in a rather-clever cameo.

The DVD includes the trailer. (Single-sided, single-layer disc).

This DVD is part of a new series of classic releases from Universal that also include "Pillow Talk", "Send Me No Flowers", "The Thrill of It All!" and a twofer of "Man's Favorite Sport?/Strange Bedfellows".

Another review
I see there's several reviews already for this film, but here goes my two cents worth. Even though this is Chaplin's last film, it's his first and only film in color and widescreen. The movie is old fashion to say the least, it might of been better in b/w. Brando and Loren are completely wasted, the supporting players fair much better. Chaplin is quite good in his cameo role (makes you wish he'd given himself a bigger part). At the time, Chaplin took the negative reviews as almost a personal threat. He really defended the film, even going so far as to say he thought it was the best film he ever made! However several years later he admitted it wasn't very good, he said the actors where great but the story was really thin.

Goodbye Charlie
This is the final motion picture written and directed by Charlie Chaplin. He was 78 years old when it was released and had been in political exile from the United States for the past 15 years.

Although the movie features two of the biggest stars of its time, Marlon Brando and Sophia Loren, and was written as an old-fashioned comedy, it is rather slow and "talky." It has plenty of curiosity value, but I'm sorry to report, not a great deal of entertainment value. The once mighty Chaplin, had simply run out of gas. Working with Brando (who openly made fun of Chaplin during filming) and a script he had first drafted in the 30s for Paulette Goddard, Chaplin was out of his element.

Under-rated
"Countess" was Chaplin's final film and sadly I think it has been labelled as being awful. This is not the case. I feel that the main reason for people believing this to be a bad film is that they don't understand it. Chaplin always created fantastic stories out of simple ideas and this is not an exception. It is written and directed with such subtle elegance that some of the simpliest visual gags turn into the most hilarious situations. There are fantastic actors all round: Brando himself, Sophia Loren looking gorgeous, Sydney Chaplin showing that talent does run in the family and Patrick Cargill as the butler. Chaplin himself pulls a cameo and does a great job at not hogging his screen time, a mistake made by directors like Tarantino. The result is an amazingly gentle film that shows people from a fresh human perspective, a breath of fresh air by todays standards. You will be missed Charlie. ... Read more