Description

Gérard Depardieu and Fanny Ardant star as former lovers who find themselves unintentionally reunited seven years later as neighbors in a small French village who rekindle their ill-fated relationship. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Not one of Truffaut's best
If the movie was not directed by Francois Truffaut, who would say it's a masterpiece? To me, this movie is far less attractive than Jules et Jim and 400 Blows. The movie centres on a love affair between a married husband (Gerard Depardieu) and a married wife (Fanny Ardant) who happened to be lovers in the past. One day, they became neighbours and the sparkle of love was reignited. Truffaut liked to play with relationships in his movies. He posed the question "Who is your true love?" and "How if you react if your heart betrays you?" onto the chracters, and we can see the bewilderment in the first half of the movie. However, the movie starts to collapse when Adrant was put into a mental institution as no signs of her madness was mentioned or even noticed in the movie. And the later tragedy was already predicted when a dog was smelling a bag in a restaurant when the couple met the tennis club owner. The signs of suspense were unnaturally put to hint the audience. The death in the end falls in the cliche of ending a dead knot of love. To compare this movie, I would say Wong Kar-wai's In the mood of Love is on a much higher level on dealing with love affairs.

The making of a diva
Ardant and Depardieu look younger in this film, although age has not hurt Fanny Ardant, has made her even more beautiful (see 8 Femmes). This movie is about 20 years old so this was France at the time of Truffaut. This was the first movie of Fanny Ardant directed by Francois Truffaut. She is beautiful in this movie, in fact Truffaut eventually married her and they had a daughter.

Gerard Depardieu and Fanny Ardant are former lovers who are reunited unintentionally after several years, as neighbors in a small village (think small ' none of Paris - with proverbial French dogs, yes, the canine variety, one is inside a restaurant with diners!) They are married to different people who both seem very nice, one would think the past is behind the two former lovers, but this is a Truffaut movie, it cannot be mundane or even predictable nor be a soap opera. While the movie will not push you on the edge of your seat, Truffaut is a master in exploiting the senses and emotions. The interactions of the former lovers gives you a glimpse of the nature of their past relationship. It was not an ordinary affair. Ardant and Depardieu rekindle their affair and the emotional roller coaster starts. There are deep psychological scars that now create new wounds with the rekindling of the relationship. The movie is sensuous, funny, lighthearted, disturbing then dark and sad. The end is very surprising.

The DVD features trailers from Truffaut's other films including 400 Blows and the Wild Child.

All You Need is
Depardieu and Ardant are paired in this movie, and not for the last time, and produce a grotesque story of obsession between former and now reunited lovers. Ardant's character is married, and her older, boring husband is beginning to suspect that she has feelings for another man.

If you conclude from this movie that the French are so much in love with being in love that they are not outraged even when love kills, I won't argue with you. "The Woman Next Door" is about forbidden love and fatal attraction. It is a movie about two people who are lost in the world without love, but who cannot love in this world.

One of Truffaut's Finest
This is a film which epitomizes not only Francois Truffaut's recurrent themes - obsessive love, an ordinary man's cognizant self-destruction - but also his style of understatement, which, as a personal favorite of mine, is closer to the experience of real life than that of any other filmmaker. When one witnesses a supreme disaster, what does one notice? Not the kind of coverage of events such as many "hot" American directors today think is powerful - dozens of shots that show the same action over and over again in closeup, medium shot, full shot, tracking shot, crane shot, computer FX shot, you-name-it shot; but instead from the point of view of ONE person who is intimately involved - who may miss half of the action, yet agonizingly fills in what he missed with what he imagines. This is the genius of Truffaut, who represents this admirable Gallic trait perhaps as much as any other French artist of the twentieth century. The acting of the principals Ardant and Depardieu is perfection, and the story is one of relentless emotional buildup, leading to a shattering denoument.

Magnifique !
Le film de ma vie. Merci ... Read more

Reviews (162)

Best Irish Mob Film
While not given much attention upon release, Miller's Crossing has developed a devoted cult following, particularly among fans of the Coen Bros. Ratcheting up the elements that made Blood Simple so popular (grotesque, humorous violence, bizarre but consistent characters, random chance undoing complex plans, incredible plot complexity, etc. etc. etc.), Miller's Crossing nonetheless manages to be far more emotionally powerful than the earlier film. This one bears quite a few repeat viewings, with a plot full of more twists and turns than most of us can follow in one sitting. Like most of the Coens' films, this is tremendously enjoyable, even when you're not quite sure what's happening or why. This is one of my all-time favorites. A perfect script, great cinematogrophy, a top-notch cast, and, of course, flawless production and direction make this one a classic waiting to be discovered. Simply put, one of the best films ever made. Miller's Crossing is a morality play created with infinite style. Complex characters, complex plot, excellent acting, and great editing. Probablly Gabriel Byrne's best work. If you consider yourself a sophisticated moviegoer, this is not one to miss. But a caveat to the mainstream, you can't eat popcorn and watch this movie at the same time; it requires your full attention. And if you thought that the Road to Perdition was a great film you will probably not understand why so many of us love Miller's Crossing.

My Favorite Film
Everyone has a movie that they see for the first time and it speaks to them in such a way that it is firmly entrenched in their psyche for all time. Miller's Crossing is that film for me. From the first time I watched this movie in 1990 to my 50th viewing a couple of months back the film has always seemed fresh, vibrant & undeniably a true Coen brothers movie. Filled with the usual oddball characters (from the sleazy Bernie Bernbaum to our quiet Anti-Hero Tom), hilarious dialogue & twisted plotline we enter the dark heart of 1930's Gangland America. Tom Reagan (Gabriel Byrne, in probably his best role) is the right hand man to Irish underworld boss Leo (Albert Finney) and also lover to Leo's moll Verna (Oscar Winner Marcia Gay Harden, in her first role). All is well until fellow gangster Johnny Caspar (Jon Polito) tells Leo that he wants to whack Bernie Bernbaum (John Turturro) for selling out his fixed fights. Unknown to Johnny however is the fact that Bernie is Verna's brother and when Leo refuses permission to kill him a gang war erupts. Tom finds himself torn between his loyalty to Leo and his love to Verna and thus begins a spiral into deceit, betrayal & death. The major theme of this movie however lies within loyalties, truth and as Johnny Caspar puts so eloquently at the beginning of the film "it's about ethics"--funny coming from a deranged killer & mob boss. In this world of gangsters, it is misguided loyalties which kill and words of truth that cause trouble. Only Tom and Johnny Caspar's muscle The Dane (J.E. Freeman) seem to know which way is up and the two clash constantly throughout the film. Tom always seems in control as the movie progresses, even as his world falls down around him, and we wonder if his brillant Machiavellian-like plan will come to fruition. I'll stop here and let the film do the rest. Every one of the performances is top-notch and it is hard to see character actors like Freeman & Polito in any other movie--it's almost like they were born for these roles. Byrne is solid as the stoic Tom, Finney is a marvel as Leo and you can see why Marcia Gay Harden's career florished after this role. But really Turturro turns this film into a masterpiece with his classic portrayal as Bernie. He definitely deserved a Best Supporting Actor Oscar for this role but the Academy ignored this movie as they would all Coen Bros. films until Fargo. In closing, Miller's Crossing is a film for fans of film, with beautiful cinematography, Carter Burwell's brillant soundtrack, excellent acting and tour de force directing by the Coens. It begs repeated viewings and never fails to deliver. A Masterpiece of Cinema and my all-time favorite film.

Some Background
"Miller's Crossing" is a direct linear descendent of "Blood Simple" which was extracted from a line in a Dashiell Hammett novel. In turn, I think "Miller's Crossing" is a homage to one of the best writers of the 20th century. Everyone praises the crisp, cynical dialog of "Millers Crossing" and the complex plot that still holds together. This is characteristic of a Hammett novel. While everyone is familiar with Hammett's "Maltese Falcon," "Miller's Crossing" is more of a blend of the character's and story line found in his "The Glass Key" and the gang war is similar to one in his "Red Harvest". If I am right, the Coens couldn't have a better teacher.

"Danny Boy"
The scene in which "Danny Boy" provides the musical counterpoint (I won't describe the scene in case you have yet to see the movie) wonderfully contrasts the beauty of the song with the horrific, yet gorgeously presented, violence of the scene.
It is the most memorable film scene I have encountered. The version of "Danny Boy" used is also the best rendition of this sentimental song that I know of.

Not Good.
'Miller's Crossing' was a film I couldn't keep up with. It did not give enough time for character or story development. I lost interest in the story and people fast. ... Read more

Description

Ten of the world's greatest directors produce one unforgettable film in this sumptuous visual and musical feast based on the most famous arias in the history of opera. Erotic, violent, thought-provoking, funny, and moving, this critically-hailed milestone features the electrifyingly erotic film debut of Briget Fonda, a revealing appearance by supermodel Elizabeth Hurley (Austin Powers), and unforgettable performances from John Hurt (Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone), Tilda Swinton (The Deep End), Beverly D'Angelo (Vacation), Theresa Russell (Wild Things), and many more! Segments directed by Robert Altman (Gosford Park), Bruce Beresford (Double Jeopardy), Bill Bryden, Jean-Luc Godard (Contempt), Derek Jarman (Edward II), Franc Roddam (Quadrophenia), Nicolas Roeg (Performance), Ken Russell (Tommy), Charles Sturridge (Longitude), Julien Temple (The Filth and the Fury). ... Read more

Reviews (10)

Liz Hurley's first important role in a movie
This movie provided Liz Hurley with her big break. Soon after this, Dennis Potter snapped her up for the lead role in the BBC adaptation of Christabel Bielenberg's 'The Past is Myself'. She became Hugh Grant's girlfriend and the rest is history. She transformed herself physically during her twenties, which is why some viewers have had problems identifying the occasionally nude actress that appears here as the very slim Liz Hurley they now know.

For me, 'Aria' was the classical music community's response to the rise of MTV and the pop video. Directors like Ken Russell and Nick Roeg wanted to show us that opera could be equally colourful and sexy, even if you couldn't dance to it. And they proved their case, to my mind.

But like a pop video, you wouldn't want to watch this too often. There's no substantive connection between each of the videos, so you end up feeling much the same as you would after a 90-minute immersion in MTV.

A Visual and audial smorgasbord
I have loved this movie for years. Granted, it may be for deep film buffs, but it is powerful.

Each vignette offers a top director's interpretation of a provocative aria. Opera lovers know how emotionally provocative the music can be; and that raw emotion is shown by each director.

The love story is one of the most romantic and tragic stories I have ever seen--the images are still in my mind 10 years after first seeing it. I had enjoyed a light introduction to opera before this movie, but after feeling the raw emotions this film created in me, I bought a few opera CDs based simply on first hearing the arias in this movie. There is even some VERY funny stuff is one scene.

So, in summary, the music, images, and emotions from this movies were all so intense, they've stayed with me for years. If you can take the intensity, do not miss out on this powerful movie that can be both sublime and intense at the same time.

The movie that started me on opera
I first saw Aria in the theater back in high school (about 3 million years ago) and only because I wanted to impress a girl way more artistic than myself.

It worked, but not in a way I'd expected. The movie, a series of vignettes, runs the whole emotional spectrum. In my younger days, we were blown away by the Wagner/Roddam piece starring a young Fonda, so loving and jarring at the same time. These days I find all the music beautiful, but one or two of the vignettes boring. The entire movie is beautifully shot and all deserves to be watched at least once.

After having done that you'll find continual enjoyment watching Sturridge, Beresford, Roddam, Jarman, and Bryden's interpretations.

Who knows, you might fall in love with opera too.

Great the first time, tends average, not for everyone
This movie was great the first time, on the big screen. The music and the images shock you, and make you squirm and react to this movie. It's an artistic roller coaster ride.

I've found since, however, that this shocking quality doesn't preserve especially well. My favorite way of watching this movie these days, is to turn the music on, while I'm doing stuff around the house, occassionally looking at the images.

It's artistry, it doesn't hold up under critical thinking.

Who will like this movie? Despite (or perhaps because of) the billing of mature content, I think that this is a good film for teenage viewers with a liking for art films. One must be able to appreciate both the variety and intensity of the images, and be able to forgive the story. Not a problem in an action movie, but for an "art film", it shows it's high concept roots.

Maybe a gift for an opera lover, or an "art film" buff.

A Most Incredible Experience
Aria is 90 minutes of pure wonderment -- I'm not certain what demographic this project was aimed at, but I definitely fall into it. You have to love opera style music yet not be so attached to the operas themselves that the re-presentation of the music offends. You have to enjoy video that your average couch potato won't get, no matter how many mind altering drugs he takes.

To really enjoy Aria, you have to check your expectations at the door and accept it for what it is -- a set of brilliant visual explorations fueled by some of the most incredible music ever written. With any other attitude, you're far more likely to find this a miserable experience. Too vulgar, too highbrow, too bizarre, too surreal, too whatever.

Some pieces tell a solid story, ranging from humorous to tragic. Others lack story line and speak to a different level of consciousness. Pathos. Humor. Death. Life. Celebration. Brilliance. Aria cleanses windows of perception, like a good wine between courses of a meal. On the other hand, it's a main course, in and of itself.

This is not fodder for young children, and most teens won't have the patience for it either. If you thought "Dude, Where's My Car?" was a brilliant movie, perhaps you'd better pass on this one as well. I only wish that more Wagner had been included ... perhaps an Aria II consisting solely of Wagner arias?

(If you'd like to discuss this movie or review in more depth, click on the "about me" link above and drop me an email. Thanks!) ... Read more

Amazon.com

Fallen Angels was originally planned as one section of directorWong Kar-Wai's best-known film, Chungking Express, but eventually it grew into its own distinct and delirious shape. In many ways, Fallen Angels may be the better film, a dark, frantic fun-house ride through Hong Kong's nighttime world. Part of the film is a love story between two people who have barely met:a young, ultra-hip hit man (Leon Lai) and the dreamy operative (Michele Reis) who plans his jobs. Much of the movie is given over to a very strange subplot about a manic mute (Takeshi Kaneshiro) who goes on bizarre nocturnal prowls through a closed food market--like almost everything else in Wong's films, this is antic, stylish, and oddly touching, all at the same time. It must be said that, also like Wong's other films, Fallen Angels is fragmented and oblique to the point of occasional incomprehensibility…but then suddenly something wild or wonderful happens, such as the moment when the killer leaves the scene of a spectacular shooting and is promptly waylaid by a cheerful old school chum on a public bus. These coups--whether lyrical, violent, or simply "how on earth did they get that shot?"--are tossed off by Wong and cinematographer Christopher Doyle with all the cool of the hired killer, as though the movie were a cigarette dangling from a pair of oh-so-casual lips. This is exactly why so many otherwise calm critics fell all over themselves in hailing Wong Kar-Wai as one of the most exciting filmmakers of his generation. --Robert Horton ... Read more

Reviews (11)

Finally the best of Fellini makes it to DVD!
Underrated by moviegoers at large, and underappreciated even by Fellini fans, "City of Women" is in my opinion the best movie Fellini has made. With its dream-like but devastatingly accurate script, Fellini has poured into this movie everything he has learned about women... Awesome!

Until now, fans of the movie had to make do with poor VHS tape transfers, since the film never made it into laserdisc. No more; happily, the new DVD anamorphic transfer is quite good! A must have for Fellini fans.

Great movie, good transfer
City of Women is probably the most complete culmination of Fellini's dreamlike film-language aspirations. The DVD is slightly disappointing because the color saturation is slightly low. Also, I had problems with the dvd because I view on a computer screen. I believe this transfer was made from a tape master: scanline artifacting can be seen here and there and it's a bit distracting. But the image is pretty sharp, and what images...! Also, it's nice to be able to turn off the subtitles for once and watch just those potent, dreamlike, dancelike, painterly images play out before your eyes. They could have done a better job with the transfer, but if you love Fellini this is a must have DVD!

Not Fellini's best, but not his worst
First, I have to say that I am a fan of late-period Fellini. If you prefer his earlier work (pre-Juliet of the Spirits), you may not like his later, more indulgent work.

City of Women is about women, specifically feminists. Women were always one of Fellini's favorite topics, and this film is his attempt to understand the various (often contradictory) aspects of the feminist movement (or movements). As such it's rambling, with no real center or plot to speak of. Marcello Mastroianni (Fellini's favorite alter-ego) plays womanizer Snaporaz, who, upon following a woman off of a train, winds up in the midst of a kind of feminist convention. After roller-skating down some stairs and bumming a ride with a nymphomaniac and some junkies young enough to be his granddaughters, he winds up in a kind of temple to womanizing. It's a strange film.

This film doesn't approach the experimental or lyrical depths of its successor, And The Ship Sails On, but in my opinion it's superior to its predecessor, Orchestra Rehearsal.

The DVD has a decent transfer and a few extras: a brief interview with Fellini (always a treat) and a featurette containing interviews with some Fellini associates and scholars. A decent DVD of a decent film.

Late period Fellini
Starting as early as Juliet of the Spirits, Fellini began a trend toward opulence in his films, at the expense of meaningful ideas. I have no qualms with this decision, he was growing as a director, exploring color and production design more fully than screenwriting. We will always have his indisputable classics like La Strada, Nights of Cabiria and La Dolce Vita. Amarcord is perhaps his best color film. Fellini was probably seduced by the stylistic choices that color afforded, allowing his imagination to run rampant. That is exactly what happened with City of Women.
This film is much better by the end than you would have thought had you walked out at the beginning. I almost turned it off finding it lame, and it is rather thin. Marcello Mastroianni gets off at the wrong stop on a train and ends up in a nightmarish and yes, Felliniesque City of Women. The film sends up feminists, and there's even a lone "macho" man who lives in a huge castle.
The film has fantastic visuals, but they overpower any meaning that there might be in them. One memorable exception shows Mastroianni sliding down a huge slide as his sexual history flashes before his eyes.
I have yet to see a noble film featuring sex as its theme. City of Women is eye candy, and understanding that, you'll probably have a good time.

WHAT CAN I SAY - FELLINI+MASTROIANNI
Fellini and Mastroianni... What an unbeatable combination of tallant. This is history. ... Read more

Amazon.com essential video

One of the more upbeat and accessible films by acclaimed Swedish director Ingmar Bergman. Written by Bergman, this autobiographical story follows the lives of two children during one tumultuous year. After the death of the children's beloved father, a local theater owner, their mother marries a strict clergyman. Their new life is cold and ascetic, especially when compared to the unfettered and impassioned life they knew with their father. Most of the story is seen through the eyes of the little boy and is often told in dreamlike sequences. Colorful, insightful, and optimistic, this is far less grim than most of Bergman's work. It was awarded four of the six Oscars for which it was nominated, including Best Foreign Language Film. Though this was announced as his last film, Bergman continued to work into the late 1990s, though mostly for Swedish television. --Rochelle O'Gorman ... Read more

Reviews (55)

Very funny remake, It cracked me up
A remake of a 1955 Alec Guinness film, The Ladykillers transfers the action from London to America's rural South. Tom Hanks takes over Guinness' role. And directing duties land in the laps of O Brother Where Art Thou? masterminds Joel and Ethan Coen.

When good Southern church-going widow Marva Munson first lays eyes on Professor Goldthwaite Higginson Dorr III, Ph.D., she's not too sure what she's lookin' at. Besides, she's pretty distracted by the fact that her seemingly dapper-if not a bit dopey-gentleman caller just let her beloved kitty escape through the half-open door. Once the feline is safely back inside (with Dorr's generous assistance), she learns that Dorr wishes to rent a room. She agrees. He gallantly informs her that he plays ancient Renaissance music with a group of colleagues, and requests to use her root cellar for practices. She can't see any harm in that-as long as they're not playing any of that nasty "hippity-hop" music-so the deal is struck.

What follows is part black comedy, part madcap caper and part morality tale. And it's spiced up by exceedingly vibrant characters. Dorr is an eccentric professor-type obsessed with dead languages and the writings of Edgar Allan Poe. He's the mastermind of the heist. Assisting him are Gawain MacSam (a trash-talking ne'er-do-well with a short fuse), Garth Pancake (a bumbling munitions enthusiast), The General (a grimly lethal excavations expert) and Lump (a decidedly dim-witted muscle-man).
"We really like the original movie," says Ethan Coen. "It's a strong story premise. It just has good bones. We ripped out the spine of it, kept that and threw out everything else."

Back in the '40s and '50s, when the Hays Movie Production Code was in place-and the original Ladykillers movie was produced-films were allowed to show criminal behavior only if it was done in such a way as not to make viewers sympathize. Consequences were big back then, as evil men generally reaped what they sowed. The Coen brothers' remake sticks to that ideal, and despite the film's cynically comedic underpinnings, moviegoers leave the theater thinking about what exactly the wages of sin are.

The Hays Code also barred the use of scores of profane and crude words. It's in this realm that the new incarnation of The Ladykillers goes out of control. Had it been released a half-century ago, throngs of outraged moviegoers would have literally ripped its prints from their reels to stop the ruckus. But forget decades-old social standards. Even applying modern artistic sensibilities, I'm left feeling that what I heard while I watched this otherwise masterful movie utterly destroyed its credibility, tore up every layer of its delicate nuance and scribbled haphazardly all over its colorful characterizations.

A disappointing, often unfunny entry from the Coen Bros...
I'll raise my right hand and swear that I'm a huge fan of the Coen bros. I savor every quirky moment of The Big Lebowski, I believe Fargo is one of the best movies ever made, and I think that Barton Fink and Miller's Crossing are classics waiting to be discovered. So why did I dislike The Ladykillers so much? I honestly don't think it was a case of being let down; even a lesser Coen entry (Blood Simple) has its interesting, entrancing qualities. So why is this movie so lame? It sure as hell starts off promising: Tom Hanks, as Professor Goldthwait Higginson Dorr, spews off Coen-esque words with innate skill and Irma P. Hall is hilarious as Mrs. Munson, the old lady who lets Dorr board in her home. They have a curious little chemistry, Dorr and Munson, and their scenes of dialogue elevate the movie. And then the real plot sets in, with supporting character after supporting character. And to boot, some of them don't even fit into the movie at all - Marlon Wayans is especially ill-fitting as a foul-mouthed casino-boat worker who seems to have no other purpose but give the movie an R-rating. But wait! Let's throw in some jokes about Irritable Bowel Syndrome, more cultural stereotypes, and a third act that drags on and on and on and what comes out is simply the worst Coen film I've seen. This movie could have been so much better, and in fact, it's not horrible. There's geniune comedy in it, but too often it's shrouded by the overly-confident directors urging us that we should be laughing our asses off at things that aren't that funny (black churches are hilarious! dumping multiple people into the river is funny even after the 5th time!). If only they'd deployed the subtlety and atmosphere that makes nearly all of their movies great. I wanted so much to like this movie, but when you're done with it after an hour, it's impossible. GRADE: C

So disappointing
I expected this movie to display the same sense of humor as "O Brother, Where Art Thou?", but I was sorely disappointed. There are some funny moments, but Marlon Wayans' unnecessary profranity is so jarring, it disrupts the comedy before it can get started. The best scenes are the dialog-free establishing shots where you'll enjoy the excellent cinematography characteristic of the Coen brothers movies. Second best is Irma P Hall's performance. She's wonderful, especially in her solo scenes or those talking to the sheriff. You really wish the Coen's had thrown away the script, fired all of the "ladykillers" and just rewritten the movie around Irma and the Mississippi setting.

Great movie - if without the swearing
The Coen Bros have offered another hilarious flick. Tom Hanks does a great job in the role as well. The premis of the movie is simple and a good entertainment value. I would consider purchasing this on dvd - if I could show it to my family. However I give it only 3 stars because of the unnecessary profanity which all but ruined the film for me or the family. IF it was release minus the bad language, I would be the first in line to own it.

Southern Comfort
The plot is meaningless : a band of amateur burglars are emptying the underground « money reserve » of an offland casino in Mississippi with a tunnel, explosives, etc. They start from an old black very christian lady's cellar, pretending to be a group of Renaissance or baroque musicians rehearsing there. Banal. The ending is just as surprising as all the different moments of this plot and it is not the main interest of the film. The film is interesting in two elements. First Tom Hanks plays the role of a cultivated scholar specializing in Greek and Latin literature and Edgar Poe's poetry. He is an ephete, sophisticated snob that has a very strong charm on the black ladies of this neighborhood. His acting is just perfect. Second it is humorous but in what I will call a « southern comfort » style. It is slow, calculated, yet inspired and impulsive, responsive too, and never in any way exagerated, always underplayed, more humorous innuendo than hilarious fun. This creates an atmosphere that does represent what Mississippi might be for some people : a contained and always understated and underestimated play on words, circumstances and situations. He who knows or has lived in the South for a while will recognize this slow flow of words and events, as if the climate was making life and the world crawl along, but in style and correct appearances. As for me, I think it is a little too slow at times. The best character is the cat, and this cat is no Fritz the Cat, and yet, maybe it is in a way.

Dr Jacques COULARDEAU ... Read more

Reviews (3)

WATERY MEDEA
First of all I'd like to say that you don't have to be a von Trier expert to judge this film but someone with knowledge upon the most difficult theatrical species: the Ancient Greek Tragedy. Most contemporary efforts of modern directors to direct Tragedy end in totally ridicilous and laughable results as Tragedy is a species that demands not only enormous interpretations by the actors and directors but also a deep philosophical insight. The reviewer who disregards the "plot" as he calls Medea's Myth as not so strong he should know that this "plot" is one of the few revelations and revolutions in the History of Literature and a philosophical mind game which no-one has solved up to today (I didn't expect from undereducated Americans nothing more that what I read in this page, they should be reviewing Tom Hunks' latest stupidity instead of dealing with masterpieces like this one)

It is totally ingenious the fact that von Trier conceives the Dark Witch Medea inside endless Waters... what a remarkable sympbolism... the Icons are truly masterpieces of symbolisms and the entire scenery placed in a swamp characterizes the dark and treacherous souls of the Heros involved. The scene where Medea throws the poisons she makes into the waters of the swamps creates an Icon of the most intense theatrical and conjectural importance. Pure Art of the highest level... that is the way we imagine Medea...

I was totally flabergasted with the scene of the murder of the Children by Medea. While in the entire film the sky is clouded and it is raining constantly as if the sea, the swamps and the air are one -Endless Tears of God ancient greeks called the Rain-in the scene of the Horrible Crime the season is Spring, the flowers are blossomed and the birds are singing... in that idyllic environment Medea performs her Atrocious Act... it truly brought shivers down my spine as it is one of the greatest symbolisms I have come in across in modern cinema and has its origin in the thoughts of great artists like Stravinsky who conceived Spring as the Season for Death...

Medea is undoubtedly the most difficult role in the entire female repertoire. The actress who decides to play Medea should be aware that acting is not show-bussiness but one of the Highest Forms of Art (which is totally degenerated in our days). Kirtsen... delivers her role with amazing qualities, her expressions are few and meaningful -not at all like modern actors who change expressions every 2 seconds showing the blur they have in their minds regarding the characters emotions - She shows in her acting what we call Ancient Greek Meter: the ability to act with very few but deeply meaningful gestures.
Her last scene's Tearless Cry is one of the most amazing face expressions I have seen and indeed one that deeply characterizes the emotions of Medea... the psychological block and death that leads her to the Horrible Crime...

Overall I was deeply astonished by watching this most marvleous delivery of what is probably the most difficult Classical Drama ever created...
What it would be like if von Trier didn't want to modernize and thus had used the original Euripides Poetry... Classical Literature is a miracle by itself, it does not need improvements!!!

Not his best, by a longshot.
First I would like to say that I have a deep knowledge of Von Trier- he was brought to my attention before any of his films saw US release by friends in europe and well before Dogme existed. This is probably the worst work I have seen from Von Trier. The film is incredibly short, and still manages to seem long and grating at points. Stylistically, themetically, and in regards to acting, this film is very strong, however it is overly minimalistic to the point of being off-putting.

If you absolutely have to complete your Von Trier collection then consider purchasing this DVD, otherwise I'd recommend seeking out the complete Europa trilogy and the under appreciated Kingdom miniseries. Worth a viewing, not a purchase.

Essential Von Trier
This beautiful piece of art is one of Lars Von Trier's best works, and is certaintly the best of his pre-dogma period. It is based on a previously unfilmed script by the master Carl Th. Dreyer (Lars claimed to be in constant telepathic communication with him during its filming), and tells the story of Medea's revenge on Jason (of the Argonauts) after he leaves her to become the heir of a throne. The plot is sparse; the real star of this film is Von Trier's direction and great command of mood. Many of the techniques employed in "Zentropa" and "Element of Crime" are used, as well as an extremely drab and degraded film image, and all serve to create a harsh other-world filled with despair.

About the DVD: sound is good, and while the image is made intentionally ugly by Von Trier, it is hard to say if the picture was made any worse in this transfer. Regardless, this release marks the first time U.S. audiences get to see this masterpiece, and lovers of Von Trier, Dreyer, art, and avant-garde cinema can't afford to miss it!! ... Read more

Description

An incredible tale of courage and survival against impossible odds. The man's name is Dieter Dangler. He was born in the Black Forest of Germany. As a child, he watched his village destroyed by American warplanes, and one flew so close to his attic window that for a split second he made eye contact with the pilot flashing past. At that moment, Dieter Dengler knew that he needed to fly. ... Read more

Reviews (7)

Riveting
Director Werner Herzog is obsessed with obsession. Practically all his films feature protagonists in the grip of a passion so powerful that it creates ruin for them and everyone around them. Yet it also creates a sort of tragic grandeur. The viewer feels that, in some strange inexplicable way, it was worth all the pain and suffering involved.

Since his falling out with the major movie studios in his native Germany, Herzog has restricted himself to making documentaries (they're a lot cheaper to produce than dramatic films like Fitzcarraldo or Aguirre), but he brings to them the same passionate commitment and haunting poetic sensibility that informed his famous dramas.

Here the subject is the German-American pilot Dieter Dengler, a man who, as a little boy, fell in love with flight when he made eye contact with the pilot of an Allied plane that was strafing his Bavarian village in WWII. At the age of 18 he moved to America and eventually became a Navy pilot, only to be shot down over Laos during the Vietnam War. Captured by Laotian guerillas and handed over to North Vietnamese soldiers, he endured unbelievable suffering and made a brilliant, heroic escape from a POW camp. Herzog takes Mr. Dengler back to the jungles of Laos to re-enact his ordeals. All this is intercut with scenes from his comfortable home on Mt. Tamalpais in Marin County, as well as his quaint little hometown in the Black Forest of Germany. Mr. Dengler is a charming, garrulous raconteur who hardly ever interrupts his fascinating, rapid-fire narration. During those rare moments when he is overcome by emotion and falls silent, it is deeply moving for him and for us. He has clearly suffered much in order to fulfill his dreams of flight. His obsession caused him tremendous pain, but it also saved him. It brings him the only real joy in his otherwise tragic life and gives him a reason to live.

Very rarely does a documentary have you on the edge of your seat and move you almost to tears. This one does exactly that. Everyone I have showed this movie to has been moved by it. Once seen, it is never forgotten.

One of Herzog's Best, and Herzog is one of the best
This is simply an astonishing film from Herzog. For those who are familiar with Herzog, he has once again found a character - in this case Dieter Dengler - who becomes more and more fascinating upon closer examination. Herzog's films always have the sense of being impressionistic -- he throws the images up on the screen, and they may not always follow each other in a linear fashion, but they nearly always have a sustained, cumulative effect that, by the end of the film, is deeply emotional and troubling.

In this film, the good natured subject starts talking at the beginning and never stops -- Herzog has found someone perhaps even more voluble than he is -- and the audience is perfectly set up by his cheerful good naturedness and lucid observations, because by the end of the film we discover just how unimaginably damaged this person has been by life. The unfolding final images of the film are completely striking in the usual Herzogian sense (if you've seen something like "Lessons of Darkness" you'll have some sense of what to expect), but the meaning is ambiguous: is this a kind of heaven for little boys that love to fly? Or is this a hi-tech graveyard ...

Like Herzog's best (e.g. Even Dwarves, Aguirre, Nosferatu, Lessons and My Best Fiend), you simply cannot take your eyes off this movie.

Have fun!

Excellent Documentary of Dreams Not Morality of Vietnam
Seeing this presented by Herzog at a college lecture it was clear that it made a lot of the audience uncomfortable in its depiction of violence and political aggression.

He was at pains during the question/answer session to demonstrate that his film is about an individual who is obsessed with a dream and goes through extreme conditions as a result. Dieter was not trying to fly in Vientnam. He was trying to fly and the sacrifice was to endure the hardships of POW enprisenment and war.

Its not a study of right and wrong. Its a study of dreams and their costs. Once again melding his own obsessive dreams with his subject matter, he builds one of his best documentaries.

Another fine effort
Like all Herzog work, a beautifully filmed and thought provoking film. The director has uncanny ability to find the unusal and marginal in human experience and make it our own. Herzog's style lends itself nicely to the documentary format as his films tend to have that real life, improvisational feel. I particularly appreciate the director's choice to not make the obligatory condemnation of America's role in Vietnam. The movie speaks for itself; as in life, choices and circumstance are complex and hard to quantify. My only gripe is the movie is not in German. Others may find this a bonus.

Herzog fans only
I have mixed feelings, even though I am a declared Herzog's fan. It's not a [bad] movie, don't get me wrong. It's very well done, like all Herzog productions - pictures, music, atmosphere etc. - no dissappointments here. First I thought it was Kinski that was not here. Well, his absence is certainly challenging to both the director and a viewer, but on the second thought no, it sure is not Kinski that misses here. I am simply not sure if I like the moral concept of the movie. War, abuse, violence - I am against too, but it should have been sad less straight-forwardly than just "war is bad, violence is bad, those guys are poor". He doesnt say that of course, but you can feel it - and it makes the movie sound like a Dangler's confession, really, and I dont feel well in a priest's shoes. Then I thought it could be a good documentary, but somehow Herzog cannot keep a necessary distance, he is obviously engaged while reportage should keep a colder distance and not be so charged with emotions, which makes the movie lose out on artistic atmosphere. So? I think buy it only if you know what you are doing. There are better Herzogs out there to start with first. You can always come back later. ... Read more

Description

The leading lady is recovering from a nervous breakdown, another performer is soused on the set, unions threaten to walk, shooting must finish before the insurance lapses and a cat can't hit its mark. Is this any way to make a film? FRANCOIS TRUFFAUT's sly, humorous OscarO-winning Best Foreign Language Film (1973) that speaks the language of everyone who loves movies. JACQUELINE BISSET, JEAN-PIERRE AUMONT, VALENTINA CORTESE, NATHALIE BAYE and Truffaut star. ... Read more

Reviews (22)

The best film about filmmaking...
If you have any interest in filmmaking, just buy this film. Don't even debate the question. Day for Night is the best film about filmmaking there is. We have Truffaut playing a thinly veiled characterization of himself. Of course, Jean-Pierre Leaud is there as well as an immature actor. Plus, Jacqueline Bisset at her most beautiful.

The film captures the French's love of film - from the way that Truffaut collects film books to the way that Leaud spends every possible moment going to the movies. The best line of dialogue is when Truffaut says "When I begin, I try to make the best picture possible. Half-way through, I just try to finish." Anyone who has ever worked on a film set will see that some things are eternal - the way all actors are children, and all the drama that develops. More than anything else, the film captures the sad quality of making and losing a family. A film crew comes together for about a month, spend all their time together, become very close, and leave for the next project. No wonder no one in show business is normal.

I watched the dubbed version of this film. I usually prefer subtitles, but in this instance the dubbing was perfectly acceptable.

"Making a film is like a stagecoach ride into the Wild West"
Day For Night (also called La Nuit Americaine) is a captivating glimpse into the mechanics of the film-making industry. It is a film within a film - the plot concerns the trials and tribulations (both human and technical) involved in the production of the fictional movie "I Want To Present Pamela".

We are inducted into the world of director Francois Truffaut and his motley band of cast and crew as they cope with the seemingly endless difficulties in trying to make a film they can be proud of in a limited amount of time. There are tempestuous actors who storm off the set, canisters of film which go missing, and even the death of an actor during filming to deal with. And yet, through all this, the film itself reigns supreme.

Day For Night is a French film, so unfortunately for English-speaking viewers some of the feeling is possibly lost in translation (either through dubbing or subtitling). However, the essence of the film remains, helped in no small part by some montage sequences set to Georges Delerue's wonderful orchestral score.

The film was made almost thirty years ago, so looking at it from a purely historical perspective, it might seem a little dated. However, to see it merely as a representation of a point in time is to miss entirely the message contained within the movie; this message being that films are timeless. So whilst we might smile nostalgically at the clothes (most of which are unbelievably tight), the aspects of human relationships revealed are as relevant today as they were in 1973.

Buy this now, while you still can.
If you're thinking about it at all, you should buy this DVD as soon as possible, because it looks likely to go out of print. I read a news article this week saying that the estate of Truffaut has sued Warner Bros. to stop making this DVD.

Apparently Warner had the rights to the film for 30 years, which ended May 24, 2003. Warner released this DVD in the US on March 18, 2003, and the Truffaut heirs say this was knowingly done to get in before the deadline. Apparently excess stocks of books and movies are usually allowed to be sold even after rights have been lost. However, the Truffaut estate claims Warner released this DVD so close to the expiration of their rights that they are abusing this. They want a large amount of money and for the DVD to be pulled from stores, because they say Truffaut and his estate never got much if any money from Warner Bros.

However this gets resolved, I wouldn't be surprised at all to see this well made DVD, which finally offers the film in the original French, just quietly disappear from the market at some point soon. If you want it, pick it up now, before it's going for $100 at ebay.

If your French is poor, be ready to read a lot!
As the film began, I was annoyed (because I'm not a great fan of Truffault). By the end I was in grateful tears. A truly inspiring film about making art. In it, Truffault rightly predicts the future of filmmaking -- that films would be made on the streets, independent of Hollywood.

Like any Truffault film, one must be in the mood to enjoy intellectual banter and slow development to get to the heart of it. This was very Altman-esque, with lots of activity and talk at once making the subtitles difficult to follow. Yet once I resolved myself to sitting close enough to read constantly, I was completely taken up with the beauty. Truffault brilliantly illustrates the experience of being an artist in a medium that requires so many tedious details to be taken care of. The actors are superb and the characters are developed brilliantly, beginning the film as the caricatures that they present to strangers, and becoming more developed as they get to know one another. The music was also a suprise, as instead of using it as background filler or to create suspense, he brings in distinct themes at certain parts to draw one into greater understanding. Long live the DVD format -- watching the accompanying interviews was a great learning experience.

A Delightful Film by a True Film Master = a True Delight
This DVD of Francois Truffaut's charming 1973 classic "Day for Night" is a wonderful little movie - very bright, funny, warm, cute, inviting, entertaining, informative, and fascinating. In the mold of other great films about making films, such as Fellini's "8 1/2" and Godard's "Contempt", Francois Truffaut let's us visit the set of a French film crew at work - with himself playing the deaf director in charge. Francois Truffaut does as much acting in this film as directing. Indeed, just four years later, he'd star in Steven Spielberg's "Close Encounters of the Third Kind" as the French scientist Lacombe. It's a sheer joy from start to finish and the humanity shines throughout. I loved this film.

The DVD is a nicely mastered picture with some pleasant extras, such as a documentary on the film by film scholar, Annette Insdorf (who always gives a wonderful introduction to any French film masterpiece).

Francois Truffaut makes wonderful movies and this is one of his best! An adorable movie by anyone's standards. ... Read more

Reviews (17)

Bitter-sweet story
There was a time when I longed to see another Zhang Yimou film. His greatest films, "Raise the Red Lantern," "Shanghai Triad," "Ju-dou," and "Red Sorghum" are--without a doubt--some of the richest cinematic experiences--and I'll stress the word "experiences" that I've EVER had.

But something happened to Zhang Yimou, and his artistry--as perhaps one of the greatest directors of all time--waned. Was it perhaps because he lost his muse, Gong Li, star of "Shanghai Triad" and "Raise the Red Lantern"? Many professional reviewers speculate that Gong Li's departure is the cause for Yimou's artistic slump, but regardless of the cause, Yimou seems to be on the rise again with this film "Happy Times."

Zhao (Bensahn Zhao), an unemployed, middle-aged lonely factory worker longs for a wife. After being jilted 18 times, he decides to marry an unpleasant, domineering divorcee. While friends scoff at photographs of Zhao's large new fiancee, Zhao defends her rubenesque proportions by stating that the other 18 women left him because they were skinny, and as this fiancee is far from skinny, Zhao believes she will stay put and marry him.

Zhao, in order to impress the divorcee, brags that as the manager of the "Happy Times" hotel, he is fairly well-to-do. Problems develop when the divorcee contends that they need 50,000 yen in order to get married in style, and this is when Zhao starts to involve his friends in his relationship. Acting on the advice of his best friend (who also has no money), Zhao refurbishes an abandoned bus as a romantic retreat for lovers with the idea that the lovers will pay for their privacy.

The divorcee, who really is a most unpleasant character, decides that the non-existent "Happy Times" hotel would be the perfect place to dump her unwanted blind step-daughter, Ying, and before Zhao realizes it, he is responsible for the neglected, frail blind teenage girl. Zhao's faulty logic, accompanied by his unrelenting desire to please and placate his nasty fiancee lead to further fabrications and eventually to disaster.

The title of the DVD, "Happy Times," is ironic--just as the "Happy Times" hotel does not exist, there are also really no "happy times" for any of the characters in this film. Happiness remains elusive--or exists in the imagination, at best. Zhao's make-believe hotel--a metaphor for life--is really only a gutted, abandoned bus that serves as a tacky love nest. Similarly, happy times for Zhao and Ying are elusive and fleeting moments spent eating an ice cream, and describing the colours and patterns in a dress. There is no lasting happiness in reality, and yet indulging in fabrications and make-believe ultimately also brings unhappiness to those who indulge in fantasies.

Heart rending
My university's east asian cultures department is showing an east asian movie every friday for a month and this was the first one shown. I finished watching this movie a little over an hour ago, and it still is affecting me.

It is about a lonely man named Zhao who is trying for the 18th time to get the perfect wife who he thinks he has found in quite a large woman with an obnoxious son, and a blind step daughter. Zhao tells the woman that he owns a hotel and that he has the money pouring in. What he has in fact is an old bus that young couples frequent to make out in.

The woman hates her step daughter and dumps the girl on Zhao. In order to keep up his appearance as a wealthy man he builds a fake massage parlor along with a group of his friends who are also out of work. The girl Mu(?) is happy working with Zhao, but of course things don't stay that way.

I loved themain character Zhao from the instant he appeared on the screen he is just a very likeable guy. But one does feel pretty bad for the yung girl who is not wanted by her step mother or her father. She finds olace with a middle age man who keeps her just to put up appearnces. The ending will leave you in tears once you see how Zhao and the girl's relationship grows.

Perfect
-

I've long been a film buff - my favorite films tend to be artsy and rather pedantic. Because of this, my family generally doesn't like to sit with me and watch movies.

So, when I started "Happy Times" last night, I thought they'd gradually wander off and find something else to do.

But, they were enthralled! This movie is the perfect balancing act between comedy, drama, and the enduring love we feel for those who have touched us in a special way.

This is a great, great movie.

Too many Americans shun foreign films. This is one they shouldn't miss. When the movie ended, my oldest son turned to me and said, "Wow. I think Hollywood has forgotten how to make movies like this!"

American filmmakers seem to think they have to descend to the baser instincts in order to make "adult" movies.

Yet, "Happy Times" - and countless other foreign films - never seem to sink to this level. These films are always excellent.

I think the issue is that Hollywood has forgotten how to write a good story; they've forgotten that basic human values can be enduring, can be entertaining, if only they would jettison their cynical baggage.

"Happy Times" will make you laugh and cry, smile and reflect with pride on the better angels of our nature.

-

IT IS MY FAVOR
I DO NOT KNOW HOW TO SAY,BUT IT IS REALLY GOOD,I LIKE IT VERY MUCH

Happy viewing, at least.
Zhang Yimou's ironically titled *Happy Times* is really a remarkable tightrope act: it offers us some very sappy melodrama while commenting on its own artifices, and gets away with it like a charming thief. Get a load of this plot. . . . A fat divorcee with two teenagers -- her own boy and a blind, unwanted step-daughter left behind by her ex-husband -- gets involved with an unemployed proletarian named Zhao. Zhao, depressed, broke, and lonely, claims he's a big-shot hotelier in order to impress the divorcee, who turns out to be very hard to impress. Hence, Zhao's lies -- as one might expect -- become more grandiose and difficult to sustain, especially after the divorcee dumps the unwanted blind girl onto his doorstep. "I'm sure you can find SOME work for her at your fancy hotel!" the woman declares. Zhao hits upon the idea of hiring the girl as a masseuse for the imaginary hotel's wealthy guests. But how is he going to pull THIS off? Desperately, he lets the girl stay in his shabby apartment, which he claims is a "worker's apartment" -- his OWN place, of course, is some unspecified mansion elsewhere. Of course, by now he's forced to get his fellow-unemployed friends in on the act: they pose as the wealthy guests and receive massages from the girl in a decrepit factory that they have hastily dressed up as a massage parlor at the "hotel". Once these jobless pensioners run out of real disposable income, they tip her with rectangular cuttings from brown paper bags instead of money. This all sounds very cruel, I know, but just watch the movie: Zhao and his friends come to feel a deep fondness for the poor wretch, who -- you guessed it -- just wants to find her father somewhere in Beijing so that he can pay for a procedure to cure her blindness. This whole set-up -- poor man, blind girl, and their unlikely friendship -- could so easily slide down toward appalling sentimentality. But Zhang Yimou avoids that by making his characters well-rounded: selfish one minute, solicitous the next; hopeful one minute, suicidal the next; comic one minute, tragic the next. The story requires an artist to negotiate the narrative through the pitfalls of cliches that would otherwise sink it. But then, there aren't too many directors equal to Zhang Yimou's artistry, anyway. And here's a tip to the filmmakers out there: don't mistake the manipulative plot devices in *Happy Times* for universal situations. This is a story that could only happen in China. Therefore, no "loose remakes", please. Leave it alone. ... Read more

Book Description

screenplay to Egoyan's film, w/illus, photos ... Read more

Reviews (6)

"You've just got to know which buttons to push."
In Atom Egoyan's film, "Speaking Parts" bit-part actor, Lance, works in the housekeeping department of a posh, but strange hotel. Lonely co-worker Lisa (Arsinee Khanjian) stalks Lance during the day, and at night, she rents and re-rents his films. Lisa maintains that Lance may never actually speak in his roles, but that his scenes are crucial to the films. Lance, however, is not content with minor roles and understandably wants a big break. That big break seems to arrive when a writer named Clara checks into the hotel. When cleaning Clara's room, Lance discovers a script, and he approaches her for an audition. Clara is smitten with Lance, and soon auditions him for a part in a film.

Clara seems to have some artistic control over the film, but this power rapidly diminishes as the story progresses. In selling her true story to a film producer, Clara becomes disenfranchised from her own history, and soon she doesn't have a voice--or a speaking part in her own truth. Lance and Clara are both presented with occasions for moral compromise, and speaking out jeopardizes the tenuous positions they both hold.

"Speaking Parts" is about power--the power in relationships, and the only truly powerful person in this film is the producer (played with delicious icy gravity by David Hemblem). The producer lives on quite a different plane of existence, and he mostly communicates to his minions via television conferences which he entirely controls. Hemblem and Gabrielle Rose (she plays Clara) appear in many of Egoyan's films. I particularly enjoyed Lisa's odd relationship with Eddy, the video shop owner whose initial interest in Lisa sparks friendship.

Egoyan once again shows his obsession with television and technology. Egoyan seems to delight in placing his characters in front of the camera, and I can't think of another director who exploits and explores this medium quite so thoroughly--displacedhuman

80's Avante Garde
This movie is a prime example of 80's egosim and the human need to see the way others view you. Lisa played by Khanjian,(I think she is also Atom's wife) is a hotel maid that craves the attention of Lance a co-worker. The bulk of the movie is centered on Lance and Lisa and how they their need for attention ultimately throws them into a web of intrigue, delusions, sexual desire and ultimatley death. This is a movie that is best seen more than once, due to it's hidden meaning and dialogue. If possible I would highly recommend getting the DVD version, because there is commentary from Atom that is very helpful. F.Y.I. Micheal McManus also appears in the sci-fi show "Lexx," as the dead bun-headed assassin Kai and he also has a cameo in "Dog Park," as the waiter.

Riveting and Spellbinding!!
I was pleasantly surprised to see the release of this film, since it got less than it's deserved attention. The moodiness and underlying tension focus on Lance, a part-time actor/houskeeper/ prostitute trying desperately to break into the forefront of dramatic performances, but all of his efforts seem to be thwarted at every turn. His employer wants to keep him as her own personal sexual property to be doled out upon demand to customers, and Lisa, another employee at the hotel where he works has raised the level of obsessiveness to new heights, dragging other people into her obsession. Claire, a screenwriter Lance seduces into helping him to be cast in a locally produced film, has her own obsessions, and incorporates Lance into compromising his own needs with disatrous results. The performances were outstanding, especially from McManus, who portrays the effete Lance with a mixture of selfishness and torment. Lisa's descent into madness is underplayed just right, no over-the-top histrionics. The only flaw I found was the unbelievably bad wig they put on McManus for the comparison to Claire's brother's image. It must have been dreadful to acheive the desired results with the stringy locks hovering around just enough to distract his performance. But then, bad wigs pretty much come with the territory for McManus, who is also one of the lead actors on the sci-fi epic, "Lexx", currently on television, but his performances are just as spellbinding.. The Dvd comes with lovely extra goodies, especially the narration by Egoyan, which explains motivations behind each and every scene. Also contained were deleted scenes, which explained a few things not evident on first viewing. Highly recommened, but ignore the bad costumes and hairdos...

A deeper look into Speaking Parts
"Speaking Parts" is far more than just the script for the movie. This softcover book also includes an introduction by Ron Burnett, an essay by Atom Egoyan, and an interview with Egoyan by Marc Glassman. These all lead the viewer to a deeper understanding of the complexity and artistry of Egoyan's second major film. The book is also enhanced by black and white stills as well as pages from the original script showing hand written sketches and dialogue changes. Also included is a filmography of Egoyan's films through 1993. If you've been carried away by the film as I have, you must find a copy of this book!

Speaking Parts, Brilliant!
An excellent film by Atom Egoyan. The moody atmosphere enhances the plot and the production is excellent. McManus fans who know him through Tales from a Parallel Universe, or Lexx as it is called in the UK, will love him in this. McManus' portrayal as the ambitious, but emotionally ambivilant Lance is fantastic as is Arnesee Khanjan's performance as the frustrated Lisa. UK buyers will be pleased to know that this tape will play well on a video with duel PAL and NTSC format, with a decent PAL t.v. and is a must. Well worth the wait and not as pornographic as some reviews make out, but very erotic in parts. Not rated but not suitable for veiwers under eighteen. ... Read more

Description

Spanish director Pedro Almodovar created a fiery sensation with this nutty screwball comedy, about a slightly unbalanced actress in a desperate situation. "Women on the Verge..." was Almodovar's international breakthrough film, and is one of his best loved. ... Read more

Reviews (30)

A True Classic in International Cinema
Filmed in the style of the screwball comedies of the 1950's, Pedro Almodovar's classic, "Women on the Verge of the Nervous Breakdown," is widely seen as the Spanish director's greatest directorial effort ever, due to his witty script, wonderful use of colors and schemes, and his ability to capture the range of emotions women possess.

The story, which revolves around a jilted woman (Carmen Maura in her final film collaboration with Almodovar) in search of her lover (Fernando Guillen) might sound like a melodrama at first, however if you mix in a bit of zany subplot and an array of classic characters, and you got yourself a comedy classic.

Pepa (Maura) finds out that her longtime lover Ivan has left her for another woman. Pepa, who works with Ivan dubbing foreign films into Spanish, discovers that she is expecting a child, and must convey this important message to Ivan in hopes of convincing him to return.

In her search for Ivan, she discovers that Ivan's ex-wife Lucia (Julieta Serrano) has been released from the asylum that has taken care of her since her breakup with Ivan. She also discovers that Ivan has a son (Antonio Banderas) she never was told about, and due to a series of coincidental encounters, they encounter each other.

Pepa doesn't seem to be the only person having love problems. Her best friend Candela (Maria Barranco) has discovered that her Arab boyfriend and his friends are actually Shiite terrorists planning to hijack the next flight to Stockholm. Scared, confused, and out of her mind, Candela finds refuge in Pepa's penthouse, and along with Pepa, Carlos (Banderas), and Carlos' fiance (Rossie de Palma), the madcap hysteria that will overtake the later half of the film takes place.

Using a wide selection of colors that benefit from the film's use of Technicolor, Almodovar has definitely creating a visual feats of patterns, objects (notice the clocks at the beginning), cityscapes (Madrid's famous skyline), and especially colors (as the main character, Pepa is identified by reds, which probably is Almodovar's tribute to American director Nicholas Ray and his famous use of Technicolor red in the classic "Rebel Without a Cause"). Other eye-catching objects that make this film truly wonderful include Candela's coffeepot earrings (they became a major fashion accessory in Spain and Latin America in the early 1990's) and the campy cab decor that the driver of the Mambo Taxi (Guillermo Montesinos) has adopted for his cab.

Almodovar also adopted a wide selection of beautiful and popular music and songs to tell his story. "Soy Infeliz," by Lola Beltran and "Puro Teatro," by La Lupe are eternal classics thanks to this film. His selection of the rarely heard, yet beautiful compositions by Russian composer Rimsky-Korsakov ("The Story of the Kalandar Prince" from Scheherezade-Symphonic Suite, Op. 35 AND the "Fandango Asturiano," from Capriccio Espagnol. Op. 34) gives the film both a feeling of relaxation and fiery anger.

"Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown," marks a totally new direction in Spanish cinema. The end of the censorship that was widely well known during the Franco regime of the past allowed Almodovar and many new Spanish directors to explore filmmaking without any restrictions. This film, which was nominated for Best Foreign Film at the Academy Awards in 1989, went on to win many awards including several Goya awards (Spain's highest film awards) and Maura went on to win Best Actress at the Venice Film Festival. Truly, this was her greatest role, and Almodovar knew that he wanted to give his audience a major overdose of Maura that the audience will likely beg for more. He was right, and Maura's performance is considered to be one of the greatest performances by non-English speaking actress in recent years.

If you're looking for an amazing, funny, and visual film, then "Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown" is the best choice to fulfill your search. I have seen this movie over 30 times, and I can't get tired of it. It is a true cult classic, and it only illustrates the genius that Almodovar is. The DVD edition contains English, French, and Spanish subtitles and the film's promotional trailers.

Watch it and tell your friends about it!
Hollywood sure doesn't make movies like it used to. For instance, screwball comedies that immortalized the likes of Cary Grant, Jimmy Stewart and Katherine Hepburn in the 30s and 40s were abandoned after Jack Lemmon and Billy Wilder stopped making them in the 60s. But no matter. That grand old wacky tradition continues; it just moved across the Atlantic to get updated with a European facelift at the hands of Pedro Almodovar.

So hop on your motorcycle with your granny or catch a cab, run to the grocery store, grab yourself a glass of gazpacho (hold the sleeping pills!) and watch this hilarious movie. Subtitles be damned, you'll love this no matter what! If you can watch this without huge belly laughs, you're simply not human!

Universal Shennanigans
In 'Women On The Verge Of A Nervous Breakdown', Pedro Almodovar subtley overturns traditional gender stereotypes. Outside of the shennanigans she encounters from place to place, Pepa takes stock of her situation in the taxi that carries her between buildings. Its here she recognizes that the mechanics of motorcycles are much easier to fathom than those of male psychology. Ivan's first wife Lucia, remains in the 60's fashion she was wearing when he left her. It's almost as if time stopped for her the moment he left. The array of colours seem to be used as a metaphor for the full and intense emotions of the women involved, compared to the grey and black of Carlos and Ivan.

Apparently Almodovar had to film the balcony scenes in a studio because the downtown skyline of Madrid is now just a sea of office and apartment buildings. Almodovar has never made any secret of the fact that a director should "never borrow, but steal if it is justified" from another director. Witness his homage to Hitchcock's 'Rear Window' when Pepa looks across the street into Lucia's apartment building.

It's ironic that in his native Spain, Pedro Almodovar finally broke free from being described as a 'cult' director to being appreciated by a wider audience with the massive success of this film. Meanwhile in the U.S., the film was specifically marketed by Orion as a 'minority' picture aimed at an Hispanic and female audience. They must have been pleasantly surprised when the audiences for this film crossed racial and gender barriers.

From an Almodovar fan, "like a child with his new toy"
casually, while shopping, i found this DVD in a store... i remember i saw this movie once, a long time ago...the price was fine, a whole new movie for my eyes, i took it home... what happened next, i can't explain by words: just put the disc on the player, turn on the tv and begin laughing, just from the overture to the end!!! The music is excellent, the ideal song for every moment on the movie... the caracters, from the main to the most secondary, has its whole story inside the movie... the camera shows everything important, even smallest details... and the story, classic from Almodovar: a lot of people, that appears to be distant and different from each other, join at the end, to make one of the funniest movies ever!! Only from Almodovar's mind can come a story so complicated to explain by words, so insane and desperating, but that makes you get into it, understand it, and love it. Well, that's my appreciation from "Mujeres al borde de un ataque de nervios", in its original language, so i hope the translated version makes you feel the same

We can't help but stare
We cannot help but stare in awe as this movie unfolds in all its technicolor glory and darkly twisted wit.
Ms Maura's performance ranks up there with some of the best.
Cinematography and Art Direction are spectacular.

Perhaps not understood by all, Aldomovar's films borrow from those mundane moments of life and gives us all the range of human emotions that many films strive for but fall short. ... Read more