Reviews (48)

Amusing Story. Bland Movie.
"Calendar Girls" is a fictionalized account of the events surrounding the publication, in 1999, of a nude calendar featuring the ladies of the Rylstone Women's Institute of North Yorkshire, England. The calendar caused a media sensation in Great Britain and the United States on account of its photographs of women of a certain age performing quaint everyday tasks in the buff. In the film, Chris (Helen Mirren) organizes the calendar to raise money on behalf of her best friend Annie's (Julie Waters) husband, who is dying of leukemia. "Calendar Girls" dramatizes the challenges of convincing a group of middle-aged and older women to pose nude, garnering support for the project, and coping with the resulting flood of international publicity.

The cast is well-suited to their roles. The characters are all appealing. But "Calendar Girls" takes too much time to get off the ground and moves very slowly once it does. This "dramedy" isn't nearly as funny as it should be. It's just bland. The story of the WI calendar is really more interesting than this film.

As for "Calendar Girls" accuracy, this really is a fictionalized account. The characters do not represent real people specifically, except for Chris and Annie, who are based loosely on real women. Any strife between characters in the film is dramatic license. The calendar's photographer was not a stranger, but one of the ladies' husbands. The calendar was indeed intended to raise money for a local hospital's cancer ward on behalf of Angela Baker's husband, John Baker, to whose memory "Calendar Girls" is dedicated. And a similar 2004 calendar featuring the actresses in this film has been released as a further fund-raiser for charity.

The DVD: Bonus features include two mini-documentaries and four deleted scenes. "The Naked Truth" is a 15-minute documentary about the real story behind the infamous calendar. It features interviews with the women who organized and graced the pages of the calendar and its photographer, following the calendar's story from its genesis to this film's premiere. "Creating the Calendar" is a 6-minute short about filming the nude scenes and photographing the calendar for the movie. Captions are available in English, subtitles in Spanish. And dubbing is available in French.

Quiet and Likeable! Also (gasp) kinda sexy!
I went into watching CALENDAR GIRLS dreading it might be a female rip-off of THE FULL MONTY. No need to fear, because the movie is about a lot more than aping a successful indie formula. The movie centers on a group of women of Rylstone Women's Institute in North Yorkshire, England who through a tragedy decide to raise money for a hospital with their annual calendar. The only catch? These well-aged women are going to pose in the buff with strategically placed items of household drudgery hiding the naughty bits and pieces. And when the calendar comes out? They all have to deal with the infamy that comes along with posing nude. And deal with success as well! Or new found confidence.

It is a story rich dramatically and still just plain funny. The nudity is tasteful, and not all that revealing. Think Dianne Keaton's SOMETHINGS GOT TO GIVE flash, and you get the idea. And Helen Mirren and a STRONG cast give it all a dignified English air that plays well. I really loved this movie. It made me smile widely! And hammered home the message that beauty is in ALL forms. Everybody has a shine to them, and the 50 MOST BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE are the ones with the courage to make fun of themselves and smile all the while. No body doubles here either! Yea for them! Brave women with "bigger buns!".

The DVD is a special treat. You get a documentary on the real life CALENDAR GIRLS who look a lot like their film counterparts. You also get to see the movie cast MAKING the calendar! Okay, maybe just TALKING about making it. Also you get some deleted scenes, and assorted trailers.

I'm getting sunflowers for my house just to remind me of people that always reach for the sun! Very nice image. We need more movies like this -- celebrating wisdom and friendship. And hey - it's just simple fun.

a smart, lovely comedy!!
This movie is inspired by a true story where these middle aged women go in the nude posing for their calendar which becomes a huge success! I really loved this movie for its wonderful acting and it was hilarious!! The whole way I felt like cheering the women on! This movie made me laugh out loud and its a great change from some other funny movies that all they offer is bathroom jokes and other stupid humor. This is a one of a kind smart hilarious movie!!

Marginal, at best
This is one of those small budget Britcoms that is supposed to be hilarious and all the trailer clips suggest that. Problem is it's not very funny, well-acted, or even mildly engaging. It's flat out boring. It is not a female "The Full Monty," as the ad campaign leads you to think. If that were the case I would have loved it. Others can re-tell the plot, but there isn't really much beyond these ordinary women in a small English town do a nude calendar to raise money and all the hinjinx prevail. Except there really are no hijinx. Just the usual stereotypical disapproving neighbors and officials, combined with the always surprising support from the most unlikely (wink-wink) circles. Been there--seen that over and over. It's as if every cliche in these types of movies were rehashed over and over.

Save your money. Frankly, I think the positive reviews on this are the true comedy.

a joyous comedy
One of the most delightful films of recent years, "Calendar Girls," a distaff version of "The Full Monty," is the true story of a group of middle-aged English women who became international celebrities when they designed and posed for a nude fundraising calendar that sold millions of copies worldwide. Julie Walters and Helen Mirren head a wonderful cast, with Walters as a woman whose husband dies of leukemia and Mirren as her best friend who comes up with the idea of the calendar as a way of both honoring his memory and raising money for the local hospital.

The risk for any "feel good" comedy is that it will become cloying, coy or cutesy. Luckily, "Calendar Girls" boasts an enormously witty screenplay and first-rate performances by its highly gifted cast. Each of the "girls" is given her own unique personality so that we see them not just as a group, united in this inspiring endeavor, but as individuals working through their own personal demons on the rode to the project's completion. The women face the expected roadblocks and snafus in the form of "shocked," disapproving voices in the community, but their belief in the rightness of their cause brushes all such problems aside.

This charming film provides more genuine, out-and-out laughs than almost any comedy of recent times. "Calendar Girls" is heartwarming, touching and inspiring - and what more could one ask from a "feel-good" film than that? ... Read more

Amazon.com

Although it's been three years since we last saw Bridget (Renée Zellweger), only a few weeks have passed in her world. She is, as you'll remember, no longer a "singleton," having snagged stuffy but gallant Mark Darcy (Colin Firth) at the end of the 2001 film. Now she's fallen deeply in love and out of her neurotic mind with paranoia: Is Mark cheating on her with that slim, bright young thing from the law office? Will the reappearance of dashing cad Daniel Cleaver (Hugh Grant) further spell the end of her self-confidence when they're shoved off to Thailand together for a TV travel story? If such questions also seem pressing to you, this sequel will be fairly painless, but you shouldn't expect anything fresh. Director Beeban Kidron and her screenwriters--all four of them!--are content to sink matters into slapstick, with chunky Zellweger (who's unflatteringly photographed) the literal butt of all jokes. Though the star still has her charms, and some of Bridget's social gaffes are amusing, the film is mired in low comedy--a sequence in a Thai women's prison is more offensive than outrageous--with only Grant's rakish mischief to pull it out of the swamp. --Steve Wiecking ... Read more

Reviews (101)

The sequel surpasses the original.
I've seen several movies that were sequels but they were never better than the first movie. But for the first time with this movie I found the second better than the first one. If you have seen "THE DIARY OF BRIDGET JONES", you must see this one and if you haven't seen it. I would recommend you to start with that one so you can follow better the story.
This time the picture starts with a very happy Bridget (Renée Zellweger) who is deeply in love with Mark Darcy (Colin Firth) and that love is mutual. Everything goes perfect until Bridget and Mark have a fight that ends with the relationship because Bridget is jealous of Natasha (Mark's friend who is beautiful and rich) and because Mark is still very arrogant with her. After this appears once again Daniel Cleaver (Hugh Grant) who is called to work with Bridget. The story goes to several places from this point and you can laugh very much and have a great time with this movie that also has a wonderful soundtrack featuring songs by Joss Stone, Mary J. Blige and Robbie Williams along others.
With the speacial features you can find a hilarious interview from "serious journalist" Bridget Jones and actor Colin Firth and alternativebeginnings, deleted scenes plus others.

Hey Hugh, Colin called you a big sissy!
There's really only one reason to see this movie: a recap of the great girly-man fight between Hugh Grant and Colin Firth. It's almost as funny as the first time around, with some great hair-pulling, body-slamming interludes. The rest of the movie left my mind almost at the same time I watching it, except some painful memories of cheesy looking sets and politically correct third-world prisons. Any movie set in Thailand with no filth and squalor goes way beyond comedy to a kind of propagandistic obscenity. Don't be fooled, tourists of the world, "Edge of Reason" is to the real Thailand what Woody Allen films are to the real New York.

Fall in Love All Over Again...
Bridget Jones is passionate about passion. She inspires a dreamy admiration for love itself as she longingly gazes at Mark Darcy, wrapped in lavender sheets. Unfortunately (and fortunately for the viewer) Bridget keeps tripping over herself in this sacred dance of love. Her antics are deliciously funny all while her heart reaches for the profound moments in life.

You can't help but fall madly in love with Bridget Jones (Renée Zellweger) because she is a real woman, struggling with all the decisions of daily life and all the insecurities society promotes. In this daily life she also retains the right to vivid fantasies and creative conclusions inspired by jealousy.

Life seems to keep getting in the way of her fantasy existence especially when she is drenched by passing buses. In fact, she spends a great deal of this movie running about in the rain or looking quite deliciously natural with her hair all a mess and very little makeup. She honestly tried, but it is like the elements have ruled in favor of the natural look.

While she obsesses endlessly over her main rival who seems to have her eye on Mark Darcy, she condenses her thoughts into sly little schemes with hilarious results. She has a tendency to put herself in physical danger - falling from airplanes and sliding off skylights into gardens. Her ever-curious nature makes her almost kittenish at times and I thought the humor was shockingly good.

How does Bridget go from being an "award-winning" journalist to being thrown into a Thai prison where she undergoes a hilarious name change? What is even more fun is how she always survives her mother's seasonal curry buffet.

Colin Firth is especially dashing in this movie as he ends up completely drenched in a fountain in his suit. He is at first emotionally withdrawn, but his heart reaches out through his eyes as he longs to be fully trusted and admired. Of course, Bridget can't fully trust him because of Daniel Cleaver's antics and she is just waiting for him to cheat on her and ruin their beautiful relationship.

Daniel Cleaver (Hugh Grant) is still as naughty as always and his boyish charm and attempts to control his overwhelming appetites encourage our sympathy. I especially loved the scene where he recites the Thai Poem and when he tells Bridget she is the best he has ever had. Of course, current research tells us that women who are slightly overweight are much more interested in sex for very biological reasons.

I've been listening to the soundtrack in hopeful anticipatory mode, knowing the songs would sound perfect in a movie. I was not disappointed. This movie also has a quiz option. You can take the test after various scenes of importance. While the main plot elements from the book are still all in place, there are a few surprises.

In the end, I think this movie is romantic because it appeals to a man's need for respect and a woman's need to be passionately loved for who she is, just the way she is even if her hair is not perfectly done or her makeup perfectly applied. What is more beautiful than a man telling you he loves you, even if you are a few pounds overweight? This is about total acceptance and loving a woman as a soul. It is rather profound from a woman's perspective because society judges us on our weight and not our heart.

It seems Beeban Kidron shares my fascination with water images and I look forward to more movies in the future with rain, rivers and oceans. If you enjoyed this movie, also look for "Swept from the Sea."

~TheRebeccaReview.com

Mildly amusing, but ultimately pointless sequel
The first Bridget Jones movie was a perfect little human comedy.Although absurdly unlucky, Bridget remained a consistent and logical (in her own way) centre to the film.The humour grew organically from her "logical" reactions to the absurdity happening around her.And we had a nice, romantic happy ending.The same praise cannot be given to this sequel, "Bridget Jones - The Edge of Reason."Don't get me wrong - I enjoyed the film in a superficial way, at least while I was watching it.Unfortunately, it's entirely unecessary, except as a money-making grab by the studio.

The plot: Mark Darcy is seen in the presence of another woman.Bridget assumes he is cheating on her and is then assigned a job in Thailand with Daniel Cleaver (the "ex").Therein lies the main problem I had with the film: the entire story is built on misunderstandings that could be cleared up with the tiniest application of logic on any one of the characters' parts.Similarly, actions are not driven by the nature of the characters, but rather the requirements of the plot.For example, almost immediately after starting the relationship with Mark Darcy, Bridget's friends are advising her to dump him.Why?I have no idea - I guess because the screenplay told them to!Similarly, if Bridget is thrown in a Thai jail while on assignment for her TV network, wouldn't someone at that network notice that she had gone missing?

Am I applying logic where none is required?Probably.But a sequel should be able to build on the characters rather than making them more two-dimensional (or making their actions arbitrary).I should be asking is the film funny?Are the actors good?The answer to both questions is undeniably "yes!"I applaud the idea of building a comedy around the question, "what happens after happily ever after?" Unfortunately, the film bails and gives us a series of silly little scenes that work on their own, but never add up to anything worthwhile.

On the plus side, Mirimax has deigned to give us at least a few extras on the DVD.There are some deleted scenes, the most welcome being the infamous "Bridget interviews Colin Firth" scene from the novel.Obviously, it became impossible to put this in the movie with Firth playing Mark Darcy, but they filmed it anyway at the end of a day's shooting and stuck it on the DVD as a treat to those who have read the book.There are also some scene breakdowns and a director's commentary.

Wonderful Experience For Me!
Having sat through the movie with a female friend, I now know that life will only get better, since seeing this movie was the absolute worst two hours of my life. I would rather have stomach cramps for two hours than watch this horrible tripe again.

I am a male - not the intended audience. I believe that the intended audience must be people with dementia. They would be spared the pain of possibly remembering even one second of this unbelievably bad movie. This movie deserves a rating of zero, plus, everyone involved with this film should be sentenced to prison.

Never has there been a more insulting movie passed on as entertainment. I seriously worry about those who enjoyed it.

Rating: negative infinity, the worst movie ever made.
... Read more

Description

Screen stars Renee Zellweger (NURSE BETTY, JERRY MAGUIRE) and Hugh Grant (FOUR WEDDINGS AND A FUNERAL, NOTTING HILL) craft memorable performances in a delightfully funny comedy that looks at the ups and downs of modern romance! A busy career woman approaching a "certain age," uncomfortably unmarried Bridget (Zellweger) decides to turn over a new page in her life by channeling her thoughts, opinions, and insecurities into a journal that becomes a hilarious chronicle of her adventures! Soon, the irrepressible Bridget somehow manages to become the center of attention between a guy who's too good to be true (Grant) and another who's so wrong for her, he could be just right (Colin Firth, SHAKESPEARE IN LOVE)! Based on the best-selling book, BRIDGET JONES'S DIARY is another acclaimed crowd-pleaser from the hitmakers of FOUR WEDDINGS AND A FUNERAL and NOTTING HILL! ... Read more

Reviews (425)

Delicious Zellweger, Delectable Grant, and Hysterical Moment
What a wonderful surprise this movie was to me. I resisted it I admit, thinking I wouldn't relate to the plump heroine coping with loveless sex, dueling suitors and haughty English folk. Yet, not only does the movie sparkle in unexpected, laugh-riot moments, Renee Zellweger proves yet again what a stunning actress she's become. In the title role, she's silly and coy, at once vapid and brilliant, a heroine for our generation. Hugh Grant is slimy-sleazy as her boss, a real departure from his "Four Weddings and a Funeral" Jimmy STewart-ish character. And, Colin Firth excels as an unlikable suitor who in the end hooks Bridget with intelligence, heroism and a deep warmth that is rarely allowed to shine (ultimately it's Bridget who brings him out of his shell, while exchanging her own for a newer model!)

Ever since "Jerry MaGuire" made her a star, Zellweger was dazzled in on screen roles like "Nurse Betty" and "One True Thing." This is an actress who is able to fully expose her character - warts and all. Where other actresses might shy away from brash, bold characters, Zellweger embraces them, and in the process, the audience falls in love. She has the sort of face that tells stories with small, seemingly unimportant facial expressions. A raised eyebrow here, a pursed lip there, she's able to convey layers of emotional context and depth that very few of her contemporaries can ever hope to achieve. Her spellbinding work opposite Meryl Streep in "One True Thing" is proof positive this star is here to stay - and deserves attention as quite possibly the best actress of today;s generation. Very few actresses could ever hope to shine opposite the legendary Streep, but Zellweger does that and more. In that film, and this one, she delivers a fully realized character, infusing Bridget with wit, charm, charisma, and more than anything - REALNESS. Ultimately, that's the best thing about this movie - the multiple levels Zellweger manages to pull off will allow even men to see parts of themselves through Bridget's eyes. Warm, lighthearted, but filled with detail and myriad emotions, "Bridget Jones' Diary" is a winner! Let's hope Zellweger finally cops an Oscar nomination (which she's deserved for other roles in "McGuire", "One True Thing" and "Betty"). At least her fellow actors know a brilliant performer when they see one - as she's been nominated for a Best Actress SAG Award (over Nicole Kidman who was thought of as a shoo in for "Moulin Rouge.")

In a nutshell, this is a fun, entertaining movie, with great music, endearing moments of comedy, and another SHINING performance by Zellweger!

A Feel Good Movie Wonderfully Cast
This is a wonderful gem of a movie. Based on excellent material in the first place - Bridget Jones' Diary (the book), which in turn is loosely based on Pride and Prejudice to some degree - its near perfect casting ensures its place as a romantic comedy classic. From the leads to the bit players, even the seemingly unbelievable, such as Bridget's mother, are entirely plausible. The main characters are rendered with somewhat more depth than is the case for most romantic comedies; for example, raffish though Hugh Grant's character is, he is not such a stereotypical rogue that he does not feel badly about hurting Bridget, even before realizing how much he cares for her. Colin Firth is a particular triumph and plays off Zellweger remarkably well - they're an unlikely enough combination to add just the right amount of interest and tension, yet not unlikely enough to make the outcome unbelievable. Mark Darcy's transformation is one of the more interesting elements of the movie. It's puzzling that Firth hasn't risen to leading role status more prominently, though this may be due more to his own choice of parts than anything else. Few actors are more artful at innuendo and the use of facial expression and body language than Firth; no jabbering on is required to understand his characters' struggles and true feelings. When playing smoldering (i.e., masculine) repressed roles he's at his finest. This is a "feel-good" movie with the happy ending so many long for during challenging times and the holiday season. With so many engaging and quirky characters, it pulls its happy result off in a way that makes it far more interesting than is usual for its genre.

It's a gem, a keeper, a library addition
Bridget Jones's Diary was an unexpected surprise for me. I suppose I expected a sappy Renee and Hugh love story. It's not. Substitute sticky for sappy and lust for love and your getting in the right neighborhood.

I didn't have to identify with Bridget's (Renee Zellweger) biological clock to get the squirmy wormies during her multiple awkward situations or to feel triumphant when she overcame in spite of her embarrassment.

Hugh Grant plays the lovable rogue and the object of Bridget's heart. Even though the role of the scoundrel is a departure for Grant he plays it much as he does when he's the victim of love. If anything his good guy history adds to the allure of twists in the movie.

I am a Renee Z fan anyway but her portrayal of an undesirable, overweight, out of the game English spinster was amazing. None of these terms come to mind when I think of Ms Zellweger yet she was completely believable.

Oh yeah, I forgot the most important thing; I laughed out loud a lot. This is a very funny movie.

The story is great. The cast is great. Buy the movie.

Delightful romantic comedy
What sets this movie apart from other romantic comedies is that its heroine is a witty, self-deprecating, socially clumsy woman who isn't stick-thin, who doesn't look polished, and who will not have to undergo a makeover or any other kind of enormous transformation just to steal the hero's heart. He likes her just as she is. And so do we, even if we think her a bit daft for taking so long to realize that he's the right man for her.

But before Bridget even allows herself to admit that the proud and reserved Mark Darcy (Colin Firth) is not as bad as she thought, she's first swept away by her boss, Daniel Cleaver, played in a delightfully rakish way by Hugh Grant. And not only does she have to sort out her feelings for Darcy and Cleaver, she also has a host of other difficulties to deal with - her parents' troubled marriage, her fondness for fatty foods, her love of drink, and her tendency to speak without thinking.

Highlights of the movie include Bridget dressing up as a Playboy Bunny for what she thought was a tarts and vicars party. Another funny scene is her in the kitchen, ineptly making blue soup and swampy-looking gravy for her birthday dinner. Sometimes the movie did go too over the top, as in the fight scene between Cleaver and Darcy. Also, in the DVD outtakes, I didn't see any additional scenes with Colin Firth (a pity, because he's so well-suited for such a role and so easy on the eyes...). But on the whole, the movie was delightful, fun and full of warmth.

"Bridget used to run around naked in my paddling pool"
BRAVO Bridget Jones!
This movie is truly and amazingly unique and hilarious! Rene Zellweger is charming and funny as a slightly overweight publisher. Colin Firth is very fresh as a top notch lawyer, and Hugh Grant is amazing as a head publisher(...)
This story tells of Bridget Jones, who is an alcoholic and slightly overweight, but very lovely British woman who wants to change her ways and get a boyfriend. She finds her man in no time, Daniel Cleaver, who is her boss, but shortly finds out that he is NOT the man she's been looking for. In a strange turn of events, Bridget quits her job and finds another as a TV personality. After more events, mad depresssion, getting hung over, a (REAL) fight, and a divorce in the family, she finds the truth about jerky Mark and Daniel, and finds true love. But it wasn't easy for her after she finds out of his engagement to a dull, boring woman who is also his patrner in law, Natasha.
YOu'll love this movie and find it charming and frickin' funny! ... Read more

Description

To be or not to be?To act or not to act?The questions are the same to Joe, a struggling (read:jobless) actor whose every sinew and synapse cries out to performand to soften the blow of not landing a part in a megabudget sci-fi movie.So in the stalwart (read:desperate) tradition of actors everywhere, Joe vows to put on a show, a special (read:even more desperate) version of the greatest play in the English tongue.

Writer/director Kenneth Branagh serves up Hamlet on wry with this salute to dyed-in-the-wool and other woolly-brained thespians.Michael Maloney (Truly Madly Deeply) portrays Joe, maxing out credit cards and his wits to realize his dream.Does he succeed?Well, with Richard Briers (Branagh's Hamlet), Joan Collins (Dynasty), Nicholas Farrell (Chariots of Fire), Absolutely Fabulous alumna Jennifer Saunders and Julia Sawatha and more joining Maloney, one thing's certain.The show must go on! ... Read more

Reviews (24)

A great little movie with a top-notch cast
We knew Kenneth Branagh could act, direct, and adapt Shakespeare, but who knew he could write comedy? This film is a discovery. Branagh got some of his friends together (you'll recognize many actors from his other films) and made this gem about an amateur theatre company putting on Hamlet at Christmas time! The audition scenes are priceless.

The script is excellent, the acting is wonderful, and--a rare treat in films--you will care about every character. They all go through changes and become better people as a result of their time together.

Michael Maloney is fine in the lead role of the director (playing Hamlet himself, of course; the comparisons to Branagh are unmistakable), and the rest of the cast give it their all. A standout is John Sessions as the drag queen playing Gertrude. He has the most heartbreaking scene in the film.

All in all, an inspired concept rendered beautifully. A movie with a heart as well as a funny bone.

A Side Note: The original title was "In the Bleak Midwinter," suggesting the Christmas aspect, but I prefer the alternate "A Midwinter's Tale" as it is more Shakespearean.

Hilarious And Heartfelt
Here's a story for you: Joe, a depressive, out-of-work actor, puts on a no-budget production of Hamlet, as a benefit for a church that's about to be bulldozed by developers; he's plagued by money problems, disinterest from the locals, and a cast of actors that spend their time arguing and sniping at one another. They cannot seem to focus on the play very often-and when they do, they can't get things right. Despair begins to overtake Joe.

Now: picture this as a comedy.

Can't do it? That's okay, because Kenneth Branagh already did it for you.

A Midwinter's Tale (originally titled In the Bleak Midwinter for its British release) takes that concept and weaves comic gold out of it, presenting the viewer with a film that is by turns clever, slapstick, hilarious, and heart-wrenching. After Henry V it's probably Branagh's best film, and funnier by far than his other two comedies, the uber-schmaltzy Big Chill ripoff Peter's Friends, or the intelligently done (though occasionally miscast) Much Ado About Nothing. A Midwinter's Tale surpasses them both with a tightly written script, able and artful direction that owes a debt to both Woody Allen and Frank Capra, and a truly great ensemble cast.

Casting is an integral part of any film, of course, but when one is adapting Shakespeare (or, in this case, doing a film about adapting Shakespeare), good casting is essential. Branagh has been hit-or-miss with this over the years-most notably in the case of Keanu Reeves, hopelessly out of his depth in Much Ado-but in this particular film it's spot-on. From Branagh regulars like Michael Maloney and Richard Briers, to semiregulars like Gerard Horan, Celia Imrie, and John Sessions, to newcomers Julia Sawalha and Joan Collins (yeah, that Joan Collins), everyone does a tremendous job, and each actor approaches his or her role with a verve and a dedication that is extremely fun to watch. Sawalha in particular is a delight as the incredibly nearsighted Nina, Joe's love interest; she brings a vulnerable humanity to her role that not only heightens the humor in her more slapstick scenes, but deepens the drama of the more solemn moments as well. Likewise Sessions (probably most familiar to Americans from his appearances on the British version of Whose Line Is It Anyway?) is given the seemingly one-dimensional/stereotypical role of the female-impersonating homosexual, Terry . . . which would seem unrewarding. But he turns in a three-dimensional characterization that is screamingly funny throughout the film-until his role takes a gutwrenching turn for the dramatic in one of the film's best scenes. And so it goes for each of the characters; they all have something to do in this film, and they all do it superbly, hilariously, and when it is called for, tenderly.

Branagh's script is another key element to this movie's excellence. It's impeccably written, using both Shakespeare and its unique bunch of characters to tremendous advantage. One of the keys to this is that Branagh never makes fun of these people, even when they are at their worst, their silliest, their most pompous, or venal. Branagh has an obvious fondness for these people (presumably based on actors he knew during his own struggles to make it in the business), and he treats them like people, rather than as fall guys or as the means to get to a lame punchline. Every line the characters speak, every scene they're in, shows their humanity, and shows it lovingly. A lot of the humor in the script grows out of character, and that really makes this film shine. It builds the laughter naturally, rather than forcing it through meanness and being shocking or crude, as in the case of many so-called "comedy" writer/directors today.

As I said above, Branagh's direction borrows a page or two from other comedy directors before him, mainly Woody Allen and Frank Capra. The Allen influence shows through the strongest, especially through the dialogue and the first half of the film, which bears a lot of similarities to both Manhattan and Stardust Memories. The opening credits are strongly reminiscent of Allen's classic "middle period pictures; Joe directly addresses the camera, as a lot of Woody's characters do, and this is juxtaposed with music-Noel Coward's delightful "Why Must the Show Go On?", a sardonic look at the gung-ho attitude actors have. The song becomes a leitmotiv throughout the film, with the action echoing Coward's cynical lyrics . . . until the turning point in the film, when the troupe unwittingly comes up with the answer to Coward's question, and demonstrates precisely why the show must go on. From here on in the Capra influence takes over-and I can't say too much about that without giving the ending away, unfortunately. What I will say is that like Capra at his best, A Midwinter's Tale favors sentimentalism over cynicism-something a lot of modern critics find distasteful for some reason. I can't imagine why, especially when the sentiments expressed here-in particular, the value of loyalty and family-are so genuine and loving, especially when contrasted with the phoniness and cruelty that passes for humor these days in far too many films. Branagh is more intelligent than that-and willing to take the risk that the audience is, too. A Midwinter's Tale is like a breath of fresh air compared to the stale stench of most modern comedies; take a chance on it. I guarantee you'll be happy you did.

Please release this on DVD. I keep wearing out my VCR tapes
A great movie. Full of laughter and tears. I laughed and I cried. The only thing that could have made this movie better (10 stars!) would be if they had actually shown the entire Hamlet. That would be the coolest DVD extra ever!! What a great bunch of misfits.
PLEASE release this movie on DVD! I wore out my VCR copy.

The greatest comedy you've never heard of
Don't let the fact that you've never heard of this deter you from seeing it! When I saw A Midwinter's Tale in a New York movie theater I went back either the next day or within a couple of days and it was GONE. I couldn't believe the movie ran for such a short period. And, although the VHS has been available for a few years, Amazon.com didn't even carry it at first. So, I figured "something" was going on at the distributor. Since the other reviews already say enough about it, all I can add is, this film is destined to be a CLASSIC. Branagh pays homage to Woody Allen's Stardust Memories & Manhattan in the beginning but develops the film into so much more as the characters reveal themselves in the way that only British comedians can! I believe the reason for removing it was more economic/political than actual interest -- indeed, the movie never had a chance to be seen!

Such a pity this is not available on DVD
VHS has gone the way of the dinosaur! This movie was fantastic. A must see for anyone who has taken an interest in theater (professional or amateur). I can't help wishing it was available on DVD! I have looked and looked (and searched and searched) and if I have missed something please let me know. My search for the DVD will continue till I reach my grave. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Let's be honest: this should be titled Wretched Excess' Frankenstein. Swooping, wild, bloody, and energetic, this is bad moviemaking from the best, which makes it all the more lovable. Kenneth Branagh plays Victor Frankenstein, a man so obsessed with conquering death that he decides to create life. What he gets, after a protoplasmic mud wrestle, is a Mean Streets monster (Robert De Niro) that isn't particularly happy to be back from the dead or thrilled about all the stitches. Helena Bonham Carter may, at several points in this film, actually be channeling Ramtha. The supporting cast couldn't be peopled with better performers (Tom Hulce, John Cleese, Ian Holm) but they all look like they're ringside at some Ultimate Fighting competition. A must for any midnight movie collector for the shock factor alone. A hoot. --Keith Simanton ... Read more

Reviews (90)

not too scary, more sad
This was a good movie with a good point about the way society doesn't always accept people who are different. But, I was really disappointed. When I read that Robert De Niro was in this movie playing Frankenstein's monster, and that it was a horror movie, I was expecting an entertaining, wild, bloody, eerie, and terrifying horror about a mad monster. But, instead, it was a very sad film. I almost wanted to cry. Just thinking about the scene in which Frankenstein's monster kills a good-hearted woman makes me sad. And, what's so sad is that the monster wasn't truly a monster at heart. He had love inside him, but nobody understood him, so he reacted with violence. The sadness of the film makes it less enjoyable to watch. Overall, it is a good movie though. But, don't watch this film if you are prone to weeping about sad scenes in movies. And, I wouldn't recommend watching this movie if you're looking for a scary movie, because it's not all that scary. If you like science, and you enjoy creating strange experiments, and science fiction, and watching tragedies befall upon good people, I recommend this movie.

A worth-while version
As film adaptions of Frankenstein go, this is more accurate than most. It's good to see the Arctic climax restored, as it is so often omitted. Kenneth Branagh has made a satisfying, staightforward version of the story, thankfully containing little of the wayward characterisation and tricksy camera work which combine to sink Francis Ford Coppola's Dracula. The horror element has been toned down a bit, although the section where Frankenstein ressurects Elizabeth (Helena Bonham Carter) is quite disturbing.

Just a word about the creation scene, which is somewhat different to the 'thunder and lightning' scenario we have become used to. The monster floats in a tank full of amniotic fluid, which Frankenstein moves about the laboratory by means of chains and pulleys. The spark of life is provided by power generated from electric eels. Frankenstein, stripped to the waist, slips and slides on the fluid that has now poured onto the floor, and strikes the monster on the back, in the manner of a doctor slapping a new-born baby. It certainly gives a novel slant to a familiar situation.

Branagh directs and also plays the part of Frankenstein with energy and gusto. Robert DeNiro makes a formidable monster, but also manages to elicit our sympathy for his plight, which is just how it should be. The supporting performances from a host of well known British actors are generally good, perhaps the most interesting being John Cleese. He does well in a straight role as Dr. Waldemann, who takes Frankenstein under his wing at medical school. The comic relief is provided by Tom Hulce as Frankenstein's friend, Henry Clerval.

This is a good and entertaining version of Frankenstein, and well worth a look.

Not an authentic adaptation of the book, but still fun.
"Mary Shelley's Frankenstein" is an incredibly melodramatic adaptation of the book that takes huge liberties with the plot, but I still find it thoroughly entertaining. The movie is perfectly cast, and I think that the embellishments that Kenneth Branagh takes with the story only make the film more enjoyable. Even though I doubt that Dr. Frankenstein ran around without a shirt on as much as Branagh does in the film, most women will probably find it quite enjoyable. Robert DeNiro is amaing in his role of "the creature," and Helena Bonham Carter gives a great performance as Elizabeth. If you're the type of person who detests it when filmmakers stray too far from the text of the book they're adapting, then this film probably isn't for you. If you're a bit more open-minded and are just looking for an entertaining movie to watch, this is a perfect film to add to your collection.

Ingolstadt,?
The scene with the crowd was gathered during the lynching,
did'nt the caption say Ingolstadt and is'nt Ingolstadt in
Germany?

I am wondering why De Niro was talking like an englishman
and the crowd sounded like english too?

Maybe I missing something; should'nt the people so german?
I remember like thirty years ago about you should be true
to your heritage.

Excellnt film!
This is bye far, the best remake of Frankenstein ever. This is better than the Frankenstein sequel's to, well MOST of the Frankenstein sequel's at lest. Comes very close to the perfect book written by Mary Shelley. Some people said this was bad because there was to much drama. Will people stop being Nerd's! ... Read more

Reviews (11)

Love & Tragedy & All That Jazz. . .
This early vehicle for a young Catherine Zeta-Jones does justice to the complex Hardy novel despite the constraints of the television movie format. 'La Zeta' is perfectly cast as Eustacia Vye, a mysterious beauty with 'black hair and pagan eyes' who captivates the young men of the vicinity while the older country people regard her with suspicion as a witch who is not to be trusted. Eustacia has a reputation as a loose woman in the neighborhood--she dallies with another woman's fiance out of sheer boredom, even though she is tired of him. When dashing Clym Yeobright returns home after many years abroad in Paris, Eustacia sets her cap for him, with tragic results.

Fans who have followed Zeta-Jones' high-profile career in movies such as 'Entrapment', 'Traffic' & 'Chicago' will be interested to see her here, long before Michael Douglas and Oscar came calling, in her debut role outside of her native UK. She displays all the beauty and cool self-possession of the star she would later become. She's had her teeth capped since, and been otherwise glammed up, Hollywood-style, but all the fundamentals are there. The setting is breathtaking (shot on location in Northern England), and the simple yet vivid costumes Eustacia wears add to her characterization. Eustacia/Catherine is dressed simply but vividly in tones of scarlet, yellow and turquoise blue, setting her in sharp relief to the browns and grays of the landscape, and the dull clothes worn by the other characters.

The entire cast does a superb job, but this is really Zeta-Jones' show. Whether you're a Zeta fan, or a student of Thomas Hardy, this production should be on your shelf.

Attempt at Thomas Hardy almost reaches it.
Anyone who has read the novel will see that this movie is far truer to the storyline than average. Where the movie "almost" reaches success is in its portrayal of the characters. The egocentric nature of Eustachia is portrayed well until the death scene, when, from that point, she comes off as too much of the unforgiven, tragic, heroine. Wildeve's passion never quite attains to the pinnacle reached in the Hardy novel, Venn's homespun nobility isn't as evident, nor does Clym's "martyr complex" ever really emerge. The flick has much to recommend it however, especially in the first 2/3 of it. The setting is magnificent and appropriately stark, the subordinate characters (Grandfer Cantle, Susan Nunsuch, Mrs. Yeobright, etc.) are accurately displayed. This is one film in which I would recommend for the viewer to see the movie first before reading the novel. This would eliminate some of the sense of loss in the character displays and help one appreciate the "love-never-dies, beyond-the grave" finale.

Great
Ok i dont get the 007 thing but whatever. this movie was awesome!!! it was so sad!!!!! Catherine alone on that bridge will break your heart! i really felt bad 4 her throughout this movie, just because they "THOUGHT" she was a witch didnt mean they need to go and stab her in church! how mean! lol sry i love catherine zeta jones! lol well the movie was great, it was sad, and in the first minute a lil confusing but then you catch on after like 2 seconds.

Clive Owen could become the next "James Bond 007".
I saw this Hallmark television movie when it originally aired. I lost interest in the story because a character was said to be a witch. I just wasn't in the right frame of mind to watch this film. But Hallmark is a name the presents the best, quality films. Now, there is a reason to give this film a second look. Clive Owen who plays "Damon Wildeve" just might have a chance to be selected as the next James Bond 007 when Pierce Brosnan passes it on. Clive Owen might have to wait until the year 2008. The other reason is the female lead is Catherine Zeta-Jones is now a celebrity (she was unknown at the time) and became an Academy Award winner for Outstanding Supporting Actress in 2003. Joan Plowright as "Mrs. Yeobright" is also in this film. I like the opening line in the film: "Deliver my heart from this fearful, lonely place. Send me a great love from somewhere or else I shall die, truly I shall die".

great for catherine fans
i only liked this movie because of zeta-she is great in it and young-24 yrs old ... Read more

Reviews (18)

A CHURCHILLIAN LANDSCAPE
Okay, so for my money Winston Churchill was the greatest character of the last century. Larger than life and who defied all and sundry when he thought he was right (which was practically always). Could this or any other movie live up to the memory of a legend. The Gathering Storm managed very well, thanks in no short measure to the amazing performance by Albert Finney who not only looked and sounded like the great man but also captured the Bulldog Defiance which served the British people and indeed the world so well during World War II. Vanessa Redgrave must also be acknowledged for her performance as the power behind the cigar. In fact every actor in this movie turns in a stunning performance, including Tom Wilkenson who has long been one of my favorite undiscovered actors (discovered now of course). I understand that a sequel is in the works and I hope this is true. Because this surely is only the first course and what should be a sumptious feast of history, acting, writing and dircetion. Just don't keep us waiting too long.

Albert Finney is Superb as Churchill!
Rarely does an actor capture the essence of someone so much bigger than life as was Sir Winston Churchill, but Albert Finney achieves the nearly impossible-- he becomes Churchill and manages to dominate practically every frame of this HBO video even against the likes of someone as talented as Vanessa Redgrave, who plays his beloved "Clemmie" Churchill. Ms. Redgrave does rise to the occasion as she, as we say, eats up the furniture when Finney accuses her of being selfish. She roars something to the effect that "don't you dare call me selfish when I have lived with you for 26 years," These two fine actors are joined by a great supporting cast in this beautifully filmed movie. The action covers a brief time in Churchill's life when Hitler is rising to power in Germany. Churchill is having financial difficulties, is plagued by what he calls the "black dog" of depression and cannot convince the current prime minister that Hitler is an enormous threat to the security of England.

Finney here joins other over 50, overweight actors (think Kathy Bates and Jack Nicholson)who bare their all for art. This movie won three Emmys, which were richly deserved.

There is no such thing as a five star film.
The Gathering Storm, thankfully brushed lightly upon those over-documented events leading to England's declaration of war in 1939. Where the movie shines brightest is in it's bare honest portrayal of The Right Hon. Winston Churchill - as an egomaniacal, obstinate, fanatical 'god and empire' patriot with the effette pretentions of a petti-artiste. Who was a chronic looser in every aspect of his personal and professional life, who conspired to bully a tragically vulnerable civil servant to betray his office and who divulged stolen intelligence from his own government to give a hopelessly pacifist England a harsh wake-up. Finney and Redgrave are glorious, simply wonderful. The cameo of Ronnie Barker as 'Mr Inches', Churchill's butler, came closest to upstaging Albert Finney as I have ever seen. No film is worth five stars, no movie comes close to perfection, so here we have four.

Wow
Well,it is an English movie so of course there is male nudity and dark humor. Albert Finney, the man (the lawyer) from Erin Brockovich movie, has given us a stunning performance in this movie. He is Winston Churchil prior to second world war and before he became a prime minister.
You should absolutely watch this movie - and when you do - you'll find out something you never knew about England and Nazis.
Appearantly English Government sold Hitler 8000 planes prior to WWII unbeknownst to them that Hitler would bomb England with the very same planes!

It is another "boring" English movie but it's worth watching it and I highly recommend it to all. There's so much to be learned from it!

a personal portrait
It's interesting -- and understandable -- that the other customer reviewers focus at times on how great Churchill was. This movie, although it shows Churchill as a great man and conscious of that greatness, is about Churchill as a human being. We see how much his wife meant to him, and his animals, and his sense of place and animals and painting.

The movie is set before the war, while England slept (to borrow a phrase from JFK), when Churchill was trying to sound the alarm about the growing threat from a rearming Germany. It was fascinating, in that sense, to watch this movie as we await al Qaeda's next horrific move.

Leading up to World War II and Churchill's return to power, the movie's structure is a bit off-putting, in that the coming of war becomes a personal triumph, in dramatic terms, for Churchill. But then we watch with the full knowledge the Churchill's role in the war was one of the great personal and historic triumphs.

Finney is a great Churchill impersonator and calibrates his performance well, capturing the man's crankiness and depression and not just making him a show-off orator. The rest of the cast is spot on and the interiors are rich and lovely. A good historical piece, personal dynamics piece and appealing Anglophile nostalgia piece. ... Read more

Description

Based on the true story of Vera Hillyard, one of the last women in Britain to hang for murder.It is a dark and brooding tale of a seemingly close-knit suburban family whose facade of normalcy hides the murderous sibling rivalry. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

A classic mystery
This is a fantastic story, which has been adapted well for video. The characters are well developed and completely believable and the plot twists grippingly through the years during and just after World War II. Excellent performances from Helena Bonham Carter and the ever talented Celia Imrie kept me gripped. This is a brilliant story from Barbara Vine but is not based on real events.

Wonderful Mystery & Sister-Sister Deadly Duo
Faith Severn (Bonham-Carter) tells us the story of her Aunts Vera and Eden. Faith stayed with them as a child during WWII when London was being bombed so she has the chance to witness their relationship turn from morbid closeness to conflict and hostility culminating in murder. It is a riveting piece of work and I was glued to the tv set the entire time. Of special interest is a plotline that is guided by two sisters whose conflict is born and festers when a baby is born to one of them. Two women in the same family, conflicted over a child born into that family, is a very common, every day occurrence and utterly believable as something that gets out of control fast. I must confess that Bonham-Carter, as I continue to see her shine in role after role, is a much better actress than I ever thought she'd turn into when I first saw her in "Room With A View," where she played a rather standard English historical ingenue. I've only seen this on video and so I can't comment about scenes which were edited out from when it showed on television, as one Amazon reviewer has done. I did not feel the lack of any scenes or character development, however. I have also not read the book so cannot compare that either although it is generally a fruitless task to compare films with the books they were based upon anyway.

A good movie marred only by the transition to video.
The original movie is a wonderful adaptation of the same novel. However, in moving to video, crucial scenes have been edited diminishing the overall neuroses of Aunt Vera as well as other members in the family. Recommendation: record it when it airs again on the television.

This film is one of the best book adaptions ever.
The life of Faith Severn is permanently altered when her uber-normal aunt, Vera, kills her sister Eden. Faith, in trying to understand what has transpired, discovers that her aunt and family hardly lead the kind of respectable, middle-class life they congratulated themselves on having. This is a beautifully done drama with great performances. A great way to spend an afternoon for mystery fans and lovers of great drama. END ... Read more

Amazon.com

The popular children's books by Mary Norton have been filmed before, but never with as much imagination and ingenuity as you'll find on display in this delightful fantasy film released to critical praise in 1998. The "Borrowers" of the title are a family of tiny people who live in the walls and under the floorboards in the homes of "normal-sized" humans; they earn their by "borrowing" the household items (string, food crumbs, buttons, etc.) needed to furnish their tiny hiding places and provide their meals. The little Clock family lives happily undisturbed in the home of an aged aunt, but when the aunt dies and her will is stolen by an unscrupulous lawyer (John Goodman), the Clocks face eviction and the frightening hazards of the outside world. Under the ingenious direction of Peter Hewitt, this simple, straightforward movie mixes comedy, adventure, and suspense with some of the cleverest special effects you've ever seen, taking full advantage of effects technologies to immerse you in the world of the tiny people. A climactic chase scene in a milk-bottling plant is a visual tour de force, and the movie's smart and dazzling enough to entertain parents and children alike. After its modest success in theaters, The Borrowers stands a good chance of becoming a home-video favorite. --Jeff Shannon ... Read more

Reviews (21)

Good for the whole family
This movie is a great one for everyone to watch together, as it can interest anyone, from very young kids to adults.

The miniaturization effects didn't seem particularly advanced - I wasn't wowed by any technical advances I saw. But I would say that they were very imaginably used, making for some cute scenes that were refreshing. They were also carefully done, minimizing the "fakey" feel and letting you concentrate on the story.

The DVD version has a cool "making of The Borrowers" featurette that shows how the special effects were done, which is fun to watch after you've seen the movie.

Fun Adaptation of Norton Classic
I just had the opportunity to see the film The Borrowers starring John Goodman as the evil Mr. Potter. Overall the movie is fun and entertaining and it has been so long since I read the books that I can't be sure the weak points originate in the movie (although I believe they do).

The movie is based upon a series of books by Mary Norton about a race of small people who live in the cracks and walls of the world and are known for borrowing things from humans (or beings). The story centers around one borrower family who are the last of their kind in an old house. Their existence is threatened when the evil Mr. Potter sees to kicking out the being inhabitants in order to knock the house down. There then follows a series of adventures as borrowers and beings alike try to save the house from destruction.

The weak points in the movie concern anachronisms. For the most part the movie is set decades ago as in the books. But annoying anachronisms pop up such as a cellular phone and an in-door ice maker. Considering the vintage of the vehicles on the street these items really stand out. But despite the anachronisms the movie remains entertaining with some very good performances from Goodman and the rest of the cast.

Exelent
i think the film is fantastic i especialy like Raymond Pickard in this film and wish there were more pictures of him available. i think the film is funny and exciting. i have given this film five stars because it is unbelevably good.

Tiny little people,great adventure. 22nd april 2004.
A GREAT film for anyone. They are tiny and a boy rescues them. But when they fall out of the removal van, they go back to where they used to live and they get caught but the man who is there is dying to kill them. But all they do is borrow not steel, really they are friendly people but he the horrible man dosen't realise that. The boy is the only one out of his family that knows about them, he keeps it a secret he makes an excuse to get out of the van, but they just carry on driving. When he finally reaches his new house, he rides back to his old house to try and find them. The two kids and their 2 parents are split up from each other. He drives them to the old house as fast as possible to find their lost 2 kids. But they are only tiny people so they have to be very careful. And the adventure carries on great film.

The Borrowers
I really liked this movie. I thought it was very funny. It also had 2 cast members who where later in the 2nd Harry Potter movie. Tom Felton (a very young Tom) and the guy who played Mr. Weasley. He was the exterminator. There was one part that I thought was falling down funny. I won't say what it was but it had to do with Tom Felton. He must have been about 7 or 8 years old in this movie. His name was Peagreen Clock. ... Read more

Amazon.com

The BBC's lavish, glowingly designed adaptation of MervynPeake's eccentrically brilliant novels Titus Groan andGormenghast is a triumph of casting. Ian Richardson's Lear-likedepiction of the mad earl of a remote, vast, ritual-obsessed buildingis matched by the brutal pragmatism of Celia Imrie as his wife, thesynchronized madness of Zoë Wanamaker and Lynsey Baxter as his twinsisters, and the duplicitous charm of Jonathan Rhys-Meyers as Steerpike,the kitchen-boy determined to take over no matter how many deaths itcosts. John Sessions is surprisingly touching as Prunesquallor, thefamily doctor who realizes almost too late what Steerpike intends.

It is always tricky to film a book dear to the hearts of its admirers.Wilson and his design team achieve a look rather more pre-Raphaelitethan Peake's own illustrations--shabby velvets, garish sunlight, anddank, stone passages. The score by Richard Rodney Bennett is full ofattractive surprises--fanfares and waltzes and apotheoses--and JohnTavener's choral additions are plausibly parts of the immemorial ritualof Gormenghast. --Roz Kaveney ... Read more

Reviews (79)

An Austalian Peake Fan
When watching this I found myself constantly referring back to the novels to compare the characterisations with Peake's drawings. They were astonishingly close, especially Fuchsia and Flay, and the performances brought them to life brilliantly.

Such a grand story cannot ever be done justice in a TV version, but the BBC surpassed my expectations. Jonathon Rhys Meyers was eminently hatable, and Christopher Lee dominated his scenes. Old hands such as Warren Mitchell, Stephen Fry, Ian McKellen and Zoe Wannamaker brought their characters to life very much as I expected.

The production design was breathtaking, and I particularly appreciated the way the producers played with time and place to leave you unsure in the end exactly when Gormenghast was set.

Some reviewers appear to have objected to the film as presented in this version. I recommend buying the full anamorphic widescreen version available direct from the BBC. This DVD won an award for best use of DVD technology, and is fabulous. Great sound, proper structure of the story, and interesting special features. The BBC version is worth 5 stars.

A Great Adaptation
Whenever someone decides to make a movie adaptation of a book, fans of the book cringe. The tendency of directors to "adapt" the story line for the on screen version can often leave a bad taste in people's mouths. Luckily, Andy Wilson did a fantastic job staying true to the text. With no real story line changes and only a handful of noticeable omissions for the sake of time--remember it often takes Peake 50 pages to describe a 2 minute sequence--I think Peake would have been pleased.

The cast did an excellent job and I was thrilled by the performance of the actors. Steerpike, the Countess and Prunesqualler all shine in their depiction of the characters. The immensity of Gormenghast is wonderfully portrayed through the use of special effects.

Read the books first, and this movie will compliment them well.

Extremely well-done
This is an extremely well-done and COHERENT adaptation of the novels, which are not easy reading by any stretch of the imagination. Rhys-Meyers is probably too pretty to be Steerpike, but we shouldn't hold that against him; he did an excellent job. However, Celia Imrie was my favorite. At first I thought she was a man in drag, but she certainly sounded like a woman. Then I realized she was a woman in heavy makeup. (You can see her in CALENDAR GIRLS and realize that she's actually pretty attractive.) Great production values, music, et. al. Here,I think, is the ultimate compliment. When I saw this it was about 20 years since I had read the book, and the miniseries brought it all back to me.

Not Bad
I haven't read the books either, but decided to watch the series since it was highly recommended by a friend. I immediately found the cartoony look and silliness of the first episode offputting, but the series improved with each episode. In spite of the murders, the villain Steerpike still appears to be most fit to be ruler. After all, other great monarchs have killed to rise to power and maintain it. He's also the craftiest and most intelligent of the characters, almost all of whom are mad or incompetent. Evil is too strong a description for him -- I didn't see it as the worst thing that he would want to get rid of an incapable monarchy run by a doddering old man who didn't care for the poor. And his situation is sympathetic, since he doesn't get respect even when he ascends to high-ranking positions. Jonathan Rhys Meyers does a perfect job of playing him. The only one who comes close is the countess, who could have been a good ruler if she cared a little more about the city and less about her pets. In all, I think the series could have been excellent if it were a bit more serious.

Needs a decent DVD treatment
I'd give the BBC production 5 stars, but the DVD release only gets 1 star because they chopped a widescreen production down to pan and scan. They were probably trying to make Walmart happy, but it's a shoddy way to treat a piece of art. ... Read more

Reviews (16)

A mixed bag, but interesting
While certainly not a movie for those with ADD (who will be bored to tears with the bad editing and pacing), this literati thriller is fairly decent. I expected more of Terence Stamp's acting, but overall the film was well cast.

The film is in the vein of the literary thriller, like the Ninth Gate, or the recent book The Da Vinci Code, and combines the conspiracies of the Knights Templars (the Illuminati in this movie), Second Coming, and the Jesus & Mary Magdaline marriage.

Our heroes are the ex-con son of Terence Stamp's character and an alchemist that Stamp brings in to study an artifact with other experts. They slowly unveil the possible meanings of the artifact, which in turn leads to many deaths.

Throughout we are taken on a whirlwind tour of Europe's lesser known religious shrines in the quest to rediscover the artifact and learn of the conspiracy surrounding it. The movie culiminates in the birth of the Antichrist and the beginning of the End Days.

All in all, I found this movie to be interesting, but it was very flawed. The editing was shoddy, but the story and most of the acting was solid. If you're into conspiracies, alternative religion, alchemy, weird science, and intrigue, you may also like it.

A well made occult thriller.
Along similar lines to Umberto Eco's Foucault's Pendulum, and Dan Brown's The Da Vinci Code, comes this fascinating film about secret orders, sacred symbolism, The Knights Templar and the coming apocalypse. Ultimately this story is about the perpetual battle between good and evil. It is hinted in the film that 'a' secret order runs the planet, influencing every aspect of our culture from the highest hierarchies in government to the Vatican. The race is on to find a sacred relic that has existed since the death of Christ. What the relic actually is and the secrets it guards and the power it possesses, depending who owns it, will determine the future of our world.

In terms of actual production value, cinematography, direction, acting and real locations from England, France and the Greek islands, one couldn't hope for anything better. It is apparent that a good deal of money, work and time went into the making of this film, and it more than shows in the final product. This film, surprisingly, did not receive the fanfare that most films of this calibre do. Whether it is the film's subject matter that might well offend the more religiously orthodox movie-goer or simply the distributors didn't see it as a winner at the time of its release, your guess is as good as mine. Whatever the reason, Revelation is a good film, suspenseful, intriguing and realistic.

If you're that type of person who enjoys religious conspiracy theories and the occult, combined with a tight story line that intrigues as well as entertains, this is the movie to see. Three and a half stars.

Mind candy.
Revelation (Stuart Urban, 2001)

TV director Stuart Urban comes up with his second feature film. Generally mindless stuff, but topical and easily watchable enough to kill two hours with.

Magnus Martel (Terence Stamp) is a very rich man in possession of a very rare, in fact one of a kind, item; a holy relic called the Loculus. No one knows, exactly, what the Loculus is used for, but in the course of the opening scenes, we find out many people have died for it over this years, and that it came eventually to rest in the hands of the Knights Templar, led by a mysterious grand master played by Udo Kier (Suspiria, Shadow of the Vampire). In order to try and figure out what it's sued for, Martel calls in his estranged son Jake (James D'Arcy, recently seen in Master and Commander), a cryptographer, along with a team of other professionals. Except that somewhere along the way, it seems Magnus crossed the (still-alive after three hundred years) grand master, who's out to reclaim the Loculus.

The bulk of the film details Jake's attempts to find out where Magnus has hidden it, aided by Mira (Natasha Wightman of Gosford Park fame), another member of the team, and his old warrior-turned-priest friend Ray (Liam Cunningham, who showed up in the most recent Prime Suspect). All along the way, they have to dodge invisible Templars, the military, various packs of mad animals, and the like. Typical adventure fare, but with the religious twist recently popularized by books like The DaVinci Code. Will probably be forgotten in a few years, and deservedly; none of the ast here gives an outstanding performance, the writing is middle-of-the-road, etc. But as I said, if you've got a couple of hours to kill, there are worse ways to spend it. ** ½

Great movie for Dan Brown fans
Just saw this movie and thought it was outstanding. By coincidence, I had recently finished reading Dan Brown's novel "Angels & Demons." I was struck by the similar feel of the stories and heartily recommend this movie to anyone who has read the Robert Langdon novels by Dan Brown. If they ever get around to turning Dan Brown's books into movies, I don't think you could find a more perfectly suited director than Stuart Urban. Revelation shows he has a feel for the style and understanding of the content. Great flick!

Gnostic nonsense, but fun...
Udo Kier...False Prophet to Michael York's menacingly charismatic Anti-Christ in OMEGA CODE II...is back in action as reincarnated Black Adept leading his Masonic cult of very bad, bad guys on a Merry-Magdalene chase around the world after The Holy Grail. In this outing, the Grail is "Raiders of the Lost Ark"-like box,LOCULUS, constructed with spikes used to crucify Jesus. The good, bad and ulgy initiates believe these spikes are spiked with the Lord's DNA, and the sacred gene pool can be used to engineer an UBERMENSCH CLONE. The movie features Terence Stamp as (sort of)"Terry Mason" attempting to thwart unilluminated brothers from ushering in the Black Millenium superintented by Grand Master Kier and his custom-made Anti-Christ. James Darcy and Natasha Wightman...New Age witch whom we are led to believe, belives herself reincarnation of Mary Magdalene...are foot soldiers and tourist-guides unlocking ancient codes and astological/occult mysteries.Battle for Biblical End Times Truth ends on Patmos, the island where St.John(Jesus'youngest Apostle, one of three who stood vigil at the Crucifixion)mystically entranced, composed The Book of Revelation.

Viewers familiar with "The Da Vinci Code", DNA(er)Dan Brown's best-selling rehash of Magdalene Myth-as(incarnated & impregnated)Holy Grail will find end of this chase between forces of Black and White Magic(there's no Christianity here, folks)bogus.Director Stuart Urban has mounted a handsome-looking film with good FX; accessible plot pacing;and occasionally terrifying "grimness"(there are persecution/torture scenes DEMONstrating Udonic Mason's do mean business). But pay-off REVELATION is more ridiculous than Loculus thing-a-ma-jig they're hunting. If you're into the real stuff, Nikos Kazantzakis,THE LAST TEMPTATION at least plays by gnostic(heretical)rules. If you're not familiar with this kind of mythology, the movie's "hip" references to CIA; P-2; Michele Sidona and Vatican Bank scandal conspiracies, is confusion for sake of confusion. The movie...it has an hour of Extra DVD Features dealing with Knights Templar schemes for World Domination; Alchemy; and "sacred" geometry...takes itself very seriously. Don't you. Watch it unseriously (like an OMEGA CODE III).Then, this gnostic nonsense is PM monster-mash fun. ... Read more

Reviews (249)

"It's a kind of magic"
This movie is a real gem. I don't really understand why critics were so hard on it, much less do I understand why a few people here are insulting the movie itself (I know the DVD transfer was bad, so I relate to those people) or why the movie was so cheap, then again, the quality of the transfer of this movie would explain it. But this movie is excellent in all aspects. It's unique, and it unfortunately has had its glory destroyed by lousy sequels and TERRIBLE TV shows.

In terms of the acting, contrary to what other people claim here, Christopher Lambert's performance is first rate, and I think it a shame that he has subsequently appeared mostly in bad 1 1/2 star flicks and hasn't since had a real breakthrough in movies. Sean Connery adds real style to the movie with his acting, but it's a shame that he's in there for such a short time. Clancy Brown is as sinister as ever as Kurgan.

The visuals and effects are great by any standard and the swordfighting scenes are excellent

And WHO could possibly diss the rocking musical score by Queen? With such a strong opening theme ("Princes of the Universe") a truly emotional ballad ("Who Wants to Live Forever") and their smash hit single ("A Kind of Magic") just to name a few, you can't go wrong. If you learned about this movie just by being a Queen fan, and first watched the movie out of interest in their score (my situation), you're in for a real treat.

To fans of this movie who were disappointed by the latest transfer, My only suggestion is to wait a while for the Highlander Immortal Edition which will be released April 16, 2002. It promises better sound and picture quality, the uncensored Director's Cut, Commentary, and plenty of Queen material including music videos to their songs from this movie which are musical and visual masterpieces (I've seen them). Plus it's in anamorphic widescreen format, and anamorphic seems like a good way to go especially for a movie like this.

In any case, this movie is a winner and magic in it's strongest form. There can be only one.

There can be only one!
The wait is almost over! The first (and the best, as rated by most) movie in the Highlander saga is about to be released as a 2-disc set with completely new Dolby Digital and DTS audio mix and a much better video transfer. The previous DVD versions of the movie lacked the audio-visual quality, most dvd fans crave for. In fact, in my opinion the movie really deserved a good audio mix, for it is packed with some great music by Queen and I hope the new version contains an isolated music track as well!

The Immortal Edition will be packaged in a limited edition tin box, a feature Anchor Bay Entertainment is known for. With a second disc full of extras, this edition is a release no Highlander fan should miss.

"There can be only one", and it seems this is THE ONE!!

Enthralling Nonsense
That's about the only way to describe "Highlander." It's a B-movie in every sense yet has enough good in it to make it entertaining to watch. I guess that's why it became such a cult classic.

The story centers on a young Scotsman named Connor MacLeod who resides in New York City under a different name. Connor is actually one of the few men on Earth who have the special gift of immortality. These immortals can be killed if beheaded by another immortal and throughout the ages these elect men have been hunting each other down in the hopes of becoming the last immortal on Earth, which would give him a gift of high enlightenment, a gift that can be dangerous if in the wrong hands. Connor is on the run from an immortal goon, the Kurgan, who has been after him since the 1500's. It eventually comes down to Connor and the Kurgan as to who will be the one that receives the special gift.

Something that certainly doesn't work in favor of "Highlander"(and helps make it B-grade) is the fact that the movie has not aged very well. Compared to the action movies of today, this flick looks corny. The special effects are pretty cheesy and the whole production design feels outdated. The acting was, for the most part, not too memorable. Christopher Lambert doesn't do a good enough job of making his character of Connor MacLeod engaging. He makes for rather uninteresting hero. There were only two noteable performances I saw here. One was Sean Connery, who makes a nice little impression playing Ramirez, the man who first tutors Connor when he discovers that he's an immortal. But Connery only gets about 20 minutes of screen time and this hinders him from making a bigger impact. The other standout I saw was Clancy Brown, who plays the Kurgan. Brown makes his character the perfect bad guy giving him the "qualities" of vile, mean, and creepy. In short, he's a guy you wouldn't want to meet in a dark alley. I have to say that "Highlander" has quite an interesting concept. The idea of immortals hunting each other down to gain an ultimate power is nifty (if somewhat hokey) and director Russel Mulcahy executes it just well enough to make things entertaining, with the swordfights between the immortals becoming the highlight points.

Overall, I really can't say "Highlander" is a great film but at the same time, I can't dissuade you from seeing it either. Who knows? You, like many others, may have that "kind of magic" that will turn you on to this cult classic. The only way to know is to check it out and see what happens.

High level action and fantasy.
HIGHLANDER was undoubtedly among the best of the medieval/fantasy/Dungeons and Dragons sort of movies that proliferated in the 1980s. The choice of the brooding Christopher Lambert was perfect for the part of the Highlander, Conner MacLeod. There is a quiet intensity to his acting, and it works well here. Sean Connery, as his mentor and fellow-immortal, Ramirez strikes just the right balance of swashbuckling and seriousness. His acting is perfect. (So what else is new?)

For me, however, Clancy Brown's Kurgan steals the film. His physical features and bug-eyed grin are dead perfect! And his way over-the-top performance, at times, makes you a little afraid of his character, but he makes you laugh, as well. The confrontation between Kurgan and Conner in a church is a great balance of wit and tension.

The battles in Scotland, at the beginning of the film, and the mayhem in the streets of New York City at the end are priceless. My favorite moment: Kurgan steals a car and takes Conner's love interest for a ride. As he careens through the potholes and traffic, he quietly sings "New York, New York". Now I know where all our cabdrivers take their lessons from. HIGHLANDER is a great piece of quality mind candy that actually tackles some deep issues.

CLASSIC
This is a classic we should all have it ... Read more