Reviews (11)

Sweet childhood film
Quite simply, this is one of the best childhood films I have ever seen. It has so much continuity, integrity and lyricism in presenting its subject, a little boy, that the film becomes a sweet parable on maturity, idealism, love, affection and god knows what else. This is one of the most thoroughly satisfying movie experiences I have had, and the director, Steven (sex, lies and videotape) Soderbergh, knows the subject inside out (in fact, he adapted the movie for the screen). The hero is the viewer's vicarious link to the events of the 1930's, when this movie takes place, and his performance is one of the most unaffected child performances you are likely to enjoy. Look at the photography, listen to the music, enjoy this movie, because this is one of the few pictures that I've seen that evokes the period of its subject so completely, that immerses the viewer in its young hero's trivial ( or life- threatening) dilemmas with such deftness . This is a movie to be praised for its depth of discernment of that tumultuous time period when "half Missouri would work for fifty cents" END

An excellent film!
This is one on the finest films I have ever seen. And I am sure that many people can relate to the movie. Jesse Bradford does an excellent performance, and it's a shame that this film has not been given greater recognition.

A Surprising Gem
One of the more overlooked Steven Soderbergh movies, but perhaps one of the best, this little film wisely portrays an appealing and poignant coming-of-age story in a late-twenties America. Although the plot brings nothing new, this movie is still very well-crafted, suceeding in every element. The acting is uniformely great, the score is compelling, the directing is captivating and the colour texture of the scenes is memmorable. Soderbergh manages to tell a bitersweet tale, both funny and sad, remaining believable and true-to-life from beginning to end. The last scene in particular is an excellent mix between hapiness and melancholy, providing and adequate ambiguous resolution. Jesse Bradford is excellent as the confused smart kid in trouble, offering an honest and very convincing performance. Frankly, I think this movie is much better than some overrated films ..., the more well-known titles that turned Soderbergh into a big name director.

A solid cinematic experience.

a dvd that totally should be released!!!
I remember seeing this movie on STARZ when I was younger. I loved it so much. The way the characters were portrayed made me want to see it over again and again. After seeing the movie I found out my grandma had the book. It is also really good. I have been searching for this movie on dvd for a long time. I finally decided to search a query again on here and see that it is pending to be released.

The movie is both comical and dramatic. Aaron has to fend for himself while his mother is in an institution, his brother at camp, and his father is selling useless stuff during The Depression.

Aaron strives so hard to do the best he can and well I can't spoil the movie for everyone....SO RELEASE THE MOVIE ON DVD!!!

UNAPPRECIATED MASTERPIECE
A movie you won't forget (worth 6 stars!), about a little boy growing up in St. Louis during the Depression (only the movie is for adults). Experience the overwhelming poverty on a daily basis as Aaron struggles to stay alive. Quite an exciting runaway car scene. A youthful Adrien Brody plays a part, and the original novel is excellent reading. Probably Jesse's finest movie. Wish he would do more like this one. ... Read more

Description

Gary Sinise is "Give 'em Hell" Harry, a simple man of the people who became one of America's greatest presidents.Through victory in the second World War and the beginning of the Cold War, through the birth of the United Nations and his decision to drop the first atomic bomb, Harry Truman lived by the premise that "the buck stops here." ... Read more

Reviews (12)

Sinise is Brillant!
I have watched this movie many times and have always felt better for it. I have always had a great respect for President Truman. Mr.Sinise's performance was heart-warming & captivating. He brought the essence of the character to life. The movie transports the viewer to his time and does not let go until the end (which, I found myself wanting to know more of the Trumans, post-White House). Diana Scarwid's portrayal of Bess Truman conveyed that the man who made some very tough calls in a nation's darkest hours had a woman of steel behind him. He made decisions that were unpopular and yet necessary. "War is Hell". Our 33rd President did what he felt was right at the time. He is in my estimation one of the most under-appreciated US Presidents and important historical figures of the 20th Century.

WHO SAYS HISTORY ISN'T INTERESTING!
Film biography is very ticky business. Directors are often tempted to to make their subjects out to be over the top martyrs, or self- importent gods. Frank Pierson avoids that trap in this wonderful look at our 33rd president, Harry S. Truman. The Truman we see here, as brought to us by the always wonderful Gary Sinise, is a very flawed human being. He's not sure of everything, and he makes his share of mistakes. However, he is also an honest, inteligent man, who works hard to help our country, and becomes one of our greatest presidents.Pierson's attempt to make such an honest movie is commendable, as is his wonderful recreation of America in the first half of this century. Rural Missouri in the 1920's and Washington D.C. in the 1940's are brought to us effortlessly. It is a delight to see such informative and interesting portrayals of great men like Harry Truman coming out in recent years. It is importent that we as Americans know about the great men who have served our country, and what better a way then through the movies?

Gary Sinise does it again!
This DVD stars Gary Sinise as Harry S. Truman and covers his life from when he is a farmer, through marrying Bess, up until the time he leaves the White House. Gary is terrific as usual and when he gets going as the older Truman on the campaign trail, he is dynamic. Also stars Diana Scarwid as Bess, who is usually in campy movies such as playing Christina Crawford in Mommie Dearest, but she is also very endearing as Mrs. Truman. There are some very cute points, especially when the Truman's move into the White House, the "first house they have ever had alone" and Mrs. Truman comments about how dirty it is! Not to be missed! One minor flaw - there are NO special features on this DVD.

One Small Complaint...
The wardrobe researchers should have paid more attention to the military uniforms worn by the real-life personages herein portrayed, particularly Gens. Marshall and MacArthur. Aside from that, this is an interesting movie condensation that should prompt viewers into reading more biographical information about Harry Truman. He and Sam Rayburn appear to have been the last two honest and honorable Democrats who ever drew breath.

excellent
this movie was a great portrayal of a man who was a good leader thru difficult times,it seems like the presidents before and after had a difficult time, but not like harry truman. his decission to fire general macarthur, was probably
the worst decision he made, but generally his difficult decisions were for the best interest of the people he served ... Read more

Amazon.com

Masters in depicting the superficial machinations of England's repressed upper classes, director James Ivory and his partners, screenwriter Ruth Prawer Jhabvala and producer Ismail Merchant, take on the American middle class in Mr. and Mrs. Bridge. Paul Newman and wife Joanne Woodward play the eponymous main characters: a patriarch and wife of a well-to-do family, whose members are struggling to define themselves under their father's undefiable command and the changing times.

With one daughter who wants to become an actress in New York, another who chooses the "wrong" kind of man to marry, and a son who quits school to join the Air Force during World War II, Mr. Bridge finds that hiscontrol over his family is slipping. Spanning the 1930s and '40s, the film presents nuances in how both the dramatic and the smaller moments are woven together. Weddings and arguments are no more important to capturing the essence of the Bridge family then are their moments of daily reverie.

A quiet film that succeeds in establishing its characters' intimacy, with themselves and each other, Mr. and Mrs. Bridge owes much of that successto Woodward. While Newman doesn't always seem comfortable as the stern ruler of the Bridge household, Woodward steals the film as the long-suffering woman whose identity is precariously built on her ascribed roles as mother and wife, taken for granted and often overlooked by the family she truly loves. --Natasha Senjanovic ... Read more

Reviews (6)

TWO GREAT ACTORS CAN MAKE INTERESTING A CONVENTIONAL MOVIE.
"Mr. And Mrs. Bridge" stars Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward, playing a 1940 marriage. This is a conventional drama with excellent performances, the characters are nothing out of this world, they are a bunch of characters very similar to real life people, the story is not very original, it's just a bunch of rich people living a conventional life, but these two great actors carried on their shoulders the weight of an otherwise uninteresting movie, making "Mr. And Mrs. Bridge" an enjoyable movie.

Basically this is the story of the struggle between two generations, the iron hand discipline of a stiff father and the "rebellion" of his daughter and son who want to escape from the monotony of the life of their parents. And trapped in the middle is Mrs. Bridge, who even though she mostly obeys her husband, once in a while she likes to try new things to inject happiness to her life.

"Mr. And Mrs. Bridge" is an entertaining movie thanks to the performances of Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward.

Oh my God it's my Aunt Marjorie!
Anyone who is originally from the Midwest has a Mrs. Bridge in the family, maybe not as affluent, but just as dippy and helpless. Mrs. Bridge knows enough to resent vaguely her helplessness and the fact that Mr. Bridge makes all of her decisions for her. The viewer is sympathetic with her plight and starts to feel that Mr. Bridge is indeed being mean & unfair to her...but then Mrs. Bridge goes and does something that underscores her inability to cope for herself.

There were more scenes than I can count that just made me cringe, because I recognized my dippy Aunt Marjorie, again & again, in Mrs. Bridge. The spirit of Mrs. Bridge remains alive and well, even today.

This was a great character study of the two Bridges. The other members of the family, and some of the friends of the Bridges, are a bit fuzzier in their definition, but that is not all that important. This is a very engrossing movie in many respects.

2 thumbs up
If you are looking for violence, lots of sex and fast cars, wrong movie! But if you are looking for a thought provoking, tender, poignant and often funny story, you've hit the jackpot. I am running out of adjectives for my two favorite actors (Newman and Woodward ought to be declared America's royalty) They shine here. Much deserved Oscar nomination for Woodward and should have been one for Newman, who never ceases to amaze. Blythe Danner is a plus as well. I thouroughly enjoyed it.

A movie with memorable moments
This is one of those films with a lot of those "Memorable Moments" that you will remember years after viewing it. The scene where Mr. Bridge refuses to let a dangerous storm spoil his dinner. The hotel bedroom scene where Mr. and Mrs. Bridge find themselves sleeping akwardly in front of a mirror. The scene where Mr. Bridge takes Mrs. Bridge to a cabaret in France filled with scantily clad women doing the Can-Can and the priceless look that Mrs. Bridge has on her face.

It's about two traditional people thrust into a new world filled with free thinkers and sexual awakenings and the honest, but humerous reactions as they try to deal with it all. Everytime I watch this film I'm suprised at what I didn't catch before, and even the scenes I remember always seem to catch me off guard.

The humor comes from the humanity within the two main characters, and it's often more funny than the best comedies you will ever watch.

Highly recommended!

Newman and Woodward Equally Wonderful
I don't know why so many people always give short shrift to Paul Newman when he appears with his wife, Joanne Woodward, in a film. They are both stunning actors at the peak of their acting powers in this movie. There really is no need to compare and contrast perfection itself. Merchant-Ivory is wonderful at handling the upper classes, whether they be British or American, in London, or, in this case, Kansas City, in the 1930s and 1940s. What stands out most vividly to me is that Mr. Bridges' heart condition is really not treatable back then. We are so used to heart surgery now, that life lived with a heart condition back in the 1930s and 1940s is forgotten as being an entirely different situation. The movie is about this couple and their extended family and the crises they weather. This, however, is basically what every Merchant-Ivory film is about and this one covers every nuance within the Bridges' family's structure and behavior. I really love the beautiful body of film work by Merchant-Ivory and I'm really glad that some of it is American, set in our heartland, with the cream of our acting crop. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

The Dining Room, PBS Great Performances
This Great Performances work from PBS takes place in the dining room of a grand home. The six actor emsemble play multiple roles in a series of vignettes which address the passing of a way of life that is priveledged and traditional.

The play is a poignant interplay between parents, sons and daughters, inlaws and friends and addresses changing social mores all within the context of the dining room. It is a stunning performance and will bring nostalgic memories to anyone who grew up among a tradition of formal dining, strict etiquette, and social directives. The play illustrates the glory and the pettiness that comes from wealth and privelege.

I recommend it highly. ... Read more

Reviews (14)

A serious movie reflecting a sick period in our history
Of the "ism's" that we have had very few was worse than McCarthyism that took place in the late 1940's and early 1950's. After ruining careers and lives ruthlessly of people in many different areas but particularly in the entertainment business he was finally censured, lost his seat in the Senate and died. There are some of us that still celebrate the anniversary of Joe McCarthy's death.

The movie is a somewhat dark comedy. Woody Allen is the only person in real life in the movie who was not affected by the infamous blacklist that ruined so many careers and even caused some to die. The role that the late Zero Mostel had shows how he(also blacklisted in real life) kills himself after not being able to find work.

Woody does not play the typical schlep as in so many of his other films. Rather, at the end, he finally expresses (censored on television) his exact feelings to the HUAC members and is last seen being taken off to prison. Yes, there are some funny moments for example, when he is asked to change a script at the last moment and has to depend on some rather interesting methods of doing so.

For those who did not live through those dark days and who are not familiar this "ism" this is one avenue to look at and learn just how bad things were. The sad thing is that this movie is simply not shown enough to remind us of all of that.

Mostel Showcase
The screen time may belong to Woody Allen, but the movie belongs to Zero Mostel. Few actors are more improbable than the artfully bulky Mostel, whose round head, tiny snub nose and large expressive eyes resemble a cartoon more than an actual person. Yet his range is phenomenal. Watch the breadth as he slyly tries to work around head witch-hunter Francis Hennesee, or comically greets the diminutive Allen, or explodes in eye-popping rage at the Borscht-belt proprietor who cheats him. His metaphorical loss in the film mirrors the very real loss film-goers suffered during his years of blacklist. And it's to Allen's credit that he generously showcases this prodigious talent in what would be Mostel's last film.

The movie itself handles the blacklist of the 1950's with a congenial light touch. Allen is perfect as the nebbish who fronts for his screenwriter pals, and it's fun to watch him puff up and fluff out as the spotlight shifts abruptly his way. As expected, there are many amusing Allen bits scattered throughout. Even the romantic angle with Marcovicci works nicely into Allen's character as he evolves through the story-line, ending in a perceptive example of the old "worm turns" plot twist. All in all, this 1976, Martin Ritt film amounts to an amusing look at a dark period in American civil liberties, made unusually memorable by the sublime presence of the unforgettable Zero Mostel.

Biased but important reminder of a dark time
I suppose first up, given some of the comments here, that it's worthwhile acknowledging that communism was a threat to the United States and the West in the 1950s, and that the CPUSA played a subversive role in supporting the foreign policy interests of the Soviet Union. How culpable were the one-time communist sympathisers in Hollywood is another matter entirely, however, and the crudity and narrow-mindedness of McCarthy was unworthy of a democratic nation.
That the real danger of Soviet-style communism (both to the Americanist flagwavers and the progressive liberals and workers who understandably despised both the right and the CPUSA left) doesn't come across in this film is perhaps understandable: the personal hurt felt by all those who made it may over-ride their own sense of complicity. Unfortunate, but there you are. And it is a comedy.
As for the film itself, Allen is brilliant as Howard Prince, although once again, he seems to be playing Woody. The real star, however, is Mostel, whose bravura performance throughout puts you through the wringer with him.

The ending is ambiguous - his testimony before HUAC is supposedly carefully planned by him (without his counsel's knowledge), but instead Woody playing Woody (ie. with all the nervous tics and unfinished, stuttering sentences) gives the perhaps misleading impression that he's floundering, and therefore can leave viewers wondering whether his rebuke to the system was a political statement or merely a desperate outburst from one who was outwitted by a group of professionals.
Nevertheless, the film is v. enjoyable.

Great movie, short on features
It is always interesting to watch an old movie about an older time. This 1976 examination of the McCarthy-era serves a couple of purposes. At a time when the cold war was focusing on East Asia, the time was right for a re-examation of the excesses of the 50s lest they fade from memory (something that still applies to today). We start off during the opening credits with newsreel scenes from 1952: Joltin' Joe DiMaggio, frontlines from the Korean War, Marilyn Monroe getting her star on Hollywood Blvd, the Rosenbergs being carted off to their execution, new cars, new homes complete with bomb shelters, etc. But the movie focusus on the blacklisitng of writers, directors, and actors in entertainment; specifically at NBC television. The details and the methodology of the blacklist are exact and don't involve a lot of exposition. Halfway through the film, you get a fairly complete picture of how the blacklist worked.

The movie is also a good old-fashioned "Screw You!". The film was written by a blacklisted writer (who is obviously drawing from his own experience), directed by a blacklisted director and is populated (not exclusively) by blacklisted actors. The actors who were blacklisted get their own titles in the closing credits.

And thirdly, (and most importantly) the movie is good entertainment. Amateur bookie Harold Prince, described by his brother as "a lowlife bum", cares about two things: making money with as little effort as possible and getting laid. He has no apparent talent and no political convictions. Prince's lifelong buddy Al Miller (played by Mike "Jack Tanner" Murphy) has problems of his own: despite award-winning work, he can't get a job writing because word is out that he marched in a May Day parade. Al makes a proposition. He writes the stuff, Harold submits it, and Harold gets to keep 10% of the money.

By his own admission, Harold knows nothing and cares nothing about politics or the blacklist. ("Why don't you just sue someone?" he asks). But he doesn't protest: this is easy money, he takes it. When it works, he takes on more writers and finds himself getting both more easy money and more tail than he would have imagined; but as he starts to realize some of the bigger issues at stake, he very slowly (VERY slowly) starts developing a conscience.

The humor comes from Prince, trying horribly to fake being a writer. The producers of the TV shows he writes for love him because he doesn't act like a writer. As he becomes more popular, he keeps trying to play it cool with varying results. He finds himself getting very used to success and keeps thinking he can just finesse his way out of whatever problems come up. There are also some priceless scenes with the writers he fronts for as he keeps needing to be reminded that he's not the talented one.

Special paragraph for people who hate Woody Allen:
Don't let that stop you from seeing this. It is not "A Woody Allen Movie." (aka "Movie about being neurotic in New York") Woody Allen plays Prince. He doesn't write, he doesn't direct, he even tones down the uber-nebbish character he usually plays. With everything that's come up about Allen since 1975, it is easy to forget that the guy can be very, very funny.

But even though Woody is the lead, Zero Mostel (in one of his last films) is the star of this picture. In a couple of scenes we watch him go from top-of-the-world everybody-loves-me, to I've-had-a-setback-but-they-still-love-me, to deep despair. This is made particularly poignent since it parallels Mostel's own career. Even if you don't know Mostel's story (he came up through vaudeville and when he was discharged for disability, spent the rest of the war with the USO entertaining the troops, became a huge splash in Hollywood then couldn't work for 10 years when a producer turned his name over the the House of Un-American Committee and Mostel refused to implicate any of his colleagues in the entertainment industry) his peformance is incredible to watch. You go from hating the guy, to loving him, to pitying him. His emotions really run the gamut.

If there's one negative, it is that the DVD has NO features at all. If a flick ever cried out for a special edition, this is it.

So give it a rent when you've got a free night. Its got everything: humor, sex, political intrigue, nostalgia, Danny Aiello as a guy selling fruit, Andrea Marcovicci's film debut, and other historical importance.

One of the best films ever made about the showbiz blacklist
Woody Allen stars in this sharp political satire, in which a schleppy, low-life bookie is enlisted by an old friend to act as his "front," so that the friend -- a socially progressive Hollywood screenwriter -- can circumvent the Korean War-era anti-Communist blacklist. Allen is great in his role, projecting his nebbish image onto the Howard Prince character, in a fine turn that makes you wish he'd taken on more acting roles outside of his own films. Zero Mostel also stars, poignantly, as Hecky Brown, a TV comedian who also runs afoul of the censors -- Mostel's tragic role is made infinitely more moving by the fact that he himself actually was blacklisted in the 'Fifties, as were the film's director, Martin Ritt, the screenwriters and several of the other participants, many of whom star as characters in the film. Their firsthand experience with the cruelty and absurdity of this dark era in showbiz history comes through loud and clear, as they skewer the suits and sleazes who had ruined their careers decades earlier. The film's drama and comedy are not sacrificed to the political message, however, and this is a thoroughly entertaining, emotionally moving film. Highly recommended! ... Read more

Amazon.com

Actor-director Griffin Dunne made his filmmaking debut with this ethically ambiguous and not-very-funny movie about a pair of jilted lovers (Meg Ryan and Matthew Broderick) who conspire to break up a relationship between their ex-sweethearts (Tchéky Karyo and Kelly Preston). Part classic screwball comedy, part nightmare along the lines of Martin Scorsese's After Hours (in which Dunne starred), part tribute to Hitchcock's Rear Window, Addicted to Love is all over the map and seriously hampered by the sheer, unwarranted nastiness aimed at the innocent characters played by Karyo and Preston. The DVD release includes production notes, original theatrical trailer, optional widescreen and standard formats, and optional French and Spanish soundtracks. --Tom Keogh ... Read more

Reviews (34)

Addicted to Revenge
ADDICTED TO LOVE is fairly entertaining and if one has experienced love lost as what is demonstrated in this film, it is a flat out funny revenge flick. Some have called it too dark to be a romantic comedy and that the two leads Meg Ryan and Matthew Broderick were miscast. Also, stereotypically, a Frenchman is used as a villianous girl-stealing cad (i.e. UNFAITHFUL). Sam(Broderick)is a New England astonomer whose girlfriend Linda,(Kelly Preston) goes to New York City for a new teaching job and sends him a "dear John" letter. Frantic, he heads to New York City and ends up occupying an abandoned loft across the street from her apartment to spy on her and her new boyfriend Anton Depeaux (Tchéky Karyo), a French restaurateur. Sam uses his knowledge of Astronomy equipment to project the activity of Linda's apartment onto a wall in the abandoned loft. Maggie (Ryan) who is the jilted girlfriend of Anton, uncovers and crashes Sam's stakeout, moves in to the loft and adds sound to his pictures with sound surveillance equipment. At first they don't know what to make of each other, but when they find out they have a common goal, they form an alliance. Then they plot (successfully) schemes to discredit Anton. Not much or nothing at all is done to Linda. A hilarious sequence early on is when Sam uses his skills as an astronomer to record and chart the habits and quirks of the relationship between Linda and Anton to predict their eventual breakup. This was clever but short lived because it never happens. Each scheme brings Anton and Linda closer together to the frustration of Sam and Maggie who in turn become closer to each other and eventually they fall in love. Also, one scheme is lifted from VICTOR/VICTORIA (the old cockroach-in-the-restaurant-causing-mass-hysteria trick). Director Griffin Dunne (AN AMERICAN WEREWOLF IN LONDON)who is known for quirky roles was perfect for the material and perhaps this film could have been directed by someone like Ben Stiller. The casting of Broderick and Ryan playing against type makes the film interesting. They have made a career of playing likeable people so one can suspend disbelief and sympathize with their characters, no matter how destructive their revenge plots are. Overall, a film saved by the onscreen chemistry and personas of Broderick and Ryan that overtakes the dark undertones of a so-called romantic film.

Meg and Matthew visit the Dark Side
Matthew Broderick and Meg Ryan are gifted comic actors, and they are entertaining in this dark comedy. While the characters begin the movie in a plot for revenge against their former lovers, their ridiculous and immoral plans explode. While the romance makes light of a serious problem (stalking), the movie itself is more sweet than bitter because of the characters' insights, failures, and romance. Neither Broderick's nor Ryan's best film, but definitely enjoyable if you are in the mood for a biting look at love.

Human
I loved this movie. I believe that it reflects the way that these four very different people react to having their hearts broken. It is so easy to judge people based on how they appear and this movie gives us pause. Very few movies can give us such insight without being depressing, yet this one leaves you feeling good.

Meg Ryan attemps to be tough, Broderick is bland.
Personally this is my least favorite movie starring Meg Ryan. Meg does really good playing the tough biker girl, but the movie has a hard time catching up with her in every aspect. The acting is not very good on the exception of Meg. Matthew Broderick is very boring, bland, and overall bad. The plot is unrealistic, and all in all is only good to watch one time. One thumb down, and one thumb up for this movie. Sorry.

2 maybe 3 stars. 4th may 2004.
Although it looks quite good by looking at the box, it isn't one of my best movies. I would say i enjoyed this film as little as babe2, even though they are comletely different. It is one of them slow movies about a woman[kelly preston] who dosen't really act in it much, and she goes away leaving her love of her life behind. He makes a friend[meg ryan]and i think he falls in love with her[must admit haven't seen it all the way through]but it is sooooooo borin if you don't like meg ryan. Like me. ... Read more

Reviews (11)

A Brat Pack Movie
I must admit that this movie was one of the typical 'Brat Pack' movies. Rob Lowe and Andrew McCarthy are wonderful as two teenagers who are completely different. Skip (Lowe) comes from a very wealthy family and is expected to go to Harvard after finishing up at his prep school, Vernon Acadamy. Jonathan (McCarthy) on the other hand, comes from the city and is in the Middle-Class. He is not as 'smoothe' as Skip and learns the hard way how to get a woman.

The climax of the story is when Jonathan meets Skip's family. He has no idea that the woman with whom he has been sleeping with is Skip's mother! The reaction of the two is great.

This movie is filled with comedy, light drama, and minimal violence. It's fun to watch, even though it is a bit dated. For me though, seeing a young Rob Lowe was the thrill!

First exposure to the physical acts of love and enjoyed it!!
I remember when, at the age of 12, my babysitter(who strikingly resembled Catherine Mary Stewart)let me watch this film with her about a young college student who had an affair with his roommate's beautiful mother. Having been exposed to the act of lovemaking, ... physical love, or however people describe the emotional and physical act, I was impressed with how the film turned out. It may have an '80's version of the 1967 film The Graduate, but it was a joy to watch. British actress Jacqueline Bisset not only radiates her beauty, but she also radiates someone who is sad, if not depressed. Andrew McCarthy (in his first role) does an excellent job of playing a young man who changes from a nerd type to a suave and debonair ladies man. This film was, in many ways, one of the brat pack films, and starred many actors from that era who were just getting started in the industry. Not only are the ... love scenes between Andrew and Jacqueline convincing, they are beautiful and moving. The rest of the film is also enjoyable to watch. If you enjoyed the era of the 1980's and older, beautiful, and sophisticated women characters, then you'll enjoy this hilarious, if not moving film.

*Andrew McCarthy stated in an interview that he must have been doing something right when he was offered the role. This was after he had filmed his love scenes with Jacqueline Bisset.

*As always, rumors of the love scenes between the two indicated that they were real and not just acting.

Excellent
I was a bit apprehensive about this movie when I bought the DVD. Already there were so many movies dealing with Oedipus complex. But this movie is a great one and class apart from many others dealing with on this subject.

The plot looked natural and the acting was good. Not only Bisset (from whom good acting is a natural expectation) but the others too. Even the sex scenes were not graphic, leaving a lot to imagination...that distinguished the movie from a mere sex flick.

Its worth buying this moview

Not Bad But Not Great
This film is basically a teen comedy about life in a prep school, with a little drama thrown in related to the pressure put on the kids by the school and by their parents. Its main focus is the romantic and sexual fantasies of the students, mainly playboy Rob Lowe and nice-guy Andrew McCarthy. There's a little of "The Graduate" in here and a little "Dead Poets Society" as well, but those are both superior films. I enjoyed watching "Class" and do not dislike it; I just am less impressed with it than others seem to be. It's nice, generally shallow, teen fluff. If you're looking for a light way to pass a dreary afternoon, this might be just the ticket.

Lots of fun.
Class is really class. A bit of comedy, a bit of sexual fantasy and the fun & pressure of studying in a high class prep school are beautifully interwoven. I like the ending when the guys laugh off thier stupidity. Jackie Bisset is gorgeous as usual. I've liked this movie ever since the first time I saw it. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Maybe I Am Easily Pleased
I just watched this movie again last night, having watched it before when it was first released. My motive for writing this review is to add one positive contribution to this collection of downward pointing thumbs.

Well, yes, it is sort of an ordinary cloak and dagger film, but I enjoyed seeing a female lead character who was gutsy, a lady who didn't follow the stereotype of the ankle sprainer who has to lean on the big strong man for protection. Actually it is a good thing that Kelly McGillis isn't prone to ankle injuries, because she certainly does a lot of running in this flick. She just seems to be in a hurry wherever she goes, and trots along at a good clip even when she isn't being chased. Sometimes I felt I was watching another version of Run Lola Run.

Anyway the time period is the Joe McCarthy era, and Kelly loses her job because she refuses to name names to Congress. By chance she discovers some strange happenings that indicate maybe there are some ex (current?) Nazis inflitrating her pleasant neighborhood. Well the FBI is involved, too, and the chase is on. Evil people flit in and out, and surprises happen when people open doors.

Admittedly the tale is sort of muted Hitchcock, and not particularly exceptional in its plot, but I found it to be a pleasant thriller to watch. I must also confess that I was mesmerized by Ms McGillis's breathtaking beauty. She was about 30 when this movie was made, and, gosh, I just fell in love with her.

Disappointing
I agree with the Leonard Maltin review. This starts off well, but becomes a very ordinary, unexciting melodrama, that tries to have some Hitchcock tension, but it doesn't work very well. Towards the end of the film, I was muttering, "what a waste of time."

The reviewer Peter(can't remember the rest of his or her name) should have his or her review REMOVED, for revealing too much of the plot of the film. I'd write to Peter, if there were an e-mail address. Do NOT reveal too much about plot details. It's nice to be surprised when you see a film, Peter.

For the price, a best buy at 3 ½ stars
Though the Australian reviewer's comments are too harsh, they are entertaining with some points well-taken. But this reviewer would move the overall rating up to 3 ½ stars out of 5 possible.

Having purchased the DVD and seen it without any preconceptions or prior reviews, this reviewer was pleasantly satisfied: not a classic film, but quite entertaining, keeping one on the edge of the seat pretty much throughout. There is never a dull moment, but not overly so as is too often the case in today's hyperactive and mindless 'action and adventure' flicks. This film was definitely not written by 13-year-olds for 13-year-olds and contains a lot of well-presented material. Kelly McGillis gives a credible performance as a balanced and generally level-headed woman being persecuted by governmental agencies. Her portrayal is not the weepy, hysterical and too-vulnerable type that can find its way into films like this. Mandy Patinkin does well as a chilling, oily and thoroughly corrupted and unscrupulous politician/attorney (or whatever) with too much power in the wrong places. Jessica Tandy is good in what few scenes she has; too bad she couldn't have had a more central role.

As to the production values, the film is the letterboxed theatrical presentation at 1.66:1 (as stated on the case, and this seemed about right.) The picture, for a 1988 film, while not exceptional, is mostly clear, though with suggestions of fuzziness for purists. Overall, the image is on the dark side and there is some loss of detail in deep shade scenes, though not annoyingly so. Color fidelity of details in some scenes struck this reviewer as almost exceptionally good. The Dolby Digital mono sound is strong and clean.

There are no annoying advertising impositions or preliminary and unrelated material to try to get around (something becoming increasing annoying in many new DVD releases, sometimes necessitating drastic action to curtail!) The DVD is well-packaged in a quality case. If you like a thriller in the Hitchcock vein with reasonable and well-restrained message content that doesn't get in the way of the story, this DVD is a good buy for the price, and recommended.

who's in the house
This Peter Yates directed thriller was written by Walter Bernstein, who had been blacklisted in the McCarthy era, and had written about it for The Front. Here Bernstein takes his anti-McCarthy paranoia one step further by suggesting that Roy Cohn tried to illegally smuggle former Nazis into America, posing them under the name of dead Jews. Yates' underrated skill manages to overcome this somewhat far-fetched premise, providing a woman in peril drama with various Hitchcock-ian setpieces - a wedding reception, a church, a bookshop, a theatre, and the climax at Grand Central Terminal. He also attempts a romance between the woman targetted by the FBI and an FBI agent who feels guilty about her harassment. While the romance is aided by the score by Georges Delerue, and Jeff Daniels is acceptable, if a bit comically light, to play the male lead, Yates has more trouble with Kelly McGillis as the woman. In spite of her skill, McGillis isn't a romantic actress. No matter how effectively she is styled for the period, she lacks vulnerability so that we never feel she will be defeated. Pauline Kael memorably compared McGillis to Charlton Heston. Yates partially compensates by having her silent and on the run, but when in one scene she is naked in the bath being menaced by Mandy Patinkin as the Roy Cohn figure, while she acts vulnerable, it's not truthful. Patinkin playing his menace with musical comedy timing doesn't help either. Perhaps if he sang to her in his terrifying falsetto, McGillis would be truthfully frightened. Jessica Tandy appears briefly as a woman McGillis is paid to read to, and I was disappointed that Bernstein found no way to bring her further into the plot. Even the Carroll Street house (though I don't recall hearing the name Carroll Street ever mentioned) is disposed of quickly. And Patinkin has an odd speech where he demonstrates the logic of his shenanigans by splashing ketchup on a white tablecloth. The Grand Central climax is handled awkwardly when everyone is climbing the belfry (why do people being pursued always go up and no down?!), but Yates comes off better with a chase in a bookshop, and the wedding reception, with Daniels and McGillis dancing and spying. It's a pity Bernstein decided to take on this comic book style approach to an abhorrent moral and political time in history. You would think that someone who was blacklisted would not pander to such a base Hollywood aesthetic. McCarthy was scary enough without making him and his pals neo-Nazis. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Absolutely informative, and interesting to the point of joy.
This movie had all the good points of a well made documentary, it was informative, and told as close to the truth that the story might be told. I was very pleased to see that nothing was left out in the contraversial issues. I loved this movie and I am pleased to say I own this movie! ... Read more

Reviews (6)

TWO GREAT ACTORS CAN MAKE INTERESTING A CONVENTIONAL MOVIE.
"Mr. And Mrs. Bridge" stars Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward, playing a 1940 marriage. This is a conventional drama with excellent performances, the characters are nothing out of this world, they are a bunch of characters very similar to real life people, the story is not very original, it's just a bunch of rich people living a conventional life, but these two great actors carried on their shoulders the weight of an otherwise uninteresting movie, making "Mr. And Mrs. Bridge" an enjoyable movie.

Basically this is the story of the struggle between two generations, the iron hand discipline of a stiff father and the "rebellion" of his daughter and son who want to escape from the monotony of the life of their parents. And trapped in the middle is Mrs. Bridge, who even though she mostly obeys her husband, once in a while she likes to try new things to inject happiness to her life.

"Mr. And Mrs. Bridge" is an entertaining movie thanks to the performances of Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward.

Oh my God it's my Aunt Marjorie!
Anyone who is originally from the Midwest has a Mrs. Bridge in the family, maybe not as affluent, but just as dippy and helpless. Mrs. Bridge knows enough to resent vaguely her helplessness and the fact that Mr. Bridge makes all of her decisions for her. The viewer is sympathetic with her plight and starts to feel that Mr. Bridge is indeed being mean & unfair to her...but then Mrs. Bridge goes and does something that underscores her inability to cope for herself.

There were more scenes than I can count that just made me cringe, because I recognized my dippy Aunt Marjorie, again & again, in Mrs. Bridge. The spirit of Mrs. Bridge remains alive and well, even today.

This was a great character study of the two Bridges. The other members of the family, and some of the friends of the Bridges, are a bit fuzzier in their definition, but that is not all that important. This is a very engrossing movie in many respects.

2 thumbs up
If you are looking for violence, lots of sex and fast cars, wrong movie! But if you are looking for a thought provoking, tender, poignant and often funny story, you've hit the jackpot. I am running out of adjectives for my two favorite actors (Newman and Woodward ought to be declared America's royalty) They shine here. Much deserved Oscar nomination for Woodward and should have been one for Newman, who never ceases to amaze. Blythe Danner is a plus as well. I thouroughly enjoyed it.

A movie with memorable moments
This is one of those films with a lot of those "Memorable Moments" that you will remember years after viewing it. The scene where Mr. Bridge refuses to let a dangerous storm spoil his dinner. The hotel bedroom scene where Mr. and Mrs. Bridge find themselves sleeping akwardly in front of a mirror. The scene where Mr. Bridge takes Mrs. Bridge to a cabaret in France filled with scantily clad women doing the Can-Can and the priceless look that Mrs. Bridge has on her face.

It's about two traditional people thrust into a new world filled with free thinkers and sexual awakenings and the honest, but humerous reactions as they try to deal with it all. Everytime I watch this film I'm suprised at what I didn't catch before, and even the scenes I remember always seem to catch me off guard.

The humor comes from the humanity within the two main characters, and it's often more funny than the best comedies you will ever watch.

Highly recommended!

Newman and Woodward Equally Wonderful
I don't know why so many people always give short shrift to Paul Newman when he appears with his wife, Joanne Woodward, in a film. They are both stunning actors at the peak of their acting powers in this movie. There really is no need to compare and contrast perfection itself. Merchant-Ivory is wonderful at handling the upper classes, whether they be British or American, in London, or, in this case, Kansas City, in the 1930s and 1940s. What stands out most vividly to me is that Mr. Bridges' heart condition is really not treatable back then. We are so used to heart surgery now, that life lived with a heart condition back in the 1930s and 1940s is forgotten as being an entirely different situation. The movie is about this couple and their extended family and the crises they weather. This, however, is basically what every Merchant-Ivory film is about and this one covers every nuance within the Bridges' family's structure and behavior. I really love the beautiful body of film work by Merchant-Ivory and I'm really glad that some of it is American, set in our heartland, with the cream of our acting crop. ... Read more

Reviews (11)

A Brat Pack Movie
I must admit that this movie was one of the typical 'Brat Pack' movies. Rob Lowe and Andrew McCarthy are wonderful as two teenagers who are completely different. Skip (Lowe) comes from a very wealthy family and is expected to go to Harvard after finishing up at his prep school, Vernon Acadamy. Jonathan (McCarthy) on the other hand, comes from the city and is in the Middle-Class. He is not as 'smoothe' as Skip and learns the hard way how to get a woman.

The climax of the story is when Jonathan meets Skip's family. He has no idea that the woman with whom he has been sleeping with is Skip's mother! The reaction of the two is great.

This movie is filled with comedy, light drama, and minimal violence. It's fun to watch, even though it is a bit dated. For me though, seeing a young Rob Lowe was the thrill!

First exposure to the physical acts of love and enjoyed it!!
I remember when, at the age of 12, my babysitter(who strikingly resembled Catherine Mary Stewart)let me watch this film with her about a young college student who had an affair with his roommate's beautiful mother. Having been exposed to the act of lovemaking, ... physical love, or however people describe the emotional and physical act, I was impressed with how the film turned out. It may have an '80's version of the 1967 film The Graduate, but it was a joy to watch. British actress Jacqueline Bisset not only radiates her beauty, but she also radiates someone who is sad, if not depressed. Andrew McCarthy (in his first role) does an excellent job of playing a young man who changes from a nerd type to a suave and debonair ladies man. This film was, in many ways, one of the brat pack films, and starred many actors from that era who were just getting started in the industry. Not only are the ... love scenes between Andrew and Jacqueline convincing, they are beautiful and moving. The rest of the film is also enjoyable to watch. If you enjoyed the era of the 1980's and older, beautiful, and sophisticated women characters, then you'll enjoy this hilarious, if not moving film.

*Andrew McCarthy stated in an interview that he must have been doing something right when he was offered the role. This was after he had filmed his love scenes with Jacqueline Bisset.

*As always, rumors of the love scenes between the two indicated that they were real and not just acting.

Excellent
I was a bit apprehensive about this movie when I bought the DVD. Already there were so many movies dealing with Oedipus complex. But this movie is a great one and class apart from many others dealing with on this subject.

The plot looked natural and the acting was good. Not only Bisset (from whom good acting is a natural expectation) but the others too. Even the sex scenes were not graphic, leaving a lot to imagination...that distinguished the movie from a mere sex flick.

Its worth buying this moview

Not Bad But Not Great
This film is basically a teen comedy about life in a prep school, with a little drama thrown in related to the pressure put on the kids by the school and by their parents. Its main focus is the romantic and sexual fantasies of the students, mainly playboy Rob Lowe and nice-guy Andrew McCarthy. There's a little of "The Graduate" in here and a little "Dead Poets Society" as well, but those are both superior films. I enjoyed watching "Class" and do not dislike it; I just am less impressed with it than others seem to be. It's nice, generally shallow, teen fluff. If you're looking for a light way to pass a dreary afternoon, this might be just the ticket.

Lots of fun.
Class is really class. A bit of comedy, a bit of sexual fantasy and the fun & pressure of studying in a high class prep school are beautifully interwoven. I like the ending when the guys laugh off thier stupidity. Jackie Bisset is gorgeous as usual. I've liked this movie ever since the first time I saw it. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Maybe I Am Easily Pleased
I just watched this movie again last night, having watched it before when it was first released. My motive for writing this review is to add one positive contribution to this collection of downward pointing thumbs.

Well, yes, it is sort of an ordinary cloak and dagger film, but I enjoyed seeing a female lead character who was gutsy, a lady who didn't follow the stereotype of the ankle sprainer who has to lean on the big strong man for protection. Actually it is a good thing that Kelly McGillis isn't prone to ankle injuries, because she certainly does a lot of running in this flick. She just seems to be in a hurry wherever she goes, and trots along at a good clip even when she isn't being chased. Sometimes I felt I was watching another version of Run Lola Run.

Anyway the time period is the Joe McCarthy era, and Kelly loses her job because she refuses to name names to Congress. By chance she discovers some strange happenings that indicate maybe there are some ex (current?) Nazis inflitrating her pleasant neighborhood. Well the FBI is involved, too, and the chase is on. Evil people flit in and out, and surprises happen when people open doors.

Admittedly the tale is sort of muted Hitchcock, and not particularly exceptional in its plot, but I found it to be a pleasant thriller to watch. I must also confess that I was mesmerized by Ms McGillis's breathtaking beauty. She was about 30 when this movie was made, and, gosh, I just fell in love with her.

Disappointing
I agree with the Leonard Maltin review. This starts off well, but becomes a very ordinary, unexciting melodrama, that tries to have some Hitchcock tension, but it doesn't work very well. Towards the end of the film, I was muttering, "what a waste of time."

The reviewer Peter(can't remember the rest of his or her name) should have his or her review REMOVED, for revealing too much of the plot of the film. I'd write to Peter, if there were an e-mail address. Do NOT reveal too much about plot details. It's nice to be surprised when you see a film, Peter.

For the price, a best buy at 3 ½ stars
Though the Australian reviewer's comments are too harsh, they are entertaining with some points well-taken. But this reviewer would move the overall rating up to 3 ½ stars out of 5 possible.

Having purchased the DVD and seen it without any preconceptions or prior reviews, this reviewer was pleasantly satisfied: not a classic film, but quite entertaining, keeping one on the edge of the seat pretty much throughout. There is never a dull moment, but not overly so as is too often the case in today's hyperactive and mindless 'action and adventure' flicks. This film was definitely not written by 13-year-olds for 13-year-olds and contains a lot of well-presented material. Kelly McGillis gives a credible performance as a balanced and generally level-headed woman being persecuted by governmental agencies. Her portrayal is not the weepy, hysterical and too-vulnerable type that can find its way into films like this. Mandy Patinkin does well as a chilling, oily and thoroughly corrupted and unscrupulous politician/attorney (or whatever) with too much power in the wrong places. Jessica Tandy is good in what few scenes she has; too bad she couldn't have had a more central role.

As to the production values, the film is the letterboxed theatrical presentation at 1.66:1 (as stated on the case, and this seemed about right.) The picture, for a 1988 film, while not exceptional, is mostly clear, though with suggestions of fuzziness for purists. Overall, the image is on the dark side and there is some loss of detail in deep shade scenes, though not annoyingly so. Color fidelity of details in some scenes struck this reviewer as almost exceptionally good. The Dolby Digital mono sound is strong and clean.

There are no annoying advertising impositions or preliminary and unrelated material to try to get around (something becoming increasing annoying in many new DVD releases, sometimes necessitating drastic action to curtail!) The DVD is well-packaged in a quality case. If you like a thriller in the Hitchcock vein with reasonable and well-restrained message content that doesn't get in the way of the story, this DVD is a good buy for the price, and recommended.

who's in the house
This Peter Yates directed thriller was written by Walter Bernstein, who had been blacklisted in the McCarthy era, and had written about it for The Front. Here Bernstein takes his anti-McCarthy paranoia one step further by suggesting that Roy Cohn tried to illegally smuggle former Nazis into America, posing them under the name of dead Jews. Yates' underrated skill manages to overcome this somewhat far-fetched premise, providing a woman in peril drama with various Hitchcock-ian setpieces - a wedding reception, a church, a bookshop, a theatre, and the climax at Grand Central Terminal. He also attempts a romance between the woman targetted by the FBI and an FBI agent who feels guilty about her harassment. While the romance is aided by the score by Georges Delerue, and Jeff Daniels is acceptable, if a bit comically light, to play the male lead, Yates has more trouble with Kelly McGillis as the woman. In spite of her skill, McGillis isn't a romantic actress. No matter how effectively she is styled for the period, she lacks vulnerability so that we never feel she will be defeated. Pauline Kael memorably compared McGillis to Charlton Heston. Yates partially compensates by having her silent and on the run, but when in one scene she is naked in the bath being menaced by Mandy Patinkin as the Roy Cohn figure, while she acts vulnerable, it's not truthful. Patinkin playing his menace with musical comedy timing doesn't help either. Perhaps if he sang to her in his terrifying falsetto, McGillis would be truthfully frightened. Jessica Tandy appears briefly as a woman McGillis is paid to read to, and I was disappointed that Bernstein found no way to bring her further into the plot. Even the Carroll Street house (though I don't recall hearing the name Carroll Street ever mentioned) is disposed of quickly. And Patinkin has an odd speech where he demonstrates the logic of his shenanigans by splashing ketchup on a white tablecloth. The Grand Central climax is handled awkwardly when everyone is climbing the belfry (why do people being pursued always go up and no down?!), but Yates comes off better with a chase in a bookshop, and the wedding reception, with Daniels and McGillis dancing and spying. It's a pity Bernstein decided to take on this comic book style approach to an abhorrent moral and political time in history. You would think that someone who was blacklisted would not pander to such a base Hollywood aesthetic. McCarthy was scary enough without making him and his pals neo-Nazis. ... Read more

Reviews (34)

Addicted to Revenge
ADDICTED TO LOVE is fairly entertaining and if one has experienced love lost as what is demonstrated in this film, it is a flat out funny revenge flick. Some have called it too dark to be a romantic comedy and that the two leads Meg Ryan and Matthew Broderick were miscast. Also, stereotypically, a Frenchman is used as a villianous girl-stealing cad (i.e. UNFAITHFUL). Sam(Broderick)is a New England astonomer whose girlfriend Linda,(Kelly Preston) goes to New York City for a new teaching job and sends him a "dear John" letter. Frantic, he heads to New York City and ends up occupying an abandoned loft across the street from her apartment to spy on her and her new boyfriend Anton Depeaux (Tchéky Karyo), a French restaurateur. Sam uses his knowledge of Astronomy equipment to project the activity of Linda's apartment onto a wall in the abandoned loft. Maggie (Ryan) who is the jilted girlfriend of Anton, uncovers and crashes Sam's stakeout, moves in to the loft and adds sound to his pictures with sound surveillance equipment. At first they don't know what to make of each other, but when they find out they have a common goal, they form an alliance. Then they plot (successfully) schemes to discredit Anton. Not much or nothing at all is done to Linda. A hilarious sequence early on is when Sam uses his skills as an astronomer to record and chart the habits and quirks of the relationship between Linda and Anton to predict their eventual breakup. This was clever but short lived because it never happens. Each scheme brings Anton and Linda closer together to the frustration of Sam and Maggie who in turn become closer to each other and eventually they fall in love. Also, one scheme is lifted from VICTOR/VICTORIA (the old cockroach-in-the-restaurant-causing-mass-hysteria trick). Director Griffin Dunne (AN AMERICAN WEREWOLF IN LONDON)who is known for quirky roles was perfect for the material and perhaps this film could have been directed by someone like Ben Stiller. The casting of Broderick and Ryan playing against type makes the film interesting. They have made a career of playing likeable people so one can suspend disbelief and sympathize with their characters, no matter how destructive their revenge plots are. Overall, a film saved by the onscreen chemistry and personas of Broderick and Ryan that overtakes the dark undertones of a so-called romantic film.

Meg and Matthew visit the Dark Side
Matthew Broderick and Meg Ryan are gifted comic actors, and they are entertaining in this dark comedy. While the characters begin the movie in a plot for revenge against their former lovers, their ridiculous and immoral plans explode. While the romance makes light of a serious problem (stalking), the movie itself is more sweet than bitter because of the characters' insights, failures, and romance. Neither Broderick's nor Ryan's best film, but definitely enjoyable if you are in the mood for a biting look at love.

Human
I loved this movie. I believe that it reflects the way that these four very different people react to having their hearts broken. It is so easy to judge people based on how they appear and this movie gives us pause. Very few movies can give us such insight without being depressing, yet this one leaves you feeling good.

Meg Ryan attemps to be tough, Broderick is bland.
Personally this is my least favorite movie starring Meg Ryan. Meg does really good playing the tough biker girl, but the movie has a hard time catching up with her in every aspect. The acting is not very good on the exception of Meg. Matthew Broderick is very boring, bland, and overall bad. The plot is unrealistic, and all in all is only good to watch one time. One thumb down, and one thumb up for this movie. Sorry.

2 maybe 3 stars. 4th may 2004.
Although it looks quite good by looking at the box, it isn't one of my best movies. I would say i enjoyed this film as little as babe2, even though they are comletely different. It is one of them slow movies about a woman[kelly preston] who dosen't really act in it much, and she goes away leaving her love of her life behind. He makes a friend[meg ryan]and i think he falls in love with her[must admit haven't seen it all the way through]but it is sooooooo borin if you don't like meg ryan. Like me. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

VERY EERIE, FANTASTIC SETS
To put it plainly, the movie revolves around this artist, who is so deeply disturbed by the gruesome murders of his landlord and his (landlord's) mother, that he becomes pallid and starts hallucinating. Now, why do the murders have such febrile effects on him and does he actually hallucinate, is where lies the suspense of the movie.

Though a fairly simple movie with just a handful of characters, 'FEVER' can be put under the rubric of scary movies. There is always an air of eeriness throughout the movie, with an abrupt 'shocking' scene popping up every now and then, with a high potential to chill the bones most of the viewers. Much of the credit for what the movie is, should be given to the acting, mainly of the prime two characters, 'Nick' and 'Will', played by Henry Thomas and David O'Hara respectively. While Henry Thomas does a pretty good job of a person 'spooked' by the murders in the movie, it is David O'Hara, who puts up a splendid performance, by acting as a mentally deranged, 'psycho' Irishman, who is a sailor, and is a staunch believer of Nazism. The presence of such a character in the movie actually makes it spookier, than it already is.

Along with good acting, the direction is pretty decent, too, maintaining just the right amount of the funereal atmosphere throughout, without going overboard with gory details. However, worth mentioning is this particular scene, which can be said as the pivotal scene of the movie, in which 'Nick' encounters 'Will', in a train: Though there is very little flaw in the direction in the rest of the movie, this particular scene, especially being a crucial one, is so grossly misdirected, that it ruins the build-up to it. Either this scene should have had more attention paid to the minor details, which are seriously flawed, (and do much damage to it) or else, it could've done without the backdrop of an underground train-ride, and could have done with a much less complicated backdrop.

The movie has all the elements of a spook-thriller, and is scary from the beginning to the end, building up to a good suspense. The overall feel of the movie is also well maintained, without trying to give too much detail to gore, and primarily paying attention to maintain the stolid and chilling atmosphere, in a very subtle manner.

Unreal. Winter is surely talented, and "Fever" is amazing!
Taking cues from masters of tension, David Lynch and Stanley Kubrick, and concentrating on cultivating a mysterious and slowly unnerving mood, Alex Winter has proven himself in a big, big way.

I was actually waiting for this to be released in theaters, especially after reading articles.... I was really hoping that this would bring Winter's brilliance to the masses. Unfortuantely, Hollywood is pathetic, and they didn't market this movie and/or try to sell it enough.

This film ranks up there with "The Haunting" (the original, of course!), "Lost Highway" (in its tense mood and supernatural cinematics), "M" (for its beautifully expressionistic imagery), and both "Rosemary's Baby" and "The Shining" (for true psychological fright)...

I loved "The Idiot Box" and "Freaked", but they were silly, outright comedies of the most absurd degree, "Fever" is intense, intelligent, and incredibly cinematic. I loved it!

Best Wishes,

Ramzi Abed....

Excellent tension and mood!
First off, Henry Thomas is an underrated actor. He is the soul of this film. He sets the mood as tension builds within the film. He plays an artist who is lost, missing something in his life. When a stranger appears and an unsolved murder occurs, things begin to twist. His nights are filled with surreal dreams and his days with self doubt and seclusion. It is at once a horrific psychological drama as it is a mysterious thriller. Alex Winter did an excellent job with location and direction. It seems to be a modern Hitchcock film. The film almost appears to intentionally be a black and white. This film is a must see. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

TWO GREAT ACTORS CAN MAKE INTERESTING A CONVENTIONAL MOVIE.
"Mr. And Mrs. Bridge" stars Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward, playing a 1940 marriage. This is a conventional drama with excellent performances, the characters are nothing out of this world, they are a bunch of characters very similar to real life people, the story is not very original, it's just a bunch of rich people living a conventional life, but these two great actors carried on their shoulders the weight of an otherwise uninteresting movie, making "Mr. And Mrs. Bridge" an enjoyable movie.

Basically this is the story of the struggle between two generations, the iron hand discipline of a stiff father and the "rebellion" of his daughter and son who want to escape from the monotony of the life of their parents. And trapped in the middle is Mrs. Bridge, who even though she mostly obeys her husband, once in a while she likes to try new things to inject happiness to her life.

"Mr. And Mrs. Bridge" is an entertaining movie thanks to the performances of Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward.

Oh my God it's my Aunt Marjorie!
Anyone who is originally from the Midwest has a Mrs. Bridge in the family, maybe not as affluent, but just as dippy and helpless. Mrs. Bridge knows enough to resent vaguely her helplessness and the fact that Mr. Bridge makes all of her decisions for her. The viewer is sympathetic with her plight and starts to feel that Mr. Bridge is indeed being mean & unfair to her...but then Mrs. Bridge goes and does something that underscores her inability to cope for herself.

There were more scenes than I can count that just made me cringe, because I recognized my dippy Aunt Marjorie, again & again, in Mrs. Bridge. The spirit of Mrs. Bridge remains alive and well, even today.

This was a great character study of the two Bridges. The other members of the family, and some of the friends of the Bridges, are a bit fuzzier in their definition, but that is not all that important. This is a very engrossing movie in many respects.

2 thumbs up
If you are looking for violence, lots of sex and fast cars, wrong movie! But if you are looking for a thought provoking, tender, poignant and often funny story, you've hit the jackpot. I am running out of adjectives for my two favorite actors (Newman and Woodward ought to be declared America's royalty) They shine here. Much deserved Oscar nomination for Woodward and should have been one for Newman, who never ceases to amaze. Blythe Danner is a plus as well. I thouroughly enjoyed it.

A movie with memorable moments
This is one of those films with a lot of those "Memorable Moments" that you will remember years after viewing it. The scene where Mr. Bridge refuses to let a dangerous storm spoil his dinner. The hotel bedroom scene where Mr. and Mrs. Bridge find themselves sleeping akwardly in front of a mirror. The scene where Mr. Bridge takes Mrs. Bridge to a cabaret in France filled with scantily clad women doing the Can-Can and the priceless look that Mrs. Bridge has on her face.

It's about two traditional people thrust into a new world filled with free thinkers and sexual awakenings and the honest, but humerous reactions as they try to deal with it all. Everytime I watch this film I'm suprised at what I didn't catch before, and even the scenes I remember always seem to catch me off guard.

The humor comes from the humanity within the two main characters, and it's often more funny than the best comedies you will ever watch.

Highly recommended!

Newman and Woodward Equally Wonderful
I don't know why so many people always give short shrift to Paul Newman when he appears with his wife, Joanne Woodward, in a film. They are both stunning actors at the peak of their acting powers in this movie. There really is no need to compare and contrast perfection itself. Merchant-Ivory is wonderful at handling the upper classes, whether they be British or American, in London, or, in this case, Kansas City, in the 1930s and 1940s. What stands out most vividly to me is that Mr. Bridges' heart condition is really not treatable back then. We are so used to heart surgery now, that life lived with a heart condition back in the 1930s and 1940s is forgotten as being an entirely different situation. The movie is about this couple and their extended family and the crises they weather. This, however, is basically what every Merchant-Ivory film is about and this one covers every nuance within the Bridges' family's structure and behavior. I really love the beautiful body of film work by Merchant-Ivory and I'm really glad that some of it is American, set in our heartland, with the cream of our acting crop. ... Read more