Reviews (2)

"Twenty thousand dollars buys a lot of gro-cer-ies."
I've bought all the "Rockford Files" episodes that seem to be on the market (except for "Nice Guys Finish Dead"), and this one, "The Kirkoff Case", is my favorite of them. It's entertaining from start to finish, and it exemplifies the producers' ability to pack so many memorable, humourous, yet believeable scenes into so little time without making things seem rushed.

Guest star James Woods is superb as Larry Kirkoff, particularly in those distracted-in-thought facial expressions he makes a few times while Rockford is talking to him. Regular Joe Santos is especially strong in his performance as Sgt. Dennis Becker. And guest Abe Vigoda is perfect in appearance, voice, and subtle hand movements in his brief role as "labor-union" (mob) boss Al Dancer.

Recommended reading.

Rockford Files:The Kirkoff Case
James Woods did a great job in this show.He was very great in it.One of my favorite Rockford Files Shows.It's a good Action Show. ... Read more

Reviews (54)

A facinating, literate film!
While most movies that are released during the summer lack sophistication, great acting, and a plot, this film has them all: in spades. Endlessly interesting and complimented by John Barry's haunting score, "Enigma" delivers one cinematic pleasure after another.

The story, set in WWII, and based on real events, centers on Tom Jehrico (Dougray Scott), a brilliant codebreaker at Blenchly Park, who cracked the Nazi Enigma code. But now that code has been changed, and supplies that the British need for the war are in jeopardy. Not to mention the lives of the crews on those ships. Complicating matters is the disappearance of his ex-lover,Claire (Saffron Burrows), which has cast the shadow of suspicion over Tom as the possible traitor. Teaming with Claire's doudy roommate Hester (Kate Winslet), the two race to crack the code and unmask the traitor before hundreds of lives are lost. All the while, the mysterious Wigram (Jeremy Northam) seems to always be following them. . .

My summary of the plot simply doesn't do it justice. This film must be seen to be truly appreciated. Scott is great as the haggard, brilliant mathematician whose heart has been been broken, and Winslet is wonderful as the witty and underappreciated Hester. But the real standout is Jeremy Northam who steals every scene he is in, as the very dapper, and very suspicious Wigram.

The dialogue in the film crackles thanks to a great screenplay by Tom Stoppard which was based on the bestselling novel by Robert Harris. Do yourself a favor and check out this example of smart adult cinema.

A facinating, literate film!
While most movies that are released during the summer lack sophistication, great acting, and a plot, this film has them all: in spades. Endlessly interesting and complimented by John Barry's haunting score, "Enigma" delivers one cinematic pleasure after another.

The story, set in WWII, and based on real events, centers on Tom Jehrico (Dougray Scott), a brilliant codebreaker at Blenchly Park, who cracked the Nazi Enigma code. But now that code has been changed, and supplies that the British need for the war are in jeopardy. Not to mention the lives of the crews on those ships. Complicating matters is the disappearance of his ex-lover,Claire (Saffron Burrows), which has cast the shadow of suspicion over Tom as the possible traitor. Teaming with Claire's doudy roommate Hester (Kate Winslet), the two race to crack the code and unmask the traitor before hundreds of lives are lost. All the while, the mysterious Wigram (Jeremy Northam) seems to always be following them. . .

My summary of the plot simply doesn't do it justice. This film must be seen to be truly appreciated. Scott is great as the haggard, brilliant mathematician whose heart has been been broken, and Winslet is wonderful as the witty and underappreciated Hester. But the real standout is Jeremy Northam who steals every scene he is in, as the very dapper, and very suspicious Wigram.

The dialogue in the film crackles thanks to a great screenplay by Tom Stoppard which was based on the bestselling novel by Robert Harris. Do yourself a favor and check out this example of smart adult cinema.

Interesting fictionalization of the Bletchley Park story
This is a story loosely, very loosely, based on British intelligence's efforts to crack the Nazi encryption codes used during World War II. The screenplay was adapted from the novel by Robert Harris by playwright Tom Stoppard whose cinematic credits include Brazil (1985) and Shakespeare in Love (1998). Dougray Scott stars as Tom Jericho who is decidedly not Alan Turing, the troubled genius who spearheaded the amazingly successful effort that allowed the Allies to know in advance what the Nazis were up to. The true story is one of the most fascinating to come out of WWII.

This fictionalization is also a very good story. Michael Apted's direction gives us a nice feel for the era and for the type of people involved, intellectual and somewhat nerdish, creative people who were as valuable to the war effort, or even more so, than the soldiers in the field. Dougray Scott does a nice job of depicting a mathematician who has gone a little crazy because of an abortive love affair with a beautiful intelligence clerk, Claire Romilly (Saffron Burrows). He is sent away after cracking the Nazi code, but when the Nazis institute a new code he is returned from the nut house and pressed back into service. Still haunted by the memory of Claire, it is not clear that he is of any use. When he discovers that Claire is missing, the subplot begins with Jericho and Hester Wallace (Kate Winslet), once Claire's roommate, sleuthing through top secret intelligence files looking for clues to determine what happened to Claire and whether she was a spy or not. What they discover along the way of course is each other. Watching them is Wigram, a rakish secret service agent with a heart of pure darkness, played with mystery and an arrogant ruthlessness by Jeremy Northam.

Billed as a thinking man's thriller, it is that. However, the plot suffers from two main problems: Claire can only be seen in flashback (I would like to have seen more of the woman who said, "Poor you. I really got under your skin, didn't I?"), and the action of the film must take place within a few days time, which means that Jericho must simultaneously crack the new code, find out what happened to Claire, and romance Hester. I don't think Apted's direction successfully solved these problems. His concentration on a realistic "feel" to the movie merely masked them.

Nonetheless, one can appreciate the action and remain fully immersed even while not following all of the plot's intricacies. The juxtaposition of the tall, blonde player of men in the person of the beautiful Saffron Burrows with the short, full-figured, Nancy Drew-like Hester in the person of the beautiful and gifted Kate Winslet was a stroke of casting genius. They are fascinating to watch. The contrast between the sensitive and vulnerable Jericho and the worldly and immoral Wigram provided an interesting balance. All four of the leads were excellent.

But see this for Tom Stoppard, who might be called "a thinking man's" screenwriter. His gift for writing witty and authentic dialogue based on research and a finely trained ear is part of what makes this an interesting film well worth seeing.

A modern classic.
Man, Dougray Scott looks sexy and intense in this movie! I loved him and the beautiful, swan necked, glamorous blonde Saffron Burrows. She's like a walking dream in all that war and gloom. The movie is fair to her character, and that's something you don't see every day. Those in the picture who look down on her are viewed with comtempt, as they should be.

I like the spy game and I think all the twists and turns are all very unexpected and keep you on your toes.

I do think, though, that they didn't have to turn Kate Winslet into the opposite of beauty just to prove that she can or to make the blonde venus more striking. Dressing her up like that distracts the viewer from the movie, by begging us to focus on how well she's pretending to be ugly - which may have been the very vain motive indeed behind that decision. You know, Kate not wanting to be seen as just a sexy actress and all that. No one denies her talent. One can be unglamorous without being horrid and in this case it just attracts the wrong kind of attention.
Absolutely worth watching.

Good intentions gone awry
During WWII, a motley crew of men were recruited in Great Britain to intercept and translate the Nazi Enigma code. Scott plays Tom Jericho, one of the decoders who falls hard for an over-lipsticked Burrows and breaks down when she rejects him. Having returned to his decoding job after a mental-health hiatus, Jericho has only four days to translate a new Enigma code, thus saving a fleet of Allied convoy ships and presumably winning the war. Winslet dons a pair of Harry Potter specs to play plain-Jane Hester Wallace, who helps Jericho decode the new Enigma.

That the Enigma decoders came from all walks of life is reiterated throughout the movie. In fact, Enigma devotes much of its time to telling instead of showing; Scott had to memorize what must have been pages of script in order to narrate the development of Enigma and its decoding process. Northam, squinting his way through his role as a classist, sexist Intelligence dandy, also snidely lectures on the democratic demographics of the decoding staff. Similarly, Winslet frequently reminds us how women got the short shrift for their work in the war effort-a message with good intentions, but delivered rather obviously. This word-heavy tendency is accompanied by conventional plot devices and a series of twists and turns that require still further explanation from the characters.

Interestingly, the one subtle message in Enigma deserves more attention; specifically, the Faustian repercussions of the Allies' collaboration with Joseph Stalin. That the British kept these repercussions hushed up for fear of the Americans' reaction speaks volumes about who, ultimately, was calling the shots during the war. ... Read more

Amazon.com essential video

Woody Allen was going through his off-screen scandal with Mia Farrow when Manhattan Murder Mystery was produced, so Diane Keaton was brought in to fill the role intended for Farrow. The reunion of Keaton and Allen only improves this already enjoyable Allen comedy, since they're so comfortable with each other's neuroses that they're delightfully convincing as a married couple who suspect their neighbor of murdering his wife. Actually, it's Keaton who obsesses about the possible foul play; Woody just wants them to mind their own business. But pretty soon they've recruited their friends (Alan Alda, Anjelica Huston) as amateur sleuths, and the movie turns into a Nancy Drew mystery for sophisticated Manhattanites. With a typical abundance of Woody Allen witticism and some memorable comic suspense, this engaging throwback to vintage Hollywood mysteries is guaranteed to please even the most noncommittal Woody Allen fans, and the Allen-Keaton chemistry is, as always, a genuine pleasure. --Jeff Shannon ... Read more

Reviews (35)

Comfortable Comedy
This is Woody Allen doing screwball comedy for the contemporary film viewer. The familiar Allen schtick of neurotic tension, fearfulness, and anxiety, the effective Allen-Keaton chemistry, the lovely New York settings, and a cast of great supporting players make this an easy watch.

Sure, the humor veers into slapstick, but the characters are so rich and multi-layered and the script is so dense and fast moving that one forgives some of the broadness. The references to film noir and classic detective yarns embellish the pleasing story. The interplay between Allen and Keaton allows the history of their fictional marriage to be evident, with all its warmth, frustrations, doubts, and reliability. The distractions that Huston's and Alda's characters provide to each heightens the fun. The comic apsects of the movie don't stop it from having some genuine surprises. Although not the finest film in the world or even Allen's best, I have watched this many, many times and plan to enjoy it for a long while more.

My All-Time Fave Woody Allen film
while i've enjoyed allen's previous films (annie hall, husbands & wives, purple rose of cairo), this one is the best! allen and keaton, along with alan alda and anjelica huston (chic and witty as always)pull this story off so well, i begin to think this can only happen in a place like NYC.

Great throwback to the days of whine and neurosis
I absolutely loved this film. I laughed. I jumped. I laughed some more.

This script had been laying around for quite some time, and when Allen decided to resurrect it, I'm SO glad he got Diane Keaton to join him for the filming. Their chemistry is still there, and so is Allen's wonderful neurotic schtick. The elevator scene is priceless. I also greatly enjoyed the tape-player skit with Allen's inimitable bumbling.

I think the film hiccups a bit when it abruptly switches to a film-noir ending. Mind you, I enjoyed the ending, especially the Welles homage, but I think this decidedly dark ending causes the whole vehicle to lose momentum.

All in all this great fun with plenty of zany suspense and the fabulous interplay of Allen and Keaton.

A PLEASANT DIVERSION
Allen's a nebbish old man who wants to mind his (quickly deteriorating love-) life with an unagreeable wife.

Sensing this stale mate, the wife played by Diane Keaton, is out for some excitement. Which she gets, in a big way, when a neighbor dies. Just the evening after the two couples had a casual evening coffee.

Suspicions ensue. Old flames pop up. Relationships intertwine and flare. Clues unravel. Marital discord and sensitive chords are struck. All with vintage Allen humor, part neurotic, part drunk on its wit.

The cinematography is handsome, literally here, as candid steady cams are employed, giving the film its constantly roving hand-held look. I personally find this cloying after a while.

The murder itself is mildly suspenseful, but that's barely the point with a W-Allen movie. The twists are intelligent enough and managed to hold my attention for the duration of the movie.

All in all, despite the slightly cop-out denouement, it is generally quite an amusing experience. Recommended rental.

Wonderful mix of Murder, Mistery and Comedy
Diane Keaton and Woody Allen make quick friends with an older couple. After the woman dies of a heart attack, Diane Keaton starts investigating on her own thinking that it was not a heart attack afterall. Woody on the other end does not believe in this murder idea and thinks his wife is getting too excited for no reason.

The movie mixes great suspense and comedy. The skepticism of woody allen and the wild (but maybe not so wild) imagination of diane keaton make for highly entertaining dialogues. The new york atmosphere of the movie is quite lovely too. The story moves fast and as Diane Keaton discovers more and more clues you find yourself seating on the edge of your seat wondering what next is going to happen.

This movie is wonderfull all the way to the end that parodies the ending of an old movie classic. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Tough but moving, Thunderheart is an unusual story about anarrogant FBI agent (Val Kilmer) who participates in a federal investigation of amurder on an Oglala Sioux reservation. Kilmer's character is part Siouxhimself, a detail that leaves him cold as he sets about pushing his waythrough the community to find facts on the case. In time, however, he beginsto feel an ethnic tug and grows increasingly sympathetic to the locals andhostile toward his fellow G-men, much to the dismay of his agency mentor (SamShepard). The script is based on real events that occurred on the Pine RidgeReservation in 1975 in South Dakota (involving an armed standoff betweenIndian activists and the FBI, an event that prompted Thunderheartdirector Michael Apted to make a companion documentary, Incident atOglala). The conclusion of Thunderheart feels likepolitically charged whimsy, but the real strength of the film is Kilmer'soutstanding performance as a man in transformation. Apted's clear-eyeddepiction of the Sioux's spiritual and cultural continuity with the past hasnone of the cloying romanticism of other films about Indians. Produced by Robert De Niro. --Tom Keogh ... Read more

Reviews (39)

The human spirit is alive and strong...
If I remember correctly, this movie was not rated well when it was first released in theatres. I couldn't understand why since it was well made, had a decent cast and had a thought provoking plot based on true events.

The cinematography is very attactive in showing the badlands of South Dakota and featuring looks into the Indian reservations. Also, the music was well done and offered a nice perspective of Native American sounds and environments.

This movie also sends a message about a darker time in America's past when the govenrment perpetrated some devious acts against the Native Americans. Maybe it was high time that these events came out into the open so that more people would know what happened and know that what the U.S. government did was very wrong.

Val Kilmer proved to be well suited for the "by the book" FBI agent that came of age and got in touch with his Indian heritage and learned to do the right thing. Sam Shepard, a great actor as always, played the role very well of the "dark horse" FBI agent with skeletons in his closet and a secret agenda on the Sioux reservation. Graham Greene could not have done any better as the reservation police officer. Showing his pride and dignity as an Native American along with the humorous backlashings at Val Kilmer made for pleasant interactions throughout the movie.

A movie worth watching again and again.

A diamond in the rough
Time over time, Val Kilmer has proven that he is not just a pretty face. He has continually impressed even the most severe critics that he is a formidable actor. THUNDERHEART, to me, is among his best performances.

There is some predictability in the plot: Kilmer portrays an FBI agent who is part Native-American. When he is sent to a reservation to investigate a crime, he begins to respect and embrace the heritage he had not previously acknowledged. What is not predictable, however, is how well the script avoids sentiment and focuses on Kilmer's transformation.

Loosely based on the actual events surrounding Leonard Peltier's American Indian Movement, and the murders of FBI agents on the Pine Ridge reservation (all of which is the subject of Peter Matthiessen's book "In the Spirit of Crazy Horse"), THUNDERHEART is a powerful examination of the surreal and frightening life on Native American reservations. Brutality is everywhere: whites against Indians, Indians against Indians, etc. Director Michael Apted does a remarkable job of tempering the violence with scenes of beauty and with images of a peace-loving tribe of people. This is a heartbreaking film at times, but there is a sense of justice in the long-run. THUNDEHEART is not a piece of hunk-actor mind candy. This is a powerful (and underrated) film that demands your attention. It is well-worth it.

They should have named it "Days of Thunderheart"
Just kidding. This is such a good movie. It would be a shame if more people didn't get to see it. All the characters are so interesting to watch. I saw it on cable when it came out and I had to own a copy when I saw it in the store. No gimmicks, just a good story and good actors.

One of the Best, but least-known movies of all time !!!
We have more movies than you can imagine, but we watch this movie probably every 2 months. And if this says anything for it, I'm an action and comedy kind of guy, and my wife is a chick-flick and foreign film person. We both love everything about this movie. This movie was very well done. All of the acting is well-performed. For being a drama/action movie, it has some great little twists of humor at times. I probably can't say enough about it that hasn't already been said in the good reviews already written here.

Poetic Justice
One of my all time favorite movies is this often overlooked classic. Ted Thin Elk, a genuine Souix chief, is one of the most beautiful men I have ever seen on film. His authentic spirit radiates from every frame he is in. Graham Greene is always brilliant. Val Kilmer makes his role seem like second nature. He is passionate and unspoiled.

There are a few moments that do seem a little cliche, though I only thought that after I had seen the movie a few times. The photography is mesmerizing,
and the script has many moments of sheer poetry. I love a story that can be read in layers, and that deals with life beyond the visible surface. Native American spirituality is woven throughout fabric of this story, but it never bogs itself down in esoteric mumbo-jumbo.

It packs a punch, and the ending always makes me cry. ... Read more

Reviews (11)

Fairie Tale Theater rocks, especially Cinderella!
I love Fairy tales. The first time I saw this movie (and thisone Cinderella especially) I was enchanted and I loved it from thenon. Jean Stapleton gives this movie humor, Jennifer Beals gives it enchantment, and Matthew Broderick gives it a taste of what is still a celebrity in the late 90's! This movie ROCKS!

Faerie Tale Theatre: Cinderella
One of the most romantic episodes in the excellent Faerie Tale Theatre series, this one is the classic rags-to-riches story of Cinderella. Jennifer Beals beautifully portrays the role of Cinderella, and Matthew Broderick makes a delightfully witty Prince Henry. The appearances of Jean Stapleton as the fairy godmother and Eve Arden as the wicked stepmother are superb. The costumes, sets and music are truly divine in this wonderful faerie tale.

Happily Ever After start HERE!
What happens when you have Jennifer Beals playing Cinderella and Jean Stapleton as the fairy godmother? MAGIC!!! This is a wonderful film in the Faerie Tale Theatre series. Each actor/actress gives very memorable performances from Matthew Broderick playing the prince who is looking for love to Eve Arden who plays the unfair dictating stepmother. A perfect family film. A movie that no family or fan of fantasy should be without!

Amazing!
These videos were my absolute favorite as a kid, and at 20, I'm still watching them! They're all so beautifully done and have such wonderful actors! I'm saving all of my copies to show my children some day!

Great Movie
Wonderfully modernized version of the classic tale of Cinderella brought to life with wonderful actors. Great movie . Highly reccomend. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Very Heart Warming
This is a very heart warming movie about coming home. It reinforces the strong family bonds even through years of separation. It explores the need to stand up against unhealthy traditions in a changing world, as well as, traditions which can help define who we are in an ever changing world.

COMING HOME
Adopted by a middle aged Jewish couple and doted on by her mother young Rebecca Hoffman leads a conventional life. Then her mother dies and her father remarries. In his new marriage there is no room for Rebecca. She is one to be tolerated. She no longer has a home. Years later Rebecca searches for her birth parents and comes to the realization that she is not white nor Jewish. Rebecca is Navajo.

Lost Child is a film based on the the autobiography, Looking For Lost Bird, by Yvette Melanson. In this picture we see the life of a child stolen from her birth parents and made to assume a new identity. Her adoptive father's reluctance to have her, her feeling of isolation and her quest to find her identity is both moving and tragic as we see a young woman so far from her home.

Mercedes Ruehl plays a sensitive and savy Rebecca who tries so hard to be accepted by her adoptive father. Her discovery of her Navajo roots gives her comfort and a sense of completion. Yet, she too and her family undergo some heartaches and challenges as she returns home. This movie shows the hope of a mother seeking a reunion of her children. We witness the reintergration of a woman back to her heritage. We also see the ugly side of cultural prejudice as her daughters attempt to fit in with their new family and culture.

This is an enjoyable film that is a sanitized version of the book. Everyone in the picture is so good, so noble to the point of being unbelievable. Of course everything works itself out and the family lives happily ever after. If only life could be that simple. Inspite of that Lost Child is well worth your seeing as you get a glimpse into another culture. ... Read more

Reviews (42)

Altman, Great Ensemble, and Catfish Enchiladas...
This review refers to the DVD edition of "Cookie's Fortune"....

Glenn Close literally gets caught with her hand in the cookie jar in one of Robert Altman's all star,delightful comedies. It also stars Julianne Moore,Liv Tyler, Chris O'Donnell, Charles S.Dutton, Ned Beatty,Courtney Vance, Lyle Lovett,Donald Moffat and screen legend Patricia Neal as "Cookie"....what an ensemble! These great stars work beautifully together, and their comic timing is brillant.

The story starts out at a leisurely pace that gives you the perfect feel of Holly Springs, Mississippi, a small, slow-paced,antebellum town where everyone knows everyone. Then BANG..the little town is shaken up by the death of it's matriach, Jewel May "Cookie" Orcutt, and everyone gets involved with the murder investagation....but wait...was this actually a murder? Someone is sure trying to make it look that way! And uh-oh... the wrong man has been arrested and the police chief is out to prove his innocence. How does he know he's innocent...well..he fishes with him, of course!

Altman's superb direction,the wonderful twists and turns, the great camera work, the music, the terrific story and of course the fabulous ensemble make for a very entertaining 2 hours. You'll want to watch it over and over.

The DVD is a beautiful transfer. You have the choice of widescreen or full screen. The picture is clear and bright with great color. The sound offers the choice of Dolby 5.1 or stereo surround and is excellent. There are closed captions(English) and subtitles in Spanish and French. It includes cast bios and filmographies, and the theatrical trailer. You have the option of listening to the director commentary during the film as well.

So spend some time behind bars in Holly Springs, with Charles Dutton and Liv Tyler. Don't worry it's fun behind these bars..they never lock the bars, and you get to play scrabble and have some great meals! We are serving our famous "catfish enchildas" today!

Have fun with this one.....Laurie

One of Altman's best!
If you like loud movies' with lots of special effect that merely mask the fact that they have no plot and the actors can't act, you'll want to take a pass on "Cookie's Fortune." If, however, you preference is for movies with great writing and acting, then you'll want to see "Cookie's Fortune" to be sure.

Yes, it is paced at a leisurely rate, but the plot and characters are so endearing and so quirky that once things do get going this is a decided plus. Glenn Close, Charles S. Dutton, Patricia Neal, Julianne Moore and Ned Beatty are all top notch (no surprise really) in their roles in this superb ensemble piece, and while Liv Tyler and Chris O'Donnell are perhaps miscast in their roles (and a subplot involving their affair is not necessary) these are only minor quibbles. Great bluesy score by Dave Stewart adds to the mix.

All and all one of the best films of 1999. Too bad it played in theaters to early in the year for the Oscars to remember it.

TOOKIT!
This just has to be said:
Robert Altman's Cookie's Fortune may very well one of the greatest films ever made. I kid you not! Well. At least one of the finest films of the past decade.
When you watch this film you are viewing the work of a director that is so sure of himself and his abilities and the story that he just sort of let's it happen. It's truly amazing when it hits you. This film plays effortlessly. Like a Mozart composition.
Unpretentious. Deliberate and confident. No single performance stands out or hogs the spotlight. And Altman's cast is top-notch from critic darlings like Glenn Close to fantastic character actors like THE ROCK!
You might not catch it the first time you see it. But. Watch it a few times. Then it'll hit ya!

Made for the Stage
I enjoyed this movie, but thought it'd make a better play. >you need to go rent and watch this movie (cookie's fortune).

the rest of this is spoilers .. dont read til you've seen it:

the first act ends right after they find the body and willis walks in. the second act (a little longer, without editing) starts with willis sitting on his bed holding the bag of groceries and the cop walks in. dr. cummings could play the one attorney in town. there are only nine or so parts (cookie, willis, emma, cora, cora's sister, jason, the attorney, the investigator, and the sheriff). there are several things that make it a great play, including the dialogue, play-within-a-play, and some key devices. (the shattering glass bowl is a great scene ender, esp if done off-stage). and the action takes place in only a few areas: the first act is mostly the bedroom/stairway/kitchen/yard, with a bit at the church and a bit at the bar. the second act is mostly in the jail, with a bit at the bar and a bit at the house. you could edit out several parts, and possibly several scenes.

it's funny, but a bit dark, and a bit of drama and a bit of sadness. ... yadda yadda... good stuff!

Great actors having a lot of fun.
One of Robert Altman's attractions is his ability to attract groups of fine actors to play in his films. In that regard, Cookie's Fortune is one of his best, with Glenn Close, Charles S. Dutton, Julianne Moore, Patricia Neal, Chris O'Donnell and Liv Tyler. It's one of those rare films where all of the actors perform well, with none upstaging the others.

The plot, ideal for a sleepy southern town, plays out smoothly with lots of low-key laughs along the way. After it's over, you'll want to watch it again. ... Read more

Reviews (343)

Not for 14 year old boys?
While taking all those guided tours through cavernous estate houses in England and Ireland (and even a few on the north shore of Long Island), I always wondered what it was like to live that lifestyle. But of course, walking around those still houses doesn't really tell you about the people who lived there anymore than a stage tells you about its actors. However, Gosford Park was a great way to fill in those blanks. The way it pulls you into the world of 1930's English high society and all its pretense and hypocrisy is great. This movie definitely enlivened my understanding of class in old European societies.

The reason Gosford Park has such great insight is the film's screenwriter, Julian Fellows who himself grew up as part of the English aristocracy. Much of what makes this film fun is the idiosyncrasies of its characters and their world that Fellows has personal experience with. A maid and driver stand in the pouring rain until their mistress gets in the car. Servants only refer to each other by their master's name, and they maintain the same hierarchy as their masters so that a duke's servant is treated better by other servants than a baron's. Only married women are allowed to have breakfast in bed; unmarried women must go to the dining room. What a strange world they lived in, especially to someone like me who grew up in a middle class New York neighborhood.

The spine of Gosford Park is, without question, NOT the murder mystery. In fact, the murder mystery plot is about 5% of the movie-if that. It's what's known in film lingo as a McGuffin, a device that helps propel the plot in a story but is of little importance in itself. If a viewer turns to the murder mystery plot for what this movie is all about, they will most likely be sorely disappointed, seemingly like many of the negative reviewers here were.

The key to enjoying this movie is to think about what it's like to live in a society that is extremely oriented by class. What must it take to keep it going? As I alluded earlier, pretense and hypocrisy grease the gears of high society. From scene to scene, we peep around corners and into bedrooms to see characters trying to hide one secret or another. And in the end, we see the unpleasant consequences of this duplicity.

This is definitely not a film that lays out its purpose before the audience. Since the almost 60 characters (for a chuckle, look under product details above for the colossal cast list) each add something unique to the larger picture, and since the audience is usually only told something once, you definitely have to be your own detective. However, Julian Fellows does a brilliant job interweaving these characters into a solid whole, and he definitely deserves the Oscar he received for the screenplay.

Since this is a complex and subtle film, multiple viewings are helpful, but unlike some other reviewers, this is something I really enjoyed. Like a good album, each time with it reveals another layer and increases your appreciation. Robert Altman, the director, says in his DVD commentary (which was boring except for a few insights, but Julian Fellow's commentary was excellent) that the film is "like looking in through the windows of a house, you only get part of the picture at a time." I think this analogy fits nicely, especially since the film is set in a house. Altman also acknowledges what some of the negative reviewers complain about, saying he meant the audience to be left wondering after the first viewing. He didn't intend this movie for the "wham, bam, thank you ma'am" set. In fact, Altman went out of his way to insert curse words, guaranteeing an R rating so that "14 year old boys couldn't walk off the street and watch it."

And of course, last but not least, the acting was great. Gosford Park has an excellent ensemble cast with not a single weak link. Maggie Smith as the snobbish Aunt makes you smile; Kelly MacDonald as the Aunt's young, innocent maid makes you want to give her a big wet kiss (maybe that's just me); and Clive Owen's cool restraint as a mysterious footman keeps you following him around the screen.

All through, Gosford Park is a movie very well done.

Buy this DVD and watch it again and again....
because you miss most of the film the first time around!

On the surface this appears to be a very formulistic murder mystery. It has the classic setting, 1930's period, an isolated English manor house filled with guests for a weekend shooting party, and all of the servants both resident and visiting. Everybody has secrets, the tension is so thick it could be cut with a knife and there is conveniently one missing from the kitchen. For more than half the film we see motives offered and wait for the murder and yet after it occurs it becomes evident that this is NOT a murder mystery at all!

The film has been compared to Upstairs Downstairs and it does involve the lives of those both above and below stairs, but it is much more than that. The various stories are added layer by layer some, such as the imposter in the servants' hall are obvious while others like the secret abortion are only alluded in a couple of lines. The various stories are, while interesting, not really the point of the film either. This is a beautifully drawn portrait of a way of life that is long gone and will probably never return. Almost everyone has read about or seen depictions of English Country Life in the '20's and '30's. It is a setting that has been used in drama, comedy, romance and of course mystery genres for years but Gosford Park makes it clear that we have only the faintest ideas of what that life was really like. The genius of this film is that it takes all the information that could have been spread out in a PBS documentary series and used fiction to illustrate the same points in a much more effective and enjoyable way.

The cast is huge and filled with actors, both well known and soon to be well known. No one is given such a large role that it becomes their film and yet each performer manages to turn their scenes into a polished little gem.

The extras included in the DVD are wonderful. They include deleted scenes (with commentary), features on the making of, and authenticity of the movies as well as Q & A with cast and filmakers. The best of the extras by far are the commentaries with the director, Robert Altman and screenwriter, Julian Oscar.

I highly recommend the purchase (as opposed to the renting) of this film. It is so packed with detail that it would be impossible to absorb it all in just one or two viewings.

"Nothing's more exhausting than breaking in a lady's maid."
The upperclass friends and relations of Sir William McCordle (Michael Gambon) arrive at his country house for a weekend of shooting, accompanied by maids, footmen, and valets, all of whom will be staying under one roof. Sir William is a mean-spirited and self-centered old man, married to a much younger, emotionally distant wife (Kristin Scott Thomas), with many family members dependent upon his continuing largesse. The hilariously waspish Countess of Trentham (Maggie Smith), who believes she has a lifetime stipend, arrives with young Mary Maceachran (Kelly MacDonald), who is trying valiantly to become a good lady's maid. Ivor Novello (Jeremy Northam), a Hollywood star, and Morris Weissman (Bob Balaban), a producer of Charlie Chan movies, are the only guests without aristocratic backgrounds and inherited privilege. The atmosphere of the house, filled with venomous "friends" and relations, soon becomes even more poisonous.

The "below stairs" lives of the servants are also fully revealed, as they share living quarters, eat meals together, tend to the laundry and cooking, and gossip about their employers. The butler Jennings (Alan Bates) and the head housekeeper (Helen Mirren) run the household and try to guarantee that no real-world cares will intrude upon the lives of their employers. Since "upstairs" and "downstairs" occasionally meet very privately at night, secrets abound, many of them secrets of long standing. When Sir William is poisoned and stabbed ("Trust Sir William to be murdered twice"), nearly everyone has a motive for wanting him dead.

For director Robert Altman, the primary focus of the film is on the characters, their way of life, and their values, with the murder mystery secondary. Set in late November, the end of the year 1932, the action takes place when this secure aristocratic lifestyle is also nearing its end, something that the arrival of the newly rich Hollywood characters, Novello and Weissman, illustrates. Dramatic cinematography (by Andrew Dunn) emphasizes the cold and rainy dreariness of the weekend, and suggests parallels with the coldness of the dying aristocracy.

Interior shots reveal the contrasts between the elegant and mannered lives of the "upstairs" characters and the hardworking daily lives of the "downstairs" characters, who adhere to their own rigid social codes. Every detail rings true, and as the characters' lives and interrelationships are revealed obliquely in brief snippets of seemingly unrelated conversations, a broad picture of the upstairs and downstairs lifestyles gradually emerges. Fully developed, many-leveled, wonderfully acted, often funny, and impeccably directed and filmed, this is a film one can watch again and again with delight. Mary Whipple

The Triumph of the Tried and True... a la Robert Altman!
GOSFORD PARK is an enchanting movie on every level and should please even the most discerning audience. Quite unexpectedly, Robert Altman has thoroughly researched the Agatha Christie murder mystery-type stories, the archetypical British mystery/drawing room genre, and (more important) the stuffy and unbelievable class disparities of olde England and has produced a stylish, smart, lushly beautiful recreation of England in the 1930s. The settings are elegant - a mansion/castle where the 'haves' and their lowly servants carry on their lives as though 'to the manner born'. Blessed with a dream cast that includes nearly all of the greats of the British acting school, Altman has given plumb roles to Maggie Smith, Helen Mirren, Eileen Atkins, Emily Watson, Kristin Scott Thomas, Stephen Fry, Michael Gambon, Jeremy Northam, James Wilby, Alan Bates, and Derek Jacobi. The story is an interesting murder mystery but it merely serves as the matrix upon which these fine actors, writer, cinematographer and director capably flaunt their skills. This movie is Delicious! It is so fine that it bears repeated viewings just to make sure you catch all the innuendoes and rapid, superb double entendres encased in this bit of magic. Altman devotees will not be disappointed and those who are not fond of the eccentric director's previous films are bound to be won over to the genius of Robert Altman.

Upstairs, downstairs, cold stares
No matter how many actors, including bankable stars, appear in a Robert Altman movie, it seems to be about Altman. He has an individual, if by now familiar, style of filmmaking that is always calling attention to itself. That style includes very fluid camera movement, quick-cut editing, and a good deal of dialogue that is covered by other dialogue or sounds distant. We are meant to be awed by the spontaneity and naturalism of it all.

Apparently many people are impressed by this mannerism and consider it a sign of artistry. On the whole, I find it pretentious and irritating. In one of the supplementary features on the DVD, Altman, his screenwriter and a handful of the actors from Gosford Park are interviewed in front of a studio audience. Altman and the writer rattle on about how every scene is shot by two cameras that are always in motion, so that the actors are never sure whether they are going to be foreground or atmosphere, or what angle they'll be seen from. Does Altman really think he invented the idea of shooting a scene from multiple angles, and choosing one during editing? And why is a camera that's gliding and panning constantly somehow more "truthful" than one that's framing the character or group that the director believes is most essential to telling the story at that moment?

It can be said in Altman's favor, though, that he never makes a merely conventional or routine film; they are all a bit eccentric (a compliment in my book) and, despite my reservations about the camera and sound-recording style, usually offer a fresh view of the theme or its environment. Gosford Park is your standard Agatha Christie-style murder mystery set among a dinner-jacketed, evening-gowned crowd in an English manor house in 1932 -- except, in this case, the doings of the upper crust are set against the army of servants below stairs who work their tails off to make everything straight, gleaming and smooth for their social betters.

Altman and his screenwriter Julian Fellows do a very creditable and humane job of conveying the personalities and individuality of the servants; they aren't just symbols of The Oppressed. The characters of the gentry, though, while ably portrayed (the acting talent makes sure of that), are almost universally so sour, rude and calculating that it's hard not to feel that there's a touch of old-fashioned, left-wing agit-prop involved. (The one exception is Jeremy Northam, who plays Ivor Novello -- a real singer and film star of the period -- with considerable charm.) I can believe that an assembly of English bluebloods in that era might have carried within themselves much wickedness, but they would have been far too polished to display it as openly and crudely as they do in Gosford Park.

Altman recruited a clutch of A-list British stage and film actors, and they don't fail him. Altman's casual attitude toward the basics of craftsmanship (as opposed to displaying his self-assumed creative genius) ensures that you will be lucky to figure out who half the characters are and their relationships with one another by the time of the denouement, but their cultivated swinishness holds the attention anyway. I think actors love playing obnoxious and unlikeable characters; these seem to be enjoying their roles, and you will, too.

The English have a term, "curate's egg." The meaning is, "parts of it are very good." ... Read more

Amazon.com

Whoopi Goldberg plays a Reno lounge singer who hides out as a nun when her villainous boyfriend (Harvey Keitel) goes gunning for her. Maggie Smith is the mother superior who has to cope with Whoopi's unorthodox behavior, but the cute script turns the tables and shows how the latter energizes the stodgy convent with song and attitude. A real crowd-pleaser and a perfect vehicle for Goldberg, this is a happy experience all around. --Tom Keogh ... Read more

Reviews (36)

Sister Power!
Sister Act can easily be classified as one of the 90's better comedies filled with laughter that can surpass the likes of most movies out today. Whoopi Goldberg is as always hilarious and portrays Delores Van Cartier, a naive lounge singer who's boyfriend is a married mafioso (but she doesn't know this), and later she witnesses a murder commited by him which caused her to run to the police, who in turn stashed her in a church in San Francisco against her will. Mother Superior (Maggie Smith) takes her into the church, and discuises her as a nun with a phony alias: Sister Mary Clarence. The trouble comes later when Mother Superior doesn't like the decision to transform the out-of-tune (she improves their vocal skill) nun's choir into a funky retro 60's girl group. If you want a hilarious comedy, filled with laughter a minute, I will recommend this.

A part absolutely made for Whoopi Goldberg
I didn't expect to like this movie when my husband brought it home one Friday night - but I was wrong, wrong, wrong. It's hilarious, uplifting, and entertainint.
Goldberg plays a Reno casino singer who gets in trouble with the mob and hides out disguised as a nun in a teaching convent. Maggie Smith, every twitch and blink in place, plays the mother superior who must cope with Goldberg's high jinks as she energises the convent, its choir, its students, and her own life. And, omigod! The music! You'll want the soundtrack when you've finished watching the movie.
A feel good movie to die for.

You Can't Ban Me is wrong
This is a classic disgrace of a movie by Whoopi Goldberg, one of the suckiest actreses of our time. Much to the previous reviewer's chagrin, people who dislike her know real talent like Chris Rock, Richard Pryor, Sam Kinison(so we are not racists). It was RIGHT of Slim Fast to dump the greedy tyrant Goldberg from their ads after she made some candid remarks about the president. Anyway, this film is a masterpiece of garbage. I have zilch respect for Whoopi and despise everything she does.

A Wonderful, Feel-Good Movie with Plenty of Laughs
Deloris Van Cartier (Whoopi Goldburg) is a Reno lounge singer whose life is going nowhere fast. She just saw her married lover, Vince LaRocca (Harvey Keitel), a mob boss, kill a man and is in fear for her life. Deloris didn't want to cooperate with the police, but she wanted to live. However, after finding out where the police were planning on stashing her, Deloris wished that she was dead. How on earth was she supposed to pass herself off as a nun in a convent? Still, Deloris was determined to give it her best shot and became Sister Mary Clarence.

Deloris/Sister Mary Clarence hadn't been in the convent for a day before she was already causing problems and being called before Mother Superior (Maggie Smith). Mother Superior didn't know what to do with Sister Mary Clarence, but the perfect solution presented itself when she saw how Sister Mary Clarence reacted to the atrocious choir performance on Sunday. She promptly informed Sister Mary Clarence that she would be in charge of the choir and felt that that would keep her out of mischief. However, before too long, Sister Mary Clarence had the whole choir rocking and rolling as she took traditional religious songs and rocked them up and rock songs and made them religious. Unfortunately, Mary Clarence's many good works could not go unnoticed for long and she soon found the mob hot on her trail...

Sister Act is a funny, entertaining movie that just makes you laugh. The role of Deloris/Sister Mary Clarence was tailor made for Whoopi Goldberg and you can just tell that she is having a wonderful time. The supporting cast, led by Maggie Smith (Mother Superior), Kathy Najimy (Sister Mary Patrick), Wendy Makkena (Sister Mary Robert) and Mary Wickes (Sister Mary Lazarus) was also superb and each actress brought her own unique charm into her role. If you are looking for a fast, fun, hilarious movie that you can watch with the whole family - and sing along with, too! - this is a great choice!

I can't be torn apart from my God!!!!
Nothing you can buy could make me tell a lie to my God! This is Whoopi's best movie ever! My cousin and I were constantly singing the songs everywhere we went. One my favorite movies of ALL time. I wish they would come out with a DVD that contained more extra features though. ... Read more

Reviews (30)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Description

A young coffee salesman rises to the top, only to fall and rise again. ... Read more

Reviews (21)

watch this movie
I can't really describe how I feel about this movie. I would love to just make you watch it. I am writing this because I felt a need to write a review for the soundtrack, now on cd. I found myself constantly talking about how much I love this movie. The music is incorporated into the film directly. So much so that McDowell(Travis) and Price(Price) actually exchange words at one point(and in the middle of one of Price's songs). Price's personality is felt everywhere. At a middle point, Price's band rescues Travis from a mad doctor(see Brittania Hospital)and appear proper in the film. The film itself was based partly on the character from "If.." and partly on McDowell's own experience as a coffee salesman. It is the middle part of Travis's trilogy. In my review of the soundtrack, you will see how I feel that Price's soundtrack adds to the tone and personality of the film. As serendipitous as Travis's adventures are, you can see layers of humanity peel away. To say something definite about it would just ruin the plot and theme. There are alot of scenes that are mockingly anti-authoritarian. And some creepy "things to be" scenes. Also, there are cold political reality scenes that still resonate. All that said, it is really Travis' story. Just watch it. The talents are huge and the movie is bleak. You will never see another movie like this again.

Inspirational! Cynical! Wonderful!
My all-round favorite film. Favorite because of its scope, Brit humor and enduring power to pick me up when I am down. Malcom McDowell's expressions throughout are bildungsroman in action. Music is amazing, and heralded a life-long love affair (sadly from a distance) with Alan Price, a sort of music hall Randy Newman. Band/party sequences are fabulous! Movie endures beyond intellectual collegiate urge to deconstruct symbolism. I like it even better than Shirley Temple's The Little Princess, another fave. Better than Robert Altman. 'Course, I'm one of the few who like Ishtar (at least parts)....But then I also adored Bullworth.

lucky to say the least
I recently watched O Lucky Man again with a friend who was watching it for the first time, and I became accutely aware of the feelings I had when I first watched it. It was an exhilarating and inspirational experience. I envied my friend for a moment and then I got back to the picture...and I realized how much better this movie gets after repeated viewings. Wow!

But as so many have said here in these reviews, a DVD release (Criterion are YOU listening??) packed with extras is sooooo overdue. I've only ever seen this film on vhs and I'm salivating at the thought of seeing it on DVD...

It'll be like watching it for the first time...

O Lucky Viewers
Everytime I see pictures of the flemish painter Heironymous Bosch and then see Lindsey Anderson in this movie I think, gee he looks just like Bosch; kinda makes movies like Bosch paints as well. His loosely connected Mick Travis trilogy: if.., O' Lucky Man and Britannia Hospital often look like the typical Bosch tryptich, in which the left panel shows man's expulsion from a distorted forboding man's view of "heaven"; in if..'s case a British authoritarian boarding school, while the right side of Bosch's tryptichs show the twisted tortuous hell that man merits from his sins on earth; in Britannia Hospital's case, an insane asylum diguised as a government run hospital where death is certain from the most disgustingly violent experiments and sponsered by bureaucratic sadists. In the middle of these moralty paintings is the incendiary display of sins man commits. And it is here that we often find the most engaging bits of Bosch's work where so much happens in an instant as viewing a painting, which, actually takes years to see it all. O' Lucky Man is very much designed in this fashion even if it wasn't intentional. We get elements from this movie that may never be fully realized again in film; a dismal prospect indeed. Innovations actually abound with this revolutionary film. We have it's soundrack and score composer not only effectively weigh commentary on the movie's long suffering but affably earnest protagonist Travis (played with astonishing exuberence and charm by Malcolm McDowell), but that the singer (Alan Price, formerly of the Animals) even interacts with him in the film. As innovative and amusing as that technique was, the soundrack can still stand on it's own as one of the greatest and most relevant to a film plot ever written. Tell anyone who goes on a job interview or for that matter, hates their job to listen to the world weary idiosyncratic bliss in the song Poor People, a song that sticks forever in the souls of those who loved this movie like honey melting on hot toast crumpets. All in all, a very touching ode to smiling down disaster.
Many may twitch at the seemingly overindulgent symbolism going on and the lengthy running time and disjointed feel of this epic. They may also get confused by the hilarious running gag of the actors playing repeated roles. I found it fun beyond a roll in the hay to catch when each player shows up again and again several times over then bust out in laughter when Travis actually recognizes the lusciously charming Helen Mirren groupie character Patricia who showed up in episodes before his stint in jail, then looking at her talent agency clerk character with puzzling bewilderment a few moments later as if he had no clue. As Mick, Malcolm McDowell can come off as enthusiastic and gullible then believably struggle with frustration, cynicism, and finally dogged determination to be "good" then giving up only to be thwacked back into his trademark grin. The writing is all over his vastly expressive face and makes this one of his most unforgettable portrayals, completly abscent is the casual sadism that has garnered him praise but unfortunate typecasting down the road. This is a must see movie for fans of his villian work who want to see his range; simply brilliant work.
It is also a film that is astonishingly relevant to how capitalist societies still function. We're often amazed at how we havn't changed much from our need to divest in our homeland to rape another for the needs of the selfish. Granted the film is long and bitingly sardonic and perhaps that idealism causes a slower decay then Anderson might have imagined. Still, many of the films relevant lines about dying like dogs, radio commentary on Zen and revolution being the opium of intellectuals ring strong in the hearts of anyone who questions their existence and worth in the world. This seems to be the one true everyman type of film as surreal as it may be. There is just something so satisfying in just hearing the characters walking, which sounds strikingly like marching. And it happens almost everytime before our poor boy Travis gets a beating. It is a movie that has to be seen and heard repeatedly. Defintely buy this film. For anyone who cares, if you managed to tape the uncut British version of the film when it ran on some obscure cable stations back in the early 90s, you may have gold in your hands; the deleted 'My Home Town' suicide sequence is there. Yes, like a Boscsh picture, there is so much to see in this gem and we are all the luckier for having it in our lives.

YEAH
I give this movie 5 stars because they just don't make 'em like this anymore. Also, when I read comments where folks bash the 70's, I simply wonder,I mean WONDER-what are they comparing the 1970's to??? Today? WHAT? You have got to be kidding? O Lucky Man is a journeyman movie built with the rambling sober style so popular at the time. The soundtrack I found irritating BUT it's still classic and really the movie wouldn't be the same without it. Some of the images and scenes in this movie are simply in the very top of movie ideas, the very top. See this movie. And as far as dated, it is dated compared to Survivor, The Apprentice, Friends, The Reality Show, ad nauseum and all the rest of the Nothing Zone we call today's digital media culture offerings. Blah! Give me the ole rusty 70's any day of the week! ... Read more

Amazon.com essential video

Manhattan, Woody Allen's follow-up to Oscar-winning Annie Hall, is a film of many distinctions: its glorious all-Gershwin score, its breathtakingly elegant black-and-white, widescreen cinematography by Gordon Willis (best-known for shooting the Godfather movies); its deeply shaded performances; its witty screenplay that marked a new level in Allen's artistic maturity; and its catalog of Things that Make Life Worth Living. But Manhattan is also distinguished in the realm of home video as the first motion picture to be released only in a widescreen version. You wouldn't want to see it any other way. Allen's "Rhapsody in Gray" concerns, as his own character puts it, "people in Manhattan who are constantly creating these real, unnecessary, neurotic problems for themselves, because it keeps them from dealing with more unsolvable, terrifying problems about the universe." It's a romantic comedy about infidelity and betrayal, the rules of love and friendship, young girls (a radiant and sweet Mariel Hemingway) and older men (Allen), innocence, and sophistication. (a favorite phrase is used to describe a piece of sculpture at the Guggenheim: "It has a marvelous kind of negative capability.") The movie's themes can be summed up in two key lines: "I can't believe you met somebody you like better than me," and "It's very important to have some kind of personal integrity." OK, so they may not sound like such sparkling snatches of brilliant dialogue, but Manhattan puts those ideas across with such emotion that you feel an ache in your heart. --Jim Emerson ... Read more

Reviews (74)

One of Allen's best
While I would have to say that Allen's "Crimes and Misdemeanors" is better than this, "Manhattan" is still an amazing movie. Even if the script was terrible (it isn't), the characters flat (they aren't) and the great moral undertone not present (it is) the cinematography and soundtrack alone would make this movie stand out. "Manhattan" was Woody Allen's love letter to New York, filled with sweeping images of the city accompanied by terrific Gershwin music. It's a good thing he wouldn't let anybody release it unletterboxed.
But, of course, there is more to a movie than cinematography. "Manhattan" is funny (it's a Woody Allen movie, for goodness sakes), poignant, uplifting, and wonderfully intelligent. The scene near the end of the film that depicts the confrontation between Allen and his friend Yale (Michael Murphy) is one of the best scenes I've ever had the pleasure to see. The single shot of Allen, putting his face in the same frame with a vaguely Allenesque skeleton's face, is one of those things that you don't notice the first time around but on repeated viewings recognize as one of the best things about the movie.
The only people I have ever seen give bad reviews to this movie are those who point out that Allen's character is committing statuatory rape. This is true, but it's not necessarily glorified - if anything, it fits into the movie's strongest point about morality. In a world where most people who make accepted points about morality say that it's relative and accuse others of trying to be God, it's wonderful to see a film in which somebody answers to that very argument, "I gotta model myself after someone!"

I'll Take Manhattan
Easily of of the best American films of all time, Allen examines relationships and life in this funny/bittersweet story set with NYC as the backdrop. Beautiful CinemaScope photography, Woody's typical neurotic cast of characters, Gershwin score, excellent acting, all come together despite Sandy Morse's non-editing talents. This was the Woody I loved... Mr. Annie Hall, now unfortunately, a man that has literally become a characature of himself. Too bad for us... What happened to you Woody?

Diane Keaton, Michael Murphy, Meryl Streep, Wally Shawn, and (especially) Mariel Hemmingway seemlessly float around Allen's chatracter flawlessly, as the film surges towards a realistic but sad end as Allen and 17 year old Hemmingway part. Funny how life imitates art (as Woody is now married literally to Rosemary's Baby).

Despite my hostility (as Allen would say), don't miss this film. It's everything that Manhattan is, and more.

PS - if you ever have a chance to see it on a big screen, do so...!

Better Than Annie Hall
This is how a black and white should be filmed. And in the perfect location. I'm not a Woody Allen fan but this is just simply an excellent film. Funny, smart, insightful and emminently watchable.

A timeless christmas gift for New York!
Woody Allen made a pictoric statement ; an artistic gift of countless carats ; an etarnal portrait for the next generations who will watch this picture with the same devotion we have in front a masterpiece in the Metropolitan , Louvre or any other prestigious museum in the world.
The story turns as a leit motive in many films of this clever film maker , about the disturbing relationship between two lovers , the loneliness , the no sense living who seems work out for many people in a city as NY that owns the sublime virtue of being capable of renovating to itself from time to time . This is the clue why we love so much this unique city .
The opening shots shows Allen who is left by his wife (Meryl Streep) for another woman ; this bitter sight is linked with the fact Woody falls in love with a teenager that it might be well his own daughter (Mariel Hemingway) ; notice this relationship is built for the Pygmalion effect. She admires him and eventually falls in love with him when she compares his rich gaze about the world with the routiny of her friends ; flat and deepless.
In the middle of this emotional chaos the rendezvous to NYC emerges from time to time with unforgettable images . Gordon Willis stole the show with this arresting landscapes. He caught the mythical essence of this caleidoscopic city: irreverent , creative , seductive , challenging but fascinating . However Allen knew show the viewer the underestimated wonderful treasures that by one or several reasons some proportion of the people who lives there it doesn't seem to realize . Once more the sight of an artist is to make open the eyes and alterate the usual perspectives of the reality , creating a new one.
And Allen made it . Bravo!

all-white stuttering misanthrope in black and white
Does it bother anyone else that in what the director himself cals an "idealized New York" there are never any people of color? I'm talking about all of Woody Allen's films, not just this smug, prettily photographed, over-rated film. Wait, I've just been told that there is a black extra standing silently in the background of a party scene in Hannah and Her Sisters. I guess I'm wrong.

Why are people so crazy for this nasty, self-absorbed hack? ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Near-Complete Failure to Exploit Unbelievable Potential
This film, with its superlative cast and the terrific book upon which it is based, miserably failed to deliver the depth, richness and impact of that fine book. The actors were just perfect -- Roscoe Rules and Harold Bloomguard, in particular, were portrayed stupendously -- and some of the vignettes came across properly, but in total this movie ended up being a real shame. I read that Joseph Wambaugh wanted to have himself completely dis-associated from the film (which is one reason that the next movie made from a Wambaugh book, The Onion Field, more closely adheres to its source).

Read the book, watch this film once (mainly to see how well the actors just NAILED their roles!) and then hope for a remake or, perhaps, a re-edit.

The Choirboys is Great Fun
I first saw this movie as a kid, and as a grown up I'm now a cop. This movie looks at life as a cop with a sense of humor mingled with what really happens on the street. Some parts of the movie don't mix well but is still a lot of fun to watch and know some things never change. ... Read more

Amazon.com essential video

An appealing, free-floating lunacy fuels What's New Pussycat?,and there's enough of it bubbling around to carry the movie past its manydefects. The cast is like a collection of terribly attractive people stumblingover each other at a disorganized cocktail party--they aren't always witty, andsome of them are drunk, but there's enough going on