Reviews (3)

Great Version
I've seen every version of this movie,this version is my favorite.Two boys (played by twins Robert and Jonathan Timmins)discover they look alike and switch places.Now switched in very different lives they must try to switch back before the wrong boy is crowned king.Aidan Quinn shines in his role.A pleasure to watch.

EXCELLENT, FUN TO WATCH MOVIE!
I first saw this video in my language class. I immediately fell in love with it! Just to let you know, I'm actually almost 14. Even though the acting doesn't really compare with a real star; it still seems to have a likeable side to it. I kept wanting to watch it until the end! I never got tired of it. It's a VERY interesting video. I would reccomend it for kids about my age, but I don't think adults would be very partial towards it. If you want a movie to promote your kid to read a classic or just have a good time; I would deffinitely reccomend this! It's terrific!

MIRROR IMAGES
Everyone is no doubt familiar with Mark Twain's classic work of two boys (one a prince, the other a pauper) exchanging identities. In this latest film remake of The Prince and The Pauper (put out by Hallmark Entertainment) we are given an interesting spin on the story. The story line stays intact but subtle emphasis is placed on the two characters' fathers.

Prince Edward (Johnathan Timmons) and Tom Canty (Robert Timmons) have fathers that are mirror images of one another as the boys. Both sires exhibit a contempt for women, greed and an insatiable desire to control. Tenderness and mercy are not in the vocabulary of either the king nor the thief.

When the young boys exchange clothes they see the reality of life from both sides of the palace walls. Edward is confronted with poverty, unjust laws and the oppression of his father's terror. Tom witnesses the oppulance of the court, endless power plays and the ceaseless back biting. Both boys find themselves having to come to terms with their heritage and doing what they feel is just and right.

You won't find superb acting. The Timmons brothers do an adequate job in portraying the two characters. Miles (Aiden Quinn) shows a deep empathy for the pauper who is Edward. Alas the poor boy is mad thinking he is a prince then a king. Miles goes along with the game but after awhile is challenged by Edward to move beyond his own disillusions.

This is another good family video. It is entertaining and enjoyable. Mark Twain would no doubt enjoy this rendition of his work. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Jane Austen goes Gothic in this darkly dramatic rendering of her Northanger Abbey, a novel that wasn't published until after her early and sudden death. Austen pokes fun at her peers in this story, inwhich her heroine, Catherine Morland (Katharine Schlesinger), is hopelessly addicted to macabre romance novels that wreak havoc on her imagination. She comes from a large, but loving family, and she's taken, as a companion, to the decadent society of Bath. There, she meetsthe duplicitous Thorpe siblings, Isabella (Cassie Stuart) and John (Jonathan Coy), and the kindly Tilneysister and brother, Eleanor (Ingrid Lacey) and Henry (Peter Firth). The Tilneys also have an elder brother,the snobbish soldier Frederick (Greg Hicks), and an oddly eerie father, General Tilney (Robert Hardy).Needless to say, all this provides plenty of fodder for fantasies and Catherine comes up with many, evenimagining all sorts of evils on a visit to the Tilney family home, Northanger Abbey. The soundtrack is more than a little melodramatic, but it's best to think of it as a humorous touch rather than a serious, punctuating one.--N.F. Mendoza ... Read more

Reviews (57)

A fun and enjoyable adaptation of the Jane Austen novel...
I've read all of Jane Austen's books and am usually very critical of the film adaptations. I have to admit though that the adaptation of Northanger Abbey sort of grew on me after one or two viewings (yes, I've owned the tape for years). I've probably seen this film dozens of times and I really quite enjoy it. Katherine Schlesinger is perfectly cast as Catherine Morland (anyone who has read the book would most likely agree) and Peter Firth has the charm and playfulness to pull Henry Tilney off. True, the film does not pretend to be a faithful adaptation of the book(there are some quirky scenes that Catherine's wild imagination conjures up) but all the same it adds a certain "tongue-in-cheek" element to the story. The major points of the plot, however, are straight from the book and characterizations are pretty much on the dot (especially that of John and Isabella Thorpe). If you enjoy Jane Austen's books then you'll easily find Northanger Abbey a guilty pleasure.

Disappointing!
This novel is my least favorite of Austen's work. However, I did expect to pleased when I sat to watch this video. I was thoroughly disappointed. This film was just plain silly.

A Jane Austen fanatic who loves this movie
As a devoted fan of Jane Austen's novels, I must say I love this movie. Although it's not a slavish attempt at recreating the book, the characterizations are very true to the book, and the movie successful embodies several of the book's themes. In addition, it works beautifully as a movie. The actors who play the leads bring their roles to life beautifully, and the character actors are wonderful.

Worth a perusal
We all know that the BBC, with some funding from A&E, could do a great adaptation of this film (hint, hint)! But since they don't seem to be interested in doing that, fans of the Jane Austen novel this film is based on, will have to refer to this made-for-British-TV version for a quick Northanger Abbey 'fix'.

Which is not a bad way to describe the nature of this film. Its screenplay is the bare bones of JA's classic novel, which leaves much of her satire, -- not to mention her witty dialogue,-- out. What was an intriguing and entertaining satire on the popular Gothic novels of its time, was made into a dreamlike, slightly creepy, light romance. Entertaining for what it is; deeply satisfying it is not. However, there are good things about this film, that JA fans will enjoy.

The biggest of these is the strength of the film's cast. The acting is superb, and the actors well suited to their roles. Peter Firth is perfectly charming as Henry Tilney, and though deprived of some of JA's better lines from the novel, conveys those he has with just the right passion for a romantic hero. And the heroine, played wonderfully by Katharine Schlesinger, is just as the novel imagined, innocent and eager to greet the world, all wide eyes and innocence. The supporting cast is also fine, especially Googie Withers as Mrs. Allen, and the Thorpe siblings.

Other high points are the lush and colorful costumes, and the vivid and romantic setting. All the opulence of dress from the 1790's, the novel's timeframe, is preserved, including piles of curls on the head, and garrish make-up. The Roman bath scene is a unique and interesting look at what one of the popular health spas of yesterday were like. And in spite of the inappropriateness of substituting a castle for an abbey, who wouldn't want to be a guest in one like this, or think it a likely place for adventure and romance for the heroine of a Gothic tale, which Catherine Morland so wants to be?

There have been just complaints about this film. The soundtrack is a departure from the JA film norm, and takes some getting used to. John Thorpe is a leering villian, instead of a bumbling fool, as in the novel. The Gothic daydream scenes are sometimes jarring and even disturbing, different from the novel's lighter, satirical tone. But overall these little quirks, along with others, seem to work, within the peculiar context of the film's truncated, but still Gothic and romantic, world. Even the Marchioness's strange appearance adds a pinch of dream flavor to this Gothic soup.

This film is probably best viewed as its own entity, and not as an adaptation of the novel. For JA fans, a more faithful version is needed (please!) but this has strong parts enough for occasional viewing as a curiosity (or just to give the Pride and Prejudice dvd a rest)! Like the Gothic romance novels of Mrs. Radcliffe, which this film in part satirizes, it should be enjoyed by quick consumption, and like that list of laundry bills in a mysterious, old trunk, not too seriously.

A different feel from the book
I acknowledge that good films don't have to follow their original scripts exactly, but this one was lacking in the spirit Jane Austen wrote it in. The characters of General Tilney and Catherine Morland are preserved, but Catherine has strange and bloody fantasies that don't match up with her character in the novel. The saxophone that's wailing as you watch the pastoral English scenery makes you cringe, and the creepy soundtrack is better fitting for a horror movie. Eleanor Tilney acts at once assertive and submissive, unlike her original whose timidity and obedience helped show the depth of the general's control. And the marchioness with the Kiss makeup and the boy doing cartwheels were not created by Austen and came out of left field. More than anything, the gory and creepy feel doesn't match up with the lighthearted satirical tone of the novel, thereby missing the point of the story. The ending seems to fit into the type of out-there romantic and gothic writing that Austen intended to make fun of. Let's hope a better version is made someday. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Hotel du Lac is an impeccably produced BBC television adaptation of Anita Brookner's Booker Prize-winning novel. Middle-aged writer Edith Hope has fled London and romantic disappointment to find sanctuary at a luxury hotel on a Swiss Lake, but finding no escape from her loneliness must eventually face her past. Edith is played with compassion by Anna Massey, her intellect and wit acting as a defense against her own failings, and support comes from a superb cast including Denholm Elliott, Googie Withers, Julia McKenzie, Patricia Hodge, Irene Handl, and Barry Foster.

Brookner's apparently slight but multilayered tale is skillfully crafted by writer Christopher Hampton, who has with such films as Dangerous Liaisons (1988) and The Quiet American (2002) become a master of literary adaptation. Giles Foster's direction focuses on bringing the best from his cast, rather than attempting any sort of cinematic sweep, and Carl Davis's eloquent theme music makes the introspection all the more touching. Ultimately, though, it is Anna Massey's insightful central performance which makes Hotel du Lac such a memorable slice of television. --Gary S. Dalkin ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Love brings Edith Hope to the Hotel du Lac out of season.
An adaptation more faithful to the original book you will not find. This wistfully acted, beautifully photographed British television production of Anita Brookner's Booker Prize winning novel is a delight to watch over and over again to pick up on nuances perhaps overlooked in a single viewing. Anna Massey, here middle-aged (remember her as Tom Courtenay's young victim in Michael Powell's Peeping Tom?) is perfectly cast as Edith, a romance writer who knows her market and who is in self-imposed exile after leaving her prospective groom waiting, with all her friends, outside the church because she thinks she has something better than a loveless marriage to keep her occupied. At the Hotel du Lac she encounters the most eccentric characters, who are also on the run from themselves, including a rapidly aging ingenue and her mother, played by the marvelous Googie Withers (see her also in Expresso Bongo with the very young Cliff Richard), a young woman with 'an eating disorder' that keeps her from starting a family, and the elderly Countess played to perfection by Irene Handl in one of her very last roles. Edith also receives an alternative offer of marriage from a jaded businessman played by Denholm Elliott. All of the actors are top notch but the Swiss background is the real star here. For quiet contemplative drama with brittle yet insightful dialogue much of it carried over from the book, don't miss Hotel du Lac. I only wish this was available on DVD, my preferred format for collecting these days. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

The love story of King George VI and the Queen Mum
There was never supposed to be a Queen Elizabeth II sitting on the throne of England, anymore than there is ever supposed to be a second Queen Victoria.When the Duke of York, the second son of King George V, married Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon, the first commoner to marry into English royalty since Anne Boelyn, it was not of any concern because his older brother David would inherit the throne as Edward VIII.When the couple had their first daughter, they named her Elizabeth and I always thought it was because he wanted to honor his wife.So when Edward VIII gave up his throne for the woman he loved, the American divorce Wallis Simpson, the Duke of York became King George VI, his wife became Queen consort, and their daughter would one day be Queen Elizabeth II.

"Bertie and Elizabeth: The Reluctant Royals - The Story of King George VI & Queen Elizabeth" begins the story right before they meet in 1920 and ends it after his death in 1952.Of course, Elizabeth then became the "Queen Mum" and the most beloved woman in England and there is some indication of why in this Masterpiece Theater movie.During the Nazi Blitz during World War II when it was suggested that the Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret be taken to Canada for safety, it was the Queen consort who insisted that the family stay in London just like all of the other citizens who had no place to go.There is some indication of the affection their subjects had for the King and Queen, but mostly the scenes are set in the castles out of the public's sight.Of course, that is the attraction of such biopics.

James Wilby ("Gosford Park") and Juliet Aubrey ("Middlemarch") play Bertie and Elizabeth, with Alan Bates as King George V, Eileen Atkins as Queen Mary, Charles Edwards as Edward VIII and Amber Rose Sealey as Wallis Simpson (note: the two brothers are actually named Albert and Edward although they are called Bertie and David respectively by family and friends).This movie enhances the reputation of the title characters and they end up replacing the Duke and Duchess of Windsor as one of the great love stories of Twentieth Century.The Prince of Wales was a playboy who lied to his family, neglected his duties, and made fun of his brother's stutter.His future wife was a snob and when she puts down Elizabeth it is Wallis Simpson whose reputation takes a major hit. Of course, any and all such hits are historically justified by the objective evidence regarding the infamous couple.

Ultimately, this movie is a testament to how King George VI, considered a shy, dull-witted, colorless man married to a hopelessly plain wife, became heroic figures by their actions during the war.Edward VII and Wallis Simpson were style, but George VI and Elizabeth had substance.Even though she is another minor character in the story, the Princess Elizabeth (Elisabeth Dermot-Walsh), can still easily be seen as the product of her pragmatic parents.Queen Mary has a couple of nice scenes, as does Winston Churchill (David Ryall), but overall this is a history light version of these interesting times.That is because the emphasis is on the Reluctant Royals and the peculiar dynamics of the House of Windsor. Yet, even against that troubled backdrop the simple bonds of affection between the last King of England and the woman he loved.

A raher sugary telling of history.
This Film tells the story of the current Queen Elizabeth's parents. Many remember well her late Mother who died very recently aged 101, her Faher is remembered for taking over the role of King from his wayward Brother who abdicated in order to marry Wallace Simpson (the divorced American, shock horror!) It plays the couple as blissfully happy young people, madly in love and not interested in royal life.
It plays the Queen Mother as a sweet girl, badly treated by the nasty Mrs Simpson.
It places all the major historical events in context, the abdication, WW2, the birth of Princess Elizabeth (now the Queen) and Princess Margaret (the Queen's late Sister).
I'm just not sure it is as truthful as it could be, King George had a very bad stammer and was highly anxious of public speaking, he was damaged by the cruel treatment of his Father and no doubt by years at Public School; not one jot of that information is played out here. In contrast, many historians suggest that Lady Elizabeth Bowes Lyon, or the Queen Mother as she later was, was quite keen to not persue nor accept King George, preferring his Brother who later abdicated.
The reported poor relationship between she and Mrs Simpson (later the Duchess of Windsor) was 2 way street, the Duchess reportedly teased the Queen Mother about her robust figure and was aware of her jealously of her, and it was generally reported the Queen Mother treated the Duchess with comtempt and like a cheap harlot. Again the film glosses over this, maybe the makers had to be careful to keep lawyers off their back, this was screened in Britian just after the Queen Mother's death so it may help to explain it's historical engineering work and the general feeling that you are viewing a J M Barrie adaptaion, I was waiting throughout for Peter Pan to appear!; it really was that fancifull at times.
Not great but worth a look, the central actors are pretty wet and unconvincing too but that seems to be a script fault.

Great Costume Drama, But Historically A Bit Lacking
Bertie and Elizabeth is the story of the courtship and marriage of Prince Albert, Duke of York and second son of King George V, and Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon.This has historical significance in that Bertie and Elizabeth became King George VI and Queen Elizabeth in December 1936 upon the abdication of Bertie's older brother King Edward VIII, who became Duke of Windsor.George VI and his Queen led the British monarchy through World War II and the beginning of the dissolution of the British Empire before the King died in his sleep in 1952.

The first segments of this story are well done but a bit thinin historical detail.I would like to have seen more of the difficult relations between Bertie and his parents, and I feel personally that the character of Edward VIII was drawn to be crueler than he deserved. (While there is no doubt that the Duke of Windsor was self-absorbed, he was kinder to his siblings, particularly Bertie and his stuttering problems, than this film depicts.)I also think Elizabeth's character comes off as superficial too much of the time, and that Wallis Simpson is made out to be far nastier than she deserves (I don't have much use for the Duchess of Windsor, but most of her missteps were out of ignorance rather than malevolence.) I enjoyed the scenes showing Elizabeth's working to help her husband overcome his stammer, though I rather doubt they really spent much time on the floor of the doctor's office.

The Abdication scenes and the early years of George VI's reign are well done, particularly the Royal Visit to President Roosevelt in 1939, but things get skimpy again in the World War II years.I don't understand why Elizabeth's famous comment that she could at last look the East End in the face after Buckingham Palace was bombed was left out. I also don't quite see the point of spending so much time focussed on Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands and her wartime travails. Some of the characterizations ofgenerals and politicians are very well done indeed, particularly Montgomery and Churchill. (Its nice to be reminded of Churchill's sense of humor!!)The last few segments showing the King's final years are also nice.Queen Mary's shocked reactions are used to good effect to emphasize the advent of change in the late 1940s with the election of a Labour Government. (Clement Attlee is also very well done.) I also thought Elizabeth Dermot Walsh's portrayal of Princess Elizabeth (the present Queen) as a cool headed pragmatist extremely well done.

My only real disappointment with this film is that it istoo short.A six hour mini series would have covered the period with far more detail and historical accuracy.But this film does reveal the humanity and courage of a King who did his duty and of the Queen who loved and supported him.Its a nice reminder these Windsor-bashing days. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Classic literature becomes a classic movie
If it weren't for movies based on books today, many of us would never become acquainted with classic literature. Silas Marner is a gem of a movie, obviously based on a classic, and after seeing it, I understand why the book is required reading in many English classes. I myself have never read the book, and therefore appreciate becoming acquainted with it through this movie.

The setting appears to be in the 1600-1700s England. Silas Marner is wrongly accused of murder and is exiled from his community. When he arrives in another village, he becomes the mysterious weaver of fine cloth, who lives alone and rarely speaks to anyone. The squire from whom he rents his cottage meanwhile, is providing for his opium-addicted wife that he has secretly married. He keeps her and their baby daughter hidden from the public in a tiny apartment in the village. Struggling to the squire's mansion one night to reveal her existence to his family, the woman dies in the snow, and Silas Marner finds the toddler in his cottage. Immediately he takes to her, and convinces people he should adopt her. The following part of the movie of his developing relationship with this adorable little acress is precious.

Marner lives frugally, raising the child, but when she is 16, the squire steps in, and Marner and his daughter must make a decision that will test their relationship. There is a subplot concerning the squire's wayward brother whose actions affect all their lives, forcing all the characters to a turning point.

Ben Kingsley's acting is excellent as he goes through the different periods of his life, and the movie does a fine job of portraying the era. The movie, like the book, may not be top-draw, but like the book, it also deserves classic status.

George Eliot is a girl.
George Eliot, author of Silas Marner, is a girl - a psuedonym for Maryann Evans. Think about it. This movie has all the crunch power of Sense and Sensiblity but you don't have to wait till the very end it to get.

Silas Marner Stays True To Book
After reading George Eliot's masterpiece, Silas Marner, I rented this video from my local library. I was presently surprised to see that the movie followed the basic pattern of the book. Though there were a few variances, for the most part Ben Kingsley did a masterful job of bringing Silas Marner to life. Kingsley's portrayal of the old miser was stunning. However, the best acting came from the young lady who portrayed the heroin-addicted wife of Godfrey Cass. The love between Eppie and Silas was almost felt by the viewers. Kingsley is a most remarkable actor, and this is one movie that you should purchase for your own collection. END ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Love brings Edith Hope to the Hotel du Lac out of season.
An adaptation more faithful to the original book you will not find. This wistfully acted, beautifully photographed British television production of Anita Brookner's Booker Prize winning novel is a delight to watch over and over again to pick up on nuances perhaps overlooked in a single viewing. Anna Massey, here middle-aged (remember her as Tom Courtenay's young victim in Michael Powell's Peeping Tom?) is perfectly cast as Edith, a romance writer who knows her market and who is in self-imposed exile after leaving her prospective groom waiting, with all her friends, outside the church because she thinks she has something better than a loveless marriage to keep her occupied. At the Hotel du Lac she encounters the most eccentric characters, who are also on the run from themselves, including a rapidly aging ingenue and her mother, played by the marvelous Googie Withers (see her also in Expresso Bongo with the very young Cliff Richard), a young woman with 'an eating disorder' that keeps her from starting a family, and the elderly Countess played to perfection by Irene Handl in one of her very last roles. Edith also receives an alternative offer of marriage from a jaded businessman played by Denholm Elliott. All of the actors are top notch but the Swiss background is the real star here. For quiet contemplative drama with brittle yet insightful dialogue much of it carried over from the book, don't miss Hotel du Lac. I only wish this was available on DVD, my preferred format for collecting these days. ... Read more