Reviews (5)

ending ruins it. review includes spoilers.
This was a funny, high-spirited, literate film, but the ending was disgusting and ruined the film for me. Emily Lloyd's character Linda is self-centered, self-absorbed, desperate to be the center of attention at any cost. That's fine as a character study. But in the end she gets impregnated by a wretched, scum bag, dirty-old-man lech. And Linda has the baby, and now that she has total POWER over this baby since she's the poor thing's MOTHER, that's considered some sort of victorious happy ending!!! "I now have control of my fate, yippeee." No, she has control of that baby's fate, which is TRAGIC!! Linda is going to be the most wretched mother for that kid, being, as mentioned, self-centered and self-absorbed. Egomaniacs make terrible parents. And, as with Linda, it's often egomaniacs who want to be parents most, for the control it gives them over a human life. I've known kids with mothers like Linda, and they end up in rehab by age 14. And just on a genetic level, Linda's baby has a bad roll of the dice with the narcissistic mess that is Linda for a mother and that dirty sociopathic lech as its father.

The same ending would have been acceptable if its TONE had been one of TRAGEDY for the unfortunate baby. But to portray the outcome as a "victory" for Linda appalled me.

When I later learned that this film was based on the story of a notorious British madam named Cynthia Payne, who ran a house of ill repute for old-age pensioners and retired military men with kinky tastes, I was hardly surprised.

"Up yer bum!"
Film buffs should rejoice that this outstanding little British gem has finally seen the light of day on DVD. David Leland's 1987 comedy-drama about a headstrong 16-year-old girl's "coming of age" in post WW 2 England only played the arthouses upon on its initial run, so remains largely unknown to U.S. audiences. This movie recalls "golden age" British sex comedies like "Georgy Girl", "The Knack", "The Family Way" and "Alfie". Vivacious teenager Emily Lloyd makes an astounding, Oscar-worthy debut as pretty but potty-mouthed "Linda", whose hormone-fueled manic behavior (...) are causing her somewhat reserved widower father and younger sister to walk around in a perpetual state of public embarrassment. With a taut script and precise performances, the film breezes along on a deft roller coaster of deep belly-laugh hilarity and genuine, bittersweet emotion. Excellent support from the entire cast, especially from the great Thom Bell, who finds a sympathetic humanity in a somewhat vile character that a lesser actor could not likely pull off. The real tragedy here is that Emily Lloyd, who displayed such amazing potential in this debut, never really "broke big", appearing in only a few unremarkable projects and then basically dropping off the radar to join that sad "whatever happened to..." file. The DVD transfer is excellent, no extras to speak of, but this wonderful film speaks for itself!

A Breath of Fresh Air
This movie is about Lynda, a rather delinquent teenage girl growing up after the the Second World War in a bleak and dismal English seaside town. She spends most of the film getting sacked from one job after another and losing her innocence with considerable thoroughness and determination. Working briefly for the local bus company, she eagerly loses her virginity to a rather clumsy young bus conductor who is not slow afterwards to take his custom elsewhere. Somewhat heartbroken, she tries to cheer herself up by throwing herself at Eric, a much older man who has been making advances, with predictably sad results...

Leland has written and realized a masterly script that is sometimes extremely funny and sometimes desperately sad, shifting between these two with enormous sureness of touch. The best thing about it by miles is Emily Lloyd's performance as Lynda, feisty, immensely funny, sometimes appallingly foolish, sometimes downright obnoxious but somehow always completely adorable, which is nothing short of astonishing in its charm and total believability. Perhaps you agree with me that the coming of age movie can sometimes be a pretty tedious genre where one suspects too many writers turn memories of their not very interesting adolescences into not very interesting stories. If so you might be put off seeing this which would be a terrible shame as this utterly fresh and delightful movie is a glorious exception.

Great
This is a great movie nuff said. However I can't believe I bought the dvd version imported from the UK and now it won't work here because its on region 2. AAAAAAHHHGGGGGGGHJJJJJJJsdkfjadsf!!!!

"I was only showing them my new knickers."
The British film "Wish You Were Here" from director David Leyland is set in England in the 1950s. It's the story of Lynda (Emily Lloyd)--a rather unusual and rebellious young girl who never fits into her nice, quiet, respectable, hard-working family. Several incidents from Lynda's childhood demonstrate that she is going to be an outspoken, determined individual, but no-one in Lynda's family seems able to understand her, and she gradually drifts farther apart from the rest of her relatives. After the death of her mother, Lynda is brought up by her strait-laced father who runs a barber/tobacconist shop. He expects Lynda to eventually run the hairdressing half of the family business, but after a brief--and hilarious--attempt as a hairdressing apprentice, Lynda makes it clear that she won't allow anyone to predict or influence her destiny. Lynda's dad is mystified and disgusted, but Lynda's "boring" younger sister--who plans to join the army--fits in quite nicely into the family image. It is Lynda who remains an embarrassment and a complete enigma to her father.

It's clear to the local males in Lynda's small home-town, that she's a bit of a goer, and she's certainly not shy about seeking and getting male attention. Unfortunately, her first sexual experiences leave her feeling emptier than ever, and her attention-seeking rebellion eventually leads her straight to a cynical older man who degrades her even further. Everyone in Lynda's life underestimates her. Men use and discard her, and even her father fails to see beyond Lynda's rejection of established social behaviour--all he feels is shame. Even when Lynda is dragged off to a psychiatrist, he is completely at a loss when dealing with Lynda. The session begins with the psychiatrist in control, but he rapidly finds himself completely outmaneuvered by Lynda when he tries to get her to tell him all the swear words she knows (and she claims her first word was 'bum').

Emily Lloyd was a mere 16 years old when she starred in this film. Her acting is nothing less than superb. Lynda is an intriguing, steely character--bordering on the antisocial--and yet desperate to belong. She is irrepressible--and yet she is completely oppressed by her family. Emily Lloyd manages to portray all the contrasting qualities of this complex role with astonishing maturity and vivacious charm; she is truly delightful. I found myself cheering at Lynda's exploits during many of the scenes as she refuses to bow down to convention and admit defeat regardless of the social consequences.

"Wish You Were Here" is based on the early life of Cynthia Payne--an infamous British madam. No mention of Payne pops up in the film, but the film does serve as a companion piece to the film "Personal Services"--the story of Payne's brothel--which catered to the kinky rich. This is truly a beautiful, thought-provoking, positive film--at times funny, and at other times sad, but always triumphant. Note the director's use of light and windows throughout the film--displacedhuman. ... Read more

Reviews (8)

A good movie about women in war-time Britain
I came across this movie a few years ago and decided to buy. The movie tell the story of three youngs British women who during WW 2, join the Woman Land Army (Women were need to work the fields, while the men were in combat) And this experence changed theirs live for ever. The action and locations are great. A great movie for any fan of this era.

The Land Girls
I WAS AN 8 yr. OLD ENGLISH BOY DURING THIS PERIOD OF THE SECOND WORLD WAR..THIS MOVIE IS SO CLOSE TO THE TRUTH THAT IT IS UNBELIEVABLE. MANY A YOUNG WOMEN IN MY AREA WERE LAND GIRLS WHO MARRIED SERVICEMEN OF ALL COUNTRIES AND HAD THEIR DREAMS DASHED BY DEATH. THE FARM YARD SETTINGS AND THE SOUNDS OF THE ANIMALS TOOK ME BACK "HOME"--ESPECIALLY MILKING TIME--I KNOW--I RATE THE MOVIE AS "BEAUTIFUL"

A Wonderful Bittersweet Drama
If you are a fan of 'Masterpiece Theatre' or the films of Merchant and Ivory, you should like this gorgeous WWII period piece, set in rural England. In my opinion, there is almost nothing wrong with this film. The performances are excellent, the story is compelling, the cinematography is splendid...And the music! If you're anything like me you'll do what I did and rush out next day and buy the soundtrack.

All in all, a wonderful picture.

Like visiting my grandmother... as a young woman
My grandmother was about the same age as these girls in the period this film was set in. She grew up in WizBeach about one-hundred miles north of London.. near the channel. I found this film very up close and personal.. I really felt that it got to the heart the matter.. the real and facinating emotions that create the true story of our lives. I recently traveled to the area.. "the Fens" and found it beautiful. As the fog burns off the fens in the morning.. you can almost sense the stories of all the lives that have passed through this ancient land. It was really nice to see some of those lives recreated on film.. I loved this movie.. I only wish it were two hours longer.. it ended too soon.. I wanted to follow these people further.. I'm sure my grandmother will enjoy it..

Could have, would have, should have..
I like World War II dramas particularly the ones that delve into the more obscure aspects. Many interesting character dramas have evolved, notably, Schindler's List, Memphis Belle, The Americanization of Emily, Tuskeegee Airmen, and Hiroshima. Even the bio pics: Patton, Truman, Eisenhower all provided interesting perspective for me, where I had none before.

The idea that England had a Woman's Land Army in WWII, whereby women went to take over farm chores as the men have gone off to war, sounds interesting. Women of all shapes and sizes, and backgrounds banding together for the common good, yep, it definitely has possibilities.

Now add Catherine McCormack in the lead, a woman who has the opportunity over the next few years to surpass Michelle Pfeiffer, as the beautiful woman who CAN act, throw in stunning period locations and costumes, and Land Girls should not fail.

But fail it does.

The story of these three women (McCormack, Rachel Weisz, Anna Friel) is limp and un-centered, where, by comparison, The Tuskeegee Airmen is driving and informative.

Pass on this mess, and if you want to see more of Catherine McCormack (aside from Braveheart) choose Dangerous Beauty instead. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

The Big Mang
This was a good movie starring Liam Neeson, and Val Kilmer's wife who also starred in Willo as Sorcia. Sorry, don't remember her name.
Neeson is an out of work miner in Scotland who cannot get another job due to his criminal/political record. His so-called "friend" introduces him to a business "gentleman" and they convince him to participate in an illegal bare-knuckle fight for money. Neeson believes the money is worth it when he gets an advance on his pay but his wife doesn't trust where the money came from and takes the kids to her parent's house leaving Neeson in the care of his so-called friend and the business "gentleman".
What you shall witness must be the bloodiest, brutal fight ever shown in a movie due to the superb makeup job and camera angles. There's nothing flashy or glorious about this fight. The sound effects and everything looks very real. Hell, I even started to feel nervous for Neeson as he's walking down the corridor to the fight due to the music. You may even feel sorry for the dirty Cutty (Neeson's opponent) once you see the damage he sustains, as they both take an enormous amount of punishment from eachother. If you'd just like to see what the fight is like, you can see it on the "Ultimate Fight DVD" which should be at your local Blockbuster, but I suggest you just buy this movie instead.
There was an ulterior motive for the fight taking place, not just money either so find out the true reason and if Neeson gets his wife and kids back. Give the movie a try

Bare-knuckled ROCKY
I knew Liam could act but boy can he fight (he actually did fight in his pre-acting days--that's where he got the broken nose). This movie is about a mobster who hears about the 'Big Man', Danny Schuler (Neeson) who has a reputation for being a fierce competitor. Danny is a redundant Scottish mine worker who accepts the money for fighting bare-knuckled for the mobster. If you have never seen a bare-knuckle fight, it is much more brutal than one fought with gloves. Be prepared to see lots of blood! After the big fight, Danny finally makes some good choices--I especially like the scene when Schuler visits his opponent in the hospital and does the 'right thing'. Liam Neeson is a born actor and this movie shows how good he was even early in his career. Try it! ... Read more

Reviews (3)

excellent cinematography and acting
This movie was really underated when it was released...the concept, direction (David Leland) and cinematography are all excellent. Jeff Daniels does a great job as the main character, and Allan Havey is hysterical as his best buddy. Look for a cameo appearance by David Byrne, of Talking Heads. Definitely worth checking out.

Live your life to the Fullest
Jeff Daniels and Melanie Mayron are brillant in this very funny movie about dying...mortality....and finally living your life to the fullest.

Check It Out
This was a superb film, seemingly about death but truly about life, it's there to be enjoyed, much like this film (sorry that sounds so cheesy but thats a fact) ... Read more