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I.Q. has all the elements of a classic romantic comedy. Certainly Meg Ryan has demonstrated she has the stuff for funny love with films such as When Harry Met Sally... and Sleepless in Seattle, and director Fred Schepisi's Roxanne ranks among top contemporary romantic comedies. Even though Tim Robbinsreceived acclaim for dramatic work in Jacob's Ladder and The Shawshank Redemption, his early comedic work shouldn't be forgotten (well, maybe Howard the Duck, but not the hilarious Sure Thing). And Walter Matthau? No explanation needed.

Combine I.Q.'s talent with its fresh story and it charms. Garage mechanic Ed Walters (Robbins) is captivated at first glimpse by pretty, perky Catherine (Ryan), a gifted academic who lives with her uncle, Albert Einstein (a brilliant Matthau). Catherine is engaged to pretentious James Moreland (the oh-so-appropriate English actor and writer Stephen Fry). Catherine's early 1950s world is all bookish and brainy, even though she has aspirations toward the romantic (Moreland's idea of a honeymoon is the Belgian Congo with Pygmies; she longs for Hawaii). Einstein and his professor pals, played by Lou Jacobi, Gene Saks, and Joseph Maher, conspire to match their beloved Catherine with the sincere and smart (though not intellectual) Ed.

This is a sweet--but not saccharine--story about "engineering" the course of true love and the ironic triumph of heart over head. The topnotch performances (which also include Tony Shalhoub and Frank Whaley as fellow mechanics) really draw audiences into this winning movie. --N.F. Mendoza ... Read more

Reviews (21)

The cutest, most endearing love story of all time!
An attractively, welldone movie. Meg Ryan's character seemed to be made just for her and she played it superbly. And Walter Matthau was wonderful as Einstein. They couldn't have picked a better guy. I was just cuted out by the characters he and his friends (Lou Jacobi, Gene Saks, and Joseph Maher) played. The were the funniest, most humorous match-makers I have ever seen in a movie. In short, I think that the cast of characters was nothing short of magnificent.

Catherine (Meg Ryan) is the niece of the well meaning but bumbling Einstein (Walter Matthau). She was born with the mind of a scientist who always follows her head, and is just learning what it means to follow her heart. And Ed (Tim Robbins) is just the man to teach her how (with a little help from Einstein and his friends).

This Movie Is, Like, Jivin'!
I have to confess.....I love this movie. I think I've watched it over 300 times, and I'll probably watch it another 300.

Say what you want to about Meg Ryan being too cute, about the plot being predictable, whatever. I think it's just....jivin'. It's a neat love story, about the actions of boy meets girl, fate and love, and Albert Einstien's convertible. Throw in a comet and a few wacky physicists, well, it's just pure fun. I wish to heck I could find the score somewhere; the blend of do-wap and Mozart is as much fun as the movie itself.

I'm prejudiced because Tim Robbins is my favorite actor, but all the acting in this goofy, off the wall film is top-notch. Though it's not one of the late Walter Matthau's most famous roles, I personally think it's one of his best, and I can't think of anyone better to play the eccentric Albert Einstien.

One of the most beautiful things about this film is the accuracy of the set and costumes. Not just Meg Ryan's picture-perfect 50's dresses, but the buildings and vehicles, and especially the heavily wood-panelled bungalows favored by the rich during the late 50's; they're so time-perfect you can almost smell the Lemon Pledge.

Incedentally...look for one of the funniest performances in one of the experiments by Meg Ryan's movie fiance, "Excremental Psychologist" James Moreland. I'm not sure who the actor is, but in the background of his lab is a student driven psychotic by a "time depravation experiment", and his physical humor and antics are about a thousand times better than anything from SNL in the past decade.

By the by, this makes a perfect date movie, and is mild enough for kids...but still fun for adults. It's just all around terrific, and a great buy.

A brilliant romantic comedy
Now this is how to do the genre!

This is brilliantly funny, poignant and tender, but never insipid (the director is Australia...so insipidness is definitely out) movie. Matthau is truly fantastic as Einstein, as are his three sidekicks (especially Godel! and the tree that likes to eat their stuff!) as they try to manuever the two leads together and remove the Lesser Professor, a.k.a the rat man, Chimp Pimp, etc from the picture: the stuffy english fiance of Meg Ryan's Character, played perfectly by Stephen Frey. Of course the Lesser Professor is trying to hang on to Meg Ryan's character and expose Tim Robbin's character as a fraud because of his new found friendhsip with Einstein and the secret paper they're working on so Tim Robbin's character can impress Meg Ryan's charater with 'his genius' because that is what she looks for in a man- a genetic hope of making genius children so she, lacking in her own confidence, can achieve through her children. MEg Ryan's character is Eistein's neice.

I can't understand how Matthau didn't get a best supporting actor nomination for this movie! He is so good, as is all the cast: they fit perfectly, especially the 'four boys'.

The story is fairly linear but well paced. It does deal with a lesser theme of self belief, being yourself, and sexual equality and that brilliant men can be have brilliant women as their equal, or betters. The main theme is not letting the brain rule the heart too much, and to be happy. And that some things-love- defy science!

I can't think of any movie like this one. Its unique, clever, witty and subtle at times (especially the humor: Einstein on a motorbike going wah-hoo...very cool!). So if you like your movies sophisticated, wholesome, honest, stylish and not contrived then you defintely want to see this one! The cinematography and 'fifty-ness' is fantastic!

Definitely 5 stars! More even...!

DVD is very plain: just the movie. No added features or even bio's for that matter. But with a movie this good, who needs them? The picture and sound quality are top notch.

SILLY, BUT CHARMING
Apart from a quote I love ("I'd rather be an optimist and a fool, than a pessimist and always right") the movie is also a relatively intelligent feel-good romantic comedy. Matthau is hilarious as Einstein, almost looks like him too! Robbins is at his suave best, and Meg a prim intellectually inclined neice of Einstein.

If you have any respect for the history of physics and the reputations of the people who formed non-Euclidean theory, leave it at the door. (One cannot but wonder if fictional physicists, instead of real characters could not have accomplished the same thing in terms of compelling characterizations?)

In any case, the movie is a neat little love story, and worth a cosy evening's rental.

Surprise! A good Movie
I caught this flick on cable TV one day and was left feeling I watched a good-hearted romantic comedy. The movie wasn't the funniest or raunchiest and it wasn't a tear-jerker...just the way a romantic comedy should be. Robbins (the actor) was great in his "working man" role. The Einstein twist was marvelous and his (Einstein's) fellow genius' were also great.

Strongly recommended for someone looking to watch a romantic comedy free of zany characters or crazy scenes. ... Read more

Reviews (14)

mr baseball
This movie is very interesting.Of course the culture or tradition of Japan is exaggerated and described as very stereotypical (it is all the more fun to us), but it more clearly tell the Japanese many faults we have to change.That is we Japanese have to be independent, or had better have a fun in playing.And not only the Japanese but also the American will learn the good aside of the way of opposide country, accepting or uniting.Whether you are Japanese or American, this movie median between us will case good effect to you.You'll laugh and learn because there are extreme different cultures.

Mr. Baseball...Mr Lameball!!
Tom Selleck modestly claims that he has no big screen presence and proves it again in this film. MR BASEBALL is not only a bad baseball movie, its a bad movie all together. When this film was finally released on video after it's VERY SHORT theatrical release in 1992, at the video store that I frequented, it ended up on the shelf that stated "RENT FOR FREE - IF YOU DON'T LIKE THIS VIDEO, YOU DON'T PAY THE RENTAL FEES!" The story of an aging baseball veteran going to finish off his career playing in the Japanese big leagues should have been a great movie. However, again, as in all movies involving asians, the Japanese are given the cartoony stereotypical treatment along with the lame love story involving the attractive asian girl (And surprise!! She happens to be the Japanese Manager's daughter!) with the foriegn caucasian newcomer. Why do they always do that? There is an underlining message of the differences of Japanese and American baseball. In Japanese baseball, the whole team is more important than the individual accolades. Well, there was too much of it in this film (I learned more about that in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, than in this movie). Then, also trying to teach Selleck's character (Jack Elliot) about respect to everything Japanese wore thin as the movie progressed. At the same time he's teaching the team about being Americanized and that was lame also. The film is very boring, the direction and cinematography did not do Japan justice, the characters are predictable, the love story is a death scene short of the film SAYONARA, and the baseball action is generic and not very exciting. Overall, not a very good tribute to the American Pastime, but more of an insult to the Japanese pastime. If you want to learn more about Japanese baseball, read YOU GOTTA HAVE WA by Robert Whiting. It's more entertaining than this drivel. And anyway...Bob Uecker is the real Mr. Baseball. Note:Look for Dennis Haysbert as Max "Hammer" Dubois in the film. He played the hilarious Pedro Cerrano(the voodoo practicing baseball player) in the superior baseball comedy film MAJOR LEAGUE.

WOW!!!!!!
at first i was skeptical about tom sellick coming out of the role of magnum "from magnum pi" but once i started watching mr baseball, wow the way it brings japanese and american culture togather has not been seen since the karate kid 2. one of the most heartwarming scenes is when he goes to his girlfriends fathers house and his girlfriends father is his manager that he did not get along with.they have a discussion about baseball and life that will stick with you for the remander of your days. this is the most epic film in the history of modern cinima.with his performance in mr baseball tom selleck has catapulted his name into the list of greatest actors. now when you think pacino, brando, bogart you have to also put sellick in that list if not at the top. to say mr baseball changed my life would be an understatment. mr baseball changed the world.

Worlds collide, no one leaves unchanged
Tom Selleck plays Jack Elliot in this funny and insightful comedy about an American baseball player 'demoted' to the Japanese league. It has all the cultural in-jokes that you'd expect including "Taking a bath before washing", "Wearing shoes indoors", and "You say one thing, the translator will make it sound nice".

But at the heart of the movie, the story is all about accepting foreign culture. Jack butts heads with Japanese culture. He is loose, relaxed, and immature. The Japanese are tight, uptight, and very serious. As long as everyone sees him as an outsider, they will respect him in public but doubt him in private, and he will never truly fit in.

After a series of humiliating losses, he finally reaches the point where he realizes that his strength and skill are not enough to defeat his problems and he turns to the coach and Japanese culture to help him overcome his ego. The coach admonishes him to stop feeding off of his past successes lest he eat all those successes away, look only to the future in other words. He does so and the rest of the movie shows Elliot becoming stronger in the stadium and spiritual world. By embracing the Japanese Way, he becomes a better person.

However, the flip side to this movie is that the Japanese Way has led to a failing baseball team. Despite the coach's best efforts to harangue the players into playing well, they are too gunshy to play their best. It isn't until the coach accepts that the softer method of coaching based on encouraging the players and fostering a team spirit that the team's slump ends. Jack Elliot made his own mark on the team by bringing trademark American-style attitude to the team.

In the end the message is clear. At the micro-level, the Japanese style of living with its emphasis on detail, cooperation, and austerity is beneficial, and the American style emphasizing laziness, freedom, and individuality is detrimental. At the macro-level, though, the message is quite the opposite. Success is brought by each individual's freedom to make mistakes, being relaxed, and not having an oppressive culture looming above.

It's a fun movie with a lot of insight into the Japanese culture as well as insight into American culture. Well worth renting at least once.

from Aizu high school
This movie is very interesting.Of course the culture or tradition of Japan is exaggerated and described as very stereotypical (it is all the more fun to us), but it more clearly tell the Japanese many faults we have to change.That is we Japanese have to be independent, or had better have a fun in playing.And not only the Japanese but also the American will learn the good aside of the way of opposide country, accepting or uniting.Whether you are Japanese or American, this movie median between us will case good effect to you.You'll laugh and learn because there are extreme different cultures. ... Read more

Reviews (28)

Martin shines as modern-day "Cyrano de Bergerac"
Steve Martin's best comedy role yet. This breezy, updated version of Edmond Rostand's "Cyrano de Bergerac" shows Martin as a small-town fire chief endowed with an unusually large nose. Gifted with the ability to write beautiful love letters, Martin lends his talent to the shy and awkward Rick Rossovich, who is in love with the Daryl Hannah character (Roxanne). While helping out his buddy, Martin also falls in love with Roxanne, setting off the famous love triangle.

The low key antics and the emphasis on clever dialogue give the film an endearing quality that is difficult to resist. The supporting cast adds some slap stick humor to the plot line. Look for Shelley Duval and Fred Willard in small, but essential roles.

Beautiful locale, beautiful love story, lovely Daryl
Of recent updatings of CYRANO DE BERGERAC, this one is one of the best, and is certainly the funniest. Although THE TRUTH ABOUT CATS AND DOGS has a soft spot in my heart, this version is by far funnier and more romantic. The other film focuses more on Janeane Garofalo's feelings of inferiority compared to Uma Thurman, and although funny, doesn't strive for the laughs like Roxanne does. Also, with apologies to Ben Chaplin, he is hardly as adorable as Daryl Hannah. She has never been lovelier than in this film.

This is also probably my favorite Steve Martin film. Despite his surreal schnoggin, he manages to inject his character with warmth, character, and lovability. You like him so much that you find it believable when he and Roxanne end up together at the end. (Interestingly, both this and the Janeane Garofalo film end happily, unlike the Rostand play.) The long scene in which a bar patron insults his nose, and he humiliates the man by coming up with 20 better and vastly funnier insults (this "Cyrano" is not merely a highly capable street fighter, but equally adept at verbal sparring) is easily the highpoint of the film. Even if I have seen the film recently, if in channel flipping I see the movie playing and that it hasn't reached this part of the film, I will wait and watch it.

One reviewer below mentioned the town being dull. I cannot agree. I think the physical beauty of the place stuns most viewers. If I knew I could find a job there, I'd move there tomorrow. The locale definitely adds measurably to the enjoyment of the film.

I have only two negative comments to make on the movie. First, I think they overdid it on Steve Martin's nose. It is impossible to imagine that anyone with a nose that long would not have had surgery on it, and there isn't any believable medical reason to believe the surgery couldn't be performed. Second, the musical soundtrack really sounds dated. The Kenny G. sound today just hasn't stood the test of time, so that the soundtrack reminds one more of elevator music or at best "Lite FM" than anything.

Still, if one can get past the music, this remains one of the most enjoyable romantic comedies of recent years.

I want the three dollars I used to rent this back
I really don't care what anyone says. I could not finish this movie. It was horrible. I was forced into renting it because we had to do this Cyrano de Bergerac/Roxanne compare/contrast sheet for French. I am unhappy that I had to shell out three bucks to rent a movie I never even really wanted to see. The fact that it was a bad movie didn't help the situation.
Steve Martin may think he's being clever, but really he isn't. I absolutely hated his charcter, who, despite his big nose, was awfully cocky. Now, I don't mind the REAL Cyrano de Bergerac. I find it to be a pretty good story. But this was poorly written. Cyrano was supposed to be cocky and witty. Steve Martin, and just about everyone else in this movie, is not cocky nor witty. They're just stupid. The first hour and forty minutes was an excruciating ride, and I decided against sitting through the last bit, mainly because I just couldn't and my friends were complaining. Save your time, not to mention your money, and pick up something that is actually funny, like Clerks or South Park.

Simply Romantic...simply funny.
Ill write a longer review later but i defy anyone not to get past the first 5minutes of this brilliant film, without hurting their sides from laughing. Steve Martin (at his best) putting the world to rights with the aid of a tennis racket, is a joy to behold.

My favorite movie of all time
Roxanne is so captivating that I have watched it dozens of times and if I could take one movie to a desert island, it would be this one. Steve Martin's deliciously romantic screenplay and his masterful portrayal of Fire Chief C.D. Bales, combined with breathtaking British Columbian scenery and perfect casting make this movie an experience everyone should have. C.D.'s soliloquoy under Rozanne's window is easily the sexiest, most romantic scene I've ever seen in a movie, and he set the standard for my own definition of the perfect lover. There are many "morals" about love and friendship that inform this story, but the "medicine" goes down with sparkling class and flawless humor. I fell head over heels in love with C.D. Bales, big nose, big heart and all. ... Read more

Amazon.com essential video

John Guare's hit Broadway play--about an Upper East Sidecouple who gets bilked by a young black man claiming to be Sidney Poitier'sson--receives a terrific screen translation in this film by Fred Schepisi. Though the play was discursive and episodic, Schepisi, working from Guare's adaptation, makes it all flow like a fascinating evening listening to friends recount something that happened to them. But the story itself is also intriguing for the disparity it reveals between the wealthy, the would-be wealthy, and the have-nots yearning to be rich. Stockard Channing and Donald Sutherland are exceptional as the couple who open their home to a young man they believe is a friend of their children (to whom they barely speak); Will Smith is fascinatingly glib as the young man, who claims that his famous father is casting a film version of Cats and offers his hosts roles as extras in the film. Smith finds the heartbreaking core of this character and Channing is haunting as a woman looking to make a connection, even with a confused young con artist. --Marshall Fine ... Read more

Reviews (47)

It's A Small World After All.
One night in a posh Manhattan apartment a young black man (Will Smith), appearing to be mugged enters the home of Flan (Donald Sutherland) and Ouisa Kittredge (Stockard Channing). The man who says his name is Paul, claims to be friends of the Kittredge children. Over the evening Paul flatters the couple and a buisness guest they are hosting with his exotic tales and fascinating life stories. However, things aren't always what they seem to be. Like the painting in the movie, what is chaotic on one side, may be controlled on the other and vice versa.

This was the first major film breakthrough for Will Smith, proving that he isn't just the Fresh Prince of Bel Air and is a serious actor. Donald Sutherland does a superb job as the stuck-up art dealer who makes millions of dollars but spends more than he can make. However, the real star of the movie is Stockard Channing. Her performance is perfect and her portrayal of Ouisa's self-disovery, realization, and spiritual redemption could not have been better.

SIX DEGREES OF SEPARATION has become a part of the American pop conscience (thanks largely to the Kevin Bacon game). However, the movie is much more than a pop cultural reference. It is a movie for the critical movie viewer. It explores questions of great magnitude and in the end, concludes on a comic, rather than tragic, note. It is a small world after all, just six degrees of separation.

Amazing!
A wonderful movie with many hidden truths about life. All characters in the movie have done an excellent job in portraying the superficial lifestyles that is common in the West.
As the families in this movie get taken advantage off, by the young Paul Poitier, they begin to learn more about themselves. The reality of life we accept may not be the reality that we once hoped for. Ouisa, Paul's star student finally understands herself and how her life has been a complete lie, serving her husbands needs and neglecting her own. The pursuit of money is a driving principle in the Western culture and we often neglect other aspects in life that deserve more of our energy. Paul is the catalyst in showing Ouisa the truth about life and removing her social mask. A person of mystery who demonstrates that anything is possible in life.
Overall, an amazing movie that should be watched more than once to capture the brilliance it portrays.

too-clever adaption of the play
You can read other reviews for the plot but in conclusion I found this adaptation of the play not to work as well as it could. While the individually performances by title cast are exceptionally strong, the unbalanced parody of the stereotypes diminishes the piece: The shallow, smug socialite is not shallow enough, the disaffected, spoilt child is too shrill, the poor prospective conman too composed - its as though the film cannot decide whether to be more farcical or more serious. Direction aside, the main themes of the story reach conclusion midway through from which point it begins to wander and in the end, the continuing relationship between the Kittredges and Paul, in particular Ouisa Kittredge's revelation about her perceived connection, feel too contrived.
In part a self-proclaimed social commentary, the film adaptation also overlooks the opportunity to properly contrast the existing class division's between Paul and the Kittredge party, concentrating instead on the pseudo intellectualizing conversations - which Paul adeptly mimics/takes on - of the Manhattan social elite (i.e. the clever part). Having said that, it was a worthy attempt and it certainly *is* worth watching: there is a lot to take away from the film which by the way also has some great cinematic pans of New York City.

Excellent recreation of thoroughly entertaining play
I recall reading a press report on the Columbine School shootings and the lifestyle of the two protaganists - apparently they were friends who
spent many many undisturbed hours in the basement of one of their parent's home making bombs etc as is the want of modern middle class teenagers. The point of the report was how dissociated or at least unaware the parents were of what their adolescent children were up to.
This wonderful film is about in part spoilt children and the huge gap that exists between them and their parents - or at the least the horror the parents experience when the children mirror their values. There is a wonderful scene when the wealthy Kitteredges (played by the SUPERB Mr Sutherland and Ms Stockard Channing) are abused for giving away their son's pink shirt to a wounded stranger. Or the horror they experience when the children DON'T mirror theirb values. Another scene features a telephone call from a student who tells her parents that she is getting married and going to Afghanistan to help the peasants in revenge against her parents for her highly privileged upbringing.
In this fine film, Paul (Will Smith was BORN to play this role) brings joy to the people her interacts with and actually changes the life of some, especially Mrs Kitteridge. Playing a ... black who is talented but poor, Mr Smith makes being an outsider in a materialistic hypocritical society a glamorous and attractive thing. Good or bad? It is also ravishingly photographed which fits one of its major themes - Western societies obsession with appearances - as well as fitted with excellent soundtrack. A thoroughly ENJOYABLE cinematic experience. After a dozen viewings, my intial impressions have been resoundingly confirmed. Worth owning.

5 stars but no English subtitles!
Without copying what others have already written about this beautifully crafted and cast movie.... I feel I need to add an important point. For some unknown reason, the DVD version of this movie does not come with English subtitles. This makes some of the dialogue hard to catch, especially if your hearing isn't what it used to be. Nevertheless, a magnificient movie! ... Read more

Reviews (47)

It's A Small World After All.
One night in a posh Manhattan apartment a young black man (Will Smith), appearing to be mugged enters the home of Flan (Donald Sutherland) and Ouisa Kittredge (Stockard Channing). The man who says his name is Paul, claims to be friends of the Kittredge children. Over the evening Paul flatters the couple and a buisness guest they are hosting with his exotic tales and fascinating life stories. However, things aren't always what they seem to be. Like the painting in the movie, what is chaotic on one side, may be controlled on the other and vice versa.

This was the first major film breakthrough for Will Smith, proving that he isn't just the Fresh Prince of Bel Air and is a serious actor. Donald Sutherland does a superb job as the stuck-up art dealer who makes millions of dollars but spends more than he can make. However, the real star of the movie is Stockard Channing. Her performance is perfect and her portrayal of Ouisa's self-disovery, realization, and spiritual redemption could not have been better.

SIX DEGREES OF SEPARATION has become a part of the American pop conscience (thanks largely to the Kevin Bacon game). However, the movie is much more than a pop cultural reference. It is a movie for the critical movie viewer. It explores questions of great magnitude and in the end, concludes on a comic, rather than tragic, note. It is a small world after all, just six degrees of separation.

Amazing!
A wonderful movie with many hidden truths about life. All characters in the movie have done an excellent job in portraying the superficial lifestyles that is common in the West.
As the families in this movie get taken advantage off, by the young Paul Poitier, they begin to learn more about themselves. The reality of life we accept may not be the reality that we once hoped for. Ouisa, Paul's star student finally understands herself and how her life has been a complete lie, serving her husbands needs and neglecting her own. The pursuit of money is a driving principle in the Western culture and we often neglect other aspects in life that deserve more of our energy. Paul is the catalyst in showing Ouisa the truth about life and removing her social mask. A person of mystery who demonstrates that anything is possible in life.
Overall, an amazing movie that should be watched more than once to capture the brilliance it portrays.

too-clever adaption of the play
You can read other reviews for the plot but in conclusion I found this adaptation of the play not to work as well as it could. While the individually performances by title cast are exceptionally strong, the unbalanced parody of the stereotypes diminishes the piece: The shallow, smug socialite is not shallow enough, the disaffected, spoilt child is too shrill, the poor prospective conman too composed - its as though the film cannot decide whether to be more farcical or more serious. Direction aside, the main themes of the story reach conclusion midway through from which point it begins to wander and in the end, the continuing relationship between the Kittredges and Paul, in particular Ouisa Kittredge's revelation about her perceived connection, feel too contrived.
In part a self-proclaimed social commentary, the film adaptation also overlooks the opportunity to properly contrast the existing class division's between Paul and the Kittredge party, concentrating instead on the pseudo intellectualizing conversations - which Paul adeptly mimics/takes on - of the Manhattan social elite (i.e. the clever part). Having said that, it was a worthy attempt and it certainly *is* worth watching: there is a lot to take away from the film which by the way also has some great cinematic pans of New York City.

Excellent recreation of thoroughly entertaining play
I recall reading a press report on the Columbine School shootings and the lifestyle of the two protaganists - apparently they were friends who
spent many many undisturbed hours in the basement of one of their parent's home making bombs etc as is the want of modern middle class teenagers. The point of the report was how dissociated or at least unaware the parents were of what their adolescent children were up to.
This wonderful film is about in part spoilt children and the huge gap that exists between them and their parents - or at the least the horror the parents experience when the children mirror their values. There is a wonderful scene when the wealthy Kitteredges (played by the SUPERB Mr Sutherland and Ms Stockard Channing) are abused for giving away their son's pink shirt to a wounded stranger. Or the horror they experience when the children DON'T mirror theirb values. Another scene features a telephone call from a student who tells her parents that she is getting married and going to Afghanistan to help the peasants in revenge against her parents for her highly privileged upbringing.
In this fine film, Paul (Will Smith was BORN to play this role) brings joy to the people her interacts with and actually changes the life of some, especially Mrs Kitteridge. Playing a ... black who is talented but poor, Mr Smith makes being an outsider in a materialistic hypocritical society a glamorous and attractive thing. Good or bad? It is also ravishingly photographed which fits one of its major themes - Western societies obsession with appearances - as well as fitted with excellent soundtrack. A thoroughly ENJOYABLE cinematic experience. After a dozen viewings, my intial impressions have been resoundingly confirmed. Worth owning.

5 stars but no English subtitles!
Without copying what others have already written about this beautifully crafted and cast movie.... I feel I need to add an important point. For some unknown reason, the DVD version of this movie does not come with English subtitles. This makes some of the dialogue hard to catch, especially if your hearing isn't what it used to be. Nevertheless, a magnificient movie! ... Read more

Reviews (12)

Obscure Western... Great Movie
Obscure western from the early 80s starring Willie Nelson and Garey Busey. Good drama; great cinematography; excellent soundtrack.

Willie Nelson plays Barbarossa, an ex-Texas Ranger kept away from his Mexican wife because of a vendetta from his father-in-law who is also the pueblo's elder chieftain. Nelson soon encounters Busey roaming in the desert as an outcast from his own family feud. They soon join together as desperadoes roaming the Sonoran desert while evading men of the pueblo who seek to carry out their jefe's vendetta.

The acting is excellent and all of the characters are given depth. A very touching story. Definitely worth owning.

EXCELLENT Western - one of the best ever
It was hard for me, as a country music hater, to find any interest in Willie Nelson, but in complete contrast to his music, I think he makes a fantastic character in a western. He can actually act and act very well, portraying a crusty outlaw who serves as the unwilling mentor of a goofy country boy, played by Gary Busey. This movie develops the classic master-apprentice theme and crafts a very exciting, well thought story. This is every bit as good as The Magnificent Seven or The Outlaw Josey Wales. Buy it, you won't regret it.

Superior Western
One of the best unknown Westerns of the last 20 years or so, Barbarosa stars Willie Nelson and Gary Busey in a story of revenge and honor. Nelson plays a ex-Texas Ranger, Barbarosa, who's now a lone bandit, preying on rich Mexicans. During a disagreement, he formerly crippled his father-in-law to be, a Mexican landowner and still deeply loves the landowner's daughter with whom he has had a daughter.

Busey is a Texas farmhand who accidentally killed his brother-in-law--his sister's husband--and is now out on his own, pursued by his brother-in-law's two brothers for revenge. Similarly, Barbarosa is being pursued by the landowner's top gun, a fiery Mexican who vows Barbarosa's death.

The two, Nelson and Busey, meet by accident and join up for a time. During that time we get to see the West as it very likely really looked about 100 years ago (more specifically, the Southwest--i.e., southern Texas); the cinematography is magnificent. One of the critical ingredients in any great Western is great cinematography and that is very much in display here. As well, the score by Bruce Smeaton is excellent.

Nelson and Busey do a great job--their accents certainly don't hurt (both men are originally from that part of the U.S.), and so does the supporting cast. Fred Schepisi, the director, has a perfect sense of pacing and momentum that pulls the viewer along with very little tugging indeed. Armadillos figure in the mix, as do old men with guns and younger men buried up to their necks. There's a hacienda, a cantina, and an outdoor festival. The film drips with Western atmosphere, no question.

Highly recommended for fans of the genre.

Full screen version of a 2:35 film
Beware. Artisan has only released a full-screen version of this movie. If aspect ratio is important to you, don't buy it.

GREAT movie
this is one of THE best written movies ever made, the acting makes the writing even better, and the music brings it all together. the final scene is simply wonderful. the premise is so odd one gets the feeling it was written on a dare, like "bet you can't write ..." (i don't want to give it away if you haven't seen it). yet it hangs together as a story. and both busey and nelson are just superb. great movie.
and, yes, there was a scene removed before it was mass marketed. the scene explains why nelson does what he does. unlike bladerunner, i think this (director's cut?) version is better. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Never one to play by the rules, Monty Python alumnus John Cleese reunited the cast of A Fish Called Wanda for this farce about a multinational corporation's attempt to turn a public London zoo into a moneymaking concern. "It's not a sequel, it's an equal," explained producer-screenwriter-star Cleese, for the actors play completely different characters. Cleese stars as a military veteran turned ruthless corporate hatchet man sent by Australian media baron Kevin Kline to drum up business in the zoo. His plan: the "fierce creatures" policy, in which the zoo keeps only the most dangerous specimens (much to the frustration of the zookeepers). But Cleese soon finds himself up against an ambitious manager (Jamie Lee Curtis) and the owner's overanxious but dim son (Kevin Kline again), all working at cross-purposes and generally creating havoc. Perhaps it's not the equal to the hilarious Fish Called Wanda, but the stars overcome the convoluted plot with terrific comic performances and the film lands its share of comic zingers. Anyway, who wants their comedy safe? --Sean Axmaker ... Read more

Reviews (36)

The crazy "quartet" at it again.
I saw 'A fish called Wanda' a while back but didn't know there was a sequel. You can imagine my joy when I found out that Cleese, Curtis, Kline & Palin had teamed up again.

I won't bore you with the details of the plot as it will just be a rehash of what previous reviewers have said. The main thing you must be wondering if you've seen the first film is: Is this movie funnier? Or if you haven't seen "A fish called Wanda," Is it worth watching? The answer to both questions is yes.

However it depends to a large extent on what you consider to be comedy. If you like Monty Python, Yes Minister, Fawlty towers, BlackAdder (generally British humor) etc...then this movie will definitely appeal to you. If you are more into the American-style 'action-comedies' this movie may not be as funny to you.

Although most people think Kleese was the funniest, I liked Michael Palin as the loquacious know-it-all the best. I had to press pause a couple of times so that I could stop laughing before I continued with the movie. As in most other comedies there are the 'dry' parts, fortunately though, this movie has very few of those.

My only gripe was that Kline's accent sounded more Australian than New Zealand, and he was supposed to be a Kiwi. This is not noticeable to those unfamiliar with these two accents, but it would be like having an American (U.S) actor use a Southern accent when playing a Canadian.

Even with that petty 'grievance' I would highly recommend this movie. If you can, you should also watch "A fish called Wanda" which is equally funny.

John Cleese at his best
This movie caught me by surprise. Having not seen "A Fish Called Wanda" I was greatly surprised by the interaction of the characters in this very funny movie.

The movie starts a little slow at first with Cline and Curtis and Kevin Cline is not at his best in this film, he plays more of a straight man and does that well.

The movie is a take off of the Rupert Murdoch empire and is a slam at the Merger and Acquisition frenzy of the mid to late 90s where companies were acquired then sold off if not a cash cow and the proceeds used to buy other companies.

In this case the company that Octopus - The name of Kevin Cline's company- acquires is a zoo in London.

There are some great plays with the animals and the scenes where Cline and Curtis think that Rollo Lee (Cleese) is a casanova are just hilarious.

I was in stiches watching this funny and even heart warming film. The animals will make you go ahhhhh. The fluffy zoo animals, the not fierce ones, are what make it a guy/girl movie and Cleese does a great job of bringing his characters together.

This is a must if you want to laugh.

Good movies presented badly
This is a very good movie but to get the feel of the full story it needs to be seen in the original aspect ratio of 2.35 to 1.Many scenes edges are chopped off and distractingly paned across.
Universal releases several other of its popular (and not so popular)films in widesceen format so why not this popular movie. I would recommend the widescreen version of the video tape if you can find it over the full screen dvd.
So to Universal get this movie on dvd the way it was filmed and intended to be seen, please !

Incredibly dreadful
The only explanation for so many positive reviews here is the existence of some sort of negative universe where up is down and bad is good. The whole premise is completely lame and the execution is even worse. The usual dependable Kline is just horrible here. He's trying to revive his dumb guy role from Wanda but he's WAY over the top, almost shouting every line. Everything about this movie is forced and awkward. Cleese, while hilarious in Fawlty Towers, simply tries to use the same elements from that show here but his performance falls totally flat given the abysmal script, that apparently only he is to blame. His performance looks forced and out of place. There isn't a single funny scene or performance in this entire mess. What a waste of so much talent.

Buy Fawlty Towers to see top notch writing and razor sharp acting and Cleese at his best.

Apparently, a minority opinion
Unlike others, I liked this much more than "A Fish Called Wanda". I can't really say why - all the principal actors are the same. Perhaps it's just that it's not as edgy as "Wanda" and I'm a sucker for a comedy with a streak of sweetness. Michael Palin was funnier in Wanda, but Kevin Kline's dual role here is suitably smarmy and villainous without going as far over the top as I felt he did in "Wanda". Jamie Lee Curtis is good in both, but John Cleese really won me over with his hapless charm as the wannabe corporate exec with a heart of gold. ... Read more

Amazon.com essential video

In 1987, almost a hundred years after its first production, the romantic story of Cyrano de Bergerac found new life in a winsome film written by Steve Martin. Roxanne updates the tale with a smart '80s spin, yet writer-star Martin stays close to the old-fashioned heart of the matter. He plays a small-town firefighter named C.D. Bales, whose otherwise unremarkable existence is crowned by an amazingly long nose. He falls for the world's most beautiful astronomer (Daryl Hannah), but he is embarrassed by the size of his proboscis and prefers to stay on the sidelines. Like Cyrano, the shy C.D. instead helps a handsome friend (Rick Rossovich) woo the fair lady by providing flowery sentiments and soulful poetry. Not only does the story still work, but Australian director Fred Schepisi captures a dreamy grace in his visual design for the film (some of which will be lost without the widescreen format). Set in Washington State, but filmed in the hilly ski resort of Nelson, British Columbia, the location seems like a fairy-tale town, nearly as unreal as Steve Martin's nose. --Robert Horton ... Read more

Reviews (28)

Martin shines as modern-day "Cyrano de Bergerac"
Steve Martin's best comedy role yet. This breezy, updated version of Edmond Rostand's "Cyrano de Bergerac" shows Martin as a small-town fire chief endowed with an unusually large nose. Gifted with the ability to write beautiful love letters, Martin lends his talent to the shy and awkward Rick Rossovich, who is in love with the Daryl Hannah character (Roxanne). While helping out his buddy, Martin also falls in love with Roxanne, setting off the famous love triangle.

The low key antics and the emphasis on clever dialogue give the film an endearing quality that is difficult to resist. The supporting cast adds some slap stick humor to the plot line. Look for Shelley Duval and Fred Willard in small, but essential roles.

Beautiful locale, beautiful love story, lovely Daryl
Of recent updatings of CYRANO DE BERGERAC, this one is one of the best, and is certainly the funniest. Although THE TRUTH ABOUT CATS AND DOGS has a soft spot in my heart, this version is by far funnier and more romantic. The other film focuses more on Janeane Garofalo's feelings of inferiority compared to Uma Thurman, and although funny, doesn't strive for the laughs like Roxanne does. Also, with apologies to Ben Chaplin, he is hardly as adorable as Daryl Hannah. She has never been lovelier than in this film.

This is also probably my favorite Steve Martin film. Despite his surreal schnoggin, he manages to inject his character with warmth, character, and lovability. You like him so much that you find it believable when he and Roxanne end up together at the end. (Interestingly, both this and the Janeane Garofalo film end happily, unlike the Rostand play.) The long scene in which a bar patron insults his nose, and he humiliates the man by coming up with 20 better and vastly funnier insults (this "Cyrano" is not merely a highly capable street fighter, but equally adept at verbal sparring) is easily the highpoint of the film. Even if I have seen the film recently, if in channel flipping I see the movie playing and that it hasn't reached this part of the film, I will wait and watch it.

One reviewer below mentioned the town being dull. I cannot agree. I think the physical beauty of the place stuns most viewers. If I knew I could find a job there, I'd move there tomorrow. The locale definitely adds measurably to the enjoyment of the film.

I have only two negative comments to make on the movie. First, I think they overdid it on Steve Martin's nose. It is impossible to imagine that anyone with a nose that long would not have had surgery on it, and there isn't any believable medical reason to believe the surgery couldn't be performed. Second, the musical soundtrack really sounds dated. The Kenny G. sound today just hasn't stood the test of time, so that the soundtrack reminds one more of elevator music or at best "Lite FM" than anything.

Still, if one can get past the music, this remains one of the most enjoyable romantic comedies of recent years.

I want the three dollars I used to rent this back
I really don't care what anyone says. I could not finish this movie. It was horrible. I was forced into renting it because we had to do this Cyrano de Bergerac/Roxanne compare/contrast sheet for French. I am unhappy that I had to shell out three bucks to rent a movie I never even really wanted to see. The fact that it was a bad movie didn't help the situation.
Steve Martin may think he's being clever, but really he isn't. I absolutely hated his charcter, who, despite his big nose, was awfully cocky. Now, I don't mind the REAL Cyrano de Bergerac. I find it to be a pretty good story. But this was poorly written. Cyrano was supposed to be cocky and witty. Steve Martin, and just about everyone else in this movie, is not cocky nor witty. They're just stupid. The first hour and forty minutes was an excruciating ride, and I decided against sitting through the last bit, mainly because I just couldn't and my friends were complaining. Save your time, not to mention your money, and pick up something that is actually funny, like Clerks or South Park.

Simply Romantic...simply funny.
Ill write a longer review later but i defy anyone not to get past the first 5minutes of this brilliant film, without hurting their sides from laughing. Steve Martin (at his best) putting the world to rights with the aid of a tennis racket, is a joy to behold.

My favorite movie of all time
Roxanne is so captivating that I have watched it dozens of times and if I could take one movie to a desert island, it would be this one. Steve Martin's deliciously romantic screenplay and his masterful portrayal of Fire Chief C.D. Bales, combined with breathtaking British Columbian scenery and perfect casting make this movie an experience everyone should have. C.D.'s soliloquoy under Rozanne's window is easily the sexiest, most romantic scene I've ever seen in a movie, and he set the standard for my own definition of the perfect lover. There are many "morals" about love and friendship that inform this story, but the "medicine" goes down with sparkling class and flawless humor. I fell head over heels in love with C.D. Bales, big nose, big heart and all. ... Read more

Amazon.com essential video

Intelligent casting, strong performances, and the persuasive chemistry between Sean Connery and Michelle Pfeiffer prove the virtues in director Fred Schepisi's well-intended but problematic screen realization of this John Le Carré espionage thriller. At its best, The Russia House depicts the bittersweet nuances of the pivotal affair between a weary, alcoholic London publisher (Connery) and the mysterious Russian beauty (Pfeiffer) who sends him a fateful manuscript exposing the weaknesses beneath Soviet defense technology. Connery's Barley is a gritty, all-too-human figure who's palpably revived by his awakening feelings for Pfeiffer's wan, vulnerable Katya, whose own reciprocal emotions are equally convincing. Together, they weave a poignant romantic duet.

The problems, meanwhile, emanate from the story line that brings these opposites together. Le Carré's novels are absorbing but typically internal odysseys that seldom offer the level of straightforward action or simple arcs of plot that the big screen thrives on.For The Russia House, written as glasnost eclipsed the cold war's overt rivalries, Le Carré means to measure how old adversaries must calibrate their battle to a more subtle, subdued match of wits.Barley himself becomes enmeshed in the mystery of the manuscript because British intelligence chooses to use him as cat's paw rather than become directly involved. Such subtlety may be a more realistic take on the spy games of the recent past, but it makes for an often tedious, talky alternative to taut heroics that Connery codified in his most celebrated early espionage role.

If the suspense thus suffers, we're still left with an affecting love story, as well as some convincing sniping between British and U.S. intelligence operatives, beautifully cast with James Fox, Roy Scheider, and John Mahoney. Veteran playwright Tom Stoppard brings considerable style to the dialogue, without solving the problem of giving us more than those verbal exchanges to sustain dramatic interest. --Sam Sutherland ... Read more

Reviews (17)

TRULY INTRIGUING THEME WASTED BY WANDERING DIRECTION
You truly cannot go wrong with a combination like Connery (who is instantly likeable) and Pfeifer (who is stunningly moving in her role as a working Russian mother of two). But despite what could have been a pretty gripping theme with unpredictable twists, this just ends up being a directorial mess. Another reviewer suggested that this ought to be viewed as a spy drama not a spy thriller. To me, that sounds like a poor excuse for story telling gone astray.

Blair (Sean Connery) is a British publisher with a clear affinity for Russia, and has received a manuscript from Pfeifer's character, Katya, which he believes contains Soviet military secrets. The British intelligence SOMEHOW gets to know of this (will we ever know how and when) and Blair gets reluctantly involved in a plot to find out more about Katya and her associations. We are sort of made to feel on whose side Blair is on, and who the "bad guys" are (clue: CIA and the Queen's men of course) but my problem with the movie is it never really quite grabs you by the collar and drag you into the theme, or at least give the impression that anything terribly important is at stake.

It starts, goes on and on with some guys doodling in a very CIA like fashion amidst some glorious shots of Moscow, and suddenly everything comes to an end with the bad guys left in the dust by a very cleverly hatched scheme by Blair and Katya -- so sinister a scheme indeed than even the audience is left bewildered. Yeah.

While the movie sports some clever, even funny, moments, overall the narrative is boggling and wanders from concept to concept. Some directorial coherence for the audience would have been great. If the combination of Connery and Pfeifer intrigues you, especially a Russian accented Pfeifer, this may be worth a watch. Otherwise, a strangely intriguing movie.

Russia House -->Terrific!
Although I have not seen the DVD (it hasn't been released yet) I have watched the VHS version at least 40 times. A spy movie set during the Cold War, The Russia House stars Sean Connery and Michelle Pfeiffer. Connery is a British publisher, Barley Scott Blair, who is sent manuscripts by a Russian woman named Katya (Pfeiffer). However, the manuscripts are intercepted by British intelligence and are analysis of the Soveit Empire's nuclear capabilities. Blaire is convinced to play the role of spy for the British, and he must befirend Katya in order find the author of the manuscripts (the mysterious Dante.) As the story unfolds, Blaire and Katya grow closer to each other, and Blair soon finds himself trapped between the loyalties he has to his mother country and to Katya.
This is an extremely terrific movie, but is also very confusing. I had to watch it 7 times before the plot really made sense to me, but once I understood what was going on, it was a joy to watch it over and over again. This is not one of Connery's most famous works, but it is certainly one of his best. Reprising his role as spy, Connery does a much better job of it than as James Bond. Michelle Pfeiffer is similary convincing as Katya, who is caught in between the politics of Russia and Britan.
I whole heartedly recommend this movie, but I do caution anyone who has not seen it before to rent it first. A DVD version is long overdue and still the features the DVD will have are only subtitles and widescreen, which is perfect for some of the beautiful landscape scenes in Russia.

A Strange, Poignant Tale Well Told
The cold war defined the first 27 years of my professional life as an aerospace engineer. I left that profession with the collapse of the Soviet Union, and visited Moscow not long afterward. This story is a sort of elegy for the USSR, and was to some degree prescient. Like "Barley", I too am fond of Russians and things Russian, and I greatly enjoyed the scenery of Moscow and Leningrad. Viewing it brings back vivid memories of my visit there, the colleagues I met, and the persistent sense I had of one tremendous chapter of history having just closed, and the next but dimly apprehended.

I have assembled a kind of personal "Cold War Archive", and this has an honored place in it along with "Smiley's People", & etc. It is a dandy story well told, not the usual "chase'm around and shoot'm up" action spy "thriller" of which we are all so tired. I give this four stars only because I believe the 5 star award in this category has been permanently retired with "Smiley's People".

How to make a Cold War spy drama in the days of Glasnost
This is a Tom Stoppard adaptation of a John Le Carré Book, but apart from the fact that it is a spy drama, this is a complete contrast from Le Carré's most famous work, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy. It's somehow less cynical, and more positive. Although Sean Connery's character Barley is a reluctant spy, you feel that if this were Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, he would have been killed for 'knowing too much' instead, the security services are quite civil to him, the worst he gets from them is raised eyebrows when he attempts independent operation. The story, set in the time of Glasnost makes some serious points which are a bit dated now, but were at the time an important change in the way in which spy dramas were written. The photography is marvellous and being filmed almost entirely on location, the vistas of Moscow and Lenningrad are like one long tourist advertisement. Jerry Goldsmith's usually excellent music is let down here by being too intrusive, almost as though the film's producers couldn't bear to leave any part of the soundtrack unfilled. By contrast, the clarinet playing of Branford Marsalis is appropriate and sublime, even if Connery hasn't quite got the hang of miming the thing! Sean Connery himself, as with all the players turn in strong performances, although it's a little unrealistic that someone 28 years younger than he would fall in love with him (I bet the ages were closer in the book!) especially as his make-up and wig aren't as 'young' as they usually are.

A welcome change from overwrought missions impossible
When the rusty Iron Curtain disintegrated during Gorbachev's glasnost, Hollywood filmmakers finally got access to the image-rich expanse of Mother Russia for location shoots. Whereas before, when scenes of "Moscow" or "Leningrad" were actually filmed in, say, Helsinki, now American theatergoers can gaze upon the real thing. On viewing THE RUSSIA HOUSE for the first time, I was thrilled to see the onion domes and other architectural glories of Moscow and Suzdal, which I had seen in person several years before.

Sean Connery and Michelle Pfeiffer are Barley and Katya in the screen adaptation of John le Carré's novel of the same title. Barney is the world-weary and alcoholic London publisher to whom a book manuscript is smuggled by the Russian Katya, a woman Barley claims most emphatically not to know. Since the document is actually a survey of the status of Soviet defense weaponry, the British Secret Service, which intercepted the manuscript, views Barley's disclaimer as tepid at best. After intense questioning, and a call upon his loyalty to Queen and Empire, Barley is persuaded to return to Moscow to meet Katya, and determine her source of information. The latter turns out to be Dante, a well-respected physicist embedded in the Soviet defense establishment, who is known to British intelligence and is also Katya's boyfriend. Finally realizing the identity and potential value of the contact, MI6 approaches the CIA with a proposal for a continuing joint operation using Barley as the field agent. The moneyed Americans, of course, insist on playing the dominant mission controller, relegating the Brits to the role of interested observer.

A criticism of this film was that it's too boring. Not so, if one accepts and understands that le Carré's plots are not action oriented by design. Rather, they revolve around character evolution and relatively subtle confrontations that are more intellectual and psychological than physical. Le Carré's books are, admittedly, an acquired taste, and not for the shallow-minded. The filmed version of THE RUSSIA HOUSE is true to its literary roots. There are here no feats of 007-like derring-do confounding the evildoers on missions impossible. The storyline unfolds at a comparatively sedate, realistic pace.

The casting was perfect. Veterans Connery and Pfeiffer are magnificent together. The latter's portrayal of a Slavic damsel-in-distress is especially convincing. James Fox as the urbane, gentlemanly MI6 controller serves as the perfect foil to the abrasive, take-no-prisoners (stereotypically Yank) attitude of his CIA counterpart, played by Roy Scheider. Klaus Brandauer as Dante is appropriately enigmatic. The location cinematography is visually sumptuous.

After awhile, one gets weary of the steady diet of action spy thrillers that rampage across the silver screen. As a change of gait, THE RUSSIA HOUSE is supremely satisfying, especially the bittersweet ending. I loved it. ... Read more

Amazon.com essential video

David Hare's Broadway play--about political idealism and the way some people always need to be fighting for a cause--was credibly transferred to the screen by director Fred Schepisi from Hare's screenplay. Meryl Streep (in the midst of a streak of movies that required accents) plays a British woman who fought for the French Resistance during World War II. When she returns to normal life in post-war England and marries a diplomat, she becomes something of a terror--speaking her mind when, of course, diplomacy dictates otherwise. Did she leave the best part of herself in France, where life was more meaningful and immediate? Hare's comment on Great Britain's post-war slide into Thatcherism, this film features a tough-minded (and not particularly likable) performance by Streep, who is actually quite good. It's a hard movie to embrace, but a well-made one nonetheless. --Marshall Fine ... Read more

Reviews (14)

Dark Troubling Movie About the Disillusion of Life
This is an extraordinary movie. It is impossible to not deeply sympathize with, and yet also come to strongly dislike the character of Susan Traherne played by Meryl Streep. All of David Hare's plays (e.g., Racing Demons, Skylight, the recent Amy's View) and movies (e.g., Strapless, Wetherby) are concerned with the idealist who runs up against a not particularly sympathetic world as he, or more commonly she, ages and struggles against a self-doubt induced by the people and society around her. The character of Susan Traherne is the least openly "likeable" of these characters, yet in Streep's amazing performance is heartbreakingly sympathetic. It is so easy to weep when one sees the final flashback scene in which one is reminded of her certainties and hopes 15 years at the end of a World War. She just could not find a way to make herself or others happy, and in the gloom of the effort trashes the lives and surroundings around her. A very memorable movie.

Most underrated Meryl Streep film
This movie is a forgotten treasure and deserves to be revived since it shows magic Meryl at her best in the prime of her craft.
The movie is based on a David Hare play and has been recently restaged in London with Cate Blanchett( arguably the most convincing aspirant to Streep's throne) in the lead.
Susan Traherne works in the French resistance during the war and although her life is fraught with danger, deprivation and chance encounters it gives her an edginess and zest for life she can never find in her later life. In post war Britain she stumbles through a string of uninspired careers, a bittersweet stab at motherhood, a friendship with a sassy Bohemian( a role Tracy Ullman was born to play) and eventually a marriage to a safe and starched politician that comes across as a personal suicide note while remaining among the living. The film nicely balances the quests of how much excitement people can handle and how much boredom can discombobulate a once inquiring mind. It's nothing less than a somber ode to the idealism of youth, its sour awakening and the understanding that success is in the eye of the beholder and no cotton can shield us from our drive to be individuals regardless of the cost to comfort and convention.

"There will be days and days and days like this"
"Plenty" is a film destined to arouse a lot of controversy -- not over its quality, but over its heroine: Susan Traherne (Meryl Streep), an Englishwoman who worked with the French Resistance in World War II and, much to the consternation of those around her, longs for the thrills and passion she felt during those days. Restless, dissatisfied and determined to challenge and change society, Traherne rubs employers, acquaintances, and even her husband the wrong way in her quest for satisfaction.

Yet screenwriter David Hare, adapting his successful stage play, asks us to accept and identify with Traherne, a steadfast individualist whose striving and scheming cost her everything, including, finally, her sanity.

Much of the attraction -- not to mention the challenge -- of "Plenty" lies in trying to rationalize Traherne and her motives and motivations. When first seen, she is a young woman who has arrived in France to aid the Resistance movement. Although only 19 years old, she is in a position of power and a situation fraught with danger, and she loves it. After the war, she returns to England, full of high ideals about building a better world where everyone can flourish. But what she finds in her homeland instead is a nation of men and women who are far more concerned with getting back to normal, and satiating themselves in material goods after years of wartime shortages.

For Susan, the postwar world of plenty is distressingly devoid of thrills, goals and open minds. Her feelings of emptiness lead her to seek out bohemian and beatnik friends, a foxy lower-class lover and a husband whose career in the diplomatic services is on the rise. But flirting with danger and accumulating wealth are not the answer for Susan either, and she languishes in luxury.

The role of Susan is custom-made for Streep and she turns in yet another tour de force. Classy and vivacious one moment, scathing and bitter the next, Susan is genuinely a puzzlement, and certainly an addictive one. You may not like her, but you will not forget her.

There is no shortage of fascinating characters in the supporting cast either, nor of fine actors to play them. Singer-comedian Tracey Ullman is enchanting as Alice Parke, Susan's roommate and confidante. Alice wears men's clothes, smokes marijuana and aspires to be a writer and artist, but little things like bad pot keep getting in her way: "How am I supposed to find artistic inspiration if I can't even get any good drugs?" she complains. Sting, who too often relies on his looks to carry his performances, turns in his best screen work to date as Mick, a black-marketeer whom Susan hires to get her pregnant (the love scenes between Sting and Streep are both funny and sexy). But finally, Susan dismisses him after 18 months of trying. "There comes a point at which the experiment should be stopped in the name of common courtesy," she notes.

As Susan's weary husband, Charles Dance brings life to what could easily have been a one-dimensional part, effectively conveying the toll a marriage built on pity can take on a man. Sir John Gielgud also sparkles as the duty-minded Leonard Darwin, whose run-in with the defiant Susan at a dinner party is the nastiest and most uproarious scene in the film.

"Plenty" is not an easy movie to categorize, and interpretations of its central character and its message are sure to be numerous. But there is no denying its power or the allure of the people in it. There are lighter, more charming films around, but there are few as ultimately rewarding.

Odd
Usually I love Meryl Streep, but for some reason--call me stupid if you want to--I had trouble watching this DVD because Streep wasn't very likeable, I couldn't sympathize with her character, and I REALLY HAD NO IDEA OF WHAT WAS HAPPENING. Perhaps the movie was a little too well-made. Or perhaps I wasn't paying it the attention it deserved. Anyway, it's one of the few DVDs I've actually gotten rid of. But Streep is just gorgeous as usual!

Don't Waste Your Time
Uneven, choppy direction and convoluted plot marr the otherwise superb story and excellent performance of the uncomparable Meryl Streep. Unfortunately, not even the fabulous Ms. Streep can save this -- recommended for devoted fans only, bent on completing their Streep collection. ... Read more

Reviews (47)

It's A Small World After All.
One night in a posh Manhattan apartment a young black man (Will Smith), appearing to be mugged enters the home of Flan (Donald Sutherland) and Ouisa Kittredge (Stockard Channing). The man who says his name is Paul, claims to be friends of the Kittredge children. Over the evening Paul flatters the couple and a buisness guest they are hosting with his exotic tales and fascinating life stories. However, things aren't always what they seem to be. Like the painting in the movie, what is chaotic on one side, may be controlled on the other and vice versa.

This was the first major film breakthrough for Will Smith, proving that he isn't just the Fresh Prince of Bel Air and is a serious actor. Donald Sutherland does a superb job as the stuck-up art dealer who makes millions of dollars but spends more than he can make. However, the real star of the movie is Stockard Channing. Her performance is perfect and her portrayal of Ouisa's self-disovery, realization, and spiritual redemption could not have been better.

SIX DEGREES OF SEPARATION has become a part of the American pop conscience (thanks largely to the Kevin Bacon game). However, the movie is much more than a pop cultural reference. It is a movie for the critical movie viewer. It explores questions of great magnitude and in the end, concludes on a comic, rather than tragic, note. It is a small world after all, just six degrees of separation.

Amazing!
A wonderful movie with many hidden truths about life. All characters in the movie have done an excellent job in portraying the superficial lifestyles that is common in the West.
As the families in this movie get taken advantage off, by the young Paul Poitier, they begin to learn more about themselves. The reality of life we accept may not be the reality that we once hoped for. Ouisa, Paul's star student finally understands herself and how her life has been a complete lie, serving her husbands needs and neglecting her own. The pursuit of money is a driving principle in the Western culture and we often neglect other aspects in life that deserve more of our energy. Paul is the catalyst in showing Ouisa the truth about life and removing her social mask. A person of mystery who demonstrates that anything is possible in life.
Overall, an amazing movie that should be watched more than once to capture the brilliance it portrays.

too-clever adaption of the play
You can read other reviews for the plot but in conclusion I found this adaptation of the play not to work as well as it could. While the individually performances by title cast are exceptionally strong, the unbalanced parody of the stereotypes diminishes the piece: The shallow, smug socialite is not shallow enough, the disaffected, spoilt child is too shrill, the poor prospective conman too composed - its as though the film cannot decide whether to be more farcical or more serious. Direction aside, the main themes of the story reach conclusion midway through from which point it begins to wander and in the end, the continuing relationship between the Kittredges and Paul, in particular Ouisa Kittredge's revelation about her perceived connection, feel too contrived.
In part a self-proclaimed social commentary, the film adaptation also overlooks the opportunity to properly contrast the existing class division's between Paul and the Kittredge party, concentrating instead on the pseudo intellectualizing conversations - which Paul adeptly mimics/takes on - of the Manhattan social elite (i.e. the clever part). Having said that, it was a worthy attempt and it certainly *is* worth watching: there is a lot to take away from the film which by the way also has some great cinematic pans of New York City.

Excellent recreation of thoroughly entertaining play
I recall reading a press report on the Columbine School shootings and the lifestyle of the two protaganists - apparently they were friends who
spent many many undisturbed hours in the basement of one of their parent's home making bombs etc as is the want of modern middle class teenagers. The point of the report was how dissociated or at least unaware the parents were of what their adolescent children were up to.
This wonderful film is about in part spoilt children and the huge gap that exists between them and their parents - or at the least the horror the parents experience when the children mirror their values. There is a wonderful scene when the wealthy Kitteredges (played by the SUPERB Mr Sutherland and Ms Stockard Channing) are abused for giving away their son's pink shirt to a wounded stranger. Or the horror they experience when the children DON'T mirror theirb values. Another scene features a telephone call from a student who tells her parents that she is getting married and going to Afghanistan to help the peasants in revenge against her parents for her highly privileged upbringing.
In this fine film, Paul (Will Smith was BORN to play this role) brings joy to the people her interacts with and actually changes the life of some, especially Mrs Kitteridge. Playing a ... black who is talented but poor, Mr Smith makes being an outsider in a materialistic hypocritical society a glamorous and attractive thing. Good or bad? It is also ravishingly photographed which fits one of its major themes - Western societies obsession with appearances - as well as fitted with excellent soundtrack. A thoroughly ENJOYABLE cinematic experience. After a dozen viewings, my intial impressions have been resoundingly confirmed. Worth owning.

5 stars but no English subtitles!
Without copying what others have already written about this beautifully crafted and cast movie.... I feel I need to add an important point. For some unknown reason, the DVD version of this movie does not come with English subtitles. This makes some of the dialogue hard to catch, especially if your hearing isn't what it used to be. Nevertheless, a magnificient movie! ... Read more

Reviews (22)

Pleasing visit down memory lane......
Looking for a sentimental Brit flick that leaves you feeling good? Try LAST ORDERS with a stellar ensemble of favorite actors- Michael Caine, Helen Mirran, Bob Hoskins, David Hemmings and Tom Courtenay. My husband and I thoroughly enjoyed this tale of old friends who travel from their favorite pub in London to the Margate Pier to scatter the ashes of one of their group, Jack, who has made the request his 'last orders' (phrase used when the bar is closing). Using flashbacks, the Fred Schepisi, director of SIX DEGREES OF SEPARATION, weaves a wonderful tale of one man's life as seen through the eyes of the friends and family who loved him.

Jack Dodd (Michale Caine) and Abby (Helen Mirran) were married for over 50 years. One of Jack's friends (Bob Hoskins) is a buddy from his WWII days who made his fortune playing the horses. Another (David Hemmings), is an ex-prize fighter. Yet another (Tom Cortenay), is an undertaker who began his career of tending to the dead during the war. Their son (Ray Winstone) is a successful Mercedes-Benz dealer who makes a good deal more money than his dad who never recovered from the fact his son would not join him in the family meat business.

On the trip to Margate Pier, each friend and family member recalls Jack, whose ashes are to be taken to the seaside place he and Abby visited years earlier. Each of them remembers a charming vignette that took place with Jack in London, southern England (Kent County) and/or the Middle East at some point during the last 50 years of the 20th century. This film is a must for the dedicated Anglophile and those nostalgic for past times. The transfer of the film is excellent and the beautiful shots include visits to a WWII memorial in Kent, Canterbury Cathedral, and Margate Pier which is really a sort of paved boardwalk ("the jetty washed away years ago").

British, all-male version of "The Joy Luck Club"
I've been waiting for this movie to open since its world premier at the Toronto International Film Festival last September, and I was not disappointed. Based on Graham Swift's Booker Prize-winning novel, the story is somewhat predictable, but engaging and touching, and it had me from the very beginning to the poignant and emotional (but not melodramatic) conclusion. Imagine the British, all-male version of "The Joy Luck Club", and you'll get a vague idea. I think Fred Schepisi tried too hard to cram everything from the book into the movie though, and much of the times the story moves along too swiftly. The movie cuts back and forth between the present and flashbacks so often that individual stories don't really have the time to develop, and sometimes I felt like I was watching a very long movie trailer.

The cast is absolutely superb. As Roger Ebert put it, it's got all the great British actors who are not in "Gosford Park" (Michael Caine, Tom Courtenay, David Hemmings and Bob Hoskins), and one who is (Helen Mirren). Of course, it's always a thrill to see Ray Winstone on the big screen, especially if he's not playing a wife-beater.

An absolute treasure
It's about kind, happy people who love each other. What more could anyone possibly want in a film?

What a great story
What more can I say, this film was thoroughly enjoyable. All the character portrayals are incredibly real. A great collection of actors doing what they do best.

There are no special effects here, just a fabulous heart-felt story.

Is it worth purchasing? Yes. Each time you watch it, you will laugh and you will cry.

Enjoy.

Last Orders
During a trip to scatter the ashes of their friend four mates bring their scattered memories together to tell a story of friendship love life and loss. This film shows the pain and struggle of dealing with death and the simple joys and wonders of living life. At the movies end I had tears in my eyes and a smile on my face. I enjoyed it from the beginning to the end. The cast of characters was a wonderful show of talent on both the actors and the writers parts I was truly involved. This movie is at the top of my list. ... Read more