Reviews (1)

Excellent instructional video
This Stott Pilates video is excellent for basics of pilates. Moira Stott offers clear instruction for every abdominal exercise. When starting out, most people don't realize how crucial proper technique is, and Moira Stott gives detailed explanations of each movement without being too complicated or wordy. This video is fun, and most importantly, I've lost inches in my abdominal area by using it just a few times a week. I will definitely look into additional Stott Pilates videos as my level improves. ... Read more

Reviews (120)

Harsh/Graceful Modern Retelling of Orpheus, Joan of Arch, ..
Try at a short(ish) review: Breaking the Waves reminds me of Ingmar BergmanÕs work and other great auteurs who not only play with our emotions but reach into our gray matter and belief systems, stirring them all up. After 6 years, I finally felt prepared to view this passion play. It went from being a movie I should see to one that I am grateful I saw and will see again (when I am ready).

Emily Watson is stellar and accompanied by a cast that almost seamlessly makes the strange premise of a wife trying to save her husband by sexual encounters with other men believable. Even the chapter breaks connote a sense of the story looking real but also not looking real. To keep this telling from being too stark and unyielding, Lars von Tier presents an unexpected sensuality and sense of humor in the first half. Otherwise, I donÕt think we could care about these extremely religious and/or secular people for 2 1/2 hours. On the other hand, it takes its cameras, not filtering the sound of the film running through the camera spokes, into the scenes of BessieÕs search for men. It is a very painful adventure into Hades for such a simple woman child.

Ultimately, it is a story about attaining love but goes beyond to finding grace. It is a marvelous work to be in the collective consciousness and definitely not meant to be a popcorn movie. The film has an Achilles heel or two but so superficial that I hardly feel they need be noted. Make sure you have the stomach and compassion. It rang the church bells in my heart and mind.

Try pairing this movie with EgoyemÕs ÔExotica,Õ any of BergmanÕs films, Marcel CamusÕ ÔBlack Orpheus,Ô Allen's 'Crimes & Misdemeanors' or DreyerÕs ÔPassion of Joan of Arc.Õ Then go out and get some sunshine, have a good walk and dinner with loved ones.

Not your average God-obsessed-nympho movie...
A fascinating but not entirely successful fantasia that owes just about all of its power to Emily Watson, making a stunning film debut. Watson is the mentally unstable Bess, who talks to God (God seems to talk back in her voice). Bess, a virgin, marries the burly but sensitive oil-rig worker Jan (Stellan Skarsgard). Once she tastes the joys of sex, Bess becomes delirious with love for Jan. But soon he must return to the oil rig, where he has an accident that paralyzes him. The erratic and heavily medicated Jan takes it into his head to ask Bess a favor: she must sleep with other men, and tell him about the encounters, to keep him alive. Both Jan and God seem to want Bess to go through with it.

It's a mistake to take this sort of fable literally, but director Lars von Trier makes everything seem realistic with artsy touches like handheld camerawork, jump cuts, and saturated photography (by Robby Muller). He also, for whatever reason, divides the movie into chapters, and the chapter headings are surreal landscapes with sometimes grating '70s rock songs played over them. You nod and understand all the points von Trier is making, but everything is so symbolic and predetermined that it seldom truly reaches you. The film is haunting but mechanistic and, in its last third, borderline ludicrous -- the meaningful masochism gets to be more than a little much. Yet Emily Watson, who's in almost every frame, very nearly puts the entire gigantic daft movie across all by herself. Her elastic face is a playhouse for violently conflicting emotions, and she's never less than touching. With anyone else in the role (like Helena Bonham-Carter, who was going to do it but dropped out), the movie would probably collapse.

Note: Nothing on the featured cover artwork or in Amazon.com's description indicates whether this DVD is letterboxed. I'd have a look at the back cover or rent it first to make sure, as this is a widescreen, 2.35 movie that needs to be seen letterboxed, though since there is an existing widescreen VHS edition, I see no reason why Artisan wouldn't have letterboxed the DVD.

Beautiful...
This film does NOT endorse what it depicts. Obviously, the memebers of the church are misguided, in fact a great deal of the film points that out. But the film is not about them, it is about Bess, and about her love for God and God's love for her. What happens to her in the movie is not God's torture of her, it is human free will being exercised on a pure spirit, and the beauty is how her spirit always remains pure. That is why God loves Bess. God does not sugarcoat the world, and all who wish to follow him go through trials. Bess made it through those trials, and this is, as such, a TRUE CHRISTIAN FILM.

Not to mention it is cinematically the best film I have ever seen, as Heilman says, it is transcends words and descriptions. Do not let any review scare you away, if you don't like graphic sex turn it off, but this is a film about the love God has for all the how beautiful a pure spirit is.

ALERT TO CHRISTIANS
I loved dancer in the dark. I found it to be one of the saddest, most beautiful films that i have ever seen. This led me to search out other films by Lars Von Treir. This one was said to be the most comparable to it. This couldn't be further from the truth.

If there are any true christians out there, i can't tell you how strongly I advise you to stay away from this film. Maybe, like me, you saw dancer in the dark and are looking for something similar or just as good. THIS MOVIE WAS ABSOLUTELY HORRIBLE.

There are graphic sex scenes in this movie, which if alone wouldve been reason alone to not see this film. The way they depicted God in this film was what was most offensive to me. Throughout the movie there are constant scenes depicting a church involved in mass ritualism, who have no love for God or his people. They enjoy seeing people in sin and have no problem seeing them go to hell. They are constantly showing hatred towards others and fail to reveal one ounce of compassion. Another problem with how they depicted God was that he was a cruel and evil person that likes to play little games with the world. They made him out to be someone who hates his creation and wants to hurt them in the form of teaching them a lesson. They even stated that God told the main character to become a prostitute. The God of this movie shows absolutely no love.

There are many churches and people like the ones depicted in this movie. People like this do not accurately depict anyone who truely knows and loves God.

God is not someone who sits up in heaven, bitter and scolding everyone, and taking pleasure in seeing people suffer. He did not come into the world to condemn the world, but that through him the world might be saved. He loves us more than everything we could ever know. God loved us so much that he became a man, was beaten to near death and then crucified for all of us.

He loves everyone and wants to have a loving relationship with anyone who will ask him. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever (anyone) believes in him would not parish, but have everlasting life, John 3:16.

If you are a christian, listen to this review from someone who loves God, and stay away from this film. If you are not a christian, God loves you more than you could ever comprehend. All he wants is for you to love him in return. Jesus Christ is God, believe and recieve.

So disappointing...
A long, slow study of life in a small northern Scottish town, ruled by the old men of the village's Calvinist kirk, as seen through the eyes of a village lass who appears to be able to hold conversations with God. And I mean sloooooow. At times fascinating and at times just frustrating, the story moves along at its own pace, broken into sections that are annoyingly introduced with still frame shots and titles.

The movie is at times beautiful and at times clearly an exercise in self-indulgence on the part of the director, Lars von Trier. What I found absolutely inexcuseable was the final, very final shot. Without giving the ending away, hearing the bells was beautiful. It was transcendant. It made up for the length and leisurely pace of the whole movie. But then von Trier spoiled all the goodwill he had just created with me by showing me the bells. Why? Oh, why? The ending ruined the movie. What, we're too dense to put two and two together and figure out for ourselves where the peels were coming from? ... Read more

Reviews (103)

Masterpiece!
If you somehow missed this one, do yourself a favor and make time available in your schedule for viewing this masterpiece from director Bernardo Bertolucci! Nine academy awards, including Best Picture [1987], only gives partial credit to this magnificently epic and absolutely unforgettable true story. It is the story of Pu Yi, who at the age of 3 comes to the Imperial Dragon Throne to become the Last Emperor of China. His whole life is spanned in this film, from his childhood, to his ultimate fate as an unskilled gardener in the streets of Bejing. Throughout this film we are treated to a cinematic feast for the senses, so rich in detail and imagery, you will be compelled to see it again as soon as possible (I saw it again the very next night!). You will have felt the full range of emotions from having experienced this movie, and few others in recent memory have mesmerized me so totally in an almost 3 hour (164 min) time span. Truly one of the greatest films of all time! Masterpiece!

Bertolucci's Last Epic!
By that I mean with great respect! Bernardo Bertolucci is known for such cinematic extravaganzas as 1973's LAST TANGO IN PARIS and 1977's 1900; and to add to his credits, 1987's Best Picture winner THE LAST EMPEROR!

A film of major diversity. An Italian director (Bertolucci), a predominately Chinese cast including frequent costars John Lone and Joan Chen, British actor and seven-time Oscar nominee Peter O'Toole, an American producer named Jeremy Thomas, and distributed by an American studio, Columbia Pictures!

John Lone is the title character, Chinese emperor "Henry" Pu-Yi, who became the last Emperor of China at the age of 3, and would be the "Lord of Ten Thousand Years!" Nothing would prepare him for the change that would eventually occur when he is forced into abdication, forced into retaking his kingdom, and forcing him to attempt suicide after his arrest and capture by Chinese and Russian communist troops after World War II. Eventually, after serving his time for conspiracy, he released from prison and lives out the rest of his life in 1967 -- as a simple gardner.

Imagine. From Emperor to gardner, totally heartbreaking! Heartbreaking is the fact that it cost him EVERYTHING! His wife "Elizabeth" Wan Jung, played with grace by the gorgeous Joan Chen; his kingdom and his freedom. But, you can't simply hate the guy! He is, of course, a man who was spoiled by his servants and soldiers as a child.

The film has both an epic scope and an excellently-written character story. (Though most historians believed that the film embellished on certain facts, like Pu-Yi's homosexuality.) It is played competently by an Asian cast and a wonderfully witty Peter O'Toole, who should have been nominated for Best Supporting Actor that year, as the Emperor's patient tutor Reginald "R.J." Johnston.

Needless to say, I cried at the very end of this film! I LOVED that scene between the elder Pu-Yi and a little boy who appears to be just like the Emperor as a child. And the symbolic message this film taught with the cricket in the jar, as the little boy opens the jar to reveal the insect (by then, Pu-Yi has magically disappeared). An epic film with a heart (like my PRISONER OF WAR)!

Winner of all 9 of its nominations including: Best Picture - Jeremy Thomas, producer; Best Director - Bernardo Bertolucci; Best Adapted Screenplay - Bertolucci and Mark Peploe; Best Cinematography; Best Art Direction/Set Decoration; Best Costume Design; Best Score; Best Sound; and Best Film Editing.

THIS FILM IS APPROXIMATELY: 2 HOURS AND 40 MINUTES.

But well worth it!

great film, awful dvd
I had the misfortune to buy this BEFORE I read the Amazon reviews and discovered that the DVD looked awful-a particular injustice for a film that won Best Picture. It's only 17 years old; there are films from the 30's that look great on DVD! I see though that in the U.K. they released a 2-disc version with commentary and both the original theatrical cut as well as the director's cut. I assume it's also restored and anamorphic and can only hope that we get an American version soon. The movie gets 5 stars, even at 219 minutes. The DVD gets 1 star, so that averages out to a generous 3.

Breathtakingly Beautiful, Decadent and Misconceived.
I revere every Bertoluccifs work tremendously, and this lavish film is no exception.
I was completely mesmerised by the view of the Forbidden City, beautiful period costumes of the Emperor and the Imperial family with which the director says he really cared about the historical accuracy to recreate as well as other things.
The historical accuracy is, however, not necessarily applied to the part of which Japan was involved. The foundation of Manshu-koku, (Manchukuo is the Chinese word) and the restoration of the Manchu Emperor Pfu Yi, and the alleged atrocities made to the Japanese Imperial Army, namely, gRape of Nankingh, etc. It is so because both Bernaldo Bertolucci and the producer Jeremy Thomas seem to have truly believed in the auto-biography of Pfu Yi, gFrom Emperor to Citizenh that written for propaganda purpose, and the Frank Caprafs U.S. propaganda film; gThe Battle of Chinah at their face values.
First thing is first, Chinese Communistfs gbrainwashingh undeniably exists. In the same year this film first came out, 1987, gFrom Emperor to Citizenh was re-published by Oxford University Press with new comprehensive general introduction and chapter introductions by W.J.F. Jenner, the translator of the original 1964 gdeliberately restricted editionh published by Foreign Language Press, BeiJing.
Jenner explains; gThe special consideration shown Pfu Yi and other high-ranking Manchukuo(sic), Japanese, and Nationalist officials cannot be regarded as typical of Chinese prison conditions. These were all people of potential value in winning over others in future, and political considerations saved them from the harsh justice that many lesser figures received.h And, Jenner continues, Pfu Yifs gsuccessful thought reformh which made him gusefulh and able body to work like other ordinary people, that Bertolucci praises vigorously, was, in fact, gsomething of ritualh. Pfu Yifs fourth wifefs account of his incapableness of looking after himself, even after his release of 1959, reveals some part of the truth.
His fifth and final marriage to a well qualified nurse was garranged by the Chinese Peoplefs Political Consultative Conference and the Communist Partyfs United Front Department. [cccc] He was even protected from the Cultural Revolution by Chou En-laifs intervention, and the local police kept Red Guards away. [cccc] Pfu Yifs presentation to foreigners as a living advertisement for the Peoplefs Government and the Communist Party began in 1956, while he was still in prison; and after his release he was often required to meet foreign visitors to China.h Those facts show that Pfu Yi was not successfully remolded@into an ordinary citizen after all, but made a perfect gmouthpieceh of the Communist Party Propaganda Department.

Bertolucci may never have read this revealing version of the Pfu Yifs gauto-biographyh. (In fact, the book was re-written before it was published in 1964 by Communist Propaganda Department writers based on the gconfessionsh Pfu Yi and Pfu Chieh had made in the prison as outcome of gbrainwashingh.)
But, in any case, the directorfs knowledge on the so-called gRape of Nankingh is awfully wrong.
He believes; gThe Japanese killed 300,000 Chinese people in *2 or 3 days* in Nanking.h (How did he think it was possible as the matter of reality?)
In fact, however, the *200,000* civilian refugee in Nanking were well protected by the Japanese Army and decrease of the number never recorded by the gobjectiveh foreigners of the International Committee of the Nanking Safety Zone, who, by the way, are assumed by many people including scholars as gthe witnesses of the Rape of Nankingh. They, on the contrary, recorded *increase* of the population to 250,000 within a few weeks after the capture of the city. No one saw such barbaric massacre except the Chinese propagandists and, actually, some members of the Committee who were hired by the Chinese Nationalist Party as international propaganda agents. Some ordinary Chinese people (genuine citizens of Nanking) even condemned the Chinese soldiers for the wrong-doing in Nanking.
Apart from gRape of Nankingh, the gnewsreelh in the film Pfu Yi and his co-inmates had watched is full of errors and, I dare to say, pernicious propaganda.
The planes that bombed Shanghai International Settlement and killed thousands of civilian was actually the Chinese. (Page 352 of The China Year Book 1938, edited by H.G.W. Woodhead, North China Daily News) And, the gexecutionh scene of the Chinese civilian is, I am sure, taken from the famous propaganda film by Frank Capra; gThe battle of Chinah that shows, in fact, the executioners are the Chinese Nationalist Party Army. Because of the fact the scene was gtrimmedh to ghideh the true identity of the executioners, I think Bertolucci did know they were using propaganda material.
What I do not know is their purpose. It may have been to get permission to make the film in Beijing under ghawk-eyeh of the Communist Party authorities they might have pretended to be pro-communist. In either way, this filmfs authenticity was sullied and that is very a shame.

Still, to me, this special edition is very interesting as a resource to understand the Cultural Revolution and the nature of brainwashing because it includes first-hand interviews of aging Pfu Chieh and the real life prison governor. Only one thing I would desire is subtitles, for the sake of clarification of the dialogues spoken by non-English speakers.

Good movie.... Awful DVD
Enough comments have been made on the movie so I'll just tell you my opinion on the DVD edition. It is one of the worst DVD transcription I have ever saw. I really had the impression to watch a DivX. Do I need to tell more about the resolution? Only the english soundtrack is available (I wish the movie had been shooted in Chinese or Mandarin but that's not the point) and no subtitles. The DVD presents the director's cut which makes the movie 3 and a half hour instead of 2 and a half. The theatrical version is not available on the DVD... Otherwise there is no additionnal material. ... Read more

Description

Hailed by critics as one of the most masterfully directed and beautifully photographed films of all time, Kenji Mizoguchi's stunning classic is an eerie tale of misguided ambition and forbidden passion.Two 16th-century peasants abandon their families to seek fame and fortune, but in attaining their desires, both men destroy their lives and bring tragedy to their families.A powerful testament to the illusory nature of happiness, Ugetsu firmly established Mizoguchi's reputation in the West, and helped earn him recognition as one of the world's greatest directors of women. ... Read more

Reviews (13)

What are the Important Things in Life?
Despite some disturbing scenes and issues, this is a beautiful movie. It tells the story of how the search for money and glory can destroy true happiness. What makes the story work is a lot of different things. First of all, the acting is very good. Watching in in subtitles (there wasn't any other option) helped with appreciating this facet of the movie. The scenery and costumes were pretty good as well. The directing was what was the most outstanding. I confess that I have a problem with most modern movies in that they show a heavy dependance on modern technology and declining moral standards. This enables modern films to utilize two avenues of showing more and more which leaves less and less to the imagination. The talent on display in "Ugetsu" shows how directing at its' best was a true art form; greater, often, than the acting itself. There are several scenes that come to mind. As soldiers rape and pillage, there comes a scene of a gang rape of a woman. Everything we see on film makes it clear in our minds as to what has taken place. Yet the only clothing we see removed is a pair of sandals. Another scene involves an erotic encounter in which, again we understand clearly yet are not invited to watch. There are other scenes worthy of mention but I don't want to give anything away. The way this movie moves along is another testament to its' director; Kenji Mizoguchi.

On the negative side, this movie is currently only available on VHS. I confess to being frustrated with all of my Beta movies and now all of my VHS movies seeming to head towards obsolescence. However, I have come to appreciate the quality as well as the other features of DVD's. Thus I found myself immediately focussing on the occassional snap, crackle, and pop of the VHS quality. Still, once I was engrossed in the story (and that didn't take long to happen), it either ceased to bother me or the quality improved and the movie progressed.

There is a timeless message in this movie that will reach out to just about all viewers. It has to do with identifying our values and appreciating what we have rather than what we desire. Sounds like a message we've heard before but I'm not sure it's been presented quite so well before or since.

Remarkable Piece Of Work
Genjuro (Masayuki Mori) makes pottery and dreams of the day he and his family will be rich. Tobei (Eitaro Ozawa) wants to become a samurai. At its core "Ugetsu" is a story about greed, betrayal, & loyalty. But, what makes this movie so good is how subtle its approach is. Director Kenji Mizoquchi doesn't shove these themes down our throats. The movie is not motivated by plot formulas but rather by its characters. It's our understanding and the fact that we begin to feel a connection between them and ourselves that leads us to watch the movie. The biggest praise I can give the film is by saying it's one of those movies you don't want to end. We are too involved and feel we need to know more.

Mizoquchi after this film earned the reputation of becoming a great "women's director", and the performances by Kinuyo Tanaka (who plays Genjuro's wife) and Ikio Sawamura (Tobei's wife) are standouts. And at times do steal the scenes, as does a wonderful performance from Machiko Kyo (Lady Wakasa).

"Ugetsu" is considered by some critics and filmgoers as one of the most beautiful films ever made. It was even once listed in "sight & sound"s poll as one of the ten greatest films ever. And such acclaim is rightfully deserved. It is a masterful piece of work. People should make an efort to see it. It has a lasting effect.

Bottom-line: The kind of movie you wish wouldn't end. Contains standout acting from the entire cast and memorable cinematography. One of the all-time best.

Can life be like that?
This is a very beautiful movie. My favorite scene is where the potter and Lady Mikasa are having what looks like a picnic by the sea. I think it is the most beautiful composition I've ever seen in a movie. And he says "I didn't know life could be like this." Well I guess it can't, but its comforting to see beautiful things.

Truly a fabulous film
Set in the 16th century, Ugetsu is the story of two impoverished families from a small village and the tragedy that befalls both as the male heads of the household seek selfish, illusory goals. It is simply an excellent film; well acted, superbly directed, and a story that is timeless and profound.

Great Ghost Story
This is a beautifully shot movie. Mizoguchi is a great director of the plight of women in old Japan. His sister was sold into the life of a geisha, so alot of his movies speak for his sister. Some of his other notable films are; Sisters of the Gion, and Geisha. ... Read more

Description

Based on the true story that captured the hearts of America, THE STRAIGHT STORY is one of those rare films offering powerful, uplifting entertainment for audiences of all ages. Directed by acclaimed director David Lynch (WILD AT HEART, MULHOLLAND DRIVE), this gentle, inspiring film celebrates the human spirit. Richard Farnsworth (MISERY, THE NATURAL) stars as Alvin Straight -- a no-nonsense man who has never been one to lean on others. Now at an age when his eyesight denies him the ability to drive and walking is accomplished only with the help of two canes, Alvin lives a quiet life with his daughter Rose (Sissy Spacek). But when the call comes that Alvin's estranged brother Lyle (Harry Dean Stanton, THE GREEN MILE) has suffered a debilitating stroke, Alvin embarks on a dangerous and emotional journey to make amends. With little money, but plenty of patience and tenacity, he climbs aboard his 1966 John Deere lawnmower and plots the 260-mile course from his small Iowa town to Lyle's home in Wisconsin. Filmed along the actual route that the real Alvin Straight traveled in 1994, THE STRAIGHT STORY is a heartwarming and poignant drama chronicling Alvin's six-week odyssey and the many lives he touches along the way. ... Read more

Reviews (160)

A straightforward story honestly told.
A wonderful gentle movie that I'm still enjoying after several viewings. Clearly Mr Lynch is not afraid to experiment and deliver something different and this is so unlike his previous output. Judging from some of the reviews this is not a movie for everyone but fortunately the one or two stars are in a minority. Most of the others, like me, appreciated the slow moving (just like five mph Deere mower) unfolding of Alvin's big adventure and the folks he met. Where else other than the Midwest, where honesty comes as standard, could this story take place.

There is so much to enjoy! Angelo Badalamenti creates the perfect bluegrass style theme music, cinematographer Freddie Francis captures the gorgeous colors of the Midwest, the actors and especially Richard Farnsworth sparkle. Great lines, too, Alvin says to a hitchhiker, who has run away from home and shares a meal with him around the campfire, "A warm bed in a house sounds a mite better than eating a hot dog on a stick with an old geezer travelling on a lawn mower".

The 'Straight Story' is a little gem and I bet I'll still be enjoying its warmth and honesty for a long time.

Clearly one of the best acted films of the year
This film is probably one of the warmest and heartbreaking films of the year and it is all because of David Lynch and Richard Farnsworth. Unlike your typical Hollywood movie, David Lynch is able to work in the multitude of charachters in "The Straight Story" in a very natural and unpretentious way. The beauty of the picture is the way in which Alvin Straight (Farnsworth) is able to touch all the people he meets as he travels from Iowa to Wisconsin on his tractor to meet his ailing brother. The ending, which may leave the typical moviegoer scrathching his head and asking "so what happens?", is brilliant in how the expressions on the brothers' faces explain how they feel; and there is no need for a long drawn out speech that screams for the Academy's attention.

This film, in essence is about getting old and how aging has its benefits as well as its tragedies; how anger and resentment of family and friends is really not worth it in the end. Richard Farnsworth does a brilliant job that not many actors could have done. The wisdom he seems to have just by staring at him is astonishing. The second best line in the movie is when a young man asked him, "What is the worst thing about getting old?" and Alvin stares at him and says quietly, "Remembering when you were young." The best line, of course is the last sentence of the movie which makes you feel happy as well as sad inside.

David Lynch did a beautiful job in making the cornfields of the midwest seem amazingly scenic; trust me, I have been through Iowa and it is not as gorgeous as he made it out to be. The soundtrack goes perfect with the movie also. And I did not even mention Sissy Spacek, who plays Alvin's daughter and she does a great job as well as the rest of the cast in playing characters touched by Alvin and his mission.

What makes a movie a classic or a great film is that after you watch it, you sit there and think about it and have discussions with your friends about it. This movie did that to me, and I have been reccommending it to all my friends. But I must warn you, you also have to be in the right mood for it, and it might be best if you either watched it alone or with only a couple of other people. It is a must see for anyone.

a (mostly) orthodox story
wilhelm furtwngler; the conductor of the berlin philharmonic up until 1954, had a very unorthodix beat. indeed, his conducting was in itself unorthodox. he had heard some grumbling amongst the orchestra members that his beat was hard to follow, and that his conducting was too improvisational.
he then appeared before them and said ' so you dont think i can give you an orthodox beat?, okay let's go' and he proceeded for several minutes to do a 'by the book' reading of brahms. he then stopped. ' see i can do it, but it has no life. its not interesting!'.
the same could be said for the films of david lynch and his most ardent critics.
lynch has, all along, been able to tell a story straight, as he did here and elephant man. but even then lynch has to be lynch. he has to filter the story through his own sensabilites and style.
elephant man and straight story both have lynchs style deeply stamped upon them.
elephant man has his visual artistry, straight story his quirkiness.
the beauty of straight story is this is his 'g' rated quirkiness, and that's very appropriate for a man,who despite all of his progressive accomplishments in film, still lives in the suburbs.
with straight story lynch set out to prove that he could indeed tell a story straight and its most certain there was a sly wink in titling this film.
he actually upped the furtwangler philosophy one in that he did an orthodox narrative and STILL made it interesting, but naturally its still lynchian all the way through.
by the way this was farnsworth last film. he was terminally ill and took his own life about a year later.
he was a charactor actor with grace and vulnerability.
he will be missed

Boring... These other reviewers are nuts!
The Straight Story is horribly boring. Nothing of note happens in the entire film. The people that have given this four and five stars must be crazy. You will be very disappointed if you watch this film "The Straight Story". There are some nice views of Iowa in the film, and if that's all you expect you may be satisfied. If you want to see a plot or story line you will be disappointed. All you will to see is character development with nothing ever happening. The retarded daughter(Sissy Spacek) is totally pointless btw. Anyway, don't say I didn't warn you!

What a priviledge
Where do you begin with a film that is as beautiful, poetic, moving, powerful, substantial, grounding, uplifting, and definitively sublime as The Straight Story. From it's emotionally and technically pitch perfect score by Angelo Badalamenti to the brilliant direction of David Lynch, the film takes us on a journey we will never forget.
Despite everything I've offered, the film depends upon one man- Richard Farnsworth. In his last role, his award-winning performance is a master class in listening and being. He IS Alvin Straight instead of acting like Alvin Straight. His beautiful blue eyes are weary with pain and memories. I have never seen the eyes convey so very much. To watch his scene at the bar and not have a resounding physical reaction- well, there may be no help for your soul.

Simply put, allow yourself the priviledge of viewing The Straight Story. ... Read more

Amazon.com

While the plot of this Australian film may seem a bit familiar (The Ugly Duckling meets Dirty Dancing), the whimsical tone and superb dance sequences will make you forget the movie's predictability. Scott (Paul Mercurio) is a champion ballroom dancer who wants to dance "his own steps." Fran is the homely, beginning dancer who convinces Scott that he should dance his own steps... with her. Complicating matters are Scott's domineering mother (Pat Thompson), a former dancer herself, who wants her son to win the Australian Pan Pacific Championship (the same contest she lost years ago), and a conniving dance committee that is determined that "there are no new steps!" The dancing is enjoyable, yet not overwhelming, and the movie strives hard not to take itself too seriously (the beginning of the film is even styled as a pseudo-documentary). Strictly Ballroom, while not so subtly imparting its moral ("A life lived in fear is a life half-lived"), is a laughable romp that's sure to be a crowd pleaser. --Jenny Brown ... Read more

Reviews (149)

My anti-depressant
Okay, maybe that's an overstatement, but the first time I watched this movie, I checked it out of the library. I was a recently divorced single parent of two, struggling with a house note and bills I couldn't pay. On this particular day, I was fighting a bad cold, and feeling generally tired and unhappy. I took this movie out based only on the "Two Thumbs Up" recommendation of Siskel & Ebert at the bottom of the case. After viewing this film, I felt energized and full of good humor. I eventually bought it and have shared it with my mom, sister, kids, friends, and new husband. They all loved it! Where do I start? 1. The performances. Everyone in this movie is wonderful. They are believable and credible even though the material is completely over the top so much of the time. I love these people. 2. Then there's the romance. The main love story is very sweet, but all throughout the film, you feel like romance is literally in the air. It's also amazing how much sensuality is conveyed without any overt sexuality. 3. The dancing. I never gave ballroom dancing a thought until I saw this movie. Now, I love watching it. 4. The family relationships. They may seem unbelievable, but that mother is all too familiar to me. 5. Paul Mercurio--he's hot! Enough said.

This movie is funny, touching, and like nothing I've ever seen before or since. I can't even compare it to anything else. I'm happy to see how favorably other people have reviewed it.

Can I bend your ear for a tic?
I can't believe this movie completely escaped my attention during it's release in 1992. In fact, I hadn't even heard of it until about two years ago. However, after one viewing, it quickly became one of my favorites. The biggest plus, in my humble opinion, is the cast. Paul Mercurio and Tara Morice are wonderful leads. They both possess an intensity that makes for wonderful sparks between the two. I also love the fact that the character of Fran was not a dressed-down supermodel-type. Tara does a wonderful job of conveying Fran's determination but, at the same time, her self doubt. As her confidence and dancing ability evolves, so too does her appearance. It's such as gradual and completely believable transformation. It is wonderful to watch Scott's feelings for her also change. The supporting cast is top-notch too. Pat Thompson was magnificent as Scott's overbearing mother. She could sometimes border on viscous but, at the same time, remain somewhat sympathetic.

Now for the DVD itself. I may get raked for this but, as OK as it was, it could have been better. During the commentary by O'Connol, Martin, and Luhrman, Ms. Martin referred to some scenes that had to be cut before the release of the movie. I would loved it if they would have included deleted scenes on this DVD edition but they didn't. And, speaking of the commentary, I really didn't find it too enlightening. Well, let me put it this way, if you're watching it to get a background on ballroom, and other types, of dancing - then this is the commentary for you. However, if you're like me and want lots of interesting tidbits on cast, crucial scenes, etc., you'll only find them sparsely placed in between long stories about ballroom training, the history of the Paso Doble, and descriptions of sets. Even Baz, at one point, had to proclaim it was time to get back to commenting on the movie. Lastly, since I didn't see the movie during its original release, I would have loved it if they included its original theatrical trailer but it was not to be.

Nevertheless, even if this DVD were to come only equipped with the movie itself, it would be a bargain at whatever price it was offered. If you haven't seen it, watch it! If you're wondering if you should splurge on the DVD, despite my nitpicky complaints about the DVD edition, I'd encourage it.

Awesome movie, not so the DVD
I have loved this movie for years, and had it on tape. I was so happy when I saw there was a DVD, and it had a commentary. But, surprise! The commentary is absoluely rotten. I can't believe people who could make such an entertaining movie couldn't find anything interesting to say about it. I found my self yelling at the TV screen for them to get moving. Don't remember ever doing that before...

There are a few interesting extras, but really, the only thing I got for my money as a slightly clearer picture.

Some spectacular dance scenes
I've never really been a great fan of Baz Luhrmann's. Moulin Rouge was also a 3 out of 5 rating, in my opinion. I think it must be his style of cinematography - its neither theatre nor film, its halfway in-between... but I'm like this : If I watch a film I want to see a film, and if I want to watch a musical, I go to the theatre. Still, I gave this a shot after reading lots of glimmering reviews about it here. What I can say is this : the dancing was spectacular, and I love dancing, so that was why I gave this movie 3 stars. Apart from that, its just a run-of-the-mill love story... The lush prop sets and costumes might be a main attraction for some who loved this film enough to give it 5 out of 5, but I tend to look for something original and a bit different in a movie, and this just wasn't it.

strictly superb.....oh, and sweet.....
When I started dance classes in 1992, I was probably one of the gawkiest, most unconfident little dancers you would have ever seen......chubby, shy, not very well-coordinated. You know how tough it can be to be ten years old! Anyway, the year was 1993, and I went to see a film called STRICTLY BALLROOM, that had just been released at a local art house movie house. Not many people had even heard of it, let alone of the director, Baz Luhrmann. It was a small film about ballroom dancing, of all things...and a comedy! All I knew was I always enjoyed watching ballroom dancing on PBS, and dreamed about being slender, graceful and perfectly tan! Just like all of those competitive dancers I saw. This film was probably one of the best tonics I needed. The storyline is about Scott Hastings (Paul Mercurio), a young man who has grown up with the dancing gene ever since he could remember. He even started competing in ballroom (modern and latin) since the age of six. He truly had the ultimate "stage mother" mum forcing him to stick to the moves (and the partners) that will get him the ultimate in coveted honors in the Ballroom dancing community--first prize at the PAN PACIFICS. His partners are all the same: blonde, busty and bossy. Also, divas with a capital "D." Scott upsets and shocks the ballroom dance community with his "crowd pleasing" steps during one of the performances, which leads to an immediate and messy break-up between him and his current partner, Liz (Gia Carides). Scott does not want to give up on his original footwork, and stubbornly practices his spins, jumps and twirls, completely unaware that Fran (Tara Morice), the beginning dancer and ultimate "ugly duckling" from his mother's dancing studio is watching him in admiration. Fran longs to break free of the "beginning dancers" mold, and team up with someone like Scott who has the guts to challenge the authority of the traditional dance steps drilled into him through years of rigourous training. She also has some spicy moves of her own--being of Spanish extraction, with a background in flamenco.

This film is a real confidence booster for anyone who felt awkward on the dance floor. It is also great fun for people who need an attitude booster, and want to see a really wonderfully crafted, quirky, low-budget Aussie comedy. This debut by Baz Luhrmann is delightfully unaffected, and beautifully done. Guaranteed to have you dancing in the aisles...and, in spite of what you might think, this has the potential to be a great date film. That's right, fellas....though it has "chick flick" written all over it in the title alone, you might find yourself having fun, too!
Don't miss this treat. ... Read more

Reviews (107)

Stunning
This may be the best Shakespeare film ever made. In 1942, Laurence Olivier delivered a jingoistic, stylized wartime production of "Henry V" that nonetheless stood as the standard interpretation. Nearly fifty years later, Kenneth Branagh's film appeared not only as a powerful and amazingly accessible recasting of the text, but a serious examination of the nature and the costs of the war that was Henry the Fifth's only real achievement.

Although studded with a fine array of subsidiary characters, "Henry V" is essentially a one-man play, and Branagh's performance informs and naturally influences all of the rest. His character has most of the lines, and he delivers them with a refreshing naturalism and candor that re-infuses the humor into the funny bits and cuts a lot of the potential for stilted jingoism out of the patriotic and warlike ones. If the real Henry's delivery of the St. Crispin speech was anything like Branagh's, it's no wonder the English won.

Slogging through the mud and rain of Harfleur and Agincourt with Branagh is a masterful supporting cast, including the incomparable Judi Dench as Mistress Quickly, Brian Blessed as a marvelously solid Exeter, and Ian Holm, wonderful as the irreverent and sarcastic Fluellen. On the French side, Paul Scofield's King is weary and indecisive rather than weak and mad; Michael Maloney's Dauphin is entertainingly arrogant, and Emma Thompson delivers a small but charming performance in playwright-broken English and much better French than Shakespeare likely spoke. Tying it all together is Christopher Ravenscroft, who invests the herald Mountjoy with a sympathy that extends to both sides, and a phenomenal showing by Derek Jacobi as the earnest, mocking and informative Chorus.

"Henry V" was released and went to video before the heyday of production for DVD, and as such, a "deluxe edition" has not been produced- this disc contains no making-of documentaries, no in-depth interviews with the cast, no online screenplay. But at least in this case, that's all for the best. The film is stunning enough on its own to need no such accompaniment, and its magic is thereby undiminished.

Oh, for a muse of fire...
For a first effort at feature-film direction, now-veteran director/writer/actor Kenneth Branagh provided an astonishing introduction to his many talents in filmmaking with his 1989 production, 'Henry V'. There is a gritty realism brought to the screen in this production that combines in dynamic and interesting ways with the Shakespearean dialogue and situations. The battle scenes are some of the best in cinema for depicting the kind of royal and knightly battles. A special commendation goes to cinematographer Kenneth MacMillan, art directors Martin Childs, Norman Dorme, John King, and costume designer Phyllis Dalton for combining elements of stage and screen together to complement the story perfectly without overpowering it. Indeed, the picture won the Oscar for Best Costumes; Branagh was nominated for Best Leading Actor and Best Director. The film and crew were nominated for and won many other awards as well.

One of the problems of Shakespeare on the silver screen is that the situations, settings, and acting often ends up somewhat contrived. That rarely happens here, because of this remarkable team.

The principle writing credit of course goes to William Shakespeare, but as is always the case, the play is recast to make the film medium more natural for the story. Kenneth Branagh is the one credited here, and has shown himself several times after this film as a master of adapting Shakespeare faithfully to the screen.

The play itself is one of Shakespeare's history plays -- remember the broad three categories of Shakespeare: history, drama (some say tragedy), and comedy. Like most of the history plays, there is creative license taken with the actual history, as it is invariably adapted to make the present regime look good, credible and more legitimate. This explains why Richard III in Shakespeare is far more villainous than in actual life; in Henry V, the country had a great and (for the period) uncontroversial hero - the last king of England to be acknowledged the dominant power in Britain and in France, succeeding in unwinnable situations, and, as befits a good historical hero, dies young before he has the chance to destroy his image. The play has always been popular in times of national crisis - see Olivier's production of Henry V during World War II depicting the king as a national saviour against continental foes.

The action of the play and film turns on the legitimacy of Henry's rule in France (an issue still for Elizabethan audiences, as Elizabeth was crowned with supposed rights to France). The French are depicted as haughty and disdainful of the young king (interesting how some things don't change), and the battle lines are drawn. The film here sets the stage for a far more ambiguous justification for war than is often depicted in the play, leaving the viewer wondering if, for all the glory of the battles, was there a real point, or was it legalistic/diplomatic trickery?

There is also the interesting scene with the conspirators against the king, unmasked as the forces are about to depart for France. Cambridge, Scrope and Grey are exposed, but the dialogue and acting hints as a more intimate relationship with Henry V - possibly this references obliquely the rumours of homosexuality, or at least bisexuality, in the historical Henry.

The players are excellent here, from Branagh himself as Henry V, and Brian Blessed his strong right arm Exeter. Paul Scofield (Thomas More in 'A Man for All Seasons') plays the ancient French king, Charles VI, and his son the Dauphin is played by Michael Maloney. This is, on the whole, a rather 'young' film, as Branagh himself was not yet 30 at the time of production, and most of his aides and friends in the play are similarly young, save for a few senior advisors. Emma Thompson, a staple in Branagh's films, plays the only significant female role, the princess Katherine, to whom Henry will be wed. Her part is almost entirely in French. Her maid, Alice, is played by Geraldine McEwan (perhaps best known from 'Mapp & Lucia').

The famous speeches here are preserved; Branagh does a fantastic job with his spirit-raising monologue for the troops prior to the battle of Agincourt, on Crispin Crispian day. The speech on horseback in the early seige of Harfleur, 'once more into the breech!' is also remarkable. The lines delivered by all the actors are done with care and precision - Exeter's report to Henry at the opening ('tennis balls', said with great sneer) and to the French party ('scorn', said with so much scorn the word need not be spoken) are but a few examples of this.

The film expands upon the play's use of Falstaff's companions as a comic relief, by incorporating what would be flash-back scenes from events in the Henry IV play cycle, premonitions of events currently in the play. Robbie Coltrane turns in a good performance as Falstaff; look for Judi Dench in a minor role as the Mistress, and a very young Christian Bale as the boy.

The music for the film is triumphant, foreboding and dark. This is a wonderful score produced by Patrick Doyle, known for work on other Branagh films such as 'Dead Again' and 'Much Ado about Nothing', as well as other films such as 'Indochine' and literature-based films like 'Gosford Park' and 'Great Expectations'.

Derek Jacobi, veteran Shakespearean, portrays 'Chorus', the narrator of the action, one who casts the right spirit from beginning to end, and appears throughout. There are few Shakespearean asides done by the actors here (a few under-the-breath comments that might qualify), but Jacobi's role is always directly to camera, directly to us as the spectators. The ending portrayed by Chorus is both victorious and tragic, much as the cycle of history must be.

This is a glorious film.

Great Film, Less than Great Transfer
Kenneth Branagh's splendid Henry V is the best Shakespeare film of the last forty years. Unfortunately, the picture quality of this DVD is only so-so. MGM really needs to do a better job than this.

"Cry Harry! England! And Saint George!!!"
Kenneth Branagh is truly inspired. As both the director and lead actor he is simply superb. Of all the Oscars this was nominated for, including Best Actor and Best Director for Branagh, all it walked away with was Best Costume Design. The costumes are great, by the way. But what makes this film work is the authentic emotional element that all the actors bring to their roles. Tears fall, hearts soar, and blood flows! This is easily my favorite film from director/actor Kenneth Branagh. There is a huge cast of name actors, such as Ian Holm, Judi Dench, and Emma Thompson, and all acquit themselves with honorable performances worthy of singular recognition. There are complex tracking shots and finely tuned film editing, all adding to the immense grandeur that envelopes this film. It is easy for me to recommend this outstanding Shakespearean adventure. If you love Shakespear, this film is an absolute necessity for your collection. Thank you.

This blessed plot, this earth, this realm, this England....
From various reference sources, in brief, here's the historical background both to Shakespeare's play and to this film. Henry V, the eldest son of Henry IV and Mary Bohun, was born in 1387. An accomplished and experienced soldier, at age fourteen he fought the Welsh forces of Owen Glendower; at age sixteen he commanded his father's forces at the battle of Shrewsbury; and shortly after his accession he put down a major Lollard uprising and an assassination plot by nobles still loyal to Richard II . He proposed to marry Catherine in 1415, demanding the old Plantagenet lands of Normandy and Anjou as his dowry. Charles VI refused and Henry declared war, opening yet another chapter in the Hundred Years' War. His invasion of France served two purposes: to regain lands lost in previous battles and to focus attention away from any of his cousins' royal ambitions. Henry possessed a brilliant, strategic military mind and defeated the French at the Battle of Agincourt in October of 1415. By 1419 he had captured Normandy, Picardy, and much of the Capetian stronghold of the Ile-de-France.

By the time the Treaty of Troyes was signed in 1420, Charles VI not only accepted Henry as his son-in-law but passed over his own son to name Henry heir to the French crown. Had Henry lived a mere two months longer, he would have been king of both England and France. However, he had prematurely aged because of having lived the hard life of a soldier, became seriously ill, and died after returning from yet another French campaign. Catherine had given birth to his only son while he was away but Henry died without ever seeing the child.

The historian Rafael Holinshed, in Chronicles of England, summed up Henry V's reign as follows: "This Henry was a king, of life without spot, a prince whom all men loved, and of none disdained, e captain against whom fortune never frowned, nor mischance once spurned, whose people him so severe a justicer both loved and obeyed (and so humane withal) that he left no offence unpunished, nor friendship unrewarded; a terror to rebels, and suppressor of sedition, his virtues notable, his qualities most praiseworthy."

It would be a disservice to compare and contrast this film with the version which Laurence Olivier directed 45 years earlier. Each has its own unique strengths and both are worthy of high regard. When Shakespeare's play and this film begin, newly crowned Henry V (Branagh) attempts to resolve animosities between England and France. When those efforts fail, he and a small army invade France and defeat the French troops at Agincourt. Branagh brings to the role exceptional energy and dramatic impact, most evident in two scenes: when he delivers his St. Crispin's Day speech just before heading into battle and then afterward as he rides amidst the carnage, carrying a dead boy across one shoulder. The resources and technologies for special effects available to Branagh were far more abundant than those available to Olivier. Branagh makes the most of them, recreating the gore and grime of Agincourt with a series of indelible images. (I suspect that Mel Gibson carefully studied the tracking sequence when preparing to film Braveheart.) The acting throughout is first-rate, notably Paul Scofield (King Charles VI), Judi Dench (Mistress Quickly), and Ian Holm (Captain Fluellyn). Sir John Falstaff does not appear in this film version (as he does in Olivier's) and scant attention is paid to the "corrupting influences" in Prince Hal's "decadent" youth. Branagh focuses primarily on the human dimensions prior to and following the magnificent military victory at Agincourt. It is also a pleasure to observe Branagh's interaction with Emma Thompson in her role as Katherine. The "word games" courtship scene is delightful.

This is a visually stunning and emotionally stimulating tribute to Henry V and his warriors, of course, but also to the country which produced such men:

This royal throne of kings, this sceptred isle,
This earth of majesty, this seat of Mars,
This other Eden, demi-paradise,
This fortress built by Nature for herself
Against infection and the hand of war,
This happy breed of men, this little world,
This precious stone set in the silver sea,
Which serves it in the office of a wall
Or as a moat defensive to a house,
Against the envy of less happier lands,-
This blessed plot, this earth, this realm, this England.

(Richard II, Act II, scene 1) ... Read more

Amazon.com essential video

Black comedies don't come much blacker than this cult favorite from 1972, and they don't come much funnier, either. It seemed that director Hal Ashby was the perfect choice to mine a mother lode of eccentricity from the original script by Colin Higgins, about the unlikely romance between a death-obsessed 19-year-old named Harold (Bud Cort) and a life-loving 79-year-old widow named Maude (Ruth Gordon). They meet at a funeral, and Maude finds something oddly appealing about Harold, urging him to "reach out" and grab life by the lapels as opposed to dwelling morbidly on mortality. Harold grows fond of the old gal--she's a lot more fun than the girls his mother desperately matches him up with--and together they make Harold & Maude one of the sweetest and most unconventional love stories ever made. Much of the earlier humor arises from Harold's outrageous suicide fantasies, played out as a kind of twisted parlor game to mortify his mother, who's grown immune to her strange son's antics. Gradually, however, the film's clever humor shifts to a brighter outlook and finally arrives at a point where Harold is truly happy to be alive. Featuring soundtrack songs by Cat Stevens, this comedy certainly won't appeal to all tastes (it was a box-office flop when first released), but if you're on its quirky wavelength, it might just strike you as one of the funniest movies you've ever seen. --Jeff Shannon ... Read more

Reviews (193)

Takes it's audience too much for granted
I'm puzzled as to why some people have adopted this movie as a life manifesto as it is rather a nasty piece of work. Counter culture perniciousness is never far from the surface and the death stuff is pure 'Addams Family' corn, although undeniably amusing on that level.
Someone here mentioned the curious adoption of an 'Ubermensch' philosophy by Maude reminiscent of her war time captors and I don't know whether or not it was intended ironically. Before the fall she was obviously part of the same bourgeoise. Mind you, Hitler was a bit of a pleb and skint, too. Anyway, does 'aiming above morality' mean lack of responsibility to those closest to you? Despite surely being aware of Harold's emotional vulnerability, Maude does not make her 'saturday' intentions clear to him, other than as a vague reference in passing. The expression on Ruth Gordon's face as an actress while dropping this bombshell to Harold suggests she did not truly believe in this scene or the film as a whole, which uses the smokescreen of eccentricity to excuse Maude's lack of clarity. But since she is clearly articulate on most matters, there is an ambivalence at the heart of this picture. She appears to cruelly lead him on, only to crush him with a bromide. What are we to make of all of this? Even an offbeat film needs to maintain a certain internal logic. Likewise, stealing cars that may have been needed in a life and death emergency leaves a nasty taste. If there is an epiphany here, then I cannot see it.
This lack of internal logic extends to the direction, too. Ashby has great quirky timing but there is also a curious dishonesty at work. On the first date, how could Harold have got out from under those sheets and replaced them with a dummy without the girl in the house noticing? It would have taken exceptional sleight of hand and the director doesn't convince us. Likewise the business with Harold's hand on the second date. He clearly uses his real hands for the mouth freshner but are we then expected to believe he could have somehow slipped a false hand on to his sleave (miraculously lengthened) in front of his guest? This sloppy attitude can be seen in the opening scene. The shot behind Harold's head shows the rope not touching his body. From the other side we clearly see the rope going into his shoulder to support his weight. Also, in a later scene, the motorcycle cop aiming to shoot the fleeing protaganists with a civilian clearly walking into view. Should any of this matter in what is basically a comedy of (bad) manners? I think the film wants it both ways, that is seriousness and silliness, but it doesn't think it has to try too hard. However, if you sacrifice credibility in a style of dead pan realism you will not get away with it. Perhaps someone should have reminded Mr Ashby that comedy is, in fact, a serious business.
The main compensations in 'Harold and Maude' are the little details. The motorcycle cop's trouser problem. The way various vehicles splutter into life and barely get going suggesting the vulnerability of us all in a changing world. Harold's legs in the opening scene and his petulant reaction to furniture obstructing his way. The peculiar pause when Maude asks Harold whether it's wrong to pose nude.
As a whole though, it is distinctly uneven. The 'took my head' scene does not work but the actress scene is absolutely inspired.
This is the archetypal cult movie and beggers the question as to whether films can ever be 'cult' like this again, what with the closure of 'rep' cinemas which traditionally supported these pictures and the ready avaliability of home video. Will the definition of 'cult' simply mean failure at the box office?
The picture quality is reasonable. The chief advantage is the sound which is hugely superior to my video copy.

You should be dying to see "Harold and Maude"
I have taken it upon myself to see many of the movies that I enjoyed as a young adult in the 60's and 70's. Some of them I remember as being great, but when I see them again, they're not so great. One of the truly great ones is "Harold and Maude" (1972). The movie has lost nothing for me, and if anything, is actually better now.

It is the story of a young man (Harold - Played by Bud Cort) obsessed with death, and his relationship with an older woman, (Maude- Played by Ruth Gordon)who is a complete free spirit. Maude is fond of funerals, but is more fascinated with the circle of life, not just death. Their relationship takes Harold on a journey to maturity that is full of humor and heartache. I was quite pleasantly surprised recently while I was watching "Something about Mary" that "Harold and Maude" was mentioned a few times as Mary's favorite all time love story.

This film is the ultimate black comedy. The music is one of the highlights of this great work. All of the music is by Cat Stevens. The music of Cat Stevens also plays through a larger portion of this film that most of today's soundtracks which may be made more to sell CDs than to provide mood for the story. Cat Stevens is also an artist that we can forget how much we enjoyed.

I showed this video to my sons (12 and 14), they even appreciated it. If you want to see a video that gives you a glimpse of a how we felt about life and death in the 1970's (and how many of us feel today) see Harold and Maude. You won't be disappointed.

bittersweetness of life
Harold and Maude is an insightful, comedic and touching view of two individuals who are seemingly polar opposites. Ashby, the director, reminds the viewer that in death there is life and in life there is death and having a sense of humor is the best, if not the only antidote to both phenomena.

As many have mentioned, with a few dissenters, this is truly a wonderful film, full of irony and paradoxes. One falls in love with the characters and thus the film. Cat Stephens' haunting music provides a perfect soundscape to a film that will haunt
your memory for all time.

Hialrious!
I watched this movie the first time with a bunch of friends, and the general consensus was that it was the best movie they had ever seen. It's hilarious, sweet, and rather disturbing... but overall an excellent movie, and my current favorite.

Wonderful, wonderful & wonderful!
In an age of cynicism, bitterness, and pointless movies about horny teenagers, this film is a breath of fresh air. Movies like this simply do not get made anymore. People who hate it miss the point, it is about love and life and enjoying who you are. Movine and wonderful, and Ruth Gordon is darling. To those who hated it, please watch it again, and open your mind and your heart. You will be surprised at what you find there. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Tom and Lola (Tom et Lola)
Story about 2 children whose immune systems are tragically damaged and have to live in separate plastic bubbles. But isolation and distant hospital technicians can not inhibit the beguiling spirit and supernatural bond between them. There is plenty of child nudity with many front and rear views. Later on they meet up with 3 other kids (all nude) and have a nice time playing together. If you liked "The Boy In The Plastic Bubble" or like child nudity this movie is for you. You should also consider The Annunciation and Pretty Baby.

As with all gatekeeper reviews, the focus is on nudity, sex and violence, something that is of interest to everyone but seldom commented on.

I do not appreciate having my review censored. This review is honest, appropriate and provides potential buyers with needed information. If you're going to censor it without my permission then remove the entire review. I do not want readers to think that my reviews are just like others. ... Read more

Reviews (149)

Extravaganza!
"Monsoon Wedding" is unlike any other wedding movie you have ever seen -- funny, sad, romantic, sexy, and full of whirling music and color. With superb acting and a lovingly fragmented storyline, this is an amazing movie. You'll feel all warm and fuzzy after seeing it. Love is in the air in Delhi!

An extended Verma family is overjoyed when Aditi, the daughter of the house, agrees to an arranged marriage with a young man now living in Texas. Unfortunately, she is only doing this because she doesn't believe her married lover will get divorced and marry her. As the wedding preparations swirl around her, she wobbles on the line of rebellion -- especially when she begins to really like her future husband.

Like the charming "Waking Ned Devine," this is one of those great movies that doesn't use a single stereotype; you could imagine these people in any part of the world. And like "Waking," the main plot isn't the only one: There is a charmingly hesitant romance between the harried, marigold-munching wedding planner and a shy young maid, a frustrated young boy's hopes to become a chef, a young woman trying to keep her niece safe, and a budding attraction between a pair of very photogenic teenagers. Of course, there are the staples of a wedding movie -- first everyone is giddy and love-obsessed, then they're freaking out because the tents aren't waterproofed. One of the funniest scenes has Aditi's frazzled mom going out shopping with curlers in her hair.

The direction in this movie is exquisite. Nair manages to capture actions as small as a girl tucking a flower in her hair, and makes it a vital element in the plot; at the same time, there is the camera swooping and ducking as a girl does a sexy, rollicking dance for the wedding crowd, cutting between a sweet, intimate wedding ceremony and the bouncing, joyous bigger ceremony. The colors of the movie are dazzling without ever being garish. The biggest problem is that often handheld cameras are used, and the result was making me dizzy. And English, Hindi and Punjabi are all spoken, sometimes shifting in mid-sentence, so keep your eye on the subtitles.

The actors are one of the best elements of "Monsoon Wedding." You don't get acting like this in most movies. The actors often will go through a scene with only one or two words, but their faces and eyes eloquently show what the characters are feeling. Vasundhara Das is pretty good as the conflicted Aditi, although she is probably the weakest performance of the film; Parvin Dabbas is charming and sensitive as her very tolerant fiancee; Naseerudin Shah is wonderful as Aditi's father, who is put in a horribly difficult position while under wedding stress; and Shefali Shetty crackles with repressed emotion as Ria. Tilotamma Shome is adorable as the maid Alice, and Vijay Raaz is delightful as her suitor.

There is some profanity, not really any violence. There is a bit of smut, but nothing too substantial -- the most disturbing element is a serial child molester going after Aditi's young cousin, and former victim Ria speaking out against him. These scenes are the only ones without a trace of humor or sweetness, and it makes them all the more intensely sad and powerful. And the soundtrack is outstanding, a mix of traditional Indian music and rollicking pop that had me bouncing in my seat.

"Monsoon Wedding" is a charming, delightful romantic comedy that makes the whole tired "wedding fiasco" plot seem fresh and charming again. So bring out the marigolds!

Awesome Movie- at last on DVD
This movie is awesome. Story line is funny, but not in a Jerry Seinfeld way- it's more sophisticated in nature. A superb love story between a soon-to-be-married girl, who's also scoring her ex-bf when the wedding procedure is going on, with a US returned handsome young man. They had their respect for this arranged marriage, and the groom decided he'll continue with the marriage even though he gets quite upset knowing that the bride still had relationship with her ex. When he bursts into emotions, she bursts into cry- perfect indian emotional outburst that leads the guy to let go all wrong of her soon-to-be bride. There is also a love thingie going on between the maid and the wedding planner- a very touchy poor class love story. There's also mention of a paedophile, which definitely is the reason why it was rated R, apart from some sexual situations. With traditional hindi wedding songs, and some western-minded views, this movie is definitely a milestone in indian film making. Thanks to Mira Nair, people from all over the world came to know about modern Indians once again. Recommended: Asoka (Quite like BraveHeart of India), DevDas (great emotional lovestory based on a Bengali classic novel), Salam Bombay (another movie by Mira Nair) and finally Maya Memsahib.

Once is Not Enough...
I rented this movie and enjoyed it so much that I immediately rewound it and watched it again; now THAT'S a first! And it was even better the second time around, as I didn't have to concentrate so hard for fear of missing something.

Cross-cultural/generational and traditional vs. modern themes have always been a favorite of mine, but here these ideas are explored in layered levels, w/ all of their subtle complexities. There is nothing hackneyed in this presentation. There are various subplots weaving throughout, carrying the viewer through many twists and turns at a perfect pace. Observing the wedding planner Dubey (Vijay Raaz) as he falls in love is especially sweet and charming and funny. Yet this film is by no means a frivolous fluff piece. It has its dramatic and unexpected moments, which serve to enrich one's understanding and empathy for the characters involved.

Oh, and did I mention that the music is delightful? Can't wait to get my copy of the soundtrack (it's on order) to play in the car. I'm also eager to view some of Mira Nair's other films, since she certainly did a superb job with "Monsoon Wedding".

one of the best
one of best movies I have seen

Great Movie
I watched this without any ideas about the script and actors/director. Probably have just read somewhere that it was a pretty good film. It started out slow, had my usual convictions about "ah..an Indian film, with people dancing and singing, and with funny accents when trying to speak English". But the film was funny, sweet, sexy & romantic, serious, dramatic and poignant all at different times. It turned out to be a most remarkable film, one of the best film ever produced. And best of all, the film was made in only thirty days, and was hit with things like actors' last minute withdrawals and casting of many first time actors/actresses. I'd never noticed!!! Better than most films Hollywood had produced since with budgets ten or a hundred times its size. You must watch this if you have the chance. Not to be missed. ... Read more

Description

This witty and mystical film follows a young Japanese executive who is forced to perform a traditional memorial ceremony in Iceland. ... Read more

Reviews (15)

Very novel and entertaining
'One man's journey in a foreign land' is a cliche'd plot line but this storyline is more than a little different. Underlying the basic premise is the synthesis and comparison of two very similar cultures: Two modern island nations, with seperate but similar mythologies, strange native customs and both in love with American Culture.

A Japanese businesman passes up his vacation in Hawii so he can travel to Iceland in order to perform a ceremony for his dead parents. While in Iceland he learns he has a long journey in front of him and along the way he meets a cast of increasingly strange characters. Often 'caught in the wrong place at the wrong time' he is forced more and more out of his way, giving him the chance to see more and more of this Iceland, not so unlike his native Japan.

As simple as the plot structure is it's wonderfully novel in its details. Its a fun ride from beginning to end and there's no film I've seen quite like it.

A stranger in a strange land
In Cold Fever the Japanese businessman comes to Iceland to say goodbye to his parents, so they can rest in peace. A stranger in a strange land he meets all kind of people. Criticized by some icelanders as showing the wrong portrait of Icelandic people. Perhaps right, but films don't always have to reflect reallity. Anyway, good story, good film. Other notable work by Fridriksson: Börn Náttúrunnar(Children of Nature), Djöflaeyjan(Devils Island).

A journey to a place that's not on any map
It has been seven years since Atushi Hirata's parents died in an accident in Iceland. Hirata is now a successful young executive who has been instrumental in making a good profit for his company. He's ready to take a golfing holiday in Hawaii, but is compelled by obligation to perform the memorial rites for his dead parents by some river near Staadelfyr. Once he does so, according to his grandfather, their spirits can rest in peace. Hirata, like his late father, isn't exactly a spiritual person, but he decides to get this over with, and as Hirata hates the cold weather in Tokyo, he definitely won't be thrilled to spend three weeks in Iceland, a land of snow, cold, and sheep.

His impressions of the country go from "very cold" to "strange," but he does meet some interesting people and is reminded time and again of the way people look at death and God. Among the warmest and most positive is Laura, someone who's a "funeral collector," going to funerals, taking photos, notes, and taping the music, and she is moved by the singing and the candles. She finds death as something joyous, the end of life on earth being the beginning of a beautiful new life. She is for his family obligation, saying "how else would we learn to grieve?"

The other is an old man in his sixties who becomes his guide, a Virgil to his Dante, and given the bleak cold of Iceland, the analogy is kind of appropriate. And for Hirata, Iceland might as well be the innermost core of hell. Another mythology analogy is the bridge Hirata has to cross and the river where the rites are performed, the bridge symbolizing the journey from the living to the dead, and the river akin to the River Styx, the river of the dead.

Most of the people he meets are kind and help him out, as when his car's spare tire goes kaput. He also has a supernatural encounter with a mysterious woman who helps him when his car motor gets frozen, and that is quite a surprising scene. His worst experience comes from picking up Jack and Jill, a married American hitchhiking duo. Jack is coarse, brusque and extraverted, and Jill who complains a lot, but things get uglier as time goes on. The one thing Jack says that relates to Hirata's quest is when he thinks Iceland is God's country, quiet, the endless wastes of snow. Definitely a contrast from the noisy, neon-lit, crowded, smog-ridden streets of Tokyo.

The concept of a hero's journey is played out here. He's initially a creature of the soulless corporation, where tradition is seen as superstition and bad for business. Yet as his father tells him in a videogram they sent, success is important, but that, and any distance should not weaken the bond between parents and children. And thus does Hirata bridge that distance, having never done anything for his parents when they were alive.

Note: when Hirata shows his guide the implements for the memorial rites, he holds up something called senko, whose equivalent in English he doesn't know. Well, senko are incense rods. Also, let me break down the word Hirata uses for "hangover," futsukayoi: futsuka means second day, yoi means inebriation.

A wonderful movie that examines spiritual renewal in a person. Hirata's cold fever eventually breaks, and as he says at the end of the movie, "sometimes, a journey can take you to a place that's not on any map."

winter wonderland
I traveled to Iceland this past March, and watching Cold Fever made me positively nostolgic for its wintry landscape and sense of mysticism which this film so gorgeously captured. The landscape seemed to function as the main character in the film, unyielding and rich with stories and secrets. I particularly enjoyed the array of bizarro characters in Cold Fever - the funeral collector, the sock puppet wielding Americans, the Icelandic cowboys and caroling truckers - peppering the film's themes of alienation and ritual with wonderful humor. Anyone who has been to Iceland can attest to its power and eccentricities. From the moment that Atsushi arrived at the Reykjavik airport and took the flybus to the Blue Lagoon, it was as if I was there all over again. I recommend Cold Fever to film lovers everywhere, and especially to those of you who dream of going to Iceland.

SEARCHING FOR ONESELF
A young Japanese businessman must travel to Iceland, where his parents lived and then died, to perform a ritual for their burial. The film chronicles his confusing trek through Iceland where he gets drunk on a uniquely Icelandic alcohol and picks up hitchhikers (played by the excellent Fisher Stevens and Lili Taylor) who ultimately steal his car. An interesting and different concept which is good simply for its different approach. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Peter Sellers's third go-around as the prideful but bumbling Inspector Jacques Clouseau is funny enough, but this 1975 Blake Edwards revival of the Sellers-Clouseau connection is a little weak in comparison to predecessors The Pink Panther and A Shot in the Dark (both made in 1964). Costar Christopher Plummer actually gets some of the most interesting screen time as a retired cat burglar whom Clouseau accuses of getting back into the business. (If it sounds like there might be a To Catch a Thief vibe mixed in here, you're right.) Herbert Lom is hilarious as Clouseau's psychologically eroding boss, and Clouseau's ritualistic collisions with valet Cato (Burt Kwouk) are great examples of Edwards's delicious comic timing. --Tom Keogh ... Read more

Reviews (43)

Great movie, not-so-great DVD
Peter Sellers was one of the most gifted comic actors of the 1960s and 1970s; Inspector Clouseau was his most beloved role. Blake Edwards, the film's director and creator, was a master of both subtle humor and slapstick. For these reasons, The Return of the Pink Panther is a true classic for many of us. It's a movie that never fails to leave me in a great mood. However, as other reviewers have noted, there are some serious issues with the DVD. I purchased it (and am glad I did) because I didn't have a VHS copy of the film. To be honest, I don't know wh