Charlotte Gray

Starring:Cate Blanchett, Michael Gambon
Studio: Warner Home Video
Product Type: DVD

Amazon.com essential video

A powerhouse performance by Denzel Washington fuels this brutal urban police drama, in which a rookie narcotics cop learns the hard way that even good cops can go very, very bad. Washington plays veteran detective Alonzo Harris, a self-proclaimed "wolf among wolves," eager to teach his rookie partner Jake (Ethan Hawke) that normal rules don't apply on the mean streets of Los Angeles. Caught in a web of deception, Jake watches with escalating horror as Alonzo uses his badge (and the support of his superiors) to justify a self-righteous policy of corruption. In stark contrast to most of his previous work, Denzel unleashes his dark side with fearlessness and fury, and the result is excellence without compromise. Director Antoine Fuqua (The Replacement Killers) won't score any points for subtlety, but gritty details (including actual L.A. gang members as extras) and Hawke's finely tuned performance are perfectly matched to Washington's frightening volatility. --Jeff Shannon

Customer Reviews:

Wonderful.......2007-05-09

Denzel is by far a great actor. This is one of his best movies.

Very trained in excellency! Its a good good good movie!!.......2007-05-02

I love this movie when i seen it about 2 years ago, and now I bought it on HD DVD. I must say, it looks awesome. I recommend this move and just feel the realism of the movie! The actings is superberb, from Denzel to Macy Gray! It was absolutely a great movie to see how things can be so over powered by the dark to light and light to dark. In one hand you have a good cop trying be persuaded to be a corrupted cop, and the other hand you have a good cop that turn bad. Its a great movie! Very Good!

Denzel is amazing.......2007-04-24

Denzel absolutely earned his Oscar with this performance. I have never hated such a character before in my life. A good script, yes, perhaps a few too many coincidences; especially about the girl Hawk saves being related to the men Denzel recruits to get rid of Hawk. The one thing and perhaps the only thing you remember about this is Denzel. highly, highly recommended.

Denzel at His Best.......2007-03-28

This movie potrayed Denzel Washington doing one of his best performances as dirty L.A.P.D narcotics detective Alonzo Harris. His excellent job was almost surpassed by the excellent role of rookie cop Jake Hoyt (Ethan Hawk). Rappers Dr. Dre and Snoop Doggy Dog also did a great job acting as a dirty cop and a drug dealer, respectively, in this movie. This movie also seem so realistic with real South Central Los Angeles gang members as extras. It is amazing what a movie can make appear to take place only in the span of 24 hours. If you like action films or if you are just a big Denzel fan, then you will want to see this movie.

Crime drama? No. Psychologcal thriller? Yes........2007-03-25

Young Police Officer Hoyt begins wishing he could step out of his mundane job and put himself and his family into a bigger house, and just have a higher paying and more prestigious and important police job. His restlessness and ambition, unfortunately, leads him into the world of a basically demonic figure, Narc Detective Alonzo Harris. Watch as Harris "trains" Hoyt for a day and all during that day spins a cruel web of flattery and abuse around him, breaking Hoyt down and then building him up, all the while planning Hoyt's demise. It has been a long time since I have seen such pure evil in a character as in Harris, played by Washington. This is a good movie, with excellent performances all around. Don't watch it as a crime drama, though. Look deeper.

Average customer rating:

Wonderfully romantic movie! A must see for Meg Ryan fans!
Love, a leap of faith...
The problem with this film
Love it!
Delightful...

Kate & Leopold
Starring: Meg Ryan , Hugh Jackman , Liev Schreiber , Breckin Meyer , and Natasha Lyonne
Director: James Mangold
Manufacturer: Miramax
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

DVDs Under $7.49 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

( K ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

Someone Like You
Serendipity
French Kiss
While You Were Sleeping
Sleepless in Seattle (10th Anniversary Edition)

ASIN: B0000640VN
Release Date: 2002-06-11

Amazon.com

Hokey but heartfelt, Kate & Leopold revitalizes an old idea, and amiable casting makes this romantic fantasy work almost in spite of itself. Knowing that he'd be risking comparison to Time After Time and Somewhere in Time if he delved too deeply into time travel, director James Mangold (Girl, Interrupted) briefly introduces an elusive "time portal," then wisely skirts the issue altogether. Instead, he focuses on kismet, etiquette, and fading traditions of chivalry as bachelor Duke Leopold of Albany (Hugh Jackman) is accidentally swept from 1876 to present-day 2001. Adjusting to the shock of his temporal displacement, he falls in love with Manhattan executive Kate (Meg Ryan), whose ex-boyfriend (Liev Schreiber) is Leopold's great-great-grandson. But Leo can't stay in the future, and this breezy comedy proves yet again that time is no barrier when true love is involved. Hardly original, but Ryan's doing what she does best, making Kate & Leopold a bona-fide crowd pleaser--past, present, and future. --Jeff Shannon

Description

Meg Ryan (YOU'VE GOT MAIL) and Hugh Jackman (X-MEN) are paired as star-crossed lovers who discover that passion and chivalry never go out of style! When a rip in time brings together a charming 19th century bachelor and a thoroughly 21st century woman, the potential for an old-fashioned modern romance ignites! Also starring Breckin Meyer (ROAD TRIP) and Liev Schreiber (SCREAM 3).

Customer Reviews:

Wonderfully romantic movie! A must see for Meg Ryan fans!.......2007-06-27

If you love Meg Ryan like I do, then you should make the effort to pick up this movie and add it to your collection. Hugh Jackman is great as well in this. Loved it!

Love, a leap of faith..........2007-03-18

i loved this movie, ive always been a meg ryan fan. i loved this movie simply because it was nice to see the comparsion of how people were back in the day and how modern society tends to be these days. so much has changed in the world today and sometimes its nice to be able to take a break from our daily life/work schedule and to put in a movie that can take you back into that time.

The problem with this film.......2007-03-18

Meg Ryan. I love almost any romantic comedy and (on paper) the character of Kate might have been a perfect one for this particular story. But Meg Ryan gives one of the worst performances of her career making Kate into a shrill - rude - almost screeching character you can't imagine why anyone would fall for her. As others have mentioned she looks horrible - with a bad hair cut and too thin look. And she looks too old for Hugh Jackman.

Also bizzarely the way the character of Kate comes into the story you can't really tell she is supposed to be a main character. It is as if she is a side character to her exboyfriend who we are introduced to first. It is kind of annoying because all of the sudden this annoying 2nd tier character takes over the movie for no apparent reason.

In "you've got mail" her character was supposed to be prickly becuase the man she loved put her out of business -so um she was angry with him. But in this one there is no reason for her to be so rude and grumpy. It basically ruins the movie as you just can't buy that this Leopold would fall for such a woman.

Love it!.......2007-03-15

When I bought this movie I didn't realize the Director's Cut version was also on it. I think the Director's Cut version makes the movie more interesting. I love the theatrical version but the Director's Cut adds a twist that really makes it intriguing.

Delightful..........2007-03-05

First off, I am a history and sci-fi freak, so this movie really hooked me when I first saw it on TV and I had to get a copy. The idea of using time travel to tell a story of romance is not new. But the idea to also show that men, no matter what age, could still be honest, charming and truthful to themselves and others was perfectly displayed by the character of Leopold played by Hugh Jackman. The only reason I took away a star was Meg Ryan. I am sorry but all her characters seem alike to me. I enjoyed the performances of both Breckin Meyer and Liev Schreiber who played important, if not major, characters in the movie and really added to the intelligence of the story.
The extras, such as the commentary of Director James Mangold, the On The Set featurette, and the deleted scenes, are great and really allow you to see how the movie was thought out and crafted.

Average customer rating:

Romantic light comedy
British humor is wonderful
SUPERFICIAL AT BEST
Four Weddings
Film

Four Weddings and a Funeral
Starring: Hugh Grant , James Fleet , Simon Callow , John Hannah , and Kristin Scott Thomas
Director: Mike Newell
Manufacturer: MGM (Video & DVD)
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

DVDs Under $7.49 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

All Deals | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

( F ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

Notting Hill (Collector's Edition)
Love Actually (Widescreen Edition)
About a Boy (Widescreen Edition)
My Best Friend's Wedding (Special Edition)
The Englishman Who Went Up a Hill But Came Down a Mountain

ASIN: B00000JRTX
Release Date: 1999-09-07

Amazon.com essential video

A surprise hit and one of the highest grossing films ever to come out of Great Britain, this effortlessly enchanting romantic comedy finds confirmed bachelor Hugh Grant (Nine Months) attending weddings with his single friends as they all lament not being able to commit. Grant keeps running into an attractive American (Andie MacDowell) at these festivities and begins a long-running affair with her, even as he attends her own wedding, the funeral of one of his best friends, and his own pending nuptials. Featuring a spirited supporting cast including Kristin Scott Thomas (The English Patient) as the acerbic friend quietly in love with Grant, this touching and funny film with a mischievous sense of humor and some truly heartbreaking moments is destined to become one of the classic romantic comedies of all time. --Robert Lane

Description

The champagne is flowingand so is the funin this "delightful and sly" (Roger Ebert) romantic comedy about two people who belong together but just can't seem to tie the knot. Ushering in two Academy AwardÂ(r) nominations*, and starring Hugh Grant (Notting Hill), Andie MacDowell (Michael) and a superb ensemble cast that includes OscarÂ(r) nominee** Kristin Scott Thomas, Four Weddings and a Funeral is truly "a very special occasion" (Rolling Stone)! Charlie (Grant) is always the best man but never the groom. Determined to avoid even a hint of commitment, this handsome English gentleman is notoriously late to every wedding. But today he's in for a real surprise because not only did he forget the ring...but he also just caught a glimpse of the girl of his dreams (MacDowell)! "Elegant, festive and very, very funny" (The New York Times), Four Weddings and a Funeral is engaging entertainment from beginning to end. *1994: Best Picture, Original Screenplay **1996: Actress, The English Patient

Customer Reviews:

Romantic light comedy.......2007-06-01

The real life locations in which this film is set are outstanding from start to finish, a veritable travelogue of "secret" Great Britain. Many moments work well, especially when the characters begin to show their personalities. Hugh Grant is good (cast as a character that resembles himself) in this film and Andie McDowell was never lovelier. We wish she would appear in more first rate films. The supporting cast is really an ensemble cast and they all do their work very well. The cameo of Rowan Atkinson the bumbling vicar is so good. Father Son and Holy Goat indeed! Holy Spigot, too. What fun. The tender eulogy by John Hannah is one of two of the best eulogies in all of cinema history, the other being in "Waking Ned Divine". The scene in the rain is also lovely. This movie wears well upon re-watching.

British humor is wonderful.......2007-05-08

I thoroughly enjoyed this movie. I love Hugh Grant and thought that his character was perfect. It is a great romantic comedy and an excellent addition to anyone who enjoys this genre.

SUPERFICIAL AT BEST.......2007-02-06

Nice visually but superficial. Parading the usual Hollywood values
"Sleeping around is a positive thing". "self centeredness" also very positive. Funnily enough the funeral was the best part of the movie and john Hannah's eulogy the highpoint of the film. I like Andie MacDowell But her role was pretty much confined to looking pretty and sensitive. Hugh Grant just bumbled. I am not sure it deserves even a 2.

Four Weddings.......2007-01-27

Not listed in the main list of actors, this is John Hannah's first film. I love the supporting actors more than the main two. Highlight includes John Hannah doing a poetry reading of Auden at the funeral, very touching and moving.

Film.......2007-01-03

One of the best films of the past decade. Wonderful English humor and a love story that keeps you wondering until the very end. Highly recommned if you like your humor edgy and smart.

Four Weddings and a Funeral (Deluxe Edition)

Average customer rating:

This Gem Is The Most Affable Of The Nineties Romantic Brit-Coms
The Original Romantic Brit-Comedy!
Great DVD transfer
Great film and so-so extras - but a terrible transfer!

Four Weddings and a Funeral (Deluxe Edition)
Starring: Hugh Grant , James Fleet , Simon Callow , John Hannah , and Kristin Scott Thomas
Director: Mike Newell
Manufacturer: MGM (Video & DVD)
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

DVDs Under $9.99 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

( F ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

A Fish Called Wanda (Deluxe Edition)
Moonstruck (Deluxe Edition)
Notting Hill (Collector's Edition)
The Englishman Who Went Up a Hill But Came Down a Mountain
About a Boy (Widescreen Edition)

ASIN: B000CCBCAS
Release Date: 2006-01-31

Description

Customer Reviews:

This Gem Is The Most Affable Of The Nineties Romantic Brit-Coms.......2007-02-18

No doubt others on Amazon have ably told you what this Best Picture-nominated movie is about, so let me only pause to add that my favorite part of this style-heavy mid-90's Brit-com (the one that made Hugh Grant and his boyishly handsome "Oh, shucks" grin a star) is when Carrie, Andie MacDowell's American-born character, "confronts" Hugh Grants' self-effacing Charles, with how extensive and well-remembered the rank and file of her sexual body count happens to be. The infatuated if commitment-phobic Charles stands in wide-eyed shock, even as he tries to handle what he is hearing with good-natured cheer, but just watching Charles as he forces his mouth not to fall open makes for an endearingly hilarious moment. (Hey, guys, if you didn't wanna know, why'd you ask? Right, girls?) There's also a show-stealing bit wherein Rowan Atkinson, Mr. Bean, himself, plays a nervously virginal vicar fumblingly presiding at one of the promised "four weddings" of the film. Really there are too many excellent performances here among British veterans of stage and screen---Simon Callow, Kristin Scott Thomas, Mike Newell, everyone it sometimes seems except a conspicuously absent Helena Bonham Carter---for this to be anything but a delight to own and watch again and again. Sure, many out there might dismiss Four Weddings and a Funeral as a "mere" chick flick, but I like it, and it's one of the more endearing movies to come out of Britain in many moons.

The Original Romantic Brit-Comedy!.......2006-05-03

The 1994 movie, "Four Weddings and a Funeral", was an international box office hit and the pioneer in the film genre known as the 'Romantic Brit-Com'. This is a genre of usually small budget, comedic films, that are about the romantic lives of good looking, young Brits (usually with a close group of witty, quirky, supportive friends), who must overcome self-doubt and bad timing to make true love happen. A good number of these films star British actor, Hugh Grant and have been written (and sometimes directed) by Richard Curtis ("Notting Hill" "Love Actually," "Bridget Jones"). Curtis has been so involved in this genre, that he's basically been annoited "King of the Romantic Brit-Coms". "Four Weddings" was pretty much the first of these films. This movie mostly takes place at public events, which are of course the "Four Weddings and a Funeral" in the title. In the film we meet Charles (Hugh Grant) and his close knit group of quirky, witty, supportive friends. We never find out what they do for a living, what their backgrounds are and only get hints of how they know each other. It's as though we are guests at a wedding meeting these people for the first time. What we do find out is that Charles seems to be a perennial wedding guest/Best-Man. He has great doubts about his troubled romantic life and wonders if he is ever destined to meet, that one special person, who he might actually marry. He also always seems to be putting his foot in his mouth and getting into embarassing comic situations (I love the scene, where he gets stuck at a table filled with all his ex-girlfriends!) At the first wedding he meets a glamorous American named, Carrie (played by a luminous, Andie MacDowell). They meet, flirt, even wind up in bed with each other over the course of the different public occasions. But of course because of self-doubt and bad timing, these characters can never really seem to get it together and declare their true love for each other. It's not hard to figure out how this all ends, but the long and winding road over the course of the four weddings and a funeral are quite funny, sad and interesting for all. This is due to the very funny and poignant script from Richard Curtis and sure direction from Mike Newell. The cast is top notch. Hugh Grant has a star making performance in the lead role. Other standout performances include actors Simon Callow as the gregarious, full of life, Gareth and John Hannah as Matthew, who just stops the film with an emotion filled eulogy. Kristin Scott Thomas is also very good as Charles' friend Fiona, who secretly pines for him. Finally, mention should be of British Comedian, Rowan Atkinson's short, but drop dead hilarious turn, as a very nervous, new Vicar, who can't seem to get the wedding vows right! ("Do you take Lydia Jane Hibbert to be your Awful wedded wife!") Originally, this film was released in a pretty primitive bare bones release. It has now been released in a newly minted, 'Deluxe Edition'. The picture is cleaned up and presented in widescreen. I thought the sound in this edition left a lot to be desired. The extras are wonderful. They include a full length commentary track from the filmmakers and a number of short documentaries and featurettes on the making of the film, that prove to be very interesting. But best of all are the deleted scenes (with commentaries), that flesh out the backgrounds of the characters a little more. This film is a wonderful romantic comedy, that leaves you wanting more. Great film! Highly recommended!

Great DVD transfer.......2006-02-16

I completely disagree with the prior post. With many substandard versions of this fine film in the past I can finally report that a we have a great new edition of the film. I didn't notice any dirt or scratches anywhere in the transfer. The new transfer is a High Definition anamorphic 1.85:1 version with Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound. The sound was perfect with no loss of dialogue or variation of music levels. I can recommend this for anyone seeking the best edition available.

Great film and so-so extras - but a terrible transfer!.......2006-02-12

I had been waiting a long time for a special edition of Four Weddings and a Funeral to be released, and was very pleased when it finally came out 12 years after the film's theatrical run. The extras make this a much better product than the bare-bones DVD that has been on the market for years.

Still, I found the "making-of" documentaries slightly arrogant and self-congratulatory. The film snippets used in the featurettes were sped-up such that the characters' voices sounded noticably off-pitch. The deleted scenes were quite short (almost blurbs, really) and did nothing to illuminate the film.

Most distressing, however, was the lack of care that went into the film's transfer to this DVD. Both picture quality and audio were sorely lacking. The screen was marked throughout with dust spots and blemishes that drew my eye away from the action, making this DVD picture slightly worse than the VHS copy I've been using for 10 years. Moreover, absolutely nothing was done to improve the audio. Some parts - including the opening song "But Not for Me" - actually sounded worse than on VHS. What this great film deserved was a full digital treatment.

Fortunately, it's low price makes it worth purchasing for the extras alone. Just don't give away your old copy, because the picture is probably better!

Average customer rating:

Wonderful
Very trained in excellency! Its a good good good movie!!
Denzel is amazing
Denzel at His Best
Crime drama? No. Psychologcal thriller? Yes.

Training Day [HD DVD]
Starring: Raymond J. Barry , Tom Berenger , Nick Chinlund , Raymond Cruz , and Scott Glenn
Director: Antoine Fuqua
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: HD DVD

Crime | Action & Adventure | Genres | DVD | Video

Thrillers | Mystery & Suspense | Genres | DVD | Video

Action & Adventure | HD DVD | Formats | DVD | Video

General | HD DVD | Formats | DVD | Video

Drama | HD DVD | Formats | DVD | Video

Mystery & Suspense | HD DVD | Formats | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

Man on Fire
Swordfish
Out of Time
John Q. (Infinifilm Edition)
Traffic

ASIN: B000E5KJE8
Release Date: 2006-05-09

Amazon.com essential video

Description

Working undercover is a job. And an attitude. A mad dog narco cop blurs the line between cop and criminal as he mentors an idealistic rookie partner during his Training Day.

Customer Reviews:

Wonderful.......2007-05-09

Denzel is by far a great actor. This is one of his best movies.

Very trained in excellency! Its a good good good movie!!.......2007-05-02

Denzel is amazing.......2007-04-24

Denzel at His Best.......2007-03-28

Crime drama? No. Psychologcal thriller? Yes........2007-03-25

Average customer rating:

GOOD COP...BAD COP...ACTION THRILLER...

Training Day [Blu-ray]
Starring: Raymond J. Barry , Tom Berenger , Nick Chinlund , Raymond Cruz , and Scott Glenn
Director: Antoine Fuqua
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: Blu-ray

General | Action & Adventure | Genres | DVD | Video

Action & Adventure | Blu-ray | Formats | DVD | Video

General | Blu-ray | Formats | DVD | Video

Drama | Blu-ray | Formats | DVD | Video

Mystery & Suspense | Blu-ray | Formats | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

The Departed [Blu-ray]
Black Hawk Down [Blu-ray]
Casino Royale [Blu-ray]
GoodFellas [Blu-ray]
Pirates of the Caribbean - Dead Man's Chest [Blu-ray]

ASIN: B000H1RFKU
Release Date: 2006-08-01

Description

Working undercover is a job. And an attitude. A mad dog narco cop blurs the line between cop and criminal as he mentors an idealistic rookie partner during his Training Day.

DVD Features:
Alternate endings
Audio Commentary:Feature Length Commentary by director Antoine Fuqua
DVD ROM Features:Link to the original theatrical web site and other locations Log in to future events
Deleted Scenes
Documentary:Behind-the-Scenes Documentary
Filmographies:Cast and Crew Film Highlights
Music Video:2 Music Videos: - Nelly's #1 - Pharoahe Monch's Got You
Theatrical Trailer

Customer Reviews:

GOOD COP...BAD COP...ACTION THRILLER..........2006-12-17

This is a crisp, action thriller that focuses on one day, the training day of rookie narcotics undercover cop Jake Hoyt (Ethan Hawke). Jake is to be trained by veteren narcotics squad supervisor Alonzo Harris (Denzel Washington). Almost immediately, the viewer discerns that Jake's training day will be unlike any other day he has ever had.

Alonzo is an unbelievably corrupt cop, a once good cop who has lost his way. He now corrupts those cops who come under his command, all for one and one for all. Jake, the newcomer to the group, still innocent and wide eyed about his reasons for being a cop, will be a test of Alonzo's ability to corrupt the seemingly incorruptible. A series of trials and tribulations await Jake that day, situations that in his wildest imagination he could never have envisioned, all of them fiendishly and cleverly engineered by Alonzo. All of them insidious. All of them criminal. The only question is whether good will overcome evil.

Denzel Washington gives a performance of a lifetime and is certainly worthy of his Academy Award for Best Actor. He is at once both repelling and ingratiating as the character Alonzo Harris. His performance is charismatic, commanding, compelling, and completely mesmerizing as the narcotics commanding officer who has gone over the deep end and crossed a line that, once crossed, is final. Alonzo rules his territory and those within it with an iron hand, misjudging fear for respect. Murder and mayhem are the key words of his reign. He also seems to report to a trumvirate of corrupt police officials whom he refers to as the wisemen. Unfortunately for Alonzo, he has come to believe his own hype and bites off more than he can chew, ultimately pissing off the wrong people.

Ethan Hawke gives his best performance ever, imbuing Jake with a vulnerability and innocence that is believable and compelling, making Jake's struggle with his situation all the more angst ridden. It is a balance of the desire to succeed and get ahead with the instinctive knowledge of right and wrong. The viewer sees Jake going along with Alonzo at first, wanting to please his superior officer, even when some of the things Alonzo asks him to do are not only transgressions of police procedure, but violations of the very laws that they are employed as police to enforce. As Alonzo inveigles Jake to cross the line, the viewer can see the struggle within Jake take place, as shock gives way to a struggle for his very survival. The only question is whether Jake's better nature will ultimately allow him to do what he believes to be right. Ethan Hawke's a performance is certainly worthy of its Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor.

This is a gripping film, with a fair amount of violence. Wonderful performances are also given by Scott Glenn, a drug lord whose dream of retiring to the Phillipines is cut short, as well as by Macy Gray, who is sensational in the role of another drug lord's wife. While some of the film is over the top, it is a film that will not fail to entertain and engage the viewer.

Average customer rating:

A Lighter Shade of Gray...
French Occupation Drama
charlotte gray
War makes fools of us all
Mesmerizing Story

Charlotte Gray
Starring: Ron Cook , Nicholas Farrell , Michael Gambon , Anton Lesser , and Jack Shepherd
Director: Gillian Armstrong
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Action & Adventure | Genres | DVD | Video

Espionage | Action & Adventure | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

DVDs Under $7.49 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

All Deals | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

( C ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

Holocaust | Jewish Heritage | Specialty Stores | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

Veronica Guerin
Heaven
Paradise Road
Little Fish
Oscar & Lucinda

ASIN: B00005JKTF
Release Date: 2002-07-09

Amazon.com

Charlotte Gray does little to tarnish Cate Blanchett's rising-star status but misfires badly as a moralistic World War II drama. The title character of the film, which is based on a popular novel of the same name by Sebastian Faulks, is a young Scottish woman (Blanchett) who has come to London to help with the war effort. After quickly falling in love with a dashing pilot who is summarily shot down in southwest France, the intensely patriotic Charlotte joins a special operations outfit in order to find him. Competent melodrama to this point, the film goes astray from here. Since repeated references are made to Charlotte's fluent French, it is hard to maintain any suspension of disbelief when she parachutes into Lezignac and we discover that the French resistance fighters she works with speak English with alternately French or British accents (while the Nazis continue to speak German without subtitles). A similarly perfunctory schema of good versus evil among the citizenry is soon laid out as collaborators and patriots are painted with equally simplistic strokes. Blanchett, along with Billy Crudup and Michael Gambon, gives a lively performance despite a shoddy script, but director Gillian Armstrong's conceits to a mainstream audience seem jumbled and not a little condescending. --Fionn Meade

Customer Reviews:

A Lighter Shade of Gray..........2007-03-10

Let me state the obvious. Charlotte Rampling is phenomenal in anything that she does.

With that out of the way, I can go so far as to say that Cate Blanchett ranks well into the second place position with her strong body of work and amazing ability to evoke the strongest of emotions. It doesn't matter if you are watching her in the phenomenal "Elizabeth" or the slightly obtuse film "The Shipping News" or even the hysterical Armstrong pic, "Life Aquatic", she is worth every moment of screen minute. Blanchett ranks up there with my philosophy of Gene Hackman. The man may not make the greatest of films, but he is always worth watching. The same can be said for Cate. She may not make the greatest film choices possible, but she does keep you eye focused on the screen. This was my thought as I watched the disappointing biopic entitled, "Charlotte Gray". I was actually looking forward to this film with such amazing actors taking the helm as Blanchett, the amazing Michael Gambon, and the quieted Billy Crudup, but even with such power players behind the words, one could not cover up the mush-mouthed film that director Gillian Armstrong attempted to create.

I don't mean to be harsh, but there were some serious flaws in this film that even director Armstrong addresses in the audio commentary. The first which was obvious as the film began its downward stroll, was the issue of language. This was an Australian film, beginning in Scotland, going to England, and ending up in France. So, what language would be best to be used? Anderson took the southern approach and decided to not use the native tongue, and instead throw at us a very weak French accent for all occasions. Gambon, obviously, chose not to do any of these options and went with his own accent. Crudup seemed the least apt to handle this non-American accent, while Blanchett ... well ... she did what she could, constantly fluctuating between her Scottish accent and that of something that could only be called "French". It was not a strong way to lure the historical cinema guy into the picture. While I realize that it would have been tough to "sell" this as a foreign language film, I do believe that it would have pulled me deeper into the story and into the trenches of what these women had to do for their country. Instead, it just felt cheap and extremely Hollywood-"ized", though it wasn't.

The story followed suite. It was supposed to be this grandiose story of a woman's plight for her country. It was supposed to be this story of independence and self-discovery, but alas, it transformed into this mushy story about love with no cohesiveness. We begin this adventure with a woman who is afraid to smoke around others, afraid to drink in public, and suddenly falls head over feet with a man whom she is willing to do anything for. While Armstrong did address the quick courtship in this film, I just felt like we needed more explanation. We needed to see her independence further before making the rash jump into bed, so to speak. Then, quickly, we are placed into training, lies, and finally dropped over France. All before we can really see who this woman really is. I wanted, needed, desperately desired, to know who Charlotte Gray was before getting deep behind enemy lines. I don't mind a two hour film, but two hours in France not quite understanding our main character is not a way for a film to just be thrown in our faces. Who was Charlotte? Who was Gambon? Who was Crudup? I needed this, but alas, Armstrong was too busy focusing on love, random acts of children, and a family torn between two generations. Haven't we heard this all before?

So, we have this weak message, sent by mediocre voices, through a war that gets more and more random as the minutes progress. Can anyone answer to me what the true mission was of Gray during her tour? Why would she fight so much with so less reward near the end? Did those we viewed through the film just disappear by the end? Too many questions for what should have been just a straight forward film. I wanted concise direction and a focus towards our main character, Gray, but instead we were handed a hodgepodge of stories that never quite connected. Armstrong attempts to answer those nay-saying critics through the audio commentary with feeble responses and dramatic "I was the director" cards. It becomes difficult for foreign directors to try to capture the feel and truthfulness of another country's hero. Armstrong failed in this case. She even second-guessed a couple of her scenes in the final film, a sure-fire sign that it wasn't the film that you wanted to finish with. The only director that can successfully critic his own films, and that is Uwe Boll, and that goes without saying.

I can't say that I was happy with the overall finale of this film. The glue wasn't very tight and instead of honesty, Armstrong seemed to focus on the randomness of love, circumstance, and scenery. I didn't think this was a solid film at all, and have to side with the critics that seemed to think that this was just another biographical fluff film. Blanchett acted her heart out (for no apparent reason), and Scotland was beautiful, but I cannot credit anything else with this film. If you are looking for history, I would find something else. If you are looking for a title that you would find in the "romance" section of your local bookstore, then "Charlotte Gray" is the film for you.

Grade: ** out of ***** (one for Scotland, one for Blanchett - that is all)

French Occupation Drama.......2007-03-09

Cate Blanchett is terrific in this film about espionage in France during World War II. Story is well crafted and most of it is believable. One or two of the actors disappoint.
Subtle aspects of this film include betrayal by the French collaborators, and British fear of French resistance fighters with Communist leanings.
Photography of the scenery is splendid, and costumes appear very appropriate for that period.
No matter the color of her hair, Cate Blanchett is a beauty and a marvelous actress.

charlotte gray.......2007-03-08

very interesting ww2 story of the corrupt govt. ofwar time france as well as fine people doing what should be done .

War makes fools of us all.......2006-11-22

MESMERISING and beautiful Cate Blanchett plays the lead role of Charlotte Gray during World War 2. She is an ambulance driver from Scotland working in London but is recruited by British Intelligence into the Special Operations Executive. Why? She has lived in France and speaks French like a native. Her first interview is actually on a train as the recruiter from MI6 pretends to be a fellow passenger and engages her in conversation. The SOE was actually sent by Winston Churchill behind enemy lines to as he so aptly put it, "...set Europe ablaze..." From assassinating high ranking Nazis like Reinhard Heydrich in Czechoslovakia to blowing up German bases, you name it and the SOE did it. The SOE actually helped to set up the OSS which was the forerunner of CIA. Cate Blanchett's acting is superb in her role as she displays a whole range of emotions from love to terror and sheer dogged determination. After tough Commando training including learning how to shoot Webley & Scott revolvers, Charlotte volunteers to go into Vichy France as a courier. Her superior asks her, "Why do you want to go to France? You know only 1 in 3 come back." Her real reason is that she hopes to find her RAF fighter pilot paramour with whom she has fallen madly in love. He had been shot down over Nazi occupied France. Parachuting into France in the dead of night, she links up with a French Resistance group and its dashing leader who confesses to her he is a Communist. I used to parachute and the parachuting scene is very well done as she lands amusingly right in the middle of a group of French boys. Her first contact, a French lady, is quickly arrested by the French Vichy Police in a Cafe but does not betray her. Charlotte has many deadly adventures with the Maquis including derailing trains with plastic explosives, and sees the ugly side of war plus the horrific effects of Hitler's anti-Jew policy. The French Maquis leader even wants to kill her when he mistakenly believes she has betrayed his group to the Nazis. They were all machinegunned down in a merciless Nazi ambush. The French Resistance leader's father is subsequently arrested by the Nazis for having Jewish blood and deported in a cattle truck. His enraged son takes revenge on the evil French philandering collaborator by shooting him dead in the heart without saying a single word. A very professional job!
Charlotte manages to escape back to bombed out London and meets her fighter pilot paramour whom she had believed to be dead, KIA (killed in action). There is no happy reunion because she is now in love with the French Maquis leader. Ah, women are always fickle...
Charlotte tells the boyish RAF pilot, "You're right about war. It makes fools of us all..." However, there is a really happy ending as she returns to France after the war to find her true love in his ancestral home, and delivers her classic line, "There's something I've been meaning to tell you." He replies, "What?"
Cate Blanchett says softly, "My name...Charlotte Gray."
A very moving scene. It brought tears to my eyes. Please watch this movie and see if it touches your heart too. There are excellent scenes of Franec in this movie because it was filmed in the village of St. Antonin Noble Val in southwest France. The violin soloist Dermot Creman plays the haunting theme beautifully too. Enjoy! By Dr. Michael Lim The Travelling Gourmet who is a celebrated Travel, Food & Wine Writer/Editor in Asia.

Mesmerizing Story.......2006-02-27

I found this movie when flipping channels at home; and even though I did not see it from the beginning, I was hooked til the finish. The story was intriguing, but not to the point where I couldn't keep up and understand what was going on. The ending was not predictable in my opinion, which was good.

Cate Blanchett was unbelievably beautiful and captivating all the way through the movie, and I think I would have enjoyed it whether I kept up with the story line or not.

I recommend the movie to anyone who enjoys war stores, love stories and great acting.

Average customer rating:

Romantic light comedy
British humor is wonderful
SUPERFICIAL AT BEST
Four Weddings
Film

Four Weddings and a Funeral
Starring: Hugh Grant , James Fleet , Simon Callow , John Hannah , and Kristin Scott Thomas
Director: Mike Newell
Manufacturer: Polygram Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

DVDs Under $7.49 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

( F ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

Notting Hill (Collector's Edition)
Love Actually (Widescreen Edition)
About a Boy (Widescreen Edition)
My Best Friend's Wedding (Special Edition)
The Englishman Who Went Up a Hill But Came Down a Mountain

ASIN: 6304493711
Release Date: 1997-06-25

Amazon.com essential video

Customer Reviews:

Romantic light comedy.......2007-06-01

British humor is wonderful.......2007-05-08

I thoroughly enjoyed this movie. I love Hugh Grant and thought that his character was perfect. It is a great romantic comedy and an excellent addition to anyone who enjoys this genre.

SUPERFICIAL AT BEST.......2007-02-06

Four Weddings.......2007-01-27

Film.......2007-01-03

One of the best films of the past decade. Wonderful English humor and a love story that keeps you wondering until the very end. Highly recommned if you like your humor edgy and smart.

Average customer rating:

Impossible to squeeze Sinclair Lewis' book into a 1931 film
DREADFUL DISAPPOINTMENT
early john ford is worth checking out
Book and Movie Both Very Good
A victim of the limited technology of the day

Arrowsmith
Starring: Ronald Colman , Helen Hayes , Richard Bennett , A.E. Anson , and Clarence Brooks
Director: John Ford
Manufacturer: MGM (Video & DVD)
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

Classics | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

Drama | Kids & Family | Genres | DVD | Video

DVDs Under $9.99 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

( A ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

Dodsworth
Random Harvest
A Double Life
Come and Get It
Madame Curie

ASIN: B0006TPDSO
Release Date: 2005-03-08

Amazon.com

One of John Ford's earliest talkies, Arrowsmith demonstrates the director's underrated knack for contemporary drama. Adapted (by acclaimed screenwriter Sidney Howard) from the novel by Sinclair Lewis, the film is a prestigious vehicle for Ronald Colman in the title role of Martin Arrowsmith, a promising physician whose research ambitions are curtailed when he improbably marries the adoring but comparably dim-witted nurse Leora (Helen Hayes), who relocates him to her South Dakota home and convinces him to be a country doctor. Unchallenged and unhappy, he readily accepts an offer to battle bubonic plague in the British West Indies, where he encounters both triumph and tragedy. Creaky logic and primitive sound quality don't stop Ford from crafting some still-impressive sequences (the island sequences prepared Ford for 1937's The Hurricane), and the theme of marriage-vs.-career remains timelessly relevant. Though not as powerful as the Lewis-based Dodsworth (1936), Arrowsmith is that later film's worthy companion. --Jeff Shannon

Description

The legendary John Ford directs this provocative and acclaimed film based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel by Sinclair Lewis and adapted by Sidney Howard. Country doctor Martin Arrowsmith (Ronald Colman) is idealistic, hardworking and happily married to Leora (Helen Hayes). He's also about to make a terrible mistake. Lured away from his small practice by the prospect of wealth and important medical research, he takes a position with New York City's esteemed McGurk Institute. It's a big opportunitybut it brings bigger problems. The intense workload, a romance-minded socialite (MyrnaLoy) and a terrible plague outbreak are about to threaten everything Martin holds dear.

Customer Reviews:

Impossible to squeeze Sinclair Lewis' book into a 1931 film.......2007-03-24

This film was actually nominated for four academy awards - cinematography, art direction, adapted screenplay, and best picture. Viewing it today, there are so many somewhat incomplete storylines and messages present, I am somewhat unclear about the director's goal in all of this. Sinclair Lewis' book, on which the film is based, goes into great detail about the tribulations and triumphs of studying to be a doctor and then practicing medicine back in the 1920's. It is just impossible to convey all that goes on in the novel in one 108 minute film. First of all, although young Dr. Arrowsmith comes across as an admirable protagonist who doesn't lose his idealism through all of his experiences, his character development and motivations are just not fleshed out in the film, and thus he is left an unintended mystery. His passion for medical research definitely shines through in Ronald Coleman's performance, but I had many unanswered questions. The film seems to imply that Arrowsmith is attracted to Myrna Loy's character through one scene in particular in the film. Was this intentional? The two have an affair in the novel, but if it is going to be omitted from the film - and it is - what was that one scene doing there? Arrowsmith talks a good game about loving his wife, but he seems to constantly overlook her in his passion to find new cures for diseases. Is he actually taking her for granted, or is this just a common attitude from the past in which wives always took a back seat to their husbands' careers?

There is another whole part of the film that is quite troubling to a modern audience. When Arrowsmith is sent to the Caribbean to help fight the plague by testing his new serum, he is instructed to basically do what today is called a double blind study. He is to inject half the patients with his serum and the other half he is to treat conventionally. Thus, it can be determined whether or not the serum will be effective. When Arrowsmith presents his plan of action to the local plague-ridden residents, the shocked citizenry deny his help "in the name of humanity". However, a local black doctor, Oliver Marchand, tells Arrowsmith that he knows of how he can accomplish his goal - by experimenting on the black residents of the island of course! To me, this was all too reminiscent of the Tuskegee experiments and had a large Ick Factor to it.

I can't grade this film too severely since I have to take into account its year of production, the fact that dialogue had not become that sophisticated yet since talking pictures had only been universally accepted for about two years, and finally that a complex novel is being squeezed into just over an hour and a half. This film's value today is mainly as an example of one of the better transitional era talkies. Dialogue and acting were much more natural than they had been just a year or two prior to this film, but vast improvements, particularly in dialogue and technology, were just a couple of years away.

DREADFUL DISAPPOINTMENT.......2006-09-06

I truly wanted to like this film. The cast. The director. The script. But sadly, it is dreadful. The script is a mess. The direction is hit and miss. And Ronald Colman, in the lead, turns in what must be recognized as one of his worst performances. He is not 'present' in his scenes - save for one, when Arrowsmith's wife has just died and he is drunk. He looks inebriated, with fire in his eyes, and he is actually in the moment. The rest of the film he drones on with his utterly self-conscious voice, leaving poor Helen Hayes acting to a wooden dummy. He simply isn't there.
There is splendid photography in most of the West Indian scenes. Quite stunning and worthy of freeze-framing to appreciate the composition.
Avoid this and go straight to the magnificent DODSWORTH.

early john ford is worth checking out.......2006-06-04

this is the other 1930s sinclair lewis adaptation (i.e. NOT the superior "dodsworth"), and while its not in a league with "dodsworth", it is still a good movie. ronald colman (my very favorite actor) stars as a young doctor torn between career and love. i have never read the book, but my guess is alot gets left out in the telling.

Book and Movie Both Very Good.......2006-02-23

I have become a fan of Sinclair Lewis over the years and it all began when I read "Arrowsmith". I admit that I was initially befuddled by the book until I came to understand the relationship between Medicine and Science; Money and Research. Into this mix comes a man who knows what he wants to do but is twisted into something else. In the end, his pursuit of his avocation costs him the one he loves the most.

Many years after I read the book, I got a chance to see the movie. I was looking forward to the opportunity because it was directed by my favorite master of the trade, John Ford. Although I noticed some of his usual techniques were missing, I had to acknowledge that Ford did a great job. I thought the best imagery he created was the fog in the pestilent island home. As the leading lady was succoming to an illness, we saw the fog creeping into the open doorway and into the darkness therein. There were other images that I enjoyed but much of the enjoyment was with the acting. I have come to realize that it is no coincindence that Ronald Colman happens to keep showing up in impressive movies. Here he is teamed up with a very young Helen Hayes (how did she manage to skip middle-age and transform from a young actress to en elderly one in her career?). There is a good supporting cast with a few of the Ford stable of supporting character actors. (Did you catch the unbilled Ward Bond playing a cop in an early scene in the movie?) The movie, naturally, skips a lot of the book's details and I'm bothered that they changed the location of the heroine's home town from North Dakota to South Dakota. However, the movie did well to bring out the focal points of the book while finishing in a better dramatic flair.

I found the movie "Arrowsmith" to be a strong picture for its' time just as the book was a strong challenge to its' time as well. There were some aspects that were dated but there were also some aspects that were treated better than Hollwood's usual approach in that era. For example, the work that the doctors did among the Black islanders failed to conjure up the usual embarrassing scene of the overt bigotries of the time. In the end, amidst the grief, there is hope. That is a stock trait of Ford's movies that I was glad to see included.

A victim of the limited technology of the day.......2005-11-30

With the advent of sound, it seems movie directors forgot what pictures could be. Certain technical problems of the early sound era (positioning of microphones, for example) were a major source of these difficulties, but generally speaking the movies made furing this time period (1929-1934 or so) are incredibly stagey and stiff.

In this picture Ronald Coleman plays Dr. Martin Arrowsmith, the idealistic young medical doctor who discovers a serum for plague; Helen Hayes is his devoted wife, who dies from the disease. The script is almost laughably inane, the acting utterly wooden. Coleman, with his highbrow English accent and stiff manner, seems miscast; Hayes at least shows a little bit of life. For some inexplicable reason the movie struck a chord with the public and it was nominated for an Academy Award, though it lost to GRAND HOTEL.

Note and question: For years it's been reported that the movie originally ran 10 minutes longer, with much of the part with Myrna Loy as the "other woman" being cut and apparently lost. I notice the running time of the movie given on the DVD is about 10 minutes longer than the time given on older VHS copies. Does this mean the snipped film has been restored??

Average customer rating:

We need this on Region 1 DVD now!
What TV drama should be
great little show, why no Region 1 dvd?

Two Thousand Acres of Sky [Region 2]
Starring: Michelle Collins , Paul Kaye (IV) , Michael Carter , Henry Ian Cusick , and John Straiton
Director: Roger Gartland , Dermot Boyd , and Morag Fullarton
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

( T ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
ASIN: B0001KZO0K

Customer Reviews:

We need this on Region 1 DVD now!.......2007-03-23

I saw this on a PBS station a few years ago. I have been hoping that PBS would show it again but no such luck. It is a shame that it is not available on Region 1 DVD's. It is an extremely good show with interesting people and story.

What TV drama should be.......2006-09-01

The writing on this show was great. Why oh why no DVD available for US viewers?

great little show, why no Region 1 dvd?.......2006-02-05

The story of a single mother from London who persuades her best friend Kenny to pretend to be her husband and accompany her and her two children to Ronansay, a small Scottish island, whose inhabitants advertised for a young family to take over the local B&B and help keep their small school open. This series was shown on PBS stations in the US so it is a great disappointment that it is not (yet?) available on DVD here. Sweet, funny, and sad, and also a realistic portrayal of the stuggles of people on remote islands to prevent a way of life from dying out. Good acting. Paul Kaye is especially fine as Kenny.

DVD:

DVD

DVD

DVD

Spider-Man - Daredevil Vs. Spider-Man (Animated Series)

Visual Guide to J.R.R. Tolkien's The Two Towers

Blood Feast

DVD: Aloha, Bobby & Rose

The Eye