The Servant

Starring:Dirk Bogarde, Sarah Miles, Wendy Craig, James Fox, Catherine Lacey, Richard Vernon (II), Anne Firbank, Doris Knox, Patrick Magee, Jill Melford, Alun Owen, Harold Pinter, Derek Tansley, Brian Phelan, Hazel Terry, Philippa Hare, Dorothy Bromiley, Alison Seebohm, Chris Williams, Gerry Duggan
Director: Joseph Losey
Studio: Anchor Bay
Product Type: DVD

Average customer rating:

worth seeing again
Don't understand any of the hype
future dystopia
Brazil is NOW!
The War on Terror

Brazil
Starring: Jim Broadbent , Ray Cooper (II) , Robert De Niro , John Flanagan , and Kim Greist
Manufacturer: Universal Studios
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: 0783225903
Release Date: 1998-03-31

Amazon.com

If Franz Kafka had been an animator and film director--oh, and a member of Monty Python's Flying Circus--this is the sort of outrageously dystopian satire one could easily imagine him making. However, Brazil was made by Terry Gilliam, who is all of the above except, of course, Franz Kafka. Be that as it may, Gilliam sure captures the paranoid-subversive spirit of Kafka's The Trial (along with his own Python animation) in this bureaucratic nightmare-comedy about a meek governmental clerk named Sam Lowry (Jonathan Pryce) whose life is destroyed by a simple bug. Not a software bug, a real bug (no doubt related to Kafka's famous Metamorphosis insect) that gets smooshed in a printer and causes a typographical error unjustly branding poor Sam as a miscreant.

The movie presents such an unrelentingly imaginative and savage vision of 20th-century bureaucracy that it almost became a victim of small-minded studio management itself--until Gilliam surreptitiously screened his cut for the Los Angeles Film Critics Association, who named it the best movie of 1985 and virtually embarrassed Universal into releasing it. This DVD version of Brazil is the special director's cut that first appeared in Criterion's comprehensive (and expensive) six-disc laser package in 1996. Although the DVD (at a fraction of the price) doesn't include that set's many extras, it's still a bargain. --Jim Emerson

Customer Reviews:

worth seeing again.......2007-04-05

Brazil isn't eveyone's cup of tea To me it is sort of a cross between the Beatles song "A Day in The Life" and a less serious version of "1984". When looking at the negetive reviews (one star?) try and keep in mind that the words "less serious" can be a fun thing if you have a little less stick up the.....well... Anyway if you like satire and the surreal you will probably find this enjoyable.

Don't understand any of the hype.......2007-03-30

I just made it through 45 minutes of this "classic" and had to stop. This is a frenetic, loud, short-attention-span mess. True science fiction ("Day the Earth Stood Still", "Silent Running," "The Fly") appeals to the inellect. I'm at 45 minutes and it has failed to engage my thinking on any level. It's just entertainment, pure and simple, and pretty unpleasant entertainment at that, aimed at a pretty simple-minded audience, I have to say. The set-ups, like the oh-so-sweet Christmas scene at the beginning are just out of place in this film. The arrest of Buttle was so ridiculously overdone that I thought I was watching a cartoon version of "The Terminator." The set-ups seem extremely heavy handed, as is the constant reminders of hte "Tuttle-Buttle" mixup. The use of the classic songs in this film "As Time Goes By" and "Brazil," is just a travesty. The goal seems to be to ruin the value of these songs rather than add anything meaningful to the film. Besides, there are more guns in the first 45 minutes of this film than in most Westerns. What's that all about? Was the NRA a major funder for this studio? You know when a film starts with an explosion that it's going to be pretty bad, unless it's James Bond, which this isn't!

future dystopia.......2007-03-25

Excellent film. It explores the inefficiencies of bureaucracy and paints a bleak picture of a police state, which seems ever more realistic. The acting is fantastic and the ideas presented in this movie are second to none. If you like this movie, also check out A Scanner Darkly and Logan's Run.

Brazil is NOW!.......2007-03-21

One of my all time favorite movies, chaos in it's finest hour of pure insanity. Has a mind of its own but can never be controlled just like the breathing air ducts. Throw in the kitchen sink and a man named Tuttle.

The War on Terror.......2006-12-17

Brazil presaged the War on Terror 20 years before it happened. Watching it now brings on a terrible feeling that the future will always look like this with an omnipresent government controlling its people. In the restuarant scene (where the people keep on eating even though the place has been subjected to a terrorist attack) is Baghdad today and perhaps your town tommorrow.
It's the real 1984 - watch it and learn.

The Others (Two-Disc Collector's Edition)

Average customer rating:

Will Give You the Willies
Terrifying
the twist makes the movie
A truly unique ghost story!
A knock-off of a children novel, but a great movie.

The Others (Two-Disc Collector's Edition)
Starring: Keith Allen , Renée Ashershon , Christopher Eccleston , Michelle Fairley , and Nicole Kidman
Director: Alejandro Amenábar
Manufacturer: Dimension
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B00003CYLJ
Release Date: 2002-05-14

Amazon.com essential video

A welcome throwback to the spooky traditions of Jack Clayton's The Innocents and Robert Wise's The Haunting, Alejandro Amenábar's The Others favors atmosphere, sound, and suggestion over flashy special effects. Set in 1945 on a fog-enshrouded island off the British coast, the film begins with a scream as Grace (Nicole Kidman) awakens from some unspoken horror, perhaps arising from her religiously overprotective concern for her young children, Anne (Alakina Mann) and Nicholas (James Bentley). The children are hypersensitive to light and have lived in a musty manor with curtains and shutters perpetually drawn. With Grace's husband presumably lost at war, this ominous setting perfectly accommodates a sense of dreaded expectation, escalating when three strangers arrive in response to Grace's yet-unposted request for domestic help. Led by housekeeper Mrs. Mills (Fionnula Flanagan), this mysterious trio is as closely tied to the house's history as Grace's family is--as are the past occupants seen posthumously posed in a long-forgotten photo album.

With her justly acclaimed performance, Kidman maintains an emotional intensity that fuels the film's supernatural underpinnings. And while Amenábar's pacing is deliberately slow, it befits the tone of penetrating anxiety, leading to a twist that extends the story's reach from beyond the grave. Amenábar unveiled a similarly effective twist in his Spanish thriller Open Your Eyes (remade by Cameron Crowe as Vanilla Sky), but where that film drew debate, The Others is finely crafted to provoke well-earned goose bumps and chills down the spine. --Jeff Shannon

Description

Screen sensation Nicole Kidman (MOULIN ROUGE, EYES WIDE SHUT) delivers an utterly unforgettable performance in this scary and stylish suspense thriller. While awaiting her husband's return from war, Grace (Kidman) and her two young children live an unusually isolated existence behind the locked doors and drawn curtains of a secluded island mansion. Then, after three mysterious servants arrive and it becomes chillingly clear that there is far more to his house than can be seen, Grace finds herself in a harrying fight to save her children and keep her sanity. Acclaimed by critics everywhere, the unpredictable twists and turns of this compelling hit will keep you guessing as it keeps you riveted to the edge of your seat!

Customer Reviews:

Will Give You the Willies.......2007-05-28

This is a welcome throwback to honest-to-goodness thrillers - no gore, just psychological spookieness. No senseless nudity, foul language or gouged eyeballs here - but fear reminiscent of the George C. Scott thriller, "The Changeling" or more recently, "The Sixth Sense."

Nicole Kidman's acting is so impressive, as is the acting of the entire cast, you will find yourself on the edge of your seat. Set in post World War II England, Kidman's character, Grace, lives in a large mansion on a posh estate. Her two children, Anne and Nicholas, suffer from a rare genetic anomoly that makes them sensitive to light beyond that of a strong lamp. Pure sunlight - even ambient light can raise blisters on their skin and ala Dracula, will kill them.

Grace pines over her missing husband who never returned from battling the Germans, yet is not a confirmed MIA or KIA casualty. She finds herself housebound, unable to mingle with anyone in polite society or travel anywhere out of fear for her children's safety.

Acustomed to being without electricity during the German bombardments throughout the war, Grace has decided to leave the luxury turned off, depending on heavy curtains to block out the light during the day and using oil lamps at night.

Grace tells her 3 house servants that her daughter, Anne, has a vivid imagination who tells of ghastly eyeless women and an invisible boy named Victor. Grace repeatedly punishes Anne for lying... but soon she realizes there really might be 'others' living in the house with them.

Whispering voices, creaky floors and other things that go bump in the night have you on your mental toes to figure out who might be dead, who might be alive and if one or more of the characters is just plain nuts and imagining the whole thing.

I must admit, this is not my favorite genre. I do not belive there are earth-bound spirits of the previously living people walking around in people's homes - so it's not like at the end when all the loose ends got tied up that I had chills going up my spine - but if you had an experience like that with "The Sixth Sense" or "The Changeling," this movie will not disappoint.

Having an intelligent storyline, superb acting and all devoid of rampant sex and toilet humor is a welcome relief compared to most movie fare coming out of today's Hollywood. While there are many scene changes in the large manor, the closed rooms and constant darkness and chiaroscuro lighting give the viewer a very claustrophobic feeling to the point you feel Grace's almost psychotic desperation and feeling of being trapped. Even the few moments when you see her outside the manor, the dense, eerie fog furthers the trapped sensation of the viewer and the characters.

The acting of Alakina Mann (Anne) and James Bentley (Nicholas) cannot be understated in making this more of an experience than a film. Much of Kidman's acting shines through in the scenes in which she is by herself, panicking in fear and desperation. This is one of those films that truly highlights the depth of her acting acumen.

Terrifying.......2007-05-26

This is a clever, terrifying movie. I hate scary movies but this one is smart. Nicole Kidman and the children (Alakina Mann and James Bentley) are wonderful.

the twist makes the movie.......2007-05-17

Fortunately, I lost interest in this movie after the first 20 minutes, so I wasnt paying attention and was able to appreciate the twist without forethought.

The movie seemed like a boring stage play. None of the characters were that fascinating. The atmospheric horror and dread never built. If I compared this film to 6th sense I'd give it 1 star.

A truly unique ghost story!.......2007-04-28

I love atmospheric ghost stories, and some of my favorites are The Changeling, The Haunting, Burnt Offerings etc. The Others is one such atmospheric horror movie with enough plot twists to keep you guessing almost right till the end. Yes, the movie tends to be a tad too long and plodding in the first half, but if you're patient, and just try to pay close attention to all the details, the rewards more than make up for the slow start. Nicole Kidman shines in her role as the overprotective & obsessive mother, and the two kids who play her children do justice to their roles as well ,coming off as creepy and innocent at the same time. I won't delve into the actual plot as it will only spoil one's viewing experience but I will definitely recommend this movie for those atmospheric horror movie buffs who love unexpected twists, and an intelligent ghost story!

A knock-off of a children novel, but a great movie........2007-04-15

I felt the twist from the 6th Sense was a knock-off of a children book that I read about 14-18 years ago. I was even more shocked that this movie eerily had more resemblances to that children book. Actually this movie started very slowly and about 3/4 of the way in to it, I got this strangle feeling how it was going to end. And I was right.

The acting was good, but if you were casually watching it, there were not much in the early scenes to excite you. Nicole Kidman moving from room to room as exciting as it sound gets pointless. It had the potential of being a small world feeling like "An American Haunting" type movies that end up half baked. The ending really redeemed the whole movie in the last 10 minutes or so. The ending is like most modern ghost stories: The Sixth Sense, Silent Hill, Stay, Mulholland Drive where the plot string you along in a curtain narrative (somewhat confusing storyline) and in the final ten minutes tell you the truth and then you go: oooh. I think that is cheating, but some of my favorites movies: 6th Sense, 12 Monkeys, Silent Hill, Mul. Dr. are done in this style. They were more interesting in the beginning though.

The spoilers so keep away-
The children book I am referring to, which I forgot the title, is about 2 children living by a lake. Some of the details may be a little foggy. For some reasons the children were abused verbally and physically by some woman, forgot who. The kids goal were to seek out their mothers (in this sense the father of this movies) to protect them. But she seems distant and they never could catch her when they get close (like the widow in the 6th Sense). When they finally did by a lake, they found out their fate. Their mother, if I remembered, commented suicide into the lake joining her two children that drowned there sometime ago. They were reunited at death and the mean lady that was abusing them was actually alive (like the clairvoyant and the boy, Victor in this movie) and so was their mother at the time. I might be wrong recalling some of the details from the children book, but that was some time ago. I do remembered being sad/ upset for a whole week; why on earth would an elementary school library be so cruel to have a book like that. I then thought it would also have made a good movie and a profound experience for other. If you know what book I am talking about, post a comment.

The ending of this movie really reflected why some situations occurred early on. Why the faces of the two children were pale with spider vein at times. The mother and children odd mood swings. All the pictures and foggy scenes made more sense too. The reason for the light: referring to spirits moving on to the other side, and the curtains: the living moving out.

Overall, if you have not seen the 6th Sense or read a similar ghost story, this is definitely a superb movie. Even if the tension was slowly building up at the beginning it really heightens at the end. Very well executed.

Average customer rating:

Enough, Scarlett, enough!
Light emerging from darkness.
A Feast for the Eyes and Ears...
5 stars for we may never see artistc photography such as this again
Superlative set of performances, the entire composition as well

Girl With a Pearl Earring
Starring: Colin Firth , Scarlett Johansson , Tom Wilkinson , Judy Parfitt , and Cillian Murphy
Director: Peter Webber
Manufacturer: Lions Gate
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ASIN: B0001US61O
Release Date: 2004-05-04

Amazon.com

You wouldn't think a movie could look like a Vermeer painting, but Girl with a Pearl Earring is filmed with an amazing range of luminous glows that evoke the Dutch artist's masterworks. Of course, it helps that much of the movie centers on Scarlett Johansson (Lost in Translation, Ghost World), whose creamy skin and full lips have a luminosity of their own. Johansson plays Griet, a maid in the household of Johannes Vermeer (Colin Firth, Bridget Jones' Diary, Fever Pitch), who finds herself in a web of jealousy, artistic inspiration, and social machinations. Though the pace is slow, Girl with a Pearl Earring genuinely conveys some sense of an artist's process, as well as offering many chaste yet sensual moments between Firth and Johansson. Also featuring Essie Davis as Vermeer's bitter wife and Tom Wilkinson (In the Bedroom) as a wealthy patron with eyes for Griet. --Bret Fetzer

Customer Reviews:

Enough, Scarlett, enough!.......2007-05-21

Am I the only person on the planet who's sick of this actress doing this silent-brooding-staring-into-space-or-at-the-floor-routine? Good lord, honey, lighten up. Let me know there's life in there. Is this all she knows how to do? I know this role doesn't call for "perky," but couldn't she give some indication that she has a pulse?

Light emerging from darkness........2007-05-21

In this movie a young woman, Griet, is forced to leave home and find employment as a maid. She finds herself in the home of the painter Vermeer and his family. The setting is 17th century Holland, and the historically authentic sets and brilliant photography relentlessly drive home to the viewer the physical harshness of life in that time. Even people of means must contend with cold and damp, filth, cramped living spaces, and a myriad other sources of physical discomfort.

But the film also explores the emotional suffering of the time through its portrayal of Vermeer's family. We see very little kindness in this family, and plenty of resentment, grief, rage, sadness, and downright meanness. Griet comes from a family which is very poor but which seems to have real affection for her. Settling in with her employers, she must learn to navigate the shoals of the bitterness which surround her. Indeed, the Vermeer family seems to be representative of an age when the currency of power dominated human relationships in a much more obvious and raw fashion than we see today. The world outside Griet's family is one of darkness; grasping, cruelty, and ignorance are accepted modes of behavior.

But Griet does not become overwhelmed by this darkness. Instead, she discovers the paintings of Vermeer. Soon, her mind begins to open up to greater possibilities, and a new sort of consciousness seems to take hold in her. As the movie progresses, she becomes caught up in the growth of her interior vision so much so that the destructive energies of the household cannot distract her from this growth. In this way, she is an embodiment of the paintings themselves, which are very much about light appearing in the midst of darkness, and the power of illumination emerging from physical limitation. The photography mirrors this theme, with shots that are lit in the same manner as Vermeer's paintings. Thus the development of Griet's character, the photography, Vermeer's art, and the dynamics of the family conflict all weave together to create one overriding image: light emerging from darkness.

This movie moves slowly. We watch a young woman's enlightenment taking place against a backdrop of rising tension and hatred which are intensified by her presence. But it is the quality of her spirit more than her physical beauty which causes much of the tension within the family. Johansson convincingly portrays a woman who embodies a luminous, interior beauty-- and it is this that thoroughly captivates the artist Vermeer. A beautiful and awe inspiring film.

A Feast for the Eyes and Ears..........2007-05-19

Visually, Girl with a Pearl Earring is absolutely stunning. Viewing the film on DVD, one could actually watch the entire piece with the sound turned completely off and enjoy it just as much...as has been said many times before; the film is like viewing a Vermeer painting in motion.

Based on the novel by Tracy Chevalier of the same name, the story is a speculative exploration into the identity of the model of the famous Vermeer painting. A young woman from a poor family is forced to seek employment and finds work as a maid in the Vermeer household. A tacit love affair develops between Griet (Scarlett Johansson) and Vermeer (Colin Firth) though in a purely emotional and mental sense, as her appreciation of art, due to Griet's father being a painter, intrigues the master, and he begins to teach her about colour and the delicate skill of mixing paint to achieve just the right shade and depth. I loved the scene where Vermeer asks Griet to tell him the colour of the clouds in the sky. She responds with the answer, "white", to then observe more intently, to answer, "Yellow, blue and grey..." Vermeer is pleased with this answer.

It is no wonder that the film won many awards and was Oscar nominated for art direction, set design and costume design because the historical accuracy and beauty in all three categories is simply astounding.

In fact, viewing the DVD with a good friend, she would comment after a particular scene that she was sure she had seen "that" painting before. Going back over the film, one can almost detect past master works of that time. It would be interesting to investigate this further and possibly connect certain scenes with actual paintings of the period.

The soundtrack composed by Alexandre Desplat, also nominated for many awards including the Oscar for The Queen (2006) and the Golden Globe for The Painted Veil and Girl with a Pearl Earring, is both beautiful and haunting.

In itself, Girl with a Pearl Earring is a true work of art. The time spent and attention to detail certainly showed in the final product.

Director Peter Webber (Hannibal Rising 2007) managed a very young Scarlett Johansson to perform with mature restraint, concentrating on her expression, particularly those wonderful eyes.

An absolute 5 star rating...

5 stars for we may never see artistc photography such as this again.......2007-05-12

So many good reviews, what can I add? Just my own experience

I have never seen a movie whose all intension is to find, capture and portrait the scenes the Dutch masters were made famous for.. Just this makes you play with the movie, similar to kids playing "I see".. The production in this sense is flawless,, and the setting of the epoch is so real.. You can feel the tensions everywhere,, and there is this girl, no instructions whatsoever, but she has the gift and the genius to see what the master is doing and to even correct him!! This is what captivates him.. at the end of the movie, I cannot escape the feeling of contemplation of the Art Collector - as he has the painting in front of him, for his joy only- as he admires the painting.. We are to pass, yet we were given a chance to admire.. what else can you do?

Superlative set of performances, the entire composition as well.......2007-05-05

This film builds slowly, think Maurice Ravel's "Boléro" perhaps, or something else which simultaneously instills impatience and anticipation; unlike Vermeer's work this film will not immediately stun. Yet each performance among the tight, well chosen cast, certainly so the three female leads, is beautifully done, and any impatience is allayed. Johansson is brilliant; critically, she was fully up to the final scenes, the crescendo that is perfectly measured and timed in each particular. This is a deserving piece of film.

Average customer rating:

Perfect Casting - Heavy and Important Message
Brain dead
Political Message from Richard Curtis & Company
Girl in the Cafe - a story for today's world
A Sad Misstep

The Girl in the Cafe
Starring: Bill Nighy , Kelly Macdonald , Meneka Das , Anton Lesser , and Paul Ritter
Director: David Yates (II)
Manufacturer: Hbo Home Video
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ASIN: B000A59PL0
Release Date: 2005-09-06

Amazon.com

As a pop star on the comeback trail, Bill Nighy handily stole Love Actually away from his more famous co-stars. In BBC/HBO co-production The Girl in the Café, he takes the lead--and runs with it. Written by Richard Curtis (Notting Hill), the offbeat political-romance concerns Lawrence, a 57-year-old Londoner with a successful governmental career and nonexistent social life. One day he stops in a café and meets the mysterious, considerably younger Gina (Kelly Macdonald, Trainspotting). To their mutual amazement, they hit it off and agree to meet again (and yet again). Then he invites her to accompany him to the G8 Summit in Reykjavík, where she upends his carefully ordered world in ways both wonderful and terrible. Suddenly this "man who has nothing in his life but his work" must find a way to make room for something "tender and true." With Corin Redgrave as the Prime Minister. --Kathleen C. Fennessy

Description

He's a shy civil servant (Bill Nighy, Love Actually) working for the British delegation to the 2005 G8 Summit. She's an alluring young woman (Kelly McDonald, Finding Neverland) he meets at a cafe - and invites her to the Summit on a whim. Together, this unlikely couple might just change history.

Customer Reviews:

Perfect Casting - Heavy and Important Message.......2007-06-24

I think DEFINITELY we can immediately end poverty in Africa and elsewhere if we all quit wasting money in richer countries like ours.

If more of us got one less nose job and drove used sedans instead of Jaguars we could give that money (energy) to the poor people there will be no more needless suffering.

This is a movie about the United Nation but we don't need the U.N. to do this. As portrayed in the movie they are very slow and beurocratic, therefore I find them frustrating. . . though there are some people in it who really want to serve the world well, like the main character.

Anyway, this movie opened my eyes by saying - "Hey, you don't need to be a Government big shot to make a heartfelt difference in the world. You can be just a Girl in the Cafe. If this is your mission, and I believe it should be everybody's mission, then where there is a will where is a way.

To sum up, this movie helped me relate and feel something in my heart because of the wonderful casting and the story-telling. I think it's very well done. I only gave it 4 stars because it's not the kind of movie I would watch over and over.

I am sending my money to Africa and getting involved physically when I sign off here. Peace & love. . .

Brain dead.......2007-06-08

If you believe that the West, and in particular the United States, is responsible for all the sickness and poverty in the world this movie is for you. It starts out as a sweet May-December romance but mid-way through turns into a whiny diatribe. At a G8 summit in Reykjavik the "heroine" attacks the Western leaders at a formal dinner for not giving more money to the world's developing countries. She doesn't really seem to want workable solutions to the problems of disease and poverty; she just wants more money be thrown at them. And it's strange that this wonderful, caring, considerate woman doesn't seem to give a second thought to the fact that she is ruining the career of the man she claims to care for by issuing her rant to his bosses. People with a simplistic approach to solving the world's problems will love this movie. People with a brain won't.

Political Message from Richard Curtis & Company.......2007-05-03

Mr. Curtis has become famous for his somewhat sacchrine sweet scripts involving the socially inept, well-bred, public school-educated Englishman with a wry sense of humor. In this respect "The Girl in the Cafe" stays true to form. However love & romance, though significant, take a back-seat to the G-8 Summit and the devestating poverty that engulfs and kills people with each tick of the clock. Some very heady stuff indeed, especially considering this is the team who brought us "Four Weddings & A Funeral", "Notting Hill", "Love Actually". Do they succeed in delivering the famous talmudic message "If not now; when"? Well, yes and no.

The U.S. delegates appear heartless for wanting to tackle the underlying causes of poverty in lieu of giving direct aid to the billions of starving children in Africa. The U.K. delegates are stereotypical well-mannered (while seething inside) and morally compromised. I found this aspect of the film, simplistic, silly and insulting.

However, the casting people certainly deserve an award for this pitch-perfect ensemble cast. The acting is all top notch. Substituing for that floppy-haired charmer, Hugh Grant, is the utterly loveable Bill Nighy. Mr. Nighy's scarecrow physique, & craggy facial features are just right for the shy civil servant newly besotted with the mysterious sad girl in the title, played by Kelly MacDonald. Mr. Nighy's best lines are deliverd almost sotto voce and his mannerisms clearly show a man uncomfortable in his own skin. Their delightful banter shows just how skilled Ms. MacDonald is, as she does not become lost in the company of the brilliant Mr. Nighy. Corin Redgrave, in a virtual cameo, is perfect as the British PM.

"The Girl in the Cafe" is all dialogue. The challenge for the filmmaker to hold the viewer rests solidly on the writing and the acting. Fortunately they succeed due to the talent of Mr. Curtis and the cast.

Girl in the Cafe - a story for today's world.......2007-04-06

A pertinent and very relevant story - the message is a matter of ethics and morality in respect of the obligations of developed nations to those less fortunate and in need.
And do the international organisations fulfil their purpose and role with ethics and reality?

A Sad Misstep.......2007-03-22

Richard Curtis has always been one to take chances, often to good effect, occasionally to nervous titters. One can see his hand in the dialog and the characters, but this does not hit the mark Mr. Curtis has set for himself with work like Four Weddings and a Funeral and Love Actually. Bitten by the political bug, the propaganda point he uses British taxpayers' BBC money to argue is that AIDS, starvation, and infant death, especially in Africa, is susceptible to remedy by massive spending by the G8 Nations. The magic wand of sufficient G8 currency will end mortal suffering. (How many billions in G8 aid has been diverted for the profit of rogue governments, warlords, insurgents, and terrorists just in the last decade? They are worthy of no mention. Mr. Curtis has not noticed. Even the huge issue of run-of-the-mill Third World corruption in the better instances is beyond the vision. The problem is those stingy, compromising G8 members his "strong woman" chastises, not the murderous thieves licking their chops as she bargains for their next round of loot.)

The pacing is languid. There is material enough here to make one of the many story arcs from Love Actually, padded with many, many bleak silent moments. The love story is a not very compelling April/October match. Mr. Curtis is incapable of creating a story without touches of endearing humanity, but here that only gets me to that second star.

Tossed off without examination is the fact that one of the British G8 negotiators has lost a child. How? The point being attempted appears to be the preciousness of the child and the pain of the loss, but the point that children die in G8 countries in the families of the elite leadership as well is inescapable.

Finally, the film shows a special disdain for positions taken by the fictitious US delegation that could be interpreted as a concern for and need to transform the realities on the ground. The rolling of eyes cuts off any chance to engage real issues. Such talk is just one more roadblock to Mr. Curtis' global utopia. There is also no credit given to the real American story. George Bush has been lauded by none other than Bono for tripling aid to Africa during his term. Even this shining star of historically unparalleled generosity is not worthy of mention for Mr. Curtis.

Average customer rating:

Bygone days in jolly old England
A Good But Not Great English Drama
A Soap-opera which leaves you empty in the end.
Could have been...
Costume Soap Opera but a Darn Good One!

Berkeley Square
Starring: Clare Wilkie , Victoria Smurfit , Tabitha Wady , Kate Williams , and Rosemary Leach
Director: Richard Signy , Richard Holthouse , and Lesley Manning
Manufacturer: Bfs Entertainment
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Wives and Daughters
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Daniel Deronda

ASIN: B00004W5P5
Release Date: 2000-12-12

Amazon.com

A classic coming-of-age tale on par with Anne of Avonlea and Little Women, Berkeley Square is worth watching over and over again. This 10-episode British miniseries will awe you with its erudite script, wonderfully believable characters, high-caliber production values, meticulous Edwardian details, and topnotch acting. In fact, you will join the growing multitudes who puzzle over why the BBC decided to stop after only 10 episodes.

In 1902 three young nannies find jobs in well-to-do London households and get to know each other. Naive farm girl Lydia finds an unfamiliar world both in city life and with the progressive-thinking family who employs her. Earnest, rule-abiding Matty is a hard-working East End girl who slowly learns to loosen up. And, after a tragic affair with the eldest son of a grand Yorkshire family, Hannah's life in London is full of chilling secrets and grave life-and-death decisions. --Tara Chace

Customer Reviews:

Bygone days in jolly old England.......2007-06-03

This is a delightful miniseries. It depicts the class distinction between the haves and the have-nots and how defined the caste system was back in those days. The experiences of the Nanny and other servants in the household was dependent on the degree of compassion, or lack of it, shown by the family for whom they worked. This series does an excellent job of depicting this. It also illustrates the disassociated attitude of most parents towards their children, and the dependence of them upon their Nanny for love and security. I highly recommend this series to anyone who enjoys the days of yore in jolly old England.

A Good But Not Great English Drama.......2007-05-13

English produced drama is one of my passions and this is a good representation of the genre. I enjoyed watching it the first time, but find that when I look over my collection to find something to watch once more, I pass it by. The acting is good, but the story is just a bit too unbelievable, a bit too pat. But if you love English drama, give it at least one look. You won't be sorry even if you, like I, feel it could have been even better.

A Soap-opera which leaves you empty in the end........2007-04-06

Three girls become nannies in London in 1902. Each works for a different household. The three become friends as they meet in the park with their strollers.

The first five episodes of the ten are a pleasant, yet lively pace of intrigue within attractive English homes and parks.

The pleasantness gives way to intrigue as the scandals, which have been building, explode in episode six. You find you have been lulled into a soap-opera abounding in sin: fornication, adultery, lying, deceit, manslaughter, seduction, extortion, child endangerment and neglect, to name just a few. The film is far from the "warm-hearted family drama" advertised on the cover.

It is an enticing film. The story is intriguing. The film balances intrigue with pleasant dialogue; the actors are attractive in attractive costumes; the acting is fine within attractive surroundings. Children are present. All the good characters weakly display some virtue.

It is helpful to know that Laudanum is morphine derived from opium mixed with alcohol, sold over-the-counter then, to relieve pain and induce sleep. Doctors knew it was addictive, and deadly in too large a dose.

The characters draw you into the soap opera by displaying promising virtue, but then betraying that virtue (moving back and forth). Opposing minds within the same person. Science says that one mind must eventually win out.
« Red-head, Nanny Hannah Randall opposes child endangerment in one instance, but fails to inform the parents in another instance, who were due informing; and the endangerment continues. Hannah appears to wish to do Right, but fails to consistently act with the resolution of one with single mind to see Right through.
« The aunt expresses her good moral principles, but later gives way to extortion.
« The older nanny stands against the bad guy, but later makes a subtle statement justifying the seduction, extortion, and malice.
« The first half is pleasant, but in the end, a couple of the "good characters" have lied and deceived, causing devastating harm to another, taking away all the pleasantness. In the end, you have not experienced a world of cheer, humor, music, singing, fun, and characters to admire.

A thoughtful film does not need all the scandal. It is interesting enough with the three girls starting jobs as nannies, as servants, the pretty London parks, difficult bosses, other servants, friendships, the charm and mischief of the children, working at doing a good job, what a good nanny is. Add some fun, humor, music, singing, adventures, and characters coming to values to admire.

The lack of many good period films makes this pretty, intriguing, soap opera of technical ability, in which good does not win out, appear desirable. You will enjoy the 8 hours, but be left empty in the end, (Romance without Love). I will not keep it.

I recommend these better films: "Pride and Prejudice-2005, 1996, & 1940", "Wives and Daughters", "North and South", "Middlemarch", "All Creatures Great and Small", "Pollyanna-2002", "Heidi", "Anne of Green Gables", "Under the Greenwood Tree", and "Road to Avonlea seasons 1-6".

Could have been..........2007-03-16

Better. It didn't meet my expectations. I think it was the way it was played out. It almost got a little bit monotonous. Wives and Daughters was way more to my liking and style.

Costume Soap Opera but a Darn Good One!.......2007-03-10

Berkeley Square is a well made, very watchable soap opera and each episode ends with an exciting cliffhanger that makes you glad you have all ten episodes handy on DVD. Some of the plot lines do swing toward the improbable but hey it's great entertainment. And to the reviewers who found it too dark, it may be compared to Little Women and Anne of Green Gables but not to those who regularly view modern television and movies. Perhaps billing it as family viewing is misleading. Like others I wish the series had a more satisfactory conclusion and close captioning would have been nice but the DVD is still well worth watching especially for lovers of Britain in the Edwardian era.

Average customer rating:

hot erotic, but ultimately sad classic tale of passion's fate when obsession takes over
Over long Japanese porn
THE CENSOR HAS BEEN AT WORK HERE
You decide: two stars as entertainment or four stars as art house cinema
Realm of the Senses

In the Realm of the Senses
Starring: Tatsuya Fuji , Eiko Matsuda , Aoi Nakajima , Yasuko Matsui , and Meika Seri
Director: Nagisa Oshima
Manufacturer: Fox Lorber
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: 6305049378
Release Date: 1998-07-28

Amazon.com

Nagisa Oshima's sensational, 1976 film concerns a woman (Eiko Matsuda) whose obsessive sexual relationship with her husband (Tatsuya Fuji) crosses the line from passion into the territory of life and death. One of the most sexually explicit films ever to play in mainstream theaters (though it did run into legal trouble both in the U.S. and Japan), it has an air of palpable doom, suggesting that sex can be a doorway to suicide. Lest this sound like grunge-era noodling over dreams of self-destruction, be assured that the Kyoto-born Oshima (Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence) takes a somewhat formal, middle-aged perspective on the conjunction of various mysteries of existence. --Tom Keogh

Customer Reviews:

hot erotic, but ultimately sad classic tale of passion's fate when obsession takes over.......2007-06-13

Reviewers are to put it mildly, quite ambivalent about this movie! Some hate it saying it's 'nothing more than porn', others are puzzled by the seeming paradox of such extremes, of both 'love and aggression' existing in the very same tale, especially since the tale's 'hero' and 'heroine' start out, and remain throughout, till the end, a most unlikely pair to choose as one whose love, initially so playful and innocent looking, will grow into something very different. But really, the concept dramatized by this movie, that passion is a turbulent mix of 'love and aggression', is not new. And it can be found in many tales of passion throughout history, and today. These two opposite (but not necessarily opposing if blended right) drives (love/aggression), are to be found, in fact, (as more subtle less extreme forms), in all human activities that passion enters into--i.e. most activities in the 'playground' of being human, in which play park of course, love and sex play starring lead roles! This movie highlights this paradox in such a dramatic way, that we cannot avoid noticing it! However, to KNOW that this paradox exists, in passion, is quite a potential 'eye opener', and one of the basic truths of being human! And this movie did bring it home.
Also, for me, the movie was quite believable in its portrayal of the crazy slide from lust and playfulness, and thrill-seeking, at first, to obsession, then addiction. As such, the movie's plot makes total sense. It followed the classic pattern of evolution seen in many compulsions--from mild, to moderate, and finally, to extreme, of crazy and destructive activity, that is generated by the obsessive's need to CONSTANTLY UP THE ANTE to ever increasingly extreme stimuli, to maintain the same level of thrill! This pattern, in my view, if accepted by the viewer, makes this movie not at all paradoxical or unbelievable, but a very true and sad classic portrayal of the tragedy of obsession and compulsion. The movie is worth watching for this alone! Not to mention, I must say, before the climactic last 30 minutes, I found the sex portrayed as quite hot, loving, and far from cheap robotic stuff that merits the label 'porn'!

Over long Japanese porn.......2007-02-14

I really dispise any porn movie that the director's ego thinks is a "Erotic, daring, sensitive". This movie gets very tedious after the first hour, everything they had to say to each other was redundant after the 2nd screw. I guess the master of the house can boink any maid that's handy. And in Japan no one wears underwear. I wonder if she carried his wing-wang around in her purse at the end? I thought it would be a lot better I wish I didn't buy it. If anyone wants to buy it I'll give you a good deal.

THE CENSOR HAS BEEN AT WORK HERE.......2007-02-11

This version from Fox-Lorber, in Japanese with English subtitles, is really only 97 minutes long, not the 105 as claimed. Although it still is replete with graphic sexual behavior, it seems there is not quite as much as I remember from before, and yes, we are missing 8 minutes of footage. While little is done to affect plot development or to alter the overall story, somebody somewhere was busy with the scissors on this version; they will let us see this much graphic sexuality and no more. Since it still carries an NC-17 rating I don't see the point, but then the bluenoses never cease their gadfly gaddings about, snip here, snip there, pretty soon you are convinced you have seen the whole thing, not realizing that someone has gone to great lengths to censor your veiwing intake. The official running time was 105 minutes as made, the box says 104 minutes but the clock on my DVD player says 97 minutes. Why bother excising a movie already rated as NC-17 unless you are a zealot trying a sneak edit.

The only other alternative for this film is the version dubbed into English only, with no subtitle option at all.
I don't know whether that one has been edited.

You decide: two stars as entertainment or four stars as art house cinema.......2007-01-30

The sets are beautiful, the actors play well, and the story captivates the audience. But the story is bizarre and some of the scenes are revolting. So is Realm of the Senses something worth watching?

If you want to see explicit erotica as entertainment, be honest with yourself and get a Playboy or Penthouse video or whatever. "Realm" deserves an X rating but it's gruesome, not arousing, sex. That said, as art "Realm" offers a view of the stranger side of Japan and of where unbridled passion can take you. In this vein, I prefer Peter Greenaway films but why limit yourself to just one director. "Realm" isn't as good as The Cook The Thief His Wife and Her Lover, but it's still an engrossing film.

The story of the movie is fascinating in its own right. First, this is officially a French movie. In order to get around Japanese censorship, the film canisters were sent to France undeveloped and the film was released as a French production. It was initially banned in Japan, then a censored version was released with clouds over the shall we say Strategic areas of the image.

The female lead, Eiko Matsuda, disappeared from the art scene. The male lead, Tatsuya Fuji, is still active as an actor and he also took up pottery ten years ago. In fact he starred as a master potter in the 2006 Canadian-Japanese coproduction Kamataki. The director, Nagisa Oshima, still directs and is most famous overseas success was Merry Christmas Mr. Laurence.

Vincent Poirier, Tokyo

Realm of the Senses.......2007-01-11

Very good, but very depressing. Excellent production, but be careful--you must like pensive mysteries with "brutal" fantasy themes, that are just too realistic!

Average customer rating:

A look at colonial customs
The Sleeping Dictionary
A Period Piece Set In 1939 Malaysia--Just A Typical Jessica Alba Romp
raffles reviews
Inter-ethnic love was forever impossible in colonial Britain

The Sleeping Dictionary
Starring: Jessica Alba , Brenda Blethyn , Hugh Dancy , Bob Hoskins , and Christopher Ling Lee Ian
Director: Guy Jenkin
Manufacturer: New Line Home Video
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ASIN: B00007LB4B
Release Date: 2003-02-18

Amazon.com

Don't let the title fool you: The Sleeping Dictionary is the most seductive argument for foreign-language education a boy ever had. Hugh Dancy is a young and idealistic colonial official posted to Britain's deep-jungle Sarawak outpost in 1939, and Jessica Alba (Dark Angel) is the "sleeping dictionary," a sexy tutor who proves that the fastest way to learn a language is through lovemaking. Guy Jenkin trades in old clichés for new ones in his revision of the exotic old melodramas of forbidden love between handsome colonial men and gorgeous, guileless native girls. Alba's accent slips and slides but she's a sweet, sexy, and beguiling presence, while Bob Hoskins and Brenda Blethyn uphold the all-important appearance of British morality. If you can overlook the contrivances, it makes for a lush romantic fantasy about the triumph of love over the hypocrisy of so-called civilized society. --Sean Axmaker

Description

A sexy and comic love story, set in the 1920s, about an idealistic young British colonial officer who arrives in a remote jungle outpost to find himself assigned a local beauty to sleep with him and teach him the language.

Customer Reviews:

A look at colonial customs.......2007-02-11

While Alba may have been miscast in her role, she performed with an innocence that was believeable. I enjoyed this movie a great deal.

The Sleeping Dictionary.......2007-01-11

For some reason this title is not very well known. I went to the video store and asked for this title and they had no clue of what I was talking about. That would make this film a very good kept secret. I enjoyed the movie throughly. The story line was brilliant as was Jessica Alba's acting. Alba makes her part in the film very believable.

A Period Piece Set In 1939 Malaysia--Just A Typical Jessica Alba Romp.......2006-11-15

I'm going to preface this review by saying that I think "The Sleeping Dictionary" might have made an excellent movie. But, unfortunately, as it stands--it is more of an interesting failure. Set in 1939 Malaysia, the film's locale does offer a colorful and lush backdrop to the story. Hugh Dancy stars as a British official who is sent into the jungle to "civilize" the natives--his actual job functions are somewhat sketchy and superfluous. Any time the film spends looking at his actual "work" seem to be for a culture clash comedic effect. He meets a Malaysian girl, Jessica Alba, who is to serve as his "sleeping dictionary"--someone who will teach him the local language and warm his bed. Of course, the two fall in love which brings about a whole series of complications.

Now if this is supposed to be 1939 Malaysia, it is absolutely the most modernized and Westernized version possible. I couldn't take this picture seriously for a moment. Getting past that, the first half of the movie wants to be a frothy comedy while the second half is a romantic tragedy. This shift in tone is not wholly effective. By playing the first part so light, the film doesn't get us to invest in it's story or characters. When things turn more serious, then, it might hold your interest but you are never emotionally involved.

I actually like the fact that Jessica Alba wanted to try a film of a more serious nature, but sadly she falls short. Half the picture, she slinks around like a playful kitten uttering lines more fitting to a modern romantic comedy than a period piece. It's so out of place as to be jarring, but actually most of the blame falls on the script's shortcomings. Those of you purely interested in Alba as a physical specimen--there's a fair amount of sex. She does, however, contort around unbelievably so as not to show any actual skin (except for a couple of obvious body double moments). As for her believability as a Malaysian--I'll be kind, it just doesn't work.

Hugh Dancy is far more successful as the idealistic official. And Bob Hoskins and Brenda Blethyn are reliable, as always. For those looking for a really spirited romantic, exotic epic--I'd suggest Michael Mann's sublime "Last of the Mohicans." I just didn't connect with this film in the way necessary to make it really memorable. It's not a disaster, it's just wasted potential--and I'm sad to say it only merits about 2 1/2 stars which I'll round up because it's pretty to look at. KGHarris, 11/06.

raffles reviews.......2006-11-10

This is definitely a "sleeper". Maybe I loved it because I have strong personal conections in the geographical region and know the area and peoples where it was shot. Even so a delightful movie and gets my highest recommendation...not an easy thing to accomplish.

Inter-ethnic love was forever impossible in colonial Britain.......2006-10-25

The English will go on harping on their colonial past for quite many decades still. That past is for them a source of guilt and they cannot erase it or even alleviate it enough to accept it as past and no longer that pregnant with meaning. In this case we are in Sarawak. A young British officer is provided with a native woman who is supposed to teach him the local language in bed. But this is absolutely secret and even denied, even among people who actually know. The young officer of course is supposed to take advantage of the situation then marry a good English girl to abide by his national duty. And that's it. The film of course takes the case in which the young officer falls in love with the girl. Rejection, fake accusations, everything will be used to force the English officer to do his duty, and to get the native girl and other natives out of the way. And yet the film moves forward onto a rather sentimentalese ending that avoids the tragic force it could have had. It also avoids really discovering the native surrounding culture that remains anecdotal, exotic and rather simplified in feelings. Apart from that it is a rewriting of Romeo and Juliet but with the happy ending of an escape into the wilderness. Furthermore, the film points out the real negative dimension of this colonialism : to force a foreign culture, a foreign language and even a foreign life style onto people who should have been able to righteously keep their language, their culture and their life style and evolve from what could appear as a primitive civilization to a more advanced state but on their own logic and dynamic. No one has the right to force any people to adopt a mode of thinking and a life style that does not come from their own heritage and tradition.

Dr Jacques COULARDEAU, University of Paris Dauphine & University of Paris 1 Pantheon Sorbonne

Average customer rating:

Long Lost Mini-Series
Great Historical Miniseries
Backstairs at the Whitehouse
Good Entertainment
Great cast.

Backstairs at the White House
Starring: Olivia Cole , Leslie Uggams , Louis Gossett Jr. , Robert Hooks , and Leslie Nielsen
Director: Michael O'Herlihy
Manufacturer: Acorn Media
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ASIN: B000AYELAQ
Release Date: 2005-11-01

Amazon.com

From the golden age of television miniseries comes this prestigious 1979 production based on Lillian Rogers Parks's memoir, My Thirty Years at the White House, a real-life American Upstairs/Downstairs that chronicles her family's tenure on the White House servant staff through eight presidential administrations. Emmy nominee Oliva Cole stars as Maggie, a proud matriarch with "indomitable spirit and unfailing spunk," and who is determined that her children "are not going to have street ways." She becomes the first colored maid on the presidential family floor, beginning with the William Howard Taft administration. Her polio-stricken daughter, Lillian (portrayed as an adult by Leslie Uggams) eventually joins her during Herbert Hoover's administration and likewise rises through the ranks to to become a trusted confidante of the First Families.

Backstairs at the White House works on several levels. It is the inspiring personal story of two extraordinary women who had a unique and privileged perspective of the people and events that shaped the first half of the 20th century. It also presents vivid snapshots of the presidents and their families in all their quirks (Mrs. Taft felt that bearded servants brought bad luck), failings, and greatness, as well as such now-obscure personages as New York critic Alexander Woolcott. The stellar cast is comprised of stage and screen veterans and TV favorites. Robert Vaughn (as Woodrow Wilson), Celeste Holm (as Florence Harding), and Ed Flanders (as Calvin Coolidge) were nominated for Emmys, as was Roots costar Louis Gossett Jr. as houseman Levi Mercer. Also notable are a pre-Airplane Leslie Nielsen as chief White House usher Ike Hoover, Cloris Leachman as the chilly supervising housekeeper Mrs. Jaffray, Victor Buono and Julie Harris as reluctant president William Howard Taft and his more formidable wife "Nellie," Eileen Heckart as energetic Eleanor Roosevelt, and Harry Morgan, giving 'em hell as Harry Truman. Backstairs at the White can be melodramatic ("You're not married to me, you're married to the White House," Lillian's estranged husband tells her at one point), but it never descends to soap opera. The Emmy-winning makeup is convincing, and the Emmy-nominated screenplay does an admirable job of compressing more than 50 years of history. "What is heard within the walls of the White House is to be forgotten," Maggie is instructed early in her employ. Luckily, daughter Lillian ignored this directive to create a compelling document that puts a human face on the occupants of the real West Wing. --Donald Liebenson

Description

The classic miniseries about two remarkable women and the eight First Families they served
Their unrivaled behind-the-scenes access gives White House staff a uniquely personal view of history in the making. Two remarkable women in one family served as White House maids over a period spanning five decades and eight administrations—from Taft to Eisenhower. Their story and a half-century of American history unfold in this star-studded drama, nominated for 11 Emmy® Awards.

Customer Reviews:

Long Lost Mini-Series.......2007-06-09

I remember this series back when it was premiered in the 70's. I loved it then and wanted to see it again but never found it scheduled. I was thrilled to see it reissued in DVD. Watching it brought back so many memories and I found it still had the charm and splendid acting I remembered from so many years ago. Seeing behind the closed doors of the White House gave a glimpse of a part of history we never see. I highly recommend it.

Great Historical Miniseries.......2007-05-15

I watched this mini-series when it orignally aired in 1979 when I was 10 years old. It aired over serveral weeks and my family would gather around the TV to watch it. I have been talking about this series since I was ten and have been dying to see again. I cannot tell you how excited I was to see that it had been released on DVD. The minute that I discovered it, I placed my order. It is a great piece of history, with a great cast and I urge everyone to see it.

Backstairs at the Whitehouse.......2007-04-04

This is an excellent series for people of all ages. It is an interesting look at all of the personalities who lived in the White House throughout the years. I have read the book and the series covers much of the same information. You feel sad when the series comes to the end as you wish it could continue!

Good Entertainment.......2007-03-26

I thoroughly enjoyed watching this mini-series. As a matter of fact I had been looking for this for years, ever since it originally aired and was thrilled when I found it on Amazon. If you like American History, you'll love this!

Great cast........2007-03-23

Where is Olivia Cole? The leading actress is this mega star TV miniseries
was truly a gifted actress. The historical ascpects of this story really make it interesting to watch. I recall seeing parts of it during the NBC broadcast of it back in the days of big network TV. Like "Roots", the production value was superlative.

Average customer rating:

John Hurt at his best!
One of the great page to screen adaptations.
"Do you intend to spend your whole life admiring yourself?"
where is the DVD version???
Top of the "A" list

The Naked Civil Servant
Starring: John Hurt , Liz Gebhardt , Patricia Hodge , Stanley Lebor , and Katherine Schofield
Director: Jack Gold
Manufacturer: BBC Warner
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000NJXG72
Release Date: 2007-05-29