The Affair

Starring:Natalie Wood, Robert Wagner, Bruce Davison, Jamie Smith-Jackson, Pat Harrington Jr., Kent Smith, Paul Ryan (II), Frances Reid, Mark Roberts, Anna Aries, Steve Riskas, Brett Ericson, Robert Stull, Anna Karen, Paul Pepper, Sue Taylor, Victoria Carroll, Keith Walker, Marland Proctor (II)
Director: Gilbert Cates
Studio: Platinum Disc
Product Type: DVD

Average customer rating:

"What happens if a car comes?" "We die."
Awesome
The Notebook
My favorite movie!
Unforgettable Summer Romance

The Notebook (New Line Platinum Series)
Starring: Tim Ivey , Gena Rowlands , Starletta DuPois , James Garner , and Anthony-Michael Q. Thomas
Director: Nick Cassavetes
Manufacturer: New Line Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

New Line Platinum Series | Fully Loaded DVDs | Features | DVD | Video

( N ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

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

The Notebook
A Walk to Remember
The Lake House (Widescreen Edition)
Pirates of the Caribbean - Dead Man's Chest (Two-Disc Collector's Edition)
Wedding Crashers - Unrated (Widescreen New Line Platinum Series)

ASIN: B000683VI4
Release Date: 2005-02-08

Amazon.com

When you consider that old-fashioned tearjerkers are an endangered species in Hollywood, a movie like The Notebook can be embraced without apology. Yes, it's syrupy sweet and clogged with clichés, and one can only marvel at the irony of Nick Cassavetes directing a weeper that his late father John--whose own films were devoid of saccharine sentiment--would have sneered at. Still, this touchingly impassioned and great-looking adaptation of the popular Nicholas Sparks novel has much to recommend, including appealing young costars (Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams) and appealing old costars (James Garner and Gena Rowlands, the director's mother) playing the same loving couple in (respectively) early 1940s and present-day North Carolina. He was poor, she was rich, and you can guess the rest; decades later, he's unabashedly devoted, and she's drifting into the memory-loss of senile dementia. How their love endured is the story preserved in the titular notebook that he reads to her in their twilight years. The movie's open to ridicule, but as a delicate tearjerker it works just fine. Message in a Bottle and A Walk to Remember were also based on Sparks novels, suggesting a triple-feature that hopeless romantics will cherish. --Jeff Shannon

Description

Behind every great love is a great story. Two teenagers from opposite sides of the tracks fall in love during one summer together, but are tragically forced apart. When they reunite 7 years later, their passionate romance is rekindled, forcing one of them to choose between true love and class order.

DVD Features:
Audio Commentary:2 Commentaries --Director Nick Cassavettes --Novelist Nicholas Sparks
DVD ROM Features
Deleted Scenes:12 Deleted Scenes
Documentaries:Nick Cassavetes Profile Featurette Author Nicholas Sparks Featurette Locating "The Notebook" Featurette Casting Noah and Allie featurette
Other:Widescreen & Fullscreen versions on one disc Rachel McAdams Screen Test
Theatrical Trailer

Customer Reviews:

"What happens if a car comes?" "We die.".......2007-07-02

A must have! This is by far one of the best movies I've ever watched. After witnessing a few scenes from this movie I just had to go out and buy it and I don't regret it!

"The Notebook" breaks away from the typical kind of chick flick and adds a touch of humor. The movie adds more focus to the character's first Summer together, unlike the book which I found to be quite a snoozer. Also, the character's personalities seems more realistic and have more depth to them as you will discover during their heated arguements. Noah's personality is so dreamy and you can't help but fall in love with him over and over again.

I found many differences between the book and movie, but I won't spoil it for you if you haven't seen either. :3 This movie definately allows you to take a step back and appreciate the relationship you have with your loved one.

Awesome.......2007-06-27

Excellent movie ! A wonderful story about soul mates, soul mates for life. It will bring tears of happiness and sadness. Definitely a feel good movie.

The Notebook.......2007-06-27

I rented this and decided it was one I could enjoy again and again
I figured the story right away which was good as it made it more enjoyable

My favorite movie!.......2007-06-22

I'm glad I finally got to buy this movie, it is one of my favorites. If you want to know what love could do to somebody and how powerful can be just watch this movie and you'll see what love is all about...

Just to let you know make sure you have a box of tissue handy, or maybe two haha!

Unforgettable Summer Romance.......2007-05-31

`The Notebook' is a sweet romance with a compelling story. The appeal easily develops with freewheeling dating scenes and revelations which unfold lovers sorting out priorities that hit so close to home. A bitter-sweet romance, the film is a beautiful tale of two sweethearts who come from completely different backgrounds but live in the same Southern town during the early forties.

Noah (Ryan Gosling) is from a dirt poor family and works as a logger for forty cents an hour. Allie (Rachel McAdams) belongs to the Southern aristocracy. She has private tutors for every class and most of her whims satisfied. It is love at first sight for Noah who spots Allie at a carnival and jumps between her and her chosen date from the platform of a Ferris wheel. Once he has her attention, he threatens to let go and fall to the pavement if she won't agree to date him. From there his colorful presence challenges every route she's ever known. They each bring a measure of deep beauty to each other: He recites poetry, and she creates paintings. All the oddball adventure he presents from lying down in the middle of a street to dare the traffic, letting go in a torrential rainstorm, to dancing in the street provide those defining moments that demonstrate how strangely people act when they are in love. As the summer ends their lives are disrupted: She is forced to go to Sarah Lawrence College in New York, and soon later he is drafted to fight in Europe during World War II. They split ways and find different lovers, but their relationship is truncated, especially when Allie's manipulative mother (Joan Allen) intercepts Noah's letters that are meant for her.

`The Notebook' is told from the point-of-view of "Duke" (James Garner) who reads the story of Noah and Allie to a beloved nursing home resident (Gena Rowlands) suffering from dementia. I kept thinking as they sit on a park bench in one scene that the story is retold in a manner not entirely different from 'Forrest Gump'. Duke narrates the story, and we come back to him and the woman until the two stories meet and have meaning.

Besides solid, absorbing performances by Gosling and McAdams, Garner softens the edge of the story as narrator, and Allen and Rowlands are easily captivating as Allie's complex and emotional mother and the elderly dementia patient. 'The Notebook' is a pleasing old-fashioned movie that easily plays on our heartstrings and provides a very satisfying viewing experience. (Based on a novel by Nicholas Sparks)

Average customer rating:

Shirley Valentine
reality
So good to see again
Shirley Valentine
Great chick flick

Shirley Valentine
Starring: Pauline Collins , Tom Conti , Julia McKenzie , Alison Steadman , and Joanna Lumley
Director: Lewis Gilbert (II)
Manufacturer: Paramount
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

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

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

Notes on a Scandal
The Queen
A Month by the Lake
Becket
Music and Lyrics (Widescreen Edition)

ASIN: B000MGBSIU
Release Date: 2007-05-01

Amazon.com

British actress Pauline Collins repeats her stage success as the character Shirley Valentine, a married woman who decides in her middle years that she wants more out of life. Leaving her spouse behind, she heads to Greece, where she grows close to a low-key, local bloke (Tom Conti). Collins and director Lewis Gilbert (Educating Rita) choose to let the character, as she did in the play, speak directly to the audience at times, and the gamble works in terms of creating a gentle, intimate atmosphere. Conti is a bonus, a warm presence and funny to boot. --Tom Keogh

Stills from Shirley Valentine (click for larger image)

Product Description

In the role that won her Broadway's acclaimed Tony Award, Pauline Collins is the hilariously endearing Shirley Valentine, a wisecracking, completely unpredictable English housewife who proves it's never too late to recapture your dreams. Bored with her suburban life, Shirley takes a chance on adventure when a friend invites her on a vacation to Greece. Within no time she's back to her rebellious teenage roots, saying yes to a wild fling with a handsome rogue (Tom Conti) and the life she's always wanted.

Customer Reviews:

Shirley Valentine.......2007-07-05

I forgot how good this movie is and the meaning of keeping your identity throughout your life. Even though you are married and have a family.

reality.......2007-07-01

I first saw this movie in 1989 - there is something for most women who have become less than themselves by taking care of everyone except themself. You can identify with the husband/wife , girlfriends and mother/child relationships. So if you need to get away - even though it is through Shirley - do it. This is a wonderful story of a 40'ish English woman who finds herself again - and has a good time on the way. I am so glad it is finally out in DVD - I have been looking for it for years.
I have to honestly say that this is my favorite movie!

So good to see again.......2007-07-01

Watch this movie any time you feel sad for a real pick me up--I laughed till I cried!!!!

Shirley Valentine.......2007-06-27

This movie is a wonderful suprise. It's about women who have lost their identity. We are someone's mother and someone's wife, but what happened to us, our hopes, our dreams. Shirley Valentine is about a woman who takes a chance by traveling to another country and discovering herself along the way.
The movie is funny with lots of British humor, the characters are people you know and it shows the Shirley she was, the Shirley she is and the Shirley she wants to be. It's a must have for any woman over 35 who feels old, dreams of running away from everyday life, work, children and what to fix for dinner again. I've bought multi copies for women in my family and friends.

Great chick flick.......2007-06-27

This great old movie is one that all women past the age of 40 can relate to and share together. I watched it with my 87 year old mother and she liked it as much as I did. My good friends recommended it to me and I plan to pass it on to others.

Average customer rating:

Good tale that could have been treated better
Life in Your Head
Watch it for Patrick Wilson
Blackest of Dark Dramedies
Superb film until the ending

Little Children
Starring: Kate Winslet , Patrick Wilson , Jennifer Connelly , Gregg Edelman , and Sadie Goldstein
Director: Todd Field
Manufacturer: New Line Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

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

Notes on a Scandal
The Last King of Scotland (Widescreen Edition)
The Painted Veil
The Queen
The Good Shepherd (Widescreen Edition)

ASIN: B000N3SU92
Release Date: 2007-05-01

Amazon.com

Kate Winslet operates at a galaxy-class level in Little Children, Todd Field's gratifyingly grown-up look at unhappy suburbia. Winslet is magnificent, in an Oscar-nominated performance, as a stroller-pushing mom who becomes attracted to a passive househusband (Patrick Wilson). Their slow-burning infidelity (Field wisely allows time to pass in this unhurried film) is contrasted with a more sensational subplot, about a convicted pedophile (Jackie Earle Haley, also Oscar nominated) returning to the neighborhood to live with his mother (Phyllis Somerville). Field, who brought his civilized approach to In the Bedroom, uses a deliberately literary style here, including a device with a narrator who sounds as though he's sitting at our side as he reads from Tom Perotta's novel. (The narrator is a superb touch--his cultivated voice distances us from the sloppy passions of the characters.) The film's biggest miscalculation is a self-appointed neighborhood vigilante (Noah Emmerich) determined to make life miserable for the pedophile. But Wilson is appropriately nebulous, Jennifer Connelly solid as his wife, and Haley (child star of the Bad News Bears movies), as the creepy, childlike molester, found himself rediscovered after a long career layoff. There's decent acting here, but Winslet is in a zone of her own, with so much emotional honesty and subtlety of expression that she transforms a good movie into a must-see. --Robert Horton

Description

Kate Winslet, Jennifer Connelly and Patrick Wilson star in the Academy Award nominated film Little Children, the latest work from Oscar-nominated writer/director Todd Field. Based on the novel by Tom Perrotta, Little Children centers on a handful of middle-class suburban parents whose lives unravel in the wake of an adulterous affair.

Customer Reviews:

Good tale that could have been treated better.......2007-07-05

"Little Children," adapted from the novel of the same name, is a movie about suburbia, what lies beneath the surface and the sympathetic battles we all have to overcome whatever they be. Jackie Earle Haley excellently captures an uneasy pedophile, otherwise, the acting is competent, but not fantastic. The script is also adequate enough. The problem with "Little Children" is it doesn't appropriately rise to either its potential or its source material. What "Little Children" needs is slickness, flash and flow to highlight the message it is trying to bring across and the tremendous talent behind it. The movie needs to better deliver its product. As it is, it is very wooden and hard to digest. The movie needs to set up better and pull harder on the heartstrings.

Life in Your Head.......2007-07-03

"Little Children" captured my imagination. I found the characters fascinating. Each person seemed to be so isolated, living inside their head. Todd Field who directed the bold and dramatic "In the Bedroom" does an incredible job. He and book author Tom Perrotta deservedly earned Oscar nominations for Best Adapted Screenplay. Sarah Pierce played by Kate Winslet loves her daughter, but isn't having much fun at being a mommy or a wife. Her husband has his own private life lurking at internet websites and ordering worn panties in the mail to spur his fantasy life. Both are incredibly isolated. Contrast this to the other couple with Jennifer Connelly playing Kathy Adamson who is lost in her work as a documentary filmmaker and so wrapped up in being a mommy that their child sleeps in their bed, literally creating a barrier between husband and wife. Patrick Wilson, who is also very good in "Evening" with Claire Danes, Vanessa Redgrave & Glenn Close, plays Brad, a young stay-at-home father who has twice failed the bar exam to become a lawyer. He isn't certain he wants to be a lawyer and spends evenings watching skateboarding teenagers. The park where they meet is populated with judgmental urban wives who call Brad the "prom king" because he's a good-looking young father who fuels their fantasies. Marsha Dietlein Bennett in her second film ("Little Manhattan") plays the blonde Cheryl who is hysterical in her chronic put-downs of everyone else. She's the kind of person who really couldn't think of anything nice to say about anyone. Then we meet the sex offender Ronnie who moves back into the neighborhood after two years in prison. Again, we meet a clinically isolated man, unable to socialize, living inside his head. Jackie Earl Haley who was in "The Bad News Bears" years ago and recently in "All the King's Men" earned his first Oscar nomination as well as film critics awards in Chicago, Dallas-Ft. Worth, New York, Oklahoma & the Southeastern Film Critics' Circle. Larry Hedges is the policeman who assumes a vendetta against Ronnie, which climaxes at the film's finale. Noah Emmerich from "Cellular" & "Crazy in Alabama" plays the cop who is also isolated & whose world is falling apart.

This was one of the Oscar-nominated films that never played in our little town. I wanted to see Kate Winslet's Oscar-nominated performance, which earned her fifth nomination. In fact, she had nine nominations at festivals around the country and world for "Little Children," but remained winless. Phyllis Somerville who was in "Swim Fan" does a tremendous cameo as Ronnie's mother, May McGorvey. I was touched by how sincerely both Brad and Sarah loved their children, despite feeling trapped by their roles as parents. The laundry room affair was shocking with its intense explosion of desire.

"Little Children" was excellent because there were no clear good guys or bad guys. It shows everyone living inside dreams in their head while trying hard to cope with the world around them. As a result, it came across as extremely realistic. Enjoy!

Watch it for Patrick Wilson.......2007-07-03

Patrick Wilson is so hot in this, great body, great face. The movie is good too, but I could not keep my eyes off that hot man. Wait til you see him in a pair of swimming trunks. Whoa! Even better, when he is in the raw.

Blackest of Dark Dramedies.......2007-07-01

I'm so glad I saw this without having known anything about the storyline nor having too high of expectations about the quality of the film, because the acting and storytelling here are nothing short of a voyeuristic revelation, and not knowing about it only enhanced the experience.

Kate Winslet first caught my attention in SENSE AND SENSIBILITY, and I rooted for her character there and in TITANNIC. Since then I've watched her career with interest. But it's as though she has risen to a new level in LITTLE CHILDREN. Here she gives a far more nuanced performance as a modern-day Emma Bovary, trapped in a loveless marriage, yearning for romance and passion while saddled with dreaded parental responsibilities. Winslet's performance especially -- as well as the entire movie -- serves as a primer on moral ambiguity and its depiction in art and film. She is so good that you forget you're watching a movie featuring the star of the biggest blockbuster in history and must remind yourself that you're not peeking through the blinds of someone who lives in your neighborhood.

As I watched I was reminded of another subtle mood piece, IN THE BEDROOM, which stays in your memory just as persistently. Afterward, when I looked up the names of the writer and director, I was pleasantly surprised to learn that Todd Field had directed both films.

I can see why some reviewers have compared LITTLE CHILDREN with AMERICAN BEAUTY, what with the story about suburban infidelity, the longing for passion and youth and depiction of graphic sex. But in this movie, when the adult characters behave like self-centered LITTLE CHILDREN, their behavior feels more plausible, less comical (despite the documentary-like black comedy of the voice over -- compare with Kevin Spacey's voice over), less naive about consequences, more true to life. And while I love AMERICAN BEAUTY and can watch it over and over, I think LITTLE CHILDREN is a very different film, a better film, but one with an unfortunately more limited appeal.

No, LITTLE CHILDREN isn't a perfect movie. The character of the child molester, despite an excellent performance, is the stereotypical sniveling misfit we expect, rather than a smart and skillful child rapist from the real world, one who knows how to lure his prey with patience and subtle appeal. Jennifer Connelly's character has too small of a role for her considerable talents. And in the real world, the overbearing former police officer's actions would have landed him in jail, or at least with a restraining order, long before the climax. But all of these quibbles are hardly noticeable at all as one is quickly involved in a story that doesn't let you go, one whose moral ambiguity has you rooting for the wrong people, hating the wrong people, and daydreaming for days afterward. Highest recommendation.

(By the way, I would be careful about letting teenagers watch, as this contains explicit adulterous sex scenes, a disturbing masturbation scene (not visible) and nudity that comes unexpectedly.)

Superb film until the ending.......2007-06-28

The acting here is superb throughout, with Winslet the standout in a stellar cast. The human drama keeps you hooked all the way. The ending, though, is a bit of a cheat. You spend most of the film wondering if these two people will run away together. When they finally decide to do so, their plans are undone by basically random events. True, that happens a lot in real life, but in films you like a little more resolution. You never know if they would have gone through with their plans or how it might have worked out. It's still a film very much worth seeing, though, and the Oscar buzz about Winslet's best-ever performance is justified.

Average customer rating:

Fun story but ...
Must see
Loved Love Actually...
Previews: Be Warned
I actually love LOVE ACTUALLY

Love Actually (Widescreen Edition)
Starring: Chiwetel Ejiofor , Colin Firth , Gregor Fisher , Martin Freeman (II) , and Jill Freud
Manufacturer: Universal Studios
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

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

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

Love Actually
Notting Hill (Collector's Edition)
Bridget Jones's Diary (Collector's Edition)
About a Boy (Widescreen Edition)
Four Weddings and a Funeral

ASIN: B00005JMFQ
Release Date: 2004-04-27

Product Description

"Get ready for fun!" (Leah Rozen, People) with the "feel good movie of the year!" (Clay Smith, Access Hollywood) Love Actually is the ultimate romantic comedy from the makers of Bridget Jones's Diary and Notting Hill. Funny, irresistible and heartwarming, an all-star cast (Hugh Grant, Liam Neeson, Colin Firth and Emma Thompson, to name a few!) will take you on a breathtaking tour of love's delightful twists and turns. Fall under the spell of Love Actually and share the laughs and charm again and again.

System Requirements:

Running Time 135 Min

Format: DVD MOVIE

Amazon.com

With no fewer than eight couples vying for our attention, Love Actually is like the Boston Marathon of romantic comedies, and everybody wins. Having mastered the genre as the writer of Four Weddings and a Funeral, Notting Hill, and Bridget Jones's Diary, it appears that first-time director Richard Curtis is just like his screenplays: He just wants to be loved, and he'll go to absurdly appealing lengths to win our affection. With Love Actually, Curtis orchestrates a minor miracle of romantic choreography, guiding a brilliant cast of stars and newcomers as they careen toward love and holiday cheer in London, among them the Prime Minister (Hugh Grant) who's smitten with his caterer; a widower (Liam Neeson) whose young son nurses the ultimate schoolboy crush; a writer (Colin Firth) who falls for his Portuguese housekeeper; a devoted wife and mother (Emma Thompson) coping with her potentially unfaithful husband (Alan Rickman); and a lovelorn American (Laura Linney) who's desperately attracted to a colleague. There's more--too much more--as Curtis wraps his Christmas gift with enough happy endings to sweeten a dozen other movies. That he pulls it off so entertainingly is undeniably impressive; that he does it so shamelessly suggests that his writing fares better with other, less ingratiating directors. --Jeff Shannon

Customer Reviews:

Fun story but ..........2007-07-05

I saw this movie on TV with several scenes edited out. I loved it and thought it would be worth buying so I ordered it. My wife and I watched it when it arrived - the edited version was so much better! There were a couple of scenes that were close to soft-core pornography.

I really liked the theme of several couples and the people they love; Hugh Grant did a great job - the concert at the end was a wonderful scene. Liam Neeson and his son were so charming - especially the running through the airport! And the man and his housekeeper who couldn't speak the same language was my favorite of them all.

I like the movie, but I wish it had been toned down just a bit with the unnecessary nudity.

Must see.......2007-07-05

Should have been nominated for best picture. Well written and acted. Very funny and touching.

Loved Love Actually..........2007-06-19

This is a VERY good movie! The music is good, the movie is good, the cast it good...

It is definitely a MUST see... you'll be glad you did!!

Previews: Be Warned.......2007-06-18

Ten minutes or more of previews, and the viewer is "prohibited" from fast-forwarding, even though the option to do so is stated on the disk. Who makes these decisions? I would not have bought the disk had I known.

I actually love LOVE ACTUALLY.......2007-06-17

What is not to love about this movie? I am a huge Hugh Grant fan. His charming, self-depreciating humor, mixed with his accent is always a win for me, I honestly did not know he was in it when I saw this movie by accident the first time. Love Actually is a story with a lot of moving parts. There are about 8 different stories going on at once, different types of love, of love stories....siblings taking care of one another, new love, infedility, unrequited love, loss of a spouse, first love....and all the stories are intertwined in a perfect quilt of a story. It won't lose you though....don't worry about that. It's easy to watch, and funny, and true. The cast is amazing, Hugh Grant, Collin Firth, Keira Knightley, and more. They way people relate to each other is odd, true and striking, and it just seems to resonate the love people feel for each other above anything else. Love actually is....all around.
Besides, who doesn't like to see cute Hugh Grant shaking his tail to the 80's hit " Jump"?

CAUTION- there are some partly nude scenes in here. I've had some friends tell me they let their kids watch not realizing. It's otherwise a great movie, it's a shame for the nude scenes because it's otherwise a good movie for the family. But, the nature of the nudity is pretty funny...just probably not the best thing for young viewers.

Average customer rating:

Chinatown
Twists & Turns
Great Jack Nicholson as Humphrey Bogart type pi
Very Good
Classic Film Noir.

Chinatown
Starring: Richard Bakalyan , Faye Dunaway , Jerry Fujikawa , Bruce Glover , and John Hillerman
Manufacturer: Paramount
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

Suspense | Mystery & Suspense | Genres | DVD | Video

Thrillers | Mystery & Suspense | Genres | DVD | Video

Mystery | Mystery & Suspense | Genres | DVD | Video

Detectives | Mystery & Suspense | Genres | DVD | Video

Neo-Noir | Mystery & Suspense | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Mystery & Suspense | Genres | DVD | Video

Mystery & Suspense | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

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

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

The Two Jakes
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
Sunset Boulevard (Special Collector's Edition)
Citizen Kane
L.A. Confidential

ASIN: B000022TSH
Release Date: 1999-11-23

Amazon.com essential video

Roman Polanski's brooding film noir exposes the darkest side of the land of sunshine, the Los Angeles of the 1930s, where power is the only currency--and the only real thing worth buying. Jack Nicholson is J.J. Gittes, a private eye in the Chandler mold, who during a routine straying-spouse investigation finds himself drawn deeper and deeper into a jigsaw puzzle of clues and corruption. The glamorous Evelyn Mulwray (a dazzling Faye Dunaway) and her titanic father, Noah Cross (John Huston), are at the black-hole center of this tale of treachery, incest, and political bribery. The crackling, hard-bitten script by Robert Towne won a well-deserved Oscar, and the muted color cinematography makes the goings-on seem both bleak and impossibly vibrant. Polanski himself has a brief, memorable cameo as the thug who tangles with Nicholson's nose. One of the greatest, most completely satisfying crime films of all time. --Anne Hurley

Customer Reviews:

Chinatown.......2007-07-03

Cynical, brooding, and knotted with mystery, Polanski's "Chinatown" is not just one of the best films ever made about the City of Angels, earning a dozen Oscar nominations--it's also one of the most superbly crafted, post-`40s noirs you'll ever see. The cast, of course, can't be beat: Dunaway is at once jittery, seductive and impenetrable, while Jack is at the top of his game as the Chandleresque former cop Jake. Real-life legendary director John Huston also delivers a titanic performance as the arrogant Cross. Watch for Polanski himself as a knife-wielding thug with a grudge against nosy people.

Twists & Turns.......2007-06-07

"Chinatown" is an amazing piece of film that grows richer as it grows older. It was nominated for 11 Oscars, only winning one for Robert Towne's Best Original Screenplay. John Alonzo, who was nominated for Best Cinematography, sets a sheen & sparkle to the vintage look of the film. The soundtrack is also brilliant. It was nominated for Best Picture but lost to "The Godfather Part II."

While "Chinatown" did not do well @ the Oscars, it was the Golden Globe winner for Best Drama and also brought Roman Polanski a Best Director Golden Globe award. Roman Polanski has done many classics including his other Oscar nominations as Best Director for Rosemary's Baby & "Tess" to his 2002 Oscar win for The Pianist. "Chinatown's detractors say that the pacing is slow, but I find that it builds intensity as each piece of the puzzle is revealed and somehow doesn't fit or indicates that there is more to the puzzle.

As Jake "J.J." Gittes, Jack Nicholson has never been better. His demeanor that leads you to think he never takes anything seriously is contained, with just enough wiseacre to make him endearing. Nicholson brought home the Golden Globe as Best Actor but lost the Oscar to surprise winner Art Carney for Harry and Tonto in a field that also had Al Pacino for "Godfather Part II," Dustin Hoffman for "Lenny" & "Albert Finney in "Murder on the Orient Express." As Gittes, we watch Nicholson twist and squirm. The scene where Roman Polanski slits Gittes' nose is brutal and remains emphasized as Nicholson plays following scenes with a big bandage on the middle of his face.

Faye Dunaway received her second Oscar nomination for this film. Her performance is incredibly controlled, but throbbing with the underlying secrets of her past and conditioned by the opulence of her wealth. She lost the Oscar to Ellen Burstyn for Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore.

The film's large cast is peppered with faces we had seen or later saw frequently. Darrell Zwerling whose career spanned the decade was also seen in "High Anxiety," "Grease" & "Capricorn One." As Dunaway's husband Hollis, he remains bespectacled & without dialogue for much of the picture until his character's tragic demise. John Huston's legendary career is reflected in the shadow of his presence on screen as the family patriarch Noah Cross. Perry Lopez plays detective Lou Escobar in his most memorable film. John Hillerman, who would play prominently on TV from 1980-1988 in "Magnum P.I.," plays Yelburton, the assistant water commissioner. Diane Ladd plays Ida Sessions, the fake Mrs. Mulray. Ladd picked up a Best Supporting Actress Oscar nomination for "Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore" that same year & was later nominated for "Wild at Heart" in 1990 and "Rambling Rose" in 1991. Burt Young who would be Oscar nominated for his character Paulie in "Rocky" in 1976 plays Curly who Gittes helps with marital matters. James Hong who played prominently in 1994's film The Shadow appears stoically as Mrs. Mulray's butler. "Chinatown" picks us up and carries us through to the ending, surprising with twists & turns. It is classic cinema. Bravo!

Great Jack Nicholson as Humphrey Bogart type pi.......2007-05-25

Great actors, script, and direction. Very good film noir technique. Can seen several times. The details are great.

Very Good.......2007-05-13

GO on seeing the movie until u are twisted by the twist given by the director

Classic Film Noir. .......2007-04-15

You're going to spend the majority of this movie wondering why it has the title it does and I'm not going to spoil it for you by mentioning it, but what I will say is that it has one of the great surprise endings in the history of Hollywood. The plot is outstanding and it's hard to tell where its going based on the first hour alone. Nicholson is superlative in the role of J.J. Gittes. His performance is nearly as good as Bogart's was in The Maltese Falcon. Dunaway and Houston are outstanding as well. Chinatown is every bit as entertaining as it is excellent.

Average customer rating:

The Graduate
INTERESTING LOVE STORY FOR CRAZY ERA
Akwardness Excellence
GREAT MOVIE ABOUT AN INDIVIDUALIST
Classic

The Graduate
Starring: Anne Bancroft , Dustin Hoffman , Katharine Ross , William Daniels , and Murray Hamilton
Director: Mike Nichols
Manufacturer: MGM (Video & DVD)
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

Classic Comedies | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

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

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

Annie Hall
Sunset Boulevard (Special Collector's Edition)
On the Waterfront (Special Edition)
Citizen Kane
Lawrence of Arabia (Limited Edition)

ASIN: B00079Z9VO
Release Date: 2005-04-05

Amazon.com essential video

Few films have defined a generation as The Graduate did. The alienation, the nonconformity, the intergenerational romance, the blissful Simon and Garfunkel soundtrack--they all served to lob a cultural grenade smack into the middle of 1967 America, ultimately making the film the third most profitable up to that time. Seen from a later perspective, its radical chicness has dimmed a bit, yet it's still a joy to see Dustin Hoffman's bemused Benjamin and Anne Bancroft's deliciously decadent, sardonic Mrs. Robinson. The script by Buck Henry and Calder Willingham is still offbeat and dryly funny, and Mike Nichols, who won an Oscar for his direction, has just the right, light touch. --Anne Hurley

Description

Nominated* for seven Academy Awards® and winner for Best Director, this groundbreaking and "wildly hilarious" (The Boston Globe) social satire launched the career of two-time Oscar®-winner** Dustin Hoffman and cemented the reputation of acclaimed director Mike Nichols. Pulsating with the rebellious spirit of the '60s and a haunting score sung by Simon and Garfunkel, The Graduate is truly a "landmark film" (Leonard Maltin). Shy Benjamin Braddock (Dustin Hoffman) returns home from college with an uncertain future. Then the wife of his father's business partner, the sexy Mrs. Robinson (Anne Bancroft), seduces him, and the affair only deepens his confusion. That is, until he meets the girl of his dreams (Katharine Ross). But there's one problem: she's Mrs. Robinson's daughter!

*1967: Best Picture, Actor, Actress, Supporting Actress (Katharine Ross), Cinematography and Adapted Screenplay

**1988: Actor, Rain Man; 1979: Actor, Kramer vs. Kramer

Customer Reviews:

The Graduate.......2007-06-28

One of the signature films of the 1960s, this feature introduced the world to Hoffman and gave Bancroft a racy role she played with marvelous feline cunning. This sublime black comedy transcends its period, speaking to new generations of alienated youth beginning to navigate a discordant, dysfunctional adult world. The supporting cast, including deft character players William Daniels and Murray Hamilton, are note-perfect, and that Simon & Garfunkel score still stirs the soul. A must for repeat viewings.

INTERESTING LOVE STORY FOR CRAZY ERA.......2007-06-09

The film boosted the profile of folk-rock duo Simon and Garfunkel, whose soundtrack album (The Graduate Original Soundtrack), on the strength of the hit single "Mrs. Robinson", rose to the top of the charts in 1968 (knocking off The Beatles' White Album).

The theme song of the movie, "The Sounds of Silence" is a melodramatic, slightly mournful tune. It manages to give the movie a sort of tension, which it demonstrates in other arenas. The generational gap is one of these themes which plays out throughout the movie. The songs seem to mainly play during moments of this particular tension, such as the scene when Ben is forced into the pool by his parents in his scuba outfit. The music gives the film a certain quality, without which it would be vastly different. Simon and Garfunkel were referred to as the "voice of a generation," and this is exactly what they provide in the movie for Benjamin and Elaine.

According to a Variety article by Peter Bart in the 15 May 2005 issue, Nichols had become obsessed with Simon & Garfunkel's music while shooting the film. Lawrence Turman, his producer, made a deal for Simon to write three new songs for the movie. By the time they were nearly finished editing the film, Simon had only written one new song. Nichols begged him for more but Simon, who was touring constantly, told him he didn't have the time. He did play him a few notes of a new song he had been working on; "It's not for the movie... it's a song about times past -- about Mrs. Roosevelt and Joe DiMaggio and stuff." Nichols advised Simon, "It's now about Mrs. Robinson, not Mrs. Roosevelt."

Noel Serrano
Gala Foundation

Akwardness Excellence.......2007-05-31

The Graduate is a classic. This is probably Dustin Hoffman's greatest performance. Never have I felt for such an awkward character. The cinetamography and directing is amazing. The ending is perfect. A most buy!

GREAT MOVIE ABOUT AN INDIVIDUALIST.......2007-03-15

Without giving spoilers away, I immediately see parallels that can be drawn between Groundhog Day and The Graduate. The main characters are individuals who, in their own way, are seeking happiness. Unlike Bill Murray's character in Groundhog Day, Hoffmann's Benjamin Braddock does not have the predicament or fortune, depending on how you look at it, of facing a "nine lives" way of living and reliving the exact same calendar day until he gets his life squared up and in order.

In both movies, there is plenty of stumbling and bumbling and repetitive, aimless wandering reminiscent of La Dolce Vita. Braddock is faced with several obstacles in his pursuit of happiness. He has just graduated from college and is expected to get a job and live out a life that is prescribed or envisioned by his parents and nearby locals.

Though he is a bit of an egoist and an egotist, Benjamin Braddock is willing to go against the grain to sort things out in his life and determine what his underlying sources of happiness truly are. This type of searching often puts him at odds with others, in fact, practically everyone else, and perhaps rightfully so, but the viewer almost cannot help but admire the "It ain't over 'til it's over" perseverance that comes to define this character.

In sum, after having also read and done a review of Ayn Rand's novel, We the Living, a book about a girl who is willing to sacrifice her personal safety in pursuit of her dreams, I conclude that The Graduate is a 1960's movie adaptation of this work but in a Western society with much fewer societal perils. A great character study is truly contained in this motion picture in a way that is not quite equalled forty years after the fact.

Five diplomas out of five for this movie!

Classic.......2007-03-04

Pretty much everybody agrres that this movie is a classic. Is it though a five star film? If you judge it from today's perspective probably not. But if you judge it from the perspective of the 60's it is. It talks (via Benjamin) about the new generation that does not know what to do with his life and his fears. Anne Bancroft is not the perfect looking woman, but she does have the capability and, in a certain way, the charm to seduce the young graduate. The film tends to be a bit slow, but again that is judging it from todays stadards and it is not exactly fair. The photography, the music and the perfomance of the cast is superb. Lets not forget that Alfa Romeo chaged the name of the car to "graduate" and sold it ntil the 80s in the US mostly due to the image of the movie.
A true classic.

Average customer rating:

After all these years . . .
An Affair to Remember
My Husband's Favorite Chick Flick
A Must See for all Romantics!
The Ultimate Romantic Movie

An Affair to Remember
Starring: Cary Grant , Deborah Kerr , Richard Denning , Neva Patterson , and Cathleen Nesbitt
Director: Leo McCarey
Manufacturer: 20th Century Fox
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

Classics | 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

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

To Catch a Thief (Special Collector's Edition)
Charade
The Philadelphia Story
Houseboat (Ws Sub)
North By Northwest

ASIN: B00007JMDF
Release Date: 2003-02-04

Amazon.com essential video

Get out your handkerchiefs for this four-star weepie, a 1957 remake of the 1939 Love Affair, directed by Leo McCarey, who also made the original. Grant and Kerr are strangers on an ocean liner, involved with other people, but who can't resist each other for a shipboard romance. They decide to test whether this is the real thing by agreeing to split up, then meet in six months atop the Empire State Building. Is there anyone who can resist that setup or the tragic romantic mishap that nearly splits them up? Can you keep dry eyes during the famous finale? Some prefer the original (with Charles Boyer); practically no one liked the underrated 1994 remake with Warren Beatty and Annette Bening. While occasionally a shade slow, this one soars on Grant's charm and Kerr's noble suffering. --Marshall Fine

Description

In this poignant and humorous love story nominated for four Academy Awards, Cary Grant and Deborah Kerr meet on an ocean liner and fall deeply in love. Though each is engaged to someone else, they agree to meet six months later at the Empire State Building if they still feel the same way about each other. But a tragic accident prevents their rendezvous and the lover's future takes an emotional and uncertain turn.

Customer Reviews:

After all these years . . ........2007-06-27

... you've just gotta love the humor and the sweetness of this movie. Okay, it may be a little too sweet (especially compared to Sleepless) sometimes, but Cary Grant and Deborah Kerr have magic chemistry that makes it a "feel good" movie. My favorite scenes are with Catherine Nesbitt- what a treasure she was! Sit back and enjoy 90 minutes of some of the best Hollywood ever had to offer.

An Affair to Remember.......2007-06-27

Had seen several times before andstill enjoy!

Yes i'm over 13 like 88!

My Husband's Favorite Chick Flick.......2007-06-08

A movie we never get tired of watching -- sequels be damned! This is the original.

A Must See for all Romantics!.......2007-06-03

This Classic romantic has not lost its sentimental charm. Cary Grant is the epitomy of grace and old world wit. He is at his prime in this love story of two souls that find true love in a cruise. Deborah Kerr is magnificent as she plays a very difficult and fragile part with great dignity and decorum. She also shows great style and acting agility. This is a great chick flick with a superb cast. There is alot of comedic timing and the climactic end is heart wrenching. The movie is great for all romantics the world over.

Noel Serrano

The Ultimate Romantic Movie.......2007-05-30

This "golden oldie" is one of the best romantic movies ever made. Cary Grant is in top form, and Deborah Kerr is a close match. I never tire of watching this fine film.

Average customer rating:

A Great Love Story
Yummy High Cholesterol '50's Fun!
A Summer Place-DVD
Summer, Sex and Suds
A SUMMER PLACE

A Summer Place
Starring: Richard Egan , Dorothy McGuire , Sandra Dee , Arthur Kennedy , and Troy Donahue
Director: Delmer Daves
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

Classics | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

Comedy | Kids & Family | Genres | DVD | Video

DVDs Under $14.99 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

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

Move Over Darling
The Heiress (Universal Cinema Classics)
Do Not Disturb
Where the Boys Are
The Complete Gidget Collection (Gidget / Gidget Goes Hawaiian / Gidget Goes to Rome)

ASIN: B000JU8HBA
Release Date: 2007-02-06

Amazon.com

Think A Summer Place, and you'll probably be humming Max Steiner's wonderfully romantic instrumental theme song, a hand-holding hit in 1959. The movie itself is similarly irresistible, a colorful soap opera about the passions of a pair of dewy-eyed teens and their straying parents. At an island resort in Maine, Sandra Dee and Troy Donahue (the reigning teen idols of the day) fall hard for each other. What they don't know is that her father (Richard Egan) and his mother (Dorothy McGuire), lovers 20 years earlier, have rekindled their affair. Both, inconveniently, have spouses, which is what makes this a soap opera. Lovers of camp will find much to savor in the incredible '50s attitudes, and in the innocence of supervirgin Dee ("Johnny, have you been bad with girls?"). Yet the sincerity of writer-director Delmer Daves, cowriter of An Affair to Remember, comes shining through the corn; and the grown-up affair anticipates The Bridges of Madison County by 30 years. --Robert Horton

Description

Illicit romance take center stage when a wealthy family set off for a summer seaside vacation.

Customer Reviews:

A Great Love Story.......2007-06-27

I really love the actors in this story and recommend anyone,who truly want to be loved to look at this story.It doesn't matter about family situations long as you have a level head in this new reality world,you can over come any given situation.

Yummy High Cholesterol '50's Fun!.......2007-06-13

As a social barometer of the times it may be reading a bit too much into "A Summer Place" to proclaim it as an early ripple in the social tempests still to come in the 1960's. Still those of us alive at that time know that in 1959 it WAS controversial to sympathetically portray adultery and teen sexuality as depicted in "A Summer Place". I remember my high school years (early '70's) and how girls who "got into trouble" would simply disappear and you'd never know what became of them until a classmate told you years later of their waywardness (this was still a VERY rare occurrence here in "flyover country" even then; how things have changed). And of course while adultery and divorce were likewise not quite so prevalent "back in the day," they certainly happened but not without considerable burden of stigma for the convention-defying lovers who tossed everything over for their passion.

So yeah, I do think the sociology of "A Summer Place" is significant but that's really the least reason to see it. Mostly it's just maximum guilty-pleasure FUN and a HUGE blast of '50's nostalgia and "attitude" that still has great charm and luster for receptive movie fans.

Rule number 1 is that you must have full tolerance for what we could now call cheesy acting and intensely overripe melodrama. AND ALSO you must be prepared for the intense full-frontal gumball-vivid Technicolor cinematography of the time. Too many viewers can't see beyond the stylistic conventions of the time a movie was made to appreciate the human story being told; what a pity! Think of everyone you know who just won't watch a movie because it's in black & white, or because it's obviously an old, overcooked Hollywood potboiler. You know what? Many of those are GREAT works of art however (like most art) they require that you make the effort to meet them halfway. Think of them not only as theatrical productions but also as time capsules of the era they were created--because that's exactly what they are. And how fortunate we are now to have such easy access on DVD for our enjoyment now!

But enough of the film theory stuff. "A Summer Place" appeals on many levels; the gorgeous cinematography, the convention-challenging story & script, the VERY effective and well-remembered orchestral score, and let's not overlook the cast. Sandra Dee & Troy Donahue do indeed project a kind of youthful innocence that truly is a thing of the past now, but was common in their time. Dorothy McGuire & Richard Egan give it their all as the reunited Pine Island lovers who cannot resign themselves to half-lives of marital indifference or cruelty. And how about those jilted spouses? You gotta love Constance Ford as the scheming, triple-bitter wife interested only in keeping her husband & daughter under her thumb. Look-the DVD transfer shows how she has make-up "frown lines" painted at the corners of her mouth just in case we don't get the point that she's a sullen, PO'd bitter woman. A Snidely Whiplash mustache wouldn't have been gender-appropriate, would it?!? Arthur Kennedy also gives a GREAT performance as Dorothy's bibulous husband who despite his degraded state still musters considerable self-awareness & ultimately inspires our sympathy.

I described "A Summer Place" earlier as a guilty pleasure, but now I want to back off a little bit in closing. This is not really drama that will shake you fiercely like, say "21 Grams" or "Dead Man Walking," however I confess I AM touched by the underlying sincerity of "A Summer Place" and its intent to provoke--gently--some questioning of the Eisenhower era values that seemed set in stone and indeed WERE a cage of oppression for many. Perhaps your appreciation of "A Summer Place" will be proportional to your level of receptivity to such a re-evaluation. All I know for sure is that you enjoy it half as much as I do, you will like it a very great deal indeed!

A Summer Place-DVD.......2007-05-12

I saw this movie about 20years ago and loved it, but I fell in love with the Theme song and have loved it till this very day. The quality of this movie was fabulous as was the service, no hassles at all, its a pleasure to have my very own copy of this movie. Thanks Amazon.

Summer, Sex and Suds.......2007-05-08

Nowadays novelist Sloan Wilson's a nearly-forgotten footnote to 50's pop culture, but he produced two big bestsellers that were made into iconic films of their time, THE MAN IN THE GREY FLANNEL SUIT and A SUMMER PLACE. Neither picture's a masterpiece, but both are of interest, with SUMMER PLACE having the edge for entertainment value; its tale of angst and lust, senior and junior division, still provides plenty of sizzle. Thanks to the production code, Hollywood danced around sex for years. When films began to address the subject, in pictures like PEYTON PLACE and A SUMMER PLACE, the tone was often breathless hysteria -- there's something of a disconnect when actors coiffed and dressed in high 50's fashion are tossing around Victorian language like "house of ill repute" and "harlot". That said, these movies provide fascinating glimpses of public morality. In today's climate, Paris Hilton's X-rated antics provoke less commotion than Wilson's relatively straightforward adultery and teenage canoodling do here. Attractive performances from Egan and McGuire, nice work from Constance Ford as the embittered, puritanical mother (Angela Lansbury must have been washing her hair that week), and career-defining turns from Troy Donahue and Sandra Dee. As I've said before on this site, Dee's always better than you remember her being. She looks fine here, always maintaining her dignity in a thoughtful performance of material that could easily have turned ludicrous. Throw in a memorable Max Steiner score, a good Warner's DVD transfer, and you've got a great Saturday night movie.

A SUMMER PLACE.......2007-05-06

SUPERB OLD CLASSIC.RATHER DATED IN ITS APPROACH TO EXTRAMARITAL SEX, DIVORCE AND MORALS BUT STILL GREAT NOSTALGIA.

Average customer rating:

OK
He got his Kicks
Find out what a billionaire does in his spare time
Watchable caper flick
Excdellent!

The Thomas Crown Affair
Starring: Pierce Brosnan , Rene Russo , Denis Leary , Ben Gazzara , and Frankie Faison
Director: John McTiernan
Manufacturer: MGM (Video & DVD)
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

Crime | Action & Adventure | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Action & Adventure | Genres | DVD | Video

Romantic Adventure | Action & Adventure | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

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

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

The Thomas Crown Affair - New Transfer
The Thomas Crown Affair: Music From The MGM Motion Picture
The Saint
Ocean's Eleven (Widescreen Edition)
Entrapment (Special Edition)

Accessories:

The Thomas Crown Affair: Music From The MGM Motion Picture

ASIN: 6305657947
Release Date: 2000-01-04

Amazon.com

For the Hollywood remake rule, which dictates that an update of an older film be inferior to the original in almost every aspect, The Thomas Crown Affair stands as a glorious exception. The original 1968 film, starring a dapper Steve McQueen and a radiant Faye Dunaway, was a diverting pop confection of mod clothes and nifty break-ins, but not much more. John McTiernan's new version, though, cranks up the entertainment factor to mach speed, turning what was a languid flick into a high-adrenaline caper romance. Thomas Crown (Pierce Brosnan) is now a man of industry who likes to indulge in a little high-priced art theft on the side; Catherine Banning (Rene Russo) is the insurance investigator determined to get on his tail in more ways than one. If you're thinking cat-and-mouse game, think again--it's more like cat vs. smarter cat, as both the thief and the investigator try to outwit each other and nothing is off-limits, especially after they start a highly charged love affair that's a heated mix of business and pleasure.

What makes this Thomas Crown more enjoyable than its predecesor is McTiernan's attention to detail in both the set action pieces (no surprise from the man who helmed Die Hard with precision accuracy) and the developing romance, the witty and intelligent script by Leslie Dixon (she wrote the love scenes) and Kurt Wimmer (he wrote the action scenes), and, most of all, its two stunning leads (both over 40 to boot), combustible both in and out of bed. Brosnan, usually held prisoner in the James Bond straitjacket, lets loose with both a relaxed sensuality and a comic spirit he's rarely expressed before. The film, however, pretty much belongs to Russo, who doesn't just steal the spotlight, but bends it to her will. Beautiful, stylish, smart, self-possessed, incredibly sexy, she's practically a walking icon; it's no wonder Crown falls for her hook, line, and sinker. With Denis Leary as a police detective smitten with Russo, and Faye Dunaway in a throwaway but wholly enjoyable cameo as Brosnan's therapist. --Mark Englehart

Description

Thrill-seeking billionaire Thomas Crown (Brosnan) loves nothing more than courting disasterand winning! So when his world becomes too stiflingly safe, he pulls off his boldest stunt ever: stealing a priceless paintingin broad daylightfrom one of Manhattan's most heavily guarded museums. But his post-heist excitement soon pales beside an even greater challenge: Catherine Banning (Russo). A beautiful insurance investigator hired to retrieve the artwork, Catherine's every bit as intelligent, cunning and hungry for adventure as he is. And just when Thomas realizes he's finally met his match, she skillfully leads him into a daring game of cat and mouse that's more intoxicating and dangerous than anything either of them has ever experienced before!

Customer Reviews:

OK.......2007-03-27

This movie is OK, but I prefer the original version with Steve McQueen. This remake is too Hollywood for me, with too many unbelievable stunts. The original was better.

He got his Kicks .......2007-02-07

Despite my misgivings I actually enjoyed this movie. I found it to be very entertaining. Pierce Brosnan is rich, affluent and board. He steals art treasures for kicks. Pierce Brosnan and Rene Russo make an acceptable and reluctant love duo. Denis Leary as the detective trying to nab Brosnan actually steals this film with his dedicated yet easy going style. As remakes go this is one of the better ones as of late. This film was made as one of Brosnan's non-Bond films during his tenure as 007. I still prefer the original.

Find out what a billionaire does in his spare time.......2006-12-22

+++++

This movie is a remake (actually not an exact remake) of the 1968 movie "The Thomas Crown Affair" starring the legendary Steve McQueen and Faye Dunaway (who has a small role in this remake).

In this movie a bored billionaire named Thomas "Tommy" Crown (Pierce Brosnan who also co-produced) masterminds an art theft of a 100 million dollar Monet painting. Unlike in the original movie (that was a bank heist), Crown actually participates in the theft.

Enter insurance investigator Catherine Banning (Rene Russo) with police detective Michael McCann (Denis Leary). Banning identifies Crown as the mastermind behind this crime. She's out to get him but a problem ensues along the way: she falls for Crown and Crown falls for her. Their scenes together are sizzling and explosive.

Unlike the 1968 original, there is tension created as the viewer wonders if Crown will actually get caught. As well, the sexual tension between Crown and the insurance investigator is heightened in this movie.

The acting is terrific by Brosnan, Russo, and Leary. I have to give special kudos to Russo as the smart and very sexy insurance investigator Catherine Banning. The background music is interesting and adds to each scene. There is a clever ending that I found unforgettable and fun to watch. I felt the entire movie was slick and ingeniously done.

Finally, the DVD (the one released in 2000) is perfect in visual and audio quality. It has the movie on both sides of the disc. Extras consist of the 1968 and 1999 theatrical trailers as well as a director audio commentary.

In conclusion, watch this movie for yourself to discover what a billionaire does in his spare time!!

(1 hr, 55 min; 1999; full screen; 36 scenes; rated `R')

+++++

Watchable caper flick.......2006-12-05

This is a movie that moves in fits and starts. Parts of it are a lot of fun, parts of it stumble.

Most of the stumbling is done when Rene Russo is the focus of the movie. Admittedly, the script verges on the downright ridiculous, and she's placed in scenes that were simply hopeless. (Some of the dialogue is so bad that this movie might almost have made its way into an MST3K episode.) Still, a better actress might have made them...less hopeless. I found myself groaning and rolling my eyes at her hamming. And to hot things up, she's reduced to shimmying sans underwear in a see-through gown, and then providing plenty of topless footage. It doesn't work. The sudden, extended nudity seems kind of jarring, as if I just switched over to Cinemax without realizing it. There are also scenes where Russo switches to the cartoonish character known as The Bitch, and she's not believable then, either.

Brosnan is also a touch ridiculous from time to time, but mostly he plays his usual suave, handsome character. If you like that, you'll like him here.

Dennis Leary surprises with a low-key performance. If I would have expected anyone to deliver a true hambone performance, it would have been him.

There are lots of shots of exotic locales, like a hilltop cabana on a tropical island, or a glider flying over a forest alive with autumn colors, that are nice eye candy. We had just gotten our first widescreen TV and it was pretty nice to watch this movie show off the TV.

I found myself reaching for the remote a few times during this movie, telling myself, "OK, I've seen about enough of this." But I must admit, it held my attention, just barely, to the end.

Excdellent!.......2006-12-02

I absolutely LOVE this movie. I am on my way to purchase my very own DVD today. I have been borrowing my sisters and decided I need my very own copy. Just like another reviewer said this movie requires intelect so if you do not have that don't bother. This movie is sexy, it has suspense, the music is nice and the characters make this movie seem very real. My sister and my friend use to rave about this movie years ago and I wander what the hype was about then finally years later I decided to watch it and became hooked! I can watch this everyday! LOL

Average customer rating:

Annie Hall
a classic!
Separating the "Horrible and the Miserable"
One of Woody's Best
A romantic comedy that's actually funny, moving, and original

Annie Hall
Starring: Hy Anzell , Colleen Dewhurst , Shelley Duvall , Russell Horton , and Carol Kane
Manufacturer: MGM (Video & DVD)
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

Urban | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

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

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

Hannah and Her Sisters
The Graduate
Play It Again, Sam
Crimes and Misdemeanors
Casablanca

ASIN: 6304907729
Release Date: 2000-05-30

Amazon.com essential video

Annie Hall is one of the truest, most bittersweet romances on film. In it, Allen plays a thinly disguised version of himself: Alvy Singer, a successful--if neurotic--television comedian living in Manhattan. Annie (the wholesomely luminous Dianne Keaton) is a Midwestern transplant who dabbles in photography and sings in small clubs. When the two meet, the sparks are immediate--if repressed. Alone in her apartment for the first time, Alvy and Annie navigate a minefield of self-conscious "is-this-person-someone-I'd-want-to-get-involved-with?" conversation. As they speak, subtitles flash their unspoken thoughts: the likes of "I'm not smart enough for him" and "I sound like a jerk." Despite all their caution, they connect, and we're swept up in the flush of their new romance. Allen's antic sensibility shines here in a series of flashbacks to Alvy's childhood, growing up, quite literally, under a rumbling roller coaster. His boisterous Jewish family's dinner table shares a split screen with the WASP-y Hall's tight-lipped holiday table, one Alvy has joined for the first time. His position as outsider is uncontestable he looks down the table and sizes up Annie's "Grammy Hall" as "a classic Jew-hater."

The relationship arcs, as does Annie's growing desire for independence. It quickly becomes clear that the two are on separate tracks, as what was once endearing becomes annoying. Annie Hall embraces Allen's central themes--his love affair with New York (and hatred of Los Angeles), how impossible relationships are, and his fear of death. But their balance is just right, the chemistry between Allen's worry-wart Alvy and Keaton's gangly, loopy Annie is one of the screen's best pairings. It couldn't be more engaging. --Susan Benson

Description

Considered to be "Woody Allen's breakthrough movie" (Time), Annie Hall won* four OscarsÂ(r), including Best Picture, and established Allen as the premier auteur filmmaker. Thought by many critics to be Allen's magnum opus, Annie Hall confirmed that he had, "completed the journey from comic to humorist, from comedy writer to wit [and] from inventive moviemaker to creative artist" (Saturday Review). Alvy Singer (Allen) is one of Manhattan's most brilliant comedians, but when it comes to romance, his delivery needs a little work. Introduced byhis best friend, Rob (Tony Roberts), Alvy falls in love with the ditzy but delightful nightclub singer, Annie Hall (Diane Keaton). When his own insecurities sabotage the affair, Annie is forced to leave Alvy for a new lifeand lover (Paul Simon)in Los Angeles. Knowing he may have lost Annie forever, Alvy's willing to go to any lengthseven driving L.A.'s freewaysto recapture the only thing that ever mattered'true love. *1977: Picture; Actress (Keaton); Director; Original Screenplay

Customer Reviews:

Annie Hall.......2007-07-03

One of the great modern love stories, the charming "Annie Hall" has Allen essentially playing himself, with Keaton's sweet, spacy Annie providing an inspired foil. Aside from its examination of contemporary relationships, the movie hilariously contrasts the flavor and essence of New York with sunny, hip Los Angeles, that sprawl on the West Coast which, to Allen's mind, is definitely alien territory. Touching, true, and extremely funny, this is Woody's peak.

a classic!.......2007-06-29

This film marks the pinnacle of Woody's career, introducing the main themes later rehearsed to death in subsequent projects. A self-conscious neurotic quippy self-flagellating Jewish comedian meets a juicy self-conscious WASP, wooing her, rejecting her and after being rejected himself longing for a life that could have been. There is always an aura of sadness about Allen's films - a sadness of masculinity longed for and never realized, of self-conte