The Manor

This is one of those pictures where I find myself asking, "Why did so-and-so take this role?" The script is so-so and the direction bizarre at times. The actors are great, working their way through a not-completely-compelling whodunit.

The lead character is a Scotland Yard detective and therefore Must Ask Questions. A *lot* of questions. So there is a repeated pattern of question-answer, question-answer that gets grating after a while. As noted, the actors (especially Greta Scacchi) do a remarkable job of lifting this poor writing off the page and infusing it with wit and meaning.

Altogether I found it an odd film, trying desperately not to be a play (with bizarre editing) instead of just embracing its intimacy. The "mystery" gets buried beneath the direction but it might be something to watch on a rainy Sunday afternoon when you're sick in bed.

This is an example of a movie where some judicious editing would have helped immeasurably.

The first half is an interesting whodunit in which Tomas, a Bohemian detective (well played by Martin Dejdar), attempts to determine the true story behind the death of a servant in the Ravenscroft mansion. His interaction with the mistress of the house, her daughter and governess, and the servants is amusingly prickly for about an hour. Unfortunately, impatience begins to set in when this same cat and mouse, back and forth continues on for another 40 minutes with all parties lying for their own reasons. To make matters worse, the scriptwriter has the inspector become increasingly drunk, an unnecessary plot turn that derails the tone set in the first half and which struck me as being distinctly out of character for Tomas. Ultimately, the resolution is not interesting enough to warrant the time and effort spent reaching it.

There are good performances from the whole cast, though top billed O'Toole is in the film only very briefly in flashbacks as the deceased patriarch. The set design and camera work are wonderful, top honors to art direction. Unfortunately, these positives are counterbalanced by an overlong tale muddled by useless plot contrivances.

What an incredibly refreshing film. It was just simply wonderful. Beautiful cinematography, outstanding performances, hilariously dark script. The perfect whodunit with just the perfect amount of wit. Gabrielle Anwar is spellbinding as the icy governess, and Greta Scacchi gives a breakthrough performance; I'd never seen her do comedy and she was simply brilliant. Peter O'Toole was chilling and tremendous, a great part for him. Laura Harris was excellent as the demented daughter of the manor, and Fay Masterson and Edie McClurg played the servant duo with absolute perfection. If you like, comedy, drama, or suspense this is a must-see, it's really a pity that this was not released in America. ****!

This is a real gem. Unknown to most people, this was ten times better than the more reviewed Gosford Park but better in all respects. The acting is solid and the camera-work and visuals are top flight. I highly recommend. Actors like Academy Award winner and legend Peter O'Toole in addition to some real sexy women like Greta Scacchi, Gabrielle Anwar, and Fay Masterson make this very watch- able. I also dare anyone to get ahead of the plot which has more twists than a molecular structure. The thing I really liked best about this is that it broke some of the rules of the genre and did some very inventing camera movement. Also it unveiled a few actors that most European audiences aren't that familiar with. People like Jiri Labus and Martin Dejdar are true pros. It also has some interesting animal scenes. I especially liked the metaphor of the wolves.

WoolyMonkey99

I stumbled on this little gem at its Santa Barbara debut. This film is a beautifully shot period piece, very cleverly written and well-directed. I'm looking forward to seeing it again when it comes to an independent theatre in L.A. Peter O'Toole is spellbinding and masterful. Everyone was well-cast. I especially enjoyed Edie McClurg as the cook. How refreshing to see a very intelligent, almost all-woman cast. Bravo to Ken Berris for this quality film!