La femme de paille

So they don't make 'em like this anymore, really. Photography does wonders here. Players and story get thick into it. Gina L the very meaning of woooman...yummy thing. Story keeps you hanging on. Yes there is the Bondian flair to Sean but are we all prisoners of our being. Music, customes and editing round it out. Just a real treat from when movies were still movies not film de art or music videos.

This film, one of the earliest starring Sean Connery, has strong and alluring power of its own. The visual settings are magnificent, and Gina Lollobrigida was never more seductive or beautiful than in this motion picture. Connery shows more depth than in many of his later films--one wonders what direction his career might have taken if he had not fallen into the clutches of "Cubby" Broccoli and the whole 007 thing. Sir Ralph is, well, Sir Ralph--imperious, petulant, old school upper class damn-the-servants Brit...This film plays strongly to anyone interested in the psychological stress a crime induces in the various participants, and this is one of the many factors that separate it from the run of the mill police procedural. Finally, it has an evocative and excellent musical score--and no wonder, since Rimsky-Korsakov's Cappricio Espanol features prominently as a mood-setter. Altogether, a good rainy afternoon movie!

I had heard of this movie for years, but never saw it on cable TV or on DVD, but did stumble across it on NetFlix. This movie was filmed around the time Connery made From Russia with Love. I had no idea what to expect, but was pleasantly surprised that it's a pretty good thriller, and a great "Bond" bonus for Connery fans. The character of Tony Richmond has a lot of overlap with James Bond - his wardrobe, looks, association with fancy locales and sports cars, and treatment of women. As you watch Connery in this role, you will not be able to avoid thinking of him as Bond. That's not a bad thing, and doesn't detract from the movie, itself. But rather, I look at it as a bonus Bond movie. Connery was at his physical peak during the filming of this movie. His appearance, vocal delivery, and acting are also some of his best work in a film. I think Connery's physical appearance changed so rapidly between 1962 and, say, 1980, that every year he looked markedly different than the year before. Fans of Dr. No, From Russia with Love, and Goldfinger will appreciate seeing Connery in this movie when all his looks and skills were at their finest. If you have a couple hours to spend watching an older style film, or are a big Sean Connery fan, this is a recommended movie.

If you can find Woman of Straw, buy yourself a copy. You're going to want to watch it over and over again. This is a romantic thriller with a fantastic cast of Sean Connery, Gina Lollobrigida, Ralph Richardson, and Alexander Knox, that will have you talking about it for days afterwards.

Ralph Richardson is extremely wealthy, and as mean as he is wealthy. He abuses everyone who works for him, and most people, if they can afford to, quit. However, his latest nurse, the beautiful Gina Lollobrigida, stays despite the verbal assaults. Does she have a heart of gold, or does her endurance have anything to do with Ralph's sexy nephew, Sean Connery? That's all I'm going to tell you about the plot, and if you can watch this fantastic drama without anyone telling you more about the plot, take advantage of the opportunity. Yes, this is a short review, but it's one that highly recommends this smart, tense drama. Rent it for the eye candy or rent it for the great story, but whatever the reason, you'll be glad you did.

Enjoyed this film from beginning to end and and never realized how great an actress Gina Lollobrigida was and the performance she gave in this film as Marie Marcello. This story concerns itself all around a very wealthy billionaire named Charles Richmond, (Ralph Richardson) who was a very evil man and loved to mistreat everyone he came in contact with and treated his servants just like dogs and even the dogs hated this Charles. Anthony Richmond, (Sean Connery) hated his uncle and took all his abuse like a grain of salt until he met up with a nurse who came to the large mansion to attend to a dog bite. This nurse was Marie Marcello, ( Gina Lollobrigida ) who was very beautiful and had plenty of sex appeal both to Anthony and his uncle Charles. Anthony and Marie get their heads together and come up with a very clever scheme to get hold of this rich man's money. This is a very tricky story and you are kept guessing just how this film will end.