Capturing Mary

To begin with, I found the acting in this film superb. Maggie Smith was flawless as ever, and, as I am accustomed only to David Walliams'comedic work it was a treat to see him in something completely different.

While watching it my expectations were turned on end continually. At first it was shaping up as "aged socialite revisits colourful past", then it veered towards romance, swiftly doing a 180 towards suspense/horror. I could never seem to be able to slot it neatly into one genre, and after some time of feeling frustrated and somewhat confused, I relaxed and decided to just watch. By the end I felt I had been on a journey, one without a predictable structure or clear moral outcome, but one that slowly revealed character's life-questions. And there was satisfaction in knowing those questions were only beginning to be answered by the roll of the ending credits.

The performances by Maggie Smith and David Walliams was excellent, as expected. The filming was beautiful as well. However, I have absolutely no idea what this movie was about. There was no point that was made.

I feel like I wasted 100 minutes of my life. What a fail!

Like Shooting the Past and Friends and Crocodiles, Poliakoff creates yet another intriguing dynamic between a man and a woman, and unlike every other television writer, he doesn't fall for the cliché that just because two people of the opposite sex meet that they should then fall in love.

No, his writing is far more interesting, far more subtle, and like his other films the relationship between the two protagonists is captivating. Unlike the other films however, in Capturing Mary it is also very creepy.

I loved the concept of this young woman unable to shake off these horrible stories she has heard, unable to escape from Greville's destructive influence. Yes by the end there are more questions than answers but I think this is a minor flaw in an otherwise brilliant observation of regret, loss, fear and the effect a few moments of your life can have on you forever.

Stunning, haunting, beautiful and eerie, you'll be thinking about this film long after the DVD has stopped.

A superb follow up to Joe's Palace, Danny Lee Wynter had done a great job bringing Joe to life and giving the house a strong character. Those characters once again combine and tell a totally different story, so different in tone to Joe's Palace.

Visually sublime, it's a drama that makes you think outside the box, it doesn't conform to any of the usual rules, it isn't confined by today's classifications. It's just Stephen Poliakoff doing what he does best, making you lose yourself in a story.

It manages to be both creepy and engaging. I've always been a fan of David Walliams, but in this serious, slightly odd role, he gave what I see as his finest performance, he's charismatic, somewhat unnerving, quietly chilling. When Maggie Smith is on screen you can't help but watch in awe, she is outstanding, as is Ruth Wilson as her younger self.

Mr Poliakoff you've done it again. This was exceptional, 9/10.

I watched this for the sake of two actors I admire and they didn't disappoint. The story is confusing, but Maggie & David have terrific screen presence. They only have one short scene together, but it's worth the wait. I'm a fan of David's comedic work and am aware that many may dismiss his talent because of this. In reality he is a dedicated actor, who enjoys learning new material and taking advice from directors/producers/co stars etc. The Making Of on the DVD shows this, as well as explaining some of the complexities of the plot. I look forward to the commentary too. I hadn't watched "Joe's Palace", but this wasn't essential. Maggie is simply magic. I read Greville as being a "vampiric" character - charming & sinister. No wonder she could never get him out of her mind. 8/10