Una promessa

The only sensible character here was Richard Madden's character. The rest were weird to watch.

And why did the camera zoom in on the characters out of the blue?...

3 stars for the outfits really.

Perfect costuming and set decor. Alan Rickman is splendid and Rebecca Hall has won me over. But. The camera-work is negatively strange and distracting at times. The sudden zoom ins and (tragically trendy) shaky cam, not my cup of tea. I wish my remote control had a stabilizer button.

The novel was exceptional and the love story devastatingly sad, but the film had so little chemistry between Rebecca Hall and Richard Madden that I felt nothing. Really didn't care about them at all. Not one bit. Nada.

Alan Rickman was extraordinary as usual (and so weird watching this film knowing this was one of his last films), but even he couldn't save this movie.

I've always been a big fan of Patrice Leconte, especially Man on a Train, a film that had a quiet haunting beauty about it. If only he had been able to suffuse A Promise with that same emotional weight.

When Richard Madden gets hired as Alan Rickman's assistant, he gets more than just a job in the bargain. Taken under Alan's wing, and taken into his home, he meets and quickly develops an affection for Alan's wife, Rebecca Hall. Yes, Richard's very handsome, but Rebecca didn't have an unhappy home before she met him. She had a devoted husband, plenty of money, beautiful clothes, a large house, and a child. Why, then, did Alan ever think it was a good idea to have a handsome, capable young man move into his home and spend time with his wife?

I was a little disappointed in this movie. The sets and costumes were beautiful, and given what they had to work with, the actors turned in fine performances, but the script itself wasn't very captivating. There were parts that seemed so obvious a double meaning or secret twist must surely surface, and while much of the movie promised a different meaning to the title, the denouement was a bit of a letdown. Still, if you really like period pieces and stories of forbidden love, you might enjoy renting it.

DLM Warning: If you suffer from vertigo or dizzy spells, like my mom does, this movie might not be your friend. Much of this movie is filmed with a handheld camera, and the movement might make you sick. In other words, "Don't Look, Mom!"

Tis a classic story of forbidden love told throughout the ages from ancient Greece up to the present day.

I enjoyed it as much as it goes, with excellent performances from the cast. I would have liked to have seen more of the young theatre talent Shannon Tarbet, who plays the initial girlfriend of the protagonist.

I thought that to update it for the modern audience an odd plot twist would have been good, especially for the men who might find this story somewhat ponderous.

A must for those who like Jane Austen, male viewers may fall asleep!