ej_edwards

This film should rank with Schindler's List (also starring the exquisite Ralph Fiennes) as one which really brings home the horrors of WWII. It is a very moving and poignant film which brought out in me a whole array of emotions - anger, sorrow, disgust and even the occasional bit of happiness.

The scene which sticks most in my mind is the one in the concentration camp, when Fiennes' character (one of them, at least) is stripped, beaten, hung from a tree and frozen over to die in front of his son and hundreds of other Jews. Fiennes really is outstanding as the various generations of Sonnenscheins/Sors. The seam between Jennifer Ehle and Rosemary Harris is undetectable as they share the character of Valerie Sors (something, perhaps, to do with the fact that they are daughter and mother). You could argue that the film is a little long in length, but in order to do justice to the fascinating story, it is warranted. This film should be shown to school kids to illustrate the suffering caused to man by fellow human beings. Aside from that, it is an excellent film with harrowing scenes and memorable performances.

This is what British drama - good British drama - is all about: fine performances (not just a big name dragging a bunch of good-lookers), effective direction, an unbeatable, realistic script and effects that don't take over from actions.

Jennifer Ehle was excellent as the enigmatic Melissa in the title role, Julie Walters - as ever - turns out a stirring performance, and Diana Weston's drunken Hope brings a smile to the face with those Shirley Bassey impersonations.

Something of a gentle thriller, and something that will definitely keep you guessing until the end.

This is possibly THE best adaptation of a Jane Austen novel of all time (with stiff competition from the BBC's 1995 version of Pride and Prejudice). In her exquisite screenplay, Emma Thompson has portrayed the essence of Austen's novel perfectly, and the directing - courtesy of the excellent Ang Lee - captures rolling English country side (second only to the green valleys of Wales!) and the array of fine performances. The cast boasts the talent of not only Emma Thompson herself as elder sister Eleanor(two OSCARS don't do her enough justice) but a pre-Titanic Kate Winslet as the passionate Marianne, Greg Wise as the dashing but dastardly Willoughby, Hugh Grant in his usual dithering, floppy-haired Englishman and Alan Rickman as the subdued Brandon. With a superb supporting cast - too excellent and vast to mention individually - this film makes for a timeless classic to be watched in enjoyment over and over again.