deng43

if the comments were more evenly matched, fabulous vs. junk, i wouldn't bother, but there seems to be close to a consensus that this is a wonderful movie. not! the balancing pov is that this movie lacks any subtlety, has no nuance, keeps slapping you in the face when a little hint might have served to whet your appetite.

i confess that i came to this film to see maura; her work with almodovar is grand, this is not. i can only blame the director here. he belongs to some school of heavy-handed slapstickish comedy. three stooges fans might enjoy it. i did not.

the film's basic premise is well-used, but doesn't mean a fine movie couldn't be made from it. the screenwriter needed to calm down and stop shouting out what was going on. the director needed to stop directing the actors, asking for a bit more emphasis. the man needs to learn the meaning of nuance. don e.

i came to this seeking more susannah harker after seeing her in 'heat of the sun' and 'prime minister' and finding her captivating. almost all her work is for t.v.; this may be a blessing as if the movies discover her things might go south - movies can have that effect.

the entire cast is very good. gambon never lets us down and hannah is quite believable. i daresay none of the roles are badly cast. the script is written for real people, not mumbling wooden dummies - my main problem with most film is the lack of an intelligent and fun script. this one hits on all counts.

the plot is fairly standard but quite well done and this film comes up as very worthwhile viewing. a solid 8 out of 10; it won't change your life but will please you for a bit of time. bbc is simply the standard by which all else should be judged.

very odd how thinly seen and reviewed this piece is. don e.