The Prisoner of Zenda (1937 and 1952 Versions)

Customer Reviews:

1937 Ronald Colman Version.......2007-08-16

They don't make movies like this anymore.

"The Prisoner of Zenda" stars Ronald Colman as Rudolph Rassendyll. Mr. Colman was one of the few movie actors to survive the transition to sound. While many of his peers were found to have horrible speaking voice, Mr. Colman was blessed by the God. His cultivated English accent is a joy to hear. But I digress.

An English gentleman, Rudolph Rassendyll visits the country of Ruritania. Initially he is confused by the stares of the natives. He finds out why after meeting two loyal retainers of Crown Prince Rudolph, Captain von Tarlenheim (David Niven) and Colonel Zapt. Mr. Rassendyll bears an extraordinary resemblance to the Crown Prince Rudolph. Some generations before, a future King of Ruritania had an affair with the wife of an English Lord. Once a generation, the Elphberg face had popped up in the Rassendyll line.

The political situation in Ruritania is precarious. While Rudolph is to become King the next day, he has an older brother, Michael. Due to a legal technicality, Rudolph has precedence to the throne. However, Rudolph is viewed as a drunk and a wastrel by many of the subjects. In some quarters Black Michael is more popular than Rudolph.

Prince Rudolph is drugged to ensure he doesn't make his coronation. A Crown Prince too drunk to make his own coronation will never be King. At this point the movie really begins. Mr. Rassendyll is persuaded (by Colonel Zapt) to replace his cousin at the coronation. The forces of Black Michael led by right hand man, Count Rupert of Hentzau (Douglas Fairbanks, Jr.) kidnap the drugged King as Rudolph is crowned.

The maneuvering and intrigues by both sides are involved and complex. The story is fast-paced and engaging. There isn't a weak performance by any of the actors. These are great professionals having the time of their lives. The good guys are heroic. The bad guys are oily and nefarious. The women are passionate and loyal.

Douglas Fairbanks gives a stand-out performance as Count Rupert. His Count Rupert is a charming sociopath so smooth he'd be your best friend right up to the point he stuck a knife in your ribs with a smile on his face. Like his father Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. does his own stunts. The man was a superb athlete. He had considerable acting skills to match his eye-hand coordination.

Errol who?

This is a movie about duty, loyalty and obligation. It's about doing the right thing even though it will cost you dearly. You don't see that much in movies anymore. On top of this, it is still excellent entertainment.

The Prisoner of Zenda (1937 and 1952).......2007-08-09

Crossed Swords and Destinies -A Classi double Bill of Derring-do ! . He has the appearance and manner of the king , yet he's really a lookalike..and on his shoulders rests all hope of foiling a blackguard's plot to asurp the throne . Adventure , pageantry and royal intrigue are forged at sword point in two the finest screen version of the beloved Anthony Hope (1863-1933) 1894 Novel filmed many times . Ronald Colman (1891-1958) plays the double role in the resilient 1937 David O. Selznick (1902-1965) Production (Side A) , making plpable the heartbreak of he royal stand-in whose gallantry is tested by his love for the king's fiancée (Madeleine Carroll 1906 - 1987). Stewart Granger (1913-1993) stars in the eye-filling 1952 Color version (Side B) , Romancing Deborah Kerr (1921 - ) and wielding bold steel in the film's bravura climatic duel . High Quality Transfer . Recommended .

Classic Swashbuckling.......2007-07-05

Prisoner of Zenda has all the characters that are so identifiable a real classic movie for the family.

A classic and an attempted classic........2007-06-16

I think most film fans will agree that the Ronald Colman version of this oft-told tale is the finest, perhaps because the chemistry between Colman and Madeleine Carroll was perfect, but there is no denying that Technicolor would have added another touch of magnificence. This is the advantage of the 1952 version; the Technicolor is breathtaking, and while the performances were quite good, there is virtually no chemistry between the leads. Deborah Kerr is surprisingly cold as Flavia, but certainly very beautiful. Stewart Granger is nearly perfect as Rudolph. This is a fine double-feature, with each version offering its' own fine points.
You may very well be enchanted by both.

I love this movie!.......2007-06-01

I have been waiting for someone to release the 1937 version of "The Prisoner of Zenda" for quite a time. This has to be one of the best translations of novel to film of its period (and this puts it up against some stiff competition!). What really gives this version its edge is its outstanding cast. First there is the always wonderful Ronald Coleman. Too few of his movies are available on DVD and it will be a happy day indeed when a large collection of his films are issued in a box set. Along with Coleman, there are the always wonderful Madeline Caroll, C. Aubrey Smith, Raymond Massey, Mary Astor, and David Niven. However, the lion's share of acting glory must go to Douglas Fairbanks Jr. Did any actor ever have as wonderful a time playing a role as he does in this film? I doubt it and what a pleasure it is watching him play a world weary villain like Rupert of Hentzau? It really does not get any better than this!

This film comes with a 1952 remake, which though in color is just not as good as the original. The actors, Stewart Granger, Deborah Kerr and James Mason, while good just cannot match the original. However, probably serves to underscore the mastery of the first version.

Average customer rating:

Blue Chip
Grand Illusion
The mother of all escape films.
one of the top ten films of all time
A Masterpiece of French Cinema

Grand Illusion - Criterion Collection
Starring: Jean Gabin , Dita Parlo , Pierre Fresnay , Erich von Stroheim , and Julien Carette
Director: Jean Renoir
Manufacturer: Criterion
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ASIN: 0780020707
Release Date: 1999-11-23

Amazon.com essential video

It's long been one of the revered classics of international cinema, but there is no fine layer of dust over La Grande Illusion. Jean Renoir's film is just as vibrant, exciting, and wise as it has ever been. The story is set during World War I, mostly in a couple of German POW camps, where two very different French prisoners plot to escape: the working-class officer Maréchal (Jean Gabin, the French Spencer Tracy) and the upper-class de Boieldieu (Pierre Fresnay). The suspenseful backbone of the story is formed by these escape attempts, but Renoir is primarily concerned with the way people treat each other, and especially with how class and nationality inform human relations. Most compelling of all the film's characters is the aristocratic German officer von Rauffenstein, unforgettably incarnated by stiff-backed Erich von Stroheim; although he runs a prison camp, von Rauffenstein cannot help but strike up a friendship with de Boieldieu, a kindred spirit from the doomed nobility. There is nothing dewy or naive about Renoir's vision (and two years after the release of this antiwar film, Europe was plunged into another world war), yet Grand Illusion is one of those movies that makes you feel good about such long-outmoded ideas as sacrifice and brotherhood. After it won a prize at the Venice Film Festival in 1937, the Nazis declared the film "Cinematographic Enemy Number One." There can be no higher praise. --Robert Horton

Description

One of the very first prison escape movies, Grand Illusion is hailed as one of the greatest films ever made. Jean Renoir's antiwar masterpiece stars Jean Gabin and Pierre Fresnay, as French soldiers held in a World War I German prison camp, and Erich von Stroheim as the unforgettable Captain von Rauffenstein. Following a smash theatrical re-release, Criterion is proud to present Grand Illusion in a new special edition, with a beautifully restored digital transfer.

Customer Reviews:

Blue Chip.......2007-07-29

GRAND ILLUSION is the first title in The Criterion Collection, self-described by Criterion as "a continuing series of important classic and contemporary films. By most accounts GRAND ILLUSION fits that bill. But while historically important or technically innovative films such as GRAND ILLUSION may be of great interest and instruction to film artists, students, historians, theorists, and critics, what do they offer the average, contemporary viewer? If I've never studied film, if I have no real grasp of the technical virtuosity behind Renoir's tracking shots or deep focus, if I'm ignorant of the film's historical context, if I've seen, for example, the same prison escape done later and better (all the while appreciating that Renoir came first), the question arises: is there anything in it for me?

In any art form there are certain foundational works upon which all future generations of artists build. When I paint, the discovery and refinement of perspective by Giotto and Masaccio, the use of oil and canvas by the Dutch masters, chiaroscuro by Caravaggio, the elaboration of color theory by Albers and Itten, and Pop sensibility by Warhol all have a bearing on what I paint and how I paint it. Cinema is no exception. The foundational works are important to and influence the oeuvres of contemporary filmmakers. They reference, quote, steal from, and build upon these works. These movies, therefore, should mean something to us precisely because they mean something to contemporary filmmakers.

GRAND ILLUSION is multi-layered, as are all great works of art (what the "grand illusion" refers to has been debated for decades). It is a prisoner of war film, although not a very exciting one by today's standards. It is a soapbox for Renoir's brand of humanism. It is an examination of the dissolution of the old European world order as a consequence of the First World War.

Lt. Marechal (Jean Gabin), a working class pilot, and Captain de Boeldieu (Pierre Fresnay), an aristocratic staff officer, are French soldiers shot down during a reconnaissance mission by Captain von Rauffenstein (Eric von Stroheim), a German pilot, a career staff officer and also a member of the aristocracy. As fellow officers, Rauffenstein invites the downed French soldiers to lunch with him. At table Rauffenstein and de Boeldieu establish an immediate rapport based on their social class as does Marechal with the mechanic seated beside him.

However, the exigencies of war demand that men of vastly different backgrounds and social strata acknowledge and cooperate with one another, and this is elaborated upon in the next segment of the film. Marechal and de Boelieu are transported to a POW camp where we are introduced to Rosenthal (Marcel Dalio), a wealthy Jew. His generosity and kindness dispel any prejudice his fellow inmates might have in peacetime. A British soldier leads the French in singing "Le Marsellaise" upon learning of the French recapture of Douaumont. The aristocratic De Boelieu cooperates in the digging of a tunnel in an unsuccessful escape attempt.

That's enough of a plot synopsis to make a couple of points. The escape plan mentioned above is exactly that seen in THE GREAT ESCAPE and the singing of "Le Marsellaise" predates a similar scene in CASABLANCA. We can certainly enjoy THE GREAT ESCAPE and CASABLANCA without knowing anything about GRAND ILLUSION. But when we recognize the interplay between the two films, their intertexuality, we appreciate both films in fresh, more fruitful ways. Both films become more substantial. This is all part of what Mortimer Adler called The Great Conversation. But these are merely the two most frequently sited examples of Grand Illusion's influence.

There is a recent television commercial for MacDonald's Honey Mustard Chicken Wrap where a man digs an escape tunnel with a spoon. Stanley Donen's musical version of THE LITTLE PRINCE contains a scene where the Little Prince, during his interplanetary travels, comments upon the artificiality of national borders. GONE WITH THE WIND is in part about a way of life forever swept away by war. I have seen each of these in the weeks since I first saw GRAND ILLUSION, and each of these either shares a plot point or thematic material with Renoir's film. Each of these subsequent viewing experiences, however slight, has been unquestionably enriched by the associations I made with GRAND ILLUSION.

Having said all this, I have to confess that my connection with GRAND ILLUSION is intellectual rather than visceral. I watched this film all the way through because I knew I should, not because I couldn't help myself. The film, for all its restored glory, hasn't aged well. It looks a bit primitive. Renoir may have been a pioneer, but the thrill of seeing something cutting-edge in GRAND ILLUSION is exclusive to all but the audiences of 1937. That's the problem with films that rely on technical innovation for their appeal. They don't last (think TRON). A film's longevity depends on far more basic ingredients: a compelling narrative, impeccable structure, fine acting. The acting in GRAND ILLUSION is first rate (particularly von Stroheim), but the plot is not as fresh as it used to be. All in all, the whole viewing experience and the time invested was a lot like an investment in a blue chip stock. It's not a particularly exciting investiment, and you're not really in it for a big immediate gain. But you can expect it to pay a small dependable dividend for years to come.

Grand Illusion.......2007-06-20

One of the great achievements in world cinema, Renoir's "The Grand Illusion" explores the seemingly arbitrary borders of class, language, and citizenship that divide us. Banned by the Nazis on the eve of WWII, "Illusion" remains a compelling hybrid of the prison-escape genre and Renoir's own brand of warm, humanistic drama, characterized by the easygoing interactions between soldiers and prisoners. Expertly directed and wonderfully acted by Gabin, Fresnay, Von Stroheim, and Marcel Dalio as French-Jewish compatriot Rosenthal, "Illusion" is ultimately a brilliant critique of war itself. It was nominated for a Best Picture Oscar in 1938.

The mother of all escape films........2007-05-12

The Grand Illusion (Jean Renoir, 1937)

The Grand Illusion is the escape movie of all escape movies, the one from which all the rest descend. On that alone, it would be a classic. This is Renoir, though, and so pretty much by default, it is so much more.

During World War I, two French officers are captured by the German army. Marechal (Jean Gabin) is a working-class stiff who rose through the ranks; de Boeldieu (Pierre Fresnay) is an aristocrat. The two are held captive by von Rauffenstein (Erich von Stroheim), who sympathizes with de Boeldieu's plight and comes to see him as something of a friend, but the prisoners are concerned with nothing more than escape. Each discovered attmpt lands them in a supposedly more escape-proof prison, until they're reunited with von Rauffenstein in a castle high above a cliff, from which no prisoner has ever escaped.

The obvious sentiments can be found here, both the anti-war sentiment and the struggle between the classes, yet Renoir allows those to come out naturally in the telling of the tale. Would that more modern directors had learned from this approach. Marechal and de Boeldieu are surrounded by some great straight men (The Grand Illusion was an obvious influence over Billy Wilder's Stalag 17, the movie that in turn inspired the TV show Hogan's Heroes), and Renoir's sense of the absurd plays out in some great sight gags.

I have to admit that, despite the great critical affection for Renoir, I've never found him quite as compelling as Luis Bunuel; that said, The Grand Illusion is a fine, fine movie, and well worth your time if you've not seen it. ****

one of the top ten films of all time.......2007-05-06

Some comments on this reissue:

THE SUBTITLE SITUATION: You can opt out of displaying any subtitles or you can select English, in which case the letters are white but with tiny black borders around them to enhance visibility. THERE ARE NO SUBTITLES IN FRENCH, or in any other language. Grrr.

THE AUDIO SITUATION: There is either the original French, or a prepared commentary in English by Peter Cowie, who is immensely informative and interlaces his material with copious quotes from Renoir himself. There are no dubs into other languages.

The thing has been visibly remastered. Dirt and scratches have been removed.

The thing is, unless there's something I'm missing, there's something YOU'RE missing: the screen you see is only TV-sized: 1.33 to 1, whereas the original film was 1.37 to 1. Just a note to irritate the purists out there.

And another to the folks at Criterion Collection: The "filmed introduction by Jean Renoir" isn't rare anymore!

A Masterpiece of French Cinema.......2006-09-26

Jean Renoir's 1938 film "Grand Illusion" is a legendary film on so many levels. It's on a list of almost every film critic's favorite movies (it's listed in Roger Ebert's "The Great Movies"), it's #1 in The Criterion Collection (which isn't listed by greatness, for the record), and it's inspired movies/shows like The Great Escape and Prison Break. The latter, in it's second season of FOX, has a simalar escape plan. Ask most people who've seen this film and they call it a "Prison escape" movie. Technically it is; The main characters spend more than half the film trying to escape from a Prisoner-of-War camp, but it's a little deeper than that. The film opens on an interesting note; We meet Captain von Rauffenstein (Erich von Stroheim, 'Sunset Boulevard'), a German who has just succeeded in shooting down a French plane that holds Lieutenant Marechal (Jean Gabin) and Captain de Boeldieu (Pierre Fresnay). Even though he has just shot them down von Rauffenstein says "If they are officers, invite them for lunch." Sporting a broken arm Marechal and de Boeldieu join von Rauffenstein for lunch and then they are transported to a P.O.W. camp. Once they get there, Marechal and de Boeldieu are told by three wonderfully colorful characters about an escape plan. They are digging a tunnell that leads to a garden behind some buildings (in one scene, while the others dig, one guy sees that a prisoner has been shot. When he asks why, a soldier tells him the guy was found in the garden behind the buildings trying to escape.). Out of the three men that enlist Marechal and de Boeldieu to help them escape, only one becomes a main character. That's the rich Jew Rosenthal (Marcel Dalio), who recieves parcels of food from his family that he shares with his comrades. One of the other men steals every scene he's in and that's Cartier (Julien Carette), an actor who upstages almost everyone in the film. Anyway, when the tunnell is completed and the escape is set in motion; The men get news that all officers are being transported to a different facility. It's Marechal, Rosenthal, and de Boeldieu that end up together at the new camp that has von Rauffenstein in charge. Since they met him in the beginning, he sustained some spinal injuries ending his flying days and causing him to wear a neck/back brace. At the new facility, there's no tunnell to be dug and the walls are to high to scale...But that doesn't stop out protagonists from attempting to escape. Meanwhile, von Raffenstein befriends de Boeldieu which leads to some of the best moments in the film. One of the things that's most overlooked is that almost every scene in this film ends on a humorous note. Some verbal, most physical. I'm going to end my review of the MOVIE with the fact that this film has some incredible performances and is truly a classic film; You might have to watch it more than once for it to hit you, but this is an early masterpiece. Now, for the technical aspects of the DVD. Criterion usually does a pretty good job as far as picture and sound quality and here it's perfect. The film was made in 1938, but the picture and sound here is so clear that it could've been made a few years ago. I stumbled on this movie only because it was at the Library and I'm very glad I did. If you are a film buff or have any appreciation for film, you should see this movie.

GRADE: A-

The Last Confederate: The Story of Robert Adams

Average customer rating:

Excellent cinematography
Pure Gem of a Love Story
Revisionist History
The Last Confederate- Great Movie!
Great advance in independent film making

The Last Confederate: The Story of Robert Adams
Starring: Last Confederate-Story of Robert Adams , Julian Adams , Weston Adams , Mickey Rooney , and Amy Redford
Director: Julian Adams
Manufacturer: Velocity / Thinkfilm
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ASIN: B000NHG7DY
Release Date: 2007-06-26

Product Description

Matt Murphy and featuring appearances by music legends Kris Kristofferson Ronnie Hawkins Merle Haggard Levon Helm and more!System Requirements:Running Time: 86 Mins.Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: DRAMA Rating: R UPC: 821575553056 Manufacturer No: TF-55305

Customer Reviews:

Excellent cinematography.......2007-09-14

"The Last Confederate" takes a bold approach to film making, with rich cinematography lacking in many independent historical films. The film is also remarkable for it's portrayal of love and separation, a subject to which most of us can relate. I recommend the movie without hesitation.

Pure Gem of a Love Story.......2007-08-30

A "gem" of an honest film with excellent acting by actors both new and seasoned. Strong love story set amid Civil War. Beautiful production with added feature of being true story of one of America's most historic families--written, acted, and produced by Adams' Family members.

Revisionist History.......2007-08-14

With all due respect to the Adams family, I am appalled by the image this film presented of 19th century American slavery. In all, but one scene African-Americans were portrayed as existing as something more than property. The whites were polite to them and the slaves displayed loyalty to their owners, it's as if slavery was never an issue in the American Civil War.

I did not have a problem with the way Union Troops were depicted, war always bring out the worse in all people--just look at Abu Ghraib. Some of you will be quick to point out that the movie is a love story and not a history lesson. But it is a not just a love story between a man and a woman. It is also about one family's love for a distorted memory of the past. In fact, many other Americans share a sentimental view of pre-civil war Southern culture and that is what troubles me about this film. That it is attempting to validate the illusion that the aristocratic South was a terrible lost, while in fact it deserved to be destroyed.

Still, I must give credit to both the technical and dramatic aspects of this movie. Although it is by far not a professional achievement, it is an impressive first attempt. I hope Julian Adams continues making movies. However, his future projects should be more emotionally detached so that he can stand back and see their true merit.

The Last Confederate- Great Movie!.......2007-08-09

The Last Confederate is the moving TRUE story of a Civil War soldier and his family. It is made more meaningful by the fact that it was a family product and labor of love. The director, Julian Adams clearly has a great deal of talent. He has a bright future as either a director, or actor or both. I recommend this to anyone who has an interest in history, family ties or someone who just wants to be entertained!

Great advance in independent film making.......2007-08-05

Hollywood would love to maintain their monopoly, uh, stanglehold on film-making with multi-million dollar budgets and big name stars. The problem of course is their cultural marxist worldview and moral filth continue to debase everything it touches.
This is an independent film with a different point of view which is skillfully done and beautifully presented. The female love interest is drop-dead gorgeous. Whoever she is she makes the plastic bimbos we are usually forced to see look comical by comparison. The setting is realistic, the costuming exacting and the historical research that went into dialogue is convincing.
The male lead is a devoted Confederate patriot who is an excellent archtype of the men in gray who served with devotion and sacrifice. Certain to raise the hackles of PC nazis everywhere it has managed to fly largely under the radar (just like Ang Lee's Ride with the Devil). Any publicity it gets now will just drive people to see it and HORRORS, they might get enough of the truth to cast doubt on their brainwashing, uh, education.
Give it a try and see for yourself. And to those out there who had the courage to make it, THANK YOU!! I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Average customer rating:

Fantastic Movie to be Watched OVER and OVER Again!!
Cute movie!
Typical Hallmark Hall of Famer, but Still Entertaining
This is the best movie....
In Love and War

In Love and War
Starring: Callum Blue , Barbora Bobulova , Peter Bowles , Nick Reding , and John Warnaby
Director: John Kent Harrison
Manufacturer: Lions Gate
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ASIN: B00005UW89
Release Date: 2002-02-26

Customer Reviews:

Fantastic Movie to be Watched OVER and OVER Again!!.......2007-05-08

This is one of my most favorite movies ever! I brings to life a simple romance in the midst of war. The actors are really good, and story line is clean. I would recomend for anyone of any age. I remember when I was 6 or 7 and my parents were watching it and I remember little bits of it. Then about a month ago I saw it at the library and instantly recognized it, even though I hadn't seen the cover for almost a decade. I also have a fine on it at the library for having it too long...

Cute movie!.......2004-05-27

I think this is one of the most adorable movies I have ever seen. I think as far as made for tv movies go this one is excellent! The actors were all great! Also what makes it such a good movie is that is a true story.

Typical Hallmark Hall of Famer, but Still Entertaining.......2002-05-18

The two leads in this (apparently true) tale of love, courage and sacrifice in war are very attractive and well suited to their roles. I had never heard of either Callum Blue or Barbora Bobulova but I would like to see more of them. The story of how an Italian village (or many of its inhabitants) hid a young English commando from the German occupiers is inspiring, if a little too neat in this presentation, and the photography of the surrounding Italian mountains and the village itself is lovely. I found it interesting that here, as in"Capt. Corelli's Mandolin", a recent movie,is presented the incongruous situation in which the Italians,part of Hitler's Axis presumably, are only too happy to lay down their arms at the first news of Allied successes and make common cause with the Americans or English, as the case may be, despite the presence of the Germans. At any rate, this makes for an interesting love story between the English commando and the young Italian girl whose family first befriends him. Worth watching.

This is the best movie...........2002-04-06

This movie, in my opinion, was better than Pearl Harbor. I loved it! The ending is just.... so perfect, you'll cry. I can't say enough how much I loved this movie. If you liked Pearl Harbor (and even if you didn't!), you can't go wrong with this one!

In Love and War.......2002-03-31

A miraculous true story of courage, determination and love in war-torn Italy.

While leading an ill-fated commando raid behind enemy lines during World War II, British lieutenant Eric Newby (Callum Blue) is captured and imprisoned. As Italy's fascist government collapses, the prisoners escape just ahead of the advancing German troops. When an injury leaves Eric stranded and on his own, a chance meeting with a young Italian woman, Wanda (Barbara Bobulova), saves his life.

Wanda and her family help Eric to hide, and she secretly teaches him Italian to conceal his identity and avoid recapture. As the two spend more time together, Eric discovers his feelings for Wanda have grown far beyond gratitude. This newly found love is shared by his beautiful rescuer.

Amazon.com

Sadly, playwright Wendy Kesselman's sensitive story about anti-Semitism is rather forcibly directed by former casting agent Billy Hopkins, as if this were not so much a feature film as a glorified after-school special for TV. Despite that, the film largely works on the strength of its two leads: Claire Danes, who plays a young Jewish girl identified as such at her private, coed high school, and Jeanne Moreau, who plays her grandmother, a Holocaust survivor. As Danes's character is increasingly shunned and becomes a target of bigotry and vandalism, Moreau's loving grandma helps keep her from going over the edge.

The film also concerns the high price of being different on many fronts. Not only is Danes's young heroine dissimilar to her friends because she's Jewish, she's also intense, keenly intelligent, and a poetry lover. When she falls for a callow stud at school who worries about the opinion of his idiotic friends, she feels for the first time the pain of being rejected for being who she is. Moreau is magnificent as the lifelong survivor who knows when to give her granddaughter refuge and when to push her into the real world to find her own footing. Danes's performance reads like a map of increasingly exciting things to come in her career; there are moments in this film when you look at her and can see the consummate actress in her future. --Tom Keogh

Description

Hot young stars Claire Danes (LES MISERABLES, WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE'S ROMEO + JULIET) and Jude Law (COLD MOUNTAIN, THE TALENTED MR. RIPLEY) heat up the screen in this passionate story about fitting in ... and falling in love! Head-turning cute but painfully shy and self-conscious, Daisy (Danes) feels like a complete outsider at her stuffy New York prep school. So when she catches the eye of the coolest guy in school, Daisy is totally psyched ... but afraid that opening up too much might blow it for her. Also starring legendary Jeanne Moreau (EVER AFTER, THE SUMMER HOUSE), I LOVE YOU, I LOVE YOU NOT is the film that proves dreams worth having are definitely worth wishing for!

Customer Reviews:

JUDE LAW..YUMMI...WEIRD STORY.......2007-03-29

This was the 1st movie i saw with Jude Law and i fell in love with him right away. I think this story is very sweet at the begining but it is a little bit weird and confusing.. u gotta keep up with Claire Danes's character which is a weirdo girl. I bought this dvd a while ago but what i didnt like is that there is a part that they edited, where they are in the park and they start kissing and he is about to take off her top and she says "no, just wait..wait for me" something like that. THEY TOOK THAT OFF! man!

My So-Called Holocaust Life.......2006-02-12

I am so angry at this film that it will be very difficult for me to contain the harsh words that are ready to spew from my mouth. This will not be a review for young readers. I Love You, I Love You Not was an atrocity from beginning to end. From both the disgustingly poor editing, to the sloppy acting, all the way to the horrendous themes that seemed to plot two random events together this film screamed "After School Special". In fact, now that I think about it, "After School Special" would be too delicate of a summary, it instead felt like a eager undergraduate film student attempting to be smart by attempting to poorly summarize the Holocaust with the turmoil of being a high school student. Hopefully the professor of this assignment saw the project and properly gave it the "F" it deserved. Hollywood completely outdid itself on this doozy of a film. I am surprised that the Jewish community didn't find this film offensive in the way that it trivialized the events of the Holocaust and compared them to the social troubles of a High School girl. I was upset by this occurrence, and I am not even Jewish. After this short film viewing, I felt dirty, upset by the Hollywood community, and ready to shout obscenities at everyone involved with this project. I Love You, I Love You Not was just another Hollywood attempt to monopolize on Claire Danes' My So-Called Life popularity while trying to be overly symbolic by involving the Holocaust. Is anyone else as sick as I am about this disgraceful marriage?

I do not understand at all what director Billy Hopkins was attempting to convey with this film. The themes were muddled in a slew of choppy editing and horrid flashbacks that left my mind in a confused knot. In one instance we had Danes unwilling to spend time with her grandmother, while in the next instance she was opening up everything in her life to her, while in the next she was making out with the mirror, and suddenly in the next she was asking Moreau to tell her a nightmarish bedtime story involving Robert Sean Leonard. Wouldn't that give anyone nightmares? It did give everyone nightmares and preempts our next step into the randomly anti-Semitic High School in which Danes attends. Unlike other films that use the Holocaust to show the injustices of the world, like in School Ties, this film randomly interjects the anti-Semitic moments near the end as if only to help strengthen already dead climax. Like nearly every scene in this film, the supposed "high-points" come and go nearly as quickly as modern fashion, leaving the viewer with nothing at all. I walked away of this film with an embarrassed look. While there may have been some attempt at meaning behind Billy Hopkins' camera, what eventually was released was a childish attempt to combine the trivial life of a High School girl to that of the monumental disaster known as the Holocaust. Could you put these two together? A great director probably could, but Hopkins' could not. All that it seems that he wants to create are meaningless dramatic plot-holes coupled with beautiful people.

Which, ultimately, leads me to the acting. While "abhorrent" would be a light word summarizing the purely absent acting of Danes, Law, and Van Der Beek, it is the only one that I could think of. Danes, using the same character structure from My So-Called Life in this film, could not find her way out of a paper bag if she tried. I could hear Hopkins in the background saying, "Give me more Angela Chase, I hired you for Angela, I WANT ANGELA". Her character is all over the place, manic depressive in one moment, happy the next, chaotic throughout, pitiful entirely. I loved the fact that she was a "reader", but one of the most ignorant characters created. You would think that with all the books she would have learned from them, sputtering quotes throughout the film, but alas, that never happened. Again, we were left with only Angela Chase. Award winning Jeanne Moreau bounces of the non-existent acting of Danes by providing her own character which does not fit into this film. Obviously disturbed by her time in Auschwitz, Moreau never develops this. She allows Danes to walk all over her, creating a weak grandmother and a needy, spoiled granddaughter. Throw in "boy-toy" Jude Law only for looks (because his character was as transparent as Saran wrap) and you have the worst cast in cinema. Nobody did any work with their characters, but instead walked around the set happy to be earning some, if any, money for their roles. I am surprised that both Danes and Law were able to pull themselves out of the I Love You, I Love You Not rut.

Overall, this was a confusing film that was only proven worse by torrential acting, very ill cinematography, a hasty Hollywood story (very obviously created by the infamous recycle machine), and by combining a trivial moment in a teenager's life with the historical hardships of the Holocaust. That would be similar to me trivializing the horrible deaths on the beaches of Omaha with me not getting a date for my Senior Prom. That just is painful to hear and visually see. The acting was non-existent, but obvious ploys to get a younger audience to attempt to connect with the story. The direction was nauseating. The constant flicking between present day and past stories kept me dizzied for days afterwards. Then, there was the uproarious casting of Robert Sean Leonard, I couldn't help but laugh when I continually saw him on screen. The only actor worth mentioning in this film was Julia Stiles, but that was because she kept her mouth shut. This was a disaster from the beginning and should be forgotten by all!

Grade: * out of *****

Strong Women, trying times.......2005-05-09

How could I resist seeing what the pairing of Claire Danes and Jude Law would be like? Honestly, I would love to see them together again. Jude Law is actually not the most important character in this, the relationship that is the glue of this movie is between the Claire Danes character and her grandmother, played by Jeanne Moreau. They have a great sisterly bond, occasionaly one of them has to play the adult, but often it is just play. It was really touching to see.

Jude Law is the 'it' boy while Danes is the wallflower he is intrigued by but dissapointed to learn that no matter how charming he is, she is always going to be herself. Her intense, poetic and mysteriously sad self.

The back of the box really gave no indication of what this story was really about, which was kind of nice, I might not have picked it up, but it was compeltely missleading!

I really enjoyed this movie, and the way it interplayed Daisy's life with her grandmother's experience with being a German Jew during Hitler's reign. I wouldn't call it sad, but a very contemplative movie.

It would have been nice to see Law's character come to some sort of enlightenment, but all in all it was satisfying, because he isn't the focus. The focus is between these two strong, surviving women, and their relationship stands the test of the movie. Which I applaud completely.

Interesting in idea, but fell through slightly..........2004-04-03

I liked this movie...alot, but it could have been alot better. Claire Danes, Jeanne Moreau, and Jude Law did excellent jobs. The problem wasn't in the acting, and wasn't really in the dialogue. the problem was taht at times it was hard to follow and some parts felt unresolved or unexplained. It would have been nice to see more of the relationship between Law's and Danes' characters. It also would have been nicer to have just a bit more on Law's character on his own and why he went with Danes' character. The dreams and quasi-flashbacks were also very hard to follow. Maybe if the movie had been longer and given a cleaner, but not necassarily perfect feel it would have been better. the anti-semetic letters she get and the reason for the break-up isn't very clear and if we had been able to see more than a few temporary moments of her relationship with her parents then we'd get a bigger picture of the character's problems.

I'd suggest it to anyone who is a fan of Claire Danes or Jude Law. Or just a good movie.

Blah.......2004-03-22

I really hated this... it wasn't even worth my time to TiVo it. It was completely unrelatable and just dragged. It rubbed me the wrong way.

Average customer rating:

Great film - super sloppy DVD
Here, love relies on ineffable mystery and destiny...

Waterloo Bridge
Starring: Harry Allen , Jimmy Aubrey , Florence Baker , Phyllis Barry , and Leo G. Carroll
Manufacturer: Castaway Nw UK
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B000FCUZ3A
Release Date: 2007-09-18

Customer Reviews:

Great film - super sloppy DVD.......2007-09-08

This is a fabulous film but it is Public Domain and by the Asian writing on the cover I'll assume it is one of many poor quality DVD transfers. Unfortunately it is not out in anything significantly better but this price is absurd as you can get it for $5 at any Asian Mall. Watch the film if you can but pass on this DVD.

Here, love relies on ineffable mystery and destiny..........2007-01-17

Robert Taylor was an inspired choice for the role... Not only does he have an imposing screen presence, but he brings the perfect mix of enlightenment, humor, compassion and emotion to the part...

Opposite him, Oscar Winner Vivien Leigh, perfect in her innocent lovely look, radiantly beautiful, specially that evening in a trailing white chiffon gown... Leigh floods her role with personal emotion giving her character a charismatic life of its own... As a great star, she delivers a heartfelt performance turning her character into a woman who undergoes an emotional awakening...

In this sensitive motion picture, Mervyn LeRoy captures all the tenderness and moving qualities... He makes every small thing eloquent, concentrating the highly skilled efforts of many technicians on the telling of a very simple bittersweet love story... Vivien Leigh paints a picture that few men will be able to resist... Her performance captures the audience to the point of complete absorption... Robert Taylor (carrying sympathy all the way) quietly throws all his vitality as an ambition actor into the task... Their film, a credit to both, is a heavily sentimental tale about the vagaries of wartime...

Love is the only thing this movie is about... The story is simple: Myra Lester (Leigh) is a frail creature, an innocent young ballet dancer and Roy Cronin (Taylor) is an aristocratic British army officer... When their eyes met it took no time at all for their hearts to feel the loving call... They meet on London's Waterloo Bridge during an air raid, and fall deeply in love... Their romance is sublime, and they soon agree to marry...

The lover's marriage has to be postponed when the handsome officer is suddenly called to the front... Sadly, the sweet ballerina misses her performance to see her captain off at Waterloo Station... Fired from the troupe, she is joined by her loyal friend, Virginia Field (Kitty Meredith), and the two vainly try to find work, finally sinking into poverty and the threatening fear that goes with it...

The film is replete with beautiful and poignant scenes, specially the 'Auld Lang Syne' waltz scene in the Candlelight Club, before Taylor leaves for France...

Seen today, 'Waterloo Bridge' has retained all its charm and power, all its rich sentiment, and tragic evocations...

Average customer rating:

POWs IN A NEUTRAL COUNTRY
Jean`s Amazing Screen debut
Jean`s Amazing Screen debut
Great Movie!
Great true to life war story.

The Brylcreem Boys
Starring: Bill Campbell , Chris 'Kit' Ryan , Jean Butler , Gabriel Byrne , and Hal Fowler
Director: Terence Ryan
Manufacturer: Fox Lorber
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B00004R614
Release Date: 2000-07-05

Description

In an effort to remain neutral, Ireland made a deal to intern any soldier, German or Allied, captured on Irish soil. During a dogfight, Allied pilot Miles Keogh, and German pilot Rudolph von Stegenbek shoot each other down and are captured. The camp commandant tries to keep the peace between these sworn enemies. But, when both men fall in love with Mattie, their hatred becomes personal.

Customer Reviews:

POWs IN A NEUTRAL COUNTRY.......2007-01-21

I've often wondered about stupid things like this.

A funny thing happened on the way to the war.
I was captured by a neutral country.

It's better to be lucky than good.
Life sucks, wear a helmet.

Action, violence, romance, drama, politics, diplomacy.
Mature audiences.

Jean`s Amazing Screen debut.......2000-01-28

I really loved this movie with very strong performances from the lead actors and the debut of dance star Jean Butler is truly fantastic and the dance gig she performs is worth 5 stars on its own and i am suprised Bill Campbell isnt a bigger star that he is, Angus maCfadden showing what a fine and underated actor he is as the German and the dvd is very good as it includes a decomentary of the real life camp of WWII,i highly reccomend this movie if you like real life ar stories as it has everything,action,comedy,romance ,fights etc and includes many excellent performances from UK Tv stars including Joe McGann and John Gordon Sinclair,but for me it is the astounding beauty of Jean Butler`s performance that lights up the screen and makes this movie a must.

Jean`s Amazing Screen debut.......2000-01-28

Great Movie!.......2000-01-11

although there was not much fighting(killing) in this movie, i love it the way they showed more of the relationship between two different sides without actually killing each other. and plus wow that Jean Butler is beautiful, i love her in the riverdance! yeah go Jean go! hehe! good movie, get it! all i can say

Great true to life war story........1999-09-28

I've seen this film many times and love it, as a 20year old it just show's that war story's are not just for the old.

Amazon.com

One of the most unjustly underrated Italian operas receives a production that should help correct that attitude. Andrea Chenier is based on the true story of a poet who was caught up and destroyed by the blind fury of the French Revolution. Giordano's music captures the acrid flavor of that movement, the cynicism of some of its leaders, and Chenier's integrity and tragic fate. This production's value has probably increased since Plácido Domingo, the leading Chenier of his generation, has dropped the role from his repertoire.

All three principals sing eloquently and with a fine sense of the opera's structure and context. Anna Tomowa-Sintow is in even better voice than Domingo, and Giorgio Zancanaro heads an expert supporting cast. The Covent Garden Chorus, directed with distinction by Michael Hampe, gives a memorable impression of the revolutionary mob. Julius Rudel's conducting is totally idiomatic. --Joe McLellan

Description