(Very mild spoilers.)
This movie came out in the UK almost a year and a half ago, and I had been following production for at least half a year before that, I think, so I'm not exaggerating when I say I've been waiting to see it for a couple of years. Now it has finally been released on DVD in the US, my hold came in at the library, and I was able to watch it with my parents last night. It had some flaws, but for the most part I greatly enjoyed it.
There seems to have been quite a bit of negative criticism regarding this movie, and I think it's mostly due to marketing. Most people who saw this were either expecting either a well-behaved period piece (the sort of thing most of these actors can do in their sleep) or a fast- paced, Hitchcockian thriller (as promised by the trailers), and it wasn't either, really. Certainly it wasn't "well-behaved." And it was far too slow-paced for most people who love modern thrillers. I'd described it more as a family drama/mystery with a strong sense of impending doom. And when you take it in that light, it's quite satisfying.
I'm a huge fan of Romola Garai, and I'll go ahead and admit that it was her presence that first interested me in this movie. For the first twenty minutes or so it seemed her part wasn't that large, and that she was just part of a strong ensemble cast, but both the role and her performance grew considerably as the movie wore on. The moment when she broke down and began cursing was cathartic, and reminded me a bit of Ingrid Bergman's "I am mad" speech from Gaslight. Need I mention that she looks gorgeous in her red evening dress?
As for the rest of the cast -- well, LOOK at the rest of the cast. British acting royalty, plus some great faces from the younger generation. I did think Jenny Agutter and Julie Christie could have been given more to do, but most everybody made an impression, especially Bill Nighy, Juno Temple, Eddie Redmayne, David Tennant, and Hugh Bonneville. Ooops, that's just about everybody, isn't it?
The countryside is beautiful, and director Stephen Poliakoff manages to keep the tension ratcheted up despite comparatively little happening in terms of action.
I did think the very last scene was a bit corny and contrived, found the sex scene thoroughly unnecessary, and wished a few things had been explained more clearly. But overall, a good movie, and one I'll watch again.
This movie came out in the UK almost a year and a half ago, and I had been following production for at least half a year before that, I think, so I'm not exaggerating when I say I've been waiting to see it for a couple of years. Now it has finally been released on DVD in the US, my hold came in at the library, and I was able to watch it with my parents last night. It had some flaws, but for the most part I greatly enjoyed it.
There seems to have been quite a bit of negative criticism regarding this movie, and I think it's mostly due to marketing. Most people who saw this were either expecting either a well-behaved period piece (the sort of thing most of these actors can do in their sleep) or a fast- paced, Hitchcockian thriller (as promised by the trailers), and it wasn't either, really. Certainly it wasn't "well-behaved." And it was far too slow-paced for most people who love modern thrillers. I'd described it more as a family drama/mystery with a strong sense of impending doom. And when you take it in that light, it's quite satisfying.
I'm a huge fan of Romola Garai, and I'll go ahead and admit that it was her presence that first interested me in this movie. For the first twenty minutes or so it seemed her part wasn't that large, and that she was just part of a strong ensemble cast, but both the role and her performance grew considerably as the movie wore on. The moment when she broke down and began cursing was cathartic, and reminded me a bit of Ingrid Bergman's "I am mad" speech from Gaslight. Need I mention that she looks gorgeous in her red evening dress?
As for the rest of the cast -- well, LOOK at the rest of the cast. British acting royalty, plus some great faces from the younger generation. I did think Jenny Agutter and Julie Christie could have been given more to do, but most everybody made an impression, especially Bill Nighy, Juno Temple, Eddie Redmayne, David Tennant, and Hugh Bonneville. Ooops, that's just about everybody, isn't it?
The countryside is beautiful, and director Stephen Poliakoff manages to keep the tension ratcheted up despite comparatively little happening in terms of action.
I did think the very last scene was a bit corny and contrived, found the sex scene thoroughly unnecessary, and wished a few things had been explained more clearly. But overall, a good movie, and one I'll watch again.
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