Before they made a musical of T.S. Eliot's "Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats," they made a movie of Dylan Thomas...sort of. UNDER MILK WOOD is based on his poem/radio play about the eccentric denizens of a tiny fishing town. Ardent admirers of the Welsh bard may find this film a delight; I found it alternately tedious and enchanting...but not enchanting enough.
Since there is no plot, the result is a series of recurring, mostly whimsical vignettes (the wife with two husbands; Organ Morgan, who can't stop playing; blind Captain Cat, who lives in a house that looks like a ship; etc.). The actors sound marvelous, but there is nowhere for them to go. To be sure, the language is intoxicating, if often obscure. (I found it helpful to watch with English subtitles turned on.)
Do NOT expect a Liz Taylor vehicle; her role amounts to a cameo. (And her brash 1970s makeup seems completely inappropriate for the role!)
Since there is no plot, the result is a series of recurring, mostly whimsical vignettes (the wife with two husbands; Organ Morgan, who can't stop playing; blind Captain Cat, who lives in a house that looks like a ship; etc.). The actors sound marvelous, but there is nowhere for them to go. To be sure, the language is intoxicating, if often obscure. (I found it helpful to watch with English subtitles turned on.)
Do NOT expect a Liz Taylor vehicle; her role amounts to a cameo. (And her brash 1970s makeup seems completely inappropriate for the role!)