Another Time, Another Place (1983) User Reviews

War makes strange bedfellows.

[mark.waltz · 7/10 · 20 April 2023]

Mrs. Hughes! How could you?

The wonderful Phyllis Logan may have become a household name through the airing of "Downton Abbey" on PBS, but obviously British film and TV viewers have seen her in many things, from the Oscar nominated "Secrets and Lies" to the TV movie "All the King's Men" (starring Maggie Smith) to this much earlier war drama where as an unhappily married Scottish wife she ends up in an affair with Italian prisoner of war Giovanni Mauriello whose depression over his situation and missing the Italian countryside has her offering him the comfort of her arms.

This is mostly in English, but when the Italians speak their own language, there are no subtitles. The way they speak and emote indicates that no subtitles are necessary. Songs of the hit parade of the era are heard throughout, and there's a sweet original background score to express the emotions of a painful situation. Viewers may not recognize Logan at first, but her voice will be clearly heard, making the viewer stunned over what a lovely lass she was. Beautifully filmed with gorgeous Scottish countryside scenery (interrupted by a few dreary days which depresses the prisoners), but a very ugly rape scene that is depressing for the viewer. The casualties of war aren't always those on the front line.

A beautiful, touching film of a tragic war time relationship

[mauricew-1 · 10/10 · 26 July 2002]

Set in a remote area of war time Scotland of the 1940's, this is a beautiful and moving film that features an extraordinary performance from Phyllis Logan as the courageous young wife desperately looking for meaning in a barren, isolated lifestyle. Her "escape" from a cold and uncaring life with her husband is touchingly portrayed, although the illegal relationship with Italian prisoner of war Luigi always appears problematic. The scenery is incredibly vivid and raw, and the story told humanely and realistically. What I loved most about this film was its lack of cheap sentimentality and the understated deep emotion of the story. All actors are excellent in their support of the undoubted star. 10 out of 10.

Next Time, Another Movie

[NoDakTatum · 4/10 · 2 December 2023]

Writer/director Michael Radford captures the cold and misery of WWII Scotland perfectly in this pretty but dense romance. Phyllis Logan is Janie, a typically sexually frustrated farm working housewife looking to get out of her dead end station in life. A trio of Italian prisoners of war are trucked into the tiny town to help out the local farmers. There is the bespectacled Umberto (Gian Luca Favilla), the smoldering Paolo (Claudio Rosini), and the despondent Luigi (Giovanni Mauriello). As the trio have settled next door, Janie visits and tries to be polite, until Luigi makes a pass at her. She refuses, but the grunt farm work translates into grunt sex work with her ham-fisted husband, so eventually she relents. The viewer is taken aback right away at the affair, since it is assumed that hunky Paolo would win out over mousy Luigi. Eventually, Luigi is getting bored, and starts flirting with Else (Carol Ann Crawford). In one of those "it only happens in the movies" moments, Luigi and Janie meet in the woods for one last roll in the ravioli at the exact same moment Else is being assaulted by an unidentifiable Italian POW. Janie must then decide to come forward as Luigi's alibi or stay quiet, since the war is just over anyway and she will never see her lover again in either case.

The film, despite some absolutely breathtaking scenery and cinematography, is also deathly dull. Janie and the prisoners do act naturally around each other, tentatively becoming friends. The entire sexual assault subplot can be seen coming a mile away, and the movie's ending leaves more than a little to be desired. Phyllis Logan is excellent as Janie. She resembles Emma Thompson, and her haggard appearance does not seem to be an act since the farm work dramatized here looks awful. The rest of the cast is alright, although some of the Scottish accents take a while to comprehend. The Italians' conversations are never subtitled, letting the viewer try to figure out what is being said just as Janie must. "Another Time, Another Place" is a beautiful film to look at. Once the plot tries to move, the whole thing dies, and by the end it resembles a badly written pulp romance novel. The scenery and Logan almost negate this, but only almost.

A nicely paced, understated story.

[stanistreet-2 · 9/10 · 27 May 2007]

I saw "Secrets and Lies" recently and, watching Phyllis Logan, was reminded of this little war-time story, a real gem of a kind that the English do so well. Set in the north of England, it concerns a liaison between a local girl and an Italian prisoner-of-war. The gentle romance; the knowledge that she will be subjected to the disapprobation of her family and the locals, adds to the build-up to the inevitable, sad, conclusion. It is a lovely story, shot in black and white, in bleak conditions, capturing the impossibility of a tender relationship, doomed by the circumstance of war. There must be a case for re-issuing these well acted TV dramas on DVD.

Very good movie!

[lloydferrigon · 8/10 · 28 August 2018]

I loved it. A story of a housewife whose life she finds boring and a prisoner of war who fall for each other. I loved it. I could have done without the rape scene near the end of the movie though as a away of exposing their affair.

Anyway, a very good movie.