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Reviews
Screen Two: Persuasion (1995)
Excellent adaptation of Jane Austen's novel
I found this to be an excellent adaptation of Jane Austen's powerful novel. The direction was 'spot on' in interpretation of 19th century England and I found the scenery and props to be very realistic and not at all polished or gilded. The cinematography was very personal with lots of close ups and movement with character, although I did find that the lighting at times was quite dark - not enough candle light used; creating very realistic, but somewhat difficult to see, scenes at times. Amanda Root's portrayal of Anne Elliot was divine. She managed to portray the heroine exactly as I pictured her from reading the novel itself. Her understanding of the complexities of the character and how her past choices in life had created such a sad and lonely figure were very believable. She began the movie in a trance, doing her families bidding like the amiable servant they made her out to be, while in the end she comes into her own and is able to resist any further persuasion by her 'friend' Lady Russell. Ciaran Hinds was superb as Captain Wentworth, and to date I think this is his best role played. He is distant and yet subtly caring and put enough aloofness in his manner toward Anne that at times his callousness was almost uncomfortable to watch. This adaptation of Austen is definitely one of the best produced anywhere.
The Village (2004)
Better than average
True to form M Night Shyamalan has made another film with a great twist at the end. I thoroughly enjoyed watching this movie and got satisfaction out of the suspense throughout. The plot moved along quite quickly and there were enough sub plots to keep viewers guessing. Bryce Dallas Howard was terrific as Ivy. She is a very talented actor and I was extremely impressed with her ability to capture the innocence and passion of a young woman 'of the period'. Adrien Brody was a scene stealer as always and Joaquin Phoenix plays the quiet, unassuming but very earnest young Lucius with commendability. The older generation of actors gave the story enough credibility that the ending, although a surprise, was believable. I would definitely recommend this movie especially if you liked the producers other efforts such as 'Sixth Sense' or 'Signs'.
Love Actually (2003)
Terrific
I found this film to be terrific in it's genre. I thought the dialogue was witty and the plotlines very clever in their interaction. All the characters were believeable and I found myself empathising with many. It helps I suppose that I liked all the actors chosen for their characters in this film. I thought Hugh Grant's little dance scene was a show stealer although his portrayal of the British PM was a little far fetched. I also thought veteran actors Emma Thompson and Alan Rickman did a fab job as always. Honestly I would watch just about anything with Colin Firth in it, but I found his character to be a little irritating. The jumping plotlines kept the story interesting and it was good to see younger characters being incorporated in difficult storylines. This film made me laugh out loud in many places and that is enough for a stamp of approval from me.
The Abduction Club (2002)
Pleasant
I found this great little period romance to be very pleasant. It was predictable and corny but what could you expect from a period romance - that's why we watch them right? The scenery was terrific and certainly added to the romance of the film. I liked the humour between the male characters and found the dialogue of the film to be quite funny overall. The female characters, while certainly great eye candy were a little stilted in language and action, although I preferred Sophia Myles playing Anne to Alice Evans slightly lacklustre and wooden Catherine. I thought Matthew Rhys stole some of the limelight from Daniel Lapaine with his more affable portrayal of a destitute second son marrying for money rather than love, in truth I found Strang a more attractive character than Byrne. If anyone was looking for a serious period drama I would not recommend this movie but for some light romance with a touch of swashbuckle, obligatory sword play and excellent scenery I would not hesitate to suggest seeing "The Abduction Club".