helen-15 Reviews

An Ideal Husband (I) (1999)

Rupert Everett only the best of many reasons to see this movie.

[8/10 · 30 June 1999]

I thoroughly enjoyed this refreshingly unusual summer movie. In the midst of blockbusters and bathroom humour, Oliver Parker decided to film a faithful version of an Oscar Wilde play, complete with authentic costumes, elaborate sets and witty, wonderful dialogue. The actors, particularly Rupert Everett, Jeremy Northam, Cate Blanchett and Minnie Driver, are obviously having a lot of fun as they sink their teeth into this worthwhile material. I saw the movie in a crowded theatre and people were hooked - they gasped, laughed and, at the conclusion, spontaneously applauded. I plan to go again and take with me other friends who are some what jaded by the other possibilities out there.

Horatio Hornblower: The Wrong War (1999 TV Movie)

Fascinating detail brings the 18th century to life - you won't be able to look away.

[9/10 · 27 April 1999]

The "Horatio Hornblower" series has been a wonderful surprise. It is beautifully filmed, with enough period detail to make it seem real, while things are carefully explained to us so that it is not too obscure. We learn along with the new young officer Horatio. By the time of this, the fourth movie, he has developed confidence and values of his own, and they are sorely tested as he, a sailor, ends up in a French village contested by the Republicans and the Royalists. The performances are wonderful. I hope that there are more "Horatio's" in the works.

A Walk on the Moon (1999)

appealing depiction of life in 1969

[7/10 · 13 April 1999]

This is the kind of movie I like very much: it shows a very particular experience in a way that draws in the viewer. The main character is a 30 something Jewish housewife from New York who takes her children on their annual summer stay at a lodge in the Adirondacks. Both she and her daughter are changed by their romantic experiences and their exposure to hippies and Woodstock (I remember leaning out of the car window to stare at hitchhiking hippies in the late 1960's, as the children do in the movie.) Obviously, this family's experiences are different from many people's, but the emotions are real, and the people very likeable.

Message in a Bottle (1999)

Paul Newman, Kevin Costner, and the ocean are wonderful, but the plot is cliched and disappointing.

[5/10 · 24 February 1999]

Don't be lured by the romantic advertisements. This movie sends out a very strange message. Robin Wright Penn is boring as an unhappy single mom reporter who stalks a man whose grief stricken letter to his late wife she finds washed up on the shore while moping through a vacation at the most beautiful B&B I've ever seen. She lies to him and then, ridiculously easily, picks him up. Men who look like Kevin don't have that hard a time meeting women. Imagine her surprise when he finds out about her deception and is upset! More ridiculous plot twists follow. Except for Wright Penn, the casting is excellent. I would like to see more of Illeana Douglas and Robbie Coltraine, and the scenes between Kevin and Paul Newman as son and father are wonderful. They should have made a movie, focussing on these men and their life along the lovely but rugged North Carolina shore.

Hilary and Jackie (1998)

Wonderful performances are the highlight of this fascinating film about two sisters.

[10/10 · 10 February 1999]

Although the summary (one sister chooses fame, the other family and an ordinary life) could sound like a TV movie of the week, there is so much more to Hilary and Jackie. Two viewings have only increased my enjoyment. It explores the complexities of an ordinary, happy family in which one member rises to fame. It convincingly depicts the adult relationship between two very different sisters. In a wider context, it shows how different people react to the possibilities and temptations of the changing world of the 1960's - and begin to realize that simple answers aren't possible. It is beautifully filmed, and I would not want to chose which performance I liked better - both Emily Watson and Rachel Griffiths convincingly inhabit their roles. Go see it!

The Thin Red Line (1998)

Visually stunning, but lacking coherence

[7/10 · 14 January 1999]

I was anxious to see "the Thin Red Line" because of what I had read about it, but was glad that I went in prepared. I enjoyed many aspects of this movie. It tells a sweeping story: the American attack on the Japanese-held island of Guadalcanal, over a period of days. It swings between the big picture and powerful vignettes in which the thoughts of individual soldiers are shown and told to the viewer. Some of these performances are brilliant, particularly those of Ben Chaplin, Woody Harrelson and John Cusack. Others seem stupid, like that of John Travolta. The movie shows aspects of war that I had never seen before: the beauty of the landscape before the human violence begins, the combination of training and chaos that is an attack, and the emotional aftermath, when the enemy has surrendered and some soldiers cry while others explode into violence. There were scenes that I will not soon forget. But overall, someone should have edited this movie so that it was shorter, less wandering and generally more focused. I do recommend the film - but be prepared for its length.

Elizabeth (1998)

A stellar performance in the title role is only one of many reasons to see this fab film.

[9/10 · 3 January 1999]

Elizabeth, the story of the first stormy years of Elizabeth I's ultimately gloriously successful reign, is a masterpiece. Without being too untrue to the period, it manages beauty, suspense and great dialogue. Cate Blanchett is Elizabeth in a way that few actors manage to portray real people. I was overwhelmed by the richness of the values and the intelligence and complexity of the story. This is a movie for adults - go and see it right away.

Shakespeare in Love (1998)

Beautiful, swirling fun in Elizabethan England

[10/10 · 2 January 1999]

This is a movie not to be taken entirely seriously, yet one that takes its Shakespeare very seriously indeed. In this movie as in Shakespeare's plays, words matter, performance matters and ultimately, theatre can give meaning to anyone's life, from the queen to the lowest urchin. Visually very appealing, it moves rapidly, swirling around mansions, the theatre and London, loaded with colour and style. The performances show good actors having a lot of fun with their skills. Not to be missed.

You've Got Mail (1998)

An appealing romance for book-lovers in any city.

[8/10 · 2 January 1999]

In this beautifully filmed ode to New York City, the woman who owns a children's book shop is being put out of business by a big bookstore tycoon - and unknowingly developing a deep relationship with him by email. Although it plays into every fantasy about who your anonymous correspondant might be (and never would be!) other aspects of the movie persuaded me to suspend my disbelief. I enjoyed seeing glimpses of the characters lives - their family, friends, dogs, daily routines, etc. These people actually work, unlike many movie characters. As an admirer of both Ryan and Hanks I enjoyed seeing them do what they do very well indeed, and as a book lover, I smiled at every shot of full shelves and happy shoppers. It may not be real life, but it would be nice if it was!

The Theory of Flight (1998)

Worth seeing for Bonham Carter's performance.

[7/10 · 2 January 1999]

Although this movie has some weaknesses, it is worth seeing. I chose it because of the cast, and applaud Bonham Carter and Branagh for choosing roles different from those they have taken in the past. Both portray very troubled people, complete with warts, but make them likeable because of their humanity. The story is touching, but it is the performances that soar. Bonham Carter's "Jane" is a remarkable achievement, whose quest for romance opened my eyes to aspects of being disabled that I had not thought of before, but was interesting as well for other reasons. I felt the movie ended too abruptly, but better that than a drawn out emotionally manipulative ending (see "Stepmom.") The very real English setting added to my enjoyment - it was England in the 90's, both urban and rural, without being depressing.

Stepmom (1998)

Emotionally manipulative unrealistic use of wonderful Sarandon's time

[4/10 · 2 January 1999]

Seven members of my family went to see this movie at Christmas, because of an admiration for the cast and because of a divorce/remarriage situation within our family. We left disappointed on both levels. Although Sarandon and Roberts are wonderful (Harris seems to be phoning it in) the movie is too thin and unrealistic to support these women. In summary, an ex-wife reluctantly accepts the role of her ex-husband's new fiancee in her children's lives, then learns to appreciate her when a crisis occurs. There is potential, but the answers provided are too easy and lack context. Particuarly disappointing was the lack of context for all of these people. Where were the grandparents, the siblings, the girlfriends? If they were such great women, they should certainly have had more people in their lives. Without any context, the relationship between the two women is completely unrealistic. The movie also goes inevitably for the melodrama and tears, without exploring elements of the changes in these people's lives which could have been more interesting. There are far too many tearful scenes with the children, and far too few that demonstrate real understanding of life's difficulties, and particularly the challenges that the children face. I wish there were better scripts out there for these women.