Sylvia (2003) User Reviews

flat biopic

[SnoopyStyle · 5/10 · 9 December 2015]

It's 1956 Cambridge, England. American student Sylvia Plath (Gwyneth Paltrow) is dismissed by the high-minded poetry review. She is taken with fellow student Edward Ted Hughes (Daniel Craig)'s poems. They eventually get married. He has many female fans and she suspects his infidelity. They have two children. She struggles to write under successful Ted's overwhelming shadow. She falls into depression and eventually commits suicide in 1963.

It's a downbeat biopic that bothers on old-fashion melodrama. Paltrow is lovely but I figured Plath would be more fragile even before her breakdown. Daniel Craig has the prerequisite charisma. The movie is very flat. It is unable to elevate the material into something more dramatic. This is a long drawn out character study that isn't terribly interesting.

More kitchen sink melodrama than famous poet biopic

[Chris_Docker · 6/10 · 2 February 2004]

What makes poetry a special art form? Answers might include bringing together extremes of joy and despair within a couple of lines, offering an alternative to rational thought, enriching our outlook and understanding in ways that prose would struggle to equal. Poetry can provide a single phrase or sentence that is easily remembered and somehow unlocks difficult-to-express inner states, just as a song can (and poetry is the basis of songs). It offers a freedom of expression where you don't need to explain every aspect of what you are saying - it urges the listener to grasp a semi-spoken truth or idea.

That's my rough guess. I've got over 40 books of poetry on my bookshelf at the last count, yet I'm no literary expert and appreciate poetry in a very simple way. Most people might agree that poetry offers something special, so a film celebrating the life of a famous poet might be expected to bring us a glimmer of that something.

Sylvia Plath has been championed not only as a poet but as a sort of ‘feminist' – a cry on behalf of women treated as a commodity, subjugated by an unfair male-dominated system. Cast in the lead role, Gwyneth Paltrow's Plath focuses much attention on how downtrodden she was, chained to two children, overshadowed by a brilliant and celebrated Ted Hughes, struggling with bitterness, jealousy, mental instability and a less than attractive persona. We also get the occasional poetic outburst, from who-can-recite-poetry-fastest undergrad shenanigans to romanticised performances of Chaucer (addressed to an audience of watching cows whilst floating downstream in a boat). All punctuated with soft-focus shots of a naked Plath/Paltrow, hysterical and often violent outbursts at Hughes, and scenes of a generally uninteresting and uninspiring life of moderate wretchedness. The only thing that distinguishes Sylvia from the now-unfashionable kitchen sink drama is that its central character is called Sylvia Plath.

So is the film worthy of the title? In A Beautiful Mind, we learnt of the joy of mathematics, Lunzhin Defence championed the addictive mysteries of chess, and Dead Poets Society made us lift our eyes to literary horizons that could inspire the dullest of minds. Sylvia was limited, perhaps, by the refusal of her daughter to allow much of Plath's poetry to be used in the film but, for whatever reason, it has failed to be more than a rather humdrum biopic. It offers little insight into her poetry or the magic of poetry generally, and adds little of interest about the historical figure that doesn't apply to millions of women. If any deep philosophical statement can be drawn from this, the film certainly doesn't make it, poetically or otherwise. Sadly, it would seem that the words of Sylvia Plath's daughter almost became a self-fulfilling prophecy: "Now they want to make a film . .. They think I should give them my mother's words . . . To fill the mouth of their monster . . . Their Sylvia Suicide Doll." Whilst not quite an empty doll, Sylvia is maybe an arm or leg short of a manikin.

Less is not always more...

[dcoughlin · 5/10 · 27 October 2003]

This is a movie that probably should have been longer. Unless you are an expert on Sylvia Plath, not enough information is provided on her earlier childhood, fathers death, etc, that would explain her preoccupation with suicide and death. I understand that Ms Plath's family would not cooperate with this film, and it shows.

OK bio but misses some of the spirit of the subject

[Buddy-51 · 22 November 2004]

What is it about an artist dying young - particularly if it is at his or her own hands - that strikes such a deep chord in so many of us? Is it the fact that this rare and special person achieves a kind of mastery of fate at the last moment, a perfect conclusion to this messy business of life that we mere mortals can never hope to attain? Could it be that this early death is just one more instance of an artist taking the elements of raw reality and transforming them into something stylized, transcendent and meaningful for the rest of us to brood over and contemplate? When poet and novelist Sylvia Plath committed suicide in 1963, she became the archetype of the tortured artist - particularly for sensitive young people who came to romanticize her end and her suffering in ways that lifted her and her work to iconic status.

The biopic, entitled simply 'Sylvia,' gets the 'tortured' part pretty much right, but has considerably less success with the 'artist.'

The film focuses mainly on the tumultuous relationship between Plath and her husband of eight years, famed poet Ted Hughes. The story begins in 1956 with their love-at-first-sight meeting when they were both students at Cambridge University. The film moves quickly through the years, showing how, after a short period of relative marital bliss, Ted's philandering began to take its toll on the relationship. As portrayed in the movie, Sylvia, despite her notable talent, is a mass of neuroses and insecurities, always toiling in the shadows of her (initially at least) much more well known and commercially successful husband. But her feelings of inadequacy and jealousy over Ted's infidelities cannot, in and of themselves, entirely account for her paranoia, her outbursts of anger and her suicidal tendencies. Those resulted mainly from the clinical depression that tormented the woman from the time of her father's death early in her childhood to her own tragic end. The movie sidesteps the electroshock therapy Plath underwent at various times in her life (though it very subtly hints at them), yet the film still manages to convey just how great a victim she was of this disease she could not overcome.

Thanks to John Brownlow's rather singlemindedly depressing screenplay, there's a tremendous feeling of sadness hovering over the film. Director Christine Jeffs brings a raw intensity to many of the confrontation scenes involving the pain-wracked, benighted couple. As Sylvia and Ted, Gwyneth Paltrow and Daniel Craig give rich, moving and sensitive performances, and Michael Gambon leaves his mark as a sympathetic neighbor who tries but does not succeed at saving Sylvia.

If there is a flaw in 'Sylvia,' it is one common to films that attempt to portray the lives of artists, particularly writers. Although a scenarist can dramatize the details of an artist's life, it is virtually impossible for him to capture the richness and power of the art itself in the different medium of film. We never get the sense of how Sylvia either overcomes the difficulties of her life to succeed in her writing or how she uses those difficulties to enhance her art. What we do get is a few shots of Sylvia sitting in front of a typewriter, a comment or two about a book that has been or is soon to be published, a few references to critical reviews, and a smattering of voice-over recitations of Plath's poetry. What we don't get and what it is virtually impossible for film to capture is the essence of the writing itself. For this, one needs to return to the source material, the works that have lived on after the woman herself all these years. If the movie inspires new people to explore Sylvia Plath's writing, it will not have been in vain

fairly good and entertaining

[scarletssister · 6/10 · 3 February 2005]

After viewing the film on Sylvia Plath, I felt a need to read about this poet and find out exactly what Hollywood did with it. As usual, Hollywood transformed a person's life into what an audience would want to be amused by. Mr. Hughes is personified as a womanizer and adulterer, the later of which may be true. After reading two biographies of Ms. Plath by Linda W. Wagner-Martin and Anne Stevenson and of course having studied Ms. Plath's poetry, I feel that the film, albeit entertaining does not depict her actual identity. It does a marginal account of her life, or part of her life. As any human being, Ms. Plath suffered from many demons. If you ascribe to an astrological standpoint (as Mr. and Mrs. Hughes did) you will find that Sylvia was doomed by her astrological sign, Scorpio. Those of you who are Scorpios know that there is a dark side to this sign. She set her expectations too high of most things and considered the failure of loyalty from her friends and family detrimental. Her experiences with depression only added fuel to the flame. Had she lived in modern times, maybe the newer therapies could have helped her. Depression is a severe affliction and may make a great poet, but for everyday living it can render a person helpless. It can make one helpless with dealing with marriage and children, life in general, and one's occupation. Sylvia Plath was a victim of her depression, her personality overreacting to life and her relationships. Unfortunately, she could not work her way through her inner problems and suffered the result of her mental blockage. Fortunately, for her children, they were unharmed by her mental illness and subsequent actions, and were eventually raised by their father. No one is to blame... no one is superhuman. If standards are set too high for anyone, as Sylvia set for herself, anyone is doomed to failure. We do have her poetry and novel(s) to see her inner self, which no film can properly depict.

Slightly sanitized biography of a troubled, controversial mind

[dave13-1 · 6/10 · 9 February 2008]

There is a certain type of undergraduate who sees Sylvia Plath as the victim-heroine of a period that lionized talented men but had no place for women of similar gifts, and fortunately this film does not pander to them. Poets rarely receive lavish acclaim or wealth during their lifetimes, and hers was at least equal to her talent and irrespective of her gender. Any reasonably critical reader of her autobiographical novel The Bell Jar can see evidence of serious mental illness, which in Plath's case went largely untreated, and this film chooses to focus more on that aspect of her life than on anti-feminist conspiracy theories. However, the film comes up short of fully showing Plath as the highly complex and contradictory person her contemporaries knew: sexy, seductive yet so harsh and venal in her judgments of men (especially her husband and her father) as to seem man-hating; also manipulative and vain and yet so insecure that she went long periods without writing. She was likely bi-polar and could on occasion be described as downright monstrous, yet the film hollywoodizes Plath into a more conventional 'troubled' melodrama heroine, rather than delving deeper into the brutal reality of the day-to-day life of someone with significant mental illness. This is surprising given that director Christine Jeffs' earlier film on mental illness, Rain, was unstintingly honest. Plath's well known life history is covered in straightforward biopic narrative: her close-distant, love-hate yo-yo relationship with her mother; her famous first suicide attempt and the subsequent year spent in a sanatorium that was the basis for The Bell Jar; her rocky marriage to British poet Ted Hughes that ended because of his infidelity; her prolific period as a celebrated poet and her eventual death by suicide while still young.

I should point out that I thought the cinematography and production design were wonderful. The excellent period look is established by bleeding out bright color from every scene while giving it an amber tint like old photographs. The sets were almost hyper-realistic - cluttered, dim and claustrophobic with none of the romanticized shininess that Hollywood often lavishes on period dramas.

Paltrow's best performance

[rosscinema · 7/10 · 10 November 2003]

Even though I have never read any of Sylvia Plath's poetry I did get a pedestrian view point of this talented artist and I have heard from others that this doesn't have anything to show that lovers of Plath didn't know already. With that, this film has a dandy performance by Gwyneth Paltrow. Story is of course about Sylvia Plath (Paltrow) and the film starts out with Plath already a student at Cambridge in England and she has already had a few poems printed in books with so-so reviews. One night at a party she meets Ted Hughes (Daniel Craig) who has already become well known with his poetry and Sylvia seemingly has fallen in love at first sight. They talk and flirt and when Ted tries to leave they share a kiss and she bites him on the cheek. They become a couple and eventually get married. She tells him from the start that she has tried suicide in the past but Ted thinks of her as being a very passionate person. They travel to the United States and go visit Sylvia's mother Aurelia Plath (Blythe Danner) in Massachusetts. Its there that Aurelia warns Ted of Sylvia and that he had better not hurt her. They buy a cottage back in England where they both concentrate on they're poetry but Sylvia is having a hard time writing. In the meantime, Ted has become very famous and has eclipsed her in terms of fame. Sylvia starts becoming more depressed and is jealous of every move that Ted makes. She thinks that he is having an affair with the wife of an acquaintance and her behavior becomes hostile and erratic. Sylvia finds out that she is right. Ted has been having an affair and Sylvia and their two kids move out. Sylvia tries to get on with her life and her poems start becoming popular and she tells her agent Al Alvarez (Jared Harris) that she wants to have an affair with him. Al is stunned and lets her know that its not going to happen.

*****SPOILER ALERT*****

Sylvia tells Ted that she forgives him and wants to try and make they're marriage work but Ted lets her know that the other woman is pregnant. Sylvia puts milk and bread in the bedrooms of her children and seals the door shut. She than goes into the kitchen and turns on the gas and ultimately commits suicide. This film was directed by Christine Jeffs and its only her second effort as a director. Jeffs direction is capable and she does a good job of allowing the viewers to hear Plath's poetry either by Paltrow reading it in certain scenes or by having it as part of the narration. During the scene where Plath commits suicide Jeffs shows a visual flare that gives us a sense that Plath might be happier in death. While I don't think the film does anything extraordinary in the way it tells this story, I do think the film is enhanced greatly by a very strong performance by Paltrow. She lets us know right from the start that her poetry is the most important thing in her life and when she reads the bad reviews her anger and pain are very evident. Paltrow seemingly allows herself to be absorbed by the passion and pain of Sylvia. I think this is her best performance yet and I consider it a much better performance than her Oscar winning role in "Shakespeare in Love". While Jeffs direction gives off only a few sparkles of style, its Paltrow's believable performance that give this film the lift it needs.

Start From the Beginning.

[loveandrevolutions · 4/10 · 5 August 2004]

When I rented this movie, I thought it would be about Sylvia's entire life, or at least starting from her days at Smith College. I didn't realize that her marriage with Ted Hughes would be the entire storyline. I think this movie would've been better had they shown more about Plath's life BEFORE Ted Hughes. For people who don't really know much about Plath and her poetry, understanding her life before Hughes would've made the film much more substantial. The audience has to realize that Plath led a very, very hard mental life even before she met Hughes, and her ideas for her poetry and 'The Bell Jar' mostly originated from her bachelorette days. She never recovered from her depression as a young woman and it branched out still as she married Hughes. Without understanding Plath from the beginning hinders the audience from understanding Plath at all.

I feel like the movie only told half the story. Plath's mind was beautiful, colorful, and brilliant. It wasn't just about the jealousy, depression, and paranoia. Putting her works on the back burner really took away most of this movie. I would've liked to see more narration by Plath and giving us an insight into her mind, the way her unabridged journals do. However, I really enjoyed the dialogue of this movie; the lines were poetic and beautiful.

Unfortunately, I am still waiting for a better Sylvia Plath movie. I recommend people to read 'The Bell Jar' and 'Ariel' before or after seeing this movie though.

A Hijacked Life and an Insightful Biopic

[lawprof · 9/10 · 19 October 2003]

Film biographies of cultural figures - art, music, literature - differ from those focused on great events and the men and women who either led others or contributed to the hallmarks of history. For a start, figures in the arts have nowhere near the broad drawing power of, say, a General Patton whose controversial larger than life war record is placed in a setting where there are many other important figures, all engaged in very documented and perennially debated actions.

In 1998, "Hilary and Jackie" explored alleged episodes in the short life of cellist Jacqueline Du Pre and her pianist, now also conductor, husband, Daniel Barenboim. Despite very very good acting the film was largely a descent into the basement of scurrilous storytelling by relatives of the dead musician. Whatever the truth of the claim that she bedded her sister's husband, the movie said nothing about the couple's meteorically brilliant early careers. It was slanted voyeurism writ large.

Director Christine Wells has taken a very different and insightful tack in exploring the life of poet Sylvia Plath and her marriage to Ted Hughes, a poet with laurels garnered while Ms. Plath was still starting up a not very steady ladder to recognition.

Plath, an American, met Hughes in England. A short courtship was followed by marriage and then two children. The relationship was tumultuous and eventually it foundered because of Sylvia's underlying emotional instability followed by her husband's desertion to another woman.

Sylvia had tried suicide at least once before meeting Hughes and she succeeded in 1963, not that many years after they met. Whatever fame she achieved in her life has been eclipsed by what can only be described as a cottage industry of people studying her relationship with Hughes, an activity more important to some than her very fine poems and her most famous book, a novel, "The Bell Jar." In short, the real Sylvia Plath, whoever she was, has been hijacked.

Wells takes a sympathetic view of Ted and Sylvia, not joining in the political debate over feminism and Sylvia's supposed maltreatment by Ted. Sylvia in this film is brilliant but also terribly brittle and her inner demons are not caused by a brutish or callous husband. As Platrow portrays her, I believe accurately, Sylvia was seriously and chronically depressed with life events worsening but in no regard initiating a downward spiral. Today she would probably thrive and be both prolific as a poet and happy as a person if successfully maintained on an effective anti-depressant.

Ted, played by Daniel Craig, is a bit transparent - loving but somewhat distanced by his own quest for fame. He hectors Sylvia to write more, annoyed that she bakes instead of composing verse while on a seaside vacation. He's supportive but also blind to the deepening reality that he is dealing with a woman who needs help, not critical comments about non-productivity.

The supporting cast is fine but this is Paltrow and Craig's film. She has a strong affinity for England and its culture (I believe she has moved there) and she gives the role deep conviction and understanding. It happens that she somewhat resembles Sylvia but the true recognition is internal and intellectual. And emotional, let's not omit that.

Hughes essentially inherited his wife's estate and there's no question that he, like Daniel Barenboim after Jacqueline Du Pre's death, received a mixed blessing. He superintended the posthumous publication of "Ariel," one of Sylvia's most enduring legacies. A man who only wanted to be a first-rate poet, he became (and still is post mortem) the subject of arguments as to his treatment of Sylvia and his responsibility for her taking her life.

"Sylvia" sets the record straight as Paltrow acts the part of a woman - mother as well as poet - who slowly loses control of her life while her husband reacts first with confusion and later with the self-protective armor of withdrawal.

Hughes went on to publish many fine poems and he became poet laureate of England, a post he definitely wanted and enjoyed (Hughes was one of the very few modern and relatively young intellectuals who was a convinced monarchist).

Not long before succumbing to cancer, Hughes published "Birthday Letters," an attempt to show through years of verse the nature of his relationship with Sylvia. Whether viewed as an apologia or a last record - and chance - to give his side, it's an impressive work. And "Ariel's Gift" by Erica Wagner is must reading for those who want more than a film and sometimes potted articles can provide. It analyzes the poets' relationship through the prism of Hughes's writings, most unpublished before "Birthday Letters." A recent book, "Her Husband: Hughes and Plath, Portrait of a Marriage," by Diane Middlebrook, is also recommended.

Incidentally, the film accurately shows Sylvia's suicide preparations which included putting breakfast next to her little kids' beds before opening their window wide and sealing their door so the gas she employed to dispatch herself wouldn't harm them. I've read articles where her adulators remark on this as evidence of her loving and solicitous nature. Rubbish. The gas supplied at that time would have blown the whole building sky high if anyone, through ringing a doorbell or smoking a cigarette, had introduced a spark into her flat. Anyone surviving such a suicide attempt under those facts would surely be prosecuted today.

The film score is very intrusive, signaling when important things are happening. The dialogue and Paltrow and Craig's faces do that very well.

9/10.

The Life of an incredible poetess

[blackpanther04 · 6/10 · 17 December 2004]

The movie shows the life of the American poetess Sylvia Plath who committed suicide under extremely grim situations. The movie starts with gregarious, young, boisterous Sylvia very enthusiastic about poetry. She presents her first creation to the world which unfortunately is read by a very few and she gets disappointed by just one review of her writings which comes from Ted who himself is an aspiring young poet. Soon the couple falls in love and within four months stitch to bonds of marriage. Sylvia realizes that her husband is rising high in the sky of success and she remains a housewife. This thought aggrieves her but she takes it to be her fate. Her life goes on without any sort of creation and she gets entangled in between the children and housekeeping. Just when she starts realizing that this is not the life she wanted, there comes a women in her husbands life thereby afflicting her so much that she starts thinking of suicide. She splits with her husband whom she considered the love of her life. She becomes solitudinarian and craves for someone who can take care of her. She tries to call her old friends but everything goes worthless, she even pleads to her husband to leave the other women but in vain. Finally she commits suicide in her room.

For the story part it is pretty simple and the dialogues too weren't effective. The actors too were not much impressive except for Gwyneth Paltrow, who has shown her acting skills in the movie very well. It is she who takes the responsibility of carrying the movie on her shoulders. The soundtrack is an average one. The director has not been able to show the intense aggrieving feelings of Sylvia which led her to the drastic decision. The movie goes on slow and is not able to catch viewer's perception. For those who have been great fans of Sylvia Plath this movie can have some meaning but the others will find it quite boring and waste of time. The visual appeal of the movie was good and director is successful quite often in providing good visual perceptions. However nowhere in the whole movie will you be able to get hold of the idea that Sylvia was under extreme pain. No incidences as such of her pain are shown except for her husband shown getting intimate with the other woman. Her loneliness has not been depicted anywhere in the movie and only some good viewers can imagine what she had in her mind. I think the viewers must not be given too much load to understand things by their own. A bit or some of such things can be handled but not to the extent that the audience gets bored by the idea of thinking again and again to understand things in the movie.

The movie could have been the director's work if it would have been able to show Sylvia Plath's heart but the whole credit for the movie goes to Gwyneth Paltrow for being able to try to show the things director could not have a hold of. The number of characters in the movie is less and it revolves solely round Paltrow so the whole movie does become cumbersome at times.

Prettified and superficial biography

[hesbol · 3/10 · 20 December 2004]

Rather dull and uninspired biography, even though Gwyneth does a good performance, she's unable to save a biography which probably will make your own life look exciting - Sylvia Plath is portrayed as not much more than a quite ordinary housewife that is cheated on over several years. The affairs of her husband Ted takes its toll, of course, and quite predictably drives her paranoia, but really; this is not film material. Ted Hughes comes across as a lame, rather brutal husband with little understanding of Sylvias troubled mind. Their story is told very straightforward and linear, probably wrong since there is very little story to begin with. A more adventurous structure, with glimpses of childhood, early years, etc might have added much needed lyricism to this lackluster project.

Life imitating art... or just art?

[just-me · 10/10 · 12 November 2003]

So intense ... Ms. Paltrow does not let your eye leave her from the moment she enters the frame... moment by moment she projects her feelings thoughts... almost painful to watch at times... you almost feel like you are watching Paltrow herself unravel on screen (boat on the ocean. I love Plath and I love Paltrow as Plath... she is heartbreaking and haunting just like the poetry the real Sylvia wrote. She unlike most actresses becomes a character and she became Sylvia Plath.

Destiny Fulfilled

[jimbeaux101 · 7/10 · 30 April 2004]

I confess I'm not a fan of Gwyneth Paltrow, don't much fancy contemporary poetry, and really dislike sniveling as a personality trait. I'm not even sure why I watched Sylvia; perhaps some kind of punishment for past sins . .. Yet, here it is: I'm really glad I did. The film is not flawless, but in its claustrophic and pedestrian way, it gives real insight into the mind of a human being on the descent. Gwyneth Paltrow, in my opinion, has never been better. She gives a sad, surreal yet forceful performance. One can't help feeling Sylvia's pain and one can almost justify her final act. There are wounded birds just born wounded birds. Perhaps Sylvia Plath fulfilled her destiny. At any rate, I was moved by her plight.

My Fair (four out of ten stars) Lady Lazurus

[clivy · 4/10 · 15 January 2006]

I feared that "Sylvia" would be (in Plath's terms) a potboiler. It showed signs at the beginning that it was going to be the story of Sylvia Plath and Ted Hughes in the style of "the Bold and the Beautiful". In the first scene Sylvia is a blonde with a curled pageboy. Her mother's house looks like a mansion, complete with a library and uniformed waiters arranging flowers on buffet tables.

But the film didn't continue in that style, which is a bit of a shame, since if it had it would have been highly entertaining. The beach scenes were stunningly shot and they showed effectively the beginnings of Sylvia's difficulties in finding a voice as a writer. Unfortunately the script jumps immediately from Sylvia baking cakes because she is blocked creatively to suspecting her husband is jumping her students.

The Hughes/Plath controversy is fueled by biographies which are sympathetic to either party, portraying Plath as a bunny boiler who accuses Hughes of humping around until he leaves, or Plath as a victim of a marauder who suppresses her poetry and mentally tortures her, especially by bedding every admirer who throws herself at him. The script of "Sylvia" appears to be written by someone who is in the "poor Ted, what he had to put up with" camp, but I'm not entirely certain. Hughes in the early British scenes is brilliant at reciting poetry and delighting Sylvia by suggesting that cows prefer Chaucer over Milton. Once the couple are in the States Hughes' personality empties to riling her mother's friends and leaving Sylvia on her own for hours, presumed humping around. After they move to England, Hughes becomes hollow. He's a cardboard figure who people like the critic at the party envy and women supposedly go gaga over – but we never see this. Is the audience meant to believe it was all in Plath's mind until she told Hughes to leave? For the most part the film suggests the history described in the many biographies. I don't think that people who are unfamiliar with the biographies would understand that Sylvia in her rages tears up Hughes' notes for his writing projects as well as his books. According to many accounts, she burnt the manuscript of her novel Falcon Yard in a bonfire she started in Devon after Hughes left: the scene in the film shows her burning papers but doesn't indicate what she is burning.

"Sylvia" made me groan by turning the last hour into slush that distorts the events of the end of Plath's life. She met her downstairs neighbor only once, the night before she committed suicide. He was the last person to see her alive. She did ask for stamps and he did open the door again to find her in the hallway. However, the scenes in which she asks for his help in the power cut and later when she breaks down at his door are invention. Plath and Hughes met on occasions after their marriage broke down and she moved to London with the children, but there is no evidence that she asked him if they could get back together. Alvarez described in a memoir that she read her work to him and he gave her feedback about some of her most famous poems. The scene I found most insulting to Plath is the one in which the fictional Sylvia blurts out to the Alvarez character that she is thinking of taking a lover. On Christmas Eve 1962 Plath invited Alvarez to her apartment for a drink and she wore her hair down. Alvarez felt her loneliness; however, any needs she might have had were unspoken. It's true that Alvarez had also tried to commit suicide: but the dialogue in the scene in which his character lectures her about death is largely unconvincing as well as apocryphal.

"Sylvia" is uncertain about which audience it wants to appeal to: the students who are assigned Plath in high school and college, sympathizers with Hughes, the Biography Channel, or audiences who want a four handkerchief love story. Ultimately it doesn't succeed as a portrait of Plath: it glosses over the difficulties she had as a writer and her achievement in writing the Ariel poems. It has only one scene with Sylvia's mother, although the relationship Plath had with her mother was instrumental throughout her life. I doubt that anyone will come away from the film with any idea of Hughes' work, his achievements as a poet (he became the British Poet Laureate) , or what happened to him after Plath died (a few years afterward Assia Wevill killed herself and the daughter she had with Hughes). It isn't a melodrama but it skims over Sylvia's struggles with depression. It certainly doesn't help the movie that the script doesn't give more than a sample line of some of Plath's poems. I heard that the producers were legally prevented from using longer excerpts from Plath's work, but they could have featured more poetry than a few quotes from Chaucer and Yeats' "The Sorrow of Love". It doesn't go into enough depth for a love story or for Scenes From a Marriage, Times Literary Supplement style.

"Sylvia" is the airplane movie of Plath's life. It flies over the major events, and I think it would be best enjoyed on a plane when there's no other entertainment on offer. That said, I thought the set and costume design was outstanding – aside from the maternal mansion. The student housing of 1950s Britain and the limited budget that Sylvia and Ted had as a married couple are deftly depicted. The details of their apartments and their house in the early 1960s are brilliantly captured, down to the instructions in the red phone booth and the telephone that Sylvia pulls from the wall. It's a pity that the movie doesn't explore the details of Plath's life as tellingly as it does her surroundings, and the cakes she bakes.

Patchy

[Classybird · 17 November 2003]

I am pretty familiar with Plath's story, and am also a keen fan of her work, which i think contributed to my hesitancy in seeing the film. I did not have high hopes for this film at all, and honestly, I have to say that I was pleasantly surprised.

My main criticisms:

I found it hard to get past the whole 'Oooh look it's Gwyneth Paltrow as Sylvia Plath'. Someone who isn't famous on a global scale would have been more credible.

The whole premise of the film hinges on the deep passionate relationship of Plath and Hughes, yet I never really felt convinced by it. The relationship came across as quite two dimensional, and even pretty one sided on the part of Paltrow/Plath. Instead of being portrayed as an emotionally fragile woman driven to the edge by Hughes' constant philandering and ultimate betrayal, Plath actually seemed to come across as being deeply insecure and neurotic, constantly suffering from extreme PMT, and overreacting every time she saw Hughes even talking to another woman, rather than having genuine reason to suspect his infidelity.

There were a couple of key dramatic moments (such as after they have made love for the first time, and when they are out in the boat together) that felt very hammy, so disrupted the momentum of the piece.

The score is just awful. Totally totally overwrought, over the top, too loud and too much of it. Plus, as Paltrow/Plath really starts to lose her mind there is an almost constant sound of howling wind in the backgroud. Again, OTT. Less definitely would have been more.

HOWEVER

Ok, I complained about Paltrow above, but she really did a great job. She really is a very talented actress, and it is a shame the whole celebrity thing gets in the way. She was particularly fine in the latter stages of the film, and the sad descent into loneliness and irreversible depression was very well judged.

Likewise, Daniel Craig was very enigmatic, although I wonder whether the one sidedness of the relationship as mentioned above may have come from him.

As a whole the film was very sympathetic, and showed how hard it must have been for Hughes to live with Plath. It doesn't justify his behaviour but rather tries to show an understanding. It also evokes a sense of a time when poets were considered important.

This film stayed with me for some days after watching it, and I would recommend it. It is somewhat uneven in pace and direction, but I think Christine Jeffs is a director with talent, although her inexperience showed. But above all, it renewed my interest in both Plath and Hughes.

7/10

saved by acting?

[spiderwebK · 7/10 · 11 July 2004]

I decided to watch this movie since Gwyneth Paltrow is starring as Sylvia and i heard some good reviews on the movie.To be honest, I don't read poetry at all, so I have no idea how Sylvia is talented and admired in the field.When i was watching this movie, i was just so drawn into Gwyneth's acting.Well.., the story itself is, as you know, telling how Sylvia was straggling with the relationship with her husband and how much poem meant to her life.I could see Sylvia's depression in her life through Gwyneth's great acting.The story goes kind of slowly and really focuses on Sylvia.I hope to see some development in the character of her husband, but considering to make her life into 2hrs movie, I cannot say anything about that.Personally, I liked this movie and enjoyed it, but I understand some people don't like it.If you can be satisfied with a great acting, you should check this out.

poetry vs depression

[lee_eisenberg · 6/10 · 27 March 2013]

First of all, I've never read any of Sylvia Plath's poems. Watching Christine Jeffs's "Sylvia", what I interpreted is that the movie wanted to focus more on Plath's depression than on her oeuvre. Plath was stuck in a loveless marriage and her poetry was the only joy that she got. We can debate whether it's better for a biopic to focus more on the subject's work or the subject's life, but I think that it's good to have a frame of reference (in this case, Plath's unfulfilled existence).

Gwyneth Paltrow puts on a pretty grim performance as Plath, while Daniel Craig makes Ted Hughes look like a real creep. The movie isn't any kind of masterpiece, but I think that it gives a good sense of how one's existence influences one's work. It's worth seeing for that.

Is this fair to anyone, is it true?

[svendaly · 6/10 · 30 March 2021]

I'm no expert in the real history of this relationship - albeit well aware of the blame attached to Hughes, the background to this being focussed on in this admittedly attractive looking rendition. Previous suicide attempts by Plath are discussed by the character, but given this and what was inevitably a condition that she had, diagnosed or otherwise - is it right to paint her as a jealous housewife driven to despair, or as Hughes creating the reason for her suicide? The reality is inevitably much more nuanced and richly detailed, but this seems to be enough for this film. Both Paltrow and Craig are well cast on looks, Craig can't seem to stick to the Yorkshire accent however. There is a drab, greyness to it at times that adds to the feel - but really think Plath at least deserves more.

Plath was more than just Hughes' wife

[jem132 · 5/10 · 11 May 2009]

Not really disappointing viewing, given I was well aware of the critical and commercial caning this copped on release, but as a fan of Plath I was left wistfully wanting more. A more appropriate title for Christine Jeffs' film would have been "Ted and Sylvia" as we only pick up poet Sylvia Plath's (Gwyneth Paltrow) life from the time when she met fellow poet Ted Hughes (Daniel Craig). The film charts the passionate yet rocky relationship of the literary couple, with Hughes' extra-marital affairs and Plath's mental instabilities causing the marriage to breakdown. We all know how it ends of course, with Plath's suicide.

"Sylvia" has much of the same problems that the recent John Maybury film looking at Dylan Thomas' life and loves, "The Edge Of Love", had. At times its beautiful and haunting, but really just inconsequential overall. We spend so much time with Plath and Hughes but we never really get close to either of them. Plath was not just a tragic talent, her poetry and novel are filled with disturbing, blunt images but also a great raw passion for experience and life. The film becomes a dreary look at adultery rather than showing us anything new about Plath, or her relationship with Hughes. Paltrow and Craig are rather good in their roles, but are let down by the writing (how ironic!)The film goes around in circles but we never really get anywhere.

a truly beautiful love story

[Amy1987Dahlgren · 10/10 · 22 July 2004]

I saw this movie and was really stunned. I am shocked that it has received such bad reviews because I think this is an amazing film. I understand Plath fans being upset that it does not go into detail with Sylvia's life, but this is a movie about the love of Sylvia Plath and Ted Hughes- Not the life of Sylvia Plath. It is a beautifully made movie. Paltrow does a phenomenal job of showing Sylvia's pain. She gives a great image of the torment Plath went through. The love story is both alluring and fascinating. Its so beautiful. I really cant say anything bad about this movie. I absolutely loved it, and it has not received the recognition it deserves.

Just ok flick from a Plath-fan perspective

[anony10012003 · 5/10 · 9 November 2003]

To say the least, I was not impressed. Others have commented already on the distracting musical score, lack of sufficient information for non-Plath fans (i.e., the person sitting next to the Plath-fan!), uninteresting and quite common marriage problems, etc., etc.

Despite Paltrow's interesting portrayal of Plath and cinematographic quality, the film did not explore the complexities of Plath by any means to explain the tagline of "Life was too small to contain her." Even a Plath-fan can't get that impression from the film. Aside from which, the title change from "Ted and Sylvia" to just "Sylvia" was not justified by the screenplay. The impact of not being permitted to use more of Plath's poetry throughout the film is significant.

It is completely reasonable for non-Plath fans to give a low score to the film, but thoroughly disappointing to be a Plath-fan and have to give it a low score of 5.0/10.0.

Re: Oscars - who cares? I would guess that if Sissy Spacik got nominated for "In the Bedroom", then Gwyneth is a shoe-in for this year.

A poet's haunted marital life beautifully depicted.

[Peegee-3 · 10/10 · 23 October 2003]

All biopics, like literary biographies, have a subjective slant and "Sylvia" is no exception. Christine Jeffs has given the Sylvia Plath/Ted Hughes relationship and marriage a sensitive and well-balanced presentation. Gwyneth Paltrow in the title role is as good as it gets...in a part finally worthy of her considerable talents. She brings a radiance to the early days of Plath's life with Hughes...and a very moving portrayal of a fragile, unstable woman in a sorry decline into near madness. Jeffs also is to be commended for giving poetry the important role it played in these poets' lives as well as its cultural significance. I can't praise enough the beautiful mood-appropriate cinematography of this film. Often the visual image says more than the abbreviated dialogue. Although the movie focuses on poets, its chief impact lies in the way the characters relate and the human struggle in dealing with life. I highly recommend it to all who care about such things.

Ms Plath regrets

[jotix100 · 6/10 · 10 November 2003]

While watching this film a thought occurred to this viewer: Why do women with so much talent as Sylvia Plath get always attracted to the wrong kind of guy? She could have certainly done much better than the pompous Ted Hughes, who she ends up marrying.

Ms. Plath's life has been the subject of curiosity and admiration for generations after her death. Isn't it ironic she never got the recognition she deserved while she lived her tragic life putting up with a husband that couldn't care less about her, let alone keep his pants on whenever he met a new victim for his sexual fun and games? To say that she was her own victim is to just touch lightly on the subject. This was a troubled soul who is swept off her feet by someone that didn't deserve her.

Gwyneth Paltrow has the proper look as Plath, but there is something missing from her performance. Ms. Paltrow is an actress who does her research well and she is convincing as the tragic woman of the story. Watching her play Sylvia seems empty in many ways, be it because of director Christine Jeffs direction, or that the viewer has a sense of detachment watching the film as it unfolds on the screen. One could not really pinpoint to where the fault is and what is lacking in the adaptation of this Sylvia Plath's biography.

Daniel Craig makes us despise his Ted Hughes, a man who went to bigger and better things while his wife, who obviously was more talented in her short life. She ends her life because she cannot imagine a life without him because her own insecurity about having to compete with her own husband, whose early fame took him into a different dimension.

Disappointing

[jpintar · 3/10 · 27 February 2004]

This is a movie where the actors try hard, really hard but cannot overcome the script. The problem with this movie is that the character of Sylvia is not very sympathetic. Sylvia alienates everybody around her with her abrasiveness, especially toward her husband. Her behavior is never really explained. Why should we care about this woman? She seems to flip out too soon in the movie and too often for no reason whatsoever. I know Gweenth Paltrow got acclaim for this movie, but she has been in much better movies to bother with this one. Note to Hollywood: between this and the overrated The Hours, movies based on real female authors are not automatically interesting. In both films, we don't care the writers because the story doesn't make them interesting.