Anjean Reviews

The Scarlet Pimpernel (1982 TV Movie)

Excellent rendition of a wonderful tale

[9/10 · 5 March 2006]

I have loved this movie since I was a child, but even more so now having re-watched it after reading the two books it is based upon. Anthony Andrews perfectly captures the dual nature of Sir Percy - the lazy eyelids, drawly voice, and then the flashes of passion when alone with Marguerite. His appearance is always impeccable, and his disguises are always extremely good but still true to what he would have been able to accomplish at that time.

The script manages to flawlessly interweave the plot of "The Scarlet Pimpernel" and "Eldorado", the two Orczy books on which it is based (both revolving around the Scarlet Pimpernel). The resulting story allows for wonderful character development, especially between the three main characters. Ian McKellan wonderfully captures Chauvelin's zeal and nervousness, with the added bonus of seeing more of his background with Marguerite and Sir Percy.

I have never seen any of the other version of The Scarlet Pimpernel, but as this one is so good I feel I do not need to even bother. Even without knowing the story or reading the two books, it stands on its own merit as a wonderfully entertaining film, which might just as easily have been made for the big screen as for TV.

Rabbit-Proof Fence (2002)

Touching and powerful

[9/10 · 23 October 2004]

This movie has much strength in the fact that it is entirely based upon an incredible true story, and does honor to that story. The three girls torn from their mothers who make the long trip home were real, and about the same ages as the young actresses who play them. There is a prologue and epilogue that starts and ends the film on just the right note. As we watch the long trek unfold, we feel admiration for the girls' strength, rather than simple pity for their plight. The treatment of their pursuers shows rightly how while the enforcement of the government's policy is cruel, it is not motivated by cruelty; it is motivated by blindness and self-righteousness. The girls who play the lead characters perform well enough, especially considering that none of them were trained in acting before being cast for this film. It is an amazing story, and I believe the film does it justice.

In the Name of the Father (1993)

Remarkable and moving

[10/10 · 23 October 2004]

This is a moving film on many levels. Firstly, it recounts a case of terrible injustice on the part of the British legal system, during a time when relations between the British and the Irish were in chaos. Underneath this is a moving story of how a young man's foolishness and bad luck lands him and his family in the worst of situations, and how in that situation he grows and matures. There are moments of true pain and true tenderness, between Gerry and his father as they share the prison cell. There are also moments of goodness and evil on both sides of the "war", moments of weakness with terrible consequences. Daniel Day-Lewis gives an incredible performance as Gerry, with a vivacity that pervades the film, and his father's calm strength adds a perfect balance. In the Name of the Father is a film you will not regret seeing and will not soon forget.