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Sep 19, 2008
Animal House, English style!
How very young Colin Firth appears to be, in this film! To be able to portray a 17 year old boarding school teenager, when he was actually around 24, at the time, as I'm sure some of the other actors were in their 20's as well, such as Adrian Lukis (Mr. Wickham, in 1995's "Pride and Prejudice").
This is the story of teenaged boys' raging hormones, & teenage angst. It seems to be the same, worldwide. Only today, it's bolder, & more brazenly acted out.
These boys did maintain a little decorum, for the most part. Their teacher/coach/chaperone failed to keep up with them, in town, & the school failed to provide enough adults, to go on the Holland trip, to properly supervise them. Credit goes to the boys themselves, for not having been hauled away in the paddywagon.
Loved their cute school uniforms, though!
Roberta Hughes
Sep 21, 2008
Apartment Zero...riveting!!
1 of 1 found this helpful Like a very well-written "page-turner" novel that you cannot put down, you just cannot look away, from every scene in this film!
A portrait in loneliness, among every tenant, in the apartment where Armand had lived with his mother, even desperation, & despair; the human drama; the human psyche; charismatic manipulation; madness, & imminent madness; a mob scene mentality; obsession; & a sort of perverse justice...it's all in this film.
It was easy, to empathize with Armand Le Duc, observing his personal affect, & to understand why he was the way he is. I found myself wishing I could do something to help him, to reassure him, or comfort him in some way, but quickly realized, he was unreachable. Poor Armand!
Jack was a master at being a good listener, of being very observant, & had an uncanny ability to ferret out someone's languishing inner neediness, & he was like a chameleon, in that he could be whatever anyone wanted, or needed, him to be. Those eyes! Hart Bochner portrayed Jack so convincingly, so chillingly, you don't even realize how handsome he is! I am so glad that the producer's original choice for the role fell through. I cannot imagine Treat Williams, in that role. Whatever became of Hart Bochner?
Colin Firth portrayed Armand so tangibly, & so realistically, it was heartbreaking to observe him. Every move, every expression, was always in character. He is such an amazing actor, to be sure, & I can understand his frustration, of only being remembered as Mr. Darcy, or Mark Darcy, by legions of fans. It's like, they have never bothered to see his other works.
This movie is far too intense, for family viewing, but I highly recommend it for the mature audience. To me, the performances were Oscar-quality. Definitely worth adding to your DVD collections.
Roberta Hughes
Sep 17, 2008
The Turn of the Screw
3 of 3 found this helpful Unfortunately, our hero (Colin Firth) is only in this film, briefly, in the beginning of it, handsome as ever, gorgeous, in period costume, & sporting mutton chop sideburns, & exuding charm & sex appeal, of course. And, we get to see an excellent oil portrait of his character, through the bannister of the staircase...a much better rendition than the one of Fitzwilliam Darcy, in "Pride and Prejudice." I wonder...what becomes of these props, when the filming is over??
Jodhi May is very good, in the role of the governess. She seems to be a real pro, at making her expression mimic that of a deer caught in the headlights. (You can see it again, in "Last of the Mohicans," prior to her leap off a cliff to escape from her Huron captor).
I love the large English manor homes, & the English countryside, carriages, & horses, as well as the beautiful English gardens, & ponds. Also, the costumes, & tea sets.
I also love a good ghost story, but this one was inconclusive, & inexplicable. The ending was very unsettling.
Roberta Hughes