Customer Reviews:
A Must-See Film for Everyone.......2006-11-20
What to say about this movie that the other reviewers have not already said? Put simply this is a film I and several of my friends and family have seen several times and just never tire of it. It starts off with the family, three sons and a disabled daughter gathered round the coffin of their recently departed Mother making you unsure of which direction the film was leading and what exactly your reaction was to be to the events which unfold over one chaotic Autumn night in Glasgow before a funeral the following morning. You will not be disappointed no matter what you are expecting, it's all here, laughter, tears, love, hate all the things that make life worthwhile. This film deserves to be lauded and it astounds me to this day that most people I speak to have never heard of it, a real pity as it truly ranks among the best movies that I have ever seen. Forget buying yourself a relative or friend the latest Hollywood Blockbuster that you'll watch once or twice and forget in the blink of an eye, this film will stay with you forever you will watch it again and again and get more and more from it with each viewing; the sign of a true Masterpiece
Life-affirming, category-busting - an experience.......2006-05-25
This is a great achievement: a film about coming to terms with bereavement but so much more - bursting with invention, not afraid to break boundaries, so that - well, I was going to say the tone veers but actually it seems all of a piece. Mullan told an acquaintance of mine that the film was actually about the death of socialism, and I can see that: it's there all the way through in the implicit condemnation of people who choose to be separate from groups - eg the woman who refuses to let the disabled daughter use the ramp outside her house as it was built for the exclusive use of her late husband - or (in a great performance by Alex Norton) a barman who treats his customers like animals.
I don't want to say how (or even if) they get their comeuppance; all I want to say is that any criticism of the film seems mean-spirited: it feels like a highly personal and a universal statement, which is just about all you can expect from art, intit? So many great, touching, funny moments - for once the cliche along the lines of "You'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll [fill in appropriate obscenity]" is nothing more than the simple truth.
I'm so glad Peter Mullan didn't censor himself too much in the writing - by which I mean not worrying whether this was Loach-naturalistic, Forsyth-whimsical, pastoral-tragical or whatever. It's an experience, and just as the late Dilys Powell, seeing Woody Allen's Gershwin-laden Manhattan, came out wondering why she had ever listened to the music of the Who, so having watched this you may end up thinking: "No. No more Merchant Ivory. No more Remains of the Day or Last Orders, thank you VERY much." Or such was my feeling. Not that I want to influence the reader in any way.
But see it, eh? Because how many films take you into the heart of an experience, place you wholly in that world? And it's a healing kinda thing, as I can testify. I've trawled through some of the reviews at rottentomatoes.com; they're split between saying the film lurches from tone to tone, rendering it ridiculous, and saying how well Mullan handles those shifts. I'm with the latter camp. The film is organic, not restricted by an imposed notion of style; it's alive - and life-affirming.
Great Scottish Film.......2005-02-17
I love this film - I give it to anyone who's never heard of it (pretty much everyone) and invariably they love it too - there is so much to enjoy about this film - it truly has everything; laughter and tears and awesome performances.
It never disappoints and I can watch it again and again.
Peter Mullan, winner of Best Actor at Cannes (My Name Is Joe) and the Golden Lion at Venice for directing the Magdalene Sisters, is the writer-director of Orphans, his feature film debut, starring Gary Lewis III (My Name Is Joe, Gangs of New York, Billy Elliot), Douglas Henshall (This Year's Love), Steven McCole, (Acid House) Rosemary Stevenson and Frank Gallacher.
Top actors, perfect in this ensemble, brilliant storyline and direction, if you get this you will not regret it.
Not as well known as Trainspotting owing to Film 4 failing disastrously to distribute this sterling movie, and incidently also burning 40min worth of outtakes - literally burning it and to date failing to explain why.
If it had been properly distributed, way more people would buy it and sing it's praises - topnotch.
Comes with 2 good shorts - Close and Good Day For The Bad Guys.
Funny an moving.......2001-02-05
From the opening shot of the sons and daughter gathered around their mothers coffin I wasn't sure whether to laugh or cry. I think Peter Mullan is a genius for making a movie which is both incredibly funny and extremely touching in a completly unsentimental way. The events of the story will constantly catch you off guard which you can't say for most Hollywood films. A real treat and one to own.
Beautiful, grotesque and captivating.......2000-11-27
The sombre image of a family mourning the death of a mother, round a coffin in the front room edges you uncomfortably on your seat even before the film really begins.
The box decribes it as a Black Comedy, but that just happens to be a neat genre in which to file it. Some moments at the beggining are very funny, in a 'I really shouldn't be laughing at this' sort of way, but towards the end, the film just turns plain old black. It is all based around a single night, and as the events unfold, so does the directing, as the characters become more and more desperate, so does the graphic style, resulting in some truly moving snapshots of the night.
The one word title of the film represents the irony that these four children are all family (altough they are all totally different and don't even get on), and the word should tell us a little about all of them. Needless to say it doesn't and the depth of divergent character building left me asking whether the director intended to make such a subtle observation on the defragmentation of family life. Since reflecting on the film for a couple of days, I think he probably did.
It's not northern grit, or trainspotting.
It is catastrophic, inspirational art and it left me speechless and shaking for 20 minutes after the end of the film. Buy.........
Amazon.co.uk Review
François Girard's The Red Violin (1998) is a good-looking but ultimately insubstantial piece from a director who seems more concerned with tone, colour and style than narrative coherence. The film traces the story of a violin originally made in 17th-century Italy, which is taken to an 18th-century monastery to be played by a child prodigy. The violin later comes into the hand of a virtuoso in 19th-century Oxford, from there to China in the Cultural Revolution and on to Montreal, where--before it can be auctioned--it is "acquired"' by Samuel L Jackson. Unfortunately, none of these stories make much of an impression: the episode in Oxford is particularly weak, with Greta Scacchi wasted, and the film is even less than the sum of its parts. Jackson is completely miscast as an expert on musical instruments, even if a criminal one. To be frank, this is a poor effort, though well photographed and with a pleasing score by composer John Corigliano performed by violinist Joshua Bell.
On the DVD:The disc contains a theatrical trailer but no other features. The soundtrack is excellent, in Dolby Surround. The image is equally good, in a 1.78:1 anamorphic print. --Ed Buscombe
Customer Reviews:
Really enjoyable........2007-01-29
It makes a change to see a film these days that have a good solid narrative with interesting twists and a nicely measured way of unfolding the plot. I really enjoyed this film.
A SENSUAL, SOULFUL, MULTI-LAYERED PLEASURE.......2005-10-11
What a novel allegory for a story: a seemingly cursed but sought-after violin with a melancholy sound and unusual color meanders through three centuries of owners and as many continents before being discovered by a modern-day auctioneer.
This voyage starts a tad slowly, the first fifteen minutes had me skeptical, but when it ropes you in it really does with its vivid, poignant meditation of our relationship to beauty, our shadow-need to possess and even control it, our soul's craving to be nurtured by its radiance.
Especially memorable is the score that accompanies the mellifluous cinematography, a marvel in itself, especially the violin selections played by virtuoso Joshua Bell.
A few attempts to create the mystique of eroticism and suspense are admittedly clunky. The crone with tarot cards who foretells the violin's story looks like a character from The Princess Bride or a child's fairy tale. An episode involving Greta Scacchi as a seductive novelist who warms up a long-haired English virtuoso before his performances makes one giggle and triggers a desire to shout, "Watch out for that bow!"
But the director more than compensates for this by infusing the sort of visual splendor that rewards a discerning viewer with several captivating strands of the story that unfold only with ongoing consideration. It is a pleasure to mull the complex themes afterwards.
A most unusual film, no great action, no glorious climax, but a haunting mood around a spell-binding theme. Filmmaking of the highest order, and recommended with equal enthusiasm.
MY FAVOURITE........2005-05-26
What a pleasure that this glorious film has been released on DVD.
The first time that I saw in was in London and I loved it so much!
The story is fascinating, with the Red Violin moving through time and countries and still not really resting by the end. One feels that it will continue to bring mystery and excitement into more lives before it is finally destroyed.
The acting is for the most part, excellent, and the little boy who plays Kaspar Weiss deserves a special mention. Samuel L Jackson is superb as always and conveys a sinister control over himself and others.
The violin playing by Joshua Bell is absolutely captivating and the film is worth seeing just to relax and see master craftsmen acting and playing music.
But as a bonus we travel all over the world as well.
Don't miss it, especially on DVD!
A SENSUOUS EXPERIENCE!.......2005-05-22
The reason to view this movie is because of its sensuousness, rather than the plot which tends to be rather predictable.
The atmosphere is created by the beautiful violin playing of Joshua Bell, and that is always a treat.
Also the concept of a violin which has moved through time and space from mysterious and tragic beginnings, and which has affected the lives of all who play it, to a great and tragic extent, is a clever one and it is emphasised by the proleptic scenes at the beginning and then by the flashbacks during the film.
Christopher Konez, who plays Kaspar Weiss, the child prodigy in Vienna is an excellent actor and this episode in Vienna stands out as the best part of the film.
The worst is undoubtedly the Oxford scene in which the dialogue and the acting of Greta Scacchi are abysmal, and Jason Fleming comes across as definitely not the type of person that anyone would be obsessed with, at all.
The final scenes in Montreal are gripping and the climax is very well done, although of course, the journey of the Red Violin does not end there. One feels that it will go on,affecting the lives of all who cme in contact with it, rather as it has affected ours.
Do buy it, it is a flim to which one returns, time and again.
A feast for the senses ... and music's everlasting magic........2004-03-04
"Cinque carte" - five tarot cards servant Cesca (Anita Laurenzi) makes her mistress Anna Busotti (Irene Grazioli) draw in 17th century Cremona when Anna, wife of the legendary violin maker Niccolo Busotti (Carlo Cecchi), asks her servant to tell her and her unborn child's future. And those five cards, along with an auction in 20th century Montreal, provide the framework for the tale that is about to unfold: The Moon - a long life, full and rich, and a long voyage. But there is a curse over her, Cesca tells her mistress as she turns the second card; there is danger to all who are under her thrall, and there will be many ... indeed, the Hanged Man is a powerful card! Then there will be a time of lust and energy, her Lazarus soul will travel across mountains, oceans and time, and she will meet a handsome and intelligent man who will seduce her with his talents "and worse" - in short, the Devil. The fourth card Anna has drawn is Justice: There will be a big trial before a powerful magistrate, Cesca tells her; she will be found guilty ... "beware the heat of the fire!" And indeed, the last card that Anna turns, much to her alarm, is Death - but the card is upside down and Cesca tells her not to worry because at this point this might be good news: She will be carried by the air and furious wind, but then her voyage will come to an end, "one way or another." There is "trouble" in this, Cesca says, "but you are strong now, like a tree in a forest." She will also not be alone; the servant sees a crowd of faces ... friends, family, enemies, lovers and a lot of admirers fighting to win her hand (lots of money, too) - and ultimately, a rebirth.
Each card symbolizes one of the stories told about the travels through time and space made by the Red Violin, Niccolo Busotti's last masterpiece, over the course of the centuries. And each of the violin's owners we meet symbolizes a stage of life: birth, childhood, coming of age, political awakening and maturity. In that, it is not so much the violin's voyage that links the five vignettes dealing with its owners' lives, such as Glenn Gould's life provided the links between the individual parts of writer-director Francois Girard's first film, "32 Short Films About Glenn Gould." Rather, the humans' stories provide snapshots of various stages of the instrument's existence, brought to life by John Corigliano's magnificent and Oscar-winning score and Joshua Bell's virtuoso performance - and of course, it is also obvious throughout that a link exists between Anna Busotti and the violin created by her husband.
"The Red Violin" is feast for the eyes and ears - luscious and true to detail in its costume design and cinematography, it not only faithfully uses the original languages of its various locations but also actors who are native speakers (to the point of having Suisse-born actor Jean Luc Bideau portray the French teacher of Austrian wunderkind Kaspar Weiss [Christopher Koncz], thus choosing an actor who is on the one hand fluent in German but on the other hand speaks it with a "genuine" French accent ... and although I don't speak any Chinese/Mandarin, I wouldn't be surprised if the scenes taking place in China were linguistically as faithful to their location as those set in Vienna and elsewhere).
So why only four stars, not five? Because, as others have noted, the movie's plot lines fall somewhat short of its visual and acoustic splendor. Granted, there was only limited possibility to develop meaningful stories for each of the vignettes. But given the highly symbolic nature of the movie's five parts, too many gaping holes remain. Although we know the violin's story doesn't end with Kaspar, for example, we can only guess as to how it falls into the hands of gypsies. And the following sequence, involving British composer and virtuoso Frederick Pope and his mistress Victoria Byrd, has rightfully been criticized for the shallow waters it treads: Even if you don't have a whole movie to develop the relationship between a sensual, gifted and somewhat eccentric composer and his novelist lover (such as 1991's magnificent and in the U.S. sadly overlooked "Impromptu"), and even if Greta Scacchi's Victoria is far from being another George Sand, her talent seems ... well, maybe not wasted, but reduced to another "blonde bombshell" role unworthy of her Old Vic training. And don't even get me started on the final scene in Montreal and the "conflict" faced by violin appraiser Charles Morritz ... (although Samuel L. Jackson, at least, gives a finely tuned and sensitive performance which almost manages to smooth out the edges of the script's sometimes scratchy composition.)
But this movie's real star and ultimately, its saving grace, is the Red Violin itself - not the six models physically representing the instrument throughout the film of course, but the personality it gains through Corigliano's score and its uniquely beautiful interpretation by Bell, and the idea the violin stands for; that of music's everlasting magic. For bringing this idea to life alone, the movie is well worth seeing.
Amazon.co.uk Review
Like a fine gourmet meal, the BBC's 1999 adaptation of David Copperfield has something to suit every taste: a well-paced screenplay that keeps the tale bowling along without losing the delights of some of Dickens' most sparkling dialogue; a rich gallery of characters; and a cast which features many of Britain's favourite actors. There is, of course, plenty of high comedy but some very tight direction checks any tendencies to over-ripe performance. The whole production is tightly integrated: from David's idyllic, if cloistered, childhood with his beloved mother and their devoted servant Peggotty, through the shattering arrival of a sadistic step father, rescue by his eccentric Aunt Betsey Trotwood, and a journey into maturity where his very innocence makes him the unwitting agent of tragedy before all is resolved.
Ciaran McMenamin is the mature David, his youthful face increasingly clouded by the gathering of experience. Trevor Eve oozes evil as his stepfather Mr Murdstone, ultimately neutralised by Maggie Smith's Aunt Betsey, a comic performance of true genius that gives frequent flashes of the vulnerable human being beneath. In other inspired pieces of casting, Nicholas Lyndhurst's incubus-like Uriah Heep haunts every scene he's in and Pauline Quirke's Peggotty exudes the motherly warmth that sustains David during his darkest moments. Three hours of classic drama heaven.
On the DVD: the disc is presented with a Dolby Digital Stereo soundtrack and 16:9 picture format, reproducing the original high quality of its first television transmission. The three-hour production is beautifully lit, with carefully chosen locations adding to the authentic "Dickensian" atmosphere. A short "making of" documentary is largely based around the likeable Pauline Quirke's experiences of playing Peggotty and generally leaves you wanting to know more about the conception and processes of the production. As an audio extra, there is 30 minutes of Rob Lane's original music presented in Dolby Digital 5.1. --Piers Ford
Customer Reviews:
Pedestrian adaptation of a classic tale.......2007-11-27
'David Copperfield', is, by all respects, a brilliant story. It is partly autobiographical, but this gives the story an extra layer. The story of a man's development from boyhood to man is nothing new, and Dickens' novel sets his tale apart because of his emphatic understanding of human nature. This adaptation however, is fairly pedestrian in its handling of human emotions. Trevor Eve is perhaps, a little OTT and there is very little depth to his character, whilst I could say the same to Emilia Fox and Zoe Wannamaker.
The real triumph of this adaption is, I feel, Maggie Smith's performance which is in a league of its own. Betsy Trotwood is a very likeable character anyway, but Smith is superb.
The film is worth a look though, for any period drama fan, however to get the real benefits from this story, I'd recommend the book.
Romantic, Funny, Sad, Heartwarming.......2007-06-02
I have just finished watching David Copperfield today and was suprised how long it went on for! It's approx. 180 minutes long, but that's definitely not a bad thing.
I've never read the book, so I don't know how closely it resembles it, but even if there were bits missed out, I felt that there was enough said to understand the crux of the story and I really enjoyed it.
Daniel Radcliffe plays the young David Copperfield really well and Ciarán McMenamin also plays the older David well too. I especially liked the choice of actors including, Maggie Smith, Pauline Quirke, Bob Hoskins and Zoe Wanamaker.
I would definitely recommend this adaption to everyone because it's not too sickly sweet, but not to violent either. But do have some tissues handy as some scenes are quite sad.
One NOT to be MISSED!.......2005-09-09
David Copperfield has to be the BBC at it's very best! A great cast with superb acting I love it! I personally find Dickens boring to read and so have to watch the dramatisations when they are made. This is a masterpiece! Whilst watching it I go through a variety of emotions and feel exhausted at the end. Having said that I defy anyone who watches David Copperfield not to be touched by this wonderful, moving and touching story!
Simply glorious.......2004-03-15
David Copperfield is simply glorious. Though not massively faithful to the book (a fact that may make die hard Dickens fans baulk) it presents its cut down version amazingly.
The BBC builds here on its impressive record of period dramas (including the impassible Pride and Predjudice in 1995), and whilstm being Dickens much of this production is set in dingy victorian London, it doesn't lose any of its beauty. The costumes are wonderful, the rich costumes suiting even the younger members of the cast. The two Davids are wonderful, Daniel Radcliffe shows, at the age of 9 the ability to draw in the viewer that would be exibited two years later as Harry Potter. His eyes alone, on the close ups are enough to make any viewer weep at the various injustices that befall our hero. Ciarán McMenamin is good as the adult David, though I admit a certain inability to see how the young David developed into him.
Of the rest of the cast, its virtually impossible to pick a best. Trevor Eve and Zoe Wannamaker show equal meaness in their roles as David's evil mental torturers and with a cast that also includes such greats as Ian McKellen, Bob Hoskins, Dawn French, Pauline Quirk and Emelia Fox it would be an injustice to single anyone out. That is, were it not for the spectacular performance of Maggie Smith, who pulls out all of the stops in her wonderful, heartwarming performance as David's aunt. The idea of anyone else now playing this role, seems foreign to me.
All in all this is a great adaptation of a great novel. Filmed in all its beauty by Simon Curtis and his wonderful crew. Let this version stand as a benchmark for a long long time.
Doesn't do the book justice!.......2004-03-14
I read the book before I watched the movie and loved the book to bits. I liked the characters and how Dickens had developed them but it didn't come out in the movie. The beginning of the movie started well. Young David, older David, David's mum, peggotty, mr and miss murdstone, ham peggotty and Mr peggotty were cast perfectly. The young and the older Emily were completely wrong though. Young Emily is meant to be more shy and playful but in the movie, she wasn't at all! From then, it just got worse. Nicholas Lyndhurst was totally wrong for Uriah Heep and Agnes was terrible! Agnes is meant to be a very friendly, loving and guiding character in the book and thats why we grow to love her, but in the movie, she's always depressed and jealous of Dora. It's completely wrong! One of the most amazing characters was completely missed out! Thomas Traddles! Also, in the book, I thought it was great how David, Martha and Mr Peggotty found Emily after Rosa Dartle had but there was no Martha this time and it was not as good as it should have been. If you want my opinion, read the book first and then watch the movie otherwise your impressions will be spoilt. Try another version of David Copperfield!
Amazon.co.uk Review
Focusing on a few trauma-packed days in the life of a misanthropic French horse-meat butcher who has plans that just might be murderous, Gasper Noé's Seul Contre Tous is an incendiary exercise in the cinema of cruelty. Shocking, abrasive and, admittedly, a smidgen pretentious, it is none the less one of the boldest and most memorable films to emerge from the European art-house scene in the last 10 years. The opening series of still photographs accompanied by voice-over tell us the story which formed Noé's first 40-minute feature Carné: working-class anti-hero Jean Chevalier (played by brute-featured Phillippe Nahon) has done time for killing a man he thought had raped his autistic daughter Cynthia (Blandine Lenoir). Now back out and living with his shrewish pregnant mistress, his self-loathing and contempt for what life has dealt him boil up into a rage that leads to violence. Hitchhiking to Paris with a gun in his pocket, he unsuccessfully seeks work, watches a porn film (digitally blurred by the British censors to spare viewers' sensibilities) and then finds the daughter he left behind years before. It all leads up to a traumatic climax that Noé flags with a title-card countdown warning us we have 30 seconds to leave the cinema (read switch off the VCR or DVD player if you are planning to watch it home). What follows is indeed nauseating and disturbing, but ultimately redemptive and moving as well. As if that weren't warning enough, throughout the film the blast of a shotgun echoes from the film's future, accompanied by shock-cut jump-zooms lurching us further into the frame, one of the film's most arresting techniques.
You could easily tease out the influences at work here: the abject poetry of writers such as Céline and Beckett; the alienated lone-gunman psychology of Scorsese's Taxi Driver; the stylistic, neo-Brechtian flourishes of the French New Wave. But if Noé steals, he steals from the best, and in the process has crafted something wholly original and bracingly against the grain. --Leslie Felperin
Customer Reviews:
Souriré!.......don't you understand what I just said......Smile!.......2007-11-25
I have watched this film some time ago but because it's been brought back up within my friendly pack I've managed to view it again while enclosing you to read this today. I have also seen Noe's Irreversible and thought it was quite disturbing but compare to this its sort of tame.
"I Stand Alone" was the debut feature film from French filmmaker Gaspar Noé. Noé rose to cult status in 2002 with his controversial film Irréversible which, in some circles, caused quite a stir. But "I Stand Alone" is a different film entirely. It is set in France circa 1980, and tells the story of The Butcher (Philippe Nahon). Forced into retirement due to bankruptcy, he finds himself locked into a marriage with his nagging pregnant wife (Frankie Pain) and a hateful mother-in-law (Martine Audrain). Having moved from Paris hoping for a new life, he finds himself at the very bottom of the barrel living in a cramped apartment and taunted by the women every moment of the day. Then one day when confronted by his wife for cheating he snaps. This man is ANGRY! and we are made aware of it in part by occasional acts of violence, but mostly by a continual stream-of-consciousness narration in which all his bile is directed in scatter-gun fashion at the world in general. It is difficult to tell how much this character is emblematic of Noe's own beliefs; one hopes he isn't.
Realizing what he's done the Butcher abandons them and returns to Paris. Poised on the edge, seething with bitterness and hatred for a world he must endure, he continues on looking for money, work and a place to stay. No one will help, not even his friends. After a barroom confrontation that leaves him filled with rage and filled with a resentment of his own life, he resorts to the one thing that makes him happy, this leads to what is quite possibly one of the most disturbing endings.
I usually don't like to compare films; I like to think that each piece can stand on its own and has its own merits. But there are many films today that borrow or pay homage to classics. "I Stand Alone" is one of those films that clearly borrow from films such as Taxi Driver. You can see the trademarks in the Butcher from the Travis Bickle character in Taxi Driver (Two-Disc Collector's Edition), the loner who's ready to explode from living in an unforgiving world that simmers with bitterness and hate. There is an unavoidable depth of decay and deprivation portrayed in the character that remains stagnant throughout the film. Unlike Taxi Driver the Butcher's depression doesn't transcend to nihilism, it builds and builds as the narration reaches an unconscionable crescendo. The Butcher reaches a point where all is lost except one ray of light, the proverbial silver lining, which is .......Sorry that's all I can say but recommended to you if your curios.
I Stand Alone...........2007-07-16
Gapar Noe is a great filmmaker. He is actually my new favorite Director and I look forward to seeing anything he touches upon seeing Irreversible which completely blew me away). It seems at first that his main focus is to take the things we have not yet endured in film and make us numb to it all.Noe is technically sound and writes an a decent screenplay here particularly the dialogue). Subtitles aside, if you speak English or French, the dialogue takes you deep into the mind of the film's "protagonist" (a character we briefly encounter in Irreversible as well).
Let's dissect the word protagonist for a moment. It can mean the principal figure or it can mean the leader of some kind of cause. Noe uses his protagonist for the former and destroys any positive connotation the word may have held at any point. Michael Corleone (The Godfather) and William Munney (The Unforgiven) are examples of villains directors are sympathetic toward, but there we find reason for their downward plunge, whether it be selfishness or simply the ever-relative feelings of retribution. These classic films pose some intriguing questions. Does real evil exist and assuming it does why should we care about what it thinks? or worse yet how we may actually see ourselves in their errors? Why can't we just put them in films and let their actions speak for themselves and let their consequences carry the audience toward a satisfying feeling of payback or resolution?
This story is about an old man released from jail and attempting to live his life plagued with guilt and hopelessness. He is a sad, indirectly sorry, unrealistic and profoundly disturbed character. He is misled and careless to everything around him. The kind of person we want to ignore completely and not know anything about. The kind of person whose motivations when taken into account entirely, make many of us cringe and want to warehouse him and others of his ilk in the demonic subculture of the American Correctional Facilities. But Noe takes a different approach completely. He not only engages this character but he refuses to sympathize, he just shows us what makes him tick. The film serves as a sort of diary for this character and shows us little in way of hope. He shows us a man who rationalizes every single dark thought and action he completes regardless of the fact that they are all so impulsive, primal and damaging to everything and everyone around him.
What Noe seems to understand is that the world is not always black or white, good or evil; but sometimes evil and more evil, pitch black and even darker. So here we can attempt to understand why a man would have a difficult decision to make between rape or murder, no matter how scary this proposition may sound to us. If you dare to take yourself into this character's mind then you may begin to realize that sympathy for anyone with even the potential to be like this is probably pointless, but your opinions are your own observations.
Keep in mind that Noe is not an advocate for his dark characters, he is really just a host. There are no messages in his film beyond how ugly life is in some circles. I'm not sure he means to say that life is as pointless as it seems here and in Irreversible. The film is definitely not for everyone; in fact chances are you will hate it very much but if you make similar observations that I have made after watching a movie than please go right ahead, but be careful. The film does contain some extreme violence and a brief pornographic sequence that appears on a TV screen, so be wary of these elements as well.
Powerful feature-length debut from Gaspar Noe........2006-05-19
I haven't seen this film since 2003, when it was shown on Film Four shortly before the release of Gaspar Noe's second feature film, the controversial Irreversible. As a result, my opinion of it is based largely on memory, and the memory of a 19 year old at that!! So, if you'd rather read the opinion of someone more familiar with the film, then feel free, but if you'd still like to pour through my befuddled musings regardless, the plough ahead. WARNING!!! YOU HAVE 30 SECONDS TO LEAVE THIS REVIEW!!!
I Stand Alone (from the original title, Seul Contre Tous, which translates more accurately as One Against All) is Noe's take on the territory of Martin Scorsese's Taxi Driver, with the film focusing on a callous, volatile, short-tempered loner, who slips further and further into the realms of madness, obsession, violence and alienation over the course of the film's 90 minute running time. The film is very much the backbone to a loose trilogy of films anchored by the character of The Butcher, who is here played with fierce intensity by Phillipe Nahon. The Butcher was first introduced in Noe's 1991 short film Carne, which began with a shot of a horse being slaughtered and subsequently a baby being born (both shown in extremely graphic detail) before following the butcher's obsessive desire for revenge after his autistic daughter is assaulted. Nahon would return in the opening (closing?) scene of Noe's masterpiece Irreversible playing a mysterious character riffing on the notion of time and destruction, whilst simultaneously, describing a course of events that seemed to reflect directly on the actions of both Carne and this.
Here, the film picks up with the Butcher after he's been released from prison following his revenge spree at the end of Carne, with his life now revolving around menial employment, bouts of self-pity and domestic "bliss" with a woman who he hopes will be seduced into financing his own shop. When the woman falls pregnant she decides to pull out of the butcher's shop idea and demands that the butcher marry her instead. Incensed by this, the butcher beats the woman repeatedly in the stomach in order to terminate the pregnancy, before setting off on an odyssey into the depths of darkest despair that will eventually culminate in a grotty hotel room with a scene of taboo breaking redemption. Throughout the film, Noe establishes a cold and claustrophobic atmosphere that is far removed from the headache inducing visual style of the subsequent Irreversible. Here, the camera hardly ever moves... perhaps referencing the stoic, stubborn and emotionally detached personality of the central character?
The film is also less violent, with Noe building an atmosphere of quiet brooding menace... with his use of sound and music, coupled with the rigid mise-en-scene, suggesting more than actual displays of (visceral) violence ever could. Certainly, the most savage sequence is the one described above (I felt it was important to describe this sequence, rather than allude to it, as the sequence will certainly turn off a lot of potential viewers... and I personally don't see it as a spoiler either, as the afore-knowledge that this scene exists is not enough to lessen the emotional impact that that particular moment has!!), though there is also a scene mid-way through the film in which Nahon's character goes to a porno theatre (similar to the scenes in Taxi Driver in which Bickle also attends a porn film, yet derives no pleasure from it), in which we see a very brief shot of actual hard-core penetration. The climax of the film suggests something very much taboo, though the handling of it on Noe's part is surprisingly tame (even more surprising given the B-Movie style "30 second warning" that urges viewers of a sensitive disposition to leave the film before the end - and yes, I wasn't just being pretentious when I alluded to the warning at the end of the first paragraph... it's actually in the film!!).
Unless the version I saw was cut (it did have optical blurring of the hardcore porn... but Mark Kermode's introduction claimed that that was the only thing changed), then those expecting a climax similar to the scenes of intense, pornographic, violent excess found at the end (or beginning?) of Irreversible will only be disappointed, with Noe instead going for an air of tragic irony and low-key devastation. Ultimately, I Stand Alone is a powerful film full of ambition and a general air of defeated self-hatred and contempt for modern society. That said, for me the film fell short of the masterpiece tag on a number of levels... or at least, that's how I remembered it. Much of the film revolves around Nahon walking around the nocturnal streets of France narrating to himself of how much he hates the world. Nothing really happens, with the film generally feeling like it's building to something soul destroying... but then it never comes!! The film ending with a whimper, rather than a bang.
As a result, the film can be quite dull, especially to those expecting the over-the-top melodrama and flashy visuals of Irreversible. As I stated above, this was my perception of the film when I was 19. Having now seen both Carne and Irreversible, I could really do with seeing this film again - with the possibility of better appreciating what Noe was trying to say - but since the film is unavailable on region 2 DVD, I don't have much of a choice (unless some kind soul reading this decides to release it on R2 DVD, uncut with a director's commentary - in French, with subtitles - and Carne included on the bonus disk!!!). I Stand Alone is a visually distinctive, slow-burning and occasionally quite powerful film (with a cold and calculated performance from the underrated Nahon) that deserves to be seen... if only to further appreciate the leap that Noe has made from knowing-provocateur, to fully-fledged auteur.
Noe's brilliant debut. Truly superb........2004-01-11
As it seems will be his alot for his entire career, I began to watch Seul Contre Tous with the words of many ringing in my head. Disturbing, violent and the like. Having seen Irreversible a vast number of times, and it becoming my pick for film of the last twenty years, I expected the exclamations of reviewers to be no understatement.
Once again this is a film of true brilliance, not only in its stunning acting, and its technical originality, but in its courage in tackling such positively provocative subject matter. Like Irreversible it mixes 100% unique filmaking flair with a social voice so desperately needed in the world of flat, escapist pieces of durge. Its both replusive and beautiful, but always stays tense and ready to explode.
The story is simple enough, and runs on the continuous commentary, in a wonderfully gravelly voice over, from the leading protagonist. It charts his ultra pessimistic journey to his wits end. People seem to label Noe as an exaggerator of violence and emotion, but rather I feel the majority of movie goers are more accustomed to being protected by the money over message ethos of modern filmmaking. The violence is again graphically real, and serves in its genuine harshness only to show the vapidity and true horror of hollywood violence which means nothing and blunts our sensibilities. The writing is magnificient, and while the path of this man leads to a shocking conclusion of genuine distaste, his sentiments can be echoed by all those frustrated with the world who have the perception and intelligence to comprehend it.
The descending theme is derivative, but only in a genre sense, this movie is unique to itself. It will certainly stay with you and it goes without saying its not for those of light disposition.
Probably the point of most discussion in the ending. Its not as violent as many will have led you to believe, its the subject matter, which I feel isn't at all redeeming, which challenges beyond acceptance. This conclusion is somewhat dislocated from his previous descent subject matter, and ironically, the more satisfactory endng would have come with a bloodbath. This character goes on to appear right at the very beginning of Irreversible, so watch out for that.
Any way you look at it, this film is far superior to most being created and is a must see for real film fans.
The most powerful and disturbing film you will ever see........2000-03-15
The whole film follows the lead character constantly; we hear every thought. It is his thoughts that truly horrify you, by the time the violence comes you are numb. It is excellently shot, directed and WILL make you paranoid for months.
A great film, just very scary.
Customer Reviews:
The Production is Good......But dont Buy this DVD.......2007-09-14
Even though I have never read the book I found this Production very good.
I would recommend this to any one who is a Dickens Fan but do youself a favour and dont buy this DVD release.
As a British review on Amazon uk site indicated this DVD looks as if it was copied straight off the TV and also the commentary in the beginning and end of the movie telling us about the Great Expectations novel made the DVD worse.
Masterpiece Theatre has spoiled this Great BBC Production of Dickens Great Expectations with it's Commentary (even though they think they are being helpful- but are not) and poor DVD.
Four Stars for the Production itself but giving this Two stars because of the DVD quaility.
Wait until BBC Release a DVD of the Production and the DVD quaility will be much, much better.
As for me copy I will be selling this DVD.
great as i expected.......2007-08-27
this is one of the better tv adaptations of dickens work-the acting is spot on,there is no major omissions/alterations from the original story and strangely,the scenery/locations are how i imagined them to be when i read the novel,dickens originally wrote two endings to great expectations and i liked the way this production only hinted to rather than embraced one over the other-why has the bbc not released this in britain,where it was based and written by the best of british authors?
Great Dramatisation, Awful DVD.......2005-12-02
The official American DVD is a direct rip from American TV complete with cheesy intros and annoying pop-ups on screen informing me that if i wish i can view it in widescreen (which is not available on this 4:3 DVD). There is even a nice advert for the video at the end of each part. The picture quality isn't great either; a little grainy. It looks like a DVD that somebody recorded off the telly, and if I'd done that i would have saved £20... At least the British broadcast didn't have annoying on-screen messages and unnescesary introductions.
Take my advice and wait for the BBC to release a DVD of it - It's on the Dickens boxset, so it can't be far off...
The content, however, is superb. This is one of the best dramatisations of a dickens novel I've seen for a while, and despite the poor disc it was nice to see it again after its TV showing.
The best Great Expectation movie i've seen.......2004-10-07
The film is wonderful!The film represent exactly the world of Charles Dickens including the characters and the places. Although it is the best movie, i think it has some "mistakes".
I have already read the novel twice and i saw that in two important scenes in the movie, when Estella and Pip seperate, and at the end of the film when Pip meets Estella again, i think that the film should represent more strictly the strory of Dickens. Everyone who has read the book will understand! However it is a great film and it is worth to buy and see it!
A talented performance of a novel full of surprise.......2002-06-06
Having already read the novel by Charles Dickens, I was rather wary of watching this TV production of Great Expectations, as televised characters never seem to be the same as the images you make in your head. However, in this version, the BBC triumphs magnificently, with a fantastically acted programme, moving from 'Young Pip' to 'Older Pip' smoothly and cleverly. Both Pip actors are brilliant, especially Ioan Gruffudd, who plays the role with sympathy and skill. A worthy watch!
Customer Reviews:
ANNIE!!.......2004-06-12
I LOVED THIS MUSICAL, EVEN THOUGH IT'S A RE-MAKE. YOUR KIDS WILL LOVE THIS FILM! ALICIA MORTON IS BRILLIANT AS ANNIE AND KATHY BATES IS GREAT TOO. WHAT MADE THIS FILM FOR ME ARE THE BEAUTIFUL SONGS, MY FAVOURITE HAS TO BE 'MAYBE'. BUY THIS FILM BECAUSE EVEN THOUGH IT'S A REMAKE IT'S WORTH EVRY PENNY.
Not as good as I thought it would be.......2004-02-19
This film isn't aas a good as I expected, i prefer the older version, it's really not all that. It's good but teh way they made thsi film (newer version) has spoilt the hole story line. if your expecting a fantastic film, I suggest you don't buy this film, you'll be dissapointed. If you still want to see annie why not get the older version or go and watch it at the theater.
Much More Like The Show.......2003-09-25
For anyone who's been in or seen the stage version of this show you'll really appreciate this production. Directed by Rob Marshall (also responsible for Chicago) it is a much better representation of the original show than the 1981 film. Songs like "Something was missing" and "NYC" have been included plus the song "Tomorrow" has been put back in the right place which makes much more sense. There is also a special guest appearance from Andrea McArdle who played the original Annie on Broadway. Speaking of the lead, the girl who plays it is very impressive as is alot of the choreography. Yeah, it gets a bit Disney at times and has a rather strange ending, but after all it is a kids film and my 6 year old cousin was gripped, amused and walking around for a week saying "i love you miss hannigan".
Overall i prefer it to the original as it captures the sense of the show much better and cuts out alot of the Hollywood rubbish.
Hmmmmm!.......2002-09-04
This version is nowhere near as good as the 1981 version, I think. Miss. HAnnigan is not as evil and mean as she's supposed to be, and having Miss Hannigan pretending to be Annie's mother instead of Lily St Regis is very strange. Some of it is just farcial, but the film is OK for those who haven't seen the 1981 version, but I would advise they saw that too.
Very good and very different from the earlier version........2001-05-08
When I bought this video I was expecting a replica of the 1981 Annie film, only different cast. Instead I found it's completely different! It's got some great new songs, but it's missing some great old ones, and they're all in a very different order. It's a lot shorter and the ending is completely different and not as exciting. Some old characters are missing too (Punjab, for example) and you don't find out which orphan is which! I think some members of the new cast are better than the old one, and others aren't. Alicia Morton (Annie) and the other orphans are very good singers, and it's very well acted by everyone. I don't think this film is quite as good as the old one, but it's still brilliant and I'd definitely buy it!
Customer Reviews:
Sweet and gentle.......2007-08-03
This film started my love affair for Tim Roth. I know some posters have commented that the casting was poor, but I disagree. 1900 is a sensitive, naive soul and Tim Roth protrays this very well I believe. With Tim it is all in the eyes. 1900 would not have worked as a character had he been played by some gorgeous young hunk, what would be the point. As a character he is unwordly, shy and a talented genius musician, Tim Roth was perfect in the role.
The film can drag a little in places, but the music is beautiful and the sets rather lovely. In summary I would say it was a pleasing period piece, best suited for music lovers.
One of my favourites.......2007-03-12
This is an unusual gem - a real 'find'! I picked it up in the bargain box of my local video store a few years ago and bought it because it had an unlikely title and an intriguing storyline. I was not disappointed! Just as other reviewers have commented, it is gentle and slow and very moving. It also has its funny bits - one of the best scenes is when there is a big storm at sea, and the trumpet player gets seasick. He ends up sitting on the piano stool next to the pianist as the piano is cut loose from its tethers and rolls around the ballroom as the ship sways and tilts, and all the time the pianist is playing. Marvellous! I've watched the film several times and always cry at the end. I'm now purchasing the DVD to bring me more up-to-date.
A must see film!.......2006-05-04
This has to be one of my favourite films, not alot of people have seen this film which makes it all the better when i watch it. The music form start to finish was amazing and the narrative was well written and what i thought very unique. This film is not what i would call as a mainstream film but deserves praise for the enjoying it gave to me.
Bad Casting Ruins another Motion Picture!!.......2006-04-10
"The Legend of 1900" directed by Giuseppe Tornatore is a prime example of a Motion Picture ruined by poor casting.
Tim Roth has no mystery as an actor and is rather ugly to look at. Also his delivery and technique is poor. He might be able to play a working class yob or a raging monkey with some conviction but a genius pianist in coat and tails he cannot. I was not sure if at one point he wanted to do an American accent and then just abandoned the idea. His whining delivery of the last anecdotal speech is embarrassingly bad, unmoving and unfocused.
The other terrible piece of casting was that of the trumpeter. This actor wanted so much to be good but unfortunately he was the opposite. His eyes shifted continually in the most irritating manner and so you never had any idea who he was looking at or what he was feeling. He also had no natural rhythm. At one point he plays the trumpet and walks outside to where a crowd forms around him. His poor impressions of the movements of a trumpeter were so contrived and soulless that the scene was almost funny.
Casting these two unlikeable and untalented actors killed this picture before a camera started turning. What a shame as the story was an interesting one.
A curious yarn.......2006-03-16
THE LEGEND OF 1900 has as its protagonist a man named D.B.T.D.L. 1900. The "1900" is indicative of the year he was born and found abandoned on a luxury ocean liner, the "Virginian", after its passengers had disembarked in New York. Let it suffice to say that the other initials stand for the ship's crewman that discovered him, and the brand name on the produce crate in which he was lying.
The time frame of this film can be tricky at the beginning unless one pays attention. The "now" is, apparently, after WWII. After pawning his trumpet in an English hockshop, Max (Pruitt Taylor Vince) begs to play it one last time. While doing so, the pawnbroker recognizes the melody as that played on a piano on an old record. He spins it for Max, who identifies the pianist as 1900, whom he met in 1927 when he (Max) signed aboard the Virginian as a band member. In a flashback, he recalls the story of 1900's birth, emphasizing that the man never ever left the liner to set foot on solid land. On being asked where he found the disk, purportedly the master copy of the recording session and the only one in existence, the shop owner says it was hidden in a piano that came off an old hospital ship berthed in the harbor. On going to the dock, Max recognizes the rusting hulk as the Virginian, which is in the process of being loaded with explosives designed to scuttle the vessel. Convinced that 1900 is still aboard and hiding, he insists on a search. Interspersed with this activity are more flashbacks to the 20s and 30s when Max played with 1900 in the ship's main ballroom.
THE LEGEND OF 1900 is not a perfect film by any means. The character of The Girl (Melanie Thierry) and her relationship with 1900 are left frustratingly underdeveloped. Sad-faced Tim Roth is wonderful as the enigmatic 1900, who is perhaps too inscrutable. (But, then, legends generally are, or they wouldn't be legends. Remember the old saw, "Familiarity breeds contempt.") Without the monolog by 1900 towards the end when he explains himself to Max, the viewer would be left with precious little of the former to fathom. However, one thing is known for sure - 1900 is a phenomenal musical talent. He can play a melody on the piano, no matter how complex, after having heard it only once. He demonstrates this and more (wow!) during a "dueling pianos" session with Jelly Roll Morton (Clarence Williams III), the "inventor" of jazz, who comes aboard for an Atlantic crossing just so he can challenge the famous upstart. And, in perhaps the film's most entrancing scene, 1900 plays the piano in the deserted ballroom while the ship rolls in the ocean swells. 1900 has unlocked the piano's anchor wheels, so the instrument glides serenely back and forth over the dance floor while managing not to hit anything until ... well, you have to see it.
Viewed as a tragic figure, the viewer will understand 1900 when he says, "The world has passed me by 2000 people at a time." The film is bittersweet to be sure, but well done. See it if you're looking for something on the slightly eccentric side of ordinary.
Customer Reviews:
Its SO much better than Roman Polanski.......2006-04-15
I just watched Roman Polanski's Oliver Twist, and like the critics didn't think much of it. But this really is a Masterpiece. Everybody knows the story of Oliver Twist so you really have to do a good film. This stays true to Dickens and is just brilliant! I just hope it comes out on DVD in the UK :(
A fantastic production of oliver twist!.......2005-11-04
I have read the book, and thought it was good. I have seen many versions of oliver twist, from the musical(which I thought was fantastic) to the old David Lean one(which was also fantastic!), but i got 2 say that this production has got 2 be one of the greatest versions i've ever seen. This is because the film actually informs U of Oliver's background, and how he got 2 be where he was. The acting was 1st class, most notably from Sam Smith(Oliver), keira knightley(Rose), michael kitchen(MR. Brownlow) and not to mention marc warren who plays Monks. For me he was really convincing, it as if he was that cruel(I would not say evil, because of the way he was brought up), and yet we should sympathise with him. He played his role well and was really convincing. All the supporting actors/actresses(not 2 mention) also did very well. If there was any faults in it i was too busy 2 notice it, as i was absorbed by the story and the acting. If anyone comes 2 me and asks me if they should get it I would have no trouble in saying yes. I would seriously reccomend it to anyone.
A story with a "Twist".......2004-05-05
This is the first time I have written one of these so don't laugh.
This is possibly the greatest version of this Dicken's classic I have ever seen. I've seen the musical, I've seen the 1948 David Lean classic and read the book but this was absolutly momentus. Alen Bleasdale focus' on the back story of how Oliver came to be born and it looks at the issues the appear in the last chapter of the book.
An all star cast with some of the best talent emerging out of Britain today help hold this up for all the world to see. The cast includes Andy Serkis, Keira Knightly, Micheal Kitchen, Julie Walters, Marc Warren, Robert Lindsey, Sam Smith & Sophia Myles.
This is a must for any fan of Dickens great litriture or filmaking. Its only downside is it's length at 386 mins. However the copy I have is portioned down into chunks so you could watch it as a min series.
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