There were some wonderful things to enjoy about this film: some of the casting and especially the scenery was wonderful. However, too many scenes didn't fit in with the Christmas spirit, seemingly pushing a political agenda rather than creating a cohesive Christmas movie. And the mouse character seemed to try to capture the spirit of Donkey in Shrek but had some awkward lines and ultimately failed to add much to the movie. Finally, a few of the scenes featuring the head elf woman and the pixie were clumsy and childish. Disappointing overall. Could have been so much better.
Reviews
4 Reviews
A Cruel Romance
(1984)
A beautifully crafted film about passion and the shackles of social convention
31 December 2011
Warning: Spoilers
Reading some of the user reviews of this film, I just can't keep quiet. Some of the comments really missed the point:
"Juliy had no friends at all. He gave a pre-wedding feast at his house and could only find four people to invite, none of whom were his friends" - The film made it clear that he was trying to surround Larisa with high society, not his friends. That was the whole point! He didn't belong in that group.
"the screenplay cliché-ridden" - not at all.
"I was also taken aback by Larissa's easy acquiescence to leaving Juliy for a man, Sergie, who had just ditched her a year ago. She seemed to be resigned to her fate yet raced to get away from Juliy" - Yes, because her mother just made her realize that a marriage with Juliy was going to be a life sentence of misery and shame. On top of that, she is clearly a passionate, spirited girl.
I found it to be a beautifully crafted film about passion and the shackles of social convention set in a stunning period and location.
"Juliy had no friends at all. He gave a pre-wedding feast at his house and could only find four people to invite, none of whom were his friends" - The film made it clear that he was trying to surround Larisa with high society, not his friends. That was the whole point! He didn't belong in that group.
"the screenplay cliché-ridden" - not at all.
"I was also taken aback by Larissa's easy acquiescence to leaving Juliy for a man, Sergie, who had just ditched her a year ago. She seemed to be resigned to her fate yet raced to get away from Juliy" - Yes, because her mother just made her realize that a marriage with Juliy was going to be a life sentence of misery and shame. On top of that, she is clearly a passionate, spirited girl.
I found it to be a beautifully crafted film about passion and the shackles of social convention set in a stunning period and location.
Defiance
(I) (2008)
Beautiful but rather flawed
6 January 2009
From a visual point of view, this was beautiful to watch, thanks to the Lithuanian locations, sets, actors and wardrobe. The life experience of the main characters was depicted in a dark yet still somewhat sanitized way, and I think the film was fairly success in that respect with regards to immersing the viewer in this (allegedly true) story which beggars belief at times.
However, there were some misguided attempts at light relief which fell flat, and as with most war-set stories the opposing sides were depicted as far too black and white, with the Germans portrayed as brutal, faceless killing machines. If you can overlook that simplistic bias and a few other flaws, it's a very enjoyable film.
However, there were some misguided attempts at light relief which fell flat, and as with most war-set stories the opposing sides were depicted as far too black and white, with the Germans portrayed as brutal, faceless killing machines. If you can overlook that simplistic bias and a few other flaws, it's a very enjoyable film.
Einstein and Eddington
(2008 TV Movie)
Easy viewing but lacked substance
5 January 2009
Although this was easy and enjoyable to watch, the characters all lacked depth and the script in general was rather superficial, simplistic and ultimately unsatisfying. It could have been so much more, given the fascinating setting and the magnitude of the underlying facts. The science itself was almost completely omitted or dumbed down. It was disappointing that there was a rather cheap and unconvincing attempt at a religious 'miracle' as well as some one-dimensional and unnecessary politics. On the positive side, Cambidge university in the WWI era made for a pleasing backdrop and the actors' performances were decent on the whole.
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