|
|
Rating:  - Couldn't get past the subject
The early scenes in the doctor's office are just too uncomfortable for anyone with a fear of disease. I skipped the rest.
Rating:  - More Wit than Want
I love Emma Thompson - Kenneth Branaugh is a lucky man... She is an incredible actress! And Mike Nichols is a fine director.
That said, this movie simply lacked something. There were poignant moments and rich depth of emotion and acting. And, yes, Emma Thompson was superb at moments throughout the movie. But I find myself in the unenviable position of criticizing someone's account of devastating disease. Yet if I'm going to be honest, criticize I must.
I think what the movie lacked was pace (OK, let's leave any jokes about slow as death behind us right here!). It was slow - too slow - to the point where I found myself uncertain whether I identified with Thompson's character's pain or simply the movie's painfully slow march toward debilitation and death. And there you find yourself caught between wishing things would move faster and realizing that faster meant the demise of the character depicted before you.
I know it's difficult to convert a stage play to the big screen (probably why they released this as an HBO flick - to avoid the big screen) and the result often falls into one of three categories - slow, slower, or slowest... Mike, you didn't break free from this difficulty.
There, I've done it. Call me a heartless cad. Tell me my taste wouldn't fill a thimble. I wanted to like this movie - I really did. Sorry, Emma, I tried - mostly for you! But at the end of the day, this just didn't cut it for me.
Rating: - Fair Entertainment but Great Movie
This is not a movie one watches for the enjoyment of it but rather to gain experience and insight. I would recommend it to people curious about what one faces when diagnosed with terminal illness, English enthusiasts, and people curious about experimental filmmaking. The acting was superb. Emma particularly never disappoints.
Rating: - Not Funny
Maybe I have not been fair as I did not watch all this movie, finding it depressing. Speaking for myself, don't like movies about sickness though admit there are many inspiring stories where people have triumphed over illness. Just not my bag.
Rating:  - Amazingly moving movie
I applaud Emma Thompson for her breathtaking role in this moving portrait of a terminal cancer patient. Amazing. I cried at the scene where her old mentor read the children's story to her. Wit is what movies are supposed to be.
|
|