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Showing all 27 reviews...
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Can't understand the low scores, really good movie!
8/10
3.10.2008 -
chris,j,david@ - age: 18-25
Rent the BBC TV series which is million times superior to this hack. Complete waste of time. Director plays up gay angle which is non-existent in the novel.
2/10
14.9.2008 -
yque88@ - age: 50+
Terrible. I wish I had known it was mostly about a gay guy. Come on... a grown man with a teddy bear that he hugs and takes out in public everywhere he goes!
2/10
13.9.2008 -
freedom2bme2008@ - age: 50+
I really liked this film... beautiful attention to detail, great visuals and excellent acting. It tells a touching story that leads the spectator to question some of his/her own beliefs and values without attempting to be preachy. I truly enjoyed every minute of it.
9/10
11.9.2008 -
brisdeservice@ - age: 36-49
[ATTENTION: This review reveals content of the movie.]
This opinion is from myself and my movie companion, we both were very disappointed. Somehow, we were hoping for a man/woman love story of which there was very little - and even when they did get to the love story of the male and female it was hard to imagine the man as masculine when we had already seen him with the gay boy who was in love with him and they kissed etc. Unfortunately the main relationship that was shown throughout was a gay relationship - very disapointing. I am sure if someone were gay that they would really enjoy this film as there was a lot that would attract them to the characters. To me it was very "Yucky" and my friend and I even considered leaving in the middle of it. Way too much about a gay relationship. Confusing and plot was sketchy.
2/10
11.9.2008 -
itsnow649@
Dreary and turgid. One wants to knock the heads off the Marchmain family statues at Brideshead one by one in a fiendish desire to hurry along the plot and have it all done with. Emma Thompson and Michael Gambon offer the only scintilla of vitality in this despirited dirge. Matthew Goode is feckless as the protagonist and the Marchmain children are simply vacuous. In the end the groundskeepers at Brideshead are the unseen heroes: the family estate is regal--the only aspect of the film that makes one gasp.
5/10
31.8.2008 -
iispiral@ - age: 50+
This excellent film, was different from the BBC series (I've seen it many times)that followed the nuances of Waugh's novel to the letter. In this production, the social/moral conventions that bound Waugh have been stripped away, laying bare the rawness of unrequited love, as well as the suffering caused by religious rigidity... not to speak of class distinction. I guess people who haven't suffered will not care for this movie. The editing in the first half of the movie was abit choppy... Emma Thompson really brought Lady Marchmaine to life!
8/10
30.8.2008 -
staycool@ - age: 50+
I have faith in actors like Michael Gambon and Emma Thompson, so I went to see Brideshead. I left partway through it, being terribly disappointed. Any familiarity with the novel, or even partly with the BBC series, leaves one somewhat disgusted with this version. In telescoping the plot, violence is done to the integrity of the novel. The story could no longer hold together. Yes, the scenery was beautiful, and yes, it appears to have been partly filmed at Castle Howard. Other than the two actors I mentioned, all others are completely forgetable. On the whole, and sadly, a good flick to miss.
4/10
15.8.2008 -
turnerbrenda@ - age: 50+
I never saw the TV series, nor read the original novel, so the movie did not suffer through comparison. I just loved it. I thought it was visually beautiful, well-acted and thought-provoking. It will not be for everyone for sure--if you need to see adrenalin-rush inducing scenes-- well none of those in this film. If you are homophobic-- well not for you. If you don't want religion questioned--not for you. If you want to have a feast for the eyes, understand a little about 1930's British high society, and the impact of "orthodox" religion can have on a family and the individual family members--this is a must see. Beautifully directed and filmed.
10/10
15.8.2008 -
hlepek@ - age: 50+
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What can I say without being to negative... ? OK... the costumes and scenery were quite good. On the other hand, the TV series was much better. The story line and character development required simply don't lend themselves to be done properly in a two hour movie.
3/10
12.8.2008 -
brian,powell@ - age: 50+
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If it weren't for my beloved of nearly 30 years, I would never see these kinds of films, but over the years, I have enjoyed some very moving moments at such occasions. This was not one of those movies. Some decent acting, but no great performances, and for some reason, I felt zero sympathy or empathy for any of the characters. And frankly, the religion angle seemed rather trite, like, heck, you're all clever filthy rich people, figure something out and move on. I did enjoy the scenery, the sense of time and place, and the slowww pace was just fine. Oh, BTW, if gay man loving is really not your bag, stay far away.
5/10
10.8.2008 -
andy_frank55@ - age: 36-49
Is like a very well done thriller: keep you glue to the screen even after the film is finished. I'm sick of hearing that lack of imagination comment: it's too slow. It's the mind which is slow, not the film.
9/10
10.8.2008 -
evela@ - age: 50+
It was a wonderful movie. It was film with deep meaning and it was thought-provoking. It was an excellent work in view of the complexity of the story and the limited time frame to tell it. I would recommend it without reservation.
10/10
9.8.2008 -
mike1162ca@ - age: 36-49
Let me start by stating that I had no idea what the story was about before seeing this movie, except in very general terms. But being a huge period movie fan, I just had to see it, especially since the always excellent Emma Thompson was in it. Well, I was quite disappointed. I found it slow and quite bland. Having not read the book, I cannot comment on its adaptation. I just felt that something was missing in the telling of the story, while some parts dragged on interminably. That being said, the acting was very good. Emma Thompson was especially spot on in her portrayal of an overbearing strict catholic mother. From "Stranger than Fiction" to this... is there a better character actress alive? I think not. Thompson's excellent performance boosts my rating to a 6/10... but it doesn't save this movie in my book. It's a slow and seemingly awkward story.
6/10
7.8.2008 -
rimbaud1972@ - age: 26-35
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This was a very boring movie that had no point at all. I'm 12 years old myself and this was so bad that I'd go and see Meet the Spartans again than getting paid to see this.
1/10
7.8.2008 -
littlemissprincess4life@ - age: 1-12
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Cinematic perfection! This rivetting film was flawless from beginning to end. I can fully appreciate that it might not be everyone's cup of tea since there are no car chases, no explosions, no girls in bikinis. No, this is a beautiful period film with genuine literary roots which was nevertheless entertaining to the minds of an entire row of teen viewers, also glued to the screen throughout the entire film, no texting, no restlessness, no candy-wrapping rattling at all. Many times with such films, you're not really sure what is happening and your mind must struggle to puzzle it out, not the case with this film. The acting was superb but so was the script, the film editing and the musical score which enhanced in a subtle way. The settings were first-rate including a magnificent English country home and best of all for me, Venice.
10/10
7.8.2008 -
hajwhitney@ - age: 50+
This well acted movie gives a glimpse of life for upper class British society in an often decadent era between the world wars. Emma Thompson gives a superb performance as the wealthy, religion obsessed mother. The character Charles, the main focus of the movie, was more difficult to understand. It made me want to read the book or see the PBS miniseries to understand the other characters better.
7/10
7.8.2008 -
jonandtess@ - age: 50+
Profoundly dull subject matter. A movie about a man who has no idea who he is. No depth and no entertainment value!!!
4/10
6.8.2008 -
kellywintermail@ - age: 26-35
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This is an excellent movie on many levels. It's central message is that despite the many ways that people misuse and abuse religion (in this case, Roman Catholicism) and the many ways that people misunderstand religion, the core divine truth of the religion remains unchanged and receiving its grace brings redemption. This is a movie about redemption. Almost every character in the movie is flawed but most of them redeem themselves as they move past their egotistical concerns through divine grace. It is the only movie that I have seen for quite some time where the audience stayed through the end credits because they were stunned by the messages of the movie and wanted time to absorb those messages. It also is very British - it shows the strictures of British class structure and it focuses on the British form of sterile rationality. It also does an excellent job of telling its story visually. The contrast between Brideshead and the home of the atheist character, Charles Ryder, speaks volumes. The first shot of Venice will take your breath away and tell you why Canaletto chose to paint it on such a grand scale.
10/10
6.8.2008 -
omprem@ - age: 50+
Interesting historically. Well done. Interesting to see how our attitudes have changed over the last 80 years. Acting of E. Thompson is terrific.
8/10
5.8.2008 -
elaroc2478@ - age: 50+
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At more than two hours, this film is too long and very slow-paced. If it wasn't for Emma Thompson, I would have left. Thank goodness it was a premiere and was free...
2/10
5.8.2008 -
kym@ - age: 36-49
This a beautifully shot movie and well worth seeing for that alone. But for anyone who has read the novel or seen the excellent 6 hour BBC mini-series it could be a disappointment. There is simply too much crammed in this two hour version. I am certain that anyone who has not read the novel would not be able to keep up with plot and character development.
7/10
4.8.2008 -
ange-aimee@ - age: 26-35
I found this to be a very emotional and heart-wrenching movie. Even though it was abbreviated from the original, I felt it captured the gist of the story very well. A great film for any Brideshead fan!
8/10
4.8.2008 -
bk@
The acting, filming and locations in this version were marvelous, but I feel if I hadn't seen the original and read the book that much in this film would have not made sense. Many key scenes were omitted, and the jumping back and forth in timeframe was a bit chaotic if you didn't already kow the storyline well. All of the performances were exceptional and Emma Thompson as Lady Marchmain was superb, but this didn't make up for the other problems with condensing a fairly elaborate and complex story into 1 hour and 40 minutes. If the film had been lengthened to include some of the omitted but necessary scenes it could have been improved immensely, and one of the most well known quotes from the book and mini-series was badly rewritted so that the less literate American market could follow. One should never "dumb down" a work of art.
6/10
30.7.2008 -
ddmontreal@ - age: 36-49
An enjoyable film for the most part. Very predictable at times but stunning to watch; great camera work!!!
7/10
29.7.2008 -
angberr@ - age: 36-49
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Good performances by all. Wonderful sets and a great depiction of the English upper classes between the wars. It was however very slow paced and I found myself wishing it would pick up a bit. It was worth seeing though if you like these period pieces.
8/10
26.7.2008 -
comi2@ - age: 50+
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Wonderful film. Beautifully shot and acting. A pleasure to watch. I was a fan of the original series and I never expected the movie version to be this good. Boy, was I wrong.
9/10
25.7.2008 -
knighted@
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