User Reviews

It is probably a matter of personal taste when watching a story of forbidden love as to how it is portrayed. There have been many that have gone before "A Promise" that have moved readers and audiences alike. Frankly, it's old tale of elderly man, young wife, and introduction of handsome contender who falls for the forbidden fruit. As much as I like Alan Rickman, I found this movie to be a slow-moving tale lacking the passion I hoped to encounter.

Alan plays the elderly owner of a foundry, Karl Hoffmeister, with an ailing heart. Enters Friedrich Zeitz, who he takes under his wing as his protégé. It's apparent from the beginning he is grooming the young, intelligent man to take over his business. Early in their relationship, he discloses the secret that he is not well.

As he methodically allows the young handsome Friedrich to enter his home and take up residence, you gain the sense that he has purposely brought him close to his wife to encourage something more. Perhaps, it is the love of an older, dying man for his young wife to make sure her needs are met after his demise. Little did he know, that having done so, he finds himself brokenhearted over the outcome when she falls in love with Friedrich.

Rebecca Hall plays the proper wife, though slightly dull. Richard Madden plays the protégé, who is immediately attracted to Heir Hoffmeister's wife. He turns into a sappy, slightly obsessive worshiper of young Charlotte. In one scene he smells her scent and kisses the keys of the piano that she has played, as if he's making love to it. Of course, that is countered later in the movie with Charlotte sniffing the pillow of his empty bed.

The two are thrown together due to Heir Hoffmeister's ill health attending the opera and other activities. It's a silent game between the two, as they both play with fire, but fail to acknowledge their feelings for one another for some time. It's not until Hoffmeister reaches the stage of jealousy, that he sends off his rival to Mexico on business for two years. Then, the floodgates of words of undying love burst forth between the two, as well as the "promise" to wait for one another.

The movie is set in pre-WWI Germany. When war ensues, it keeps them apart far longer than either anticipated. After the death of her husband, and many years of receiving no word, Friedrich returns after the war. Charlotte who has been sorrowfully smitten and pining for her sweetheart meets him once again. Instead of the passionate reunion you anticipate, it turns into a polite cup of tea like two friends making up for lost time. He is aloof and cold, she is polite and proper. In fact, he confesses he's not married but has been with other women. She fluffs it off as inconsequential. It's not until the end scene they finally kiss. Where's the tears? Where's the passion? Where is the joy of seeing one another again? Obviously, six years has cooled them off. It's an odd, emotionless reunion.

The more I think about why this movie doesn't have the effect is should, is that the two main characters, Charlotte and Friedrich, never really take the viewers to the point of falling in love with them. Friedrich is sullen, moody, and intense. He surely didn't make me want to swoon and commit adultery. Charlotte's character, though quite innocent in the beginning, doesn't really portray why she is so unhappy with her husband that she should be tempted to stray. Because I never bonded with the characters, except for Herr Hoffmeister, it wasn't an exciting, moving, heart-throbbing love story that made me want to see the two live happily ever after. Even though it is based off a novel written by Stefan Zweig's "Journey into the Past," it comes across as a worn-out plot that is missing important elements of passion to make it memorable.

Of course, I love period movies, whether excellent or mediocre. Though for me this was more mediocre, you may find it your cup of tea.

Usually, when there is a love story involving one woman and two man, it's always the same content : it's about cheating, infidelity ; there is a lot of graphic sex scenes or at least erotic moments ; it always ends in violence as the deceived man seeks revenge ! Here nothing like that happens and i could have written this story as it's exactly my feelings and what would be my attitude in such a situation :

sure it's « bad » to love two persons at the same time, all the more if you are already engaged to one but as passion is unexpected, it would be stupid to say that it can't happen. However, if as humans, we can't control her feelings, at least, we are accountable for our actions : so if we have promised to love and support the spouse, we are committed to our words and we can't fulfill our passion with number two as long as number one is alive. Thus, the only solution for those lovers is to wait that number one either goes away either dies and this is what this movie actually depicts !

no kiss, no foreplay, no sex, thus no infidelity as long as « Severus Snape » is alive. Rebecca has to wait patiently, without losing hope because fate with World War I keeps delaying her new life ! It's all the more difficult as it was the start of the XXth century so manners and lifestyle were really strict : A bit like the Victorians English, everything related to desire was bottled up (clothes, arts, …) so even the more trivial situations were like sublimation for this forbidden passion ! The movie is really excellent to depict their reality and the cast is really wonderful : The sadly late « Snape » was always cool portraying ambivalent guy who speaks little but knows much ; Rebecca delivers one of her best work as she has indeed this kind of passion and fragility and for sure righteousness. In addition, as she is really beautiful for my eyes, i can plunge easily into each of her movies that put her as the desired woman. Sure, a lot of scenes drags a bit, the setting is a bit dark, strict but having our french famous director staged for English cast such a beautiful love story in Germany was really unexpected and totally captivating !

I actually enjoyed this film due to the worlds it opens up within the mansion and the working places. I only watched it by accident as it was on Netflix for some time, but I ended up liking it more and more. The first part, where they fall in love really got to me and satisfied my romantic longing for these great, nearly otherworldly moments filled with desire and passion for each other. Is it real? Maybe in this moment. But this film teaches us, that nothing is made for eternity. We follow her waiting for him for years and years, the passion continues and fades more and more as they lose touch because of the war. When he finally returns, they stare at each other, wondering who this person is that they loved so much, now. It shows how time changes everything. The ending is rather cold and closer to reality. Personally I did not like that, because I prefer more romantic flings, but that also shows the quality of this film: it disillusions the characters and us, and tries to cure us from overly romantic expectations (and the hope that they linger forever).

It was not the most unique film I watched ever (and I might return to Zweigs writing, as I love his writing SO MUCH (!) and it will for sure be better than any film could be, because his play with words is just so unique.)... but I enjoyed for the time being and I loved the mood it left me in. It is a 'real' film. It tried it's best to come close to Zweig. Success or not, try to NOT watch it as an adaptation, but a stand alone "love" story. Then you will enjoy it more.

So i just finished the movie and i am someone who wanted to see them become more close as some might say. They kissed at the every end. Don't get me wrong this was a very good movie. Richard Madden was brilliant, he is the type of person to make you fall in love within minutes of seeing him. I wish i could know more on what happens after when they kiss at the pond, but i cause that is up to the watchers mind at this point.

A PROMISE is an exquisitely beautiful very quiet film based on Stefan Zweig's novel 'Journey Into The Past', sensitively transformed into a screenplay by writer/director Patrice Laconte (Monsieur Hire, The Hairdresser's Husband, The Widow of Saint-Pierre, Intimate Strangers etc) and co-writer Jérôme Tonnerre (Intimate Strangers, Un Coeur en Hiver, My Father's Glory etc). The story is enhanced in the film version so well because of the cast of fine actors and because of the atmospheric, very important musical score by Gabriel Yared.

Staying very close to Zweig's novel, the story is set in Germany just before WWI and is centered on a married woman who falls in love with her husband's protégé. Separated first by duties and then by the war, they pledge their devotion to one another. Young Friederich Zeitz Richard Madden) has humble origins, but rises to the attention of his new boss, Karl Hoffmeister (Alan Rickman). Karl is aging and suffers from severe heart disease and his impression of Friederich's brilliance grows steadily. As he volunteers to tutor his employer's son Otto (Toby Murray), he gets more and more attached to Karl's young wife Lotte (Rebecca Hall). She refuses however to betray her husband even when they learn Friedrich must go to Mexico for two years to supervise a mining project for Karl. Friedrich and Lotte swear one another they will stay true to each other, but the oncoming war keeps them apart for far longer than expected. After six years, Friedrich goes back to Germany and finally sweeps Lotte off her feet.

Rickman, Hall and Madden deliver perfectly crafted performances, each revealing the difficulty of keeping a promise when personal needs are not being fulfilled. It is a pleasure to see a romance bloom, pause and then grow into a full bouquet as time and circumstances change. The impact of the period of pre-WW I Germany, then Germany at war and losing, and the gloom of silence after the war is over is underlined splendidly by Eduardo Serra's cinematography and Yared's Beethoven-infused score. This is a period piece, finely crafted by Patrice Laconte. Its mood lingers in the mind long after the film is over.

I did not expect to see a movie that looked like the movie of the year and it's not what I've seen, but at least I've seen a movie that is well taken. You know from the first moment that the most important thing in the film is the reaction between them and that they end up together, of course, but at least it goes step by step.

Rebecca is great, makes a role, for my taste, incredible. It was a long time since I saw an actress who showed me that I was truly in love and with her, I've seen it. Richard is not up to it, but hey, it's not bad. Alan, of course, is fine, but that's not saying anything new.

It has a great atmosphere, it seems that you are fully involved in that era. It is appreciated that makeup, costumes and art work so well.

I can not say the same about the address. While it is true that the film tells the tempo level, does not bore, is giving the amounts in parts, but then at the time of the staging, is not able to make a nice plane or move characters from a Pretty shape and give life to a plane.

Photography is beautiful in parts. The interiors are pretty good, but the exteriors, the photography is a bit too white. It's not pretty The final stretch is too long, that also has to be said.

It looks pretty and, very slowly, seems to be building towards something, but almost nothing of a dramatically satisfying/unpredictable/entertaining nature happens. It has the appearance of a vanity project. Someone's grandparent had an interesting life, so their story was turned into a film, but someone forgot to include enough drama/characterisation/plot to keep an audience awake . A bright young man (played by a very dull actor) is employed by an older man, an industrial magnate. The young man is attracted to the magnate's wife ( a very dull actress) and vice-versa. The young man goes to Mexico, on business, and promises to return within 2 years. The magnate dies. The young man doesn't return from Mexico. Eventually he does. He and the magnate's wife can now be together. Nothing much else happens. The End.

The dialogues in the final scenes were weirdly written but apart from that, I appreciated the wonderful acting depicting the characters' contained emotions very well ... and the cinematography was mostly beautiful too. One last comment: I couldn't quite figure out what drove the director to keep and even to shoot the sniffing of the piano scene as well as the heroine's visit to the young man's apartment; they both looked and felt artificial to me.

The only reason to watch this film is to see yet another splendid performance by Alan Rickman.

The young man (Frederick) is a repulsive character. His treatment of his lower class love was heartbreaking. The Frau at least appeared to have some sense of morality since she spurned his sexual advances while her husband was alive. I felt sorry for her to be so in love with a man who did not deserve her.

I was idly browsing through the dvds on the bargain table and saw this one, with the words, proves exceptional movies are made outside of Hollywood - or somesuch. I bought and returned home with little to do but watch a movie. It is set in industrial Germany in 1912 and the fashion is stunning. Alan Rickman is adorable. His wife is very attractive but seemingly can only play one tune on the piano which makes her husband very emotional - maybe he paid for her lessons? A young man is taken on as a clerk, then promoted and then he has to work closely with the employer who is too sick to go to work, and eventually moves into the house. The wife, Lotte, is a bit of a tease, and the young man -I can't remember his name - drools after her, and they spend a lot of time together. Obviously they are smitten with each other, but she does not reveal this until he has to travel to Mexico, which may save his life ultimately, as WWI is about to begin. He abandons his sweetheart from his life of poverty, having had his way with her first (I kept waiting for a baby to appear, but no) and is really not very nice. When he is overseas and Lotte is writing to him daily, her husband finally admits that he manipulated the situation so that they would fall in love but couldn't cope with the result. He dies and she sends their son to a boarding school - not really clear why she did that - and she sits around moping until the war ends and Our Hero returns, with a limp, and not much else. There is some very disjointed conversation and the film ends with the implication that they will be devoted for ever. Yawn. The set, the scenery and the clothing were all perfect. The background of Germany in that era could have been developed more and the intrusion of nazi emblems in a war veteran's parade was pathetic and inaccurate. So, he had no redeeming characteristics - fickle, creepy and colourless. She is very beautiful and appears devoted to her husband until the young man is sent away. Alan Rickman is totally convincing and holds it together. One point - I wish that script writers of period dramas would try to get the cadence of conversation authentic - maybe we are all stupid and can't cope with period language, but for the love of god, give us a chance to try!

For being a romance film, "A Promise" certainly lacks in romance.

The movie tells the story of an aging factory owner Karl Hoffmeister, his beautiful young wife Charlotte, and the promising youngster he takes in as his protégé. Eventually, a forbidden love ensues as Friedrich becomes enamoured with his boss' wife.

The way their "love" is depicted, however, is completely lackluster. There is no substantial build-up (though it is somewhat attempted) which would lead to the scene where they promise their love to one another. Perhaps this is due to them restraining their feelings, seeing as Charlotte is married. But, it is too restrained, too polite, too proper. So little passion & emotion makes it hard to believe that Charlotte and Friedrich have fallen for one another, experienced a secretive relationship, only to be seperated with little communication for six years. Surely that would evoke some form of emotional response? No. When the lovers are finally reunited, they are cold, emotionless, and act as though there is some dark unspoken history between them - despite the fact that they never even kissed.

Not to mention, shoddy camera work - the entire film features oddly placed zooms as well as headache-inducing shakiness.

Overall, the film lacked the tension and intensity one would expect from a forbidden romance. Which is a shame, because the costumes, sets, and music were beautifully done.

I was riveted by Hall's performance and character. It is the first movie I have viewed her in and have subsequently viewed some of her other movies - this being my favourite.

I'm surprised more people didn't enjoy the romance. I found the scenes intense and moving. Both the main characters were humble and deep in their feelings towards each other. I found the restraint displayed between them - despite the depth of their feeling - gave the characters a particular dignity - especially that of Charlotte. I loved the subtleties in her expressions which displayed a greater depth of love and emotion for Frederick than she was able to express.

I enjoyed the movie far better than the book. Unfortunately I found the ending a let down to the film overall; although there was a build up to their meeting it lacked the passion and feeling their eventual meeting could of and should have had. Still better than the book though; and I can appreciate that the build up during Frederick's absence showed the depth of feeling Charlotte had for Frederick despite the years of separation.

I rated the film a 10 despite its flaws because I disagree with the harsh general ratings and enjoyed it so much I had to watch my favourite scenes over and over.

We are in Germany before World War I. Karl Hoffmeister (Alan Rickman) is the aging and ailing husband of young Lotte (Rebecca Hall). He is also an industrial magnate in need of a successor. Enter Friedrich (Richard Madden), a metallurgist with a head for business. He is soon welcomed not only into the industry but into their home. What follows is 90 minutes of Lotte and Friedrich stealing looks at each other, and Karl catching them at it-- at looking, that is, because that is just about the full extent of their indiscretion.

The War is the catalyst which sends Friedrich overseas to mine magnesium. Karl remains at home, dying, and Lotte watches. There's a lot of watching in this movie, and not a lot of plot. You would not miss much if you kept your thumb on fast-forward.

The problem with love stories is that they require chemistry between the lovers. There is no chemistry here. Literally, none. Rebecca Hall plays Lotte with an abundance of poise and dignity, and no small amount of charm. She's the animated one. Richard Madden, on the other hand, has a handsome but empty face. He wears his one blank expression throughout the movie. Except for the rare instances when he laughs, he is blank-- as blank when he's talking about war profiteering as he is blank when his crotch is being fondled by his high-spirited and adorable mistress (Shannon Tarbet), who calls him Fritz and disappears from the film early. Whatever feelings of desire come through are generated by the audience-- for me, that was a desire for the two of them to get on with things, or for the movie to end.

The key scene-- the one with actual insight into the emotional landscape adults muddle through --is effective, however, because it captures how very strange estrangement is when, with passing time, it displaces love. When Friedrich returns from overseas, after a decade, he and Lotte have become virtual strangers. The war has interrupted even their correspondence. They must take for granted, somehow, that they were once devoted to each other, if they are to live happily ever after. It is a worthy scene, but the scenes that come before, and even after, are too long in the telling, with too little told, and too little feeling touching the heart.