Reviews

After scanning all the other reviews on this site, I'm surprised by two things:

First, this film obviously should be enjoyed as a broad comedy/love story. Some of you people need to lighten up!

Second, as a fan of the excellent actor, Colin Firth, I'm surprised no one has mentioned here what a wonderful "bad guy" this very romantic leading man made (He was Darcy in the best "Pride and Prejudice" ever made, the 1995 A & E mini-series.) As interpreted by Firth, even Wessex deserves a measure of sympathy. He is a financially challenged nobleman with the ambition to regain his fortune in the New World, a very appropriate endeavor in Elizabethan society. Of course, that means marrying money, i.e., the rich heiress. Next viewing, watch Firth's eyes for all the subtle little expressions that reveal his inner struggles. This is not a buffoon or one dimensional villain. One may not approve of Wessex, but Colin Firth gets an A+ for his performance.

To find a terrific joke on us audience members, check casting of Queen Elizabeth's ladies-in-waiting. Bridget McConnel and Georgie Glen who flanked Elizabeth in almost every scene were the same two women who attended Judi Dench's Victoria in "Mrs. Brown." If that doesn't prove how we are supposed to take this delightful comedy, then nothing will.

Mrs. Dalloway is a very well-written and performed adaptation of the Virginia Woolf novel. Kudos to screenwriter Eileen Atkins for her faithfulness to the original story. The double casting of the central characters is realistic and makes the flashback scenes easy to follow. Every actor was completely believable in his/her role. But the most brilliant performance of all was Rupert Graves as Septimus Warren Smith, the tragic young war hero suffering from delayed shell shock. (For the full impact of his inner torment, try watching this movie with a combat veteran, as I did.) A quality movie. Don't miss it!

Gregory Peck is excellent at Captain Ahab, Herman Melville's proud, vengeful whaling captain. Leo Genn and Richard Basehart lead the brilliant supporting cast. Students of Melville must excuse some minor deviations from Melville's novel. However, the essence of the story, Ahab's unreasoning pride and the resulting disaster, are true to the original.

As a fan of Geraint Wyn Davies, I wanted to see this film because he had top billing. The talents of Mr. Wyn Davies, as well as those of excellent actor Christopher Plummer, were wasted in the movie due, in part, to a poorly written script and inferior directing. Although Mr. Wyn Davies is a gifted, versatile actor, the character he portrayed was flat, meaning that the audience was never shown any depth. He was simply a remorseless killer with unrevealed motivation. Any third rate actor could have filled the part. In addition, the conflicts of the movie were superficial and the romantic elements implausible. Moreover, there were entirely too many shots of walking shoes, a device which became trite rather than adding to a feeling of suspense.