Reviews

Though familiar with the story on which the film was based, I was lost on several occasions or merely lost interest in the plot line. Use of unintelligible dialogue only served to confuse the telling of the story and the fleshing out of the characters and their motivation. The various British dialects, faked or otherwise, did not help with the Viking characters actual or mythological.The film does not compare favourably with the 2005 live action story "Beowulf and Grendel" filmed in Iceland. The animation/graphics were innovative but it got stale quite fast. I guess I expected more especially from a rather stellar cast like Anthony Hopkins, Ray Winston and even Angelina Jolie. Could have been better all round!!

I went to the film with few expectations as I have always found the film adaptations of stage musicals lack a certain energy and authenticity. I am also not a John Travolta fan so was prepared to hate the whole thing. Great surprise though, I totally enjoyed the experience, left the theatre singing the songs and have recently both purchased the soundtrack and attended a sing-along version of the movie. Loads of fun! The principals were all strong and I particularly enjoyed Chris Walken as Wilbur - he had a great comic touch. Michelle Pfeiffer is also very entertaining and plays a great villain. Lots of eye candy for those who need it as well as cameo's by John Waters and Ricki Lake.

I went to this film with only a minimal understanding of the significance of the individuals portrayed. What an absolutely beguiling and totally enjoyable experience. It was great to see the archival footage of some of these amazing performers as well as the recent interviews and the reunion. The egos and the incredible stamina that they must have had certainly allowed them to persist through real adversity. A totally enjoyable experience and a jewel of a documentary. It would have been great to have more advance publicity but it was actually a treat to discover the film by accident and become totally engrossed in the era and the huge personalities, some of whom are still alive in 2005. Bravo!

Though I went to the movie with some reservations, I was totally enthralled by the performance of Johnny Depp in the role of James Barrie. The simplicity of his motivation combined with the deeply complex portrayal were riveting. The movie covers Barrie's disintegrating relationship with his wife, the innuendo as to the nature of his relationship with a widow and her children and the possibilities in everyday life. I couldn't talk my eyes of the film and was alternately laughing and in tears with the poignancy of the relationships portrayed. Definitely a must see and I certainly will be going to see it again. It was probably a bonus( at least for me)to see the film without children in the audience as I went to a showing while our local Santa Claus Parade was taking place. Great to be in an audience of applauding and weeping adults!

I had heard about this movie from one of my greek students who had said it was disturbing but very good. I found the imagery of the marginalized immigrant's experience very moving and sad. The whole film is very well acted and beautifully, if rawly, filmed and portrayed. Sacha, the main character is brilliant and totally believable. I highly recommend this film.

After reading the Gregory Maguire book, I didn't think that anyone could translate so rich a story and group of characters to the screen - I was wrong! Wonderful adaptation of the story and great casting and sense of authenticity about the period. Brilliantly acted and great passion for the story...

I was finally able to catch this movie after missing it here at the film festival a couple of years ago. I must say that the wait was certainly worth it. The visual presentation of the movie is spectacular and the lovely endearing yet perverse story line only further adds to the experience of watching. The characterizations are wonderful and the manic nature of most of the characters brings an energy to the story. My favourite scenes were the "kidnap" ventures and the wonderful shots of the water - the colours are breathtaking. I will certainly have to see this one again before it disappears!!

This film satisfied all my senses and left me wanting more. A feast for the eyes throughout and brilliant performances by all the actors, particularly Judi Dench, Carrie-Anne Moss and Juliette Binoche. A true romance with nothing held back!

I enjoyed some of the timing elements in the movie and the sense of the unexpected but found several of the performances uneven and decidedly shallow, perhaps a sign of poor screen writing. Christopher Plummer was great and I enjoyed the performance of Johnny Lee Miller but the rest of the cast were pretty lame. Great locales(New Orleans and Toronto)though and liked that the London scenes were shot here in Toronto. Gave it a 6/10 rating.

I went to the film with high hopes, being an Albert Brooks fan and truly enjoying his humour. I was sorely disappointed though in the production values and the performance of the terrible Sharon Stone. There were so many glaring continuity errors and technical glitches that what ever humour remained in the production was quickly lost. Here's hoping for a better effort from Brooks the next time. Jeff Bridges is totally wasted in the movie!!