Reviews

First, I think the acting was superb. I rarely, and I mean rarely express any interest in a remake of a classic film. Yet, something piqued my curiosity from the review and it was free, so why not! Mia is exactly what I would have thought Jane looked like, plain and homely. Michael plays Rochester without so much emotion or romance which is more true to the novel. Judi Dench brings a sense of humor to the role of Mrs. Fairfax, although you aren't meant to laugh it is hard not to. Young Adele/Romy actually speaks French which is more accurate and she is a doll. Young Jane/Amelia is adorable and well played showing a more violent version of the abuse she suffered rather than playing it down for 1944 standards. I'd say only Helen/Freya got the shaft because her role was about 2 minutes long, not quite as much time on screen as with Elizabeth Taylor in 44.

What I liked more than anything though was that this film showed the missing pieces of the novel. Jane's path to enlightenment, when she runs away and falls into the doorway of the parson and his two young sisters. This was such a crucial piece to the book and it is nice to see it in action finally. Though the cameraman in the opening scenes of Jane running away (her story is a long flashback), is like the Blair Witch Project and for a minute I thought I would hate this movie. Thank God the camera jumping was short lived. Why directors think this makes sense is beyond me. It is horrible and makes one nauseous.

I really loved this film as you can see and I hope you get a chance to watch it if you are a Jane fan. I don't think you will be too disturbed even though it is a modern version. If you haven't read the book though, please do this first before you go to see any version. How ignorant the people were in my audience, I was so embarrassed for them. When they showed the scene of Thornfield Hall, at Jane's return, everyone gasped. Really? You are that illiterate? Anyway, you cannot truly appreciate viewing this film unless you understand and have read the novel.

I am a huge fan of the MhZ International Mystery series where you can catch this show every few weeks. They alternate with Italian, German, Swedish, and in the past Norwegian mysteries. Jules Maigret is the kind of dad you would like to have had growing up. He is intelligent, sophisticated, speaks French, and quite handsome for a big guy. What makes the show hilarious is that he is the only one in each series who has any wisdom whatsoever. The other characters dance around him like complete imbeciles trying to trick him while he smokes his pipe and think that he isn't paying attention. He is a French Sherlock Holmes, without a side kick, though now his nephew has joined in on the action lately and it seems he will stay. The nephew is interested in girls more than crime though and pulls out the machismo whenever he appears to be slacking off, to impress his uncle. His uncle is not impressed though but as a devoted family member tries to teach him the trade. If you love classic film, Masterpiece theater, and generally watch British humor or mysteries on PBS, you have to look for MhZ International programs and find this. They are on Facebook as well.

Another MhZ International Mystery classic and I am told they are in production creating more shows for us that we should stay tuned for (according to MhZ news). Luca Zingaretti is the Italian Maigret and Sherlock Holmes. The relationship he has with his team is hilarious but serious. All the stereotypical Italian nuances you might have learned about in America are born and bred here and are obviously authentic. The funniest person on the show is the clerk, his name starts with a C, Campellini or something like that. He is an Italian Kramer (Seinfeld). The best show with the clerk is the one where he shoots the bad guy, whom he catches while taking a pee on a sting. I've seen Luca in other films, which I have tried to find on Netflix, but hands down this is the best role for him and the one that turns him into a huge sex symbol - for me and all his fans on Facebook.

Krister is by far a much better Wallander than Kenneth Brannaugh will ever be. Krister is a real Swede as the character and the relationship he has with his team and daughter, Linda (who is sadly no longer with us),irreplaceable. Evidently new shows are on TV over there and I look forward to them being purchased and shown through MhZ International Mystery in the US. For me, authentic characters, locations are much better because you pick up on the culture which obviously fits well in the show. Personally, I don't mind the subtitles because I get to hear their voices and get a sense of them as a human being. You even learn a bit of the language. The other sad departure on the show is the ironic ending on the last episode of a character that I really liked. This mimicked the actress Johanna Sallstrom's real life ending shortly thereafter and I knew this when I watched the ending and found it very emotional.

OH...MY..GOD... was the writer on Valium or what? Also what was up with the male playing a female lead. Aren't there enough older black females out there to act? Cicely Tison was the only person in this movie who was any good. I have no idea why she would pick such a dumb movie to act in though? I feel sorry for her because she must be desperate for money. She generally makes wiser choices.

The rest of the people, were just dumb really. When the Man/Woman (Madera) came on to the scene a friend of mine said "Now it is going to be funny." We thought the movie was based on her. WRONG. It is based on this sniveling, whinny, victim, who is so aggravating I don't even feel sorry for her. And HOW many films did you steal lines from anyway? I saw Debra Winger/John Travolta's scene from Officer. There were about 5 other lines that I remembered from other movies too, but I couldn't quite think of their titles. My friends and I even began to recite the lines before they came out as it was so obvious what they were going to say. Now that is BAD.

The romance that is in this is so slow and so tedious and so fake and so "Give me a break", roll your eyes, please...please...stop before I vomit!! If you haven't wasted your money by now, don't even think about it. Wait till it comes on HBO or movie of the week on the local channels. It isn't worth the money. By the way, I didn't even actually rent this movie, my hosts did where I was staying while on vacation. So blame them - LOL, I knew before it started it would be dumb which is why I had not had any intentions of watching it in the first place. The shame is that I have stock in this company, so LGF, you need to wise up and make some smarter decisions.

This movie only gets a 3 out of 10 because of Wanda Sykes(sp?). She stole the show and as I watched it it was almost as if she would say something hilarious every time Jane or Jennifer said something really stupid. The story is old and rotten, so there is no creativity here. Jane Fonda, a brilliant actress in the past, but what happened? Are you irregular? I mean you were stumbling over your own words as if you just started acting yesterday. What a shame. What made you even take this part, are you out of money?? The writing was horrible.

Jennifer Lopez hasn't done anything brilliant sense Selena. That is partly because she has become so cocky that she is a waste of a time to look at. Am I the only one who is sick to death of her!?! The clothes she wears in the film are ridiculous looking too. What's up with the dresses over jeans??? Yikes how retarded is that? Part of the time her clothes were so dumpy she should have stayed outside with the dogs where the clothes belonged.

Before I forget I did like one other person other than Wanda. Jane's characters mother in-law at the end of the movie. Now she brought something interesting to the film. She is a tough brassy lady and played the role Jane was supposed to play.

I knew this was going to be dumb from the start, so I didn't go in expecting anything terrific. But my friends were around we weren't ready to go home and that was the only movie other than Star Wars (we aren't sci-fi fans). We spent more time laughing at the stupid lines than we did at the lines meant to be funny. We also did a number of "Give me a Break" comments, such as the expensive looking apartment for a dog walker, the clothes, the amount of time spent on scenes that were clueless and went no where. If my eyes would have rolled around any longer they would have fallen out of my head!

Many critics have put down this movie for ridiculous reasons. TV Guides critic complained that it wasn't Elizabeth Montgomery. Well yes that is true, but ya did see it right?? It wasn't meant to recreate Elizabeth. The writer's made that perfectly clear when the movie dictates from the start that it is a film about a group of people trying to recreate Bewitched. It is basically a romantic story about two actors. It certainly isn't an Oscar winning performance but I wasn't expecting that either as I am bright enough to see a comedy for what it is. And if it can make me laugh then it has succeeded in being a good movie for people to have fun with. So if you are hoping to see a recreation of Bewitched - think again. If you are looking for a funny romantic comedy, then you got it. Now that being said, I enjoyed the spoofs on Bewitched and the actors who played the roles.

As for the actors. I don't love Will Ferrel because I think he is an idiot and he is ugly as sin. BUT, since he was playing an idiot, he did a good job. Shirley MacClain, I adore. She writes well, she acts well, she has a lot to say as a person. In this movie, she was the right person for the job, BUT she delivered her lines as if she just suffered a stroke. God forbid if she really did and if so I apologize for making fun at a legitimate illness, but if not - WHAT HAPPENED?? I don't like Michael Cain either, although he was okay for the part. Nicole Kidman, the best for last, she is playing almost the same part as she did in "To Die For" I believe it was (where she kills her hubby). I love her as an actress. I guess because she is so beautiful and it is amazing to watch her perform. She is so graceful, such a lady, seeing her in different roles only shows the magnitude of what she is capable of doing as a performer. She needed a break anyway from all those deep films like the Hours and the Others, and the physical exhaustion of Moulin. Also, I liked the 50's touch on her costumes - very beautiful, are they coming back in?? Hope so because I am tired of all these raggedy looking fools in their gangsta clothes. We need some innocence in our lives.

Two more people... Aunt Clara. My friends around me actually thought it was the same person from the 60's (I had to slap them for that). Either way the British actress was superb. The guy who does Uncle Arthur was interesting. It was hard to hear the lines because his voice was much sharper and I new it was unnatural. But it was interesting nonetheless.

The whole movie is really a joke in many ways. But I mean that in a good way. It is meant to be a comedy. It makes fun at itself and the story it is producing. There is lots of movement, silly lines, and if you have fun with it you will laugh your a%% off. If you are a Bewitched fan like I am you will appreciate the nostalgia and be glad that they DIDN'T try to recreate Samantha, because Elizabeth Montgomery was irreplaceable.

Just finished (I think its over) watching the last of the series on BBC America. I looked forward to every Monday night, even though they stupidly put it on at 11 pm making my Tuesdays at work a bit of a drag. I especially liked the pagan influences and the realistic portrayal of a psychic. Of course some would argue that it was not pagan, but what do they know - only us conscious observers who have studied our ancient ways will agree.

The writing was very good, as was the scenery and filming. I don't know how to talk like a Hollywood pro but I enjoyed being captivated by the little village each week. The only sad thing that I picked up on were a few minute details. Whenever they shot scenes in the village there were always these pesky tourists in the background. As they were not also in character or native dress, they were a constant nuisance and check in to reality. The last show that I watched Isobel was not dressed properly for her hike. It bugged me, especially when she got caught in a snowstorm. I think she had a thin summer flannel jacket on. The problem was that her character was aware that there was going to be a storm and had time to prepare. Bad Costume Department person. Of course she could have taken some responsibility as an actress too.

I doubt there will be more episodes because the UK is famous for doing novella type stories like the Spanish. Rather than us goofy Americans who need to drag out scripts for years and years until the actors are so bored stiff and their lines get really dumb.

I agree with the earlier comment that this show has elements of Northern Exposure, but I think Hamish MacBeth was much better x10. I will take foreign exposure over Hollywood exposure any day of the week!!

While watching this film, I thought about Shirley Jones in Oklahoma and how it is nice to see movies of such caliber in a movie theater, even in this modern day and age. It really takes you back, and allows your mind to go to another time and space. Of course my reality was disrupted constantly by some ignorant people who could not shut up through the course of the movie. I will definitely have to see it again thanks to them, but I will most assuredly see it live on stage as well.

My therapeutic comment: What also struck me about this film is the fact that it is about a woman making a choice between a control freak and the boy next door. As with all victims and their would be batterers, she is seduced into the Phantom's charms over and over again. Were it not for the "nice guy" she would very likely pick the Phantom and go on to live a life of abuse over an over again. The same tale as in Heathcliff and Catherine (what if). Isn't it interesting that Christine has lived under the Phantom's roof for many years, and he never once pursues her as a lover until she is finally chosen for this role? The reason for this is that the Phantom wants to mold her into his device for controlling. He has groomed her for many years, and it isn't until she is set to be the lead in a opera, AND until the "nice guy" decides he wants her, that the phantom comes out of hiding and shows himself to her. This is just a prelude to a batterer and if this is watched consciously, you will think twice about feeling sorry for the Phantom and falling in love. Be glad she makes the right choice and hopefully you will to.