VividSimon Simply Perfect
Protraph Lack of good storyline.
Raymond Sierra The film may be flawed, but its message is not.
khono This is an unusually honest film. It does not dwell on romantic idealisms, but instead depicts the ebb and flow to relationships and love. And the persistence of some. I never once found myself knowing what would happen next. The characters have great depth and come together to create an intellectually, as well as emotionally, stimulating film.I found the acting to be superb and, despite the distinct lack of action for much of the film, I never felt bored or like the movie was moving too slowly.The movie is perpetually visually stimulating without the kind of technological flare that most mainstream movies contain, nowadays. The landscapes, buildings, props; everything seemed to fit seamlessly and beautifully with such an organic livability that they give the movie a kind of realism so very precious and rare.The music, as can be expected from Michael Nyman, harmonizes with one's emotions, enhancing the entire movie beyond measure. Despite having listened to the soundtrack many times before seeing this movie and listening to the ending credit music several times in a row now, I never grow weary of the music. On the contrary, my love for it matures and I can think of nothing more beautiful as I listen.This is a must see movie for anyone with patience and an open mind.
hcoursen This one needed tightening and focus. It drifts aimlessly in imitation of the non-sexual affair between Carrington and Strachey, but the art form is an imitation of an action, not a replication of mere aimlessness. That the characters are inherited from history and from a book about the Bloomsbury circle does not absolve the film, a separate work, from establishing the characters and their motives. Yet here we have the Rufus Sewell character charging around madly for no established reason, other than that he can't get into Dora's knickers. And his brief reappearance almost at the end is inexplicable. Carrington's lovers come and go -- obviously surrogates for her inability to consummate anything with Strachey. But those lovers have no frame or context or reason for being taken on by Carrington other than that old ennui. Her own character, then -- in spite of wonderful Emma -- gets lost in the slow motion meaninglessness of her life. She does depict the layering of the Bohemian that took the place of the stiff corseting of the rest of the ladies of the time. The beautiful moorlands of Yorkshire are just that -- a travelogue. They are not integral as, say, the world of Tess or Eustacia in Hardy. In spite of what other posters say, direction here is a major flaw.
fedor8 The never-ending devotion of one woman to a special friend, that lasts over great many years and survives all of her life's lovers...Or: how a frigid married virgin turns into a raving nymphomaniac and shags a number of guys with obvious lust and passion while living with an intellectual poofter.Either way, it's an interesting film with some unusual characters, but uneven. The first third or so is the best, then it gets bogged down in near-soap-opera clichés, only to get better again towards the end. The two leads, Thompson and Pryce, make it work. Thompson is often annoying, but that's usually the case with movies where she is supposed to be funny.
Andy (film-critic) I would like to go back for a moment and dig deeper into the idea of full circle. I caught this idea as I was watching this film, and I thought it was amazing the way the director showed this transition. The first person, outside of Lytton, that Carrington falls for is a man who is only interested in a physical relationship. Although she claims she is not interested in him sexually, it is at this time in Carrington's life, she is interested in a man's mind, not what is under his pants. She breaks off this relationship to live with Lytton, a man who can give her the intellect that she desires. As Carrington grows older, she finds comfort in physical relationships. In fact, the majority of this film is about physical relationships. Carrington is never hesitant to jump into the arms of another man. A part of me thinks that she is constantly trying to find another Lytton out there, but there is another part of me that says that she was just trying to get the physical from men, because she had the perfect man at home (Lytton of course). So after being with a man that only wants to have a physical relationship, she jumps into the arms of a soldier. One that is great with the physical, amazing towards Lytton, and perfect for Carrington. As this comes to a surprising end, we see her jump into a relationship that was purely sexual. There was no interaction between the two except for when they were on his boat having sex. Carrington experiences the best sex of her life with this man, but it again ... much like the others ... comes to a complete halt when he tells her that he is not really interested in her sexually. Odd, isn't how this films started with Carrington and her first boyfriend. We have come full circle. If we were to look at this film in a symmetrical angle, we would notice a circle outside with Lytton in the direct center of this circle. The circle would represent Carrington's life. All around the circle would be the men that she has been with, while Lytton would be her stability point. All throughout her encounters with other men she always is able to find comfort with her center figure ... Lytton. If you watch this film closely, you will notice that there is only one point in the movie where Carrington goes outside the circle. It is when she is having a party at her house. Carrington goes outside only to sit down on a stump that happens to be facing the house. She is able to see all the windows in the house, and all of her past lovers with their new ones. Even Lytton with his new boyfriend.This is the moment that we see Carrington thinking about her life. Seeing what she has been a part of, and watching it somewhat crumble down. This is her only moment outside of the circle that she has built. Lytton is the foundation to this circle, and it is obvious that without Lytton everything around Carrington must crumble as well. That my friends, is how you build a love story. Grade: *** out of *****
