noangelstephie Reviews

Hamish Macbeth (1995–1997)

Hamish Macbeth is delightful.

[14 January 2001]

Hamish Macbeth is a charming comedy/drama filled with excellent acting and engaging storylines. Robert Carlyle is excellent as the title character and constable of the town, who's managed to arrest very few people. Hamish has two women in his life, the beautiful novelist Alex and the plain local newswoman Isobel...my desire to see Hamish end up with a certain one of them kept me on the edge of my seat for months as I caught reruns on BBCAmerica.

One of the best episodes was a hilarious ode to Romeo and Juliet, in which the townspeople put on a production of West Side Story while the two lovers playing the leads struggled to be together and the same four men played both the Sharks and the Jets. By far my favorite episode is the two-part season finale "Destiny", featuring a complicated plot that involved the "Stone of Destiny" and a tryst in a cave...for those of you who love charming shows with twists and turns that can't ever be expected, watch Hamish Macbeth.

Ghosts of Mississippi (1996)

this movie is undervalued

[9/10 · 7 January 2001]

I haven't seen that many movies based almost wholly on true stories, but this is the most captivating of them. My only complaint is that Whoopi Goldberg doesn't nearly look as old as her character, and that in five years Alec Baldwin's character's kids don't age. Still, James Woods is creepily excellent as the white supremacist who murdered Medgar Evars, and the other performances are excellent as well. It's also interesting to note that Evars' sons played themselves, as did police investigator Ben Bennett, and Yolanda King, daughter of Martin Luther King, Jr., plays Evars' daughter.

Passions (1999–2008)

It's not all that bad

[3 January 2001]

When I started watching passions, it was because it was bad--funny bad. Now I watch it partially because it's bad (Sam Bennett: I won't rest until I know whether or not Ethan's my son...maybe there's a clue on the internet! ok, i'm not sure that that's the exact quote, but you get the gist), but partially because the budding romance between Sheridan and Luis, as well as Ethan and Theresa's relationship, is captivating. Of course, the dastardly father and son team of Julian and Alistair (who never appears; he's a voice and a hand) are as hysterical as anyone else. So watch it, if only for a good laugh. And the actress who plays Pilar knows what she's doing.

The End of the Affair (1999)

A thought-provoking film

[10/10 · 3 January 2001]

It's hard to praise this movie without spoiling a major plot twist, but I'll try. Cinematographically breathtaking and featuring Oscar-caliber performances, The End of the Affair is a must see. Ralph Fiennes is wonderfully brooding, and Julianne Moore is astounding as an adultress who turns out to be much, much, much more than she seems. "I am very human" she says. At first she appears to be nothing but a deceptive woman who cheats on her husband and leaves her lover for another, but as the film progresses and we realize how complex she is.

In a brilliant stroke of direction, the couple takes off more and more items of clothing in successive love scenes. When Sarah and Maurice make love for the first time (on her couch, minutes before her husband walks in)they take off only the necessary items of clothing. By the time the critical scene that reveals Sarah's true nature comes, the pair is completely naked. The metaphor works brilliantly: the more items of clothing that come off, the more they confess their love for each other, and the more Sarah is figuratively undressed. Maurice's envy also increases with each scene. "I am jealous of this stocking...because it kisses your whole leg, and I cannot...I am jealous of this shoe, because it will take you away from me."

Also excellent is the showing of the same incident twice; once from his point of view, and once from hers.

There is also a moment of cinematic reference that few will catch unaided: On a date to watch one of his books that was turned into a movie, Sarah and Maurice watch "The End of the Affair" (1955). This, of course, is a clue that the character of Maurice might be slightly autobiographical (representing author Graham Greene).

The End of the Affair features both a love story and a mystery, and is a movie that deserves for viewers to watch with both eyes open.

The Lovers on the Bridge (1991)

file under: breathtaking

[10/10 · 3 January 2001]

I found this movie by serendipity at Blockbuster, while I was searching for another Juliette Binoche title. I had to turn it off after an hour, because I was so overwhelmed. I finished it later of course, and was uplifted. The cinematography was breathtaking. It was also one of the most original films I've ever seen. Three homeless people live on a bridge, including an old man, a fire-breathing street performer, and an artist who is, ironically, going blind (i believe by macular degeneration). I don't want to spoil any of the action, but watch for an amazing scene in a subway hallway. And the two lovers, who seem so unlikely to get together at the beginning, bond convincingly throughout the film. Also, watch for two scenes were later recycled for movies which won best picture. Juliet Binoche and the old man visit a museum so she can look at a painting by candlelight (a la' The English Patient) and a scene ripped off for Titanic. It's great, but don't expect to just relax while watching it--it's a thinker's movie.

Shakespeare in Love (1998)

Shakespeare in Love--good title, great movie

[10/10 · 30 December 2000]

As Ned Alleyn (Ben Affleck) and the Admiral's men prepare to perform their production of Romeo and Juliet, Ned tells "the money", Hugh Fennyman (Tom Wilkinson), "Pay attention, and you will see how genius creates a legend." The same could have been said to any extras, cast, or crew on the set of "Shakespeare in Love." The movie covers a little more than three weeks in the life of the bard (Joseph Fiennes). He has writers' block, but the moneylender Fennyman will kill, or perhaps cut off the nose of, Philip Henslowe, who is expecting the play "Romeo and Ethel the Pirate's Daughter" to be finished yesterday. After an affair with Rosalind, Richard Burbage's seamstress, goes bad, he finally finds his muse in Viola de Lessaps (Gwyneth Paltrow). The daughter of a wealthy ex-shopkeeper, she is betrothed to marry Lord Wessex (an especially dastardly Colin Firth) after her parents return from the country in three weeks. In the meantime, however, she dresses like a man and adopts the name of Thomas Kent to play the part of Romeo. I was at first miffed by the use of Shakespeare's most famous, but not greatest, play for this movie, but given the inside jokes and parallels, I quickly forgave. "I say a plague upon both their houses..." a religious fanatic says to a crowd, preaching against acting. After a night of lovemaking, Viola and Will argue about whether or not it was, in fact, the rooster or the owl they just heard. Perhaps the most clever inside joke is the character John Webster, as an eager boy whose favorite part of the play was when Juliet stabbed herself. Few viewers would know that he will grow up to become one of the next generation of English playwrites, famous for his use of blood and violence. The movie has beautiful cinematography, and even more beautiful and unrealistic language. "Love knows nothing of rank, or riverbanks." Will says, arguing with Thomas Kent. "This is not life, Will, it is a stolen season." says Viola. She's right--but what a beautiful stolen season it is.

East/West (1999)

East-West is superb.

[10/10 · 27 December 2000]

Despite the fact that I was completely ignorant of the circumstances under which the characters suffered, I was swept away by this movie. All of the actors gave amazing performances, but I was most impressed by the way that Sandrine Bonnaire(Marie) and Oleg Menshikov (Alexei) were able to age their characters ten years using only their faces. Sergei Bodrov, Jr., was excellent as Sacha, the teenage lover of Marie. At the beginning of the movie he was scared and immature, but as the plot progressed I saw him evolve into a strong, determined man. The scenes of him swimming in the river involve some of the most captivating cinematography I've seen. I hold Bodrov's performance to be the best in the film. Not to be ignored is Catherine Denueve; though her role as a French actress, Gabrielle, determined to save Marie was small, it was critical, and she pulled it off brilliantly. East-West is a sweeping, engaging epic that will captivate even the most historically ignorant viewer.