Miranda-Richardson Movie Reviews

Robert Louis Stevenson, a 19th Century English writer whose illustrious compatriots include Jane Austen, Charles Dickens, and Jane Eyre wrote ST IVES--the book the film is based upon. This tale is somewhat reminiscent of a Jane Austen story with its lover's angst, but it lacks Austen's irony and amazing plot twists. Also, Janie did not include the blood and guts and sex depicted on the screen in ST IVES--but did Robinson? In some ways, ST IVES is more akin to the French tales of the Ancien regime (VALMONT) than the English tales of the Regency period, but unlike the French stories, this tale is relatively upbeat (there are some deaths).

Perhaps one might liken ST IVES to the Scarlet Pimpernel but the hero is a real Frenchman, not an English Aristocrat posing as one. St Ives is also fighting for Napoleon when he isn't dueling "wanabees" or chasing pretty women. One day, St Ives finds himself an English prisoner-of-war after back-slapping pal (his second at his numerous duels) unwittingly causes him to slide down an embankment into the waiting arms of British soldiers.

St Ives captors transport him to Scotland, where he is placed under the watchful eye and lock and key of Major Chevening who is a bit resentful of having been kept out of the fracas on the continent. Chevening has been ineffectively courting the delicious Flora, niece of Miss Gilcrist. In an amazing turn of events, Miss Gilchrist (who is extemely worldly) and St. Ives are soon both coaching Major Chevening concerning his courting strategies.

ST IVES is a hero, not the place with kits, cats, sacks and wives as I thought all these years, and the gentleman's name is pronounced "Santeff". Miranda Richardson is wonderful as Miss Gilcrist (she is related to the Redgraves and Natasha). Richard Grant is oh so funny as Major Chevening, and he and Miss Gilcrist have some very amusing scenes together. I had not heard of the two younger actors who play St Ives and his love interest, but they are also very good. The plotline of ST IVES is not as well developed as Austen's story PRIDE AND PREJUDICE, if it were it would be as well known, but it is as well developed as NORTHANGER ABBY. The characters are two-dimensional, but real enough that one cares what happens to them. The film's strengths include moments of sadness, humor, and above all lots of love-making.

Of course, the latter fits in to one of these episodes - "Beer" - in which Lord Blackadder desparately attempts to hold a drinking party in his house at the same time as an intimate dinner with his VERY puritan aunt and uncle. The situation, however, loses a lot of its comic power when the aunt and uncle are played as grotesques (each of them sporting four or five large crosses apiece and slapping their nephew at any suggestion of sin). There would be more tension in the situation if they, and the risk to Edmund's inheritance, were real. Then the drunken bozos in the other wing of the castle would be a real threat.

It takes little away from the delightful lunacy of these characters, however.

I was mesmorized by Forrest Whittaker's performance as "Jody". (Terrific, let me say that again, TERRIFIC job on the accent Forrest!). I began to wonder as I was watching him, why he wasn't nominated for an Oscar? Gee Whiz, what a farce! It must be in the Oscar Commitees nature.

The whole movie is riveting, and all set to a killer score. The song "The Crying Game" has some of the most romantic and heartwrenching lyrics I have ever heard.

By the way, what the heck has Jaye Davidson been doing since "Stargate"?

I was mesmorized by Forrest Whittaker's performance as "Jody". (Terrific, let me say that again, TERRIFIC job on the accent Forrest!). I began to wonder as I was watching him, why he wasn't nominated for an Oscar? Gee Whiz, what a farce! It must be in the Oscar Commitees nature.

The whole movie is riveting, and all set to a killer score. The song "The Crying Game" has some of the most romantic and heartwrenching lyrics I have ever heard.

By the way, what the heck has Jaye Davidson been doing since "Stargate"?

As good as the Artistic production is on this Work, Kidman is just Plain Awful.

And Just as I Loved The Start of SCREAM because Drew was Done away with, it was brilliant that Kidman's Character was appropriately Dispatched.

Such a waste of Space for these Hours.

As befits such a character-driven film, the acting in "The Hours" is uniformly superb. Meryl Streep is luminous throughout as Clarissa, but particularly shines in her final scenes as she welcomes a stranger into her home; and Julianne Moore brings a fascinating combination of fragility and power to the role of the repressed Laura. Toni Collette infuses her short scenes as Laura's friend and neighbor Kitty with a marvelous counterpoint to Moore's quiet introspection; Miranda Richardson is restrained Victorian perfection as Virginia Woolf's demure sister; and Ed Harris is achingly brilliant in the small but showy role of Clarissa's dying friend.

Among this handful of flawless characterizations, it is Nicole Kidman as Virginia Woolf who nonetheless stands out. She completely disappears into her role; although much comment has been made about Kidman's prosthetic nose and the way it completely changes her appearance, it is not makeup alone which transforms the vivacious actress into the dowdy authoress. Kidman uses her mouth and eyes with incredible economy: her bowed lips move without disturbing her pale, translucent cheeks; and her downturned, darting eyes communicate eloquently her character's sense of uneasy restlessness. Kidman's Virginia seems uncomfortable in her tall body, and her voice is dangerously strained. It's a transcendent performance, and one with which Kidman solidifies her growing reputation as one of her generation's most talented screen actresses.

The film is beautifully photographed in dark, muted hues; the sets appear just as they were described in Cunningham's hauntingly visual novel. While Philip Glass's score is at times a bit obtrusive, it nonetheless contibutes effectively to the atmosphere of the film. The most stunning technical achievement of the film is the wonderful costume design; clothing styles and fabrics have been painstakingly planned and executed, providing some subtle foreshadowing and highlighting of important themes and motifs thoughout the narrative. Costumer Ann Roth should definitely find herself in the running for an Oscar, as should Streep, Moore, Kidman, Harris, director Stephen Daldry, film editor Peter Boyle, and of course, the Picture itself. Altogether, "The Hours" is an outstanding film that provides an extraordinary cast ample and unique opportunities to shine, especially its formidable trio of leading ladies.

The movie, based on a Pulitzer prize winning novel, contains three stories which touch upon each other but rarely actually connect, the common thread being English author Virginia Woolf [Kidman] and her novel, 'Mrs. Dalloway". Woolf was a brilliant writer who suffered from severe mental illness. She committed suicide in 1941 when she finally could no long cope with her disease. There is the story of Laura Brown [Moore], set in 1951, in which the character, who is reading Woolf's book, toys with the idea of suicide. The last story revolves around Clarissa Vaughn [Streep]. Set in present day, it is about her relationship with her ex-lover [Ed Harris], who is dying from AIDS and whose only out seems to be to kill himself. On the surface, all this dallying with suicide may seem grim and depressing, the movie is actually life-affirming, but, as I've said, it's not meant for mass consumption.

Kidman deserved her Oscar for Best Actress in "The Hours". Like Bette Davis before her, she is always willing to take on an acting challenge. Here, having donned a prosthetic nose, she is barely recognizable. Still, I wish there were an Oscar for Best Ensemble Acting because that is the one "The Hours" should have received because each remarkable individual performance adds to the power of the film as a whole.

As good as the Artistic production is on this Work, Kidman is just Plain Awful.

And Just as I Loved The Start of SCREAM because Drew was Done away with, it was brilliant that Kidman's Character was appropriately Dispatched.

Such a waste of Space for these Hours.

As befits such a character-driven film, the acting in "The Hours" is uniformly superb. Meryl Streep is luminous throughout as Clarissa, but particularly shines in her final scenes as she welcomes a stranger into her home; and Julianne Moore brings a fascinating combination of fragility and power to the role of the repressed Laura. Toni Collette infuses her short scenes as Laura's friend and neighbor Kitty with a marvelous counterpoint to Moore's quiet introspection; Miranda Richardson is restrained Victorian perfection as Virginia Woolf's demure sister; and Ed Harris is achingly brilliant in the small but showy role of Clarissa's dying friend.

Among this handful of flawless characterizations, it is Nicole Kidman as Virginia Woolf who nonetheless stands out. She completely disappears into her role; although much comment has been made about Kidman's prosthetic nose and the way it completely changes her appearance, it is not makeup alone which transforms the vivacious actress into the dowdy authoress. Kidman uses her mouth and eyes with incredible economy: her bowed lips move without disturbing her pale, translucent cheeks; and her downturned, darting eyes communicate eloquently her character's sense of uneasy restlessness. Kidman's Virginia seems uncomfortable in her tall body, and her voice is dangerously strained. It's a transcendent performance, and one with which Kidman solidifies her growing reputation as one of her generation's most talented screen actresses.

The film is beautifully photographed in dark, muted hues; the sets appear just as they were described in Cunningham's hauntingly visual novel. While Philip Glass's score is at times a bit obtrusive, it nonetheless contibutes effectively to the atmosphere of the film. The most stunning technical achievement of the film is the wonderful costume design; clothing styles and fabrics have been painstakingly planned and executed, providing some subtle foreshadowing and highlighting of important themes and motifs thoughout the narrative. Costumer Ann Roth should definitely find herself in the running for an Oscar, as should Streep, Moore, Kidman, Harris, director Stephen Daldry, film editor Peter Boyle, and of course, the Picture itself. Altogether, "The Hours" is an outstanding film that provides an extraordinary cast ample and unique opportunities to shine, especially its formidable trio of leading ladies.

The movie, based on a Pulitzer prize winning novel, contains three stories which touch upon each other but rarely actually connect, the common thread being English author Virginia Woolf [Kidman] and her novel, 'Mrs. Dalloway". Woolf was a brilliant writer who suffered from severe mental illness. She committed suicide in 1941 when she finally could no long cope with her disease. There is the story of Laura Brown [Moore], set in 1951, in which the character, who is reading Woolf's book, toys with the idea of suicide. The last story revolves around Clarissa Vaughn [Streep]. Set in present day, it is about her relationship with her ex-lover [Ed Harris], who is dying from AIDS and whose only out seems to be to kill himself. On the surface, all this dallying with suicide may seem grim and depressing, the movie is actually life-affirming, but, as I've said, it's not meant for mass consumption.

Kidman deserved her Oscar for Best Actress in "The Hours". Like Bette Davis before her, she is always willing to take on an acting challenge. Here, having donned a prosthetic nose, she is barely recognizable. Still, I wish there were an Oscar for Best Ensemble Acting because that is the one "The Hours" should have received because each remarkable individual performance adds to the power of the film as a whole.

As good as the Artistic production is on this Work, Kidman is just Plain Awful.

And Just as I Loved The Start of SCREAM because Drew was Done away with, it was brilliant that Kidman's Character was appropriately Dispatched.

Such a waste of Space for these Hours.

As befits such a character-driven film, the acting in "The Hours" is uniformly superb. Meryl Streep is luminous throughout as Clarissa, but particularly shines in her final scenes as she welcomes a stranger into her home; and Julianne Moore brings a fascinating combination of fragility and power to the role of the repressed Laura. Toni Collette infuses her short scenes as Laura's friend and neighbor Kitty with a marvelous counterpoint to Moore's quiet introspection; Miranda Richardson is restrained Victorian perfection as Virginia Woolf's demure sister; and Ed Harris is achingly brilliant in the small but showy role of Clarissa's dying friend.

Among this handful of flawless characterizations, it is Nicole Kidman as Virginia Woolf who nonetheless stands out. She completely disappears into her role; although much comment has been made about Kidman's prosthetic nose and the way it completely changes her appearance, it is not makeup alone which transforms the vivacious actress into the dowdy authoress. Kidman uses her mouth and eyes with incredible economy: her bowed lips move without disturbing her pale, translucent cheeks; and her downturned, darting eyes communicate eloquently her character's sense of uneasy restlessness. Kidman's Virginia seems uncomfortable in her tall body, and her voice is dangerously strained. It's a transcendent performance, and one with which Kidman solidifies her growing reputation as one of her generation's most talented screen actresses.

The film is beautifully photographed in dark, muted hues; the sets appear just as they were described in Cunningham's hauntingly visual novel. While Philip Glass's score is at times a bit obtrusive, it nonetheless contibutes effectively to the atmosphere of the film. The most stunning technical achievement of the film is the wonderful costume design; clothing styles and fabrics have been painstakingly planned and executed, providing some subtle foreshadowing and highlighting of important themes and motifs thoughout the narrative. Costumer Ann Roth should definitely find herself in the running for an Oscar, as should Streep, Moore, Kidman, Harris, director Stephen Daldry, film editor Peter Boyle, and of course, the Picture itself. Altogether, "The Hours" is an outstanding film that provides an extraordinary cast ample and unique opportunities to shine, especially its formidable trio of leading ladies.

The movie, based on a Pulitzer prize winning novel, contains three stories which touch upon each other but rarely actually connect, the common thread being English author Virginia Woolf [Kidman] and her novel, 'Mrs. Dalloway". Woolf was a brilliant writer who suffered from severe mental illness. She committed suicide in 1941 when she finally could no long cope with her disease. There is the story of Laura Brown [Moore], set in 1951, in which the character, who is reading Woolf's book, toys with the idea of suicide. The last story revolves around Clarissa Vaughn [Streep]. Set in present day, it is about her relationship with her ex-lover [Ed Harris], who is dying from AIDS and whose only out seems to be to kill himself. On the surface, all this dallying with suicide may seem grim and depressing, the movie is actually life-affirming, but, as I've said, it's not meant for mass consumption.

Kidman deserved her Oscar for Best Actress in "The Hours". Like Bette Davis before her, she is always willing to take on an acting challenge. Here, having donned a prosthetic nose, she is barely recognizable. Still, I wish there were an Oscar for Best Ensemble Acting because that is the one "The Hours" should have received because each remarkable individual performance adds to the power of the film as a whole.

As good as the Artistic production is on this Work, Kidman is just Plain Awful.

And Just as I Loved The Start of SCREAM because Drew was Done away with, it was brilliant that Kidman's Character was appropriately Dispatched.

Such a waste of Space for these Hours.

As befits such a character-driven film, the acting in "The Hours" is uniformly superb. Meryl Streep is luminous throughout as Clarissa, but particularly shines in her final scenes as she welcomes a stranger into her home; and Julianne Moore brings a fascinating combination of fragility and power to the role of the repressed Laura. Toni Collette infuses her short scenes as Laura's friend and neighbor Kitty with a marvelous counterpoint to Moore's quiet introspection; Miranda Richardson is restrained Victorian perfection as Virginia Woolf's demure sister; and Ed Harris is achingly brilliant in the small but showy role of Clarissa's dying friend.

Among this handful of flawless characterizations, it is Nicole Kidman as Virginia Woolf who nonetheless stands out. She completely disappears into her role; although much comment has been made about Kidman's prosthetic nose and the way it completely changes her appearance, it is not makeup alone which transforms the vivacious actress into the dowdy authoress. Kidman uses her mouth and eyes with incredible economy: her bowed lips move without disturbing her pale, translucent cheeks; and her downturned, darting eyes communicate eloquently her character's sense of uneasy restlessness. Kidman's Virginia seems uncomfortable in her tall body, and her voice is dangerously strained. It's a transcendent performance, and one with which Kidman solidifies her growing reputation as one of her generation's most talented screen actresses.

The film is beautifully photographed in dark, muted hues; the sets appear just as they were described in Cunningham's hauntingly visual novel. While Philip Glass's score is at times a bit obtrusive, it nonetheless contibutes effectively to the atmosphere of the film. The most stunning technical achievement of the film is the wonderful costume design; clothing styles and fabrics have been painstakingly planned and executed, providing some subtle foreshadowing and highlighting of important themes and motifs thoughout the narrative. Costumer Ann Roth should definitely find herself in the running for an Oscar, as should Streep, Moore, Kidman, Harris, director Stephen Daldry, film editor Peter Boyle, and of course, the Picture itself. Altogether, "The Hours" is an outstanding film that provides an extraordinary cast ample and unique opportunities to shine, especially its formidable trio of leading ladies.

The movie, based on a Pulitzer prize winning novel, contains three stories which touch upon each other but rarely actually connect, the common thread being English author Virginia Woolf [Kidman] and her novel, 'Mrs. Dalloway". Woolf was a brilliant writer who suffered from severe mental illness. She committed suicide in 1941 when she finally could no long cope with her disease. There is the story of Laura Brown [Moore], set in 1951, in which the character, who is reading Woolf's book, toys with the idea of suicide. The last story revolves around Clarissa Vaughn [Streep]. Set in present day, it is about her relationship with her ex-lover [Ed Harris], who is dying from AIDS and whose only out seems to be to kill himself. On the surface, all this dallying with suicide may seem grim and depressing, the movie is actually life-affirming, but, as I've said, it's not meant for mass consumption.

Kidman deserved her Oscar for Best Actress in "The Hours". Like Bette Davis before her, she is always willing to take on an acting challenge. Here, having donned a prosthetic nose, she is barely recognizable. Still, I wish there were an Oscar for Best Ensemble Acting because that is the one "The Hours" should have received because each remarkable individual performance adds to the power of the film as a whole.