Miranda-Richardson Movie Reviews

Hilarious and charming at the same time, this is one of the Blackadder series' strongest moments and even shows what Blackadder might be like in the distant future.

Jody (Forrest Whitaker), a British soldier stationed in Northern Ireland, is ensnared in a honeytrap by Jude (Miranda Richardson), kidnapped, and held by Irish militants threatening his execution unless one of their own is released by the British authorities. One of Jody's captors is Fergus (Stephen Rea), who forms a sympathetic bond with his prisoner. At one point, Jody shares a photo of his significant other, Dil (Jaye Davidson), living in London, and exacts a promise from Fergus such that, in case he (Jody) is executed, Fergus will search out Dil and share drinks at the local pub. Jody fails to regain his freedom, but not for the obvious reason. In any case, Fergus ferries over to England and makes the acquaintance of Dil, a hairdresser, through the ruse of getting a haircut. An attraction develops between Fergus and Dil after the former helps the latter out of a tough spot with an overly aggressive male admirer.

I feel a smidgen of guilt for awarding THE CRYING GAME four stars instead of five since the clever screenplay unfolds as a series of unexpected events. The first half of the film culminates when Fergus is privy to a stunning revelation. However, from then on, even after Fergus's IRA colleagues arrive in London and coerce him into another attack on the establishment, the pace of the film seemed relatively languorous as both Fergus and Dil come to grips with, um, issues. I was left marveling at the mess into which Fergus had gotten himself. The conclusion seemed positively anticlimactic, although justice was served and dues paid all around.

Rea is effective as Fergus, though his perpetually sad, hangdog look wouldn't garner him the Charming Boyo of the Year award. The film's best acting job is by Davidson as the emotionally tormented Dil, and an Oscar should have arguably been won for that performance.

If one believes that life is a comedy, then THE CRYING GAME is surely dark humor, though I suspect the film's makers didn't intend it to be. I guess it depends on one's sense of irony. The pleasure of the viewing experience is ultimately in traveling down paths completely hidden during the first thirty minutes of screen time. THE CRYING GAME will leave you muttering to yourself after you've left the theater.

I don't dismiss a film normally just because it's about some rather unpleasant, selfish people. In fact, unpleasant, selfish people can be a lot of fun to watch on the screen. However, in "Damage" there is really no introspection or character development. True, we gain a little insight into Anna's rather sordid past when we hear the story about Anna's brother and see Anna's indiscreet, tactless mother. Also the idea is clear that Stephen has spent a lifetime trying to control things, and all he's managed to do as a consequence is allow these impossible passions to build up until Anna pops up and unleashes him. These elements are supposed to explain their behaviour, but to me the explanation was inadequate. I saw Jeremy Irons playing his role with relish, but Binoche was miscast as Anna. Binoche was too flat and emotionally dead--I seriously doubted she could inspire a haiku--let alone Stephen's panting passion. Apart from a couple of brief "no, we really mustn't" scenes and Irons saying "we've got to find a structure for this," there was no development or explanation of the taboo-ness of the situation. Given the scenario, the justification and moral wiggling would have been far more interesting than the sex scenes that were supposed to spice everything up. I found the sex scenes ludicrous and laughed out loud, but I saw the film through until the end as I knew the denouement would be explosive and messy.

Miranda Richardson's performance as the wife, Ingrid, was excellent. She's such a versatile actress, and she seemed to be the only female character who was not embarrassed to be in this film--displacedhuman

Buy this movie. It's funny. Then try it at home.

I don't dismiss a film normally just because it's about some rather unpleasant, selfish people. In fact, unpleasant, selfish people can be a lot of fun to watch on the screen. However, in "Damage" there is really no introspection or character development. True, we gain a little insight into Anna's rather sordid past when we hear the story about Anna's brother and see Anna's indiscreet, tactless mother. Also the idea is clear that Stephen has spent a lifetime trying to control things, and all he's managed to do as a consequence is allow these impossible passions to build up until Anna pops up and unleashes him. These elements are supposed to explain their behaviour, but to me the explanation was inadequate. I saw Jeremy Irons playing his role with relish, but Binoche was miscast as Anna. Binoche was too flat and emotionally dead--I seriously doubted she could inspire a haiku--let alone Stephen's panting passion. Apart from a couple of brief "no, we really mustn't" scenes and Irons saying "we've got to find a structure for this," there was no development or explanation of the taboo-ness of the situation. Given the scenario, the justification and moral wiggling would have been far more interesting than the sex scenes that were supposed to spice everything up. I found the sex scenes ludicrous and laughed out loud, but I saw the film through until the end as I knew the denouement would be explosive and messy.

Miranda Richardson's performance as the wife, Ingrid, was excellent. She's such a versatile actress, and she seemed to be the only female character who was not embarrassed to be in this film--displacedhuman

Buy this movie. It's funny. Then try it at home.

The biggest problem I had was character development. By the end of the film one should reasonably expect the pieces to fit together. Good character development should give us insight into the characters' motivation. I found this lacking. The flashbacks didn't really help us to understand the motivations of the characters as much as they should have. It seems that the brothers voluntarily switched identities, since Billy was wearing a name tag that said "Romero" on his uniform when he left to go to war. So, Blake really didn't steal his brother's identity as it appeared. This wasn't made very clear.

There were lots of loose ends here. What motivated the limo driver to do what he did? Was it a need to be close to power, or some personal vendetta? Who knows?

From a directorial and cinematography point of view, the film was far too dark, that is, underexposed. I'm certain they were trying for that look, but it made the photography look as if it were shot on 30 year old film of poor quality. Also, the audio was very bad. It was very difficult understanding a lot of the dialogue.

William Hurt was miscast in this role. For certain films, his puling, self tortured style of delivery are appropriate to the character (Big Chill, Broadcast News, Children of a Lesser God). However, in this film his character required a more dynamic and confident portrayal, which he was unable to deliver.

Nigel Hawthorne gave the best performance as Kim Mennaker, the Senator who brought the boys up. His ability to portray the old political warhorse, seduced by the trappings of power was excellent.

Irene Jacob gave a good performance as Cela, the reporter with an obsession for the candidate and the truth behind him.

Overall, the whole was less than the sum of the parts. The presentation was ponderous and uneven and the direction mediocre at best. Worth a 5/10. If you are looking for political campaign stories, there are better choices (Primary Colors, The Candidate, with Robert Redford).

Okay, let's look at the evidence. Script by Orson Welles: somewhat amazing since he died in 1985. His last work. That alone may make this worth watching. William Hurt plays a southern pol, Blake Pellarin, running for governor of Missouri. Miranda Richardson plays his rich, alcoholic wife, and she is very good. Nigel Hawthorne is Kim Mennaker, Blake's one time mentor, a shadowy, behind the scenes political figure, a cynical character who is writing a 27,000-page memoir, which no doubt includes much about his love for the Pellarin boys. Irene Jacob plays Cela Brandini, a TV reporter fascinated with Blake. The one-time protege of French-Polish director Krzysztof Kieslowski is not shown to advantage here. I'm not sure why, but there is little subtlety in the way she plays the part. To really appreciate what she can do, see her in La Double vie de Veronique (1991) or Trois Couleurs: Rouge (1994), both directed by Kieslowski. She is beautiful and very winning.

William Hurt, contrary to some opinion, was excellent. His characteristic laid-back, almost languid style works strangely well for a southern pol. He is certainly different, but believable, although I don't think his style would have worked had his character been running for president, as in Welles's original script. (Incidentally, they really wanted Louisiana, not Missouri, for the locale.) Hurt's performance reminds me in some ways of his work in the outstanding but now somewhat neglected, Kiss of the Spider Woman (1985), for which he won an academy award.

The Big Brass Ring never had a theatrical release, and it is not hard to see why. The print is too dark and the story too murky and hard to follow. It appears that the brothers changed identities when young and never bothered to change back. Apparently Blake's brother and not Blake was the subject of the homosexual photo, but I'm not sure. To make this movie work for a mass audience, the true status of the boys then, and during the time of the action, must be made clear.

However, Kate managed to give a clue of what experiences may have been in store with "The Line, The Cross, and The Curve" a video album based on songs off her "Red Shoes" album. This movie is basically Kate's rendition of "The Red Shoes," but the traditional folktale is reinterpreted to convey Kate's search as an artist to find herself, her spirituatlity, her love, and her expression.

I suspect two of the numbers ("Rubberband Girl" and "Eat the Music") were probably planned for the concert tour she was originally planning to promote "The Red Shoes." "Rubberband Girl," especially, but whatever Kate was planning is worked well into the video. In "Rubberband Girl" Kate tries on an interesting routine where she and another dancer dance closely together to convey the concept of the Rubberband. It's worked into the story of the movie by having Kate feel that the rehearsal is not well, that she is "not a great dancer" and wishes to be so.

What happens next, (without trying to spoil everything for you) are several numbers that render horrifying spectacles of a black bird who cannot get out of a room, Kate being pulled into the world of the other side of the mirror, and of course the sinister Miranda Richardson as the woman who tricks Kate into putting on the Red Shoes (of course, this means Richardson does steal the show, but that's still fine. Richardson performs evil vividly and makes you shiver as she should for this movie).

Of course, it's probably not as spectacular as Pink Floyd's "The Wall," when it comes to the concept of music video as movie, but the potential's there, especially when I think of Kate's past work such as the music videos from Hounds of Love, "Cloudbusting" and "Experiment IV." In those two videos, a story was told in just the right amount of time, a good deal of acting put in place, and in "Cloudbusting" characters we are drawn to and care very much about.

For the REd Shoes-- If Kate's going to be the main character--then there needs to be more about Kate and who she is . . . but this movie seems to drop only "hints" for the most part. The "Moments of Pleasure" sequence is probably an area where Kate really missed the mark. We need more than her simply dancing around repitiously-- somehow in that case the "spell of the dance" got more in the way. In fact that number seemed to be more "filler" and when it comes to Kate's music and videos, "filler" is not typical.

However, this movie does reach for a "Wall" experience and the attempt is admirable. I still wonder what would have transpired if "The Ninth Wave" was made into a film, as I feel those set of songs as poetry and music was stronger than the set of songs used here.

Songs from the "Red Shoes" album include:

Rubberband Girl
And So Is Love
The Red Shoes
Lilly
[poetry sequence not on the album]
Moments of Pleasure
Eat the Music

Just so. While the story remains unchanged over the years the innovations employed in the telling make it what it is.

And this is one of the best adaptations that I have ever seen. Sure there's Disney and the innovations there but the real trick is taking a fantasy like this and telling it with animation as a support and not whole enchilada.

Combine Carroll's classic story with the magic of Jim Henson's Creature Shop and add wonderful performances by Martin Short as the Mad Hatter, Gene Wilder as the Mock Turtle, Peter Ustinov and Pete Postlethwaite as the Walrus and the Carpenter, Christopher Lloyd as the White Knight, Ben Kingsley as the Caterpillar/Butterfly, and Whoopi Goldberg as the Cheshire Cat and you have a made-for-TV production that could have done very well on the big screen.

Care was also taken to ensure that the original illustrations of Carroll's books were faithfully adapted. The March Hare is a prime case in point.

Tina Majorino (Andre) is superb as Alice and the story is as engaging and imaginative as ever. A must have for any video collection.

Just so. While the story remains unchanged over the years the innovations employed in the telling make it what it is.

And this is one of the best adaptations that I have ever seen. Sure there's Disney and the innovations there but the real trick is taking a fantasy like this and telling it with animation as a support and not whole enchilada.

Combine Carroll's classic story with the magic of Jim Henson's Creature Shop and add wonderful performances by Martin Short as the Mad Hatter, Gene Wilder as the Mock Turtle, Peter Ustinov and Pete Postlethwaite as the Walrus and the Carpenter, Christopher Lloyd as the White Knight, Ben Kingsley as the Caterpillar/Butterfly, and Whoopi Goldberg as the Cheshire Cat and you have a made-for-TV production that could have done very well on the big screen.

Care was also taken to ensure that the original illustrations of Carroll's books were faithfully adapted. The March Hare is a prime case in point.

Tina Majorino (Andre) is superb as Alice and the story is as engaging and imaginative as ever. A must have for any video collection.

With a great script (by the author of the novel) and Ralph Fiennes already attached to it, Cronenberg couldn't say no. Fiennes is amazing, playing what turns out to be a pantomime role --- he hardly speaks. He conveys everything through gestures, mumbling, and his eyes. The rest of the cast is just as good.

The pace might put you off, but you can't really judge this film until you've seen it twice. It's subtle movie. The final moments bring it all together in a way that makes the second viewing much more satisfying.

The Cronenberg audio track is also very good. The director explains the movie as it goes along. This would be a bad idea if the story was simple, but it isn't. He explains, for example, that he didn't want this to be a clinical examination of schizophrenia, so he didn't bother to get every detail of that particular mental disorder correct. Once you take the movie for what it is --- concise, light on special effects, and impressionistic --- it turns into a very rewarding experience.

Even the length is impressive. Rather than take the bloated approach of a Oscar-ready Hollywood "mentally ill guy" movie, he sticks to his horror-film roots and keeps it down to an hour and a half.

The only real weakness is the lack of small touches, the memorable moments that turn a good movie into a great one. The "quickie in the tunnel," for example, is unforgettable. Cronenberg should have added more of these small shocks and simple visual effects to keep the audience on their toes.

The film starts off slowly, but like the spider of the title, it spins a web that draws us into the center of its world and never lets us out. Ralph Fiennes delivers a bravura performance in the largely nonverbal role of a mentally disturbed man who, upon his discharge from an asylum, takes up residence in a drab halfway house in London. As Fiennes shuffles, mumbles and twitches his way about the house and around the neighborhood, a fascinating Oedipal drama emerges. Throughout the course of the story, Spider, the adult, begins to intrude more and more into the past as he watches unobserved the events he believes occurred in his childhood. As a boy, he obviously adored and worshiped his mother (Miranda Richardson), so much so that, as a grownup, he begins to imagine himself present at events that depict his father's supposed infidelities (and worse), clearly hoping that, by doing this, Spider can eliminate his father either as a rival or, at best, as an agent of further defilement. In order to continue seeing his mother as sacred, the young Spider finds a unique, but ultimately fatal method of "objectifying" her and the feelings he has for her (a method that fits perfectly into the old Madonna syndrome). It is an act that will have fatal consequences for the family unit.

What makes all this so absorbing is the way in which Cronenberg and scenarist Patrick McGrath delve into the subconscious madness of the main character. For large stretches of the film we literally have no idea if what we are seeing in the past actually happened or whether it is all the product of a deeply disturbed mind. Only towards the end do all the pieces fall into place, revealing the "truth" beneath the surface of this highly disturbing tale. "Spider" is a thriller in the richest sense of the term because it builds its suspense gradually and subtly, fully aware that the greatest threats come from our own distorted views of reality. Against such madness, how can any of us be safe?

Cronenberg has provided a somber, stark environment in which to unfold his drama. The drab colors, sterile settings, somber music and pervasive spider imagery all contribute to the foreboding atmosphere of the piece. As Spider, Fiennes is a revelation, conveying the disturbed nature of the character through indirection and understatement, never going over the top in his portrayal of a truly insane man, making him all the more convincing and chilling. Miranda Richardson (in a triple role), Gabriel Byrne, Lynn Redgrave, John Neville and young Bradley Hall all contribute mightily to the success of the work.

My biggest fear is that many people will tune out this film early on because of its admittedly slow pacing in the first half. If they do, I am sorry to say they will have missed one of the most intriguing and gripping movies to be released in a long time.

THE movie ultimately belongs to Miranda Richardson ['Dance with a Stranger] in a triple role, mother, whore and caretaker. As the Blonde-Bombshell Diana Dors clone she shines with utter perversion - then there's the mousy mother ala Rachel Roberts, and the cold. clammy caretaker - still with sex appeal....

Ralph Fiennes as the semi-mute muttering mental case is sad to observe - especially his non-ability to connect. John Neville - as an inmate - true or false - another great find - very underrated performer, and Gabriel Byrne's fractured father figure is quite quite devastating in its DH Lawrence 'manliness' - all brawn - little or no brain .....

Costumes are perfect to the period.

Not quite Cronenberg's best [perhaps Crash?] but a stellar chamber-piece!