As she enters her early 40s, London theatre actress Julia Lambert (Annette Bening) starts having a nervous breakdown. She still rules the West End, but is growing too old for... more
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Drama - Director: Michael Lindsay-Hogg, Atom Egoyan, Damien Hirst, Neil Jordan, Conor McPherson, David Mamet, Anthony Minghella - Original Language: English - Classification: Exempt
Advantages: Great performances backed up by a witty script and fabulous production design Disadvantages: Has been largely ignored at the cinema
...Julia Lambert is the brightest star in the theatre firmament in London in 1938, but she is bored with her life. Emotionally divorced from her husband, things look up when she embarks on affair with a young American. But in a world where “the stage is your only reality” everyone seems to be playing a role. And her lover’s machinations prompt Julia to set a few of her own in motion, culminating in the most public revenge she can muster on those who betray her.
Before this film, I had never heard of Hungarian director István Szabó, despite having won an Oscar for best foreign language film (way back in 1982). So I was pleasantly surprised by his first full-length English-language outing. An adaptation of W Somerset Maugham’s “Theatre”, the director and screenwriter Ronald Harwood have created a larger than life world where...
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Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful
Advantages: strong actors Disadvantages: bleak, depressing and meandering storyline
...I didn't see Closer at the cinema, but being quite a big fan of both Julia Roberts and Jude Law I was quite keen to get it and watch it on DVD. Having done so, I have to say that it seemed quite a strange film and not overly enjoyable although it does have it's fascinating moments.
There are only four characters in the film which in itself seems quite a strange thing. There is no supporting cast of interesting characters to bring lighter moments and relieve the tension - so with just the main four I found it a bit heavy going!
A little bit about the story though. Alice, Daniel, Anna and Larry are four strangers who through a series of chance meetings get to know each other and before long, close relationships are formed. I feel that the whole purpose of the film is to take a look at modern day relationships and their trials...
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Actor(s): Annette Bening, Jeremy Irons, Bruce Greenwood, Michael Gambon
Director(s): Istvan Szabo
Genre: Drama
Classification: 12 years and over
Production Year: 2004
Video Category: Feature Film
Country Of Origin: United States of America
Plot: Despite being a successful actress, below the surface Julia Lambert is deeply troubled by her disloyal husband and her estranged son. Happiness finally appears to enter her life in the form of her son's friend Tom, but when she realises that he has an ulterior motive, she seeks revenge...
Release details
DVD Region: Region 2 (Europe)
Studio(s): UCA; ODS
Languages
Main Language: English
DVD Description
As she enters her early 40s, London theatre actress Julia Lambert (Annette Bening) starts having a nervous breakdown. She still rules the West End, but is growing too old for ingenue parts. When Tom Fennell (Shaun Evans), an adoring lad half her age, comes into her life, a clandestine affair begins. Though she's happy for a while, Julia eventually winds up in a face-off with a Tom's other, much younger lover (Lucy Punch). Luckily, the spirit of Julia's cantankerous old acting coach (London theatre legend Michael Gambon) follows Julia around offering some tough-love encouragement. Set in the late 1930s, this is a fine costume comedy-drama about the sorrows and joys of art. The eternal question of 'when am I acting and when am I myself
Technical information
Special Features: Director and cast commentary with Istvan Szabo, Jeremy Irons and Annette Bening, Deleted scenes, Making of featurette
Advantages: Great family entertainment! Disadvantages: None what so ever!
...How funny can a film with the title “The Wedding Singer” really be? Take it from me it’s very funny! In fact The Wedding Singer is probably one of the funniest films I’ve ever seen.
The stories set in 1985 and revolves around a wedding singer called Robbie Hart, (Adam Sandler), he’s the world’s best wedding singer until one day his bride-to-be leaves him at the altar. This leaves him heartbroken until he meets a really nice waitress named Julia, (Drew Barrymore), the only problem is she plans to get married to a sleaze ball named Glen! Robbie falls in love with Julia and chases her to Vegas before she gets married, they meet on the plane and Julia reveals her mutual love for Robbie.
One of my favourite moments is a best man at a wedding performance by the uncredited Steve Buscemi.
This film...
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Ciao members have rated this review on average somewhat helpful
Advantages: A great feel good film, brilliant sound track, set in my favourite decade! Disadvantages: None!
...The Wedding Singer is one of my all time favourite films, so I just had to write an opinion on it here on Ciao, even though it came out a few years ago now!
The film is set in 1985, which is one of the main things I like about it, being a bit of an 80s child, and loving anything nostalgic relating to that decade. The central characters are Robbie Hart (Adam Sandler) and Julia Sullivan (Drew Barrymore). Robbie is a singer who lives in his sister’s basement, and makes his living performing at wedding receptions. He loves everything about weddings and it has always been his dream to get married himself one day – a dream which is about to come true, as he is engaged to Linda and is marrying her next week. Julia has just started a job waitressing at the venue where most of the town’s receptions take place, and befriends Robbie. Julia...
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...My best friends wedding is a real treat, Julia Roberts is on top form as a food critic who gets a phone call from her childhood best friend to say he is getting married. This triggers her to realise that she is in love with him. With the help of her gay boss she sets out to make them break up before the wedding. Cameron Diaz appears as the fiance, she is also very good. But Rupert Everett steals the show with his campy performance as Roberts confident. The only flaw with this film is that I couldnt help but despise Julia Roberts for being so nasty when she is supposed to be the hero. All in all its a solid film with good performances all round....
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Ciao members have rated this review on average somewhat helpful
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