This is the true story of Frances Farmer's meteoric rise to fame in Hollywood, and her later downfall and ill health which were the result of blacklisting. An inspirational account... more...of the life and career of a woman of courage.
Bright, outspoken and beautiful, Frances Farmer (Jessica Lange) is a 16 year old student ... more
who attracts the sort of attention that is disturbing to the conservative community of Seattle.Despite having a controlling mother and constant disapproval from he...
Release Date: 2004-08-09, Rating Suitable for 15 years and over,
Postage & Packaging: free Super Saver Delivery Availability: Temporarily out of stock. Order now and we'll deliver when available. We'll e-mail you with an estimated delivery date as soon...
Production Year: 1995 - Drama - Director: Ang Lee - Original Language: English - Classification: Universal - Starring: Emma Thompson, Alan Rickman, Kate Winslet, Hugh Grant, Greg Wise, Hugh Laurie, Robert Hardy
Production Year: 2004 - Drama - Director: Nick Cassavetes - Original Language: English - Classification: 15 years and over, 12 years and over - Starring: Rachel McAdams, Ryan Gosling, Gena Rowlands
Depressing, shocking and eventually inaccurate biography of 1930s Hollywood actress Frances Farmer , a non-corformist whose career and life soon crumbled and who was eventually locked in the mental hospital. Brutal treatments of mentally ill, who are dehumanized in the sick, almost Natzi-like fashion, are horrifying and disturbing, legalized torture and nothing else, while facts about Farmerīs life are inaccurate in typical biography fashion : her mother Lillian is the villainess of the story, Hollywood is big bad evil etc. Not good. ...
scarletpurity 14.09.2008
Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful Review of Frances (DVD)
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Advantages: Terrific soundtrack, great cast, compelling storyline Disadvantages: Long
Famous is a film to be watched over and over again. Anyone who is a fan of classic rock or who lived through the era will love the soundtrack and cultural references!
The dvd comes in two discs, on the first disct the main film along with the option of commentary, and on the second the bonus tracks including interview with Lester Bangs. The special features include director's commentary which, given that the movie is based upon director Cameron Crowe's own childhood experiences as a rock journalist, provide intimate detail and interesting background stories (assisted by his own mother, played by Frances MacDormand in the film). The commentary along is well worth the price of the dvd.
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robin170 08.10.2007 (01.11.2007)
· Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: somewhat helpful Review of Almost Famous DVD
? Frances Fisher
? Gloria Stuart
? Bernard Hill
DVD Bonus features:
Sadly my DVD only contained two commentary tracks- I really would have enjoyed knowing more about the making of this exceptional film!
Overall, if you still haven?t watched this film, I really, really recommend it to you. This is most undoubtedly one of the best made films in cinematographic industry!
Thanks for reading! ...
Advantages: Superb acting, both tragic and blackly funny Disadvantages: None
'm sure that the young in particular will find this odd. Personally, I thought it added to the whole atmosphere of the film. I love films with plenty of colour, sometimes this can make a film; but in this case, the sharpness of the filming and the use of light and dark are far more important in getting the story across to the viewer.
I rarely notice musical scores, but I did like the Beethoven piano concerto that was constantly played throughout the film. It added perfectly to the atmosphere of the film.
Often, a film with a long list of well-known actors thrown at it can flop, simply because all of them are fighting for the viewer's attention. In this case, the quality of the actors was an advantage and really made the film special. Billy Bob Thornton and Frances McDormand particularly shine. Highly recommended.
The DVD that I have ...
The violent, tragic, but true story of a rebellious female star of the 1930s who fought the Hollywood system... and lost.
Release details
DVD Region
DVD
Studio(s)
CINEMA CLUB; SONY DADC
Release date
09/08/2004
No of Discs
1
Catalogue No
CCD 30071
Barcode
5014138300715
Production Designer
John Barry
Music Director
John Barry
Composer
John Barry
Director of Photography
Lazlo Kovacs
Author
John Barry
Languages
Main Language
English
Technical information
Special Features
Trailer
Sound
Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo
Dubbing Sound
Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo English
DVD Description
This is the true story of Frances Farmer's meteoric rise to fame in Hollywood, and her later downfall and ill health which were the result of blacklisting. An inspirational account of the life and career of a woman of courage.
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