And so, EnglishPatient - as a standalone entity - is no more. This account will self-destruct within...
And so, EnglishPatient - as a standalone entity - is no more. This account will self-destruct within approximately 24 hours. I can now be found under the name of DoubleTrouble - a collaboration with fellow Ciao user Broksababe. See you there!
Member since:30.07.2000
Reviews:132
Members who trust:59
The third major feature film from erstwhile NYPD director Gregory Hoblitt is a truly ambitious project. Frequency follows 1998's Fallen, itself an unusual addition to its genre (Supernatural Horror), by taking a promising scenario and comprehensively delivering upon its potential.
Cynics may scoff, but this is a film which fuses three potent ideas into one extremely moving and effective whole. True, it has a tendency for "God Bless America, Mom and Apple Pie" sentimentality - but Field Of Dreams showed how it needn't be gag-inducing nor inherently mawkish.
That 1989 heartwarmer starring Kevin Costner and Burt Lancaster is a valid reference point for Frequency. The core of both movies is a father-son emotional axis, and an overlapping past-present timeframe. They play upon the universal themes of paternal loss and reconcilliation, while the sport of Baseball is also used in both Field Of Dreams and Frequency to underscore the narrative structure.
Essentially, however,
the Baseball theme is just so much trimming on a cracking storyline and concept...don't be put off by it. What Hoblitt and writer Toby Emmerich have constructed here is a multi-layered drama based on scientifically sound (but unlikely) phenomena.
Once every 11 years or so, the Sun's activity creates a disturbance in the magnetic fields surrounding earth...and the result is known as the Aurora Borealis, or Northern Lights. As a consequence, certain radio frequencies briefly become able to pick up signals much further away than normal. How far, though? One occurence (discussed on the DVD's Documentary) apparently transcended time itself, the recieved signal having been transmitted 10 years previously.
Okay, Physics lesson over. Frequency deals in parallel dimensions, a freak (and temporary) wormhole caused by the Aurora Borealis that links October 1969 with October 1999. It explores the possibilities and paradoxes of two timespaces interacting with a refreshing absence of sci-fi gobbledegook or implausible eventualities. The chances of the exact scenario which takes place within the film actually happening are remote, but a credible world is still established where certain logistical rules apply.
What this does is give Frequency a solid base which can carry the plot through some pretty sharp 90-degree twists and turns without leaving its audience confused or overwhelmed. Discovering them for yourself is a must, for prior knowledge of key developments will quite likely reduce the movie's often intensely poignant qualities. That said, repeated viewings are not entirely out of the question since when all is said and done Frequency is a marvellous, evocative slice of mainstream American film-making.
Still not convinced? Besides wonderful performances from Dennis Quaid, Jim Caviezel and relative newcomer to the screen Elizabeth Mitchell, Frequency plays like an inspired mix of Backdraft, Back To The Future, Sliding Doors and Field Of Dreams.....with an added ingredient that is sure to surprise.
In a year that saw quite a marked resurgence in quality cinema, it's far from the off-kilter likes of Being John Malkovich, Fight Club and American Beauty, but what the film lacks in stylistic invention it more than makes up for with a rather more old-fashioned sense of wonder and heartfelt sentiment. One to savour.
The DVD is manufactured and released by EiV (Entertainment In Video), whose reputation for great discs isn't exactly high. Here, though, they have provided a simply outstanding package....full of fascinating extra material.
A 40-minute documentary takes a very detailed look at the main themes of the movie, with plenty of factual information. By discussing the scientific phenomenon that Frequency uses as its basis - the Aurora Borealis - with a range of experienced scientists (and the movie's writers), they create something which can only add to the understanding, appreciation and enjoyment of the film itself. Plenty of behind-the-scenes footage and "how they did that" explanations are also incorporated. Marvellous stuff.
There are some deleted scenes (always welcome on a DVD), plus an audio commentary from the Director which - annoyingly - the box doesn't include among the bonus features, so the potential consumer won't know this.
It's not as comprehensive in terms of quantity as the Gladiator or Fight Club DVDs, but the supplemental material is of excellent quality.
How helpful would this review be to a person making a buying decision? Rating guidelines
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
I didn't comment when I originally rated this because I wanted to wait until I had done my own op. I know how Pakalang feels but I think the hugely differing styles of individuals is what makes Ciao so fascinating! Jonathon
LostWitness 24.01.2001 10:29
Having just acquired a new DVD player, this is high on my list of films to watch.
pakalang 24.01.2001 03:11
Re: I think I'm going to stop reviewing any more dvds now! :) With your kind of writing, i'd say no competition! It's just so professional, a class too high.. but yes, the film is just superb especially seeing the father-son relationship in this movie. hmm, i haven't actually watched field of dreams yet(i think my sis have the video somewhere in the basement!).. will check it out soon. anyway, keep up the brilliant work! cheers..(need to sleep now.. )
Frequencyis really two different--though inextricably linked--movies. First, the emotional ... more
drama of a father and son reunited after 30 years of separation. Then there is a science fiction thriller, in which a couple of chance solar storms, occurring ex...
Postage & Packaging: £1.21 Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days...
What if you had the chance to travel back in time and change just one event in your life? ... more
What would it be? For John Sullivan (Jim Caviezel), there is no question. He would undo the events of October 12, 1969, when the out-of-control Bruxton fire took ...
Frequencyis really two different--though inextricably linked--movies. First, the emotional ... more
drama of a father and son reunited after 30 years of separation. Then there is a science fiction thriller, in which a couple of chance solar storms, occurring ex...
Postage & Packaging: Free! Availability: Usually dispatched within 24 hours...
What if you had the chance to travel back in time and change just one event in your life? ... more
What would it be? All his life police officer John Sullivan (Jim Caviezel) has been haunted by one tragic event. When a once-in-a-lifetime phenomenon of nature...
Postage & Packaging: £0.00 Availability: 3-5 working days
![Frequency [DVD] [2000]](http://picnica.ciao.com/uk/78528636.jpg "Frequency [DVD] [2000]")
Jan 24th, 2001
very helpful by (100%):
