Jacqueline Du Pre - In Portrait DVD

Advantages: A biopic of a great musical artiste.
Disadvantages: An interpretation of a book written fom one sister's perspective

...Hilary and Jackie were sisters. Both were talented musicians who grew up playing their given instruments together. Fate was to take the sisters in different directions but the bond of sisterhood would remain throughout. Jacqueline’s life was sadly cut short by the debilitating condition Multiple Sclerosis. Her illness was to impact dramatically on her life, her career, and her relationships and was to make particular demands on her sister. How much would you do for your sister? It is important to state from the beginning, for anyone with multiple sclerosis or for anyone who knows anyone with the condition, that the film is about Jacqueline du Pre’s experiences and that the symptoms or the course of the condition is not universal. Treatment and outcomes can vary immensely. The film “Hilary and Jackie”, directed by Anand Tucker... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful

Advantages: Shows joyful side of tragic Du Pré; invaluable performances; entertaining spots.
Disadvantages: Too short, unfocused, worshipful; expensive for 1 hour film.

...'[She created] ...music so natural that it could not be otherwise, and yet so surprising as to make the heart stand still for just a moment.' --Christopher Nupen, in ‘Remembering Jacqueline Du Pré’ Did the film, ‘Hilary and Jackie’, depress, even devastate you? I do admit to the latter. Fortunately, it also drew me into the music of Jacqueline Du Pré, one of the greatest cellists to have ever lived, and also to have died so young, at 42, with a career cut short at age 28 by multiple sclerosis. Well, I'm glad yet disappointed to have purchased this 1994 EMI documentary film video written and directed by Christopher Nupen. It does show the non-tragic side of Du Pré, but viewers should not expect a full story on her life and music--this is strictly an hour's worth of never-before-seen excerpts from rehearsals and performances of Du Pré... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful

Advantages: Great music, tear jearker, insight into pressures of a musician
Disadvantages: main protagonist not all that likeable

.... it's also based on a true story (albeit losely according to people who actually knew Jacqueline Du Pre) which, to me, gives it much more meaning than a mere fictional film.... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average somewhat helpful