Movies

Although I truly love watching this entire cast in other movies, I recorded this on my DVR for one reason only: Hiroyuki Sanada. And I'm so glad I did. A long time fan of Ivory/Merchant films, I expected a story to unfold beautifully and it definitely does here. It's soft, subtle, realistic, and warm. It's like spending an evening in front of a cozy fire with good company. Nothing is over acted, there's no fancy effects or crazy cinematography, just good, solid storytelling with an absolutely perfect cast. These are the films Hollywood should aspire to. I've had enough of 3D action and fantasy films for awhile. So please, watch this and remember why we fell in love with film.

Painfully dull, pretentious, and obtuse. James Ivory (with late partner Ismail Merchant) has made some great movies over the years; this is not among them. Indeed, as a longtime Merchant-Ivory fan, I'd have to say this is probably the weakest of his films I've seen, completely lacking the charm of "A Room With a View," or the depth of "Remains of the Day," or the bravura performances of "The Golden Bowl." Omar Metwally simply is not a strong enough actor to carry this movie; he's way out of his league with everyone around him (except poor wooden Charlotte Gainsbourg; when they share a scene the result is painful to watch.). I suspect the original novel was simply too precious to bring out Ivory's grand touch; an unfortunate choice of material.

Last night I saw this film for the second time, and it was even better than when I first saw it 4 days ago. I loved everything about it. Laura Linney is amazing, and every member of the cast does a fantastic job. Locations are breathtaking. Screenplay, Music, Acting, Editing.... I can't find a single thing to criticize about this movie. Laura Linney deserves an Oscar for her performance. Anthony Hopkins gives the kind of performance we are accustomed to seeing from him. Other cast members are less well known, but every character is perfectly cast. Apparently this film will have a very short run in Los Angeles and other cities, so I recommend you don't miss a chance to see it.