Wuchak Released in 1982 and loosely based on Shakespeare's play, "Tempest" stars John Cassavetes as Phillip, a rich architect in a troubled marriage in New York City. When his wife (Gena Rowlands) decides to return to acting and things blow-up, he escapes to Greece with his daughter (Molly Ringwald), where they unite with a free-spirited singer (Susan Sarandon). Meanwhile, Phillip's wife hooks up with his former boss (Vittorio Gassman) and they come to Greece looking for the daughter. Raul Julia plays an eccentric goatherd on the island while Sam Robards appears as a teen lothario. While I'm sure the Greece cinematography would be spectacular on the big screen (it certainly is on the small screen), "Tempest" isn't a film I'd likely want to see in the theater (it flopped at the box office). Yet it works fine as a likably offbeat drama in the home.If you're a Sarandon fan you'll definitely want to check this out because she's in the prime of her life (35 years-old during filming) and is splendidly portrayed by the director, Paul Mazursky, from the get-go, typically in alluring Mediterranean apparel. Likewise, statuesque Lucianne Buchanan appears in the final act as blond Delores. This was Ringwald's debut. She was fine for the meaty role of the daughter, but I was never enthralled by her, which isn't to say I don't like her. Actually, I'm not enamored by any of these women, but they're all certainly agreeable, one way or another.There are several highlights, like Phillip coming home drunk to his wife's showbiz party where he awkwardly asks her producer (director Paul Mazursky) to dance. Needless to say, it's the epitome of an uncomfortable social situation. The best part about "Tempest," however, is that it's essentially an island flick, although the cast aren't necessarily castaways and the "island" is a little bit North of the tropics. If you're a sucker for island flicks, like me, then "Tempest" is worth checking out. It's uniquely entertaining and somehow warmhearted. I realize Phillip (Cassavetes) is the Prospero character from The Bard's play, and Prospero was a magician, but the movie never explains Phillip's seeming ability to control the elements. We're just supposed to accept it. Why sure! In any case, I presume he's projecting his mental-spiritual struggles on to the forces of nature. For those not in the know, Cassavetes and Rowlands were husband & wife for almost 36 years, which ended with the former's passing in 1989 at 59 years-of-age. He died of cirrhosis of the liver. The film runs 142 minutes was shot in New York City; Atlantic City, NJ; and, mostly, Gytheio, Greece, which isn't an island, but the southern tip of the remote Mani peninsula of the Peloponnesus of Greece. WRITERS: Leon Capetanos & Mazursky. GRADE: B-

Leftbanker The first time that I saw this film was at an outdoor cinema during the first summer I lived in Greece. I doubt that it is even possible for anyone, anywhere to have a better summer than I did that year. I doubt that is would be possible to improve upon this wonderful movie, although I was beginning to think that I may have overly-romanticized this film because everything else around me that summer was so perfect. This would have been 1984 and I hadn't seen the film again until last night.It's not like I didn't try to see the film again. When I got back to the States a few years later and the whole video craze was in full bloom I looked for a copy of Tempest in every mom and pop video store in the Washington D.C. area without success. Years after this came the internet and Amazon.com. I tried to buy the film but I could only find it on VHS format and I had already abandoned that technology. I could never find it on DVD anywhere until a few weeks ago. I bought it and had it mailed to my brother's home in Chicago and he relayed it to me here in Spain. Even Homer's Odyssey only took ten years.As I said, I saw the movie at a little outdoor theater in a southern suburb of Athens called Glyfada which, although attached to the sprawl of the capital, has more of a beach town feel to it than big city. These little theaters were rather impromptu affairs that looked like someone had just set out a few chairs in their back yard and invited a few friends over. All that I remember is that they seemed to specialize in movies that were filmed in Greece. This was probably why I went to see Tempest.I have praised this movie for so many years that I was a bit worried that it wouldn't live up to the memory I had of it after seeing it so many years ago. I don't think anyone could blame me for over-rating it considering the perfect setting for the first time I saw it. As it turns out, I've been a bit conservative in my praise.It is hard for me to imagine that a movie this good could even be made in this day and age. The run time is 142 minutes which for a romantic comedy (or whatever the hell it is) is very, very rare. If these kinds of movies make it to two hours these days it's some sort of miracle. I didn't remember that the movie goes for almost two and a half hours but I immediately was aware of the slow and deliberate pace of the story—something not synonymous with boring. The director has a story to tell and he isn't about to be pressured into rushing things. A more hurried pacing of the film would have defeated the purpose of why the characters had escaped to a deserted island in Greece. In fact, the story involves two islands: Manhattan and an enchanted Greek isle hidden somewhere in the crystal-clear Aegean. It's difficult to say which one looks more beautiful in film.As I watched this movie for only the second time in 23 years, I felt like I was watching a movie made by adults, for adults. I don't get that feeling very often when I watch movies. Most of the time I'm lucky if the movie doesn't insult me, although I avoid the worst of the comic book remakes and low-brow action flicks. I know that most movies aren't made with my demographic in mind. Tempest, on the other hand, has found in me the perfect target audience.

jef-32 The Greek locale for parts of the movie were very beautiful and the photography get all my votes and that's about the extent of my raves for this movie. I found that all the characters were narcissistic archetypes found so often in the American culture and were shallow and uninteresting. Susan Sarandon and Gena Rowlands are easy to look at but I found their characters very narcissistic and unlikeable for many other reasons. When Gena Rowlands sings at a party it made me wonder how this woman could think of herself as a competent star of the stage. I was tempted to hit the MUTE button until she finished singing. Molly Ringwald was herself and Raul Julia's character was so lecherous he was downright creepy. The movie was much too long for my liking and I could not sit through it again even at the point of a gun.

teixeira2803 I just cannot believe the low scores for this movie. Probable reason has to do with the low number of votes meaning few people have seen it. This is simply a fantastic movie! There are so many stories inter-wined within but it's not complicated. Each character grows with the movie and we experience with them undergoing life changes. The scenery is simply amazing and the end credits are the best ever in any movie I have seen (just like a Shakespeare play). Yes, it's a little dated (filmed in 1982) but the issues the characters face are very current. It could have been filmed in 2002 without modifications to the story line. Raul Julia is amazing, best role ever in a movie - this is his signature piece. A young Molly Ringwald is excellent as she matures from girl to young woman. Susan Sarandon is perfect as a young carefree woman and John Cassavetes is the force that puts this all together. Do yourself a favor, find this movie, view it & enjoy it. Come back to IMDb and score this movie into the top 250 of all time where it really belongs.