jbuys
This movie truly captures the feeling of freedom.......and what the freedom of your own integrity is worth....in the most delightful, light-hearted way. Not a serious, but hilarious adventure.The story mirrors life. We don't always get what we want right away but we find out we get what we need to to understand why we didn't get what we wanted....which results in us getting more than we thought we would get! You will get this once you see the movie. And this movie is truly about finding love and knowing one has found it and that it totally changed one's life.It is one of my all time favorites......not easy to find but worth the hunt.........I guarantee you will watch it more than once!
Chris Bright
That is, good in parts.The good: enjoyably twisted and unsentimental approach to disability, good acting (probably Branagh's best work in a questionable film career), some interesting images (Branagh in flying goggles!) and a cinematic sense unusual in Brit cinema. Director Paul Greengrass has done excellent hard-edged work elsewhere, notably "Bloody Sunday", and brings some of that sensibility to this.The bad: occasional lapses into sentimentality or silliness (note to all British directors - DO NOT put 'wacky' speeded up sequences set to ska music into your films unless you want them to resemble the work of Mel Smith). A tricksy ending which didn't quite work, although kudos for avoiding a "Terms of Endearment"-style deathbed scene.The questionable: the whole idea of casting able-bodied actors in disabled parts is a bit of a hot potato these days, in the same way as white actors blacking up. First seeing Helena Bonham Carter in the chair was a bit of a "black and white minstrels" moment, although I think she overcame it with a fine, tough performance.We never believe Branagh's plane really flies, although I guess as it's mainly intended symbolically that doesn't matter too much.All in all, much better than one would have expected, even if it didn't quite hang together as a movie. I caught the beginning by chance and stayed up to watch till the end so I guess that's a recommendation. 7/10.
MarioB
At the start, this one is from England, so, of course, I had 98 % chances that it will be intelligent and very good cinema. I never heard of this film before. From the minute I saw Helena Bonham-Carter, I said to myself : Oh! Here's comes the feminine version of My Left Foot. I was right, but I was also wrong. Wrong because the two movies are very differents. My Left Foot was a John Ford alike movie and this one is a Chaplin alike movie (not because this is funny, but Chaplin at that great sense of melodrama that brings tears to your eyes.) I was right because in 1990 handsome Daniel Day-Lewis turn a little bit ugly by playing an crippled person and he did it with a great sense of reality. Here, very beautiful Bonham-Carter did exactly the same thing, but with very feminine emotions. The story is well written and it's very intelligent. For me, miss Bonham-Carter gives one of the greatest woman's part of the 1990's, with Emily Lloyd in Breaking The Waves. Gee! And look at her eyes! She had the most beautiful eyes of cinema since Jobyna Ralston, Louise Brooks, Michele Morgan and Ava Gardner! She's also a true talent, as seen on many other movies. See this one, you won't regret it! And a very fine job by Branagh too!
magnara
This is the best movie I've seen since White and the best romantic comedy I've seen since The Hairdresser's Husband. An emotive, beautiful masterwork from Kenneth Branagh and Helena Bonham Carter. It is a tragedy this movie hasn't gotten more recognition.
AD
