 | Scacchi and Finney positively make this Browning Version!
rating: 5
Having seen Terrence Rattigan's play performed live several times,as well as having seen the original 1951 film adaptation,director Mike Figgis has scored a real triumph with Greta Scacchi and Albert Finney in the roles of Laura and Andrew Crocker-Harris.The play itself is not IMO the most lively of stories,nor certainly the finest play yet written,but what Scacchi and Finney bring to the table as this terribly ill suited husband and wife is screen magic and their performances alone put this BROWNING VERSION at the very top.Andrew,a professor of Greek at an exclusive English Prep School has been anything but endearing over the years to his students.Obviously his younger and gorgeous wife,Laura,has enough baggage of her own to be a sexual minx with an American faculty member (Matthew Modine,who seems like...well...Matthew Modine-not a memorable performance).It is one student,Taplow (Ben Silverstone),who has been sincerely touched by his crochety professor, who , wise beyond his years,is the key to unlocking the long-ago closed heart of Andrew.But it is the outstanding performances of Finney against Scaachi that really set this film into gear.It is their relationship that director Figgis shows us in such gut-wrenching detail with long,reflective closeups.Figgis has chosen to allow the camera to dwell into the faces and souls of his characters,instead of pushing along the story.This is Figgis' decision and it works magnificently.You will be hard pressed to find a better piece of directing and acting when it comes to expressing the regrets and failures of a mismatched couple.This is a film of regret and resignation,not of a happy ending....hmmmn....like life sometimes,huh?
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This is a truly excellent film.....
rating: 5
If you love Albert Finney, & Gretta Scacchi (as all humans in their right mind should of course), you will enjoy this movie. I saw another person here complaining about Albert Finney's performance, but I think it's wonderful, & he "carries" the film IMO. Gretta Scacchi......well, I would go watch her read the phone book, but this may not be her absolute best film performance--hard to say if that's the direction, or what, but she still does a great job at portraying the gorgeous (adulterous) wife of a repressed English School teacher.
The one "Clinker" here is Matthew Modine, IMO. He doesn't seem to have much range as an actor, & in scenes with Albert Finney & Gretta Scacchi, that is even more painfully apparent. Another Plus tho is Michael Gambon (who played LBJ in the HBO movie Path to War), as the Headmaster.
Highly recommended.
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Flawed but worth watching
rating: 4
I had never seen the Redgrave movie and I watched this for Finney. I never cried so hard, mainly for lost opportunities. Yet, there was hope for Crocker-Harris at the end. I would hope so. His decision to part from his wife was his first step towards freedom. My problem is that since it was updated to the nineties, why didn't they divorce? She could have left him years before that, when divorce was acceptable.
And Matthew Modine. Unfortunately, in too many British films and television series, the Americans are portrayed as loud mouth buffoons. When Modine's character says he never heard of Aeschylus, I have to wonder about the anti-American attitudes that the Brits have for us.
And while I think Crocker Harris seemed cold, he did what a teacher should do: teach and try to open minds. Today's youths want things "easy" and spoon fed. Much easier to mock the teacher than actually think.
Scacci was perfect: brutal, uncaring, passionate and long suffering. Too long suffering; I don't know why she didn't leave him long before.
Still, now I want to see the Redgrave version. But Finney is remarkable here, as he always is.
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Where's the original Browning Version film?
rating: 3
I am astounded first of all about the rave reviews of The Browing Version film starring Albert Finney produced in 1994 when the first and finest version (to use a pun) was released in 1951 starring Michael Redgrave. The 1994 release is a very poor remake compared to the original classic and if you think Finney's film is great, then you have much to look forward to see the other picture. Why oh why can't the Redgrave movie be converted to DVD? Anyone out there know if such a CD is available or being planned for release?
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I say--good show!
rating: 4
Fine tear-jerker about English boarding school teacher (Albert Finney) who is unceremoniously dumped because of his stubborn adherence to the classics and academic rigor as opposed to the school cricket spirit...and that's just not cricket, old boy.
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