Rating: 
Summary: Poignant
Review: Excellent adaptation of Kazuo Ishiguro's novel. With sensational direction by James Ivory and flawless performances from Anthony Hopkins and Emma Thompson. Plus great supporting casts namely Christopher Reeve,Peter Vaughan, James Fox and Hugh Grant.The film is about seize chances,follow your heart,bad timing, regrets, misjudgement, love and trust etc... "Remains of the days" is a sad story about a head butler Mr.Stevens(Hopkins)who is loyal and willing to serve his master wholeheartedly . He's a reserved man who hide his personal feeling and emotions and suppress his love. His life is all about doing his best in his job and devote himself completely. His 'peaceful' life has a ripple when Ms Kenton(Thompson), the new housekeeper arrived. Obviously they have feeling for each other and Kenton even showed her intention. However Stevens although seem interested but didn't appreciate and deliberately hide his feeling. Leading to Kenton's disappointment. She tried but gave in to Fate eventually. This role is tailor-made for Hopkins who totally bring out it's essence. He convincing portray his role. His emotions, expressions and presentation are exceptional. This film project a sense of lost and missed opportunities distinctly. The most unforgettable scene is when Stevens and Kenton reunited after several years,at the bus stop in the rain,Those few seconds of holding hand while bidding good bye, the lost feeling and those eyes contact.. that's poignant. They hoped for a second chance but resigned to Fate due to circumstances. I find this film touching,marvellous with beautiful art direction.I love it's Englishness...so beauteous. Truly remarkable!
Rating:
Summary: A Masterpiece from Merchant Ivory Productions!
Review: From the very beginning of the opening titles, set against the backdrop of the English countryside and exquisitely complimented by the music of Richard Robbins, you get the reassuring feeling that you are in for a cinematic treat. Well, 134 minutes later, your reassurances are confirmed, and within this time frame this movie manages to span the full range of emotions with such grace and dignity that you are certain you have seen one of the great motion pictures. Oscar winners Anthony Hopkins and Emma Thompson reunite (first paired in Howard's End) with the acclaimed Merchant Ivory film making team for this extraordinary and moving story of blind devotion-to-duty and forsaken love. Hopkins stars as Mister Stevens, the perfect English butler, an ideal carried by him to perfectionist lengths, as he serves his English master, Lord Darlington (impeccably played by masterful James Fox). Lord Darlington, like many other members of the British establishment in the 1930s, is duped by the Nazis into trying to establish a rapport between themselves and the British government. Thompson stars as Darlington hall's housekeeper, a high-spirited, strong-minded young woman who watches the goings-on upstairs with quiet disbelief. Marvelously well acted by a supporting cast that includes, among many others, Christopher Reeve as American Congressman Jack Lewis and then newcomer Hugh Grant as Lord Darlington's Godson, Mr. Cardinal, this movie captures on film a bygone lifestyle few are aquainted with, in as flawless a fashion as any you will ever see. Masterpiece!
Rating:
Summary: THE WHAT-IFs OF LIFE THAT YOU SIMPLY "ACCEPTED"
Review: This Merchant Ivory masterpiece is a must-own DVD: not only if you are intrigued by the labyrinthine world of English genteel lifestyles (butlers, under-butlers, footmen and the like), or some splendid British dialogue, but if you fancy an understated cinematic experience that still stirs emotion and circumspection comparable to that provoked by the written word. Anthony Hopkins and Emma Thompson play the dignified servants of a manor between the walls of which "great affairs of the world are decided." Both had me in their clutches at the very outset (set against the backdrop of the English countryside and exquisitely complimented by the music of Richard Robbins) and never let go. I was also somewhat surprised to see an early Hugh Grant and a young Ben Chaplin -- both before they became famous, and you can see why they got where they are today. Each and every screen of the movie is riveting, and all characters play their parts impeccably. With the possible exception perhaps of Christopher Reeves' character -- the brazen, world-saving American who calls other European topdog politicians "amateurs." Yet, thats a minor gripe, and entirely overshadowed by Anthony Hopkins who so subtly reveals all the feelings that his character works so hard to repress that the pain is almost palpable. There is also a nuanced romantic subplot, nothing is ever shown in somatic expressions of hugging and kissing, yet the tension between Hopkins and Thomson is one of the most memorable you will ever see. Unrequited love, was it? The average moviegoer might find the film slow, but anyone interested in watching great actors excelling at their craft will be mesmerized! Highly recommended!
Rating:
Summary: "The Remains of the Day" Remains One of Best Films Ever
Review: Without creating an elite in the best-understood sense of the word, "The Remains of the Day" divides film viewers into two categories -- one is of those who are left indifferent by it, those who miss full-swing action and find the film too long and too boring. The other group (myself including) find it delightful and powerful, in a very special understated way. Portraying a relationship of two people who sacrificed their lives to serving their lords, the basic story is enhanced by wonderful performances of Anthony Hopkins and Emma Thompson. These two splendid actors met once again under the direction of James Ivory after starring in the previous Merchant-Ivory production gem "Howards End". The story takes place some years after the war, when the perfect butler from pre-war era, Mr. Stevens (Hopkins), drives the car to visit the Darlington Hall's former housekeeper Miss Kenton (Thompson). The film's substantial part takes place in this past, with the end section describing the reunion of the two, whose time for love, sadly, is long past. Yet Stevens embarks on this journey, a little too late for making up for what he missed, when he was such a great, dependable servant to Lord Darlington. Darlington is a character cleverly thought up by the original novel author Kazuo Ishiguro, in that he is an example of a politician going completely in a wrong direction -- the history and the present have plenty of suchlike ones. The film's main storyline is thus set in ominous undertones of pending World War II. Surging, restless score by Richard Robbins (not very good for listening on its own, without viewing) and beautiful cinematography help make the film what it is, a stunning work of art, but two main stars steal the show. You could say sometimes there is a lack of expression on the face of Stevens whatsoever and still it's a great acting. He just loses his temper once -- but Miss Kenton is not there to see it anymore. For that matter, Thompson's acting is, as always, equally superb -- her eyes and face speak volumes without words. Indeed, there is a lot of going on for a careful observer to see and digest in his/her mind while viewing this film. Subtly beautiful and ultimately quite sad, it leaves you with questioning your own priorities in life. If you haven't seen "The Remains of the Day" yet and love films set in England ("Sense and Sensibility", "Gosford Park", "Howards End"), give yourself a treat a see it.
Rating: 
Summary: THE ANTHONY AND EMMA SHOW
Review: Reunited from their celebrated stint in "Howards End", producers Ismal Merchant and James Ivory have once again teamed Emma Thompson and Anthony Hopkins for this exceptional follow up. As a reviewer of both films, I find myself torn to comment on which is the better movie. Quite simply, each is brilliant. In "The Remains of the Day" Hopkins is Mr. Stevens, a butler at Darlington Hall who is so deeply steeped in the traditions of the Edwardian class that he cannot bring himself to express his love for the head housekeeper, Miss Kenton (Emma Thompson). James Fox is cast is Lord Darlington, an English gentleman who unfortunately becomes one of the Nazi's pawns during World War II. Also in the cast are Hugh Grant and Christopher Reeves.
Columbia's special edition is an above average attempt for the studio. But the transfer lacks the vibrancy of its predicessor. Colors are accurate. Details can be sharp. Sometimes the picture is excessively soft or slightly smeared, the result of noise reduction equipment employed during the film's remastering to DVD. Contrast levels can appear slightly low at times. There is even some minor aliasing and pixelization that creeps in. I should like to point out that, while none of these imperfections is glaringly prominent throughout the movie, they are all present nevertheless. The sound has been nicely remixed to 5.1. Extras include a documentary and audio commentary as well as the original featurette produced at the time the film was being made. All of these are substandard in terms of image quality, suffering from compression related artifacts. It's beyond me why more studios don't simply put the movie on one side of the disc and the special features on the other instead of cramming everything together and risking such digital anomolies. Overall, a worthwhile disc to add to your private collections. Just not an outstanding example of all that DVD technology is capable of delivering.
Rating:
Summary: White Ties and Black Shirts
Review: This is a film that is as simple or complex as you want it to be. It's also, for what it's worth, my favourite movie. Top of the list. Watch it for the delicious, charged, complicated love story between butler and housekeeper. Or watch for the incredible detail in recreating an era long gone. Watch for a reminder of the political ambiguities during the lead-up to the Second World War, or its startlingly thought-provoking study of the British class system. Just, for Pete's sake ... watch it. Anthony Hopkins is at the top of his game as James Stevens, the devoted butler to Lord Darlington. Emma Thompson, accordingly, raises her own game and turns in a fabulous performance as Miss Kenton, the housekeeper. The two of them together are quite brilliant; volatile, incendiary, heart-breaking. As the author of the novel from which this screenplay was adapted, Kazuo Ishiguro, observes during an interview on the DVD extras: this is a story about the ways we can waste our lives. Politically, professionally, romantically ... each strand of story adheres to the theme, so don't expect to be cheering wildly as Our Hero and Heroine stroll off into the sunset just before the credits roll. Thing is - the story is perfect as it is. It wouldn't mean anything, any other way. (And having mentioned the DVD extras once, I must also say - the commentary for this movie, featuring Messrs. Merchant and Ivory, and Ms Thompson, is one of the most entertaining I've ever heard.) With swelling score, impeccable direction, an ensemble without a weak link and a story which offers insight, humour and poignancy, 'The Remains of the Day' is up there with the best of them. Enjoy.
Rating:
Summary: The Remains of the Day
Review: There aren't many performances in film that translate with such intensity a man's ancestral obsequiousness, and cowardice in the face of duty, than Anthony Hopkins' in the above film. This came out the same year as Philadelphia, the movie that achieved Tom Hanks his first, and much deserved, academy award. As poignant as Tom's portrayal is of an AIDS-afflicted homosexual taking on corporate and social prejudice, however, I really believe Anthony was the superior heir to the accolade. The film received eight nominations in all, including Best Film, Best Actress (Emma Thompson), and Best Actor, and Anthony was coming off an Oscar-winning role for his work in Silence of the Lambs three years prior. Whereas Philadelphia's outstanding appeal is rooted in its obvious social matter, The Remains of the Day is a subtle, probing, and I think an even more tragic painting of a man immured by heritage and dutiful blindness.
Based on the book by Kazuo Ishiguro, the story is divested through flashbacks of a retired butler named Stevens (Hopkins) near the end of his life circa 1958. He is engaged in a trek across the English countryside toward a long awaited meeting that he hopes might reconcile his past mistakes. His reminiscences take us back to a period shortly preceding the Second World War, in the estate of the politically inclined Lord Darlington, under whom Stevens serves. He is possessed with a stringent, self-denying will to fulfill his duty, and his thoroughly unsentimental way of life is challenged with the arrival of the new housekeeper, the spirited, idealistic Miss Kenton (Emma Thompson). The film concentrates on the tortured and repressed romance between these two as Darlington Hall becomes embroiled in a political, underhanded affair with the Nazis.
It is a thoughtful, masterful film that unveils itself in the shadows and crevices of the manor; the only effect is human emotion. Pay attention to how Hopkins has unearthed the subtleties, in his unsated eyes and breathy hesitations, of a man buried in ignorance and loneliness due to obsessive, familial yeomanry. A man who will not leave the table to attend to his dying father upstairs, also a butler, until his master has been seated. And the final scene, where the dove becomes trapped in a room and is eventually released through the window -watch as Stevens stares curiously after the fleeting, liberated creature and the camera retreats from the window, revealing the breathtaking expanse of the English landscape. This is the world that he has failed to understand and explore. Beautiful. Hopkins proves he is a master: he has exhumed in this character something so personal, hopeful, with such dark realness, and with a quality of humanity, as to leave an audience pulverized.
Rating:
Summary: The Impact Of The Unspoken Word
Review: Anthony Hopkins and Emma Thompson give superlative performances as the head butler and housekeeper at Darlington Hall in pre-WWII England, where personal and international dramas are enacted. Set in the present, the film uses flashbacks to tell the stories of servants and Lord Darlington, a misguided gentleman who believed appeasement with Germany was the solution in the years leading to the Second World War. Hopkins is his very officious butler, a man who places duty and propriety above all things, even his true feelings for housekeeper Thompson. She is more forthcoming with her emotions, but she cannot bring him to open himself up, including a painfully well-acted scene where Thompson tries to get Hopkins to reveal to her the book he is reading. If you are looking for loads of action and music-video style editing, this film will not be for you. It is a character and class study, and it succeeds admirably well on both levels. Hopkins and Thompson are both able to communicate subtle emotions with a simple pause or a look. The supporting cast is also fine. The screenplay allows the characters and drama to unfold slowly, establishing a feeling for the time and for the differences in class that existed in the era. Remains of the Day is directed with understated style, allowing the setting and characters to dominate. Although it may be more literary than most films, don't mistake it for something stuffy or inaccessible. It's great drama about all too real characters that reminds us of the impact of the unspoken word.
Rating:
Summary: Absolutely Excellent
Review: Set in the 1930's, Anthony Hopkins is perfectly cast as Stevens, a loyal and dedicated butler, who feels he could not truly be content "unless he has done all he can in the service of his employer," who is Lord Darlington, played beautifully by James Fox. Also part of the household is the Head Housekeeper, Miss Kenton, played by Emma Thompson, who upon her arrival at Darlington Hall finds herself at odds with Mr. Stevens. Slowly, we see how the consent battles Stevens and Kenton find themselves in are fueled by the desire both keep buried deep within themselves to tell each other how they feel. Though it is never said, you come to believe that these two love each other, but Kenton will not approach Stevens about it, and instead tries to get reactions out of Stevens in an attempt for him to admit to it. Stevens, however, will not partake in anything that is outside the service of his employer. While this story unfolds, we also see how Lord Darlington, spurred on by honorable, but misguided intentions, uses his influence to encourage others to assist the Nazis with the rebuilding of Germany. One of those not convinced is Congressman Lewis of Pennsylvania, played by Christopher Reeves in his last performance before his tragic accident. Lewis' warnings go unheeded, and Lord Darlington pursues his plans to help the Nazis. In the midst of these historic events, Stevens seems to be ignorant to their importance. Though Stevens knows that Lord Darlington is involved in important affairs of state, his duties as his butler require him to focus his attention on his responsibilities, and to trust his employer to make the correct decisions. Still, there seem to be moments in the movie where Stevens does seem to reveal that he was more aware of what was going on then he initially let on, and you may wonder if he is just keeping his opinions to himself. One part of the movie I always found interesting is in the scene set about 20 years after Miss Kenton had left Darlington Hall to get married. Stevens, on his way to see Miss Kenton about returning to Darlington Hall as Head Housekeeper again, discusses with a man giving him a lift about mistakes he made and how he was on his way to make them right. I always wondered what Stevens considered the mistake; allowing Miss Kenton to leave Darlington Hall as Head Housekeeper, or not telling Miss Kenton how much he really loved her.
Rating:
Summary: "The Remains of the Day" Remains Among Best Films of 1990's
Review: Without creating an elite among film viewers, "The Remains of the Day" divides spectators into two categories -- one is of those who are left indifferent by the movie, those who miss full-swing action and find the film too long and too boring. The other group (myself including) find it delightful and powerful, in a very special, understated way. Portraying a relationship of two people who sacrificed their lives to serving their lords, the story is enhanced by wonderful performances of Anthony Hopkins and Emma Thompson. The two splendid actors met once again under the direction of James Ivory after starring in the previous Merchant-Ivory production hit, "Howards End". The story is set in the late 1950's, when the perfect butler from the pre-war era, Mr. Stevens (Hopkins), is on his way to visit the former housekeeper of Darlington Hall (where he remained), Miss Kenton (played by Thompson). The film's substantial part thus takes place in the 1930's, with the end section describing the reunion after the two decades. Their time for love, sadly, is long past. Yet Stevens had embarked on this journey, a little too late for making up for what he missed, when he was such a great, dependable servant to Lord Darlington. Darlington is a character cleverly thought up by the original novel author Kazuo Ishiguro, in that he is an example of a politician going completely in a wrong direction -- the history and the present have plenty of suchlike ones. The film's bulk is thus set in ominous undertones of pending World War II. Surging, restless score by Richard Robbins (not very good for listening on its own, without viewing) and beautiful cinematography help make the film what it is, a stunning work of art, but two main stars steal the show. You could say sometimes there is a lack of expression on the face of Stevens whatsoever and still it's a great acting. He just loses his temper once -- but Miss Kenton is not there to see it anymore. For that matter, Thompson's acting is, as always, equally superb -- her eyes and face speak volumes without words. Indeed, there is a lot of going on for a careful observer to see and digest in his/her mind while viewing this film. Subtly beautiful and ultimately quite sad, it leaves you with questioning your own priorities in life. If you haven't seen "The Remains of the Day" yet and you love films set in England ("Sense and Sensibility", "Gosford Park", "Howards End"), give yourself a treat a see it.
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