Home :: DVD :: Art House & International  

Asian Cinema
British Cinema
European Cinema
General
Latin American Cinema
An Ideal Husband

An Ideal Husband

List Price: $19.99
Your Price: $14.99
Product Info Reviews

<< 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 .. 9 >>

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Charming, witty, ironic - Ideal Oscar Wilde
Review: Rupert Everett cooly epitomizes an elusive, self-absorbed bachelor with no intent on marrying...until an amusing series of related circumstances and misunderstandings press him to take action to protect his friends. Mr. Everett plays the part with such charming panache - I eagerly anticipate his upcoming role in the remake of "The Importance of Being Earnest", another entertaining Oscar Wilde play.

The other characters are also well-suited for their roles: Jeremy Northam as the righteous do-gooder and represenative for "Ideal Husbands" of the era; Cate Blanchett as his loving wife, holding him to nearly impossible standards and morals; Minnie Driver as a playful yet innocent coquette and Julianne Moore as the purring villainess.

Very entertaining and well done!

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: A WELL SCRIPTED AFFAIR
Review: Don't expect originality in terms of movie direction, and you won't be disapointed by this film that gives you satire and also offers blackmailing as the main plot.Top performances by EVERETT and MOORE who seems to enjoy playing their roles;i personnaly prefer when CATE BLANCHET plays meatier characters ,but she also does a fine job.It is true that this film ressembles a masterpiece theater PBS presentation, except for the fact that it's not boring.One easily recognizes the shadow of writer OSCAR WILDE through adaptations of his works.WILDE is all about hypocrisy and how it affects our lives;he was also a master of irony as well seen in this story,especially at the end.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Wonderful!!!
Review: This movie was witty and funny, I loved it! Rupert Everett hilarious! Minnie Driver, Cate, Jeremy Northam, and Julianne Moore all did spectacular jobs, well done!

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: highly recommend it
Review: So much fun to watch this movie. Rupert Everett is the star and he makes you laugh, seemingly without the least bit effort. It fits the character he plays here, a very laid back, unambitious sort of fellow, yet extremely likeable. Minnie Driver plays the eventual object of his affections, yet her role here is a minor one. Julliane Moore plays the nemesis, not a typical character for her. She's good, ofcourse, as is this movie. Enjoy it.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Simply Wilde about Rupert!!
Review: To be a Oscar Wilde leading character, one must not only have the moxie of line delivery but the suave confidence to win over a public and not come across as a pompous snob. Rupert Everett does a fabulous job as the head of this cast, bringing the heart of Wilde's play out with every mannerism and sharp retort.

Julianne Moore, as Mrs. Chevely delivers her lines as if she'd written them herself with the slighest hint of malice to every double entendre and retort. She and Rupert have great chemistry together and towards the end, you find a part of yourself lamenting that alas, evil cannot win over the confirmed bachelor. Her impish smile and calm demeanor unwordingly convey that she didn't start this situation - she's merely using it to her best advantage.

Cate Blanchett, in yet another transformative role, takes on what should be a moralistic and uptight role and gives us a window into a world of ethics. She is truly betrayed when she learns of her husband's past folly not so much for *his* own error in judgement, but for what she accepts in the behavior that surrounds her. With her delicate expression and crack in voice, she lets us into the level of disappointment this revelation has inflicted upon her. Jeremy Northam as her husband, is given ample screen time to introduce us to his character, but not enough time for us to sympathize to his dilemma.

Almost the same can be said about Minnie Driver's interpretation of Mabel. The tone of her voice and the upturning of her nose convey what should be Victorian pomp, but work themselves intoan arrogance not seen in the other players. In a few scenes, one is completely confused as to what it is exactly that could so enchant Lord Goring, but thankfully Everett's charm convinces us that yes indeed, the cynic has a heart and it beats for Mabel.

All in all, the film is well made, witty and will have you laughing one breath, condemning a character the next. Compared to other period flicks, this one offers us a happy ending - always a good thing, when so many tend to drift towards depressing waters.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: An excellent ensemble effort
Review: While I loved everything about this movie, there are a few things that audiences and prospective buyers will have to know. If you are buying this on VHS and DVD, please be informed that the camera-work in this film is of abysmally low quality. Some shots are way out of focus, embarrasingly so. There are a few remarkable and not-so-remarkable things about this film, so lets plunge right in :

a) Rupert Everett - Rupert is most at home in British settings and comedies, and he excels here. I liked him much better here than his earlier work in UK Cinema, as he seems so much more mature, confident, and at ease.

b) Julianne Moore - This is the worst thing about the film. Julianne's FAKE British accent is even worse than Madonna's accent in 'The Next Best thing'. Yes, THAT bad. If you can get past this (I couldn't), you'll enjoy much of the film.

c) The plot - This is an Oscar Wilde play, so of course, you'd have to leave your sense of plausibility behind, but the idea behind the story is way too ridiculous to be taken seriously. If you can get past this (I did), you'll breeze through the rest.

d) Cate Blanchett - While she is one of our best actresses, Cate also receives the blunt end of the bad camera-work in this movie. Did the director not like her face? Performance-wise, she is thoroughly engaging - being both vivacious and restrained at the same time.

If you love period pieces, you'll love this one. Do remember though that this IS a VERY low budget film, so the sets, costumes and style of film-making are really quite terrible, and resemble more a BBC Shakespeare adaptation than anything else. Luckily, I love those, and therefore, loved this.

Highly recommended. Just don't expect too much.

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: Well paced for those suffering from head injuries.
Review: I'm all for blackmail and turn of the century shenanigans, but his one doesn't really deliver. I keep waiting for something to top Dangerous Liasons and so far, no dice This movie runs pretty flat. This is slow pitch storytelling. If you don't know how it's going to end by the middle of the movie, call the undertaker because you're dead.

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: STUPID AND BORING
Review: Please don't purchase this video or DVD without renting it first. This movie is silly and I can't believe anyone would enjoy it.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: One of the Best Movies I've seen this year
Review: I only rented this movie because I am a fan of Rupert Everett. I did not know what it was about or anything about it, to be quite frank. After viewing it once I loved it. After all, the screenplay was an adaption of the book by Oscar Wilde, which was a guarantee that it is hilarious and witty without useless bed language. The acting was absolutely superb. Everett perfectly pulls off his character who pretends to know nothing about anything and who is dead set against marriage, but really cares very deeply about his friends and is a good person at heart. This is one of the best cast movies I have seen in a long while. There is not one less than superb preformance among the actors and actresses. This movie is an excellent romantic comedy that i recommend highly.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Great plot!
Review: What a creative plot. I thoroughly enjoyed watching Rupert Everett (who plays the "ideal" gentleman)run crazy trying to handle two or three lines of the plot at once. The acting was wonderful as were the accents (most of which are real)with a make you go home happy ending. This is a keeper in our video collection.


<< 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 .. 9 >>

© 2004, ReviewFocus or its affiliates