Rating: 
Summary: Wierd and Wonderful
Review: First their father dies of a heartattack and when their mother dies, Jack and Julie decide it would be better if no one knew. Their mother had told Jack, she feared the younger children would be taken away if anything should happen to her.
So they put her in an old metal locker in their basement and fill it with cement.
And with their mother gone, Jack and Julie are in charge. The fateful events ensue. humorous in parts and also kinda sad
Julie should've never brought Derek into the picture!
Rating:
Summary: Incest is fine, if its kept in the family:-)
Review: I enjoyed the quality of the european acting.
I enjoyed the authentic scenery and the enviroment chosen for this film.
The the protagaonist is the oldest boy, well played and somewhat convincing in his pursuits.
Julie(Charlotte Gainsbourg), the oldest girl, role is done well and is very attractive, as necessary for this role.
The sibling conversations are authentic, reminding me of conversations I had with my large family.The movie is shocking and tries hard to challenge what is left of social taboos. What led me to watch this movie was hearing the voice of Gainsbourg, as Julie, respond to the oldest boy concerning knowing "what it feels like for a girl", in the title song of Madonna's current release. This movie is not for the faint of heart.
Rating: 
Summary: Further proof that the book is always better.
Review: I like "dark" and/or "bleak" films. I like them even more when they're packed with sexuality. Having read McEwan's novel, I had high expectations for this movie, all of which were dashed within twenty minutes. It's just... dull. They followed the book almost exactly and since a good 80-90% of it was Jack's own internal monologue that was a huge mistake. The film jumps through the necessary plot points without any real feeling or interest. Further, very little is explained or shown in terms of story or character. Had I not read the book, I wouldn't have known what was going on half the time. I didn't make half an hour in before I was fast-forwarding just to see how they would handle the climax. What a surprise, they made incest boring.
All in all, a huge let down and waste of time.
Rating:
Summary: A solid, haunting story
Review: I saw this movie in a small independent movie house about 5 years ago, and I've thought of it often ever since. Memorable camera work and sense of place. Disturbing yet compelling.
Rating: 
Summary: The Cement Garden
Review: I would seriously suggest making sure you're in the right state of mind before you go and get shanghaied into watching this. The story is roughly about a set of siblings who's mother died, and they - why not? - hide her dead body in the basement. And just live together like life is normal, except for the fact that the older siblings, by some sort of unseen force, (possibly the same force that took over Luke Skywalker in Star Wars) fall in love. The story is, however much more deep than two teenage brother and sister who play house in orbital proportions; the story is actually somewhat thought-provoking... Which means that if you're the sort of person who likes movies simply because they're fun, lightweight and a nice step away from reality... Beware. This isn't the movie for you. By the time the end-credits come up you'll be sure to be emotionally disturbed for life, but with the ever-familiar pondering mind rising up... Or could that be bile?
Rating:
Summary: cinematic brilliance
Review: i'm haunted by this film - i've seen it a dozen times on video and it gets better every time, always leaving me in tears, weeping for i know not what. it's even better on dvd ...
Rating:
Summary: cinematic brilliance
Review: i'm haunted by this film - i've seen it a dozen times on video and it gets better every time, always leaving me in tears, weeping for i know not what. it's even better on dvd ...
Rating:
Summary: Excellent!
Review: If you like'd the films birdy,when night is falling,the second part of chungking express but with a darker theme,the version of jane eyre with william hurt(that jane eyre is in this film),blue velvet,rumble fish,freeway,angelheart,female perversions,altered states,the comfort of strangers.....ad nauseum.Charlotte gainsbourg is outstanding!
Rating:
Summary: Superb acting; grim story
Review: It's a small wonder that this film was ever made, given the controverial nature of the original book. If you've read the book by McEwan, you'll appreciate how faithfully they have stuck to the story. I won't give it away or re-tell what's available elsewhere, but this film is a superbly acted version (by a very young cast) of a grim story (incest, death, family secrets) that is interesting to contemplate.
Rating:
Summary: Strangely beautiful !
Review: One more for my bizarre collection! Great performance by Charlotte & Andrew!
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