Rating: 
Summary: Sirens
Review: Good acting from almost everyone,
But the movie isn't very interesting, the subject isn't very clear, a man (H.Grant) and his wife come to Autralia to persuade a Paintor to not paint naked religious paitings then his wife falls in love with one of the models ...
Elle Mcpherson plays one of the models, and as the movie goes on, nudity appears.
Rating: 
Summary: this is the one to watch!
Review: I am not overly fond of arty movies like Sirens so I admit a bit of bias that probably colors my reaction to it. The real theme of the movie, unless I completely missed the point, is the spiritual damage, if not emotional damage, that sexual repression exerts on the individual (and society, if one takes the logic a step further).Set in the 1930's, a catholic priest is sent to compel a famous artist from displaying an erotic painting that mixes religious with erotic themes that the church finds offensive. This repressed priest and his wife find themselves in the midst of an almost bacchanalian atmosphere, as the artist's models cavort around in a carefree, playful, sexually liberated manner. The real focus the movie really becomes the priest's wife, who starts to find herself drawn into experiences around her and frees herself of her own repressions. The drawback to the movie is it's just not that entertaining and has no real plot. I enjoyed the imagery and the acting was top notch. But on the whole, I found it somewhat boring.
Rating:
Summary: Sirens
Review: I am not overly fond of arty movies like Sirens so I admit a bit of bias that probably colors my reaction to it. The real theme of the movie, unless I completely missed the point, is the spiritual damage, if not emotional damage, that sexual repression exerts on the individual (and society, if one takes the logic a step further). Set in the 1930's, a catholic priest is sent to compel a famous artist from displaying an erotic painting that mixes religious with erotic themes that the church finds offensive. This repressed priest and his wife find themselves in the midst of an almost bacchanalian atmosphere, as the artist's models cavort around in a carefree, playful, sexually liberated manner. The real focus the movie really becomes the priest's wife, who starts to find herself drawn into experiences around her and frees herself of her own repressions. The drawback to the movie is it's just not that entertaining and has no real plot. I enjoyed the imagery and the acting was top notch. But on the whole, I found it somewhat boring.
Rating:
Summary: Rancid DVD.
Review: I enjoy this film quite a bit. I like the story. I like the acting...the fact that everyone had fun making it is apparent. Like one or two other men, I have a weakness for the female human body, which the audience is tastefully treated to throughout the film. I like Elle MacPherson in it, even moreso after I found out that she gained weight for the role and pulled off a very decent performance to boot (also, I disagree with a previous reviewer that considered her looking anything but at her best; I think she looks fabulous with the less-anorexic look). And finally, I like the film's underlying themes and philosophies and lighthearted tones, which reflect the way I also prefer to see the world and make for pleasant viewing. So why only three stars? The DVD is frankly horrid. The film is presented only in standard, not widescreen. The picture quality itself is really quite noticeably poor (for DVD). There are no language selections at all aside from English. There are no subtitles available at all, for any language. And although I'm not a stickler for extras like commentaries and documentaries (and in all frankness I think most people could care less), those that are really into them should note that there is nothing of the sort to be found here either, aside from three text-based cast "biographies". In essence, this DVD is nothing more than the movie itself, providing few of the advantages of DVD over VHS at all. One thing that is, fortunately, included is a decent soundtrack; it is in Dolby 5.1. A very pleasant film overall, with a very pleasant story, and certainly very pleasant scenery, but a disappointingly substandard DVD release.
Rating:
Summary: Full screen version better flesh than widescreen!
Review: I love this film about Hugh Grant taking his very sexually uptight wife (the lovely Tara Fitzgerald) to this place of sexually open women. Lot of beautiful actresses naked in this one, but you are better off looking for the OOP Lion's Gate DVD rather than the Mirimax, as it's Full Screen and the nude scenes are much closer up! Especially the closing sequence where all the actresses in the film are on the mountain peak nude: if you watch the widescreen version, they are like ants on the screen and you can barely make their bodies out; the full screen version is much, much nicer!
Rating:
Summary: Liberal and conservative worldviews constrasted.....
Review: I saw this movie when it was playing in theatres, and was pleased to find it available on DVD. Apparantly filmed at the actual home where Lindsay worked, the scenery is often quite breathtaking. It is based somewhat loosely on events surrounding the real Australian artist Norman Lindsay (played in the film by Sam Neill). Lindsay submits a controversial painting for display at an exhibition, and a newly trained minister (Hugh Grant), is sent to attempt to convince him to substitute another painting of a less radical nature.
While spending several days as guests at the Lindsay home, the minister and his wife become acquainted with Lindsay, his family, and several models who live with him.
The models (played by Elle MacPherson and a young Portia DeRossi) are frequently in various stages of nudity while posing for some of Lindsay's work, and their obvious comfort with their sexuality clashes with the conservative views of the minister and his wife. As their stay becomes longer, some of the liberal views of the household begin to appeal, first to the minister's wife, then, at the very end of the film, and in a very small way, to the minister himself.
Thus, minds which were once closed to other views are seen to begin to open. The film works, not only as a quasi-historical account of real people, but as an allegory of how society often condemns non-conformists, and also how non-conformists often lead their societies toward enlightenment. In a sense, the film is a mirror of the overall direction that the society in which we live seems to moving, out of 'the dark ages' and toward a time of greater enlightenment.
Rating: 
Summary: Sirens Can Come Calling to Anyone
Review: I viewed this movie the first time in the theatre and loved it completely. Any woman, or man for that matter, who grew up in a sort of repressed world can understand the obvious fasination that this couple might experience when they come to Australia and become guests of this notorious artist and his family. From the first momentous scene, when the couple encounters the Rasputinesque man with the missing limb, the film hints at the terrifying prospects of life beneath the lush beauty of earth's surroundings. Beware, behind all beauty lies death---but ah! the pleasure in living!!!!The elegant subtlety of Sirens lies within its ability to unmask and shyly peek at the longing we have of freely given love and the fasination of discovering the beauty of our genders. Even as the threat of death and decay peers through the trees, we crave the acknowledgement of our sensual needs and fears; we, sometimes cautiously, bend to the impossible curiousity that nags us in viewing our sexual opposites, and yes, in acknowledging our own sex. My only critism of the VHS/DVD, is that one misses the humor and in large the major comment of what the movie seeks to share. The newspaper articles originally shown on the large screen, are unreadable on the small screen. The VHS/DVD viewers suffer from this loss because the impact of the film in the juxtaposition of these humorous and tragic observations shown through the medium of local news. They whisper to us of the uncertainty of ife, the quickness of death, the need to seize upon the gift of love and life. The visual impact of the film is sensual and lovely; the actors are equally so. For once, Hugh Grant's bumbling bumbles aren't so irritating and the elegant Tara Fitzgerald lures you gently into her search of discovery for the sacred place where love and lust can happily survive. The cast is outstanding. If they release a better version of the DVD in the future, I hope that the viewing of the headlines can be remedied. It makes all the difference in the perception of the film.
Rating:
Summary: ever deeper into the hidden
Review: I was very struck by the review entitled, "deeper into sirens" which touches upon the Titanic reference. A very astute observation! I always felt there was a strong "Magus" "Ebony Tower" connection to the design of the script. Which I enjoyed immensely. That there are ever more hidden meanings, always unfolding. With 'someone' or 'something' of a higher power ever in control. That this is an allusion to a person dying, and during that process going through the metamorphisis of little by little 'letting go' all her earthly inhibitions is quite stunning. Dying, and succumbing to it, being the ultimate controling presence, or their 'Conchis' (from The Magus).
Rating:
Summary: Very entertaining
Review: I'll be the first to admit that I originally went to see this movie just to see Elle MacPherson naked. And while she is fully naked quite a bit, it's very enjoyable for the rest of the movie as well. Hugh Grant is great as the straight-laced minister who is stuttering and nervous by all the exposed flesh and blatant sexuality. Tara Fitzgerald is also great as his wife who gets caught up in all that sexuality. And Sam Neill does a good job as the painter who stirs it all up. It's a fairly lighthearted movie, but moves along well. It's worth seeing if only for Tara's church scene. I don't want to give anything away, but it's a nightmare that everyone has had at least once, and it is hysterical.
Rating:
Summary: I like a movie with Hugh Grant in it? Unbelievable!
Review: I'm sure we're all well aware of the reason most of us buy or rent this movie so I won't spend too much time there. Needless to say, that was the reason I saw it and I was reasonably surprised at what a fantastic movie it was. In all honesty the nudity is a good device to reel you in but never reaches a level that I would call gratuitous. All parties involved do a great job here including Hugh Grant in the first role I've actually liked him in. Sam Neill as the libertinous artist Norman Lindsay is the perfect foil to Grant's sexually frustrated Rev. Anthony Campion. Seeing these to go up against eachother is hilarious in a dry sort of way. It doesn't take much to push Campion's buttons as Lindsay discovers and you can scarcely imagine what he does with this newfound knowledge. The story is kind of dry and slow-paced and at times deeply introspective in that way that art films can get. But these things aside, it was surprisingly good film. Rent it for the Elle Macpherson factor (or Portia de Rossi whichever your preference) enjoy it for its irreverence.
|
