Sommersby

Rating:
Summary: not your ordinary chick flick
Review: I was surprised by this movie. I thought my wife was dragging me to another "chick flick" but found the film extraodinary. Jodie Foster's performance in the courtroom scene is unforgetable. The scenery and cinematography has me planning a trip to Virginia..

Rating:
Summary: A symptom of Hollywoodism
Review: I've been surprised to read how many positive reviews that this film receives from Amazon customers - 12 out of 13 so far has given this film glowing review, which to me is quite remarkable. So this film has to be doing something right to receive such approvals. Admittedly the film was supported by strong performance from its star actors like Jodie Foster, which managed to rescue a film with unbelievable plot from a total flop to a mildly enjoyable film. I happened to have watched this film's French predecessor, <Return of Martin Guerre> during a Film history class before I watched this film, and I couldn't help but notice the subtle but important changes to the overall plot of the original film, and I don't mean the change in historical and cultural setting. The original French film was essentially a historical drama with imperfect characters, including the man who claimed to be Martin Guerre, who proved to be a good lover but a flawed man when it comes to greed. In the Hollywoodized version of <Sommersby>, the man who claimed to be Jack Sommersby was a perfect hero whose only flaw was his general antipahty towards Confederate cause during the time he served in the Confederate army - hardly a condemnable flaw.

To me all this reinforce a general observation - for Hollywood, films are essentially escapism, even when it attempts to deal with real issues that have no quick solutions. Escapsim exist as well outside Hollywood (eg. think of the countless HongKong films and Bollywood films you hear about...), but for a significant number of French filmmakers, film is about an honest portrayal of reallity in all its glories and ugliness. It is a confrontation, a meditation. The room exists for imperfect ending, for plot driven films, for mysteries unresolved. For some moviegoers, this can be quite unsettling and over-confrontational. For others however, this approach carries more integrity, because life usually has imperfect endings, filled with ordinary people, with mysteries unresolved.

To illustrate my point further, consider the film <Ransom> starring Mel Gibson. Near the end of the film, we sees the head kidnapper, who was himself a police officer, shooting the other criminal accomplice and turned himself into a "rescuer" instead. Had this been a French film, this would be the "perfect" ending. Instead, film goes on, with a typical Mel Gibson action scene in the end.

<Sommersby> unfortunately is simply one of the many symptoms of a modern Hollywoodism that threatens to turn the film industry into bland and uninteresting escapism.

Rating:
Summary: A QUESTION OF IDENTITY
Review: Jack Sommersby was a brutal hard drinking man who abused his wife. Eventually he went off to war and for six years no one heard from him. The war ends and a bearded stranger comes up the road to town. Jack has come home to claim his own. Or is this really Jack?

Join with Laurel Sommersby as she tries to figure out if this man is really her husband. His brutallity is replaced by gentleness. His selfish ways have melted into concern for others. Is this the Jack that everyone knew?

Set in the post Civil War you will find yourself engaged in this puzzling dilemma of identity. Richard Gere and Jodie Foster do a superb job of portraying a couple trying to reconcile a previous bitter marriage but is this man truly her husband? Highly entertaining you will enjoy this mystery that will lead to either the making or breaking of a marriage and the livelihood of a town.

Rating:
Summary: Sommersby
Review: Jodie foster and Richard Gere have the most surprising and amazing chemistry in this movie. The scene, post civil war, depicts life as we could only imagine after the south was defeated. This is an amazing love story based on honor,respect and pride.I have owned this movie for 8 years have watched it over a dozen times and still cry at the end.

Rating:
Summary: The former holder of the title.
Review: Now, Sommersby. Well. Until January of this fine year 2000, this was the worst film I had ever seen in my life. I really would love this film to be burnt. But not as much as a film which doesn't appear to be here. a film called Rancid Aluminium. Now that was truly the most appalling thing, let alone film, that I have ever seen in my entire life. And Sommersby is just behind it.

Rating:
Summary: Romantic movie to be rewatched over & over again
Review: Rewatched this movie yet again last weekend (and umpteenth times since its debut in 1993) but continue to marvel at the poignancy and cathartic experience of it all. It is certainly not one of those predictable types with the usual 'happily ever after' Hollywoodesque ending snapped on at the end to lure romantics far and wide (in that, I include the likes of Sleepless in Seattle, You've Got Mail, Wedding Planner, Maid in Manhattan,...I'm sure you get my point).

For those of you who have yet to peruse this romantic period piece - I won't spoil it by revealing the ending here - just remember to have your tissues ready at hand - Jodie Foster's and Richard Gere's manifestation of love were so believably moving that I still have problems holding back my tears from repeated viewing....

Though without the inclusion of any bonus materials (the studios may consider releasing a special edition perhaps?), the DVD is a must-have for collectors of romantic movies.

Rating:
Summary: Mystery and Romance
Review: Richard Gere and Jodie Foster are the perfect match in Sommersby. Jodie Foster(who is excellent in everything) plays a women that thinks her husband was killed in the Civil War, but to her and the town's surprise he returns. Overall, the cast fullfilled my expectation of the movie.

Rating:
Summary: ONE OF MY FAVORITES!!!!!!
Review: Sommersby has got to be one of the best movies made. It is so romantic! I could watch it a hundred times over and never tire of it... in fact- i have! I fully reccomend it to anyone.

Rating:
Summary: Quiet and beautiful
Review: The quiet and charming beauty of this film combined with the volatility of love and loss brings about a spell of a tale called Sommersby. The casting was beautifully done, and even though I'm no great fan of Richard Gere, he did a great job in this film. As for Jodie Foster? Great as always :)

I found the movie to be fast - moving, refreshing plot-wise, and heartbreaking. (I won't give away the ending!) It's a nice chick - flick, but I think many different types of people will enjoy it, particularly ones who like historical fiction and drama.

This film is worth renting.

Rating:
Summary: beautiful, touching, heart-breaking and lovely
Review: This film breaks my heart each time I watch it. And I wonder why Jodie and Richard didn't do more films together? The story here is terrific. The plot is wonderful. Gere does a fabulous job as does Foster. Bill Pullman does a nice turn as a quiet bad guy. James Earl Jones is highly enjoyable as the judge. Some class performances here in this quiet, beautiful masterpiece of heartbreak worth seeing again.