Rating: 
Summary: Excellent film....
Review: Russell Crowe has to be one of the best actors around. He is versatile, believeable, and the "Everyman" most of us can identify with on some level. Of course the fact that he's got a great body and reminds me of a boy I was crazy about in high school has nothing to do with my judgement of his acting abilities. Seriously, the actors and the director of this film should be commended. In my book, HAMMERS OVER THE ANVIL ranks right up there with ANGEL AT MY TABLE (Kerry Fox) and MY BRILLIANT CAREER (Judy Davis). All these films are set in Austrailia and New Zealand, directed by women, and about a young person's coming of age. All three of the young protagonists grow up to become writers and the stories are autobiographical. If you appreciated the cinematograpy in Campion's ANGEL AT MY TABLE and you love the Australian countryside you will marvel at scenes shot in the dewy mists of morning, the blazing noon day sun and by moonlight. The DVD is very clear and the frames are well articulated. The Australian Film Board sponsored the film so it's a work of art. HAMMERS OVER THE ANVIL is set in 1910--before WWI. As I watched the film I felt I was observing a lost way of life. Even 50 years ago in Australia, New Zealand, Canada and the U.S. agricultural communities still existed and blacksmiths were relatively common (hammers and anvils). HAMMERS a slice of life, and more. A dramatic series of events unfolds. I won't reveal the ending, but say it did not end the way I thought it would. This film was directed by a woman and contains a strong female lead. Most women I know will appreciate the story. Charlotte Rampling is wonderful and I could totally identify with her in this role (whereas I could not when she played Ms. Haversham in GREAT EXPECTATIONS). She is an excellent actress and her relationship with East (Crowe) was entirely believeable. It may be HAMMERS OVER THE ANVIL is the story of a boy's coming of age, but the women and girls in this film create a real presence. A keeper.
Rating: 
Summary: A weak effort...
Review: Sadly, I will never get the hour and a half back that I wasted watching this film. It was though someone decided to see how many people they could get to watch their film just by putting Russell Crowe in it. The dialogue was so garbled that you practically need subtitles to understand the words. The plot never really delved into the characters, it just glossed over them as if it were a tale for slow witted children. If you are expecting the usual Crowe charm, there is none at all! Plus he has a truly dismal hair cut! The only reason that I gave it one star is for the first sequence...all I can say is that horse hair does not belong in some crevices of the human body!
Rating: 
Summary: Great Movie, but heartbreaker!!
Review: This is an excellent movie. All the actors do a superb job.
Set in the late 1890's or early 1900's in Australian horse and cattle country, the story unfolds through the eyes of a young, crippled boy. His hero is East (they pronounce it "Ace") acted by Russell Crowe. East is a horse breaker (wrangler??)and owns a string of well-bred horses. The young wife of an elderly, wealthy Australian(English) land- owner wishes to breed a mare with one of East's stallions. From this a romance ensues. Charlotte Rampling is the upper class English wife, who falls, temporarily, for the illiterate East. Russell is superb riding his horses........... and one tremendously romantic scene has him galloping up to Charlotte as she rides, he sweeps her off her horse and they ride off laughing!!
This is close to a 5 star movie!!
Rating:
Summary: IF YOU LOVE RUSSELL
Review: This is one great film and the opening scenes are ones that you will never forget! Russell looks very handsome and the story is a good one, but heartbreaking. I would recommend this film to anyone who loves Russell Crowe and his brillant acting! Grace
Rating: 
Summary: Not a bad flick
Review: This movie is about a man who falls in love with a woman he can't have and he tries prove himself to her in hopes of her staying with him. It wasn't a bad movie, but I was a little disappointed with the end. Perks to the movie, if you're a Russell Crowe fan, you get to see him riding his horses naked.
Rating:
Summary: Not a bad flick
Review: This movie is about a man who falls in love with a woman he can't have and he tries prove himself to her in hopes of her staying with him. It wasn't a bad movie, but I was a little disappointed with the end. Perks to the movie, if you're a Russell Crowe fan, you get to see him riding his horses naked.
Rating:
Summary: Hammers Over the Anvil
Review: This movie just blows me away each time I watch it. Visually, the scenery is expansive, wild and unspoiled. The characters are "real people", natural, believable, and appealing in their own ways. The story meanders from one relationship to another, all of which center around the young disabled boy who narrates in retrospect, having become a successful writer. At times there is almost a voyeuristic feel, as Alan observes and becomes aware of his own sexuality, and that of those he cares for. He shows the awkwardness and uncertainty of one in the throes of his first crush, and looks to his older and much admired friend East, for clues. East is everything Alan believes he is not- confident, wild, masterful with horses, physically strong, lusted after by women, and involved with Grace, an attractive older married woman Alan fantasizes about. He is drawn into the relationship between Grace and East, first as a mutual friend, then as confidant in order to keep the affair quiet, and finally as a go-between when life choices must be made. He comes to realize that East is just as much at a loss emotionally, as he himself is physically. They both want things which in reality are unattainable, and refuse to accept the fact. Dwelling on the "hunk" factor sells this film short. The performances of the leads are beyond fine. So much is conveyed visually, with expressions, movements, and gestures, the words are secondary. I was left with an ache in my heart, my toes tingling and really wanting a cigarette when it was all over.
Rating:
Summary: Broaden the perspective
Review: Though I truly enjoyed this film, particularly the characters portrayed in it, I found myself wishing that the director had taken more advantage of the third-person perspective that film allows. While director Ann Turner retains the first-person point of view of the stories written by Alan Marshall, I felt that a little broadening of the viewpoint might have helped the development of this film. A couple of the scenes and characters were left largely undeveloped, making me wonder why they were left in at all, other than the fact that these were some of the people in the town. Despite the need for some expansion, this is a truly charming film. The actors do a wonderful job with material that could be considered somewhat controversial without ever making the audience feel uncomfortable. Scenes that could be embarassing to watch are instead handled with such grace that the viewer is allowed to stay emotionally connected with the film.
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