Rating: 
Summary: Malkovich and Roberts Lights-Up The Screen
Review: Julia Roberts as Mary Reilly is wonderful in the film. She gave a sensitive dramatic performance in this artistic film which takes the classic tale of Dr.Jekyll and Mr.Hyde (played superbly by John Malkovich) in a different perspective - in the eyes of his faithful lady servant, Mary, played by Roberts. Also, in the film is a hilarious participation of Glenn Close. I recommend this movie for serious fans of Julia Roberts. Great Film!
Rating:
Summary: Must See Movie
Review: As a fan of what I have heard called gothic novels - Bronte, Dickens, etc. - I have got to put in a word for this movie. This is a phenomenal movie. The story centers around Julia Roberts' character, Mary Reilly, who is a servant of Dr. Jekyll. John Malkovich plays a wonderful Dr. Jekyll and makes Mr. Hyde into a fascinating villain. He catches the essence of Mr. Hyde perfectly in my mind...a mysterious and diabolical yet somewhat alluring presence though unstable. (In the original Stevenson story Hyde's dominant characteristic was the repugnance he pulled from people when they saw him - as if he was deformed in some way though it was not visible. It is implied that evil deforms the soul and that visible to other's by instinct). As Reilly assists Jekyll, their relationship becomes that of confidantes (though Jekyll is holding back). He develops an interest in Mary and her life. As he delves into her psyche, he forms a definite affection for her and she for him. There is a certain tension between them because of their feelings, their differing social positions and the problems that Jekyll is having but can't fully explain to the timid but reliable Mary Reilly. This movie was so strong, it just blew me away. It is what I had hoped that Stevenson's story would be but wasn't. I have put Mary Reilly, the book, on my reading list and I fully expect it to be every bit the powerful work as Jane Eyre with the special flavor of horror to be found in the likes of Shelley's Frankenstein.
Rating:
Summary: Julia Roberts- different but GREAT!!
Review: this was a different part for Julia Roberts, but I have to admit, she pulled it off!! I think she did great, this was a awsome movie. Dark, gothic, romantic, and all-around good movie. It was very entertaining. I highly enjoyed it, its a different kind of Dr.Jekel and Mr. Hyde movie, but a good one!!!
Rating: 
Summary: Fantastic film but not for Julia.
Review: Another remake of classic Jeckyl & Hyde story. Now from the point of view of the maid, Mary Reilly. This is well made movie but it performed badly in the box office. I believe this is the worst performing (box office wise) in Julia Roberts career. I really don't think this is the right part for her. The rest of the casts are wonderful. John Malkovich is excellent as both Jecky & Hyde. Glenn Close has supporting role. The DVD is quite good. Picture is sharp & clear despite a lot of the movie took place in the dark. The Dolby 5.0 is OK, why they don't add the .1 for the subwoofer channel is beyond me. But if you like the Jeckyl Hyde story, this DVD will not disappoint you.
Rating: 
Summary: Mary Reilly - ** Stars
Review: Is it a gothic horror? Is it a psychological thriller? Is it a love story? Ultimately, it seems the filmmakers don't even know the answer, and as a result "Mary Reilly" doesn't succeed in any genre.
The film was adapted from Valerie Martin's book of the same name, itself based on the classic Robert Louis Stevenson novel "The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde." This interpretation tells the story of the doctor dealing in duality, Dr. Jekyll (John Malkovich), through the eyes of his servant, Mary Reilly, played by a hauntingly gaunt, waveringly accented Julia Roberts.
That a hairstyle keeps Mary from linking Hyde with Jekyll is as believable as Lois Lane not recognizing Superman because he's wearing glasses. Even with disbelief suspend-ed, it's difficult to get into the spirit of this film, because we don't know where it lies. If it's a horror tale, we want to be scared, but we're not. If it's a psychological thriller, we want dramatic catharsis, but there's none. If it's a romance, we want to be swept away, but we're left stranded.
Malkovich and Roberts are both capable in their roles, but confusing and frustratingly diffuse writing and direction leave them little to work with. Glenn Close is a bright spot against the Edinburgh gloom, squeezing all she can out of the no-nonsense madam Mrs. Farraday.
Rating:
Summary: Fantastic film but not for Julia.
Review: Another remake of classic Jeckyl & Hyde story. Now from the point of view of the maid, Mary Reilly. This is well made movie but it performed badly in the box office. I believe this is the worst performing (box office wise) in Julia Roberts career. I really don't think this is the right part for her. The rest of the casts are wonderful. John Malkovich is excellent as both Jecky & Hyde. Glenn Close has supporting role. The DVD is quite good. Picture is sharp & clear despite a lot of the movie took place in the dark. The Dolby 5.0 is OK, why they don't add the .1 for the subwoofer channel is beyond me. But if you like the Jeckyl Hyde story, this DVD will not disappoint you.
Rating:
Summary: HEARTILY DAAAAAARK!
Review: ONE of the BLEAKEST films ever made about this subject - practically in black and white [nice touch] hi-lighting the splashes of vermillion - and bright red blood! [Especially the lipgloss used by Glen Close as the 'madam' with a scar instead of lips ..... nasty and memorable piece of work .... uses them like switchblades ...] HOWEVER, considering a triple bill - this one fits snugly into the 'OTHERS' and 'FROM HELL' - with a gentle bow in the direction of 'The Innocents'. JULIA ROBERTS shines as the maid - much maligned and mistreated - only to end up in this house of horror - emotional horror that is shown in vivid flashback [Mary's childhood], etc - our dear Charles Dickens was never this explicit about the chauvinistic society of the Victorian ear .... especially the mistreatment of women and children .... chattel? THE TALE weaves itself around the going on of the dear Doctor and his depraved ['what literally lies beneath'] alter ego - and this rather odd somewhat sado-masochistic [perhaps ala 'Nightcomers'] evolves around Mary, The Doctor and Mr. Hyde .... VERY CREEPY STUFF - especially the swinging gangways between the lab. and the house ... excellent art direction and costuming ... but incredibly creepy stuff ..... Similar to DANGEROUS LIASONS - this movie literally becomes darker, and darker as it progresses .... a hidden JULIA ROBERTS/JOHN MALKOVICH treasure - worth visiting!
Rating:
Summary: FORGET ERIN, MARY DESERVED OSCAR!!!
Review: I recently purchased this movie on DVD. It is a remarkable film. ALL the actors are fantastic. The Julia Roberts character is so interesting; timid but not really, loyal and loving in spite of her horrific upbringing. She was "proper" but certainly was following her interest in Jekyll/Hyde to where ever it was going to take her. It is always interesting to me when a movie is sexy without any sex!!! I absolutely swooned--and I mean SWOONED a couple of times--the relationship between Mary, Jekyll, and Hyde was steamy to me--the onscreen chemistry between Roberts and Malkovich topped it off. Sorry, I was wishing for a right-nasty shag scene or two. I think some of the dialogue is particularly beautiful-
As far as accents: I am a stickler on this point. Married to a Brit for longer than I like to remember, I have become well-aquainted with nuances, regions, class, geographic influences, the ebb and flow of language in and out of England. And, I have always had a real interest in dialects, words, and history. I feel it is important not to jump to conclusions about what we know today and what was then. (I highly recommend THE STORY OF ENGLISH (PBS for anyone interested in this area) I only get upset about poor accents/dialects in a film if it seems to me the actor is just lazy or uneducated about what they are doing. I do not ever remember seeing Malkovich in any film in which he assumes a foreign dialect or accent, BUT, for some reason it always works for me. He does something with the way he speaks that seems to transcend dialect, accent, time, place--it just always seems right no matter what the piece he is working on. I will watch this movie many, many times--just another of those great "little" movies you hear little or nothing of that sticks with you--verbally, visually beautiful! I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.
Rating:
Summary: Julia deserved an Oscar
Review: I have come across many films with Julia Roberts, but I didn't find any of the films (nor Julia's performances) very notable or memorable, not even Erin Brokovich. I never for a moment thought I would see Julia give a quietly powerful, deeply convincing performance in a role we much sympathize with, nor be able to completely change the tone of her American voice to an Irish accent. This was until I saw MARY REILLY. I was most pleasantly surprised when I discovered the Julia Roberts that's been seemingly hidden for so long. There was not a moment in this film that I was convinced that she was Julia Roberts. She was absolutely NO Julia Roberts in this film. She is Dr. Jekyll's dearly devoted maid Mary Reilly, the woman who suffered years of brutal abuse from her father and had the decency to abandon her nightmarish past and find a new and better life for herself. I have to note that John Malkovich did a good job as Dr. Jekyll, but his big problem was that he lacked the ability to speak with a proper English accent, which leaves you far from convinced that he's an Englishman. In that case, he is outshone by Julia Roberts, who, as an Irish woman, does her Irish accent superbly. Now, back to Julia. As I said earlier, she most definitely deserved an Oscar for this performance. She played Mary with as much grace, charisma and frailty as could be possible. This is without a doubt the performance of her entire career. If you Oscar people can't even nominate an actress for an Oscar for an exceptional, Oscar-worthy performance, at least give her the praise she's entitled to.
Rating:
Summary: Stylish Gothic Romance
Review: This film got panned at it's release, but the critics were unfairly hard on it. They had no understanding of the Gothic Romance genre and had obviously never read the original story. This film stays true to the Gothic formula (big house, virtuous heroine, dark secret, sexy employer)and is the most faithful to the original story that has yet been made. It has a nice use of color sticking to black, white and grey, puncuated by blood red. Which almost seems like an homage to the old Hammer-Horror films. Glen Close is wonderful as always, though she and John Malcovich don't get enough scenes together to make the sparks really fly. Judging by the trailer, some scenes were cut just before release. Which is a pity as the last act seems a little rushed which somewhat deflates all the previous moody buildup. Let's hope a director's cut with extended footage will one day be released.
Final Verdict:
If you like "Jane Eyre" and have read the original short-story of Dr. Jekyll, you'll like this. If you'd rather have a root-canal than watch Kathy run through the mists one more time calling "Heathcliff, Heathcliff"---skip it.
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