Rating: 
Summary: Bruce Beresford triumphs one again!
Review: I must admit, I did rent this specifically to see Renée Fleming (in her very first film role!). My plan was to drudge through a boring movie so Fleming's appearance would make sense to me. However, I was pleasantly surprised to abandon my plan when I found myself not falling asleep, but heavily engrossed in this fascinating and compelling story! First off, Sarah Wynter, an unfairly neglected talent! What a committed and involved actress! She was totally dedicated to this woman. You could tell that she researched this woman's life and throughout the filming, really BECAME Alma in the process. Simple mature sophistication in her acting all the way -- a class act. Gregor Seberg, who plays Franz Werfel gives a convincing portrayl of his wonderful funny charming character. Big kudos to Vincent Perez who plays Oskar Kokoschka. Oskar has a lot of depth and Perez captures this extremely convincingly! The story kinda drags in the beginning but eventually creates a compelling plot. I thought Alma was written so so well. She was such a developed character and person. I grew to really like her. And of course, Renée Fleming was spectacular. Such a round, rich, velvety cream chocolate of a voice. Too bad there's less than 10 minutes of her. However, I'm such the movie's soundtrack has more. I thought this movie was good. It didn't change my life or anything, but it was very good. Out of a 5.0, I give it at 4.0.
Rating:
Summary: Bruce Beresford triumphs one again!
Review: I must admit, I did rent this specifically to see Renée Fleming (in her very first film role!). My plan was to drudge through a boring movie so Fleming's appearance would make sense to me. However, I was pleasantly surprised to abandon my plan when I found myself not falling asleep, but heavily engrossed in this fascinating and compelling story! First off, Sarah Wynter, an unfairly neglected talent! What a committed and involved actress! She was totally dedicated to this woman. You could tell that she researched this woman's life and throughout the filming, really BECAME Alma in the process. Simple mature sophistication in her acting all the way -- a class act. Gregor Seberg, who plays Franz Werfel gives a convincing portrayl of his wonderful funny charming character. Big kudos to Vincent Perez who plays Oskar Kokoschka. Oskar has a lot of depth and Perez captures this extremely convincingly! The story kinda drags in the beginning but eventually creates a compelling plot. I thought Alma was written so so well. She was such a developed character and person. I grew to really like her. And of course, Renée Fleming was spectacular. Such a round, rich, velvety cream chocolate of a voice. Too bad there's less than 10 minutes of her. However, I'm such the movie's soundtrack has more. I thought this movie was good. It didn't change my life or anything, but it was very good. Out of a 5.0, I give it at 4.0.
Rating:
Summary: Untitled
Review: I stumbled upon this film knowing that it was based on Alma Mahler, the woman who was married to classical composer Gustav Mahler. Since Mahler is a huge fascination of mine, I was compelled to watch this film. While Gustav Mahler seemed to be the central focus of the story in the first half, Alma Mahler gets more of the spotlight during the second, which makes this seem like two different films. Like another reviewer stated, if you're a history/research buff, you may notice some loopholes or inaccuracies within the story. However, I'm guessing that this wasn't really intended to be epic material. Other than that, the film is quite artistic, beautiful and seductive. In the first half of the movie, it was nice to see Mahler (played by Jonathan Pryce) conducting parts of his 5th symphony, and some of his other pieces, while gaining a little bit of insight into the personality and thought-processes of the composer, however accurate they were. Some of those scenes were painful to watch (especially when Mahler found out he had heart problems, and he was going to die.) Elsewhere, like the critic said on the page, Sarah Wynter as Alma, had a seductive air about her, as she portrays a woman with talent, lust, passion and heartache. Some of the love scenes in here were quite steamy as well. Overall, if you have interest in Gustav Mahler, Alma Mahler or any of the other historical figures involved in the story, I'd recommend that you view this. Despite not being the most serious or epic of documentaries, there's more than enough ear and eye candy to keep you fascinated.
Rating: 
Summary: An Artist's Opinion
Review: I was lucky enough to see this movie during the one week it spent here in New Orleans, and I knew to look for it because six months earlier a fellow art/music/film/eccentric lifestyles maven had alerted me to it. What I know about the life of Alma, I know from the film, so I cannot judge its veracity with historical accuracy-- although I am familiar with all of her lovers and husbands' work. I thought it was thoroughly enchanting-- here is why: It is set in one of my favorite periods of European history, the fin-du-siecle up to post WWI, and the costumes and settings alone are truly gorgeous. Gustave Klimt makes an extended supporting appearance here; the immersion of the intelligentsia and high society in the aesthetic and cultural ideas of each period are ubiquitous. The art direction and research were masterfully undertaken; the light that appears in this film, both outdoor and indoor, contributes effectively in every scene. It is rare indeed that I am so aware of the light itself in a film as a primary "actor". From scenes set in elegant halls, to a sanatorium, to boulevards, to Oscar Kokoschka's wonderful studio, the sets alone inspire my admiration. But of course that is not enough to sustain a movie-- the story here is a basic one: Alma Mahler was a woman of intelligence and artistic gifts who was continually put in the position of aesthetic concubinage because of her beauty and skill at the "feminine" role. The notion of a woman being needed to be "The Muse', the inspiratrix of Art, has not only been historically popular with (male) artists but has by definition precluded the active expression of said woman's talents. There are women (and men) who even today suborn their inner "genius" in order to serve as the helpmeet to someone else's ability and career, while the inner creator within them becomes stifled from lack of expression. Alma did this with three men in succession, all of whom, while acknowledging her abilities, felt that her talents were only in evidence to be of service to them. Only her fourth husband, Franz Werfel, appears to have been secure enough both in his masculinity and his position as an artist to have encouraged her to revive her efforts on her own behalf. The movie closes with one of Alma's pieces debuting (soprano Renee Fleming sings) for the first time.
Rating:
Summary: The Bottom Line
Review: I won't give you a long, windy synopses of the movie. I won't wax poetic about the symbolism found within Bride of the Wind, or discuss the social ramifications of such a flick. I won't even bore you with a protracted discussion about the technical aspects of filmaking in relation to this film or the accuracy of the historical details. Frankly, who cares about all that? You just want to know whether or not you should buy/rent this movie. My answer is YES. If you like haunting love stories and tales of human drama, like Immortal Beloved or The Red Violin, you will enjoy this film. If you are an avid scholar of art and history of this time period, you may find some inaccuarcies with which to pick the film apart. But, the bottom line, it is a highly worth watching film. I viewed it for the first time eighteen months ago, and scenes are still vivid in my mind. Oh, and I noticed Amazon compared this to Iris. NO WAY! This film is not nearly as dreary and depressing as Iris. True, there are some emotionally charged scenes in this movie, but they hardly compare to the torturous tale of a brilliant woman slowly losing her mind.
Rating:
Summary: The Bottom Line
Review: I won't give you a long, windy synopses of the movie. I won't wax poetic about the symbolism found within Bride of the Wind, or discuss the social ramifications of such a flick. I won't even bore you with a protracted discussion about the technical aspects of filmaking in relation to this film or the accuracy of the historical details. Frankly, who cares about all that? You just want to know whether or not you should buy/rent this movie. My answer is YES. If you like haunting love stories and tales of human drama, like Immortal Beloved or The Red Violin, you will enjoy this film. If you are an avid scholar of art and history of this time period, you may find some inaccuarcies with which to pick the film apart. But, the bottom line, it is a highly worth watching film. I viewed it for the first time eighteen months ago, and scenes are still vivid in my mind. Oh, and I noticed Amazon compared this to Iris. NO WAY! This film is not nearly as dreary and depressing as Iris. True, there are some emotionally charged scenes in this movie, but they hardly compare to the torturous tale of a brilliant woman slowly losing her mind.
Rating:
Summary: sumptious, beautiful, creatively inspirational
Review: Personally, I liked the movie. I enjoyed the charecters. I felt they were portrayed with much depth. I enjoyed Sarah Wynter and I enjoyed Jonathan Pryce. This movie appealed to my sense of creativity. Not having read anything regarding Alma Mahler, the movie inspired me to seek out her autobiography. I felt her marriage to Gustuv Mahler was her foundation for her success. His love for her was unconditional and although he was shown to be somewhat selfish, he was also very understanding of his wife's actions. That type of love is irreplaceable. I felt the series of relationships after Mahler were simply wrong choices with the exception of Franz Werzel. He was seen as a man who appreciated her talents and her beauty and supported her in kind.
Rating: 
Summary: Good costumes, but the characters were one-dimensional
Review: There once was a woman named Alma Mahler, wife of the composer Gustav Mahler. After his death she either bedded or married some other well-known men in the Austrian artistic community in the early part of the 20th century. This film is about her life and loves. Sarah Wynter, a very pretty Australian actress is cast as Alma. She wears some beautiful clothes but her acting is wooden. Perhaps it is the script, but she never came across as real. In fact, the real Alma became a well-known sculptor and did compose some minor works, but some of the dialogs about her ambitions seem a little too politically correct for their time and place. And the film was more about the men in her life than it was about her own accomplishments. Jonathan Pryce, cast as Gustav Mahler, does a fine job as the older husband who adores his young wife, mourns the death of one of their daughters, and composes brilliant music. The score contains a lot of Mahler's music, which should satisfy the music lovers. The best part of the film, however, is the costumes and the sense of Austria prior to WWI. It's a festive and joyful place, full of music and art and parties and beautiful clothes. I got a sense of the place in a very real way. Too bad the characters were one-dimensional and belonged in a soap opera. The romances, while sometimes quite steamy, never quite seemed real. I can only give this film a lukewarm rating. It was pleasant, and nice to look at. And I did get a sense of a little bit of history. But you won't be missing anything if you don't see it.
Rating:
Summary: A brief summary of her love life
Review: This is a very enjoyable movie. It doesn't delve deeply into Alma's life and there are a few historical inaccuracies. For example, the movie shows Gustav Mahler conducting his Symphony No. 8 and inserts text saying it was in 1910 at Carnegie Hall in New York City -- that is incorrect; Mahler gave the premier performance of his Symphony No. 8 in Munich, not New York City. So, the historical research behind this movie, while generally okay, is superficial. But it is a movie and much of what it says about her relatioships with these geniuses is accurate. I would have preferred the sound track to more accurately convey Mahler's music rather than the serious editing and watering down that was done here to supposedly fit more as background sound. But I did very much like the way Mahler's Adagietto from his 5th Symphony was used as background to the Mahler/Gropius/Alma scene where Alma was forced to choose between Gustav and Gropius -- very poignant. I recommend this movie, though keeping in mind that some of what is presented is not that accurate.
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