Valerie's Reviews

Agree with Cindy and Sven. I love Shakespeare but wasn't familiar with this one, so wanted to know more.....glad Ralph Fiennes decided make it.....quite a brave decision really because of its dark theme which as some reviewers have said isn't easy Friday-night viewing. it made me want to read the plat and then maybe go back to the film. If you don't like Shakespeare, don't rent this film. If you do, then it isn't necessarily all good but there's plenty to talk about and as usual Shakespeare's themes are universally relevant.

If you're bored with present day takivision and the usual run of American- made films and just want to watch a good story with some intrique....you'll love this. The flash-backs were a bit annoying at times and who was who got a little complicated. Shakespeare himself was a little too silly. Otherwise it is a great film. The critics are too cruel. If I wanted serious University-level debate I'd go and do a PhD. The film didn't advertise itself as such.

Totally incomprehensible. Boring, wooden acting. confusing going- nowhere plot. The bleak tone was fairly well done. I kept waiting for something interesting to happen. It never does. I'm used to the slowess of pace and under-played feeling of Scandinavian films and usually prefer them to American fast-paced action.....not this one though. Don't believe the blurb on the cover....it's totally wrong.

Alan Bennett is a genius. He captures the voice of loneliness, isolation and pain of his mainly female characters and one male character brilliantly. Choice of female actors works beautifully. It particularly appeals to anyone who knows the Leeds area of Britain well, but says such a lot about the human condition that it's a classic.

Enjoyed this very much but had to get over my prejudice against its rosy- glow view of 1800s English country life, and slightly hammed up acting. Don't remember the book being so over-the top. Nevertheless very enjoyable., even if it does become a bit saopy when you've watched a few.

Watchable but has a very weak ending and doesn't capture the mystery of the book....spells things out too much.

Very average.

Intelligently and sensitively made movie. AS a history buff I loved it even if it didn't show Bertie with warts and all. Maybe a documentary would be the place for that. Geoffrey Rush was perfect. However, I am often slightly disappointed with historical films when the characters barely resemble the characters they portray....not even a little. Colin firth is a good actor and played the part brilliantly but he does not look anything like the very gently, slightly built Bertie and this spoils it for me. And please, please, please would someone teach modern actors to speak like the aristocracy when they are playing aristocrats. Angelina Jolie sounds like a middle-class house- wife rather than the Queen mum....and as for Guy Pearce's accent......!!!!

As a history addict I was really looking forward to this film. Turned it off after about half an hour. Truly terrible acting.....totally terrible film.

Like some other animations [ Where the Wild things are] this is an attractive film visually, with a story-line that doesn't grip the imagination and labours the old good v. bad in an uninspiring way.