Dance with a Stranger
Dance with a Stranger
R | 09 August 1985 (USA)
Dance with a Stranger Trailers

Ruth Ellis lives with her ten-year old son Andy next to a night club. One night she meets David Blakely, and they start a love affair. However, for David with his upper-class background, it is impossible to uphold the relationship. He breaks up with her, something which makes Ellis, obsessed by him, very upset.

Reviews
Interesteg What makes it different from others?
GamerTab That was an excellent one.
Phonearl Good start, but then it gets ruined
Robert Joyner The plot isn't so bad, but the pace of storytelling is too slow which makes people bored. Certain moments are so obvious and unnecessary for the main plot. I would've fast-forwarded those moments if it was an online streaming. The ending looks like implying a sequel, not sure if this movie will get one
kenjha This drama recounts the true events of a love triangle in early 1950s London. Richardson, inexplicably made up to look like Marilyn Monroe, plays an unstable prostitute who is obsessed with a rich, abusive race car driver played by Everett. Holm is a kindly fellow who wants to take care of her but she is not attracted to him. This is basically a dull soap opera with uninteresting characters. Richardson gives a terrible, mannered performance in her screen debut. She delivers her lines in such a weird accent and so rapidly that 90 percent of what she says is incomprehensible. Unfortunately, English subtitles are not available for this film.
blanche-2 Miranda Richardson is her usual brilliant self in "Dance with a Stranger," a 1985 film telling the true story of Ruth Ellis and David Blakeley. Blakeley was a rich young race car driver who becomes involved in a obsessive, passionate, and often violent relationship with night club hostess Ellis. It leads to tragedy.The scandal took place in the '50s, and the atmosphere of the time is captured beautifully here, and the film is well directed by Mike Newell. The acting is beyond flawless, with perfect performances by Ian Holm as the passive man who supported Ruth, Desmond Cussen, Rupert Everett as the self-centered Blakeley, and Richardson, one of the truly great actresses of our time, as Ruth. I'm not certain why Richardson's name isn't uttered along with that of Helen Mirren's or Meryl Streep's. She's a true chameleon. No one can ever equal her supporting performance in "Damage" - I don't really care that someone else won the Oscar! Here she gives a fully fleshed-out portrait of the unapologetic, tough, sexy Ellis.The script has some disappointments - one of which is, we don't get to the real story until the last minutes of the film - it's not really told, in fact - so obviously, that wasn't considered the real story by screenwriter Shelagh Delaney. The problem is that Ellis' situation was very controversial, and if you know it, you sit through the movie waiting for that part to begin. If you don't, well, then I guess you won't miss it.The purpose of "Dance with a Stranger" is to show what led up to the tragedy, which includes the class-consciousness of British society. In doing so, it leaves out the possible involvement of the Ian Holm character, Cussen, in what actually happened. Still, thanks to the strong acting, the story is fascinating, and these real characters come to life.
m0ndayschild Andy of Flatlands, yes maybe it was boring to you as it was based on fact, and face it the average working class person who lived in post war Britain had a boring and hard life. It is a damn good film, and you need to be able to work out the relationships for yourself without being spoon fed. I found it quite easy. I think you have missed the whole point of the miscarriage of justice that happened. Her speaking voice was typical of a working class women trying to be something she wasn't. Does the term "fur coat no knickers" mean anything to you? I suggest you watch it again. It is factual, damn good and worth watching. Miranda Richardson played the part really well as did all the cast. Their performances really were a great portrayal of the characters. By the way she was hanged (as a past tense and a past participle of hang, is used in the sense of "to put to death by hanging)not hung
AngelRedhead I've just read the last user review on this film & I would advise anyone who has any knowledge of the Ruth Ellis story to ignore it. There were legal reasons why everything was not explained. The boy was a result of a war time romance. Ruth Ellis also had a husband (& daughter) who for legal reasons could not be named or mentioned. Ian Holm played the part of her lover who did exist & did nothing to help her once she was arrested. If you don't understand the film read the following books first & then watch the film: Ruth Ellis: The Last Woman to Be Hanged (Robert Hancock) Ruth Ellis: My Sister's Secret Life (Muriel Jakubait, Monica Weller) Ruth Ellis, My Mother: A Daughter's Memoir of the Last Woman to Be Hanged (Georgie Ellis, Rod Taylor) Personally I think the film is excellent but of course I did know the story before I watched it.
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