ada
the leading man is my tpye
Organnall
Too much about the plot just didn't add up, the writing was bad, some of the scenes were cringey and awkward,
Mabel Munoz
Just intense enough to provide a much-needed diversion, just lightweight enough to make you forget about it soon after it’s over. It’s not exactly “good,” per se, but it does what it sets out to do in terms of putting us on edge, which makes it … successful?
SnoopyStyle
It's late 19th century, Cornwall, England. Amy Foster (Rachel Weisz) has a son and works for bedridden Miss Swaffer (Kathy Bates). Amy was a result of a scandalous birth and sent to work for the Smiths at 12. Her father Isaac Foster was denied his family inheritance. Her parents have always been cold to her. Some years earlier, Yanko Góral (Vincent Perez) from the Carpathian Mountains is on his way to America, the land of true gold. His ship sinks on a stormy night. Bodies wash ashore and he's the sole survivor. He stumbles onto the Smith's farm. Amy shows kindness to the foreigner who speaks no English. He's working for Mr. Swaffer (Joss Ackland) when Dr. Kennedy (Ian McKellen) finally makes the connection. Kennedy teaches him English while he teaches Kennedy chess. He starts a romance with Amy. The small town is suspicious of the newcomer. Amy's mother has a dark secret about Amy's conception.This is an old time romance. There are stormy nights and wind swept cliffs. The locals are small-minded. Rachel Weisz shows her quiet sadness acting skills. There is plenty of death and tragedy. The start is too slow. It doesn't need to do the flashforward. It doesn't need to show Yanko's homeland. All it really needs to start are the bodies washing ashore. The style could also be more epic. The stark landscape could have given more atmosphere to the tone. It's an old time romance done in a relatively old time way.
moyaimya
Just a point of clarification regarding the summary for this film: Yanko is not Russian in this film. If you listen carefully to what he is actually saying in the movie, he is speaking Ukrainian. For example, in the scene later in the movie in which he is feverish, he keeps repeating a phrase over and over again. The phrase that he is saying is, "Dai meni vodi." In English translation, he is saying, "Give me some water." In addition, the immigration details of his circumstances and trip would fit with immigration from Ukraine or borderlands between Ukraine and Poland (although he is not speaking Polish) at the turn of the century. He plays chess, which would be consistent with Ukrainian heritage (among others). Finally, his clothing and the type of dance he does with his son is Ukrainian in style. The expansive arms and the gentleness with which he is dancing speaks more of a Ukrainian dance style than a Russian style. However, the most obvious and relevant point is that the language he is speaking in the film is Ukrainian, not Russian. Unfortunately, many people confuse Russian culture with Ukrainian and other East European peoples. IMDb probably should correct its description of this film for accuracy.
jenmackin60
I caught this movie today by chance, it was a quiet Sunday so i gave it a chance. The beauty of the landscape is matched by Rachel Weisz. Vincent Perez has the most kind eyes that completely draw you in. Their passionate love affair leaves you absolutely breathless. Ian McKellen shines. His portrayal of a man scarred from and scared of love is tremendous. The look in his eyes near then end when he realizes that he was wrong about Weisz's character is filled with anguish and regret. Perez is a perfect gentleman in every respect, even when he comes up against the harsh and cruel opposition of the people in his new home. You not only feel for him in his anguish but feel with him. This movie sticks with you afterwords. It makes you feel beautiful and you ache with the characters. Highly recommended.
cm-9
A combination of a wonderful story, strong, interesting and attractive characters, and a very fine cast made this film a pleasant surprise for me. My wife and I rented it, thinking it would be 'just another period drama' but wanting to see Rachel Weisz ... then as we watched the opening credits, and saw in quick succession, 'Vincent Perez', 'Joss Ackland', 'Ian McKellen', 'Zoe Wanamaker' we knew we would be in for a treat!If you are a Rachel Weisz fan, this has to be her best film so far, and she certainly uses her interesting dark looks to better effect here than in Chain Reaction or the recent Beautiful Creatures. Although her character is largely silent throughout this film, she has enormous screen presence, standing out even amongst this all-star cast.I won't comment too much on the plot, as I am sure it means different things to different people, but we enjoyed the humanity and liberal views of the doctor and the squire, and the contrast with the ingrained xenophobia of the working men - perhaps a bit trite, since this seemed to us un-Victorian and closer to what you might expect in the present day, but on the other hand maybe it was already in the Joseph Conrad story (I don't know, I haven't read it).Negative points:other users have commented on the cinematography; I found it rather flat, for example the weather never seemed to change (very un-British!) and I did not feel the crispness of the seaside atmosphere was captured. The locations mostly looked to me like Yorkshire rather than Cornwall, and there were few long shots (usually difficult because there is an electricity pylon or other modern-day eyesore in the frame, but these problems can be overcome...)also the accents ... Vincent Perez was particularly good, but Rachel Weisz was too well-spoken for a servant girl (does her accent ever change??) and none of the farmers or fishermen seemed to have a Cornish accent ... except Zoe Wanamaker made a half-decent effort.
