GurlyIamBeach Instant Favorite.

Huievest Instead, you get a movie that's enjoyable enough, but leaves you feeling like it could have been much, much more.

Ava-Grace Willis Story: It's very simple but honestly that is fine.

Sienna-Rose Mclaughlin The movie really just wants to entertain people.

rmanory I have been a Brel fan for many years and it so happened that I never had the chance to see Brel translated in English. I am glad that I found this DVD at the library and I enjoyed most of it. I have read some criticism here on the cinematography, and I fully agree with it. In particular, my criticism is on the voice synchronization. It is very rare to find such poor technical quality in movie, but in this case I do bear in mind that this was play before it was a movie. I am very familiar with the French originals and I was impressed by Mort Shuman's lyrics, and by the powerful performance of Elly Stone. IN particular I found the interpretation of (the very difficult) "Marike" very impressive, in particular since part of it was in (very well pronounced) Flemish. I liked Brel's performance of course, but I would have expected translation subtitles, since the rest of the songs were in English. As a movie, this DVD is unwatchable and I fell asleep watching it. However, after waking up, I listened carefully to the music and the lyrics and realized that this was a very talented crew, but the filming was amateurish. In part this was deliberate, but overall I am sure a remake of this movie as a series of new music videos would be well received by Brel enthusiasts like myself. My rank of 5 is an average of Music 9 and Cinematography 1.

carnivalofsouls The most unusual entry in the AFT series was no doubt one of the least successful. Though it attempted to make the source material more cinematic through the use of flashy visuals and edits (think a somnambulistic Ken Russell circa Tommy and Listzomania), this only helped to date a production that, considering the music at its centre, had no right to be dated. Jacques Brel was a brilliant French songwriter and while his music found its way into the English and American pop charts thanks to various bastardizations (stand up Rod McKuen and Terry Jacks), his acerbic lyrical style and gallows humour were always lost in the translation. The intention of the off-Broadway musical was to no doubt make amends for this and to introduce an English-speaking audience to some of the finest songs ever written, yet the power of the songs, no matter how great they are, are reliant on the three performers, who, at least in this incarnation, are simply not up to scratch. While Elly Stone's shrill voice does not help matters, the worst culprit is Mort Shuman.Shuman, a legendary Brill Building songwriter, was responsible for the English translation of Brel's songs and many will know that these translations were scattered across Scott Walker's astonishing first four solo albums of the late sixties. And herein lays Shuman's greatest misstep, as he, coincidentally or not, takes on the task of covering the same songs as Walker. Yet not only does Shuman lack Walker's powerful voice, he also manages to deliver the tunes in a misguided and frequently irritating fashion. Compare his pitiful rendition of Mathilde to the version on Walker's debut, and one will see how crucial the delivery of Brel's songs are to their power, Walker brilliantly straddles an intense line between ecstasy and despair, as compared to Shuman, who lifelessly pouts his way through the song.Only Joe Masiell's voice seems suited to the material and though many of his scenes are highlights, the undoubted triumph is Brel's haunted, French rendition of If You Go Away, where in a single, deeply moving take, the great man himself, approaching his death in 1978, tears a hole in the film that it has no chance of recovering from. If there is a single reason to view the film, it is for this, otherwise one is recommended to save your cash and purchase Brel's own recordings or the compilation Scott Walker Sings Jacques Brel.

jgraz No hyperbole here: this was simply the worst cinematic experience of my life. And yes, I've seen Manos: Hands of Fate.I was talked into seeing this by an older "child of the 60s" friend who absolutely loves Brel and this movie. While she went into raptures at every song, I cringed in my seat. I know that many people enjoy this movie, but if you're not already a fan of Brel you should probably avoid this like unanesthetized rectal surgery.At a basic level, Brel's music is simply not for me. His melodies are at once meandering and repetitive. Harmonic progressions are almost non-existent. I can't recall a single non- diatonic tone in any of his songs. This, coupled with the excruciatingly banal and monkey- wrenched rhyme scheme, was just too much to bear.While his songs may evoke nostalgia in others, I was reminded of John Ashcroft's "Let the Eagle Soar". The low point of the movie came when I realized that I would prefer Ashcroft's performance to any of the songs presented here.And the performances....yikes. Elly Stone, poor dear, simply cannot match pitch. Her voice is sharp, strained and impossible to listen to. Joe Masiell is a bit better, but his jackhammer vibrato ruins any sustained tone he attempts. Mort Shuman and Brel himself were my favorites as they were merely boring.1/2 hour in, I wanted to gouge out my eyes so I could use them to stuff my ears. After an hour, I was seriously considering chewing off a limb so I would have an excuse to leave the theater. Even one week later, I'm still having post-traumatic flashbacks to the horror that was this movie. I'm sure that most fans will say I'm missing the point -- that the social commentary and "soul" are the reason to see this film. My feeling is that unless you already love Brel, French cabaret and/or surrealist cinema, you'll likely be in too much pain to perceive a point, soul or anything but your throbbing migraine and urge to flee.

djar007 I saw this as a child and listened to the record all my life and took comfort that others felt the boredom , loneliness and sorrow of life blended with the sweet and sincere hearts of the street dwellers and soldiers and other creatures of society. I have just bought the DVD and am able to appreciate the words of wisdom and experience of a man longing, once again and from a more mature perspective.This is a great movie which has merit for people of all ages. I only have to hear a certain word or walk a street late at night and feel like singing one of the many great tracks from this wonderful musical feast.I can still see the old folks and hear the guy who "drives a taxi cab" and wonder how life can be so cruel ,rewarding and damning all in one breath I now have the tribute soundtrack to renew the songs through artists like David Bowie and Dusty Springfield