CheerupSilver Very Cool!!!

Nonureva Really Surprised!

AnhartLinkin This story has more twists and turns than a second-rate soap opera.

Myron Clemons A film of deceptively outspoken contemporary relevance, this is cinema at its most alert, alarming and alive.

MARIO GAUCI Stately period piece in the meticulous style of BARRY LYNDON (1975) - down to frequent shooting by candlelight - if done on a more intimate scale; actually the plot, adapted from a novel by Ivan Turgenev, is quite reminiscent of THE AGE OF INNOCENCE (1993). Still, it's not all solemnity and Skolimowski (who even appears, uncredited, in a brief but plum role) manages to insert his trademark irony and the odd visual touch on occasion! Timothy Hutton and Nastassja Kinski may not look Russian, but they aren't too bad under the circumstances - she being especially radiant as the cold-hearted but irresistible temptress; ingénue Valeria Golino, then, is the final component of the romantic triangle. Despite the obvious Russian setting, the film was mainly shot in Italy (being an Italian/French co-production) - to where it actually relocates for the melancholy finale, which takes place against the colorful backdrop of the Venice Carnival.The color utilized is generally muted and bathed in warm hues, with great care given to the lighting (most effective during a love scene inside a barn, set at dusk) - making the film's look and its overall period sense feel completely authentic. Though not usually linked with this type of film, Stanley Myers contributes a lovely score.

dmangibson-1 Turgenev's novel is ripe for cinematic treatment but Jerzy makes one wrong decision after another and sucks the life and drama out of the novel. Though Timothy Hutton is a serviceable lead -- his Russian dance though completely out of character and not in the book is a standout -- Valeria Golino is horribly miscast as is Kinski. The script also takes such liberties with the structure and characterizations that the movie ends up collapsing under its own weight. As the filmmaker never truly establishes Hutton's commitment and love for Gemma we don't care what happens between he and Kinski. Throughout the movie the director takes what were written as character scenes and opens them up into elaborate set pieces -- the fair, the opera, the masked ball -- underscoring his insecurity about our attachment to his characters and their wants and desires. He also has the most annoying directorial tic of starting almost every scene by dollying the camera behind some foreground element; flowers, tree branches, curtains and then finding our characters making their entrance. Miramax should have repo-ed the dolly and track and given him a tripod to stick the camera on.Turgenev deserves better. Read the book; it's much more cinematic on the page then in this film.One last question: what is William Forsythe doing in this movie?

Lunar_Eclipse_Scoping *May Contain Spoilers*Timothy Hutton as Dimitri has great chemistry with both innocent Gemma (Valeria Golino) and bad girl Maria (Nastassja Kinski) in this lusciously filmed period drama. Even if I wasn't a Tim Hutton fan, the worst I could say about his performance is that he does have a bit of trouble with the Russian accent. The emotion is still there, though, especially whenever he seems to look at either one of his leading ladies. He also gets to don, in addition to the period costumes, clown apparel (!) in one scene and old-age makeup at the beginning and end! The sex scenes are fantastic due to great accompanying music that is in rhythm with the movements and passion of the actors; then of course there's the impressive camera work involved.I loved the soliloquy at the very end as we see Hutton staring at the water from his boat, as well as the scene where Golino catches Hutton and Kinski together. This scene in particular was handled very well by everyone.I really enjoyed seeing the highly photogenic Kinski display her devilishly beautiful grin while speaking the film's most memorable lines, such as:Maria: Do you mind if I give you orders? Dimitri: No.Maria: Good. We will get along well. The "rose" sequence which leads up to a confrontation between Hutton and Urbano Barberini is an enjoyable enough plot diversion. The plot actually is pretty irrelevant to the qualities of this film; I didn't care at all about it, the spark between the actors was what I enjoyed.I wouldn't say it's one of Skolimowski's best films, like "The Shout", but of course they're two totally different types of films. My rating: 7/10

cwazybill This is a gorgeous movie. The photography is stunning. It develops stealthily into an unwilling and conflicted dual romance filled with good intentions, courage and traps. The participants confront their angels, then their equivalent personal demons. Later on, Sanin's (central male character) conflicts are portrayed as a subconscious journey in an eerie dreamland in which he tries to cope with inner conflicts and mysteries, and which, in the end, he is helpless to resolve, finally becoming totally dependent on time to do this for him. He is, despite all his worldly courage and altruism, weak in those things he loves most, paradoxically so, because they mean so much to him.The romantic scenes are intensely erotic, expanded more so, because of the beautiful photography.... even the sounds amplify the mood. This romantic and heroic Russian classic is a timeless story. Put it on film together with beautiful women, gorgeous photography, a far away place and time, and you have a film I think you will enjoy watching, and which may also have you asking a lot of questions about later.