walter_gibson

The film was very entertaining, with Hugh Jackman particularly good. Patrick Stewart was very well cast as Prof. X, etc. etc.

But I did feel at the end of the film that the whole adventure didn't amount to much, because the most of the film was taken up introducing the characters and then the whole scene with the Mutant school. This was inevitable, I suppose, because it was necessary to make all the right introduction as a movie separate from the comic books. But I did feel slightly unsatisfied when it finished.

Maybe this was intended, because it seems certain that there will be sequels, but I would have liked to see a slightly longer story.

Watching this film was a delight, but I could not watch it in the cinema without being slightly irritated by the other people laughing. It was supposed to be a drama, but some people laughed so much I was starting to think that they were misinformed about it's thematic content. The scenes with the martial art, with the characters flying through the air (gracefully, I might add) during duals, seem to provoke the most laughter. I just hope those people didn't think this was some kind of spoof on the Hong Kong martial art films.

Crouching Tiger was a film that many lovers of Martial art films have been thinking about. However, until now, there has not really been a director capable enough, with sensitive enough control of acting and story, to truly capture the myth and magic of martial art. But Ang Lee is a director who understands both the western and eastern culture, and he knew exactly how to allow the westerners appreciate what he must have loved as a child.

But I just wish it had been a more general release so I could have watched in a quite empty cinema, on my on, on a Tuesday afternoon, instead of in a packed cinema on a Friday night with people who thought it was 'kickass martial art film'. Groan.

I've been recently seeing so many good adaptations of classical novels into mini-series, that I am becoming convinced they should never be made into feature length at all. I saw this on video all at once, which was almost six hours long. But, I could not stop watching. The character and plot developed so well, it was like reading a novel in one go. I don't often have the endurance to read a novel in one go. I must be honest I have not read 'Our Mutual Friend'. Often, when I see an adaptation of a novel, I want to read the novel. But this adaptation was so satisfying that I didn't really feel that need.

The performances were slightly varied in style, which seemed to suggest that it was the actors who had the control, not the director. David Morrissey's Bradley Headstone was very realistic, portraying him as a kind of ready to burst, angry and passionate man, as his face often changed color with anger, despair, passion and fear. So Keeley Hawes as Lizzie Hexam, being intimidated by and scared of Headstone was believable. I'd seen Keeley Hawes in the 'Begger Bride' before this, and I was fairly impressed by her portrayal of a completely virtuous character. She easily portrayed the mild, beautiful, and so very modest girl.

This adaptation also had the biggest TV role for Anna Friel at the time. And she was surprisingly good, and I always will expect her to play the feisty role, which is not a bad thing.

So, nice one.