Watch Where Angels Fear to Tread For Free

hyped garbage

Fresh and Exciting

I like movies that are aware of what they are selling... without [any] greater aspirations than to make people laugh and that's it.

By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.

Although Charles Sturridge's movie is based on the classical novel by E.M. Forster, one does not have to be knowledgeable about the literature of the period in order to like the film. The source novel seems to be marginalized in many reviews and, consequently, I do not intend to discuss the content of the movie and its faithfulness to the novel. What has caught my attention in Sturridge's movie, in particular, are the cast and the locations. Those seem to be the right spots where people fall in love with, where I fell in love with... the movie.The cast are worth appreciation. Helen Mirren, who has gained great success and popularity thanks to many significant roles, also here supplies us with a particularly insightful portrayal as Lilia. Lilia is an Englishwoman who appears to be absolutely torn apart and, therefore, quite unhappy with her family and disappointed with her misalliance marriage with Gino Carella (Guido Guinelli). Nevertheless, she does not give up the struggle to live her own, short but genuine life... Another very interesting performance is offered by Helena Bonham Carter who, in 1991 when the role was given to her, was already acquainted with the genre after Ivory's ROOM WITH A VIEW. Here, she fits well as Caroline, a seemingly indifferent observer who opens herself masterfully in the end. Among the female roles, I would also make a note about Judy Davis (Harriet) who crafts well the depiction of coldness and reluctance to the foreign culture.As for the male roles, Rupert Graves as Phillip, a cold English gentleman, and Guido Guinelli as Gino, a spontaneous Italian 'macho', are outstanding. In their characters, or more to say, in the contrasts between their natures, culture clash is convincingly depicted. Phillip is extremely cold and phlegmatic. He feels confused about any spontaneous behavior and rather thinks over the plans than takes quick steps. Gino, though extremely choleric and furious, is authentic, genuine and straightforward. He teaches others not to be ashamed of feelings. Although Phillip feels uncomfortable with this Italian authenticity at first, these features appear to take over in his life too. Consider certain points of the film where the two are particularly memorable, just to mention the opera scene, the evening at the cistern, or Gino's witty games with his sweet baby, the unfortunate victim of jealousy.The locations of the film together with artistic features galore are worth high praise, too. Tuscany...that says for itself... Who hasn't seen many great films made in this pearl of Italy. Just to name a few: Audrey Wells' UNDER THE TUSCAN SUN, Bernardo Bertolucci's STEALING BEAUTY and Roberto Benigni's LIFE IS BEAUTIFUL. Tuscany is the certain aspect for any moving picture to be a breathtaking piece of art. In WHERE ANGELS FEAR TO TREAD, the views of medieval Siena and San Gimignano with the fabulous music by Rachel Portman make you fall in love with Italy in the similar manner as it happens with the characters. I particularly liked the moment of Lilia walking at the towers of San Gimignano. A place to fall in love with!Summing it up, the artistic features make the film unique. As for the source novel, saying it is accurate would be nothing but a conjecture. I am not going to evaluate the movie in certain terms. All I want to say is: WHERE ANGELS FEAR TO TREAD is no masterpiece but a nice movie where you will find something for yourself. The delightful scenes, lovely Tuscan views, great performances to admire with a glass of Chianti in your hand. Only those who hardly know the pleasures of wine will reject it. Enjoy!

I read the book in my late teens (I was completely unaware of the closet gay theme, or that's what the critics say!) and was singularly unimpressed. I saw the DVD in my sixties and was even less impressed! The theme is buttoned up Brits in sunny, laid back Italy, and how they are unable to adapt or cope. We see it all in the first twenty minutes and thereafter the film has nowhere to go, but to re-emphasise the production values, the costumes and the scenery. And, as with 'Avatar' it is not enough to make a film. The characters are uninteresting or over the top, and lack any depth. Various crucial character motivations are left unexplained, the acting is stilted or over the top (both Helen Mirren and Judy Davis), and the crucial plot elements like the death of a baby barely make a mark (I don't count the silly, presumably homoerotic, punching of the Rupert Graves character by the grieving Italian father!). As with other Foster adaptations - why has he got the reputation as a leading English novelist? It is grindingly stilted and of its' time (or is it the one we've been brainwashed into accepting - eg buttoned up middle class Brits?). There were the social changes and the Boer War during Edwardian times!!! Poor, I've dumped the free DVD in the Carity Shop!

Charles Sturridge's large-screen version of E M Forster's tragicomic masterpiece of class and culture clash is as buttoned up as the corsets and starched shirts it's characters wear. The movie is wrong-footed and scenes don't build to anything. Everything is held in reserve until the whole film seems on the verge of disappearing, (which it finally does, unsatisfactorily, racing through the final scenes). While Helena Bonham Carter and Rupert Graves just about get their characters, (you want to slap them, and hard, but at least you feel as if they are real), and Helen Mirren is full of life, (until she dies in childbirth), Judy Davis' performance as mad aunt Harriet takes her usual screaming harpy to unrestrained heights even for her, while Giovanni Guidelli's bland, handsome romantic hero is hopelessly inadequate. This is the team that made "Brideshead Revisited" for television; perhaps if they had six hours of TV time they might just have pulled this off as a decent series. Nevertheless, I can't help feeling that as it stands Merchant/Ivory could have made the masterpiece that Forster's book so obviously is.

The story is so tragic that this should be a hard-core drama, and parts of it are very poignant, but I also laughed hysterically. This is mainly due to Judy Davis' performance which is so priggish and delightful. Graves and Bonham-Carter played brother and sister in 'A Room With A View' and their chemistry carries over into this film quite well. The music is enchanting. All the way around, a great film.