A Quiet Place Part II - A Review of the Sequel Film by Mark Barry...

"...Stay Calm..."

A Review of "A Quiet Place Part II"

You don't expect much from sequels, maybe do just as good a job as the first outing and not completely embarrass itself or you in the offering.

But "A Quiet Place Part II" is a properly great follow-up film that manages to combine scare-the-crap-out-of-you thrills and a real sense of humanity in the face of all the teeth-nibbling and slash-arm carnage (largely down to the power of the acting ensemble). The creatures are a stunning creation too and genuinely menacing every time they skit onto screen like gangly scissors men. Throw in the use of sound vs. silence to amp up the tension to 11 on a monitor of 10 and you have one skilfully managed night of tears and screeches.

I openly worship at the altar of all things Emily Blunt (I'd drink her bathwater, and in several British real ale minibars, probably have). She is never less that sensational as the beleaguered mother Evelyn Abbott trying to keep her siblings alive and safe in a landscape of terror at every turn. But even her and Krasinski's tight direction are outdone big time by the two kids - Millicent Simmonds and Noah Jupe playing Regan and Marcus Abbott. They are truly fabulous throughout, having to mine emotional depths in every single scene that few actors twice their age would be capable of.

But the master stroke is the introduction of the blue-eyed heavily bearded Cillian Murphy as the new man in their lives - a traumatized neighbour you see in flashback as the story returns to Day 1 in small-town USA when the monsters arrived without warning. Murphy is another top-quality presence in a story that needs heart as well as grab-my-hand darling jumps. As anyone who loves him in Peaky Blinders will know, Cillian can infuse a real person into every heart-breaking decision for survival. Gladiator-star Djimon Hounsu also has a small but effective part later on.

Some will say the original was better (and it probably was and had the shock factor too and big cinema prior to Covid-19) - but Writer and Director John Krasinski has nailed it big time for "A Quiet Place Part II". My missus actually clapped come the final credits and you don't say that of too many sequels...

It's SOUND! "A QUIET PLACE" the 2018 Movie - A Review by Mark Barry...

"It's SOUND!" 

"A Quiet Place" Is Good Old Fashioned 

By-The-Seat-Of-Your-Soiled-Pants Movie Entertainment

And Easily One of 2018's Best Films...

"A Quiet Place" is top-notch entertainment!

OK - for sure there are event holes in the plot galore (as some have gone to pains to point out) - but I say Blubber my Bum to that. Because I have not seen a movie deliver so much with so little in such a long time.

Real-life husband and wife team John Krasinski and Emily Blunt show once again they are both individual and collective class acts in "A Quiet Place" – Evelyn and Lee Abbott silently clutching their petrified family as they run from empty towns. Eventually after horrible losses – they end up as a small but still naked and vulnerable unit – surviving a year later on a wheat farm in a world invaded by ravenous beasties (Dad's long list of unanswered SOS signals show that few others seem to have been so resilient or creative in staying alive).

Newcomers Millicent Simmonds and Noah Lupe play the Abbott kids - Reagan a deaf girl watching over her younger more able-bodied brother Marcus (who is even more scared of the oversized gremlins than his older sister). Mum and Dad principal leads Krasinski and Blunt needed quality here and man did they luck out. Both young actors are revelations - each having to convincingly show amped up naked terror without the use of words or for that matter any kind of sound. To make matters worse - mummy's tummy is expanding and that innocent one's newborn noises will draw those pincer-like gnashers and blood frenzy if they're not minute-by-minute careful and uber prepared.

The slimy but fast-vicious creatures wow - cleverly introduced bit-by-bit to maximise their impact. They're similar in creepy slimeball horror to that other-worldly ugly bug in Netflix's fabulous TV Show "Stranger Things" – now a cult programme that has thrilled millions across two Seasons and made most of its young leads global stars.

For sure the arrival, wherefore and purpose of the aliens is perhaps left a little too sketchy – but this is a film that stands on the family's survival alone and I thought that was all "A Quiet Place" needed (keep to the point – pure and simple). Many also expressed disappointment in the ending, but I thought it was economical and shotgun brilliant. And kudos should also go to Marco Beltrami for his staggeringly effective score (jump baby jump) and to Scott Beck who co-wrote the script with Krasinski and Bryan Woods. 

After "A Quiet Place" and its expertly strangulating-your-jugular primal tension (delivered for a mere $18 million dollars when others costing ten times that don't deliver at all) - Hollywood will be sitting up and taking notice of John Krasinski, throwing scripts at the tall American by the post Brexit dozen (he also Directed the movie and IMO should be nominated for his work).

Fab and then some...and well done to all involved...

"Charlie Wilson's War" on BLU RAY – A Review Of The 2007 Mike Nichols Film

Here is a link to AMAZON UK to get this BLU RAY at the best price:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B004JRQ126

"…Three Years Learning Finnish!" – Charlie Wilson's War on BLU RAY

It's 6 April 1980 and Charles Nesbitt Wilson is pruning in the bubbling water of a Las Vegas Hotel Jacuzzi with some naked strippers, cocaine and glasses of champagne (standard procedure for an American Congressmen at the time). But something else other than wet areolas catches Charlie's eagle eye. Up on the mounted television set behind the bar is an unshaven Dan Rather of CBS Evening News reporting from the deserts of Afghanistan. A local woman who speaks English tells a turbaned Dan that "America is asleep..." and that if the Russians invade her country - the Gulf is next - and after that - the USA itself. Charlie (Tom Hanks) politely declines an offer to make a tasteful TV Movie with Playboy of the Month and her naked agent for $29,000 and bids them all farewell...

Back at his office in Texas (which oddly enough is peopled with three large-chested women sporting buttons in their blouses that can't seem to be closed) - Charlie makes enquiries with his assistant Bonnie (Amy McAdams) into the covert ops budget for the dirt-country in the Middle East with no real political friends (America included). He doesn't like what he hears and as a Congressman for the House of Representatives - he determines to change all that nonsense by doubling its budget from five million dollars to ten. And so it begins...

Along the way Charlie meets with the 6th wealthiest woman in Texas - the wildly patriotic and determined sexpot Joanne Herring (a stunning Julia Roberts eating up a proper role) and a Greek CIA operative Gust Avrakotos (another genius portrayal from the greatly missed Philip Seymour Hoffman) who has anger issues with his bosses and hasn't been killed across 4 continents in 24 years by people who know how to (dialogue above). So far so funny...

But then it all changes when Charlie visits Afghanistan itself - and sees up close and personal what the Russian war machine is doing to defenceless Muslims. Men are being stacked in human piles and then run over by tanks as their wives are made to watch - children are dismembered with toy mines - and starving people rush grain trucks ripping open sacks in desperation. And as he walks up a hill and looks back at a Biblical scene of refugee tents with huge expanses of humanity being hammered by bullyboys - Charlie sheds a tear. And then a steely look enters his angry gaze...

What makes "Charlie Wilson's War" so good is a trio of things - the alarming and often ridiculous nature of this true modern-war story - a wickedly funny and yet touching Aaron Sorkin script - and a huge posse of Grade-A actors capable of making you chuckle one moment then shed a tear the next. The three principal leads are exceptional - especially Hanks and Hoffman - but there's also quality support from Emily Blunt, Om Puri, John Slattery, Ned Beatty, Ken Stott and Peter Gerety in small but significant roles.

The characters they portray may at times seem utterly ridiculous, meddlesome and even arrogant - but their convictions and above all their love of democracy and freedom knows no bounds. And anything that threatens that (i.e.: murderous Russians slaughtering easy pickings like peasants with pitchforks and old rifles) - is going to get short shift - and high-tech weaponry if that doesn't work.

The problem with all this 'movie entertainment' is that it clouds an obvious and stinging question - why did the CIA arm the Afghans? To give them their country back  - or out of pure self-interest - they get to defeat the Soviets using another country and another people to do it? The film doesn't shirk this thorn to its credit - offering up the plausible response that it was probably a bit of both. And it also points out that in the mid Nineties the American Government lost interest once the war was won and shamefully left with the goal achieved but the 'people' stranded - not investing - not rebuilding - and thereby giving rise to massive Islamic hated towards the West - which of course has had global consequences ever since.

The BLU RAY picture quality is gorgeous throughout - a major production - and filmed in Full Aspect (1.85:1)  - you get that punch of quality across the whole screen and in every shot. Audio is DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1, French, Italian, German, Spanish, Portuguese and Latin American Spanish Surround 5.1. Subtitles are in English SDH, French, Italian, German, Spanish, Japanese, Brazilian Portuguese, Czech, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, Greek, Korean, Latin American Spanish, Norwegian, Portuguese, Swedish, Thai, Turkish and Traditional Mandarin.

Directed by Mike Nichols and adapted from George Crile's book by Aaron Sorkin - "Charlie Wilson's War" seems slight at first - but then bites into your heart - and leaves you mightily impressed.

Did Texas Mascara and a Congressman with etched leather boots (elected to the Ethics Committee when he was clearly a dubious choice for the job) actually bring the Soviet Empire to its knees and defeat Communism? Check out this superb movie and find out...

"The Adjustment Bureau". A Review Of The 2011 Film on BLU RAY.

Here is a link to Amazon UK to buy this copy at the best price:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B004PYD6P8

"…Your Future Is About Your Choices…Not Theirs…"

"The Adjustment Bureau" is that rare beast– a future-bending Sci-Fi romance blockbuster with heart and warmth and quite possibly two of the most likeable lead actors in the world - both exuding a genuine and believable chemistry…

After the loss of his entire family and an 8-year career climb as the youngest ever Congressman - US Senate hopeful David Norris is poised for the throne of New York State when a barroom moon years earlier conveniently makes the front page of The Post. Preparing his defeat speech by himself in the men’s toilet of a plush hotel – David meets a woman’s who’s crashed a wedding on a dare and is hiding out in the cubicles from Security. Earthy, natural and everything his crafted campaign strategy isn’t – the flighty and talented British ballet dancer Elise is a breath of fresh air. He is stunned and smitten after only minutes of electrifying conversation and they quickly launch into a mutually uncontrollable snog…

But mystery men who stalk the top of Manhattan buildings wearing 1940’s style Trilby hats and immaculate overcoats - have other ideas. They carry with them books that show every-changing grids and expanding street maps like they’re controlling people’s lives. They are convinced their all-powerful ‘chairman’ has decreed that these two people’s pathways must not converge no matter what the personal cost. So David and Elise need to be subtly adjusted.

Adapted from another ingenious Philip K Dick story (other adaptations include "Blade Runner", "A Scanner Darkly", "Minority Report" and "Total Recall") – the look of the film is cleverly not futuristic. Director George Nolfi uses glossy uptown locations, clean-lined buildings and real world sets so that it doesn’t feel like the mind-bending world of "Inception". And the ‘God’ angle doesn’t get in the way of the story or the romance but only adds to it. Damon’s struggle with his heart versus politics is brilliantly handled. His suddenly honest speech to the party faithful about "Phrases that pulled traction with focus groups…" and why his ties and shoes have the right colour and correct mount of scuffing to secure the workingman’s vote - is properly brilliant writing. Then a dozing operative (a great part for David Mackie) forgets to spill coffee on Norris’ shirt at exactly 7:05 a.m. one morning before he boards a bus to work – and thus begins the dance of David and Elise towards each other as they meet yet again and click like before.

As you can imagine with subject matter as ropey as this – it could all have gone horribly wrong in the hands of some ‘name’ stars that might look good but share no real vibe. But the naturalness of both lead actors goes a long way to making the audience care. There are many moments between them as characters that are genuinely touching – giggling over coffee and mobile phones – racing each other down a night street in the wet. Then David stumbles on a mind recalibration in progress in his offices and runs like any scared man would. But he’s cornered in a car park by these angels of sorts and is told that not only is his relationship with Elise verboten but if he tells anyone of their existence – he’ll be memory-lobotomised (but in a nice way). But love has taken hold of his heart and hers - and they make a run for a future together despite the overwhelming odds.

Will freedom of choice and protecting your soul mate win the day? Well after a few trips to Yankee Stadium and the Statue of Liberty via doors that act as portals and a little help from an angel who feels his assignment is just plain wrong – they might just stand a chance - despite the efforts of a fearsome Terrance Stamp and a bumbling John Slattery (both superbly cast in their parts).

Original issues are a Triple Play package coming with a Blu Ray, DVD and Digital Copy. The BLU RAY 1080p picture is defaulted to 1.85:1 so fills the screen and is visually beautiful throughout. This is a big movie and has those huge production values screaming off every frame. The audio is English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1, English Audio Description Track 2.0, Latin American Spanish and Canadian French DTS. The subtitles are English SDH, Latin American Spanish and Canadian French.

The extras are pleasingly comprehensive too:

1. The Labyrinth Of Doors: Interactive Map Of New York

2. Leaping Through New York

3. Destined To Be

4. Becoming Elise

5. Deleted and Extended Scenes

6. Feature Commentary

"The Adjustment Bureau" is a lovely upbeat film with wit, charm and cleverness in its storyline that will keep you coming back for more. Chuck away those false clip-on ties people and tip an old-fashioned hat at Director George Nolfi - because this is one cinematic door you should definitely open…

"The Jane Austen Book Club" on BLU RAY - A Review Of The 2007 Film Reissued And Remastered Onto A 'European' BLU RAY...

                                                  

                                                     The Jane Austen Book Club on BLU RAY

It was November 2007 in London and I'd just come back from an early evening showing of JACB in our nearby multiplex on a wet and windy Saturday night. My mate Franklin and I were looking for something uplifting and light and decided on this. No one else did. We were the lone two in the cinema - literally.

The Jane Austen Book Club had received 3-star reviews almost everywhere in the Austen-is-ours UK and condescendingly labelled a mere chick-flick because of the mostly female cast and JA themes - the most famous and adored female writer in history (it was released on DVD 17 March 2008 and on BLU RAY, 5 February 2008). Which is a damn shame because The Jane Austen Book Club was/is much better than that and we both thought so too. And in the two decades that have passed since its release, this film has gained a cult audience worldwide. Rewatching it in September 2026 on this gorgeous All Regions Denmark BLU RAY I bought years ago to own a copy – it still holds up, looks fabulous and is frankly a little bit of an uplifting nugget…

Based on the book by Karen Joy Fowler and adapted by first-time Director Robin Swicord with amazing skill - here's the basic story: Six women of different ages and sexual persuasions form a book club to discuss something that unites and excites them all - Jane Austen's six period-piece novels. One will be tackled and talked about every month in a different location whilst life and love and fucked up city madness intermingle. There's "Pride & Prejudice", "Sense & Sensibility", "Emma", "Northanger Abbey", " Mansfield Park" and "Persuasion". The original book author planned each to be loosely based on Austen heroes – so you get Kathy Baker's Bernadette representing Mrs. Gardiner in Pride And Prejudice, Amy Brennaman's mother-hen in the kitchen character based on Fanny Price in Mansfield Park, pooch-worshipping Jocelyn (Maria Bello) reflecting the title character in the least-liked Austen novel, Emma, and so on.

The actresses/actors are Amy Brennaman playing the adoring and faithful Jocelyn who is married to and having trouble with her mid-life crisis husband Daniel played by Jimmy Smits (sweet turns from both). In an early breakout role, Emily Blunt is the wound-tighter-than-a-drum Prudie, a school teacher lusting after an 18-year hunky student played by the handsome Kevin Zegers. Prudie is getting nothing mentally or physically from her basic guy of a husband Dean (a superbly assured part for Marc Blucas that grows as the movie progresses). Running in an out of her chaos and French-spoken tears is Prudie's mad hippy mum played with gusto by a make-up be-damned Lynn Redgrave. Prudie doesn't know who her Dad is – her Mum can't be trusted even in older age (oven fires, joints in cars) while everything Prudie wears and does reflects a damaged woman screaming for order and constancy – a French teacher who feels she's a fraud because she's never been to France. 

Next up is the free spirit of the bunch - Kathy Baker playing Bernadette, the oldest, who has been married six times and is happily looking for husband number seven. The gorgeous and vivacious sky-diving love-missile fireball Maggie Grace plays Amy Brennaman and Jimmy Smits' daughter Allegra who is a hot young lesbian in love with a manipulative writer she meets in hospital having tumbled off a rock-climbing face (the beautiful Parisa Fitz-Henry plays Corrine). And finally, Maria Bello is Jocelyn who loves dogs more than almost anything - including men. Throw in a male love interest for Maria Bello's character in the shape of a charming and funny Hugh Dancy playing bicycling Star Wars nerd boy Grigg and the stage is set for each book to be devoured and discussed. Much like their gadget strewn Californian lives. 

 

The Writer/Director Robin Swicord has sculpted their lives to mirror Austen's plots and as some reviewers have pointed out, these bits are a little too pat for comfort. But that doesn't stop the dialogue from being repeatedly touching and amazingly on the pulse on how love is in the complicated and confusing 2000s. There are rare insights here and beautifully observed snippets of life too (taking a tip from a device Austen uses in her books - dialogue by Kathy Baker's character titles this review).

The actresses as you can imagine (given great material) are uniformly superb, especially Emily Blunt who looks ravishing every time the camera is pointed at her - and I commented back in 2008 that she was a huge star in the making if ever there was one. Maria Bello is her usual classy self, bringing real gravitas and warmth to her character, who must do the most 'growing' and Amy Brennaman adds a real earthiness to what would have been a little too frothy a crew. Maggie Grace is both lovely and sexy as the passionate and headstrong daughter. The warmth and sheer class of Kathy Baker combined with a brilliantly nutty fruitcake turn by Lynn Redgrave only add icing to an already fantastic ensemble cake. As Jimmy Smits says in a Making Of interview, the cast liked each other and the material, and the 30-day Indie-type gotta-get-it-done shoot permeated into the performances – he says you'll see it on screen and he's right – there's fun and warmth here and I think that positivity has been picked up by audiences ever since its modest earnings in 2007 and 2008.

Then come the men who are excellent choices both as actors and eye-candy. The hugely likeable Hugh Dancy plays the hapless Grigg who fancies Maria Bello's character Jocelyn - but she only wants to pair him off with Amy Brennaman's character Sylvia. Sylvia is too much in love with/and hurt by her now parted/cheating husband Jimmy Smits to notice anyone. Jimmy Smits is excellent and so likeable - it's easy to see why Robin Swicord wanted to work with him. Emily Blunt's prim and proper Prudie is driven by her need to be neat, ordered and have everything just so, but she is wild inside for forbidden fruit - licking her rather delicious lips at the heartthrob that is Trey played by Kevin Zegers ("...he looks at me like he's the spoon...and I'm a dish of ice cream..."). But the unfolding surprise is Marc Blucas as Blunt's husband Dean - his performance is clever - he seems like a sap at first trapped in a marriage he no longer understands, but his growth back to his wife is beautifully handled and convincing. And then of course there's that writer - the gorgeous Jane Austen - who generation-after-generation takes every heart by storm. Hearing each of Austen's novels discussed and critiqued and then hearing extracts from some of them only makes you want to run out and instantly buy all six - then go on a Jane-bender yourself.

I played the British DVD before the Euro BLU RAY on my 4K BLU RAY player with an 8K interconnect and the picture clarity was startling. The DVD is lovely but the Remastered Hi-Def Danish BLU RAY improves things considerably – clarity is everywhere. Close-up scenes are clear – even in the rapid-fire opening montages of Californians stressed and frustrated by modernity – it’s all good. Aspect Ratio is 2:40:1 (Full Screen), Audio is English and Italian True HD 5.1 while Subtitles are Danish, Finnish, Nordic, Swedish, English and Italian. 

The Jane Austen Book Club is not quite a rom-com nor a full-on girly fest - it's much better than that. Like Austen's writing, it's properly romantic and wordy-delicious and you will want to return to it like an illicit ice-cream tub in a fridge with your name on it. More importantly, you can't help but feel that real heart, belief and joy went into the making of this little film and all concerned had a total blast doing it. Crack the spine (if you haven’t already) on this literary/filmic peach…

BLU RAY Specifications:

REGIONS: A, B and C (all regions)
ASPECT: High Definition Widescreen 2.40:1 (1.78:1 and 16.9)
AUDIO: English TrueHD 5.1 and Italian TrueHD 5.1
SUBTITLES: Danish, Finnish, Norwegian, Swedish, Italian, English and English for the Hard Of Hearing

BONUS Material:
Cast And Crew Commentary (Subtitles in English and Italian)
Behind-The-Scenes of The Jane Austen Book Club
The Life Of Jane Austen
The Book Club: Deconstructed
Walking The Red Carpet Los Angeles Premier (DVD-only feature)
Deleted Scenes
Trailers

Barcode for Danish disc is 5051159223470 – they're using it for UK releases too

PS: The Jane Austen Book Club BLU RAY was reissued/repackaged 25 August 2026 in the USA but even though it has extra audio and subtitles (French, Spanish, Portuguese etc) - unfortunately it comes with little else changed or added to its preceding 2008 issue…

“The Jane Austen Book Club” on DVD. A Review Of The 2007 Movie Now Released On DVD.

"…Never Underestimate The Power Of A Well-Written Letter…"

It's November 2007 (released on DVD 17 March 2008) and I've just come back from an early evening showing of this film in our nearby multiplex on a wet and windy Saturday night in London. My mate and I were looking for something uplifting and light and decided on this. No one else did. We were the lone two in the cinema - literally. I suspect that's because "The Jane Austen Book Club" has received 3-star reviews almost everywhere - which is a damn shame - because it's so much better than that - and we both thought so.

Here's the basic story: Six women of different ages and sexual persuasions form a book club to discuss something that unites and excites them all - Jane Austen's six period-piece novels. One will be tackled and talked about every month in the club in a different location. There's "Pride & Prejudice", "Sense & Sensibility", "Emma", "Northanger Abbey", " Mansfield Park" and "Persuasion". The actresses are Amy Brennaman (who is married to and having trouble with Jimmy Smits), Emily Blunt (who is a married teacher lusting after an 18-year hunky student, while she gets nothing mentally or physically from her basic guy of a husband and mad hippy mum), Kathy Baker (the oldest in the group, who has been married six times and is happily looking for husband number seven), Maggie Grace who's Amy Brennaman's daughter and a lesbian in love with a manipulative writer - and finally Maria Bello - who loves dogs more than almost anything - including men.

The Writer/Director Robin Swicord has sculpted their lives to mirror Austen's plots and as some reviewers have pointed out, these bits are a little too pat for comfort. But that doesn't stop the dialogue from being repeatedly touching and amazingly on the pulse of how love is in the complicated and confusing 2000s. There are rare insights here and beautifully observed snippets of life too (taking a tip from a device Austen uses in her books - dialogue by Kathy Baker's character titles this review).

The actresses as you can imagine (given great material) are uniformly superb also - especially Emily Blunt - who looks ravishing every time the camera is pointed at her - a huge star in the making if ever there was one. Maria Bello is her usual classy self, bringing real gravitas and warmth to her character, who has to do the most 'growing' and Amy Brennaman adds a real earthiness to what would have been a little too frothy a crew. Maggie Grace is both lovely and sexy as the passionate and headstrong daughter. The warmth and sheer class of Kathy Baker combined with a brilliantly nutty fruitcake turn by Lynn Redgrave only add icing to an already fantastic ensemble cake.

Then come the men who are excellent choices both as actors and eye-candy. The hugely likeable Hugh Dancy plays the hapless Grigg who fancies Maria Bello's character Jocelyn - but she only wants to pair him off with Amy Brennaman's character Sylvia. Sylvia is too much in love with/and hurt by her now parted/cheating husband Jimmy Smits to notice anyone. Jimmy Smits is excellent and so likeable - it's easy to see why Robin Swicord wanted to work with him. Emily Blunt's prim and proper Prudie is driven by her need to be neat, ordered and have everything just so - but she is wild inside for forbidden fruit - licking her rather delicious lips at the heartthrob that is Trey played by Kevin Zegers ("...he looks at me like he's the spoon...and I'm a dish of ice cream..."). But the unfolding surprise is Marc Blucas as Blunt's husband Dean - his performance is clever - he seems like a sap at first trapped in a marriage he no longer understands - but his growth back to his wife is beautifully handled and convincing.

And then of course there's 'that' writer - the gorgeous Jane Austen - who generation-after-generation takes every heart by storm. Hearing each of Austen's novels discussed and critiqued and then hearing extracts from some of them only makes you want to run out and instantly buy all six - then go on a Jane-bender yourself.

"The Jane Austen Book Club" is not quite a rom-com - nor a full-on girly fest - it's much better than that. Like Austen's writing - it's properly romantic and wordy-delicious - and you want to return to it again and again. More importantly - you can't help but feel that real heart, belief and joy went into the making of this 'little film' and all concerned had a total blast doing it.

"The Jane Austen Book Club" is that rarest of things in Hollywood these days - a movie that gives you both romance and heart - and doesn't get cloying on either. Personally I think it's a bit of an unsung masterpiece. Ignore the so-so reviews and give it a whirl...

PS: There now follows extracts from my all new 2007 in-the-real-world kickass street version of "Pride & Prejudice" - coming to a multiplex near you - just in time for Oscars 2008 next year.
Mister Darcy (played by a bald Bruce Willis) has just emerged from the lake all clingy and wet and unable to control his ardor no more.
He pulls Miss Bennett (played by Sharon Stone in a ludicrously tight rubber bodice) to his chest in a saucy-fellow Errol Flynn kind of way.
There is a longing in his visage and it isn't for English tea and muffins.
There is something in his eye and it isn't engine-oil or grit.

MISTER DARCY
(Looking down at her heaving bosoms)
Oh Miss Bennett!

ELIZABETH BENNETT
(Looking down at something else that's heaving)
Oh Mister Darcy! What is ‘that' in your soggy breaches?
(She now looks away to Pemberley's six hundred bedrooms - suddenly acquires a glint in her eye)
Let's go back to your place!!