Reviews

I queued up for at least an hour to see this film when it first came out and it didn't disappoint. There are so many good things to say about it, I hardly know where to start. The acting is one place, Bruno Ganz is superb and the two angels are so believable in their angelic and his human guise. The next huge thing for me was the music. Whilst part of the reason I wanted to see this film was for Cave and Bargeld, I was mostly moved by the cello music particularly in the library sequences. I think it's maybe hard now for new viewers to have the understanding of the Berlin Wall that was so real for us when the film was first released. Some years after I saw the film in the cinema, I bought the video, and showed it to many friends who scoffed at German cinema but were converted by watching this film in my home. Recently, due to the death of my video, I have found a DVD and now can't wait for a free evening when I can watch and listen to this wonderful piece of cinema again. Sadly, I don't think Wenders has ever done anything as good again. But I stand to be corrected.

I read quite a few other reader comments/reviews before writing this although I was tempted to just go in cold. I'm amazed by how many people reference Alice in Wonderland. I think that's rather lazy - and I was brought up on Lewis Carroll as a child. This film is a beautiful and individual dream and if it references a source, I would, perhaps controversially, suggest that Win Wenders' Wings of Desire might have been a subtle influence. Apart from the incredible fact that this film was made on the tiniest (proportionatly) budget and yet achieved its look, what amazes me is the cast that Neil Gaiman assembled for his money. Two of the brightest stars of British comedy (Brydon and Hamilton) must have given their services for virtually nothing as the film, sadly, has achieved very little on the mainstream radar. Personally, I don't feel, despite the Henson involvement, that it is in any way a film aimed at children but I do wonder at how any marketers could really have done much with it. Such a shame that a talent as Gaiman seems destined to gain his kudos through a niche audience. I would advise anyone interested in film or fantasy to search this out and then make the determined effort to seek out Neverwhere as well.

I was blown away back in 96 when I first watched this TV series. Not only was the story-line way out there compared with most of the rest of the TV output at the time, but also the casting and acting were both superb. I was already a fan of Peter Capaldi, which was one of the reasons I tuned in at the beginning, but I was soon swept up in the whole story and found it one of those strange stories that is completely believable although obviously fantastical. I have always been sorry that it hasn't been repeated on terrestrial TV and was thrilled last summer to find the book freely available. Reading this I found that many of the image from the original broadcast were firmly fixed in my mind and I have been searching websites for information about a DVD. To my amazement the BBC website denies all knowledge of the series at all! What's that all about? I have finally found a supplier in Australia for the DVD - but that's not much use is it? Has anyone else also watched the brilliant Gaiman recent work Mirrormask?

I thought this was one of the most powerful pieces of television drama I have seen for a long time. It rates up there both in content, production and fantastic casting and acting with the wonderful Conspiracy (Ken Branagh and others a few years back). I wonder if Longford may come to be seen as Jim Broadbent's finest portrayal. It bears many more than one viewings and I think (as I did of an earlier drama programme this year about the Moors Murders) that it is brave and correct for skilled directors/writers etc to tackle this incredibly difficult subject. Well done to all involved and I look forward to the next project coming from this talented team.