Reviews

First things first, this is a film very much about music, so if you do not like "classical" music, then find something else. It is something like a short philosophy of music according to M. de St. Colombe and Marin Marais, two very different composers---how close the movie is to the "real" St. Colombe and Marias, confessedly, I do not know, but this is not a documentary, so it really does not matter. There is also a very beautiful exploration of love and its various manifestations in friendship, parenthood, and sexual relations. The movie is heavy, burdened by sadness and melancholy; but it is a beautiful film and worth viewing so long as you are prepared for its weight. Its tones are elegiac, autumnal, meditative, and inward, as is the haunting music given us by Jordi Savall and co. The acting, sets, and cinematography are all excellent (hence the 10 rating). If you want something light then this is not the film for you; if you are, however, in a mood for a film that mourns with dignity, then you have found the right one.

This is one of my favorite Kubrick films, but to get rid of the caveats first, it does strike some viewers as overlong if not downright boring. I mention this because I have discussed this film with several people of various taste and found it to be a recurring criticism. This said, if you are willing and able to watch a life unfold (and unravel) over the course of a few hours in some very subtle and rewarding ways, then Barry Lyndon is worth considering. The music is famous enough, with Handel's slightly modified Sarabande, and Schubert's haunting piano trio (is there a better use of music in film?), the costumes and sets are gorgeous (Kubrick has period paintings behind some of his memorable shots) and the acting is brilliant and engaging. A film for all viewers who, "demand satisfaction."

Unless you are drawn in by post-modern revisionist Shakespeare then steer clear of this bomb. Richard III is not Shakespeare's greatest work but nonetheless it deserves more attention and less pseudo-intellectual indulgence: there is no dramatic tension and the language---which is so crucial in Elizabethan theatre---is lost in the elaborate sets (which would have been quite good elsewhere), and the absolutely deplorable acting. Watch or read the play; do not waste your time with this one. It is not even interesting as a film---there are several moments where critical lines and situations are so mishandled or misinterpreted that they actually induce laughter...