Reviews

The script is really bad.

The characters do stupid, illogical things.

The female lead quickly becomes irritating. I don't know why so many movies, when trying to portray a sassy, fearless, determined, or feisty woman, make her so annoying.

There's lots of action. The music during action sequences was also annoying.

The big plot twist at the end was no surprised at all. I mean come on, it was obvious from the start, and it became more and more obvious, the more we learned.

SPOILERS AHEAD

During the entire movie, I felt irritated and wondered why nobody was mentioning the possibility that he could have faked his own death, again. He already did it once, he could very well have done it again. The FBI agent, whose name I forgot, even though the movie ended five minutes ago (!!! This says a lot about how memorable this movie is) witnessed his death, but from far away, the bullets could have been blanks, and no body, just one little finger? Oh come on. And nobody wonders even once, "hey, maybe he faked his death again and is behind all this?" I hate it when scripts make the characters utterly stupid just for plot purposes.

The one thing that did come to a surprise to me is how she shoots him at the end, Yes he had a gun but in that moment he wasn't particularly threatening, not like he was about to shoot her or anything. It felt like she just shot him in cold blood. It didn't feel justified and I was shocked. US American movies often show "good guys" getting away with murder, while "bad guys" often end up dying. Not cool.

I liked that they end up together in the end. That's probably the only thing I liked about the movie.

I wasn't expecting much but even with such low expectations, I was disappointed anyway. Really low-level movie. Watch only if you have time to kill and have already watched everything else.

I didn't like the movie.

The female lead was so unlikable. Ugh. She was so unpleasant. I couldn't empathize with her or care about her at all. Incompetent, too. If that's a psychologist, I'm an astronaut. The hysterical screaming got on my nerves. During their "debates" I actually fast forwarded because her rants were so unpleasant. The writing should have made her more likable. And they should have hired a better actress. This actress can't act. Her character is flat as cardboard. Her "vulnerability" didn't touch me, she just came across irritating.

The mandatory sex scene evvvvvery Hollywood movie has - insert rolleyes - also made me cringe and fast forward. Why oh why does every Hollywood movie have a sex scene in it? Yawn. It's getting really boring. In some cases, it's important to show it for the plot, but in cases like this here, you can just show them waking up next to each other with happy smiles on their faces the next morning, and we'll get it.

The whole thing was boring, annoying, and pointless. I wasn't inspired by it. I actually quit a few minutes before the end, when she screams hysterically and runs him over with the car, I was like, okay that's it, I've had enough of her, and I switched it off. Predictable as the plot was, I'm sure I didn't miss much.

Two stars for the kid, who was the only bright sunshine in the movie.

Too bad it's not a real book, though! I would have bought it lol.

Not sure what to think about this movie. It's a beautiful movie. Marion Cotillard's acting is amazing. I cried a lot toward the end. Yet I didn't really like the movie.

There's something off about Brad PItt. I don't know what. There's something off about his acting. There's even something off about his face. He looks like he's wearing a mask that prevents his face from being expressive. His speech sounds like his mouth is constantly full of oatmeal.

Speaking of speech, his French is correct, but his accent is terrible. I cringed when Marianne said, "it's pure Québécois". No, it's not, lol. It's just a thick American accent. No French person would ever believe for even one second that this guy is French (or Québécois). In real life, the minute he opened his mouth, he would have been arrested. This kind of bothered me the whole time during the Casablanca part of the movie.

But the German spy speaks flawless French in the most Frenchyfrench way, without the tiniest hint of a foreign accent. Okay.

Marianne goes through a three week vetting process but the people vetting her don't show her picture to anyone who met her in the past? Really?

The whole "you must execute her" also felt strange to me. If she's a German spy (and a reluctant, coerced one at that), wouldn't it be a lot more useful to turn her into a double agent and have her feed false information to the Germans? I'm sure she would have gladly accepted to do that.

An openly lesbian couple in the 1940's? Doubtful.

There's even the completely unnecessary but mandatory sex scene that every American movie has. In a car. Of course. Reminded me of Titanic, where even on a ship, they manage to have sex in a car. Same here. Even in the Sahara desert, they manage to have sex in a car. Rolleyes. Yawn.

I don't know... It's a good movie with good cinematography and all that. I can't say it's a bad movie, but all I could see while watching it were the points that didn't make sense to me.

I even got so bored in the middle of it that I checked out the reviews on imdb to see if someone else was annoyed by the French accent that wouldn't fool anyone in real life. And during the silly Dieppe trip, I kept fast forwarding.

Recommended for a rainy Sunday afternoon with nothing else to do.

Making movie characters do utterly stupid things that no sane person would ever do in real life is such lazy writing it's unforgivable.

My review would end here but I'm required to write 465 characters more so here you have: the acting is bad, the plot is stupid, the end chase is so ridiculous that I skipped forward and as a result I missed the explanation of why the murderer wanted to kill our heroine exactly. I still wonder. Not that it matters much. That's what murderers do, right, going around murdering people, and they always want to murder the hero at the end of the movie. And of course they fail. Whoops, spoiler. We didn't expect that at all, did we?

Yawn.

I'm so disappointed with this movie. The idea seemed very promising: self-made businessman father wants to teach his superrich spoiled brats the value of money and hard work, so he makes them believe they're broke and forced to work for a living. It thought this would be fun, and it was at first. The spoiled brats have to job hunt and get their hands dirty.

You know they'll eventually go back to their superrich life, and of course it soon happens.

And that's where it should get really interesting. How will they process their experience as working class people? How will they integrate those two aspects of themselves into one new person? How will they grow from the experience? I was looking forward to seeing that process unfold.

Well, the movie doesn't show it!!!

It just skips ahead nine months and poof!! All of a sudden, it's all already done. They have processed everything, integrated everything, healed everything, and started a new life. How it happened exactly, we have no idea.

Wut?!

I'm so disappointed.

The movie wasn't funny. I thought it was a comedy but didn't laugh even once. Maybe a smile when the Devil tries to cheat at chess. And a smile for the ending, which is the only thing I liked.

The jokes weren't funny. As usual in US American movies, "humor" is based on embarrassment: either the characters are shamed and embarrassed by other characters, or they behave in ridiculous, embarrassing ways. I was cringing the whole time from vicarious embarrassment.

Elliot wasn't a likable character. If he had been shy, socially awkward, and likable, it would have worked better. But he was just obnoxious and not likable at all. He also didn't learn anything from his mistakes in wish-choosing and wish-formulating, which made him appear dumb. Any character growth we see is artificial. Nothing in the fulfillment of the wishes gives him any actual reason to grow.

The Devil was flat and wooden and lacked charisma.

The whole movie was just boring and dumb. After a while, I started fast forwarding through it just to know how it would end.

Elliot's last wish wasn't truly selfless and redemptive. It's not like Allison's happiness was what he most wanted in the whole world from the bottom of his heart, so he gave up one of his wishes for her. In fact, he really didn't want any more wishes anyway, so when the Devil forced him to make one, he just picked this. I don't feel it truly counts.

Also, I don't understand why everybody seems to assume that the cellmate was an angel. It wasn't an angel. It was God. Elliot wanted to talk to God in person, right? His wish was granted (wink wink). In the end, the Devil plays chess with God. Very symbolic.

I remember watching it as a teenager a long time ago and laughing a lot. Today, I decided to watch it again as a treat, but I was disappointed. It wasn't that amusing anymore. I did laugh and smile at times, but most of the humor made me cringe or feel secondhand embarrassment. Not funny.

The funeral made me cry like a fountain, though. John Hannah was amazing. Amazing.

I liked the sweet bunch of friends. They're the ones carrying the movie. But the two main leads were unlikeable, and increasingly so.

Hugh Grant is his usual charming, awkward, stuttering Brit. We are told repeatedly in the movie how cute he is. I mostly remember what a jerk he is. That scene with his exes is cringeworthy. And his decision to marry Henrietta, after the poor girl seemed to be over him at last and happily in a relationship. I felt sorry for her.

Carrie is an unlikeable character. She's cold and manipulative and cheats on her fiancé. I tried not to judge, but she was so cold and heartless. It doesn't help that Andie Macdowell doesn't act well and doesn't bring any depth to the character. She's wooden and felt fake to me. Her line "is it still raining? I hadn't noticed" made me roll my eyes. Is that supposed to remind us of Marilyn Monroe movies? With Andie Macdowell, it doesn't work at all.

The passion between the two leads doesn't make much sense to me. Those two hardly speak to each other. They don't even know each other. What is their bond based on? Sex? Or some ineffable connection between their souls? I do believe in ineffable connections between souls that require no lengthy bonding. But there's no chemistry between those two, no magic happening. The magic happens only because the plot tells us it happens, but we don't actually see any of it on screen. It's just boring.

I was hoping Charles would realize what an empty shell Carrie is and marry Fiona in the end. Oh well.

The five stars are for the group of friends and John Hannah.

At first, I kept noticing weird things in this movie.

The girl with full make up on, done eyebrows and bright lipstick, showing half her boobs, at a time when only prostitutes would walk around like this? Okay, I told myself, in Hollywood movies, women have to look sexy, be covered in makeup and have their hair done impeccably in every single scene, and to hell with historical accuracy.

Then she frolics around with her lover without being married, which would be absolutely unthinkable at the time, but oh well.

Then he goes to war in "Arabia" and meets John. I like Jamie Foxx, and he's probably the best thing in the entire movie, but why can't they hire an Arab actor to play, like, you know, an Arab? Instead we have an African-American with a thick American accent who can't even pronounce Insha Allah. Okay. I told myself that US American movies are known for that, casting US American actors to play foreigners, with ridiculous accents. Oh well.

Robin gets physical against his commanding officer and is sent back to England. But instead of being imprisoned and judged for treason, he's free to run around as he pleases. Okay.

And the other guy, instead of being beheaded like the other prisoners, manages to get on the ship and finds himself where? In Nottingham. Such a coincidence. Okay.

Then we see the Mines. The Mines? What Mines? Anyway. For a moment, I thought I was in Lord of the Rings, cause the mines look like Mordor. Whoops, wrong movie.

At that point, I gave up and tried to enjoy the movie for what it is : nothing really logical or historically accurate, just some lighthearted fun.

There was a lot of silly action. Futuristic costumes and sets. Batman meets Lord of the Rings. Robin plays the double faced game like Zorro. Friar Tuck was a breath of fresh air. I liked the music. The villains were very very villainous. Batman meets Lord of the Rings meets Star Wars. Noble hearted Marian whom I always admired as a kid turns out to be unfaithful.

I didn't even care anymore. I felt bored and found myself fast forwarding through the movie. Then it's the end.

Basically a big pile of rubbish.

I haven't read the book, nor have I seen the previous adaptations. I watched the 2019 version last night, and immediately after, Amazon Prime suggested this 1994 version, which I watched too. So I got to compare those two.

I like this 1994 version better overall.

I like that the story is told in a linear way, which makes it much easier to understand and adds more suspense (will Beth die?! Will Jo and Laurie be together?!).

The cast is chosen better in the 1994 version. In this version, Christian Bale is a credible Laurie, while in the 2019 version the actor looks too young and not masculine enough. Gabriel Byrne is a great Professor Bhaer. In the 2019 version I didn't quite understand why Jo fell in love with him. In this 1994 version, I totally get it. Amy's jealousy and the drama between her and Jo also make more sense with a much younger Amy, as she is in the 1994 version. That bit didn't make much sense to me in the 2019 version.

In this 1994 version, it's not so clear to me why Jo refuses Laurie. In the 2019 version, it's explained that she doesn't love him romantically, and sees him more like a brother. In the 1994 version, she only says they would be fighting all the time, which is unbelievable since we never see them fighting. They seem to get along great and she acts like she is in love with him the whole time. It doesn't make much sense.

There are some little things that disturb me in this 1994 version. The kisses made me cringe. Such anachronism!

Amy's personality seems to change so awfully much when she grows up. It's like she's a different person. Yes, it's a different actress, but the character's personality just changes too much.

The Beth/Mr. Lawrence subplot and Meg's struggle to accept poverty are missing from the 1994 version. I liked that about the 2019 version.

About both movies, it feels like me like they were made by people who read the book for people who read the book. We're supposed to just know, accept or understand certain things because they're in the book, even though they're not so clear based on the screenplay.

Lady Susan is a textbook narcissist, lying, manipulating, charming and using other people for her benefit without any kindness or empathy.

This is not a case of a woman using the only power she has to survive in a male dominated world. If that were the case, she would be fiercely protective of her daughter. But she is not at all. She displays the same selfishness, lack of conscience, and sociopathic behavior with her daughter as with anyone else.

It's kind of entertaining to watch her manipulate her way through life, but it's just that. Kind of entertaining. I couldn't really get into it. I have a hard time liking a movie when the main character is so unlikeable. But the movie is kind of nice anyway.

The plot moves too fast at times, as if the screenplay were an unfinished draft. For example, I would have liked to see in more detail how Reginald figures out what kind of person Susan is, and then falls in love with Frederica. There is only one scene where we see them walking and talking together. That was a bit sudden for my taste. I haven't read the book but I heard it was an epistolary novel. Maybe that's why. But then the screenwriter should have filled the gaps and shown the growing relationship.

Btw, I read other reviews stating that Frederica ran away from school. I haven't read the book, so I don't know, but I don't believe that for one second. Lady Susan claims that Frederica ran away from school. Lady Susan is a liar. In one earlier scene, she tells Alicia she has no intention of paying Frederica's school fees. I think that's why the school sent Frederica home. To explain her daughter's return, Lady Susan made up the story about Frederica running away, and convinced Reginald that Frederica is "troubled". Considering Frederica's character, I don't think any of this is true. It is even hinted that she's lying, when she says the school director "must think of the school's reputation" and Reginald answers something like "that's strange, I've never heard of that school". The stories such people tell often seem believable but feel kind of off.

If you believed that Frederica ran away from school, you were fooled by Lady Susan, the master manipulator. She's so devious she even fools the audience. Facts are such a horrid thing, aren't they? ;)

Chick flicks are usually predictable, full of clichés and a tad brainless. It's okay, I don't mind! They can still be very enjoyable. I didn't enjoy this one, though. It's a very bad movie.

A young man has never used a credit card and doesn't know how to order from the internet? How utterly ridiculous. Nobody is such a huge star that they don't know how to order from the internet. How did the actor even accept to shoot that scene?

I was rolling my eyes the whole time. It's okay for the story to be predictable but the characters are shallow and unlikeable.. We didn't see them before he left her, so we don't know how happy they were together and we don't really care whether they get back together or not.

The movie sends the wrong message. It teaches young girls to put up with unacceptable behavior. It teaches them that if you love someone, you should forgive them and take them back over and over again even if they're unreliable jerks.

Forgiveness is great! By all means, forgive. But forgiving is not the same as repeating. Forgiving someone doesn't mean you should necessarily take them back and give them more opportunities to hurt you again. Most of all, forgiveness is one thing, and trust is another. When someone hurts you badly, you can forgive them, but trusting them again is a whole different matter.

He leaves her, in a very hurtful way. She gives him another chance. He leaves her AGAIN. And when he comes back, with a few romantic words and promises, she's like "welcome home" and throws herself in his arms??? Seriously?

Show up every day and display trustworthy behavior every day for five years and THEN, MAYBE she can marry him.

But taking him back, just like that, after he was a jerk twice, just because he says he's changed? The movie makes it look way, waaaayyyy too easy.

So the guy was traumatized by the loss of his mother. Okay. Poor him. We sympathize (although he's unlikeable and makes it really difficult for us to do so).

Then show me real character growth. Show me a guy who's putting in the work, getting professional help, healing his wounds and confusions, and overcoming his trauma. Show me a guy who commits to changed behavior. Show me a guy who displays trustworthy presence, consistently, over a long time.

And THEN have her take him back.

The movie makes it look like healing happens in a split second when you have an epiphany. Poof! Healed. Changed behavior. And you just need to apologize and promise betterment and poof, you're trusted again.

That's simplistic. Healing takes work. Changing our behavior takes work and commitment. Regaining people's trust takes consistent work and time. And love is NOT enough. Loving someone doesn't mean being a doormat they can walk over repeatedly. Forgiving doesn't mean allowing them to do it again.

If the movie was an attempt at a beautiful story of healing and forgiveness, it has missed the point.

I give it two stars because I liked the music. The songs are beautiful.

Cate Blanchett's acting is great (as always) and the other actors do a good job as well, but good acting isn't enough. The movie was boring, depressing, and pointless. When it reached the end, I asked myself ok what's the point? I kept waiting for Jasmine to learn from it and change, but she never did, and it ends without any hope. Fortunately, I didn't really care. The characters are unlikable. I didn't feel any sympathy for them. Watching this movie was unpleasant. There's nothing inspiring about it.