Paradise Road
3/4
Starring: Glenn Close, Pauline Collins, Cate Blanchett, Frances McDormand, Jennifer Ehle, Julianna Margulies, Elizabeth Spriggs
Rated R for Prisoner of War Brutality and Violence
In a way, "Paradise Road" is a victim of its own length. Even at a hair over two hours long, it's too short. In an attempt to keep things to a "reasonable" length, director Bruce Beresford cuts out too much and shortchanges more than a few of the relationships that make up the story.
In 1942, a group of women are with their husbands/boyfriends in Singapore dancing at a gala. But the base is attacked and the women and children are rushed out of the Philippenes. Their ship is attacked, however, and the survivors are sent to a Japanese POW camp in Sumatra. There, they undergo grueling work and face the threat of death by execution or disease. Two of the women, Adrienne Partiger (Close) and Margaret Drummond (Collins) decide to form a vocal orchestra to keep their spirits up. Naturally this doesn't go over well with their captors, at least at first.
The film gets off to an okay start, but it runs into a bit of trouble during the first few minutes when the action centers on the camp. Beresford has a bit of trouble establishing who is who and who they're talking to. Once he regains focus after about twenty minutes, the film is on solid ground again.
"Paradise Road" is blessed with an excellent cast: Glenn Close, Frances McDormand, Jennifer Ehle, Julianna Margulies (underused) and a pre-famous Cate Blanchett. It doesn't get much better than this, especially with a budget of $16 million. The performances are top-notch. Glenn Close makes for a feisty and determined woman. Pauline Collins is motherly and optimistic. Frances McDormand is "tough love," but one wonders at times with whom her alliance truly lies. Jennifer Ehle is a lovelorn romantic pining for her husband. Julianna Margulies is a sarcastic and spirited American. All are in top form.
That's actually the problem. They're all so good that all of the characters deserve more screen time. Margulies, an underrated TV actress, is particularly let down. Apart from a few scenes in the beginning, she's a non-entity. I wanted more. It would have given the film more balance and flavor.
Perhaps its not surprising that this film will remind anyone who watches it of "Schindler's List." Steven Spielberg's masterpiece took over three hours to tell, and that time is spent fleshing out the minor (and major) characters. Even with the another hour added to give stronger weight and support to the solid material that is already on screen, I doubt that it would have attained the pinnacle that Spielberg acheived. Then again, "Schindler's List" is a one of a kind experience that will never be duplicated or replicated. Kind of unfair to criticize a good movie for not being a work of art, isn't it?
Starring: Glenn Close, Pauline Collins, Cate Blanchett, Frances McDormand, Jennifer Ehle, Julianna Margulies, Elizabeth Spriggs
Rated R for Prisoner of War Brutality and Violence
In a way, "Paradise Road" is a victim of its own length. Even at a hair over two hours long, it's too short. In an attempt to keep things to a "reasonable" length, director Bruce Beresford cuts out too much and shortchanges more than a few of the relationships that make up the story.
In 1942, a group of women are with their husbands/boyfriends in Singapore dancing at a gala. But the base is attacked and the women and children are rushed out of the Philippenes. Their ship is attacked, however, and the survivors are sent to a Japanese POW camp in Sumatra. There, they undergo grueling work and face the threat of death by execution or disease. Two of the women, Adrienne Partiger (Close) and Margaret Drummond (Collins) decide to form a vocal orchestra to keep their spirits up. Naturally this doesn't go over well with their captors, at least at first.
The film gets off to an okay start, but it runs into a bit of trouble during the first few minutes when the action centers on the camp. Beresford has a bit of trouble establishing who is who and who they're talking to. Once he regains focus after about twenty minutes, the film is on solid ground again.
"Paradise Road" is blessed with an excellent cast: Glenn Close, Frances McDormand, Jennifer Ehle, Julianna Margulies (underused) and a pre-famous Cate Blanchett. It doesn't get much better than this, especially with a budget of $16 million. The performances are top-notch. Glenn Close makes for a feisty and determined woman. Pauline Collins is motherly and optimistic. Frances McDormand is "tough love," but one wonders at times with whom her alliance truly lies. Jennifer Ehle is a lovelorn romantic pining for her husband. Julianna Margulies is a sarcastic and spirited American. All are in top form.
That's actually the problem. They're all so good that all of the characters deserve more screen time. Margulies, an underrated TV actress, is particularly let down. Apart from a few scenes in the beginning, she's a non-entity. I wanted more. It would have given the film more balance and flavor.
Perhaps its not surprising that this film will remind anyone who watches it of "Schindler's List." Steven Spielberg's masterpiece took over three hours to tell, and that time is spent fleshing out the minor (and major) characters. Even with the another hour added to give stronger weight and support to the solid material that is already on screen, I doubt that it would have attained the pinnacle that Spielberg acheived. Then again, "Schindler's List" is a one of a kind experience that will never be duplicated or replicated. Kind of unfair to criticize a good movie for not being a work of art, isn't it?
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