Lady Chatterley's Lover

Sometimes a movie is more than the sum of its parts. Not this latest LCL. Here the parts stubbornly refuse to come together (pun intended).

In a culture ruled by intellect and divided by class, Lawrence advocated for connection and the body. But sex, for Lawrence, is not solely about climax; it is also a vehicle of self-discovery, a way to transcend class.

Unfortunately, the film demonstrates little of Lawrence's penetration. Instead, Lady Chatterley and her story languish under a frigid ideological lens.

Thus Corrin's Lady Chatterley can best be described as 'disembodied.' The director is more interested in her as an idea than a flesh-and-blood person. Her face registers, but what is missing is the experience of her awkward, boyish body. Honestly, if she manifested a new consciousness in the way she moved and held herself, I sure didn't notice it.

Similarly, she arouses no physical chemistry in a fine-looking O'Connell, who in turn does capture the accent, but not the ecstasy. Their nude scenes together, devitalized by the wan colors of the photography, are the reverse of joyously sensuous.

Speaking of which, has Venice ever been less sensuous?

In the end, the film makes the viewer an intellectual observer, not a partaker. The film's elements, though in ever such good taste, lack that lush, unashamed appeal to the senses that would have immersed us in Connie's and Mellor's awakening to what it is to be woman and man.

Qualified recommendation: despite its shortcomings, a springboard into a more personal, transgressive, and passionate imaginative experience.

This is just another one of the many films that gets remade over and over again. The remakes never get any better, in fact often the reverse. And this film fulfills that formula perfectly. It's dumbed down, unsexy and uninteresting.

There is no chemistry between the two titular characters whatsoever and the acting is no very good. I didn't particularly hate the performances but I also didn't find them in the least believable.

The writing was pretty terrible. It seemed as though they wanted to have somebody be the "bad guy" but they just weren't sure about who to make it. Direction was poor. Too concerned with the surface appearances and ignoring the substance. The set and costuming were basically BBC average.

Like man Netflix "originals" they are scared of offending anyone and spend so much time and effort on avoiding that offense that the end product is as bland and tasteless as cafeteria food.

I truly do not understand why this movie is so reviled. I have read all D. H. Lawrence and most people fail (or do not wish to) understand that his main purpose was the study of social inequities and their devastating effect on British Society in the early 20th Century. All is work tends to illustrate that. Lady Chatterley's Lover is a prime example of that beyond the scandal around its publication. It is the first time that I truly see this aspect in an adaptation as well as the sex not being necessarily pretty and romantic. Their relationship is the closest one to the book I have ever seen. So haters pass your way, the cast, direction, cinematography everything rings true.

It looks good. The acting of the 2 leads is convincing and yet there is no heat, no chemistry and no peril in what they may loose.

As with so much of Lawrence's adaptations, they capture the text, the story, but not the spirit of the author.

It fails to capture some of the subplots that would make this a real telling of the book. Lord Chatterley is a caring thoughtful man one moment and ridiculous stereotype the next. Hilda, caring when Connie is ill and yet cold and shrill later. Mrs Bolton was not developed in this adaptation, possibly because of time.

It's worth a watch. Netflix are starting to do more highbrow movies with Rebecca coming last year. This is better than that. Let's hope it continues.

Based on the notorious last and often banned novel by D. H. Lawrence this film is it's most recent adaptation. Set during WWI Lord Clifford Chatterly marries Connie Reid. He almost immediately goes back to the front where he is injured in the war. When he comes home he is unable to father children or use his legs. He moves his wife to his family's country estate, taking her out of the bustling London that she loves. Isolated and alone, Lady Chatterly becomes more of a caretaker than lover to her husband. In this version her husband discusses with her the idea that she could discreetly choose a lover to impregnate her so that they could have an heir, sine he can not father one...it only they know that. He set boundaries, that he trusted her judgment, but never wanted to know who the true father is. At first she is upset by his suggestion, but starts taking long walks by herself where she eventually meets the estate's gamekeeper and former soldier himself Oliver Mellors. Eventually Oliver and Connie start a torrid affair that does end up with her being pregnant.

The novel touches on several themes involving the class system existing in England, infidelity, and the conditions of laborers like miners. The film also touches on these theme but only in the broadest of strokes.

The setting for the film is beautifully filmed and the costumes are wonderful and period appropriate. I really appreciated that they had both male and female full frontal nudity. The film r ally makes a pitch for this story being about a great love story and a woman willing to give up everything for this great love...only in the film I was watching I never saw that love built or nurtured. I would argue that there was a woman desperate to be touched physically and that there was lust...but I failed to see any love. I am afraid having good physical timing so you can satisfy each other's desires simultaneously is not love.

There were some decent performances by the actors and in particular by the actress who played my favorite character in this film, Mrs. Bolton (Joely Richardson).

I am not sure how I would rank this in a list of adaptations of this book, but I do know it is not my favorite. It is a beautiful film that I can recommend to fans of classics and those who are fans of historical dramas. I don't think I would recommend this to a true romantic however...and if lust is your thing, I think you would be better off watching 365 DNI in my opinion.