Bangkok Hilton

artificial yet that is the authentic story's fault.

Otherwise very convincing late Denholm Elliott and Nichole, great set-up, intriguing plot and nearly proper pace.

Very worth buying for a home libruary.

I have just had the luck to see this TV mini again recently. The second viewing just reinforced my impressions from my first viewing a few years ago.

This is Nicole Kidman playing an extraordinary rôle in a great film, before she became another one for the Hollywood heap. Since this film, I have only ever seen her in two better rôles: "The Portrait of a Lady" (qv) and Robert Daldry's astounding masterpiece "The Hours" (qv).

A two-part mini of 90 minutes each, I had to watch the whole three hours in one go: but was not at all tired on either experience. "Bangkok Hilton" does not mess about with unnecessary details, but gets you right into the story from the beginning, especially in the second half which includes those tremendous prison scenes in Thailand's capital, from whence logically the film's title.

Yes, one of Nicole Kidman's earlier works, but one in which you know she was on the road to great things. A few stupidities got in the way - like "Moulin Rouge!" (qv) - but even so, one can now see where she did her spade-work, and "Bangkok Hilton" is one of the best examples.

When it first starts out it is about Katherine, a rather fragile but lovely young woman, always being derided by her mother just so she doesn't forget she is an unlovable homebody of a woman. Think of this segment as a maternal version of "The Heiress".

And then along comes a suitor, an unlikely romantic lead in the person of Denholm Elliot. This mysterious attorney sweeps Katherine off her feet. But then a revelation- Elliot's character is a disgraced WWII soldier who betrayed his fellow soldiers when he was a POW. There are mitigating factors, but nonetheless, mom now has a reason to sweep this guy out of Katharine's life. And then Katherine discovers she is pregnant. K's mom makes K have the baby AND raise it herself mainly so she can never let Katherine forget that she made a fool of herself over a man. Just like she always said she would do. Funny, my grandma made cookies for me and read me stories. But I digress.

And then Katherine dies and leaves her daughter, Katrina (Nicole Kidman) their Australian estate. Katrina has never been off the ranch and wants to find her father, so off this naive young girl goes into the world. She has as poor judgment in men as her mother had been chronically accused of, and so she ends up with a traveling companion that gets her in deep trouble for heroin possession in Thailand. And from there it becomes a nightmare of a film. Not in quality - it is very good - but in the sordid details of the Bangkok Hilton in which Katrina is imprisoned. And then dad pops back into the picture.

Like I said, the film changes tones very starkly during its long running time - it was actually a miniseries. And Nicole Kidman shows what made her a star. Even before Tom Cruise, Nicole had the muse.

When I first have seen these Tv-series in Russia, I didn't have an opportunity to see it from the beginning, but I was surprised. It's the best TV-film I have ever seen, and it's Kidman's best performance. KEN Cameron did a great job. So does Grame Revell's fantastic, brilliant score. It grips you so much, you are nervous, it's so WONDERFULLY and realstically acted and directed, you even forget that you're in front of your TV set. By the way, the scenes of Nicole Kidman's redemption were borrowed later by Frank Darabont in his adaptation of Stephen King's "Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption". It's such a pity that this movie was not taken too seriously and it passed by too quickly, and at the same time we have ridiculous bad acted features like Titanic. By the way, I managed to buy a video with these series, and I'm so HAPPY!

When I first saw the series, I was 15 years old. Ever since I saw it, the first thing that came to mind whenever I heard the name Nicole Kidman was this series. And it was also something that tended to come up at the dinnertable when we were going back discussing television-shows.

Now, some 17 years later I accidentally stumbled upon the DVD and I was rather reserved about the thought of seeing it again because what else but disappointment was there to gain from seeing something which held a good memory but was surely going to be completely outdated.

Imagine my surprise that although it was rather dated, it had actually aged so well. Another surprise was finding no one less than Hugo Weaving playing a major role in it. An actor I had grown to love ever since I saw him in 'The Interview' and the later classics such as LOTR and the Matrix.

Bangkok Hilton has survived the test of time basically because of the really great acting performances, script, story and ambiance. And apparently this was all that it needed to remain the classic that it has become. And by no means the cinematography, which wouldn't stand a chance against even the average soap opera we see today.

When you compare the story and the screenplay to modern similar tales such as the prison-series OZ, you will find that it is really hopeless out of date. The hell-hole of a jail in which Kidman is kept, is like a Disneyride compared to what the men in Emerald City had to endure in OZ. You will find no 'spooning' practices in Bangkok Hilton if you know what I mean.

Perhaps this is what makes this mini series so great, that it's the story that keeps you on the edge of your seat rather than a form of (graphic) violence which seems to be todays primary ingredient for a success film-wise. Just see Labirinto Del Fauno if you want to check my point. That was a so called 'message movie' with really no message at all but in stead featured a been there done that war-drama and cardboard characters. Nonetheless, that movie was hailed by the public and professional movie critics when all it had to offer was a vapid contrast between fable and really graphic violence replacing what used to be a tale between good and evil and its 'grey zone'.

Bangkok Hilton confirmed what I suspected all along, namely that cinema (although achieving greater technical marvels day by day) is becoming increasingly more banal and formula driven, even in the successful, so called 'art house films'.

I'm sorry for letting this review turn out to be such a rant. Thanks for reading and see Bankok Hilton whenever you get a chance.

cheers!