Dreaming of Joseph Lees

When I go to the movie (having an 8 weeks unlimited movies pass) I usually have to plan. I can't be out too late, because I have to get home by bus. But I still would want to watch two movies, if possible. Yesterday the possibility was there in taking "Dreaming of Joseph Lees" as a second movie. I had to run from one screen to the other to be in time, but I managed. entering the screen that played "Dreaming of Joseph Lees", I had the whole cinema to myself. Then having watched the movie I wondered why that was and why the average is only 4.9 for this movie. I am almost giving double figures for this movie.

Some reasons maybe: - It is about very common people. - It is not sensational at all. No real violence, no real sex, etc. - Too much complex psychology. - It is too British. - The story is too simple.

The story is about a woman who by her own acting runs into the dilemma of the feeling of responsibility for Harry (with whom she lives together for a while), a psychopathically jealous partner, even jealous of a book that Eva is reading, and her love from childhood Joseph Lees, who in an explosion loses a leg. Samantha Morton (never heard of her before) plays Eva brilliantly and Lee Ross does a very good job on the complex character of Harry, the farmer. Then there is Janie, sister of Eva and only wanting her sister to be happy. And Eva doesn't really see until the end, but she is happiest with Joseph Lees, who enters her life again at a wedding.

The end of the movie: Get your handkerchiefs out for a brilliant climax....

My feelings went from "I don't know what kind of a movie this is going to be, probably not a very good one" (4.9 average) to "What a beautiful movie". It is a shame that so few people seem to appreciate this movie....And the cinema streamed empty...I was going home.

"Dreaming of Jospeh Lees", a good, earnest and artful shoot, tells of the coming of age of a rural English girl and her conflict over a tentative romance with a close friend while yearning for a less available kissin' cousin for whom she's carried a torch since childhood. Over all a good film, this story lacks substance, spends its time poorly, toys with the audience in a fraudulent attempt to whet interest in the absence of a solid story, and is too far out of the mainstream to be popular. Nonetheless, for those patient few who can buy into the characters, "Dreaming..." will be a very satisfying watch.

Out of curiosity, I picked up this movie at a video store, and was very pleasantly surprised. Samantha Morton is exquisite and believeable as Eva, a quiet girl who harbors a deep love for Joseph Lees, a geologist and distant relative.

I had never heard of Rupert Graves before but he too was tremendous as a lonely man with a personal sorrow.

The supporting cast was top-notch. This is a movie that I have seen several times and will certainly rent it again in the future. It is unforgettable.

Again, the Brits show off their capacity for quality adult drama, story lines not dummied down for public consumption, and actors whose ability to shine in roles without special effects, gratuitous nudity, and oversize lips makes this film a viewing delight. Rupert Graves is an actor whose face reflects emotional pain and sensuality in equal amounts. He is a treasure in this film. Stories of human dilema, period costumes, and location interiors add to the brilliant presentation.

What is the right thing to do? Follow your fantasy mate while destroying one who loves you, or staying behind and sacrificing yourself so that the one who loves you will stay alive?

Many people have had to make such a choice: the person of your dreams appears, and there is a real possibility that you can establish a relationship with that person. However, you've established a relationship with another, an uneven relationship, where he loves you more than you love him. But he is a good person, and devoted. Handsome, a good lover. But the person of your dreams (in this case, Joseph Lees) is also real, and could take you to a place where your life can be miraculous and sublime. What to do?

I enjoyed this film tremendously, and easily related to the characters and situations.