A Good Woman

I watched this film at a preview in Somerset last week with nearly 400 other people and was very pleasantly surprised. I had read the few reviews on IMDb and was a little concerned that I might not like it. But have no fear - if you like films that have a good and witty screenplay, high production values, wonderful scenery, excellent actors, beautifully made costumes and a score that enhances every bit of enjoyment in the film - then this one is for you. There is undoubtedly a growing market for this type of intelligent and enjoyable film yet the reviews in the nationals can often put audiences off what they might well enjoy. The principal actors are good, particularly Helen Hunt and Tom Wilkinson, but they are more than well supported by some fine British character actors who are superb and totally convincing. And if you don't know Lady Windermere's Fan then your enjoyment will probably be even greater as it is an engrossing story.

I almost knew nothing about the movie before I saw it (including that it was an adaption of an Oscar Wilde play), so I had no expectations at all. But I must say that I was pleasantly surprised!

It had a very good script with some fine dialogs. (Although I think the German synchronization didn't work out that well -I would like to see it again, in English). But let me tell you more what I thought about the movie:

The movie creates a superb atmosphere with it's grandiose costumes, the great scenery and really good cinematography. The story is quite simple and a bit predictable! But the actors are fun to watch at, especially Scarlett Johansson and Helen Hunt. They both really act well and look unbelievable!

I can only recommend this movie...

Interesting movie! Probably to the contrary of many other viewers, I went to see this partly because I was intrigued by one of the supporting cast - Mark Umbers, a young British actor who plays Mr Robert Windermere. However, I was pleasantly surprised by all the cast. Tom Wilkinson is, as ever, a joy to watch - it's certainly impressive how he can persuasively portray both fantastically nice characters such as Tuppy, and also villains like Lord Queensberry in "Wilde". Helen Hunt was surprisingly beautiful as Mrs Erlynne, and a mention should go out to Stephen Campbell-Moore too. The locations were superb, the 30s vibe worked gratifyingly well, and in general I feel it did the Wilde original justice beautifully. Definitely recommendable.

Based on Wilde's work, 'A Good Woman' is a decent enough film to be enjoyed once. Not surprisingly, there are some great clever dialogues. The costumes are very good and the locations are exceptional. The use of subtle comedy with drama is impressive but the drama is not engaging enough to stay in the viewers mind after the film has ended. It is quite easily a forgettable film that can be enjoyed only at the moment. On the technical front, the film is okay. Cinematography is uneven and flat at times. It's great to see Helen Hunt after a long time on screen. She looks a lot older (than she actually was at the time) but at the same time very sensual. However, her nuances do not exactly much the traits of a woman from that time period. Scarlett Johansson has that clueless look that we have witnessed in pretty much everything else she's done. Now the best part of the film is Tom Wilkinson who clearly steals the show with a delightfully endearing comedic performance. As stated earlier, watch this romantic comedy just to enjoy it for the moment. It's much better than the silly fluffy rom-coms so often produced in America.

Hi everyone... This is my first ever review, so I'll see how it goes... I just saw this a few hours ago here at the Rio Film Festival and I have to say, it was one of the most charming films I've seen this year. Those who know Oscar Wilde's work should know that it is mostly based on dialog, and this is no different.. but most of it is so hilarious that even people who can't stand talk-based movies should have a good time. The real star of the show here is, in my opinion, Tom Wilkinson. Helen Hunt and Scarlett Johansson are both very good (as is most of the cast), but Wilkinson is so endearingly silly that you can't help but care for him more than the others. So what keeps it from being a stunner? The same thing that makes it good: it's the type of film you forget very easily. Nothing is ever too serious about the film and even though that is a pivotal thing in making it such a good time, it also makes it very easy for the film to slip out of your mind once it's over. Also, another thing I noticed (and thought was kind of weird, actually) was how uneven the cinematography was. You'd have one shot that was really beautiful and lush followed by one that seemed a little rushed, and not particularly worked on (those who have seen Barry Lyndon should notice that some shots, in my opinion, are incredibly similar, though sunnier - hopefully a reference, not a rip-off). But, by all means, go see it. It is a wonderful film to see with someone special, and should provide some very quotable one-liners once it comes out.

A romantic comedy that is as sleek as it is clever? If that's not enough reason to go to the movies, I don't know what is. Thanks for reading, bye!