Mrs. Dalloway (1997)

Overrated and overhyped

Horrible, fascist and poorly acted

Great visuals, story delivers no surprises

I didn’t really have many expectations going into the movie (good or bad), but I actually really enjoyed it. I really liked the characters and the banter between them.

During filming, was Vanessa Redgrave taking mogadon? It was like she was reading from an autocue. I've seen more life in a wooden spoon. Or perhaps that was all part of the character? whatever, it was very very annoying, I kept wanting to shake the screen to hurry her up. I read the book a long time ago & didn't like much about it except that Septimus's descent into madness was very well done - but I don't think Rupert Graves showed this very well, his acting was all on the surface. The connection between his life and Clarissa's is not very well done either but I suspect the attempt is to show the sacrifice soldiers made to enable people like Clarissa to continue their vapid lives. The film is very bitty and has no real unity to it. Hated it.

Though I haven't read the book, I felt the movie had a lot to offer and should not be so easily dismissed as "boring." Maybe I am biased, I am an ardent fan of Vanessa Redgrave. But the real star in my opinion was Natasha McElhone. She really internalized the role of a blossoming of young girl, who is not a child not yet a woman. She is mischievous, mature yet artless in certain ways and also innately different from the "mature" Mrs Dalloway essayed by Vanessa Redgrave. I also liked Rupert Graves character. I would not have guessed the abrupt ending of his life.My one observation about the movie is till the end I was not too clear about the depth of emotions that Clarissa had for Peter!! Maybe the book also leaves it vague, but some information would have helped me understand why on one hand she treats him in such a cavalier fashion but then again she shows her tender side in her overwhelming concern for him at the end. Hope other people like it as much as I did.

"Mrs. Dalloway" is an English period flick (circa 1920ish) which is all about a day in the life of the title character (Redgrave). The film sports an excellent cast and all the trappings of the period's polite society. Unfortunately the film falls apart on story/screenplay which is a herky-jerky mess jumping around between Mr. Suicidal Whack-Job, Dalloway and her best friend umpteen years prior, and prattling about her little evening soiree while spending her time on her duff. The characters are paper thin, the story flat, and the screenplay a shambles making what could have been such a lovely film an unrecommendable waste of a good cast and crew - and that's from someone who adores British period flicks. (C)

Can you say "Boring" with a capital B! It's slower than watching grass grow! It's more boring than watching paint dry! You'll sleep right through it.....we all did.....don't do it...you'll regret it!