NBates1 Reviews

Cinderella (I) (2021)

Cringe from beginning to end

[2/10 · 9 September 2021]

Why does anyone think it is a good idea to have age-old fairy tale characters spew woke nonsense all over the place? I can't remember any story being told more than Cinderella, and this seems to me the most forgettable version out there. The movie spends far too much time giving the audience a headache either with overlong musical numbers, or with the patronizing preaching of modern 'values' that has truly become irritating. Why does every single movie and TV show nowadays have to conform to whatever agenda is promoted? It is so in-your-face that there is no subtlety left. Admittedly, the costumes and production design were rather good. Camila makes for a charming lead but cannot save the film, while usually talented performers like Menzel, Brosnan and Driver are completely wasted. The evil stepmother isn't even all that evil anymore, and is stupidly redeemed at the end, and I completely forgot the stepsisters were in it at some point. Also, does James Corden have to be in everything these days? He's not funny and nobody likes him. Don't waste time with this and STOP shoving agendas down our throats!

Those Who Wish Me Dead (2021)

Very enjoyable

[10/10 · 17 May 2021]

While Sheridan's previous works, Hell or High Water and Wind River, provide more satisfying emotional journeys, Those Who Wish Me Dead is a fast-paced, pulsating thriller with a truly fantastic cast led by the mesmerizing Ms. Jolie. The cinematography is beautiful and provides for some truly fantastic shots, and the sound design is on point. Brian Tyler's score also deserves a shout-out.

The chemistry between Hannah and Connor was great and made for some genuinely sweet and funny moments, but it was newcomer Medina Senghore who stole the show.

The third act is where everything sizzles, literally, to a satisfying conclusion. I only wish it were a bit longer.

Knives Out (2019)

Funny, smart and engrossing

[9/10 · 30 November 2019]

Being a big fan of mystery novels and films, I was really looking forward to watching this movie, and was not at all disappointed! While set in modern times, the film has a really timeless feel to it, similar to the stories by Agatha Christie. While the formula is familiar; rich dysfunctional family living in a big mansion, all with secrets to hide, the twists and turns are quite surprising. The entire experience is engrossing, and, while the story did not quite go where I initially expected, the ending was great, and actually smart. The whole thing was also really funny at times, adding to the whole entertainment value of murder mysteries. Daniel Craig, playing detective Benoit Blanc, really goes to town on his role, with a southern 'accent' I never really heard before. Ana de Armas really shines in this movie as well, and the ensemble of great actors playing the eccentric family members all made their screen time memorable. I highly recommend this movie.

Maleficent: Mistress of Evil (2019)

More fun than the first!

[10/10 · 18 October 2019]

A film like this asks its audience to switch off their over-analytical and critical brain cells and have fun with the action on the screen, and there's a lot of fun going on. Angelina Jolie, who has been absent from the big screen for a while, reminds us all she was born to play and own this special role. She possesses a rare screen presence for modern-day Hollywood, one that reminds us of the classic Goddesses of the Golden Age (Garbo, Crawford, Davis, etc.). With one look, she can convey so much and watching her on the big screen is a pleasure. Michelle Pfeiffer gives it her all as an absolutely hell-bent Queen, and the scene where she and Maleficent try to out-b*tch each other is iconic. Elle Fanning delivers well, better than her role in the first film, and the rest of the cast were good. I do wish that Chiwetel Ejiofor was given more to do, though. The film is aesthetically breathtaking in terms of production design, costume design, VFX and cinematography. The battle scene was insane, and I was quite surprised at the church scene were the fairies are trapped in what is similar to a gas chamber, and it's safe to say there are quite a few casualties, including Flittle. Thinking back, it really is quite disturbing and bold for a family movie. Maleficent's rebirth into a giant Phoenix/Dragon was epic, but I wish her ties to the creature were better explained beforehand. All in all, I really enjoyed the experience of Maleficent 2, which was more entertaining than the first, and Miss Jolie is always mesmerizing to watch.

Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood (2019)

What was the point?

[5/10 · 15 August 2019]

In an era of never-ending franchises and superhero movies, watching something original, something that is pure film, is a breath of fresh air. It is also a rarity. However, if being original is throwing 100 ideas into a blender and releasing the mess for the audience's privilege, then I'd stick with the never-ending MCU movies. Honestly, throw in a buddy comedy element, the washed-up has-been actor wanting to survive storyline, obnoxious closeups of dirty feet, lots and lots (and LOTS) of driving, an old Hollywood backdrop and a bit of violence, and you get '"Once Upon a Time in Hollywood". What compelled me to give it five stars is the admittedly good acting, the chemistry between the two leads, the beautiful cinematography and some genuinely funny individual moments, all which qualified for some form of entertainment. However, the rest of the movie is a bizarre piece of wishful thinking, that is not at all relevant to the main characters. Margot Robbie was good with the very little that she was given, but her character could not have been more pointless, due to the ending where history has been changed and no harm came to her. There was honestly no point to the whole story, and while I appreciate films that try to do something new, at least have a coherent story that goes somewhere. This does not. Random appearances of big names like Al Pacino, Kurt Russell, Bruce Dern, Luke Perry, Dakota Fanning, etc. just add to the weirdness of the whole movie, and the pointlessness as well. Way too much time is wasted while the DiCaprio character is scene shooting some cheap cowboy show, and the film easily could have been a lot shorter, but Tarantino insists on taking his time in showing us...nothing. The violence at the end was rather fun to watch, but the entire movie leading up to it was meaningless. I can almost guarantee that, if not for the name of Tarantino and the glamour of the stars, this movie would have been crapped on all over.

Avengers: Endgame (2019)

Satisfying conclusion, too long

[7/10 · 31 July 2019]

In all honesty I enjoyed Endgame more than Infinity War, which gave me a headache when I watched it last year. The performances here are quite good, with RDJ, Johansson, Evans and Hemsworth at their very best. The cinematography and visual effects are, of course, fantastic. The effects of Infinity War events on the different characters was cool to watch, and their dynamics and interactions together were quite good too. The ending was quite powerful, and a poetic end to an era, with the heroic sacrifices of Iron Man and Black Widow. However, the movie was WAY too long and dragged a lot in the middle. Some parts could have easily been shortened or edited out completely without affecting the story line. Also, some of the plot points and details of the story are very complicated and difficult to keep up with or understand without asking a hundred questions. All in all, while a half-time break is necessary, Endgame was a satisfying and powerful end to this important era of the MCU.

The Lion King (2019)

Somewhat Lifeless

[6/10 · 18 July 2019]

The Lion King is without a doubt one of the greatest animated films of all time ( if not THE greatest). It was already flawless, and so there was no reason whatsoever to remake it, especially if there is nothing new to be added to the story. The visuals are breathtaking and unsurpassed, but the very realistic looking animals look rather awkward when they talk and show no emotion whatsoever, something that has been achieved exceptionally in 2D animation. The voice cast in general is fine, but no one really stands out. It is the same story exactly, but the magic is not there.

Murder Mystery (2019)

Cringe-worthy

[2/10 · 21 June 2019]

This movie has been done (a LOT) before and done better. The only reason I bothered to give it a 2 is for the location and the Ferrari scene. Not a single joke was funny, some were just painful. Sandler and Aniston, an overrated duo, play the same dull characters they always do, trying way too hard to be quirky and funny, and failing miserably. The plot twists were honestly dumb and predictable and character behaviors in some parts didn't make sense. Only worth watching if you're really bored.

The Favourite (2018)

Weird film that had potential

[5/10 · 17 January 2019]

Well, I do not really know where to start. First of all, the performances of the three leads and their interactions are fantastic. They really are the best thing about this movie. Between them, though, Olivia Colman definitely shined brightest. That however, does not mean that any of these characters were even remotely likable, or had any redeeming qualities. Queen Anne, while she delivered some memorable funny lines, was completely out of her mind. The Weisz character was very unpleasant, domineering and condescending, while the Stone character was nothing less than a snake; cunning, manipulative, and quite evil. The rest of the film was a bit baffling. There is always an attempt for a story arc that never really comes through. Is it the sad life of a troubled and childish queen? No. Is it about the deep and complex relationship between two people who care about each other (Colman and Weisz)? No. Is it about an impoverished young woman who wants to finally amount to something and gain back her rights as someone of good family? Again, no. The story attempts to mix all of these elements, and the result is a weird, somewhat incoherent and eventually boring mess. The ending was unbelievably underwhelming. The very strong language was strange and out of place in this setting. The fish-eye camera was completely unnecessary, and pretentious if I might add, while the film also looked very dark. The costumes and production design were great, as were the hair and makeup. The music was really annoying and awkwardly placed. While the Queen did have some humorous moments and lines, this is certainly NOT a comedy. All in all, with a definite story arc, this film could have had potential, but ultimately a somewhat incapable director turned the concept into a mess.

The Wife (I) (2017)

Powerhouse Performance

[9/10 · 17 January 2019]

Sometimes, small, independent films with little hope of being in the spotlight feature incredible scripts, or phenomenal performances that throw them into that light. The latter is the case for Glenn Close's latest film, 'The Wife'. Her performance in this film is nothing short of masterful, especially since she boldly relies on something that has not been popular in a while, face acting; a kind of throwback to silent films. With one expression and glance deep into her eyes, the audience finds out a handful of her inner troubles. While the story is not really groundbreaking and the twist somewhat predictable, the film still has its message, still has a voice that deserves to be heard, although at the end of the day the film is all about Close, her anger bubbling throughout until one final explosion at the end. That alone is worth watching. Jonathan Pryce is also absolutely fantastic in the thankless role of the poet husband, and the chemistry and back-and-forth between the two of them is on point. Hopefully, this will be Close's year, she is FINALLY not gonna be ignored ;)

A Star Is Born (2018)

The most overrated movie in a long time

[5/10 · 7 January 2019]

Yes, Gaga is a good singer, yes her performance is fine, but the amount of hype surrounding this movie is unfathomable. It is the FOURTH adaptation of this movie, so nothing that special about it. I would have loved Bradley Cooper's performance if I could understand a single word he was saying; he mumbled his sentences in a very annoying and pretentious way. Gaga is fine but looks plastic. Her performance is in no way deserving of any award wins, in my humble opinion. The way she sang 'La Vie en Rose' was downright embarrassing. The plot was also somewhat predictable. Cooper's suicide scene was not done very well and the shaky camera moments were distracting. That being said, the overall acting was good, and Sam Elliot is a good actor often overlooked. The songs were quite enjoyable; that is the area where Gaga truly shines. Some of the scenes were touching, etc. Overall, predictable, overrated movie with some good moments.

The Birds (1963)

Exceptional movie!

[10/10 · 5 February 2016]

Alfred Hitchcock's "THE BIRDS" is his last real masterpiece. It was released three years after the colossal effect of PSYCHO on audiences. This movie is different; it is Hitchcock's 'creature feature', yet the creatures in this film are not vicious monsters; they're birds: seagulls, sparrows, crows, etc.

This movie is exceptional and stands out because the mystery element is abundant; we are not given any specific reasons as why the birds are acting the way they are, nor what happens in the end. We just see the main characters driving away with a shocking amount of birds surrounding them. This unique storytelling ability (which would definitely fail if handled in other ways with less remarkable directors) is very typical of the master of suspense.

Tippi Hedren plays the lovely heroine, Melanie, a socialite who is smitten with a young lawyer. The story involves the two of them, his mother and sister. Other characters include an unfortunate schoolteacher, Annie, who is killed by the birds in an attempt to protect the little sister of Rod Taylor's character.

Considering this was in the sixties, the visual effects were quite impressive, and the sound effect of the bird noises was haunting.

All in all, Hitchcock has crafted one masterful, eerie classic worthy of being preserved for generations to come.

Rope (1948)

Highly intelligent

[9/10 · 5 February 2016]

Alfred Hitchcock's "Rope", released in 1948, was remarkable to watch; the unique camera-work, where minimal editing is done, led to shots being about 10 minutes long, where the camera only basically moves and does not cut. So, at the time, it must have been quite experimental to make; just as the whole plot revolved around an 'experiment'; albeit a gruesome one.

Two young men want to commit a perfect murder, in order to satisfy the superiority and inferiority theory of mankind where the superior can get rid of the inferior and look at murder as a form of art. In order to make their little experiment even more dangerous and satisfy their adrenaline even more, they host a party where they invite the dead young man's father and his fiancé, who are worried at his absence. James Stewart plays their former schoolmaster who taught them about these theories.

The suspense is seen when one of them begins to crack under pressure and fear, and the movie focuses on many little details in order for us, the audience, to feel more involved and discover the characters' psychology and understand their ideas, and see the different stages they go through before getting caught by Stewart's character.

The other young man, the leader of the duo, keeps calm and collected till the very end, when it is too late and they are caught.

All in all, the film was entertaining, visually and technically unique and magnificently directed by the master.

Frenzy (1972)

Good film, but not as good as other Hitchcock masterpieces.

[6/10 · 2 February 2016]

Alfred Hitchcock's FRENZY was released in 1972, notably later than his previous masterpieces of the 50s/60s, so it is much more graphic and sexual than all of them.

The story is quite engaging, but it never does scare someone, because I did not really feel the atmosphere one supposedly feels when watching a Hitchcock thriller (such as Psycho, Rear Window, etc.).

The movie does contain a rape scene (that was graphic considering this was in the 70s), where Rusk sexually assaults his friend Blaney's ex-wife in her office and then strangles her with a neck- tie. There is quite a bit of nudity in this film as well.

The musical score was nothing special, but the camera work was good. The performance were good as well, and Jon Finch did an impressive job as the lead. The others were effective.

However, you never really feel he is a wrong man arrested, as he is extremely casual about it; unlike Cary Grant's character in North by Northwest who tries his best to flee.

Hitchcock's directing was great as usual.

All in all, the film was interesting and the plot was great and engaging (and humorous at times), but I never really felt the atmosphere of a Hitchcock thriller.

Rebecca (1940)

Magnificent Hitchcock Thriller in Hollywood's Golden Era

[10/10 · 28 January 2016]

Where can I start with this film?! It is a truly magnificent, perfectly cast (and of course, perfectly directed) mystery thriller in the golden era of film-making.

Sir Laurence Olivier and Joan Fontaine, a duo of classic movie icons, star in REBECCA, a story of a naive young woman who marries a wealthy aristocrat that is haunted by the memory of his dead first wife, Rebecca.

When it starts off as a romantic film, it shifts the tone to a dark and mysterious thriller, after we are introduced to Mrs. Davers, the intimidating housekeeper who is dangerously obsessed with Rebecca.

There are many twists and turns in the plot, mainly Olivier's confession of drowning Rebecca's body in her boat after she accidentally hit her head and died when taunting him about the fact that she was pregnant with another man's child. The truth was she was sick and wanted to anger him into killing her so he can be prosecuted.

The cast was brilliant and extremely convincing in the portrayal of their respective characters. The setting and photography were excellent as well.

This film has helped Hitchcock into what he became some decades later, and it was wonderful to watch.

Vertigo (1958)

Very intriguing Hitchcock film!

[10/10 · 25 January 2016]

Hitchcock's Vertigo has been called one of his greatest films, and it definitely is (in his top 5, in my opinion). The story is gripping, the performances are very good, the setting and style and photography are as well. There were moments of suspense, fear, humor and romance.

James Stewart, who has been in a large number of Hitch's flicks, does a great job here portraying a man tortured by his unsolvable fear of heights, leading to vertigo.

The beautiful Kim Novak, playing Trudy and 'Madeleine', is excellent as well. She is very convincing, but I must say that her eyebrows are worthy of Maleficent. They were so arched it was distracting.

The twist at the end is quite good as well, but one thing I did not like was the way she died. She was frightened by the sudden appearance of a nun and she fell. I felt it should have been something a bit more dramatic that led her to fall.

However, the movie is iconic and deservedly so. It is one of the best films out there.

Inside Out (I) (2015)

Fun and heart-warming

[8/10 · 22 January 2016]

Inside Out proved to be a really good animated film, worthy of the praise it has received. It is fun for all the family, heart-warming and has great messages.

The story is about Riley, an 11-year-old girl who is saddened when she leaves Minnesota with her parents and moves to San Francisco. The core emotions in her mind, Joy, Sadness, Anger, Fear and Disgust also go through the challenge with her, mainly Joy and Sadness. The others just serve as comical relief. Joy and Sadness embark on a journey trying to help Riley after her emotions are confused and she decides to run away. They try to maintain her sense of family and friendship and her fun-loving spirit.

The movie sends a very important message to the audience, which is the importance of sadness, which can strengthen bonds and help others finally admit to their worries and troubles, and presents it in a fun way.

The animation is beautiful; the voice cast did a wonderful job, especially Amy Poehler.

This is not the very best Pixar, but is definitely in their top films yet.

Mommie Dearest (1981)

Unbelievably underrated classic!

[9/10 · 11 January 2016]

Due to all the negativity surrounding this film, I did not know what to expect, but wow this was really good! Faye Dunaway is extremely over-the-top and absolutely explosive to the point that you never notice anyone else but her on screen, and so is unbelievably entertaining. The film was entertaining to watch, it gave us this idea of what can go in inside the houses of even the richest of people. However, this is certainly not an accurate depiction of the events, and is extremely exaggerated, but nevertheless, I loved it! It was hilarious, without intending to be so. Crawford was a very complicated woman, and a great disciplinarian, but there was something else going on with her that caused her to crack. The "NO WIRE HANGERS" sequence was hilarious and creepy, and I can see why this film and this scene became camp, with Joan screaming like a madwoman over and over again and spanking her daughter with the hanger. The ending was sad; Joan watching her daughter honor her on television. This film definitely has to be one of the most quotable films ever, because several of the lines have been memorized and cherished (still not in the way intended, because the film can never be taken seriously). All in all, a deliciously entertaining (even if historically inaccurate and unevenly directed) underrated classic!

Edge of Tomorrow (2014)

Action-packed, funny and original!

[9/10 · 10 January 2016]

I found Edge of Tomorrow to be highly enjoyable due to many different aspects that make it a great film. It was action-packed, and the action was quite good and intense, the visuals were masterful, especially the alpha and omega aliens, etc. It was quite funny as well, with Tom Cruise playing this goof ball who has no business being in the military yet has to face this challenge, and his encounters with the J-Squad and his superior are quite humorous, as well as the number of times the day is repeated. The amount of times he dies and comes back to life is also a hilarious sequence. I must say that this is probably the only non-Ethan Hunt role Cruise has played that I liked; I don't generally like him as an actor but here he really does a great job. Emily Blunt was fantastic as well; she's a great female character and is absolutely lovely. The rest of the cast were great as well. The story-line was great and original; much more original than the madly overrated "Guardians of the Galaxy", and twice as enjoyable. All in all, a great film!

Poirot (1989–2013)

Brilliant!

[10/10 · 10 January 2016]

Agatha Christie's Poirot is a wonderful and brilliant show that lasted for many years, based on the ingenious tales of murder and mystery by the queen of crime herself, Dame Agatha Christie. David Suchet dissolves into the role of the great eccentric genius, Hercule Poirot, a character previously played on film by Albert Finney and Peter Ustinov. But none were as perfect for this part as David Suchet. And where would a detective be without his loyal companions, Captain Hastings, Chief Inspector Japp and Miss Lemon, all of them delightful and lovable, played by Hugh Fraser, Philip Jackson and Pauline Moran respectively. This is definitely British television at its best, and seeing these wonderful and ingenious novels and short stories come to life is really a treat. Different episodes also feature different stellar casts, Death on the Nile and Murder on the Orient Express come to mind. I also have to acknowledge the wonderful score composed by Christopher Gunning, that is really a wonderful tune and sets the tone for a fun time. Even after this show sadly had to end, it will always be re-watched and discovered by new people, and Suchet's performance as Poirot will be cherished and remembered forever.

Godzilla (2014)

Quite disappointing

[2/10 · 10 January 2016]

This movie's title is misleading, because Godzilla basically makes a cameo only. The movie drags and drags and just when things start to get interesting (action sequences, fight scenes), it cuts back to the boring human story-line. Also, the awesome Bryan Cranston is killed not too long into the movie. He was definitely the best actor and most interesting human character, but, of course, the hero is his boring son, who is not that great of a character essentially. Godzilla looks awesome, and spews this great powerful energy but doesn't use it much, and a long time is spent just watching him swim towards and away from the town, with the military following him. Honestly, the MUTOs have a lot more screen time than Godzilla, who this movie is supposed to be about. A lot of time is spent in the dark, frustrating the audience even more and making the film even longer. There was of course the cliché of the wife and kid in trouble, who are characters not worth caring about. Godzilla ends up the savior of the town, which is okay. The film is visually stunning, so there's a plus. This should not have been called Godzilla, it should have been another creature to save the day, because the MUTOs are basically the main monsters here. All in all, a visually stunning movie that was extremely disappointing.

Murder on the Orient Express (1974)

Wonderful Film!

[10/10 · 2 January 2016]

Murder on the Orient Express is definitely one of my favorite films ever. It has a lot of qualities that make it so, the acting, plot, cast, design, music, etc were all perfect. The book was very faithful to the novel, and the cast was absolutely magical! I don't think I have ever seen a movie with such a cast (Bacall, Bergman, Connery, Perkins, all of them). My personal favorite scene was when the revelation of how all of them killed Ratchett. The acting (especially Bacall) was spot-on. Bergman's Little Brown Babies scene was hilarious and well-acted. And I also found Wendy Hiller, who played Princess Dragomiroff, quite funny and played her part well. However, I did not much care for Finney's Poirot, I much prefer Ustinov's (and of course Suchet is the best). Out of the Agatha Christine films, this is a close second to Death on the Nile (my favorite). The score by Richard Rodney Bennet is one of the best film scores I have ever heard. The Orient Express Walzer was my favorite. I also loved the opening scene where Ratchett kidnaps Daisy; the music was great as well. All in all, the film was stunning, and is definitely a classic (though an underrated one, I must say).

Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)

Overrated

[5/10 · 2 January 2016]

To start with, the film has excellent visual effects and the action sequences were very good. The production design kind of looked like the 60s, but that's not really a problem. I felt like there was nothing really new here, the same story-lines are repeated in these Marvel films, so it does not have a lot to make it unique or so different from other Sci-Fi films, and it is really strange to me how so many people loved it. Also, apart from Groot (who was just awesome), I did not find any of the other characters very likable, especially Chris Pratt. Zoe Saldana was the clichéd bad-ass action heroine who is more serious than the goofy male hero.However, the story was gripping a lot of the time, and I have to repeat how amazing the visual effects were; it was just visually dazzling. But I also had a problem with how bad the skin makeup looked on the colorful characters (Zoe Saldana, her sister, the villain and others). All in all, the film was fun to watch and has great visuals, but I found it overrated.

What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? (1962)

Great creepy entertainment!

[9/10 · 31 December 2015]

This film is an instant classic, filled with terrific (and appropriately campy) performances. Bette Davis as Baby Jane Hudson is definitely one of the scariest evil female characters ever, and her performance is chilling. Joan Crawford gives a very solid and convincing performance as well; this is no surprise, considering these are two of the most talented actors in history, and (even considering they hated each other) they had great on-screen chemistry. The scene where Jane serves Blanche her dead parakeet was creepy enough, but when it was a dead rat, it was just too much. Her evil laugh in the sequence and Blanche's reaction made it one of my favorite scenes in the film. Victor Buono was great as well, and might I add that his expressions were priceless as he played the piano to Jane's "Daddy" song. I felt really bad for Elvira though, as she was a sympathetic character. Her death was unfortunate but needed for the thriller, and Jane's childish behavior before and after doing so made it even more chilling. I'd recommend this to people who appreciate classics, and all in all a great film!

Death on the Nile (1978)

Absolutely wonderful!

[10/10 · 1 April 2015]

As an avid reader of Agatha Christie's books, I found 'Death on the Nile' to be the best possible adaptation of my favorite book into film. Some technical details differ, along with the absence of some characters in the book, but the movie was engaging, had great performances, especially by Peter Ustinov, Angela Lansbury, Mia Farrow, David Niven and Bette Davis. The filming locations are visually marvelous. The humor was endless, Ustinov really brought an 'elegant' humor to Poirot, and Angela Lansbury stole just about every scene she was in with her hilarious, drunk, over-the-top performance as the unlucky romance writer, Mrs. Otterbourne. The tension involving the love triangle between Jacqueline, Linnet and Simon was executed in a very fine and artistic way in this movie. The various uncomfortable encounters Linnet has with her fellow passengers were also very good, and widened the variety of the people who could have been guilty for her murder. Also, Poirot's explanation in the end was wonderfully written and acted, and the flashbacks were effective in showing us EXACTLY what happened, until it leads to the tragic ending of Jacqueline de Bellefort and Simon Doyle. I found some things in the film to be more realistic than the book; i.e Jackie cutting Louise's throat instead of attacking her with the knife and stabbing her, causing a commotion, and also their suicide where she shot Simon and herself in the head; easier than in the heart as written in the book. The continuous arguments between Bette Davis and Maggie Smith were also very funny. Might I add, it was a joy to watch Lois Chiles, who was definitely gorgeous. All in all, an excellent film with great writing and stellar performances from an overwhelmingly talented all-star cast, in a wonderful location.