People are voting emotionally.

A Brilliant Conflict

One of the best movies of the year! Incredible from the beginning to the end.

Great story, amazing characters, superb action, enthralling cinematography. Yes, this is something I am glad I spent money on.

Watching this goofy and silly BBC movie for television, I didn't quite hang on the obvious question the film poses at the start. What in the world did Ada (Aunt Ada) Doom see in the woodshed that was so nasty? I think the writers and filmmakers wanted that of the viewers, but the hook doesn't quite grab. That's mostly due to the obvious shift then to lighthearted screenplay immediately after. They no doubt needed that quick switch to convince viewers that this was indeed a comedy. Well, all the psychological or market jockeying aside, this is an entertaining movie that isn't nearly as funny as it could have been. For instance, the members of Flora Poste's (Kate Beckinsale) family on the farm aren't as goofy as her London friends. Especially Mrs. Mary Smiling, played by Joanna Lumley. Her eccentric hobby of collecting women's bras and displaying them on torso mannequins is more far out than anyone on the farm. The thing about Flora's relatives on the farm is that they're all quite dirty. The place is run down and no one seems to care about cleaning it up or cleaning themselves. So, it's not that much a task for Flora to gradually get them to clean up their act. She does this in some clever ways with each one – and this is the part of the screenplay is very good. Of course, the viewers get onto what she is doing quickly, but the fun is in watching what she will do next. There are some holes in the plot where things are left out between scenes that would have been good to see. And, had the writers made the farm people actually a little more eccentric, there would have been much more comedy. Instead, the plot revolves closely around Flora, who provides very little of the comedy. Aside from that, I think one of the funniest things about this movie is the names of some of the people, and places. Besides Aunt Ada Doom, Mrs. Mary Smiling is always… you might guess – smiling. Freddie Jones plays Adam Lambsbreath. Anyone who's ever been around sheep can get an idea of that one. Stephen Fry is Meyerbug, which lists in the credits as Flora calls him, Mybug. And, he does bug her. Of course, there's the family name that has always had someone on Cold Comfort Farm, Starkadder. There are some others – Mrs. Beetle, Mr. Neck, etc. Then, there's Beershorn Halt, Ticklepenny Corner, Nettle Flitch, the Church of the Quiverin' Brethren, and Cold Comfort Farm. It's a lightly funny film with some fair performances from Ian McKellen as Amos Starkadder, Rufus Sewell as Seth, Fry as Mybug, Sheila Burrell as Aunt Ada, Eileen Atkins as Judith Starkadder, and Joanna Lumley as Mary Smiling. In a late scene Aunt Ada repeats aloud to everyone for the umpteenth time, "I saw something nasty in the woodshed." Mr. Neck, who is visiting, says, "Sure you did. But did it see you, Baby."Here are some favorite lines from the film. For more, see the Quotes section under this IMDb Web page of the film. Flora Poste: I'm willing to bet there are also cousins called "Seth" and "Reuben." Mary Smiling: Why" Flora: Highly sexed young men living on a farm are always called Seth or Reuben. Amos Starkadder, "Seth, you drain the well. There's a neighbor missing."Amos Starkadder, "They'll all burn in hell, and someone's gotta tell 'em so.Flora Poste, "Then, you have no idea what you're going to say before you get there?" Amos Starkadder, "Aye. I always know it'll be something about burnin'."Earl P. Neck, taking Seth Starkadder to Hollywood, sees Judith and says to Flora, "I'd take here too, but she's too gloomy."

I had never heard of this movie, but found it on a list of "under-appreciated period movies". Being a huge fan of period dramas such as adaptations of Austen, Bronte, et. al. I decided to give it a try. My wife only asked that I chose "Something pleasant" for our evening's viewing. The creepy opening scene had both of us wondering whether I made a bad choice, but the movie soon switched pace. We didn't realize at first that it was a comedy, but found ourselves laughing almost immediately.Many other reviews have gone into the plot, acting and faithfulness to the book (which I haven't read), so I won't bother with all that.I'll just say that this movie kept us engaged and laughing. The delightful sort of movie that leaves you with a smile on your face and makes you want to see it again. And it makes you really are about about this wacky family. It reminds me of Frank Capra's wonderful "You Can't Take It With You" in that respect.The only negative is that ever since we saw this my wife has been cracking me up by saying "I saw something nasty in the woodshed" when least expected.

This is Kate Beckinsale back when she acted instead of did action movies for big bucks. Although I wish they hadn't left out some of the characters and changed some things around from the original book, this movie kept the whacky spirit of Stella Gibbon's novel.For instance, in the novel there were a host of other Starkadders being mistreated by Aunt Ada Doom who Flora helps, Rinnit marries the author Mr. Mybug (Myerburg!) played by Stephen Frye, not Ruben, and the farm isn't actually in bad shape. Ruben has been cooking the books he shows to Aunt Ada so that he can use the money to improve the farm.I have only been able to get my hands on one of the two sequel novels that Stella Gibbons wrote about these same characters, Conference at Cold Comfort Farm and it is not quite as good. But you do get to find out what happened to some of the characters after WWII. Someday I hope to get a copy of Christmas at cold comfort farm to read.Whacky good fun and I like the message that people should follow their own dream (even nutjob religious maniac Cousin Amos, brilliantly played by Sir Ian McKellan) rather than be a slave to a tyrant. It is unrealistic that Aunt Ada can be redeemed so easily but I like the way she was played, as having an epiphany when the American film Czar Mr. Neck asks her if the nasty thing in the woodshed saw her.Excellent movie all around.

First part of a twin bill I watched featuring Ian McKellen (X-Men, Lord of the Rings). He played a fire and brimstone country preacher that reminded me of the 17th Century Puritan Minister Cotton Mather.The movie starred Eileen Atkins (Cold Mountain) and Kate Beckinsale (Underworld). Beckansale played a girl in 1930s England who went to the rural farm property after the death of her father. In a period comedy she proceeds to change the lives of her extended family in a way that gives each of them what they want and free them from their bondage to the seemingly crazy matriarch (Sheila Burrell).It was a very cute piece and to see Ian McKellen preach his sermon was an experience not to be forgotten.