Sadly Over-hyped

Entertaining from beginning to end, it maintains the spirit of the franchise while establishing it's own seal with a fun cast

It isn't all that great, actually. Really cheesy and very predicable of how certain scenes are gonna turn play out. However, I guess that's the charm of it all, because I would consider this one of my guilty pleasures.

A lot of perfectly good film show their cards early, establish a unique premise and let the audience explore a topic at a leisurely pace, without much in terms of surprise. this film is not one of those films.

I have seen this haunting, romantic film many times. It's simply beautiful. Sophie Marceau and Stephen Dillane are a magnificent couple. Character development here is so profound that I have a hard time seeing either of them as anyone else other than their unforgettable characters from this romantic, bittersweet love story.It's especially candlelit, filled with firelight, foggy, and dim... old castle walls... beautiful costumes, bustiers, and the whole nine yards. The storyline is completely believable, sad, and still hopeful.It's JUST the kind of movie to watch on a rainy afternoon. I simply love it. Strong supporting cast and an all-but-perfect screenplay.It starts in 1836 England when a beautiful young unmarried woman from Switzerland arrives. In Switzerland, her father has been imprisoned and her family is destitute. She is answering an ad about a wealthy English landowner who needs an heir, but whose wife is in a vegetative state (and she has been for many years.) The young woman agrees to sleep with the gentleman for several nights in order to get pregnant, stay in England thru her pregnancy, and then give him the baby when it is born. In return, she will receive from him a great sum of money -- a small fortune -- the money she needs to get her father out of prison and get her family back on its feet again. All of this will be done in absolute secrecy and anonymity... they agree not to even learn each others' names, for the sake of his reputation.Doesn't this sound intriguing? It IS! It just gets better and better, too. I LOVE IT! So, rent it or buy it. Unplug the phone and darken the shades. Don't let anyone interrupt you during this unforgettable romance. ENJOY!

good story, good acting. no over-acting, no under-acting. beautiful shots/scenery. rottentomatoes gave it a very low rating, but this is proof that a movie doesn't need to score extremely high to be enjoyed. i enjoyed this movie very much. no complaints really. i watch a lot of movies and sometimes they are painfully unfunny or lack creativity or even anything remotely artistic. this movie had a lot of beauty and can reach a broad audience i think. sophie marceau is lovely to look at and the daughter louisa was not nearly as bratty as max from 'where the wild things are' - you don't feel like you're watching a ritalin advert. i liked the movie because in its simplicity, minimal dialogue, etc, they were able to give me something good to watch.

No silly, shallow writing, gratuitous violence and sex, over-written villains, or overacted characters will be found in this film. This is a deeply moving story of love and devotion, enhanced by exquisite photography, and told over the background of bleak, 1830s English winter landscapes. Intelligently written and produced, the performers do an outstanding job of portraying characters caught in circumstances that prohibit all pleasures except the love of their child and a commitment to her well-being. A slight bit of nudity, but tastefully done and congruous to the story. It's a movie I can (and will) watch many times.

It's 1838 and Elisabeth Laurier, a Swiss young woman, must get money to pay for her father's debts. She agrees to enter into what might be viewed as an indecent proposal with Charles Godwin, a well to do English landowner, in having a sexual relation for the sole purpose of giving him a child his sick wife can't give him. Elisabeth must renounce to all claims of the baby. What starts as a pure sex, with Elisabeth suffering quietly while Charles has his way with her, suddenly turns into pleasure, seen on the young woman's face.Imagine Charles' horror when he returns from a trip to find out his sister-in-law Constance, has engaged Elisabeth as his daughter's governess. Louisa, who has terrorized previous attempts at receiving an education, rebels against this new stranger. Since by this time Charles' wealth has suffered a reverse, and having assured a moth's wages to Elisabeth, he consents in her staying. Charles' wife who is sick, is dying a slow death. It's inevitable that Elisabeth will have an effect on Charles and that she will be able to tame the wild Louisa into accepting her.William Nicholson, who wrote and directed "Firelight", created a film of great beauty. As it is, there are elements of other, better made movies, within the screen play, although it makes good entertainment. Nic Morris' cinematography gives the picture a glossy look that is appealing to the eye. Christopher Gunning's musical score serves the movie well.Sophie Marceau, an actress of great beauty makes an impression as Elisabeth. Stephen Dillard's Charles is equally appealing as the man tormented between duty and new found passion. Dominique Belcourt is perfectly bratty as Louisa. Joss Ackland appears as Charles' father and Lia Williams is Constance.As Gothic romance, "Firelight" will delight fans of the genre. William Nicholson directed his own story with great visual style.