Fantastic!

A Disappointing Continuation

The tone of this movie is interesting -- the stakes are both dramatic and high, but it's balanced with a lot of fun, tongue and cheek dialogue.

Story: It's very simple but honestly that is fine.

Contemporary remake of the Terence Rattingan play updated our era , formerly shot in 1951 . Classic play updated to modern times , it's worth watching for extraordinary performances from British all-star-cast and marvelous ambiances . Forced to retire from an English public school a disliked professor named Andrew Crocker-Harris (Albert Finney) must confront his utter failures as a teacher , a husband , and a man . The lonely unemotional classics instructor realizes his flops , being cuckolded by a colleague and denied a deserved pension by the penurious headmaster (Michael Gambon) . Although he began his career eighteen years earlier as a brilliant young scholar, he has withdrawn into the stiff rigidity of school rules and regimentation , now his professional humiliation and loveless existence have give him a defensive armour of coldness . How this armour is pierced makes for dramatic entertainment . While facing a bleak financial future and a disintegrating marriage , his cold-blooded wife (Greta Scacchi) into an affair with another teacher (Matthew Modine), but the kindness of one of his students rekindles his humanity .A towering portrait of a wasted life about an out-of-touch teacher who has distanced himself from all human emotion . It contains super works , thought-provoking drama and magnificent settings , though turns out to be slow-moving . Wonderful performance by Albert Finney as a stuffy professor of Classical Greek at an English public school who is disliked by his students . Awesome Greta Scacchi as his bitchy , faithless spouse and good acting by Matthew Modine as her Science-master lover and Julian Sands as a language teacher . In addition , Ben Silverston , Maryam D'Abo , Jim Sturgess , Oliver Milburn and special mention to Michael Gambon as the headmaster . Colour cinematography is awesome , it was splendidly photographed by Jean Francois Robin . Emotive as well as sensitive musical score by Mark Isham . Although the film is pretty good results to be inferior by using strong language and other reasons than classic version (1951) directed by Anthony Asquith and starred by Michael Redgrave as the hapless and unpopular schoolmaster , Jean Kent as the unfaithful wife , Nigel Patrick and Bill Travers . The motion picture was well directed by Mike Figgis , a good British filmmaker . He is an expert on dramas as ¨Time code¨, ¨The loss of sexual innocence¨, ¨One night stand¨ and Thillers as ¨Liebestraum¨ and ¨Stormy Monday¨. ¨Browning version¨ is considered to be one of his best films . Better than average . Worthwhile seeing .

An excellent acting job by Albert Finney carries this movie to a higher level than its script. Supplemented by good jobs by Greta Scacci and Mathew Modine, Finney minimalistically conveys the potent points of his character's regrets, fears, and passions. A terror to his students, Crocker-Harris allows himself to be dominated and humiliated by the school, the system, and the loveless marriage he is in.Mathew Modine, inserted apparently for young appeal, does his best with his character's sympathy for his older colleague, whom he has cuckolded. Scacci does her best with the faithless wife who enjoys twisting the knife in her hapless, though outwardly strong, husband.Only eight of a possible ten stars due to the slight letdown of the teacher's parting speech, and the abruptness of the ending.

Albert Finney and Greta Scacchi have given a fabulous performance. Indeed this is a rare gem in cinema. I give this 9 out of 10. The script is tight, the music score good and the performances are amazing.Its a simple story of a school teacher who is forced to retire. He finds no comfort in his retirement as he is denied his pension and there is absolutely no one in the school who is sad to see him go. Living with an unfaithful life, this school teacher lives a lonely life. Never to bow down to anyone and nor letting anyone sympathise with him, he portrays a classic and rare case of a strong human being.As i say this, it was sad to see him break down when a kid showers him a rare gift of love. If this movie does not touch your soul or move you, then you truly belong to the cold hearted. Keep a handkerchief ready.Please watch this movie. It is a masterpiece .

Albert Finney gives a classic portrayal of a teacher of the times. This movie shows so clearly the invisible gap which existed between teacher and pupil. It was extremely difficult if not impossible to come close to teachers in those days. The innocence of Taplow played brilliantly by Ben Silverstone and his genuine regard and respect for the aging Crocker=Harris, provides the viewer with an intimate encounter in which this teacher who is in a failed marriage, has not accomplished his ambitions to be head of the school, suddenly realises in the form of "Taplow", that he is genuinely loved for what he is, a good teacher who showed his love for the boys by, discipline and teaching. Little wonder that Crocker-Harris weeps when the truth dawns on him. Watch this movie and weep too. Absolutely first class.