Chicago (Widescreen Edition)

Amazon.com

Bob Fosse's sexy cynicism still shines in Chicago, a faithful movie adaptation of the choreographer-director's 1975 Broadway musical. Of course the story, all about merry murderesses and tabloid fame, is set in the Roaring '20s, but Chicago reeks of '70s disenchantment--this isn't just Fosse's material, it's his attitude, too. That's probably why the movie's breathless observations on fleeting fame and fickle public taste already seem dated. However, Renée Zellweger and Catherine Zeta-Jones are beautifully matched as Jazz Age vixens, and Richard Gere gleefully sheds his customary cool to belt out a showstopper. (Yes, they all do their own singing and dancing.) Whatever qualms musical purists may have about director Rob Marshall's cut-cut-cut style, the film's sheer exuberance is intoxicating. Given the scarcity of big-screen musicals in the last 25 years, that's a cause for singing, dancing, cheering. And all that jazz. --Robert Horton

Description

Winner of six Academy Awards(R) (2003) including Best Picture, and starring Academy Award nominee (Best Actress, CHICAGO) and Golden Globe winner (Best Actress in a Musical or Comedy, CHICAGO) Renée Zellweger (BRIDGET JONES'S DIARY), Academy Award winner (Best Supporting Actress, CHICAGO) Catherine Zeta-Jones (TRAFFIC), Academy Award nominee (Best Supporting Actress, CHICAGO) Queen Latifah (BRINGING DOWN THE HOUSE), Golden Globe winner (Best Actor in a Musical or Comedy, CHICAGO) Richard Gere (UNFAITHFUL), and Academy Award nominee (Best Supporting Actor, CHICAGO) John C. Reilly (GANGS OF NEW YORK) -- CHICAGO is a dazzling spectacle cheered by audiences and critics alike! At a time when crimes of passion result in celebrity headlines, nightclub sensation Velma Kelly (Zeta-Jones) and spotlight-seeking Roxie Hart (Zellweger) both find themselves sharing space on Chicago's famed Murderess Row! They also share Billy Flynn (Gere), the town's slickest lawyer with a talent for turning notorious defendants into local legends. But in Chicago, there's only room for one legend! Also starring Lucy Liu (CHARLIE'S ANGELS).

Customer Reviews:

A Great Screen Play!.......2007-09-02

Chicago, the movie, was done so well, it makes a fellow want to see the play - as on Broadway!

Shallow and Frivolous .......2007-06-28

After many years of wanting to see this film, I finally got a chance to view it. I like musicals and loved Moulin Rouge, so I thought I'd give this one a try. However, after viewing, I was a bit puzzled at all the fuss and acclaim this movie received and continues to receive.

Chicago, while visually stunning and artistically impressive (in that the actors did their own singing), is a shallow, cynical, superficial, and unsympathetic story. Most movies rely upon story and plot for their strength; not so Chicago, whose only redeeming quality is the song and dance they put on.

The main problem with the story is that there are virtually no sympathetic main characters. To take that a step further, the main characters are all frauds, and the story's message is shallow. The two somewhat redeeming characters, Roxie's husband and the woman who is hanged, are both pretty much invisible and discarded in the film. Roxie Hart and Velma Kelly are both in jail for murder, and both have hopes and dreams of making it, being a big star, and having people adore them, so they call upon a slimebag attorney, Billy Flynn, to help them out. Roxie and Velma take turns lying and deceiving each other so they can get the fame in Chicago. Roxie openly admits she cheated on her husband, is oblivious to the fact that he's spent his life savings to get her a lawyer, and uses every trick in the book (including pretending that she has an illegitimate child) to ensure that she is the center of the newspaper headlines. Velma is a conceited fame-hungry snob who bribes the prison ward and only sucks up to Roxie when she realizing she is losing the fame war. From here we have a battle over popularity, as the two think of shenanigans to steal the headlines from each other. Who will win out? Who cares.

The message basically projected in this film is that its legitimate to whatever it takes to get ahead in this world--lie, cheat, steal, commit adultery--and, in fact, it might make you a star!

Are we are suppose to root for two back-stabbing, deceitful, murderesses who walk over people just to get their claim to fame all because they can sing and dance? Or how about a double-crossing, pompous, lying, money-hungry lawyer looking for the next damsel charged with murder? No thanks. I say throw them all in jail.

Watching this film, I found it mystifying how so many people and critics could love this movie so much. Granted the story's plot has probably changed from the musical version on stage, but the movie version falls quite short of its glowing reviews. Moreover, how could this film have received six Oscars in 2002? I liken the Oscar committee of 2002 to the gullible Chicago citizens in the film, falling over and swooning at something that puts on a little song and dance. Maybe Chicago was the Academy Award's apology for Moulin Rouge not getting any Oscars the previous year.

If you want to see a musical that is vastly superior, has heart, style and substance, and better acting, see Moulin Rouge.

Chicago IS jazz hot!.......2007-06-08

One of the best musicals of all time. Rapid paced, great story line, great actors, fantastic scenery... I can't say enough about everything this musical has going for it!!! A definite for your collection.

Loved it -- Fantastic Music and Great Cinematography.......2007-05-17

This is one of my very favorite movie musicals. The songs are so great and so much fun!

My favorite part about this movie though, is the way in which it constantly cuts back and forth between simultaneous shots of what the characters are doing in the "movie" version and what they are doing in the "stage" version of the story. It is this symmetrical blending of the two arts that really appeals to me, and the cinematography is very well done.

Catherine Zeta-Jones, Renee Zellweger, Richard Gere, John C. Reilly, and Queen Latifah all put on award-winning performances. I was especially impressed with Gere's and Reilly's performances. (Lucy Liu's small part was nice simply because she is so gorgeous, LOL, but she really is only a brief side character.)

This is the best and most enjoyable stage-musical-to-movie adaptation that I have yet seen, and I highly recommend it. Is it the best movie-musical ever? Probably not, I'd have to vote for The Sound Of Music, but even so, I find myself watching Chicago more often than TSOM. And Moulin Rouge is even funnier than Chicago, but I still love Chicago's songs the best.

Great Musical!.......2007-04-10

This is the musical for people who hate musicals! My kids and I all belt out the words when the songs come--each song is so unique and original. This really is an incredible film--the acting is perfect--I love the casting. Catherine Zeta Jones is so powerful, as is Renee Z. Ruchard Gere is at his best, as well, which was a cool surprise!

Average customer rating:

Awesome Blu-ray title
IT WILL RAZZLE DAZZLE YOU...
Ersatz

Chicago [Blu-ray]
Starring: Christine Baranski , Colm Feore , Richard Gere , Catherine Zeta-Jones , and Queen Latifah
Director: Rob Marshall
Manufacturer: Miramax
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: Blu-ray

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ASIN: B000KEG94C

Product description

The winner of 6 Academy Awards® (2002) including Best Picture, Chicago seduces like never before on Blu-ray's high definition disc. Starring Catherine Zeta-Jones, Renée Zellweger, Richard Gere and Queen Latifah, this "splashy, sexy, knockout" (Rolling Stone) sizzles in this spectacular new format. After committing crimes of passion, nightclub sensation Velma Kelly and spotlight-seeking Roxie Hart both wind up on Chicago's famed Murderess Row. But with the help of slick, defense lawyer Billy Flynn, these notoriously lethal ladies will soon become local legends! Get more than an eyeful of "razzle dazzle" in jaw-dropping 1080p, and experience every sultry, musical nuance with 5.1 48 kHz, 24-bit uncompressed audio. Set your senses free with Blu-ray™ High Definition.

Customer Reviews:

Awesome Blu-ray title.......2007-01-28

This movie has the BEST audio of any Blu-ray movie, and far better than anything HD-DVD can offer. I don't really like musicals, but I wanted to experience the audio for this film and it was simply amazing, the picture was excellent too. Just make sure you have your HDMI cables hooked up correctly!

IT WILL RAZZLE DAZZLE YOU..........2007-01-21

This is a fantastic musical. From the beautifully designed sets, to the period costumes, to the show-stopping song and dance numbers, it will simply razzle-dazzle the viewer. The director and his singing and dancing troupe of stars simply pull out all the stops in this brilliantly executed musical.

The film, which provides a cynical and satirical look at fame and fortune, centers in nineteen twenties Chicago around two murderesses, Velma Kelly (Catherine Zeta-Jones) and Roxie Hart (Renee Zellweger). Velma, who together with her sister, was a dance hall success, killed her husband and her sister when she caught them together en flagrante delicto. True to the maxim, however, that the show must go on, she goes on stage immediately after dispatching the two lovers, where she is promptly arrested.

Roxie Hart, an admirer of Velma Kelly, is married to Amos Hart (John C. Reilly), a good-hearted, regular Joe, but she longs for tabloid fame and fortune. She begins to have an affair with a man who promises that he could get her a stage gig only to find that he lied just to get her in bed. So, she ends up killing him. Her long suffering husband stands by his little woman as she is trundled off to jail to await trial. There, she meets her idol, Velma Kelly, who finds her hero-worship annoying.

In the jail, Matron "Mama" Morton (Queen Latifah) reigns supreme over the inmates, accepting bribes for favors. Velma Kelly, represented by star defense attorney Billy Flynn (Richard Gere), is in tabloid heaven. Roxie Hart, longing to be in tabloid heaven as well, gets her husband to retain Billy Flynn on her behalf. Before she knows it, she, too, is in tabloid heaven, playing the media like a violin.

The legal profession also gets a cynical slap in the guise of the slimy, fast talking Billy Flynn, who looks for the best selling point rather than for the truth. He understands the thirst of the media for the perfect sound-bite and he gives it to them. Guilty or not guilty, it doesn't matter. What matters to him, as a hired mouthpiece, is the media mileage he can get for his client, as well as for himself. To that end, he is the ventriloquist, and his client is no more than his dummy.

The razzle-dazzle musical numbers move the story along. Catherine Zeta-Jones is terrific, looking impossibly beautiful and showing off her musical theatre background to great advantage with "All That Jazz" and "Cell Block Tango". Queen Latifah is outstanding as the sly and voracious Mama Morton, who goes whichever way the wind is blowing. She also has a show-stopping musical number, "When You're Good To Mama" that is simply memorable. Renee Zellweger, though not a professional singer or dancer, shows that she can sing and dance with the best of them.

The men also shine in this musical. John C. Reilly, as Roxie's long-suffering husband, also has a terrific number, "Mister Cellophane", that is truly heart rending and poignant, as well as metaphoric. Richard Gere gamely rises to the occasion in his first musical, making the slick Billy Flynn character an integral part of the film with his "Razzle Dazzle" number and his tap dancing.

I love this top notch, clever film, finding it hugely entertaining. It deserves every one of its six Academy Awards, including that for "Best Picture". Director Rob Marshall deserves kudos for this brilliantly directed, seamlessly edited, musical masterpiece. While it is a fairly faithful screen adaptation of Bob Fosse's Broadway musical, it has Rob Marshall's contemporary imprimatur on it. It is a film of which he can be justly proud. Bravo!

Ersatz.......2007-01-08

"Captain Kirk, the approaching probe will destroy Earth if we do not respond with whale sound!" "O.K., send them some." "The sounds will be real but it will just be gibberish." "Well people watched `Chicago'; what make you think the probe is any more discerning?"

The plot line by (Maurine Dallas Watkins) is a killer; it is all about the whimsical world of killing. Velma Kelly (Catherine Zeta-Jones) killed her husband and sister. Roxie Hart (Renée Zellweger) shoots her boyfriend Fred Cassely (Dominic West) dead. And a whole bevy of sleazy babes that killed their significant others. They kill a few songs. And the plot was never alive.

It is possible that the play may have had some redeeming social value. However by the time it was hacked up for this movie the only thing of value is the fast forward button. And again just because the movie has the appearance of a play does not give it any virtue.

If you do like murder and music then you may prefer "Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street" (1982)

The Constant Gardener (Widescreen Edition)

Average customer rating:

A political thriller that tells a good story
Makes "Blood Diamond" look like Lawrence of Arabia
Too Much Self Regard
Predictable, trite, promoting a racist view of the unfortunate people it purports to protect.
The Constant Gardener

The Constant Gardener (Widescreen Edition)
Starring: Ralph Fiennes , Rachel Weisz , Hubert Koundé , Danny Huston , and Daniele Harford
Director: Fernando Meirelles
Manufacturer: Universal Studios
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000C65Z1G
Release Date: 2006-01-10

Amazon.com

The Constant Gardener is the kind of thriller that hasn't been seen since the 1970s: Smart, politically complex, cinematically adventurous, genuinely thrilling and even heartbreaking. Mild diplomat Justin Quayle (Ralph Fiennes, The English Patient, Schindler's List) has a loose cannon of a wife named Tessa (Rachel Weisz, The Shape of Things, The Mummy), who's digging into the dirty doings of a major pharmaceutical company in Kenya. Her brutal murder forces Justin to continue her investigation down some deadly avenues. This simple plot description doesn't capture the rich texture and slippery, sinuous movement of The Constant Gardener, superbly directed by Fernando Meirelles (Oscar-nominated for his first film, City of God). Shifting back and forth in time, the movie skillfully captures the engaging romance between Justin and Tessa (Fiennes shows considerably more chemistry with Weisz than he had with Jennifer Lopez in Maid in Manhattan) and builds a vivid, gripping, and all-too-justified paranoia. And on top of it all, the movie is beautiful, due to both its incredible shots of the African landscape (which at times is haunting and unearthly) and the gorgeous cinematography. Featuring an all-around excellent cast, including Bill Nighy (Love Actually), Pete Postlethwaite (In the Name of the Father), and Danny Huston (Silver City). --Bret Fetzer

Customer Reviews:

A political thriller that tells a good story.......2007-08-27

To begin with, I would probably be on the right of the political spectrum and have no problem with multi-national business or globalisation. So, when I say that I liked the film in which the hero was a left-wing activist and the baddies were the multi-national company I hope that lets you know the movie actually tells a good story and is not the latest Al Gore political propaganda movie. It is a thriller with a touch of romance; and a well written one at that.

The girl activist in question is married to a minor diplomat in Africa who looks after gardening (hence the title). She delves too far into what a drug company is doing in Africa and gets killed because of what she knows and is threatening to expose. Her husband, who up until then liked to stay out of her work to pursue his more mild manner diplomatic work, then follows the clues to unravel the mystery involved in his wife's death. In the process he finds out just how faithfully his wife really did love him. I won't expose the ending, but it tells a real story with all the twists and suspence that makes for good story telling.

The footage is great as it was all filmed here in Kenya with locals playing minor roles. I watched it with my wife and we both really enjoyed it.

Makes "Blood Diamond" look like Lawrence of Arabia.......2007-08-24

An evil pharmaceutical company and British bureaucrats conspire to murder a woman who has uncovered their secret (their new tuberculosis vaccine actually kills people). Her meek, weakling of a husband husband searches Africa, and Britain, and I think Germany or France or some other places (it doesn't matter), all leading up to the heart-stopping conclusion when he asks someone to mail him a letter exposing it all.

The main character is a loser. I would rather have seen him strung up along with his wife so we could watch someone else's story.

Or, if you would rather see a thrilling recent movie in an African setting with a social message, see Blood Diamond. That one is fun.

Too Much Self Regard.......2007-08-12

The real virtues of this film are offset by the dripping smugness. Yes, I too am invigorated by a film in an exotic setting, but there is something terribly predictable about bright, rich women holding little brown babies and screaming at their boyfriends, husbands, or bosses because they dare not to care. Particularly, I find, this plot, set in motion by the angry female protagonists, dominates British drama. One thinks, off-hand, of David Hare's "Plenty" - about the maddened former resistance fighter who can't accept peacetime life (Meryl Streep). Here we have the ineffectual husband (Fiennes) battling his self-righteous wife, who's decided to take on the pharmaceutical industry. Curiously, these gals come to these scandals of capitalism with wide-eyed innocence, having learned nothing whatsoever about the world at their posh private schools and expensive universities. While American 13-year-olds start ranting at their parents for signs of blatant hypocrisy, these 30-something Brits remain under the impression that the country houses they enjoy visiting over weekend were paid for with profits from the tooth fairy. This affair bored me to death, but is set in just the sort of setting one might say provides viewers the benefits of a cheap trip.

Predictable, trite, promoting a racist view of the unfortunate people it purports to protect........2007-07-25

This is another one of those stories about good vs. evil in a third world setting. Tessa takes up the cause of Africans whom she believes are being used without their knowledge to test a drug. But no one asked her to do this. A large drug firm is only interested in making money, and they may be unscrupulous in their quest. So what else is new . . .

The Africans are shown as either inconsequential, faceless and nameless, or they are shown as cruel and inhuman. Of course there are one or two who seem to be worth our attention, but for the most of them, this movie gives them a one-dimensional brushoff. So why is Tessa so interested in them. Is there nothing else in her life that would give her a sense of satisfaction. And her husband, who follows along with her, albeit too late . . what is his motivation. How naive on the part of both of them, that two people against an army of corporate interests will change anything.

This movie is predictable, trite, and in the long view, promotes a racist view of the unfortunate people it purports to protect.

The Constant Gardener.......2007-07-25

Adapted from John Le Carré's novel by the Brazilian director of "City of God," this engrossing, high-stakes political thriller tackles the conspiratorial collusion of Western governments and pharmaceutical giants administering HIV treatment in Africa's beleaguered nations. Mereilles clearly wants us to identify with the downtrodden, and his visceral visual style and nonlinear storytelling grip us right from the start. Fiennes brings a dry gravity to his character's predicament, and Weisz couldn't be better as an antagonistic advocate who keeps her political activities a secret from her husband, a man content to shut out the world in his patio garden. Cynical and captivating, "Gardener" grabs you and never lets go.

Average customer rating:

A Great Screen Play!
Shallow and Frivolous
Chicago IS jazz hot!
Loved it -- Fantastic Music and Great Cinematography
Great Musical!

Chicago (Full Screen Edition)
Starring: Taye Diggs , Cliff Saunders (II) , Catherine Zeta-Jones , Renée Zellweger , and Dominic West
Director: Rob Marshall
Manufacturer: Miramax
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B00009RGBS
Release Date: 2003-08-19

Amazon.com

Description

Customer Reviews:

A Great Screen Play!.......2007-09-02

Chicago, the movie, was done so well, it makes a fellow want to see the play - as on Broadway!

Shallow and Frivolous .......2007-06-28

Chicago IS jazz hot!.......2007-06-08

Loved it -- Fantastic Music and Great Cinematography.......2007-05-17

Great Musical!.......2007-04-10

Average customer rating:

Best movie Kevin Costner has ever made! An exceptional film!
Kostner at his best.
If you love conspiracy, you will love this movie too!
High caliber thriller!
One of Costner's First Good Films

No Way Out
Starring: Kevin Costner , Gene Hackman , Sean Young , Will Patton , and Howard Duff
Director: Roger Donaldson
Manufacturer: MGM (Video & DVD)
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ASIN: 0792844874
Release Date: 2000-04-25

Amazon.com

This implausible, but effective 1987 film stars Kevin Costner (Bull Durham, Wyatt Earp) as a naval officer and CIA agent who may not be what he seems. This sexy thriller is an espionage mystery and an enigmatic character study of two men trying to be faithful to the loyalties they hold. Costner begins a torrid love affair with the mistress (Sean Young) of the Secretary of Defense, but when she turns up dead, Costner is implicated in a web of intrigue that threatens national security and exposes personal secrets at the highest levels. The Secretary and his men try to cover up the affair while simultaneously searching for a Soviet mole in their ranks. Featuring an exciting chase sequence through the Washington, D.C., subways, No Way Out is a standard issue thriller that nonetheless keeps the action coming. --Robert Lane

Description

Imagine being a hunter leading highly trained bloodhounds in pursuit of a killer...and the trail leads directly to you! Starring Academy-AwardÂ(r) winners Kevin Costner* and Gene Hackman,** No Way Out is "a mesmerizing look at Washington power" (The Hollywood Reporter).Capturing a well-deserved four stars from critic Roger Ebert, this "taut [and] stylish" (Newsweek) thriller is fast-paced and powerful"a perfect nailbiter" (Variety)! In a fit of rage, Secretary of Defense David Brice (Hackman) murders his mistress. To keep a lid on the scandal, Brice's loyal aide (Will Patton) creates the perfect cover-up: he "invents" a more enticing killera Russian spyand then enlists naval commander Tom Farrell (Costner) to find him. But as achilling twist of fate would have it, Farrell also has a strong connection to the victim and now all the clues he's been hired to uncover are leading straight to him! In a desperate race against time, Farrell's search for the killer is not only a matter of national security, but also a matter of saving his own hide. *1990: Director and Picture, Dances with Wolves **1971:Actor, The French Connection; 1992: Supporting Actor, Unforgiven

Customer Reviews:

Best movie Kevin Costner has ever made! An exceptional film! .......2007-03-28

Shel Natowsky, Ph.D.

This movie is Costner's best, without any hesitation. The performances by Hackman and Sean Young are also flawless. Supporting roles are well honed, as well. The movie has everything you could want in a film...I mean everything! The screenplay is wonderfully written, acted, directed, and presented.

Why is it that movies as superb as this one is cannot be made anymore? Everytime I run it, it never ceases to thrill me and to amaze me. If you want to see a Cold War drama that never ceases to excite and one which moves at a fever's pace, then see this one. Satisfaction guaranteed! Well done people!

Kostner at his best........2007-01-09

This early Kostner film is Kostner at his best. It demonstrates his screen magnetism and established him as a star. Great tension, twists and turns. Not a typical Hollywood ending.Great casting.

If you love conspiracy, you will love this movie too!.......2006-02-16

This is one of the benchmark for the movies based on political drama and corruption in government departments. The story is about a secretary in Pentagon, and his attempts to cover-up the accidental killing of his mistress. The corrupt officers will not stop at anything to save the secretary from loosing his position. The defence secretary put Tom Farrell (Kevin Costner) in charge of the murder investigation and later uses him for the cover up by falsely accusing him of a being a KGB spy. The world around Farrell changes, as the people he was supposed to trust turns out to be corrupt and partners with the defence secretary. Go for this movie if you like the conspiracy and political thriller because till date very few movies are made up to this mark.

High caliber thriller!.......2005-09-30

Desire and seduction, murder and cover up, scandal and intrigue, half truths and false promises of patriotism; where the duty lies beyond the flatter and the appearance must become a politically correct matter. In this sense this Neo Noir Film transcends the anecdote in a very linked similar profile with classics of the genre such as Pick Up on South Street or Kiss me deadly where the personal destinies are tied with the another dark side of the ethic.

Costner is an actor who is not precisely among my favorite ones, but I must acknowledge all the possible credits for this role, the alluring, irresistible and captivating of Sean Young as Femme Fatale and the worthy acting of Will Patton plus the presence of this giant actor as Hackman making of the sophisticated villain conform a magnificent cast that support the admirable camera work of Roger Donaldson who made until now, his most interesting work.

A magnificent remake of the Big Clock.

One of Costner's First Good Films.......2005-05-26

Roger Donaldson's 1987 film regarding the intrigues of the Department of Defense and the Pentagon starring Kevin Costner, Sean Young, and Gene Hackman.

Costner is a navy officer and C.I.A. operative who starts having a risky relationship with the mistress (Sean Young) of the Secretary of Defense (Gene Hackman.) When the Secretary of Defense accidentally kills her, Costner is made a scape goat to cover up the potential scandal: he's accused of being a KGB mole. The story then becomes a cat-and-mouse game between the U.S. Government and Costner on the run.

This is certainly one of Costner's better movies and the film carries the suspense quite well. Costner's limited acting talents are also complemented by those of Gene Hackman. This is a better movie to rent as it counts on mystery to carry the suspense which is resolved at the end of the film.

Average customer rating:

A fine, intelligent thriller, with thanks to Clint Eastwood, Gene Hackman and Judy Davis, among others
Absolute Power
READ THE BOOK, FORGET THE FILM.
An interesting suspense thriller!
A solid thriller with a message

Absolute Power
Starring: John Lyle Campbell , Yau-Gene Chan , Judy Davis , Alison Eastwood , and Kimber Eastwood
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
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ASIN: 0790731959
Release Date: 1997-07-08

Amazon.com

Director Clint Eastwood's 1997 box-office hit stars himself as Luther Whitney, a highly skilled thief who finds himself in the wrong place at the wrong time, witnessing the murder of a woman involved in a secret tryst with the U.S. president (played by Gene Hackman). Determined to clear his name, Whitney cleverly eludes a tenacious detective (Ed Harris) while investigating a corruption of power reaching to the highest level of government. Adapted by veteran screenwriter William Goldman from David Baldacci's novel, this thriller balances expert suspense with well-drawn characters and an intelligent plot that's just a pounding heartbeat away from real White House headlines. Absolute Power features the great Judy Davis in a memorable supporting role as the White House chief of staff who desperately attempts to cover up the crime. --Jeff Shannon

Description

He was there he shouldn't have been and saw what he shouldn't have seen. Now, who will believe the word of a career thief and ex-con? Who will trust Luther Whitney when he says he saw a woman killed and that the man responsible for her death is the President of the United States? Clint Eastwood portrays Whitney and directs this crisp, finely acted thriller based on David Baldacci's best-selling novel. A stellar cast which includes Gene Hackman and Ed Harris creates well-rounded characters that intensify constantly spiraling game of cat and mouse between Whitney, local police and the highest levels of White House power. Eastwood is a master at steadily raising the stakes in thrillers. Here his mastery is absolute.

Customer Reviews:

A fine, intelligent thriller, with thanks to Clint Eastwood, Gene Hackman and Judy Davis, among others.......2007-06-11

So the president of the United States may not be the nicest guy in the world. Well, we've known that can be the case since 1789. So the idea of our presidents engaging in sexual shenanigans may be as uncomfortable as realizing our parents do it. Well, we've learned more than we want to know over the last few decades about how our presidents spend their time when they aren't bringing peace to the world and ensuring our domestic tranquility. One of the reasons Absolute Power is such a fine thriller is that it involves the dirty doings -- murder, cover-ups, self-serving righteousness -- of those in high elected office.

Absolute Power is the story of Luther Whitney (Clint Eastwood), "one of the great thieves of the world," who breaks into the mansion of Walter Sullivan (E. G. Marshall), a very rich, very powerful and very old political kingmaker. But then Luther hears voices and has to hide in a bedroom vault with a one-way mirror. He has to watch the rough sex between the rich man's much younger wife and a friend of hers. When things get out of hand and she angrily starts to do some stabbing, suddenly two very competent men break in and shoot the lady dead. They're followed by an aggressively competent woman who proceeds to clean things up and spin a story that a thief must have killed the lady of the house. Luther comes to realize that the two shooters are Secret Service agents, the competent woman is Gloria Russell (Judy Davis), the president's chief of staff, and the man is Allen Richmond (Gene Hackman), the unscrupulous president of the U. S. Luther is spotted and barely escapes but Russell and the two agents manage to identify him. They also learn he has an estranged daughter, Kate Whitney (Laura Linney), a young prosecutor. At first Luther decides to take his accrued wealth and flee the country. Then he sees a press conference on television where Richmond uses the grief-stricken Sullivan, who made him president, in a smarmy soap opera of shared grief. Luther changes his mind and decides to see that justice is done. Luther's brand of justice is resourceful, clever and dangerous. All the while he has to deal with an honest homicide cop, Seth Frank (Ed Harris), who is on his trail, an assassin hired by Sullivan to kill whoever killed his wife, and the machinations of Gloria Russell, determined to shield Richmond, aided by the two Secret Service agents. One, Bill Burton (Scott Glenn), has a conscience. The other, Tim Collin (Dennis Haysbert), does not.

Eastwood and writer William Goldman have, in my opinion, concocted a fine, intelligent thriller that plays off Eastman's age ("Go down a rope in the middle of the night? If I could do that, I'd be the star of my AARP meetings."), gives us some fine set pieces (the break-in, killing and cleaning up; the attempt on Luther's life by two separate assassins when he meets his daughter; and the wonderfully played dance at a White House ball between Hackman and Davis) and which is told at a more-or-less human-sized scale. While I think perhaps too much time was spent on the relationship between Luther and his daughter, it's this relationship, well acted between Eastman and Linney, that helps raise the movie beyond just another thriller.

Three things make this movie so good. First, there are two sets of intriguing relationships, one of which is poignant and tender, the other almost grotesquely amusing. The Eastwood-Linney situation is the first. And then there is the Allen Richmond-Gloria Russell pas de dieux. He depends on her but we know he'd toss her out in a minute if he needed to. She depends on him, probably loves him, and would gut her mother to protect him and her power ("I'll take care of everything. Like I always do."). It's fascinating, especially as played out by Hackman and Davis. Their White House waltz at the ball, where Davis is coy because she thinks the necklace she received was a present from Richmond, and Richmond knows, and tells her, that the necklace was the one worn by Sullivan's wife and that it had to have come from Luther Whitney, is a classic lesson in acting. The two of them play every emotion you can think of, all the while dancing in close-up and smiling for the admiring guests. The scene is a tour de force and immensely funny.

Second, this movie is so good for what Eastwood and Goldman don't do. This is a thriller without explosions, without wild car chases and without star posing. We're left to focus on the story, on the intelligence of the dialogue, on the cleverness of the situation. As Roger Ebert said, "it's a thriller not upstaged by its thrills."

Third, and most importantly, is the casting. The impact of the movie primarily rests with Eastwood, Hackman and Davis. Each one has shown many times that they can carry a movie by themselves. Judy Davis is the least known and has been stuck in character roles for years. However, just watch her in My Brilliant Career, A Passage to India or Children of the Revolution to see an actress who can dominate a movie. The second tier, made up of Ed Harris, E. G. Marshall, Laura Linney, Scott Glenn and Dennis Haysbert are just as effective. These are experienced actors who work well together and who know how to deliver their stuff. E. G. Marshall at 83 gives a performance that combines great sadness with an implacable sense of retribution. And Scott Glenn, such a good actor who has slowly slipped down to smaller, secondary roles, gives a performance of such regret it nearly distracts us from the story.

The movie is in real need of a better release. The picture is consistently too soft and frequently too dark in the night-time and interior scenes. There are a couple of inconsequential extras.

Absolute Power.......2007-05-07

Clint Eastwood and a very good story plus a great cast makes for a keeper for collectors.

READ THE BOOK, FORGET THE FILM........2006-12-11

I read the brilliant book first (always a good idea) and got the film expecting a similar reaction. If you want a standard Clint Eastwood thriller with a top notch crew then this is your standard fare. It's all fairly nice and staid and rather slushy at the end but if you want a version of the book DON'T BOTHER it is a virtual rewrite, leaving out the main character Jack, his daughter's ex-boyfriend completely. The basis of the book was built around him defending Luther and finding out the truth. In the book the daughter hates Luther, in this she just vaguely dislikes him. Don't want to give to much away but Luther isn't even in the end of the book and the way he manipulates the authorities is non-exsistant. See what i mean? they should of said 'based on the book...but only a little'.

An interesting suspense thriller!.......2006-03-27

This is an interesting film with Clint playing a cat burglar who likes to paint as a hobby. He is estranged from his daughter due to his criminal actiity but longs to be involved in her life.

Clint plays this part with dignity and grace. The story is well written and interestingly filmed. It was nice to see Gene Hackman as part of the supporting cast.

A solid thriller with a message.......2005-10-24

Absolute Power is not among Clint Eastwood greatest films, but it's much better than is usually given credit for. A dark thriller, directed as professionally and bleakly as only Eastwood can do it, Absolute Power centers around Luther Whitney, a professional burglar (Eastwood himself, in one of his best performances in the last decade), who finds himself in a classic wrong place, wrong time situation - while robbing a luxurious mansion, he accidentally witnesses a sexual assault and a murder, and the subsequent cover-up, that involves the President of the United States and the White House staff. That scene at the very beginning of the movie is probably the strongest one in it, Eastwood making brilliant use of cinematography, music (and especially the lack of) and his trademark heavy contrasted lighting, and with almost no dialogue at all, it's a remarkably effective scene that overshadows much of the rest of the film.

Still, as the film turns into a more standard conspiracy-thriller, it holds its own quite well, mainly due to William Goldman's wonderful script (as his always are, this is the genius who wrote 'The Princess Bride', 'Marathon Man', 'Misery' and 'Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid', among others) and most of all thanks to the absolutely fantastic all-star cast; other than Clint himself, who is ideal as the charming, ruthless but honest criminal, fantastic performances are also given by Gene Hackman as the President and by Ed Harris as the detective on the case. The rest of the excellent cast includes Laura Linney ('Primal Fear') as Luther's daughter; the fantastic Judy Davis ('Naked Lunch', 'Barton Fink') as the President's sneaky assistant; Scott Glenn ('Buffalo Soldiers'); Dennis Haysbert ('Far From Heaven'); E.G. Marshall ('Tora! Tora! Tora!'); Penny Johnson ('24'); and Richard Jenkins ('Six Feet Under'). As is usually the case with Clint Eastwood's films, all the actors seem to have been hand-picked by him directly, rather than participated in an audition, because each character seems to have been designed specifically for the actor portraying them. Because of that cast and the brilliant directing and dialogue, Absolute Power is an entirely gripping watch, even if the story is at times less than entirely convincing and just a little fragmented.

Absolute Power tries to make its mark on three levels - the thriller level is the only one where it completely succeeds, and it manages to be constantly exciting, gripping and enticing. It works slightly less well on the human level, because the inter-character relationships are rather poorly developed. Laura Linney's character in particular is underdeveloped, and so the father-daughter relationship element hardly carries any weight in the story, and neither does her relationship with Ed Harris's character. As there is no interaction between Eastwood's character and Hackman's, the only relationships that are worth mentioning are the ones between Eastwood and Harris, which is strictly superficial and based on mutual respect, and the one between Hackman and Marshall, who plays the old billionaire who funded Hackman's rise to the presidency. The third level on which the film works is as political commentary; there it achieves partial success, as the story often seems contrived (although, one might note, not as contrived as we may imagine). Still, it can give you a general idea of how absolute power corrupts, and of the kind of horrors that the intricate systems of democracy might hide; but it's not to be taken too literally. The strongest elements of the story are the mystery, and Clint Eastwood's character, clearly the strongest in the film; as such it's a solid and enticing thriller with lots of atmosphere and wonderful acting, that will keep you glued to your seat.

Average customer rating:

A Good Remake But the Original is a Classic
A POTBOILER
Underrated; Haven't Seen the Original Though
Steamy and deffinately not for the faint hearted
PAN & SCAN MARGINALIZES THE PRESENTATION

The Postman Always Rings Twice
Starring: Jack Nicholson , Jessica Lange , John Colicos , Michael Lerner , and John P. Ryan
Director: Bob Rafelson
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
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ASIN: 079073219X
Release Date: 1997-08-20

Amazon.com

In The Postman Always Rings Twice Jack Nicholson teamed up again with his Five Easy Pieces and King of Marvin Gardens director Bob Rafelson for this 1981 version of James M. Cain's hardboiled novel of lust and murder. This version takes a much grittier (and sexually explicit) approach to the material than the slick 1946 MGM version starring John Garfield and Lana Turner. Nicholson plays Frank Chambers, a drifter who happens upon a roadside diner run by Cora Papadakis (Jessica Lange) and her swarthy Greek husband, Nick (John Colicos). Sparks fly, and before you can say l'amour fou, Frank and Cora are making the beast with two backs on the kitchen table. One thing leads to another and they conspire to murder Nick. The movie is still a little too cold and distant to fully convey a hot-blooded passion that leads to murder, but it is a strangely haunting and disturbing film nevertheless. The screenplay is by David Mamet, the photography is by the great Sven Nykvist (Ingmar Bergman's cinematographer), and watch for Anjelica Huston in a supporting role. --Jim Emerson

Customer Reviews:

A Good Remake But the Original is a Classic.......2007-08-05

I saw the 1981 "Postman" when it first came out. The period recreation and photography are excellent. Moreover, the performances are convincing and the sexual heat can be felt. Lange, who hit major stardom the following year with "Tootsie" and "Frances," has been a top notch actress ever since her arrival in Hollywood. Here, she gets her first high profile dramatic role. In her prime, Lange was an incredibly sexy woman. Hot with a capital "H." In this version, Rafelson and company are true to the ethnicities of Cain's characters. Nick is Greek not English and the lawyer is Jewish not Irish. Another reviewer, Dennis Littrell, suggested that 1946 Hollywood was afraid of being offensive. Littrell is mistakenly applying modern PC concerns to the past. Unflattering and even offensive potrayals of different races and ethnic groups were commonplace at the time. Even though Jews of European descent largely ran Hollywood, they were convinced that many audience members didn't want to watch anyone that might be a little different from them. Of course, John Garfield was Jewish but he wasn't playing a Jewish character. Although certain forties films like "Gentleman's Agreement" addressed the issue of bigotry, it wasn't until the fifties that people of different races and ethnicities were up on the screen more often. Nonetheless, the 1946 version with sultry Lana Turner and ruggedly handsome Garfield really captures the era and the tragedy of these doomed characters.

A POTBOILER.......2007-08-03

I admit to being a film noir fan of long standing. Maybe it was the fact of growing up in the time of black and white television and watching all those late night movies which were freely available at the time. Maybe it was that tight, if improbable, dialogue, the relatively simple plots and the dramatic effect of the shadows of black and white photography on mood. In any case, the Postman Always Rings Twice fits nicely into that mix. The plot line is fairly simple- unhappy California house wife, an older overbearing, uncaring lout of a husband and a younger man at the door who turns out to be handy with a wretch- all the ingredients for a murder. Of course, as always the guilty parties will have to face justice. You know this is a modern morality play, after all. This remake, in color, starring the always watchable Jack Nicholson and forbiddingly sexual Jessica Lange is probably truer to Cain's wicked designs but to my mind the old noir classic black and white starring John Garfield and Lana Turner is the definitive Postman. In any case one should read the book by James M. Cain to get a better feel for the language, the steamy sexual tension and better insight into the motivations driving the characters to their fates.

Underrated; Haven't Seen the Original Though.......2006-09-17

Director Bob Rafelson reunited with his "Five Easy Pieces" star Jack Nicholson on this film, which also stars Jessica Lange, Anjelica Huston, and briefly Christopher Lloyd (also reunited with Nicholson from "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest"). When Rafelson set out to make this film (which had already been adapted from the novel into a 1946 film starring Lana Turner), he wanted to take a detour from the original. In 1946, you weren't really allowed to show sex so the film had destroyed the whole vision of the novel. So, Rafelson has been adamant about not calling this a remake. I've never seen the original or read the book, so this is my first exposure to the material. Having said that, there's something about this film that's kind of funny...There is no postman. When we meet drifter Frank Chambers (Nicholson), he just scammed a restuarant owner named Nick (John Colicos) out of a free meal. About to leave, Nick offers him a job and Frank accepts. Problem is, Frank can't contain his feelings for Nick's wife Cora (the beautiful Jessica Lange). After Nick and Cora begin having an affair, Cora tells Nick that the only way they continue is if Nick is killed. After a failed attempt, they cool off for awhile...But eventually realize that it's something that must be done. The first hour of the film is spectacular, it sags a little in the second hour (causing me to almost give it 4 stars). But the performances are so good and the ending is so beautifully done (some complain it's abrupt, but it works to suit Nicholson's character). I don't know how this film is compared to the book and movie that inspired it, but it's a great movie. For people just looking for nudity, this isn't your movie. The sex scenes are pretty graphic, but the only nudity is Anjelica Huston side-boob.

GRADE: A-

Steamy and deffinately not for the faint hearted.......2006-07-03

Quite a different interpretantion in comparison with the version with Lana Turner. This is deffinately for people who are not conservative when it comes to sex, hate, disloyalty, etc. The performances are excellent. Jack Nicholson has always been my favourite actor and here he is his old evil self. Jessica Lange is very sensual and acts her part well. A very satisfying film when it comes to substance and something more than just sensation. Highly recommended for the serious movie fan.

PAN & SCAN MARGINALIZES THE PRESENTATION.......2006-02-26

Unfortunately, the image is cropped to full screen. Ironically, the trailer included on the disc is in 16X9!

Average customer rating:

Camp At It's Best
The good, the bad, and the ugly
The Carey Nations Rock!
Camp Rules
Must-have DVD ... but there is a discrepancy

Beyond the Valley of the Dolls
Starring: Pam Grier
Manufacturer: 20th Century Fox
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000EXDSC0
Release Date: 2006-06-13

Amazon.com

One never tires of watching Russ Meyer's Beyond the Valley of the Dolls, a distant relative of Jaqueline Susann's bestselling novel, Valley of the Dolls, and its filmic counterpart, Valley of the Dolls. Kelly McNamara (Dolly Read), Casey Anderson (Cynthia Myers), and Petronella Danforth (Marcia McBroome), star as the hot female trio who clumsily navigate Hollywood during the Swingin' Sixties to promote their band, The Carrie Nations. Written by Rogert Ebert, Ebert calls the film the "first rock-horror exploitation musical," because BVD, as it's called by fans, encompasses all that was sexy, funny, hip, schlocky, stylish, and horrific about America's most interesting cultural period. BVD can be viewed as a Sixties' artifact, packed with consummate party scenes (and a cameo appearance by Strawberry Alarm Clock), as the original skin flick, as a proto-cult classic, or as a benchmark in American cinema, since it is actually well- written, artfully shot, and finely edited. This special edition re-release includes a second disc comprised of five featurettes, whose topics include Meyers' biography, the Carrie Nations music as soundtrack, Casey and Roxanne's titillating lesbian love scene, and the political climate during the Sixties. Revisiting Beyond the Valley of the Dolls, especially after Russ Meyer's recent death, reminds viewers to treasure his visionary obsession with female beauty. --Trinie Dalton

Description

When three female rock'n'rollers travel to Hollywood to claim an inheritance, they meet up with a kinky music promoter who turns them on to a whole new scene. At first, all seems very exciting and the naïve trio becomes submerged in his dangerous tinseltown underworld-before they discover his true motives.

Customer Reviews:

Camp At It's Best.......2007-09-04

I bet Fox didn't expect this when they hired Russ Meyers to a three picture deal. A movie that I wish everyone was required to see. Comedic, Dramatic, Thriller...ic, Beautiful. Russ Meyer and Roger Ebert's idiot brainchild of a movie Beyond the Valley of the Dolls comes your way in a beautiful Two Disc set. A cardboard case over a blue DVD case.

The movie itself looks wonderful. No flaws to be seen and if any you really have to squint to see. The extras are a delight. Plenty of featurettes, two commentary tracks and a few collectible portraits.

I recommend this movie, highly recommend it. It's a farce of a good time.

The good, the bad, and the ugly.......2007-08-02

Okay the Patriarch has to admit a mistake. Being a sixties buff, I kept hearing about a movie called, Valley of the Dolls. I did a search for it and found this movie. Oh, I thought, the movie is called Beyond the Valley of the Dolls. So I bought it. I'm not sure when but I did at one point realize I had bought the wrong movie. This movie is the product of Porn-guy Russ Meyer, and film critic Roger Ebert. So you know you're in for a trip. This movie is supposed to be a satire of the 60s, so it's not really meant to be taken seriously. However, it is really hard to tell whether I like this movie or not because it is like a mixed bag. It's got a little bit of everything. Or maybe it tries to be everything and ends up being nothing. The making of documentary that comes with this DVD calls it something like, A musical, cult, love story, horror, thriller, sex movie. Or something like that. The main character's last name is McNamara. I wonder if this is supposed to be some kind of joke. Think about it like, if a movie that was made today was a character with the last name of Rumsfeld.

Anyway, I'm going to do the Good, the Bad, and the ugly type of review. Okay so...

The Good: The music is very good and without it I don't know if I could handle it. The only problem is there isn't really enough of it. The girl's group only does about five songs. Strawberry Alarm clock does a couple songs too. The girl's group is like the Rock flowers. Do you remember those dolls from the early 70s called the Rock flowers? Of course you don't only the Patriarch knows random trivia like that. Anyway, the Rock flowers were three girls. Two white, one black, and they were supposedly rock stars and each came with a record with a couple songs on it. The girl's group in this movie is also two white, one black. Also, this movie is filled with nudity. We see a lot of breasts. They are plump and delectable so that helps prevent you from pressing the stop button on your remote.

The Bad: The movie has a very weak plot, and it doesn't really take itself seriously. It keeps going from serious to outright silly. In the end one character breaks his back and is rolling around in a wheelchair, but this is like, supposed to be funny. The movie gets so silly towards the end that it's like the director played a trick on us, got us interested in some plot that wasn't really there, and said, haha just kidding there is no plot.

The Ugly: There's quite a bit of gay in this movie. Now, I'm no homophobe. Ok, who am I trying to kid? Of course I am. But there is this one character that is outrageously gay and in the end it turns out he is a woman(?) so I guess she wasn't gay just...very manly. I don't know this movie can just get silly at parts.

So like I said. There's a lot going on in this movie so there is probably something for everyone. But if you don't like the 60s you will not like it at all.

The Carey Nations Rock!.......2007-07-12

The Carey Nations Rock!For all fans of the classic Russ Meyer film, strap this little baby into your music machine and be transported back into the bizzare and beautiful world that is 'Beyond The Valley of The Dolls'.Includes tracks by the 'Strawberry Alarm Clock', the original score, plus all the hits by the 'Carey Nations' including alternative versions."This is my scene and it Freaks me Out".

Camp Rules.......2007-07-05

If you're like campy 70s drug culture, hippie culture movies, this is the best one!! Top notch!

Must-have DVD ... but there is a discrepancy.......2007-06-12

I just got a DVD set from an on-line auction that includes an extra disc (Ebert commentary, and just tons of extras) and miniature lobby cards.

But the Amazon listing above (same ISBN!) has none of these extras listed and is just ONE disc:

Another oddity is that the Amazon listing says it is rated X whereas my DVD has it rated NC-17. The running time of my DVD is the same 109 minutes however so if they cut some scenes to "soften" it for NC-17 they must have put new material in. My guess is that the MPAA now requires DVD releases to adapt the rating equivalent from the new system.

Bizet - Carmen / Levine, Baltsa, Carreras, Metropolitan Opera

Average customer rating:

The star 'Jose'
Excellent Voices... BUT
Carreras shines in "Carmen"
Carreras and Baltsa are stealing the show
Overall, its good.

Bizet - Carmen / Levine, Baltsa, Carreras, Metropolitan Opera
Starring: Agnes Baltsa , Josep Carreras , Samuel Ramey , Leona Mitchell , and Myra Merritt
Director: Brian Large
Manufacturer: Deutsche Grammophon
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000050X2Y
Release Date: 2000-12-12

Customer Reviews:

The star 'Jose'.......2007-04-18

This MET production in 1987 is in many ways illustrious: two top opera stars in the lead roles, big staging and festive choruses plus good dancers.
Agnes Baltsa shined vocally here, but really, Carmen is a bit of a stretch for her in 1987 visually.
I have heard Samuel Ramey elsewhere, and must say that his Escamillo is somewhat mediocre in this production. His two big arias lacked charisma, especially when you have Jose Carreras as Don Jose. It would be difficult to convince the audience that this toreador is the man that Carmen would prefer over Don Jose!
Jose Carreras is in his absolute prime here - big arias sweetly sung, physically convincing, ardent in acting (he is not consistently passionate elsewhere). Most of all, he has the right characterisation for this weak-minded Don Jose. Rather than ranking him behind Domingo in this role, I would rather opt Carreras as the best Don Jose of his era.

Excellent Voices... BUT.......2007-02-09

If you are looking for a version with excellent voices, this is it!!!
If you are looking for a great "theatrical" production, this is it!!!

BUT I must say that I found a terrible issue in this version: Carmen (Baltsa) and Escamillo (Ramey) were not Carmen and Escamillo.

CARMEN, as far as I understand these character... she must be sensual, sexy, seductive, graceful, not rigid but loose while dancing, surrounding with its charisma, mysterious and at the same time cold, jealous and interested. Carmen must astonish like a gypsy. Baltsa was never Sensual nor graceful. Yes, she has an EXTRAORDINARY volcal interpretation... and musically is just perfect... that's Puccinis and the actual conductor work. But I never saw Carmen. You must fall in love with Carmen even though you know that that love is going to take you to the perdition. She must HYPNOTIZE us... but Baltza couldn't do it.... it's a shame. I saw a Carmen so rigid and so plain... that even though she sings excellent... I missed Carmen.

ESCAMILLO, Oh my God!!!... the male version of these Carmen. Where is that charming "Toreador"?... he never showed up. ESCAMILLO must be charming, elegant and seductive. Ramey was just somene there singing with no Toreador feeling.

DON JOSE and MICHAELLA... Oh Yes!... great performances, great voices,great actor skills, great feelings of their character. Excellent Excellent Excellent!!!

Musically, these version of Carmen is GREAT... but... "Where is Carmen and Escamillo"?...