THE MIGHTY BEAN

Review written by Annbax.

May I be so bold as to introduce you to a modern director’s view of the Tudor monarch King Henry V111?
In this made for TV version we are introduced to a man, with a charismatic and dominant personality, a second son of a usurper king, a man not intended for the throne of England, not until his elder brother had died… then his problems were to begin.
Our story has a brief beginning. The year is 1509, King Henry V11 lies on his death bed.. His son and heir is sent for… Henry, Prince of Wales, is told that the most important duty he has to perform is to provide a male heir to the throne of England. To do this he must marry his brother’s wife.. Catherine of Aragon.

Review written by Annbax.

Los Angeles;John Person is an unemployed actor, deep in debt, and living in a rented apartment, without furniture.  His only friend is Grace, the girl next door.  One evening another neighbour called Neely offers him a job.  For twenty-five thousand dollars all he has to do is deliver a blue suitcase to a trucker called Cowboy in the small town of Baker,California. Neely seems a little strange and he knows an awful lot of personal information about John...John is unsure but desperate for money. He takes the job...
    Baker is a small town in the middle of a vast desert.. a busy highway cuts through the town, which seems to be there for the sole purpose of aiding any traveller.  The local ladies, seem pretty and very pleasant, but the local resident males are a little strange... there is Elroy the night manager, who knows John is to meet Cowboy, there is Dan, concerned about the trains coming through and there is the violent, psychotic Randy, who is obsessed with Ruthy. Ruthy is a young lady bored with Baker. She is the adopted daughter of Stella, who runs the local bar. Meeting these locals has a profound effect on John's stay in this isolated community. It is his adventures and interaction with them that results in him constantly missing Cowboy.  Cowboy leaves messages telling him to wait for him. The locals know Cowboy and each one describes him in ever more sinister terms.. is this man to be trusted?

Meanwhile John has learned that Neely, his neighbour was murdered and decapitated... the FBI are on his trail and looking for a man in black driving a recreational vehicle known as an RV. Besides the blue suitcase, Cowboy has left a blue bowling ball bag for John to keep. The FBI agent finally catches up with John and leaves after questioning him. Finally, after many adventures with the eccentric locals,out in the mysterious desert, John rendezvous with Cowboy, who rescues him from a awkward situation in the nick of time.

What does John see? A man in black, wearing a black stetson, a long duster coat, cowboy boots and driving an RV.  Is this man a killer?

He is soft spoken, with a strange accent.  He is handsome with piercing blue eyes. He is quietly efficient and comanding, a man of intrigue and adventure.  Candy, the local 'lady of the night', had described him as being a little scary and strange, yet he had paid her well and she had not been harmed.  John is given more blue cases and told to head for the desert in the night....I shall say no more.
   There are many questions, but few answers... one question is why blue?
What do the cases contain and why band-aids? Is the government involved?  The plot thickens...Take care when you are planning a trip!

   I rather enjoyed this quirky little film.  It was the directorial debut for Steven Anderson, who also wrote the script. He was a former cameraman, with the result that the photography and lighting are excellent. The desert scenery is also quite a stunning backdrop. The cast I thought was excellent. Kelsey Grammer played the cameo role of FBI Agent Banks.  Daryl Hannah played the pragmatic and sensible bar owner Stella. My favourite Canadian actor, Adam Beach was excellent as the deeply disturbed lover Randy.  John Person the actor was played by the actor/director Jon Favreau.  I enjoyed his performance, but they were all very keen to work with Sean.

 Again this man can dominate a scene, by just standing there in the shadows.  He smiled and you were left wondering if his thoughts were good or evil.  His voice was soft and displayed American language idioms rendered with a hint of Yorkshire accent.. it added to the character and the mystery.  Even when malevolent there was a touch of gentleness about him... was everybody wrong about this character?
Needless to say he looked magnificent in the dress of the 'bad guy' of the old west.

I should like to add that the DVD had many extras. This included comments on the making of the movie.  Here the director and members of the cast passed comments on their roles and the production in general.  Sean again gave us some positive thoughts on the new director and his role in the film.  What I found interesting were the cut or alternative scenes.  I was annoyed with the directors comments that some scenes were cut to ensure the movie lasted ninety minutes. Some scenes should, in my opinion been left in.  Many included Sean's work. The director commented that Sean's acting was fabulous.. he was able to convey magnetism, mystery and aura.. some of his best performances cut to save time.. or to shock us later.  Why waste talent?  Why insult your audience by thinking that ninety minutes is long enough?There was an alternative ending rejected for Cowboy would have been the dominant character.
    

Review written by Annbax.

It is a cold,dark, snowy scene.. a large gaunt building is infront of our eyes and a small boy hides in the shadows.. he watches two men carrying a large bundle into a van, guarded by a large black and tan dog!  He is spotted and chased by the huge, vicious animal...the dog is almost upon him. 

  Next we see a small boy woken from a disturbing dream.. he wraps himself inside his duvet and leaves his bedroom to find his father. A father concerned that his son is having nightmares about his invisible friend Tom.
  Soon we are aware that this film is the story of two boys or is it?
Thomas is a child with only one parent remaining to guide and guard him.

Thomas knows that he was adopted and that his mother is now dead. He lives with his father, an artist in a studio flat in London. His father still seems to be struggling with the loss of his wife and trying to come to terms with it by constantly painting her from memory to such a point that domestic chores have been neglected and there is little money coming in.

To add to the problem Thomas is being bullied at school and his grades are suffering as is his behaviour. Paul Sheppard, Thomas's father is called into school by a concerned teacher.  Something has to be done.. the social worker suggests sending the child to boarding school.  Paul manages to secure some money and at least treats the child to a birthday party and a trip to the space museum. They make a new friend Celia the pilot, who lives in the flat below.. Things begin to be improving for them both.

Interspersed between this story we see the life being led by Tom, a child being brought up in an institution, from which a number of children seem to have disappeared in sinister circumstances.  A place where children can be bullied, beaten and forgotten about.. Tom runs away and the adventure really begins.
From then on the pace quickens.. there are sinister plots, criminal activity and funny happenings...culminating in police chases and excitement on an aeroplane!

This film is delightful.. it examines the life of children and their issues and problems, as well as the stresses they too encounter.  It is set in the weeks before Christmas a delightful time for some families and children.. Yet it does deal with darker issues such as loss and fear of the unknown, in both child and adult.
This is a Dutch production dating from 2002.  The well balanced script was written by Esme Lammers, who also directed the film.  The extras on the DVD are excellent including interviews with Esme, Sean and Aaron. The cinematography uses the classic views of London and the Christmas decorations very well indeed. In her interview Esme Lammers extolls the virtues of British actors and the depths they bring to their roles.  She particularly enjoyed working with Sean and described him as being like Stradivarius.. a consumate master of his craft.  The child actor Aaron Johnson was excellent as both Tom and Thomas, whilst Celia was played by the attractive Inday Ba.

In his interview Sean explains why he was attracted to the part and how much he enjoyed a break from the hard action men that he usually is in movies.  Here he plays a man struggling to come to terms with the loss of his wife, a man with a son with problems at home and at school, both of whom are lonely and feel a little isolated.  A man who seeks to help his child, often he is puzzled, sometimes amused, often despairing and always kind and loving.  A man who does the shopping and takes the dog for a walk and warns his child to take care going to school. He is a very warm, very human man.. a man you can have empathy with. What a delightful performance this man gives us.  We see a brilliant actor not afraid to work with children and animals.. and still able to dominate the screen.

I hope that if you are lucky enough to find this movie on DVD or TV screen you may wish to view it.  If I told you more I would give the game away!!!!

Review written by Annbax.

On many occassions I am drawn back to watching this fast paced thriller over and over again. 

 This made for TV cliff hanger was screened on British TV in 1999 and stars Sean in the multi-layered role of Neil Byrne, a role especially written for this fabulously talented actor.

 The scene is set with a speeding train heading into Scotland.  In a compartment sits three men, two prison officers with their dangerous ,convicted murderer.  The vicious killer is taken to the toilet , from which he manages to escape, leaving only a book to denote his presence. The man was convicted of brutally slaying his own wife and daughter. The man hunt begins...the killer is clever and resourceful, he changes his appearance and finds himself in his family base of Manchester where the murders took place. He steals a car, finds some place to live and gets a job as a mini -cab driver.  In the meantime a national man hunt is being organised with lots of media coverage.  The escaped prisoner then begins a telephoned dialogue with the prison governor  about the missing book and the numbers it contains!

The secondary theme in this thriller seems to revolve around a group of middle-aged business people, who appear to be financiers and property developers, but as you listen to their conversations you find that there is more than a hint of organised crime, murder and corruption. They are certainly hunting the convicted man as much as the police. Whilst he , in turn , seems to be searching for them! Who is this Man?

Whilst all this action is taking place, another murder happens and it is linked to the escapee.  A man from the Taxi company is abducted and beaten.. he too knows Spanish John and the police are closing in!
Throughout all this well directed, tightly scripted and stunningly photographed film we see Sean in the role of Neil Byrne, a resourceful, clever, skillful man, with some electronic know how and certainly skilled in survival techniques and self defense. We see him as a  man haunted by a dead wife and child; a man searching for answers; a man who uses violence as a last resort; a man hunted by gangsters and corrupt policemen and others from more shadowy areas.. a man convicted of murder..trying to make sense of it all and seek justice for himself and his family.

The acting from all involved in this project was first rate and there was not a weakness even in the more minor roles. All of which was enhanced by a good script and excellent direction.Sean's performance was electrifying. There were moments when he was cool and calm and calculating, moments of toughness, moments of grief and joy, moments of fear and despair... the complete aspects of the entire human condition was portrayed by him in voice, body language and appearance. 

My first impression of this movie is that it was an extention of the film 'The Fugitive', but the story line is stronger, with far more twists and turns.   This is a film  I recommend to all who admire Sean.   Enjoy it!

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Review written by Annbax.

This drama-documentary format was again a BBC production, directed by Tom Clegg, a gentleman who knows all to well the acting skills of the star  Sean Bean, for he is the man who had directed all fifteen episodes of 'Sharpe'.

But this film is about the trials and tribulations of a group of British SAS soldiers, who are airlifted deep into Iraqi territory to find mobile scud launching platforms and to destroy their communications network.

We are introduced to the team as they, dressed in civilian clothing say farewell to their wives, partners and children.  They appear to be a bunch or ordinary men just leaving for a day's work.  When they arrive in Saudi, they are dressed in desert camaflauge, they sleep in makeshift accommadation in a storage hangar.. they are short of essential equipment and have to scrounge it from other military units.  They spend some moments writing letters to their loved ones incase they do not return. From this , all too brief poignant moment , they  are airlifted into the desert, each man carrying more than his body weight on their backs.
The next section of this film revolves around failures.. radios that do not work.. the position surrounded by larger than expected enemy forces, and shepherds... they are discovered and have to fight ... to head to Syria, on foot, some 170 kms  to the north.. to travel in blizzards .. to fail just on the border.  All this is the regulation standard stuff seen in many a prescriptive war picture.  This is different for this is a true story and the role Sean plays is the one of Sgt. Andy McNab.

We have seen the tenderness, although briefly, in the married man and father.. we have seen the  NCO and military man, bonded to his fellows in the unit... a man capable of making difficult decisions.. a  man with well trained military skills.. a leader.

In the final part of the film we see the horror of capture, the dehumanising of men, and those still willing to follow the rules laid down for captured men.  This is the section where we we Sean enduring these moments, with courage and determination, even if they are to die.  Even here amongst the pain and torture there are moments of humour and hope.  Luckily five of the eight men return to Britain alive.

This film required the actors to participate in modern military training and weaponary skills... they needed to be fit to work in the desert environment in which this film was made.  This is seen in the extras on the DVDs.  There was some stunning desert scenery and the script was appropriate to the story line.. a very different setting to the Napoleonic Wars.

I thought that this was an excellent film of its genre.. it tackled some very difficult issues and showed us the barbarity of war, from an unusual angle.  It was realistic without being 'Gung Ho' or jingoistic.  All the actors played their roles well... and Sean.. his skill shines through dirt,blood, pain, joy and suffering. Another of Sean's many varied roles.

Review written by Annbax

The year is 1880.. the venue is Tzarist Russia.. the opening scene is a frozen waste, with a man fleeing a pack of hungry wolves.  The man falls and his only concern is that he has never really known love. 

Thus we have the main theme of this visually spectacular movie.  Levin is the man pondering the meaning of love; a love he has yet to find.  This character, wonderfully portrayed by Alfred Molina, becomes the narrator of the story we are being shown.  Firstly there is his search for love and his devotion to Princess Kitty, which sees him going through highs and lows of frustration and despair, as Kitty admires another man. This man is the handsome, Count Vronsky . It is Levin who introduces us to Anna Karenina, a beautiful young woman, married to an older man to whom she has a young son. Anna alights alone, in Moscow.  She is in the city to try and save her brother's marriage. Whilst she is there she has an unforgetable encounter with Count Vronsky... There the story really begins...with a sumptuously staged ball room scene and some splendid dancing.

This film covers a period of three years from 1880 to 1883.  It shows us the tragedy of doomed love for one couple and joy and happiness for another couple. Kittty, when she refuses Levin, discovers that Vronsky is not interested in her.  She is then sent abroad to recover from a serious illness.  Luckily she returns and finally rediscovers Levin. Love is rekindled and the couple marry.  Their marriage survives the death of Levin's estranged brother and the pair have a child. 

In contrast Vronsky and Anna try hard, at first not to continue with their love... but she is trapped in a loveless marriage to an older, dull authoritarian man, in an age when women had few rights.  After a tragedy at the races her husband learns the full extent to their affair and sets out to end it.  Anna almost loses her life when she loses the child she was carrying.  She is rescued by Vronsky and taken to Italy, whilst they wait for her husband to divorce her.  They return to Russia, and set up home together.  Anna finds herself isolated by society.. she is still suffering from post-natal depression and uses opiates to deaden her pain. Whilst her son is told that she is dead.  A pain that Vronsky cannot really understand.. he is finally driven away by her paranoia and growing insanity. Her suffering ends on a railway line .. it is in a railway carriage that Levin finds a grieving Vronsky, a man now ready to sacrifice himself in the service of his country.

This 100 minutes of film, means that Tolstoy's story is cut to the bone with time lines being shown by sub-titles.  This, at times means, that there can be some confusion, especially when there are short scenes and obvious time gaps.  It nevertheless is a visually stunning film,in both sets and costumes, which was actually filmed in Moscow and St. Petersburg. The railway line  is almost a symbolic line, not only between the country estates, and the two cities, but it is where a significant meeting took place and two lives were lost. One at the beginning and the other at the end.  Perhaps it is the journey of life and a search for love and happiness.

What of the actors?  James Fox was a superb, dictatorial Karenin. Mia Kirshner was fine as Kitty and Sophie Marceau played the lead role of Anna.  She is a beautiful woman and, I must say I enjoyed her performance, although she can be a little bland and expressionless at times.

Last, but by no means least , there is Sean as Count Vronsky.
Here we see the RADA trained actor... handsome, impeccably dressed in stunning uniform or formal and informal dress of a Russian Nobleman .  A man who is superb whether riding or dancing.  An able and respected officer ,well liked by his peers and adored by his mother.  A mother who does  point out the perils of his romance with Anna.  Sadly he is too much in love to listen.  His sentiments are honourable for he wants to marry and cherish Anna, but he cannot cope with her growing pain and illness.   Sean's acting was superb.  He has to show the restraint imposed on a 19th. century nobleman, but with an under lying passion.  There is no swearing, even in his despair.  His facial expressions were superb and the clipped, soft English voice mesmerising.

If you can find a copy of this film... obtain it. There is far more to see then I have told you.  

Review written by Annbax

Picture the scene a beautiful English country house and estate, a young baronet and his beautiful wife.. a dream of a scenario for any young family to be raised.  But there are a few major problems.. We are in the first few years of peace after the Great War, towns, villages and great estates have lost whole generations of young fit men, the local mine is struggling to survive and the baronet is a paralyzed and impotent man..what is the future for Wragby Hall, it's great estate and it's ancient family?

Will Sir Clifford and his beautiful wife, Lady Constance be the last of their line? Sir Clifford is a proud, arrogant and determined man, who will keep his mine and estate going at whatever the cost.. He is a giver of orders and his workers are lesser mortals.  Lady Constance, the daughter of a flamboyant and more liberal man, Sir Michael Reid, a successful artist, is careworn and tired from nursing her husband and amusing him .  Both her sister and father are concerned about her physical and mental health, for her husband has banned all intimacy with her , in fear of being upset.

Constance's only escape are the gardens, parkland and woods that surround the great house... is this to be her salvation? ..for out there is beauty.  For out there is a man, whom she meets first, in less than pleasant circumstances.  That man is her husbands's gamekeeper. A man excellent at his job, but seen as a 'half-tame animal' by Sir Clifford.Sure enough he seems , at first to be ill-tempered, dour and sullen...but Connie is to find  that Mellors is far more intune with her needs, and that under his facade is a clever, resourceful, intelligent, wise and tender man with a troubled past of his own.. that comes to haunt them.

Yet Constance still needs to care for Clifford, until the wise and resourceful Mrs Bolton, appears on the scene as Clifford's nurse... we then see another theme coming into the story for there appears to be a growing relationship between Clifford and his nurse... this frees Connie, who has already been told by Clifford that she can take lovers, to satisfy her needs, as long as they are gentlemen, and if she becomes pregnant he will raise the child as his own. As long as she remains his dutiful, loyal and loving wife...  The centre of Connie's world becomes the gamekeeper's domain.

Basically the director Ken Russell is giving us a different slant on a story of forbidden love... a love story frowned on in the time period in which it was set. Here two worlds are contrasted.  Firstly we see the magnificent house, with it's great empty rooms, furnished to perfection.. a house sitting in a beautiful landscape..whilst the pit village is black, drab and squalid. It's inhabitants poor and grey, whilst Sir Clifford's guests are splendidly attired and dressed for dinner.. driving home in expensive cars. Which world does Connie crave?  The real one is her answer.

This TV mini series was filmed in 1993, and was co-written by it's director and actor Ken Russell.  It does not follow the story of the most famous version of 'Lady Chatterly', for Lawrence wrote three versions of the story. Russell combines all three versions to tell this love story. 

The cinematography is excellent, for we see the story through the passing seasons.  The script well written and a splendid ensemble of actors playing their parts. James Wilby is excellent as the snobbish and self centred Sir Clifford.  Shirley Anne Field plays to perfection the wise, formidable and empathic Mrs. Bolton.  Ken Russell played Connie's artistic father, Sir Michael, whilst I enjoyed Connie's forthright sister and confidant played by Hetty Baynes.  I equally enjoyed Joely Richardson's performance as the submissive wife, careworn and unhappy, who struggles to help her less than understanding husband, whilst craving real love and affection. 

Oliver Mellors needed to be played by a man, who could make you believe that a rich baronet was no match for a working man.  A man who had to be at times rough, tough and sullen, capable of both great passion, anger and tender love.  A man who could act in silence, with his eyes and face.  That face had to be handsome and accompanied by a beautiful male body.  Here Sean Bean can and did tick all the right boxes and produce an unforgettable performance. 

Might I suggest that you watch this series and see if I have got it right?

Review written by Annbax

Professor Jack Ryan, his wife Cathy, a surgeon, plus their daughter are on vacation, spiced with a little business and pleasure, in the city of London. Ryan is speaking at a conference whilst his wife and daughter are site seeing.   They meet up in a popular tourist area and here three families collide with devastating consequences. 
 Ryan and his family witness a terrorist attack on a limousine carrying Lord Holmes and his family.  Ryan, in an effort to protect his own family becomes involved, he is wounded, but manages to shoot a masked man, and apprehends another.  The rest of the gang escapes.  The man arrested is called Sean Miller and the young man dead is his brother...this incident, has dire repecussions for all involved...

 Miller is arrested, questioned with only silence as an answer, tried and imprisoned.. The only animated response from him is when in the dock he threatens revenge on Ryan... Sadly for Ryan, Miller escapes with help from the IRA cell he works with, flees the country and disappears, whilst Ryan returns to Maryland and resumes his life at a Military Academy.  His wife, now pregnant resumes her life in the hospital and the daughter is in school.  Their peace and tranquility are shattered by some stunning and violent events centred around the family.. they are not safe..

Jack Ryan is a man to be reckoned with.. a former CIA analyst he returns to the fold, enlists the reluctant help of a spokesman and politician from the IRA, who denies their involvement in the attacks on his family... Meanwhile in the British Isles, some members of the IRA are killed by unknown assasins, and a antiquarian bookshop is being watched.  There is also concern that Lord Holmes a prominent member of the establishment , with Royal connections, had been targeted by an enemy within.... no sign of Miller...
 He is in a terrorist camp deep in the desert... spy satelites and the military are used to destroy the camp.  Everything seems fine until Lord Holmes visits Ryan and his family at home in Maryland...more is to come
 This is a taut, pacey, action packed thriller, from the pen of Tom Clancey.

It bears all the quality associated with a big budget motion picture put together by an efficient team with a good track record.  We have good graphics, fine sets and a good script with plenty of action.  Yet there are moments of great stillness and silences, which add to the quality of the film and the drama shown.  There is violence, but also pictures of tenderness and normality.  The story is well balanced.
 Harrison Ford, was, without doubt, the main star attraction for this movie.
Abley assisted by Anne Archer as his long suffering but loyal wife.  James Earl Ray and Samuel Jackson are also excellent in their  supporting roles.

  Richard Harris gave us a commanding cameo role of Paddy O'Neil spokesman and IRA politician, whilst Patrick Bergin was charmingly chilling as Kevin O'Donnel , leader of the rogue IRA terrorist cell. Other British actors, worthy of mention are Alun Armstrong , James Fox, as Lord Holmes and Hugh Fraser as his secretary.

 What can I say of Sean as the pivotal character in this story?  He was mean, lean and silent.  His face, motionless,like a piece of sculpture.  His eyes dead and only animated by hate... Sean Miller was portrayed  as an angry rage and vengeance filled man.. a classic psychopath with little or no empathy for any around him.  A cold blooded killer who few could control.. a loner, a man with no social graces, who would kill any who stood in his way, including his fellow IRA cell.  He spoke little, but said much with his face and eyes... his voice rich with the accents of Northern Ireland... a far cry from the soft cadences of south Yorkshire.
Sean is a master of this kind of character a consumate actor of the highest quality.

 I recommend all, who, can to see this high quality film.  The newer DVDs come with some extras added in 2002.  There are interviews with the director, producer , script writers and others involved including special effects, Harrison Ford, Anne Archer and James Earl Jones, but sadly nothing from the UK element.
 I hope I have helped for here is adventure, car chases, boats and helicopters with a good story attached.

Review written by Jaye

England, mid 18th Century (1992)

Sean Bean...............Robert Lovelace
Saskia Wickham......Clarissa Harlowe
Sean Pertwee..........Jack Belford
Jonathan Phillips......James Harlowe

"The exhilaration of it. To carry off such a girl as this Clarissa Harlowe in spite of all her purity and virtue. So tantalizing." Lovelace.

Storyline: Clarissa is an independent, but virtuous young woman, who has inherited a substantial estate from her grandfather. This makes Clarissa's siblings, James and Bella immensely jealous and matters are not improved when Robert Lovelace, an infamous rake, rejects Bella and turns his attentions to Clarissa. James and Bella use the fact that Clarissa is being wooed by Lovelace to discredit her and imprison her in their home. Knowing she is virtuous and pious, Lovelace wagers his friend, Jack, 50 guineas that he can bed her. Unable to live under her family's thumb, Clarissa escapes with the help of Lovelace only to find she has exchanged one prison for another as Lovelace becomes more and more obsessed with her. The wager fades into insignificance as the seduction becomes a very personal challenge. Clarissa finds deception and lies at every turn, and her letters to her only friend Anna (Hermione Norris) are intercepted and rewritten.

Acting/Dialogue: The performances by all the actors in this production is brilliant. Sean Bean, in possibly his most evil role, is utterly and wonderfully despicable. Sean Pertwee is also splendid as Lovelace's best friend, whose support for the contest wanes and then does a complete turn around after he meets Clarissa and realizes the lengths to which Lovelace will go to win her. Also well portrayed is James Harlowe, just as despicable and low a character as Lovelace himself, but without any of the charisma. There are many wonderful quotes, most of which belong to Lovelace. Probably the best from Lovelace are, "Oh she may threaten, she may weep, she may rave 'Oh traitor! Oh fiend!' but little by little she comes to like her little cage." And his dying words, "Well done Jack, you have avenged her well. One man cannot have every woman worth having..... Clarissa let this redeem my soul.".

Historical Accuracy: Well shown is how little control women had over their lives in that period. They had to marry exactly whom the family wanted. The costuming was lovely, from the dresses to the gentlemen's wigs.

Believability: Based on the famous novel by Samuel Richardson this film is excellent. It takes the time to depict the various characters and their surrounding with great detail without detracting from the plot. The suspense is kept up throughout. If you're not familiar with the story, then you will be wondering up to the last minutes the fates of Clarissa, Lovelace and the Harlowe family. The frantic, constant letter writing is a wonderful and accurate touch.

Turn Ons: The entire four hours are brilliant. But the two scenes that struck me most are where Lovelace asks Clarissa to help reform his character, he looks so sincere, you almost believe him. And where Jack truly realizes the horrors that Lovelace forced on Clarissa. I also liked the Harlowe's butler, Joe (Matthew Wait) you never quite know whose side he's on, he takes money from Lovelace and also seems to support James.

Turn Offs: The music at times seemed to detract or overpower the dialogue. Whether this is due to the copy I have being not the best, or whether it was originally like that, I don't know, but at times I could barely hear what was being said. [EDIT] I now have Clarissa on DVD, and I was correct in that the bad sound does seem to have been caused by a poor copy at the time. I struggle to find anything wrong with this. It has always been my favourite Sean film and remains so.

by Jaye, 1998
(edited for errors/formatting/update 2008)

Review written by Annbax

This film is powerful. It rivals a Shakespearean drama set in rural Ireland in the 1930's. Times are hard and the land is marginal.
'The field', is rented land that has been improved, with years of sweat and labour. The tenant is a powerful and dominant character called Bull McCabe, who discovers that the widow, who owns it, is about to sell it to the highest bidder.

Bull is a powerful man, who is feared and respected by most of his fellow villagers. A man who has a repressed son, Tadgh, played by Sean, and a wife, with whom he has not communicated with for eighteen years. He is outbid for the field by an American, of Irish descent, who has plans to bring industry to the valley. This American seems to have one ally the priest.
When Bull loses the field, his megalomania and obsessions know no bounds.. We also get a feeling that there is a past he is hiding, for his surviving son, did have a brother, who seems to have died in mysterious circumstances.. Bull's journey into insanity has tragic results for all around him...

The setting for this film is wonderful, the script well written and performed by a powerful cast. Bull McCabe, played by Richard Harris, who received an Oscar nomination for this demanding role. Tom Berenger is the American, Brenda Fricker the mother and John Hurt plays the simple, yet strangely cunning go-between. With such a cast and an excellent production team the performances are all excellent.
As Tadgh, Sean is anything but the swash-buckling soldier, or the cocky villain. He plays a repressed, almost simple soul, who hardly says a word in the first half of the film. He appears in almost all the scenes, silent usually but re-acting to all the action or dialogue around him, with flashing eyes, stooping shoulders, staggering walk, or an almost blank stare.. a character in awe and fear of his dominating father. It is only in the last part of the film that he begins to speak, in a soft Irish accent, questioning his father about his actions and the death of his brother.. We see Sean as a young man and actor, already able to perform on the same level with older, more experienced actors. An actor capable of a stunning performance, with little dialogue to work with.
This is a serious film... worth seeing, if you get the chance.

Review written by Annbax.

Let your imagination take you back in time.. The place is the far south west, remote and wild.. You are on the borders of north Devon and Somerset.. The land around you is the vast expanse of Exmoor.. The date is the 1670’s and 80’s. The age of the Cavalier King, Charles 11 .. An age of growing affluence, splendid buildings and wonderful clothes…but on Exmoor things are slightly different…
On the edges of the moor farmers earn a living raising sheep and cattle in the hills, whilst arable farming in the well watered valleys.. Life could be good apart from the constant threat of the Doones. Deep in a remote valley live in exile a once aristocratic family clan, who terrorise their neighbours plundering and killing at will.