TrueJoshNight Truly Dreadful Film
Exoticalot People are voting emotionally.
Mabel Munoz Just intense enough to provide a much-needed diversion, just lightweight enough to make you forget about it soon after it’s over. It’s not exactly “good,” per se, but it does what it sets out to do in of putting us on edge, which makes it … successful?
Raj Doctor I saw this movie IMPROMPTUIt was based on George Sand (Judy Davis) - a pseudo name of a novelist woman named Amantine Lucile Aurore Dupin who did everything to seek LOVE of a French pianist and composer Frederic Chopin (Hugh Grant).More importantly than the movie the understanding and portrayal of the character of George Sand was intriguing to say the least.She was a tom-boy. She always wore man's clothes. She was outspoken. and smoke continuously - mostly thick cigars. She was determined, individualistic and had her own mind and sense of right/ wrong and decisions. She belonged to somewhat aristocratic lineage. She had her own ways among the elites and rich. Her novels that she wrote in plenty helped her to her repute. She was tiny and dark in stature. Not very physically or facially attractive, but had her own charisma that charmed people. She was a strong lady, and bull-dozed her way with her opinions amongst men. She got married at the age of 16 years with a man much older than her, - got two kids by 18 years and fought a long divorce battle for custody of her children which she won - when such a thing was unimaginable. We are talking of 1804 (210 years back). She called herself - A ROMANTIC REBELLION. She over powered her prey (man) with ionate LOVE. She loved having sex and had multiple affairs with men. A man she put her eyes on - she was determined to lay him down and move on. This time was a pianist of soul-wrenching music composer Frederic Chopin. Among all men - her affair and liaison with Frederic was most ionate and that is why much has been written about it and even songs, lyrics, poems, plays and movies made on them.Frederic Chopin was a shy, timid, feminine person, and his first meeting with George Sand was not at all cordial. Frederic looked down on George condemning her for what she stood for and looked "What an unattractive woman she is. Is she really a woman?" were his exact comments to one of his friend. But George Sand did all things possible to seek Frederic - even wearing women's attire - just to show her feminine side to catch Frederic's attention, and she did. Frederic was head over heels in deep LOVE with her. So much so that he was ready to show his valor to one of George's former LOVER for a gun-fight.Their first "sort-off" trip together with her two children was captured in her autobiographical novel "Un hiver à Majorque" . This is where the movie ends Thanks to Director James Lapine for making the movie and that will keep the character immortal. Judy Davis tries to put some effort in playing the rolOne of the tender scenes in the movie is when Frederic confesses to George about his inability to bring himself to have sex with George, and the most outspoken and ionate George turns into a comionate LOVER and says to Frederic."It does not matter. It is not necessary to have SEX. I LOVE YOU so much dear. I just want to be with you, near YOU. Spend rest of my life besides YOU. Like that can't we live happily ever after? It is not SEX I seek in YOU, I seek your LOVE. Tell me "Yes"....." Pleased and shy Frederic says "YES" George replies "At last you said YES to my LOVE"The movie apart from this wonderful central character is otherwise okay. Nothing much to write about - though interesting to discover a wonderful feminist icon - the first of its type. - George Sand.Story beyond the movie:As s narrate - while their first trip as a couple to the island of Majorque George and Federic had difficulty finding a place to stay at the island, because she was popular and not-so-popular with her ways - traveling with her kids and a men with whom she was not married - was considered a big NO NO - for locals to provide them with a decent accommodation. Frederic had weak constitution and suffered from cough and pneumonia that lead to his death due to tuberculosis. Those last few years George Sands left everything for him and served him as much as she could till the final moments of his death. After Frederic's death - George Sands lived for another 27 years and she had just one more affair - but not as ionate as with Frederic.
irish23 With such a stellar cast and interesting subject (not to mention high marks on this site), it seemed this picture would be a delight and a treasure. Instead the plot is very short, tediously dragged out by the repetition of the same scenes over time: The Publisher's Room, The Ex-Lover, The Duel, The Come-On, The Visit. The best part of the film, where Emma Thompson delights as a daffy duchess, has no relationship to the rest of the picture. Themes are begun but never finished, and as the end credits ran, I cried out loud, "That's *it*?" I was willing to put up with the repetition in the hopes that the ending would somehow tie up the loose ends or show character development, but instead it was just plot, plot, plot. The actors played their parts well (I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of Grant's performance) but this is a film of no texture or depth. Definitely no reason to see it again.
nycritic If it weren't for Judy Davis' overpowering presence (which might sound redundant since that is what she is known for), IMPROMPTU would be an extended piece of boredom modulated by the occasional incursion into repartee, blended with the revolving door of (then) rising and established British actors, peppered with an occasional American thrown in for sport. What little plot there actually is, revolves around Aurora Dupin, a.k.a. Georges Sand -- arguably the first feminist the world and literature ever had -- and how her life becomes a sitcom of sorts where men and women flutter in and out, some of them -- Franz Lizst (Julian Sands) and Frederic Chopin (Hugh Grant) -- becoming lovers, and others, like Felicien Mallefille (one of her former beaus, played by Georges Corraface) turning mildly psycho and trying to prove something by challenging the effeminate Chopin into a duel which never officially establishes itself since Chopin faints dead away and she has to shoot Mallefille herself. Some characters are written rather shabbily -- most notably Marie d'Agoult played by a shrill Bernadette Peters -- who switches personalities quicker than she would do outfits and seems to act on whims that have to do more with her love/hate acquaintance with Sand than actual preoccupation with anyone else. Other than that, with Emma Thompson in a small part, IMPROMPTU lives up to its ad hoc story and execution and is a solid piece of entertainment.
lastliberal I like strong women. Maybe i am weird in that way. George Sand was a strong woman. She knew what she wanted and she was willing to wait until she found it. In the meantime, she took a man's name, she dressed like a man, she smoked and cussed like a man, and she didn't call her lovers the next day either. That didn't keep them from running back panting and that made this movie hilarious.I had never seen Judy Davis before. She was in two movies last year (The Break-up and Marie Antoinette), but I'v not seen either one. She was magnificent in her role as George Sand. I think I use the word magnificent too much, so let's say she was stupendous and tremendous.Then she found him. The one she was waiting for. She knew the moment she heard his music. he could talk to angels. He was Frederic Chopin, and he was definitely not interested. No matter she plowed ahead, despite the interference of her best friend (Bernadette Peters)and ...well, I won't tell you if she succeeded as that would spoil it wouldn't it.With Hugh Grant, Mandy Patinkin and Emma Thompson helping Peters Davis, this film had all one could wish for. It was an enjoyable romp through the countryside, funny, and a charming love story.
