Another Country
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Movie Reviews of Another Country
Movie Review: Don't ask, don't tell
Summary: 3 Stars
This movie is based on a play by Julian Mitchell [who went on to write the screenplays for Vincent & Theo and the wonderful Wilde], loosely based on the life of Guy Burgess, who became a Russian spy, and defected to Russia in 1951. He was a member of the "Cambridge Spy Ring," four former Cambridge students [including Anthony Blunt and Kim Philby] who became spies for the KGB. Three of the four were homosexual.
This entire spy background would be easy to miss entirely if you didn't already know about it, but it adds a great deal to the meaning of the movie. The movie begins in 1983 Moscow with Rupert Everett in old age makeup playing the elder Guy Bennett being interviewed by a British reporter. The majority of the movie is an extended flashback to an unnamed boys' college in the 30s.
It would seem that homosexuality at the college is rampant, and tacitly accepted, so long as it does not become known. Toward the beginning of the movie, a boy is discovered humping another boy--and ends up hanging himself rather than face expulsion, and the disapproval of his parents. This leads to a renewed crack-down on homosexuality at the school, though the students don't want to stop, and it is widely known that pretty much every student engages in it. It is accepted as just `part of what boys do,' but the students are expected to give it up and marry a woman upon graduation. What's more, none of these boys are considered truly homosexual, this is just a phase they're going through.
Rupert's Guy becomes aware of the blond Harcourt [Elwes], and pretty much becomes obsessed with him. He is much more forthright with his attraction than any of the other students dare to be, which he plays off through a disdain of the other students and an extremely high queenly attitude. Soon enough he and Harcourt are laying in each other's arms and [presumably] having sex. At this point Guy begins really pushing the system, for example waving in an extremely obvious fashion to Harcourt across the yard, which Harcourt just ignores. Guy seems to be enraged at having to engage in the hypocrisy of pretending like nothing is going on between the boys, when everyone knows perfectly well that it is. He is furious at being punished for merely acknowledging what everyone knows is a fact. He is also highly steeped in the communist beliefs of his friend Judd [Firth], and both of these will combine to strongly foreshadow his conversion to KGB spy after the close of the film.
SPOILERS>>> Toward the end there is a long struggle for power and position at the school. At first Guy is unaffected, as he threatens to expose the homosexual activities of the other students if they dare act against him. But in the end, concrete evidence of his homosexuality is procured and submitted to the headmasters, thus rendering him unable to be promoted to the next ranking in the school's caste. One is left to surmise that the harsh punishment meted out for being unable to play along with the hypocrisy of the system, as well as his immersion in the communist beliefs of his roommate, crystallized into a contempt for his own country which led directly to his ultimate decision to become a Russian spy. <<<<SPOILERS END.
Rupert Everett is very good. He plays an obnoxious, narcissistic mama's boy, which may lead some viewers [like myself] to not particularly sympathize with him, but this in fact works in favor of the issues the movie is trying to raise. Since I didn't particularly LIKE Guy, I was further forced to examine what the issues of his speaking up or hiding his homosexuality raised, apart from my feelings for him as a person, and what punishment he deserved or did not deserve--ultimately deciding that, obnoxious prat that he was, he didn't deserve what happened to him. This successfully delineates the issue into what degree it is right to expect someone to hide or to expose their homosexuality.
I suspect, however, that the majority of viewers WILL be attracted to Rupert, and will thus have a different experience, much more sympathetic to his side of the story. I'm not saying there's anything wrong with this--if Guy had been played by Sam Elliott, I'm sure I would have been all glassy-eyed sympathy. And by the way, they're not really my type, but if you're into pretty, clean-cut young British men, this film will basically make you cum in your pants.
The most notable film by this director was the hideous adaptation of Less Than Zero, but his direction here is very good. The film begins with a gorgeous and spooky shot traveling under the arch of a bridge over a glassy lake, and throughout one notices interesting geometrical compositions to the shots. Colin Firth is very good, but unfortunately [as became greatly apparent soon after] Cary Elwes can't portray much beyond "dewy."
Anyway, one of the better movies with homosexuality as its theme, as, in addition to being engaging and compelling, it quite successfully draws attention to a central conflict that is expertly dramatized in this situation, and has resonance for gay people everywhere.
Movie Review: I miss the Cricket
Summary: 3 Stars
I truly wanted to love this movie. The one thing it is definitely not short on is potential. The ending however is one of the sorriest I've ever witnessed and leaves way too many unanswered questions. Although it is in English, the accents are extremely heavy and hard to understand, which makes it difficult at best to keep up with the plot.
In a shabby apartment in Moscow, an American journalist asks a retired spy why he betrayed his country and defected to Russia 50 years ago. The answers take them back to 1932, where in the closed atmosphere of a British Boy's School, young Guy Bennett (Rupert Everett) realizes his attraction for his classmates is more than a passing phase.
There, in an environment permeated by desire and in the wake of a gay classmates suicide, Bennett falls desperately in love with a younger student, James Harcourt (Cary Elwes) and is introduced to marxism by Tommy Judd (Colin Firth), his most loyal friend.
Rupert and Elwes shine in their performances and the rest of the cast of wonderful actors makes for a lot of eye candy. There is some male nudity, although not nearly enough and a tender romance is budding in the confines of secrecy that is a delight to watch. A beautiful setting helps make this film very enjoyable if you can understand what's going on. Other than the ending, and the thick dialogue, this is an enjoyable film. I do recommend it but I also recommend you keep expectations low, as not to be greatly disappointed. I cannot however recommend it as highly as I would have liked. You will have to fill in about 50 years of the plot with your own imagination, but perhaps that's the kind of ending other people like. I found it disappointing, but I also enjoyed the movie.
Movie Review: Awesome drama, but terribly vague regarding the whole spy aspect
Summary: 3 Stars
If you remove the bookend scenes from this film (and the same can be said of the play), then you have a very fine, period British film about the intricacies of hiding ones homosexuality within the British public (we would call it private here in the U.S.) school system.
No matter how many times I watch this film, I'm nonplussed as to the necessity for the "adult" character looking back on his romantic youth. It isn't necessary. There's no real communist intrigue in the film except for Colin Firth's character. And even that character's existence and subsequent interaction with Everett's character never really bolster the need to bookend the movie with the communist angle.
This is a film about two young men in the British school system who inadvertantly fall in love with each other when they know darn good and well that they call ill afford to be discovered.
Does it matter that Burgess (played by Everett) went on to become a spy? Sure. Is it something that is brought out in the film's central (or even minor) plot? No. Leave it out! You've still got a dynamite romance.
Everett in what was almost his first film appearance, and Cary Elwes in his first film role strike an unbelievably romantic pose together. Theirs is a believable, if not frightening, relationship. What if they are discovered? What will it mean? What does it mean?
This is certainly a precursor to the Merchant Ivory film: Maurice.
Pick this one up and you'll enjoy it!
Movie Review: OK but dated and slow
Summary: 3 Stars
If your just wanting to enlarge your gay dramas, then by all means purchase this DVD. If you fall asleep easly - you will never get thru this movie.Movie Review: Another Country, Another Movie
Summary: 2 Stars
I was bored to tears!!! This is a real lackluster movie. Dialogue poor, cinematography ordinary and the acting boring. Believe me, you can't wait to see this sleeper....yawn!
F.Poe
NYC