Body and Soul
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Movie Reviews of Body and Soul
Movie Review: Welsh/English History?
Summary: 3 Stars
I love BBC productions about as much as I love history, literature, writing, dancing, and acting! The main thing I do have to say is that, there weren't any convents left in Wales/England during this time period, hence no Nuns. I can sight you dates, etc. but the fact still remains.Movie Review: Too much body, not enough soul!
Summary: 2 Stars
Too much body, not enough soul!
This sour little mini-series will leave you with a definite bad taste in the mouth. Body and Soul played on Masterpiece Theatre in the early nineties and I was eagerly awaiting the chance to re-view it when it appeared on DVD. After fourteen years, I remembered the story of a nun becoming a business woman. What I didn't remember was the tawdry, sordid view of life in general that this mini-series portrays. While there are several edifying scenes of life in a contemplative monastic community in the first few episodes, these come to an end when the protagonist, Sister Gabriel/Anna Gibson, leaves the convent on sabbatical after her brother commits suicide to take care of the family milling business. Things go down hill from here. Virtually everyone outside of the monastery mocks Anna's vocation and what is more, none of the characters on the "outside" express any kind of faith in a higher being - as a matter of fact, two of the characters, Hal, the mill's foreman as well as Anna's sister-in-law Lynn, say outright that they do not believe in God.
While some will extol this movie as the story of a young woman on a quest of self-discovery, others, life myself, will only see the depressing story of a woman who has lost her way. The fatal flaw in the film is that it never explores why Anna entered the monastery in the first place. Midway through the film I also took a definite dislike to the character of Anna when she purposely goes out to lose her virginity and has no qualms whatsoever about it!
The acting is generally superb, especially Kristen Scott Thomas as the protagonist and Dorothy Tutin as the Mother Superior. Anthony Valentine also gives a notable turn as the villain, Stan Beattie.
The film is so anti-faith (I don't say "religion" because it is not anti-religious - it is plain and simply anti-faith), hedonistic if you will. What a disappointment. If you are looking for something uplifting, do not look here!
Movie Review: Not what I remembered; "the Nun's Story" is much better and compelling
Summary: 2 Stars
I saw a good chunk of "Body and Soul" some years ago and thanks to Netflix I was able to watch most of what I had missed before. Frankly, I was pretty disappointed. For one thing, life in a contemplative order such as the one that the protagonist was in seems profoundly weird and anachronistic in the 21st Century (things like prohibitions on touching someone, having close friends, or even much contact with one's family). Frankly, I find myself thinking that "God doesn't want, expect, or need people to live that way."
I also felt that Sister Gabriel just wasn't anywhere near as interesting and complex a character as the nun in "the Nun's Story" (which is both a great book and excellent movie).
Nuns Story
The Nun's Story
Finally, "Body and Soul" smacked a bit too much like "chick-lit" when it had Sister Gabriel "give it up" to the hunky factory hand in the end. I suppose a former nun might be inclined to see what she had been missing, but given the fact that she didn't lose her faith just the desire to be in a convent, I think that she wouldn't have entered into a sexual relationship so quickly (particularly, when the movie made a point of showing how disoriented she was by the outside world).
Movie Review: DVD
Summary: 1 Stars
I didn't care for this movie at all. I was very disappointed in it and would not recommend it myself. It had no rating so I was surprised at some scenes that were unexpected. I am glad I wasn't watching it with anyone else so I could fast forward through certain parts.Movie Review: Not What I Saw on Masterpiece Theater!
Summary: 1 Stars
There are scenes in this video that must have been edited when it was shown on PBS's Masterpiece Theater. The cover states it is the same version, but these scenes would certainly raise the ire of the FCC.