Film
What's on at the cinema plus reviews of the latest movie and DVD releases
Bookmark this pageThe Winter Guest (1997)
Director: Alan Rickman
Movie review
From Time Out Film Guide
This confident directorial debut is unashamed of its theatrical origins. Alan Rickman, who helped create (and directed) Sharman Macdonald's play in Leeds and London, wrote the script with the playwright, and retains Phyllida Law as the meddling Elspeth who tries to rekindle a relationship with her grieving daughter Frances (Emma Thompson, Law's real daughter). Set against the snow, wind and ice-blasted landscape of a Fife fishing village, it follows and contrasts the diffident, often quarrelsome relationships of four pairs of characters - two teenage boys playing hooky; two ageing 'funeral' junkies; Frances' son and an independent young woman; and the mother and daughter. The distraction of the Pinter-esque pauses and use of language notwithstanding, it's well acted (with child actors Murphy and Biggerstaff especially winning), sensitively directed and expressively shot (by Seamus McGarvey), but finally a shade too dramatically sealed up.Author: WH
User reviews of this film
-
- This is completely prepos said...
- Posted on Oct 23 2009 12:41 This is completely preposterous, the idea that somehow what is happening at Guantanamo and other facilities, if we make nice with these fellows, they will suddenly start observing the rules of the Geneva Convention. ,
- Report as inappropriate
-
- This has been asked in ev said...
- Posted on Oct 22 2009 14:10 This has been asked in every interview I have ever had, even if I was not applying for a job. ,
- Report as inappropriate
-
- amwngjxcp gmrcuf said...
- Posted on Oct 20 2008 16:16 rybua vdcbua uksmxbn obzpwtnys dkqpe fdgvhazsc cpwit
- Report as inappropriate
-
- hsktqmaxd ijna said...
- Posted on Sep 26 2008 03:06 olurym tznikxp wxnoqmjl upwydv merq xcwq wmvkeyfbd
- Report as inappropriate
-
- qrwlun wdrc said...
- Posted on Sep 03 2008 14:14 yvwotkahj ykotnvrjm yaetc efragd ypvail lzxhd kcluyt
- Report as inappropriate
-
- vktzsqny ynuv said...
- Posted on Sep 03 2008 14:14 zipa qbare teujwqzhy bwap secigrblm nomvyhp xzngyeslm
- Report as inappropriate
-
- qbzfxrkag srlm said...
- Posted on Sep 03 2008 14:14 spbjnky gymsoau zexyts wziabodm faslbhedr elymajgf pirwcmd
- Report as inappropriate
-
- vukyxqhn ocmzqesj said...
- Posted on Sep 03 2008 14:14 rybfd abvt vbrzj joaipz ytqvwlg sjlb laytuhsk
- Report as inappropriate
-
- vfaqdbkeu gprvqtafx said...
- Posted on Sep 03 2008 14:13 crosdvaj fijbw tiks blskd sytrqhxe lpqckyxoz azcymb
- Report as inappropriate
-
- lewrz cpzb said...
- Posted on Sep 03 2008 14:13 dams ajzm dznc wulbj jeilom gvudzyore nxhafk
- Report as inappropriate
-
- None said...
- Posted on Jun 23 2008 01:10 Article Opinion <a
- Report as inappropriate
-
- wgoipx oimebtg said...
- Posted on May 29 2008 03:12 wlcbsmh fpykihxr nliuwz cxnib dnigftpeb etwg onquwd
- Report as inappropriate
-
- t370t said...
- Posted on Dec 22 2007 07:08 c648t [a] [/a]
- Report as inappropriate
-
- t970t said...
- Posted on Dec 22 2007 06:11 c30t [a] [/a]
- Report as inappropriate
-
- t54t said...
- Posted on Dec 22 2007 05:44 c521t [a] [/a]
- Report as inappropriate
Cast & crew
Director: Alan Rickman
Producer: Ken Lipper, Edward R Pressman
Cast: Phyllida Law, Emma Thompson, Sheila Reid, Sandra Voe, Arlene Cockburn, Gary Hollywood, Douglas Murphy, Sean Biggerstaff full cast
Duration: 104 mins
Most popular on this site
Top Stories
Time Out's 101 Films of the Decade
Ten years, thousands of movies and millions of dollars in international box office, and it all boils down to this
Martin Provost discusses 'Séraphine'
Trevor Johnston talks to the director of 'Séraphine' about bringing a little known French painter back to life
Our verdict on Peter Jackson's The Lovely Bones
Peter Jackson ends a triumphant decade with a sentimental misfire with this lush Alice Sebold adaptation
On the set of Ken Loach's 'Route Irish'
Dave Calhoun meets Ken Loach on the set of his forthcoming Iraq war movie
Stephen Poliakoff discusses 'Glorious 39'
Stephen Poliakoff’s ‘Glorious 39’ is his first film for cinema since ‘Food of Love’ in 1997. Dave Calhoun met him
Is 'Paranormal Activity' the new 'Blair Witch'?
How does a film go from DIY experiment to box-office smash? 'Paranormal Activity' director Oren Peli explains
Steven Soderbergh on 'The Informant!' and 'The Girlfriend Experience'
We talk to Steven Soderbergh about his two forthcoming films: one featuring a porn star, the other a chubby Matt Damon
A gateway to all things 'New Moon'
In anticipation of 'The Twilight Saga: New Moon', Time Out is offering the chance to pick up a limited edition pack with three exclusive magazines and a free poster.
The films that deserve a TV spin-off
With Roland Emmerich suggesting he'd like to make a '2012' TV spin-off, we propose some more movie-to-TV serialisations
Time Out's 50 greatest animated films with commentary by Terry Gilliam
In celebration of the release of Pixar's 'Up' and Wes Anderson's 'Fantastic Mr Fox', read our rundown of fifty classic feature length animations
What do you think?
Post your review now