Film

What's on at the cinema plus reviews of the latest movie and DVD releases


Seawife (1957)

Director: Bob McNaught

Average user rating
No reviews

Movie review

From Time Out Film Guide

Ludicrously portentous adaptation of JM Scott's novel (originally published as Sea-Wyf and Biscuit) elucidating the real-life mystery of the small ads in which one 'Biscuit' agonised after the whereabouts of a certain 'Seawife'. Flashback to World War II unfolds a heady mash of romance, religion and racism, so silly that it's almost disarming, as four survivors from a ship torpedoed during the fall of Singapore make it by life raft to a desert island. There broody Burton falls for Collins, but gets no joy because she (though wearing no wimple) is actually a nun, and God seems to have answered her with a miracle to pull them through; meanwhile the token racist (Sydney) succumbs to devilish impulses to get rid of the token black (Grant), and starts suffering guilts... Rossellini was the original director but copped out, sensible fellow.

Author: TM

Time Out Film Guide


What do you think?
Post your review now

clear rating
Min 1 star. Zero stars will be treated as unrated.

*mandatory fields




Most popular on this site


Top Stories

Has David Cronenberg turned tame?

Has David Cronenberg turned tame?

Has director David Cronenberg veered too far from his radical and bloody roots with new film 'A Dangerous Method'?

The 10 worst date movies

The 10 worst date movies

Just in time for Valentine's Day, we present ten of the least romantic films ever made

Where to watch this year's Oscar-nominated films

Where to watch this year's Oscar-nominated films

Find out where to watch 2012's Oscar-nominated films in London cinemas

10 unlikely badboy biopics

10 unlikely badboy biopics

Featuring Phil Collins, Jeremy Clarkson, Nick Clegg, David Starkey and a host of other unlikely subjects

Interview: Sean Durkin on 'Martha Marcy May Marlene'

Interview: Sean Durkin on 'Martha Marcy May Marlene'

The first-time director of the brilliant new thriller discusses religious cults and robot boxing

Pop-up cinema for Valentine's Day

Pop-up cinema for Valentine's Day

Side-step romantic clichés with some alternative Valentine’s viewing