ChristinO
"I enjoyed the film, but I was also disappointed. I think it could have been much stronger. I'm still mulling some things over in my head and need to hash it out with someone else who's seen it."
I agree with your assessment of Quills. Although it was generally quite good, I think that the transition from play to film was mismanaged a little bit. Certain scenes came across as portentous, which may have worked on stage, but a less heavy-handed approach would have been better suited to the film medium.
However, there were many pluses. Kate Winslet was sublime for one. Her performance was excellent. The dialogue was superb at points. Also, the opening shot was an incredible piece of work that introduced the movie's themes in an efficient and compelling fashion -- (my fave critic praised it at length).
I have read a couple of reviews suggesting that the movie mishandled the theme of freedom of speach, that it agrandized the Marquis at the expense of a more even handed assessment of his life and writings, etc. yada yada. I think that there is something to that sort of critique and would love to hear your take on it. That said, however, it may be a one-sided conversation. I started my legal clerkship (we call them articles here in Canada) about a month ago, and am buried in an ass-load of work.
