Genres

Visitors Review

robertconnor 2012-05-21 05:34:39

A Question of Miscasting

When her photo-journalist husband is reported killed during theCroatian-Serbian war, an American woman refuses to believe his deathand sets out to find him. Ill-prepared, she very quickly encounters thedepravity and horrific violence of the events of Yugoslavia 1991-92.Harrison's Flowers plays like an uncomfortable hybrid between a grittyEuropean film, and a rather crass US TV movie. Whilst the scenes ofwar, and the experiences of journalists on the front line are capturedto astonishing, and frequently devastating effect, the very notion ofMacDowell wandering through the carnage looking for her husbandapproaches the ridiculous. MacDowell isn't necessarily a bad actor, andhas often been shown to good effect in a number of funny and successfulcomedies. However, she just doesn't have the chops to carry such abrutal and shocking story, and as such is the film's central flaw. Thisviewer can't help wondering what kind of movie it would have been had,say, Cate Blanchett played Sarah. Other performances are excellent, anddeeply credible, and asides from a frankly unbelievable ending, thisfilm sears its way into the memory and reminds how shocking this periodof history was.

2012-05-20 17:52:23

Harrison's Flowers

I passed up this movie when it came out in theaters but I recently watched it on DVD and realized this had been a mistake. I actually saw it the same day as "The Pianist" and prefered Harrison's Flowers. It's not for the weak of heart and very realistic but manages to remain human without excessive sentimentality. The cinematography is beautiful and I love all the actors. Special mention to Andrian Brody who I found was endearing, without trying to be. All in all a really good movie which is probably more informative about the realities of war than any television media coverage.

lynnmorrison9-1 2012-05-20 11:28:14

blown away

I picked this film up in my local charity shop and bored with what onthe t.v. I placed it in my video....I can only say I was blown away byits stark and unyielding realism. My husband died in war zone andseeing this film brought home the reality of how war far to easilyproduces monsters out of the normal everyday men caught up in it. Outof all the performances, two were outstanding, Brendan Gleeson showedfear so tangible, that I wanted to reach into the screen and rescuehim. Adrien Brody's portrayal of a man hooked on something to ease hispain, help him sleep or take his hunger away was also a superbperformance. I would recommend this film.

2012-05-19 21:18:47

MacDowell's best performance in a superb film

This review is from: Harrison's Flowers (DVD) There are very, very few films that had dared to tackle the controversial subject of wars in the former Yugoslavia. This is one of them, and done very well. Now, if your knowledge on the subject is limited, you will have a hard time following the politics of it. And truth be told, even the filmakers are at times confused about it. However, you shouldn't let that prevent you from viewing it; because in its core, it's actually a very basic human story. It is surprisingly accurate, moving, harrowing, suspensful and (dare I say) VERY entertaining. It's a work of fiction but actually based on some real incidents (the infamous invasion of Vukovar and the crimes commited at this time). The acting is excellent all around (Brody, Gleeson and Strathairn especially), but the real star of this film is the lovely Andie MacDowell. The actress (Four Weddings and a Funeral) who has ever been heavily criticized for her 'limited' acting, in this film she proves her worth. In a very difficult role, Ms. MacDowell gives an Oscar-calliber performance that is heartbreaking and very brave. The DVD itself is a quality release. You should ckeck it out, even if you know nothing about that period of Croatian's sad history. See it for its remarkable story, tight editing, sweeping cinematography and superb performances by Andie MacDowell and Adrien Brody!

garuda4 2012-05-12 14:40:15

A war movie without a soul or a sympathetic character.

Andy McDowell can't seem to portray sympathetic characters. In "Four weddings and a funeral" I wanted Hugh to dump her. In "Sex, lies and videotapes" I knew she was frigid before they told us. It has something to do with those intense brown eyes being too close together, and her pent up, whiny angst.Now she plays a woman so obsessed with finding her (given up for dead famous war correspondent) husband that she roars off to a war zone without a backward look at her children. She then allows her husband's fame to sucker 3 other reporters into acting as protectors and guides, and when one of them gets killed she watches silently as another reporter apologizes for the death. She doesn't have a clue that her irresponsibility is the root of his death.This is supposed to be a love story but how can one tolerate a love from a mother who never shows any concern for the consequences to her children and those around her?Who needs another soul-less war movie these days anyway. They have so ground into the dirt the images of hell that they appear dispassionate. The hell of war is the damage it does to the human soul not just the damage it does to the body. When you show only the latter you're showing off technique and side stepping creative bravery.

Zach Anderson 2012-05-11 17:26:22

I've never seen any other movie like this before!

I've never seen any other movie like this before! Granted, my exposuretomovies where photojournalists are in the midst of war, it gave a stunningportrayal of how these levels of violence affect the people who take thepictures that we see in magazines.If you want to read about the plot, then you should read the othercommentsabout this film. However, if you want comments, then consider these:Whilethe movie does have a love story plot (wife tries to find husband inwar-torn Eastern Europe), the presentation of the war scenes within themovie are phenomenal, giving it a "Saving Private Ryan" feeling.As Sara (the wife) and the photographers look for Harrison Lloyd, notonlydo you see how far a wife will go in order to find her husband, but youalsowitness just how far photojournalists will go in order to save theirown.And if you ask me, the "Hollywood Ending" was absolutely necessary inorderto justify showing the rest of the grim war scenes throughout the movie(they can be disturbing, but they aren't gory). Had the movie ended anyother way, I think that the majority of the viewers would feel extremelydepressed after sitting through a two-hour movie.Definitely a great movie! This is one that will get a lot of playtime inmyDVD player.

jarius 2012-05-11 01:30:17

Its a matter of feeling

I just saw "Welcome to Sarajevo", a film that got a lot of press andpositive remarks when it came out. I only suspect that much of the press wasbased on the fact that it came out only a couple of years after the end ofthat terrible war in Bosnia. Just as in "Welcome" this film also depicts the life of journalists, tryingto understand and convey the happenings in a country once believed to bealmost western. (Which, I suspect, is the reason that it had such an impacton the western psyche.) As everbody else has pointed out this is where thebest characters are found, especially Adrian Brodys character.Several others have already pointed out that the main story revolving arounda lost love and an heroic wife trying to save her husband is really awkward.But since you need somekind of story, that might just as well be it. I sawthis film a second time just recently and actually managed to ignore theplot and focuse on the description of the madness that was eastern Croatiain the early 1990´s. This film has an incredible feeling, the settings, the photography and thescore makes it come really close to being in an actual war. I cant reallypraise this enough. Compared to "Welcome" this film hits you in the guts asit shows the brutality of urban warfare and the senseless killings thatoccur in all wars.Other films about Bosnia that are recommended if you like this one, "No mansland", "Pretty Village, Pretty fire" and "Savior". And why not give"Welcome" a chance too.

2012-05-10 16:07:14

This is not Groundhog Day

Andi MacDowell of the dark, crimped hair, the love interest of Three Weddings and a Funeral and Ground Hog Day plays this one seriously. Yugoslavia breaks up faster than the Yugo. Christians, the Orthodox, and Moslems rape and kill indiscriminately in WW2 style battles through ancient cities back in the early 90's. Clinton and the UN send in troops to break this one up. Clinton promises the troops will be home by Christmas. They are still there, but the New York Times never complains. I digress.Would a woman with two children go into hell to find her missing husband? I don't think so unless it was in the middle of a Macy's special. I'm sorry. Just wanted to say that the idea of Andi getting into Yugoslavia and finding a needle in a bloody haystack is absurd, but this movie does show the blood bath. In fact, the director seems to wallow in needless body counts. Yes there were atrocities. I have less understanding of the conflict after this movie than I had before. What's this all about? There is a fine performance by Adrien Brody as the hyperactive photojournalist. His buddy Brendan Gleason does a fine job too.

LARRYLOVE711 2012-05-03 22:13:49

Love transcends all

Great movie. A great testament to what true love is all about....I'd gothrough that plus more to find my wife, if I have even the slightest hunchthat she's missing but alive and in danger.Well acted....great to see Adrian Brody in yet another fantastic role. NOshort-coming to this film at all, IMHO. Will buy it on DVD as it's worthseeing again and again.For those who say the movie shamelessly uses the Serb conflict as abackdrop...pshaw! Go get a documentary about it. At least this movieacknowledges a conflict that too many Americans never paid any attention toat all, thus sparking interest and hopefully more attention tofuture/current world events.

2012-05-03 02:14:15

tribute to journalists who died covering the Balkan conflict

Reviewer: A viewer from Kansas City, MOThis gripping film is a tribute to the 40+ journalists who died covering the war in the Balkans. The story centers around Andie MacDowell's character's search for her Pulitzer-award-winning photographer husband, who was reportedly killed when a building collapses in the war. Sarah Lloyd (Andie) is convinced that her husband is still alive, so she leaves behind her two young children & her job at Newsweek to venture to Serb-held Vukovar to find him. Her journey is fraught with violence -- shortly after she crosses into Yugoslavia, she encounters a Serb roadblock, where her hitchhiker/passenger/guide, a charming Croatian student in Paris returning to find his wife & baby, is needlessly executed, the rented Audi is crushed by a tank, and Sarah barely escapes rape. She is "rescued" by fellow journalists, and undaunted, continues her seeming suicide mission to find her husband in Vukovar. The violence in this film rivals anything you'll find on screen (think two hours of the opening scene of Saving Private Ryan) and you'll hear the ... word at least once a minute -- but it is well worth seeing. It will foster an appreciation of what photojournalists go through to document history, putting themselves at risk certainly as much as the soldiers, without the support & protection of an Army being them (albeit voluntarily). My only concern is that the film may oversimplify the issues underlying the conflict -- it depicts Serbs as evil and Croats as - - well, not evil, providing a relatively safe haven for the journalists. However, the film is not so much about the conflict itself as it is about the sacrifices of the journalists covering the conflict.

2012-05-02 09:15:07

A Must See!

A real eye opener on what went on In Yugoslavia war, and the perilJournalists and Photographers go through to bring the war to us back home.Ihope they do a film like this on DAVID BLOOM's sacrifice he make incoveringthe Road to Iraqui Freedom! Thank You!

2012-05-02 06:04:57

A Journey through Hell on Earth....

The wife of a photojournalist thought killed in the early days of the Yugoslavian civil war, believes her husband is still alive and rashly makes her way to the heart of that hellish conflict, with the aid of some other cynical war photographers.You may find the premise a bit incredible, but make the leap of faith that the character of the wife does, because it will take you, as it does her, on a journey through Hell on earth, and shock and stun you as it does this sophisticated, yet naive, middle-class American woman.The film accomplishes something important in that it manages to take a place and time with events we think we know about, and shove it into our consciousness with the shock of the new! How can people behave this way? Where is sanity and justice and morality? Do these terms even have relevance in the face of furious and indifferent cruelty. The wife's love and determination is nearly overwhelmed by the fear and violence surrounding her.A very competent cast does well, with Adrien Brody a standout. But this is a director's showcase and Elie Chouraqui and company do an outstanding job in shaking out our complacency and reminding us again of the horrors of that nasty little conflict and its "ethnic cleansing" thugs and monsters.

ozjeppe 2012-05-01 10:07:14

Disjointed narrative disrupts truly remarkable war footage!

Honorably ambitious drama of American war-photo journalist who goes ona last mission to civil war-erupting Yugoslavia in the early 1990s.Being allegedly killed in action, his wife refuses to believe it anddecides to follow in his tracks, with a small group of warphotographers in tow...The bulk here is the truly remarkable staging and re-enaction of thehorrors of the war on the Balkan that left me cringing heavily in itsstrongest parts. But disjointed narrative (especially thosepost-interviews) and unconvincing relations and circumstances - a sortof modern "Saving private Ryan"-ish setup, if you like - make itsAmerican-related input curiously uninvolving... Too bad - had allelements gelled, its classic status probably would have been secured.And not surprisingly, Adrien Brody steals the acting show as usual! 6 out of 10 from Ozjeppe

2012-04-30 18:56:15

Harrison"s Flowers

I ordered this DVD of Harrison's Flowers. Then found out it was discontinued. sellers need to check their inventory to make sure they have it.

Alex-372 2012-04-30 04:50:33

Good movie, as good as Salvador

HARRISON'S FLOWERSThis is a pretty good movie, considering that the war movie genre isn'texactlyvirgin territory. Set in contemporary Yugoslavia (I can't keep track), itisbasically about war journalists covering the conflict. A lot betterthanWelcome To Sarajevo, a lot more realistic than Salvador, I wassurprisednot to have heard of this movie. Because of dramatic reasons, it has tohavea narrative of Andie McDowell trying to find her husband, who hasgonemissing and has been declared dead. As opposed to Saving PrivateRyan,it isn't too far fetched and actually works, because it gives themoviedirection and resolution. Otherwise, this movie would just be alitanyof war crimes. Unlike many comments here, I think Andie McDowell did a reallygoodjob, portraying a woman who is determined, but at the same timestillsensitive and feminine. David Strathairn gives a great performance too. I last rememberseeinghim in a more comedic role as Whistler in Sneekers. Greatacting,as well as nice acting from the supporting actor Elias Koteas (TheProphecy).However, the little boy Cesar had me going 'aaaargh...' becauseofhis creepy, smug "look I'm on film" smile/smirk he doesn't let goofthrough the entire movie. More acting classes for him...Also, Diane Baker has become really irritating since I last sawheras Senator Martin in Silence Of The Lambs and I kept hopingforAndie McDowell to punch her.Overall, this movie is pretty good.

2012-04-29 12:15:33

Skip the mushy love stuff...brilliant and realistic hardcore war atrocity film like 'Salvador'

Forget about all the love stuff...rather thin love story at themost.This movie really shines in the portrayal of the Yugoslavianwar.Genocide, nowadays eufemistically named 'ethnic cleansing' (I spit on thosetwo words; only a politician could have used the word 'cleansing' as asubstitute for 'mass murder') is very realistically portrayed in thismovie.War doesn't get any dirtier than this.The movie focuses however neither on the victims nor the butchers, and infact makes very little effort to which side is 'the good side'. This isveryclose to the actual truth, which is that there was no good side. In warthere are only two sides: The people with the guns doing the killing andthepeople who want to live in peace who take care of the dyingpart.This movie focuses on two things; the journalists and thevictims.The very natural and realistic acting results in three real, lifelikejournalists, much more down to earth than the ones in 'Salvador'(1986) andcloser but still better than the ones in 'the killing fields'.There are times when you can almost see them s****ing in their pants out offear.Only Andy MacDowell character is truly unrealistic in her fanatical searchfor her lover and should have been shot halfway the movie if she was tohaveany realism about her. Sorry.Because the journalists are all such real persons the whole movie gets anewkind of realism. Strong acting and grim settings are combined to create atrue and realistic atmosphere of desperation, hopelessness and grimdetermination in the whole of the war zone scenes. Only a few war moviessucceed in coming close to showing the truth about war: It's mindless,senseless, immoral, clinical, and chaotic way of destroying everything andeveryone in it's path, without remorse, pity or hesitation.In the past few years movies are getting better in portraying the true faceof war. 'The thin red line' , 'Saving private Ryan' and 'Enemy at thegates'spring to mind.Of pre-1980 movies most american war movies are basically gung-ho crap.Notable exception is 'Go tell the Spartans' (1978) with BurtLancaster.Remember to watch 'the killing fields' and 'Salvador', as they both centeron journalists, just like in this movie.I gave this movie an 8.It would have gotten better if the love story part would have been anywherenear as realistic as the war stuff. But you can't blame the director forskipping on that to concentrate on the realism in the war stuff. It's tohismerit that he knew his priorities.PS: bad acting by Andy MacDowell. This movie would have been better with acapable but lesser well known actrice in her part. Now her bigger-than-life'Hollywoodian' image conflicts with the role she is playing, and sharplycontrasts with the brilliantly presented, down to earth journalists. She istoo unrealistic as a character to play in such a realisticfilm.

acamp-3 2012-04-26 20:17:31

Pushing Up Daisies

In spite of the rather contrived setup, the scenes in former Yugoslavia weresome of the most horrifying and realistic war scenes on film. Thesephotojournalists had nothing to protect themselves but Nikons and good luck. Just as the photojournalists used their cameras to record the atrocities,director Elie Chouraqui unflinchingly captured the war crimes committed bythe Serbs and the chaos and meaninglessness of war. Adrien Brody showed hisOscar worthiness as Kyle Morris, the coke-head, jealous, unaccomplishedphotographer with a chip on his shoulder. His was the most mesmerizingperformance, because it lacked any pretense. He looked scared to death. Brendan Gleeson was also exceptional, wavering between frozen panic anddedicated war chronicler. Andie Macdowell was pretty lifeless, yet sheseemed convincing as a woman unprepared for such an undertaking. DavidStraitharn had a thankless part as the eponymous Harrison. Elias Koteas wasunderused as well, and his narration was unnecessary. His part wasunderwritten, but he managed to give it life nonetheless. The title mayhave hurt this interesting and eye-opening film. It sounded like a show onthe Gardening Network. I would have eliminated the last 10 minutes, (aswell as the whole flower analogy- Ugh!) sinking the film into melodrama, butthis was a good one to catch on Starz.

gambilljen 2012-04-26 08:47:27

So VERY good.

This is one heck of a movie. Everything about it is just so wonderfullyput together. The story is about a woman (Andie Mcdowell) and herjournalist husband (I forget his name). While on a trip, her husband isreported dead, but Sarah (I remembered her name now) doesn't believethat is true, so, she sets out to find him. She doesn't go along, shegoes with some other journalists (including Adrian Brody). This trip isa long, dangerous, and strenuous trip that shows the brutality of war,and the strong love between a woman and her husband. What happens Iwon't say of course, but the title of the movie has to do with theending.The acting is phenomenal and the direction of the movie is superb. Thescript is great, however I found the dialog to be bland and had alittle bit to much profanity, but its a really minor turn off. But themovie is a movie you can't forget, and its a must see for war fans andfor fans of anyone in the cast.I rate it 10/10 (excellent) Rated R-Strong War Violence and GruesomeImages, Pervasive Language and Brief Drug Use

Sandra Feliciano 2012-04-24 22:59:21

a movie or a documentary?

Many comments have already been made about this movie here, so I willtry not to repeat what was already said. Therefore, I will only saythis: If I had entered a room where this movie was playing and caughtit in middle and if there were not a few well known Hollywood faces onit, I would have easily believed this was a (very good) documentaryabout the civil war in former Yugoslavia.I have never heard about this movie before - I suspect it didn'tentered the Portuguese cinema circuit, and if it did, it passedunnoticed - and I bumped on it quite by chance at a store and bought itmostly because it was marked with an irresistible promotional price(about 3 euros) so it was worth it to take the risk. Well, I have toadmit that while watching it, I become totally amazed by it's highquality! Very well directed, amazing shots - angles, sound and lightjust perfect - and a great realistic depiction of the human atrocitiescommitted in this war.A must see movie for a lot of good reasons!

Peter Ramshaw 2012-04-24 12:30:44

Left me ambivalent

I liked this movie a lot but it still seemed somehow 'wrong' to me. Thestoryline was very stilted and unbelievable (yeah, a woman who knowsnothing about photography and war will travel to the Balkans and rescueher husband from those complete animals? No. Even Bruce Willis mightstruggle :-)).I was a press photographer for many years and got into a lot of tightsituations (not wars fortunately) and some of the scenes seemed 'real'to me and some really 'unreal'.I thought Andie McDowell did a reasonable job. So Did Aiden Brody butSOMEONE tell me why he stopped being an arsehole and became a good guy?The plot seemed to slip there about the middle. Also the father-sonrelationship here is so thin you'd fall through it. The kid feltneglected and then and tended his dad's plants for three months?Really? Hey, it's not bad to watch (some good war scenes in there) butthis is a way big waste of money. You can try to be 'Saving PrivateRyan' and 'Sleepless in Seatle' and expect to either succeed or havefilm-goers rave about you (well, theoretically you could I guess, butthis effort falls way short).