Genres

Visitors Review

simon-alphastar 2013-06-17 23:31:35

Swinging with the Finkels - 10/10

This is a great movie - funny, fresh and original. Director JonathanNewman is a film maker to keep an eye on. The plot is hilarious, the cast are perfect and there is anexceptionally funny moment in the film that will certainly raise a feweyebrows. If you enjoyed "Something Like Mary" - you will definitelyenjoy this.Newman paints a very positive picture of life, friendships andrelationships and how what you are seeking in life is usually foundwithin. His images of London are heart warming, bold and powerful. You must go and see this film, I can't recommend it enough.

Neil Welch 2013-06-17 16:31:26

A real oddity

Well, this is downright peculiar, and no mistake. We have what appearsto be a perfectly straightforward comedy/drama of morals/manners,whereby after 9 years of marriage, Alvin Finkel and his American wifeSarah find their marriage getting a bit stale, so they try a partnerswap with another couple, then separate. Look a bit deeper though, andthings aren't quite so straightforward.This film has a definite air of an American reject being set in Londoninstead of New York, with Martin Freeman playing the mildly neuroticsmart-arse part which might have been played once upon a time by ayoung Woody Allen. This feeling is added to by Sarah's grandparents(Jerry Stiller and (I think} Beverly Klein) being very Jewish withoutthere being the slightest indication that Alvin and Sarah are Jewish,apart from their name (not many English Jews called Alvin,incidentally). The grandparents serve no dramatic purpose other thanbeing necessary for the payoff of one of the gags, by the way. Also, atone point, Angus Deayton actually utters the word "gotten". Sorry, butno-one in England says "gotten." So this strange transAtlantic vibe pervades a story which wouldactually work a lot better if we were able to care about the people init. I nearly cared about Mandy Moore's Sarah, but I cared not a jotabout Martin Freeman's character. And without anything at stake, thedramatic element of the movie did nothing for me.There were places where it was amusing but, broadly, this was a misfirewith an identity crisis.

Julian Darley 2013-06-15 00:59:02

A charming film, with some naughty bits.

This movie has some really funny moments, considerable charm, and anice sensibility, all too rare in most modern British films.If you are married (or have ever been in a relationship of more thanfive minutes), you will be able to identify with the Finkels' problemsand be amused by the varied and intriguing solutions they come up withto add some spice to their ailing sex life. There is also a nicecontrast with the other main couple and we see how both couples dealwith the same problem in rather different ways.The unusual locations in London were used to great effect and the artdirection was excellent.PS: After watching this film cucumbers will always make you smile.

Alex Vojacek 2013-06-14 08:33:49

The premise is great but it chickens out in the middle

I love movies that deal with sex and marriage because these are topicsthat, well, are taboo on our society. The movie premise starts great, amarriage with a 'block' on their passion search for alternatives and asI say, it starts great, very liberal in the way it shows the coupletrying to search for something different.Then, all of a sudden, the movie just chickens out, sex and passionstops being the main topic of the movie and it slowly but surelybecomes in another super clichéd romantic comedy about a couplefighting and getting back together.Seriously, I love movies that respect their premise and go for it, thismovie is not. Swinging (swingers) is the main title of the movie, but,believe me, swinging is the LEAST you will see on this one.I don't have a problem with romantic comedies, don't get me wrong, butwhen the main premise goes to the trash can in the middle of it I getmad.This movie is very deceptive, it tries to be original and bold in theirinitial statements but if rapidly falls in the "normal" category.A real letdown, if you really want to see a fun comedy that don't dareto chicken out like this one, please, go see "A good old fashionedorgy" and do not waste time on this one.

Equinox23 2013-06-12 04:45:37

I'd love to see Martin Freeman in a classical screwball comedy

Midway through this movie exactly this phrase came to my mind. Thereare some really lovely moments where (t)his potential shines, somethinglike Hepburn-Grant, wow - oh and the chemistry between the leads shouldbe a little bit better. Yet of course this movie isn't a screwball andif you expect a lot of swinging, you'd be disappointed as well. Thegags were foreseeable and all I felt was an air of compulsiveness, asregards marriage, sex etc. When Peter (Jonathan Silverman) mentionsthat he misses the fighting and nagging, this subsumed exactly myfeelings about the script.So please, please, if anybody reads this do me a favour and have MartinFreeman do a real screwball comedy, for I fear he would be excellent -just the right timing. The 6 out of ten is for the acting!

Rokincow 2013-06-12 01:12:20

Original, with a few laughs but still a classic rom-com formula

I saw this film and have to say I don't really understand why it hassuch low reviews. Perhaps it is because it hasn't been on full releaseyet, and has only been seen on previews and festivals, and perhaps thataudience prefer more impressive movies, but really this is an alrightfilm.It's plot is focused on a Englishman and his American wife who live inLondon, and after a 9 year marriage it has become stale. The filmbegins by showing their current life, and the fact they are unhappy,and then they try to spice it up to fix the marriage. The concept isoriginal to an extent, the openness about sex is probably it's maindraw. The 'Swinging' is actually a relatively short section of thefilm, really I think it is done tastefully, there really isn't anythinguntoward about it. It is slightly misleading with the title, but (I'mtrying to keep this spoiler free so sorry about the lack of info) andit all turns out how you expect it to turn out in the end. I did say this film is original, and I think I would keep to that, yetit still manages to keep to the classic rom-com formula, there are allyour classic scenes you expect, yet they seem almost slightly morerealistic, or less corny. It serves it's purpose as an amusing film.At the end of the day, this is a funny film, I laughed a fair fewtimes. Though, yes I will admit not every joke is laugh at loud humour,it still serves it's purpose and is enjoyable. It is not cinematicgold, but really nobody expected it to be. It's a nice tongue in cheek,feel good film that makes you chuckle and cringe along the way. Itcertainly doesn't deserve it's current 4/10 rating. I hope that gains afew more votes to truly reflect it. I would say it should be more a6/10 I do fear that maybe some of the humour is more British? orperhaps people expect something far more vulgar or sexy than isactually on offer. (Also fear people are rating without seeing thefilm, just because they don't like the sound of it)My rating: 6.5/10 (will put a 7,because I like films that push certaintaboo's and I like British humour...)Go on give it a chance :)

Momo-36 2013-06-09 00:24:14

It was light and entertaining

I read the other reviews and think the film has gotten a bum wrap. It'snot Oscar worthy but it's light and easy to watch. I wouldn't say it'sa chick flick but definitely would be easy to see with some girlfriendsbut a couple would get a few chuckles out of it. Assuming you've neverswung, it is a bit clichéd but it's not supposed to be taken seriously.The actors do a great job and maybe the writing could have been better.The directing was a bit bland but the overall quality of the productionwas pretty good. I thought the two main character had good chemistrytoo. Mandy is not my actress of choice but she's pretty good at lightcomedy. I've seen far worse actors trying to do comedy. I wouldrecommend this film to friends and couples alike. If anything, once youfinish the movie it will be easier to broach the subject of 'swinging'if you get the vibe that your partner is into it!

Elizabeth Caproni 2013-06-08 16:59:54

Entertaining And Funny

I take my hat off to Jonathan Newman for making a British film thatisn't all doom and gloom. There are quite a few LOL moments in thismovie, not just from the action but from the dialog as well. It has anAmerican feel to it which I like and think is clever as this gives itinternational appeal. Okay, it's not 100% representative of a real couple living in Londonbut so what? It's a romantic comedy, it's supposed to just entertainyou, and that it does. It actually brought a tear to my eye at onepoint but it was a happy tear, not a sad one. It is just so nice to goand see a British film without leaving the theater completelydepressed.