Reviews

Considering the reputations of the two main performers (Julie Christie and Fritz Weaver), one would expect a lot more from this effort. However, the writing is sophomoric, and some of the special effects are head scratching, especially that strange polyhedron thing in the basement toward the end along with the "incubator" and the computer "baby." Furthermore, the conflict between Julie Christie and "Proteus" was just relentless, with nothing to relieve her misery. This was aggravated by the abortive arrival of the young computer nerd whose absence was never noted by Weaver's character or crew.

Too many questions, beginning with who shoots the two women at the beginning of the film, and why? And who are these women, and how did they connect to the house? How does this scene fit into the rest of the story? Some have suggested that the two get resurrected as vampires, but there doesn't seem to be any evidence of such a connection. I prefer to think that Ted (sucker guy # 1) returns to shoot them, once he has seen all that they have done.

Also, what happens to the murdered couple's car and trailer (caravan)? The realtor at the end does not seem to have come across them. Sorry to see Harriett end up as she did and John likewise.

We saw that Rupert's mutilated body was placed in his wrecked car to fool cops into thinking that he was victim of an accident. Does the wine connoisseur end up the same way?

The copious sex, nudity, and blood just can't make up for the holes in the "plot."

Not knowing anything about the Gucci family and its business, I didn't know what to expect. But it was a lush production: locations, sets, costumes, etc. The acting was adequate; although it was not always easy to know who was speaking or where they were (Milan? NYC? Anywhere else?).

Lady Gaga did a hell of a job as Patrizia, gobbling up the scenery. I had no problem with her accent, inasmuch as she is of Italian decent herself. She gives off no end of energy and charisma while playing a thoroughly detestable character.

Adam Driver played his role reasonably well, although I was never clear as to what Maurizio was up to at any time. I didn't see enough of what he was doing to tank the company.

Jeremy Irons should have been onscreen for more time. His portrayal was stellar as usual, playing Rodolfo, but just not no long enough.

Jared Leto's scenes should have been left on the cutting room floor. His unrecognizable character was just annoying from beginning to end.

Al Pacino seemed to be doing one of his characters from another movie (e.g. "The Devil's Advocate").

I was curious to see how sci-fi was done in 1929. (Might not have watched it, but for Lionel Barrymore.) Considering the time and Jules Vernes' story I was surprised at how reasonably farsighted Barrymore's character was when he was describing his invention and his take on human (and humanoid) evolution. Also the special effects were not bad, also considering the time this was made. Loved the various pressure suits!

This movie didn't seem to know what it was trying to do. Julianne Moore is a fine actress, but her character did not seem to have a background, and her husband (Xander Berkeley, not someone from 24, as one person wrote) just seemed to have walked into her life when movie started.

Furthermore, it was ever so slow-going throughout.

I'll watch anything with Josh Brolin, but his character makes some strange choices, like telling no one about the void, and trying to "duel" with Autumn (Imogen Poot). Autumn is one of the most distasteful characters that I have seen -- nothing about her personality or physical appearance appeals. She is obnoxious, yet is able to "seduce" people like Parry and Billy for no appearance. Who would have that they would be so manipulable. Also the Tillerson boys, esp. Luke, are reprehensible, as is their mother. The father is just a psycho jerk. Lili Taylor is good, as always, as is the little girl. Waiting to watch 5 & 6.

Why Hepburn's character changed so abruptly made no sense. At the beginning she was self-assured and focused on her work. She left Prof. Bangs time and again with no doubt that she was not interested in him. (One commenter erroneously stated that she was giddy and in love at the beginning -- that was not true.) Yet, when Alan shows up, she practically melts in his arms, and they get married in 5 minutes flat. Her obsession with Michael does not make sense, and she should have figured that the poetry book she found was Michael's, based on what she had been told about Michael.

I expected a patriotic united family, but got a divided family full of self-involved individuals instead. I did not understand why Celia Johnson's character was so angry and bitter throughout, especially toward her husband, who seemed to be generally upbeat. The oldest daughter seemed to have no use for the rest of the family. The grandmother and aunt were pills from beginning to end.

Zohra Lampert's character reminds me of that played by Candace Hilligoss in "Carnival of Souls." A sense of unreality and foreboding pervades both these films. In "Jessica" we also don't get a clear picture of people's relationships to each other. For instance, why is the young ambulance driver with the couple? Why did the husband leave his job as a bassist with a symphony orchestra and blow the couple's money on the old farm house? Did he know anything of its history or that of the local community? All in all, however, it was an effective and unsettling movie, and we hope that Jessica made it back across the pond to safety.

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Steven Hatfill and Bruce Ivins might not have been charged, but Ivins committed suicide and Hatfill seemed to have been at the center of a lot of circumstantial evidence. Where there is smoke there is fire? I don't know, but there never seemed to be a closure to this case. And after a while the letters stopped coming, coincidence?

Was Ivins just trying to get attention (for a vaccine, for instance)? Who knew?

Listening to the bad southern accents and the dialog handled in such a ham-handed "racially correct" way was just simply annoying.

This film is a must-see with fine performances all around. This is especially true in Michael Redgrave's case in a heart-breaking portrayal of a man late in his life with virtually no success to recall. He gradually reveals with minimum emotion the pain that he has suffered, both at home and at the school where he has taught.

This film along with "Brief Encounter" are two of the finest that Britain had to offer during and after WWII.

Your location information should include reference to the Delaware River between NJ and Pennsylvania. The "Trenton Makes, the World Takes" bridge sign is so obvious.

I saw this film many, many years ago, and I particularly recall beautiful, luscious Nicole Maurey as Fiamma and how Don Taylor as Preacher dumped her unceremoniously when he finds out that she had to prostitute herself to get by.

I came upon this little oddity on YouTube with Thai (?) subtitles. English closed captioning was spotty at best. The story had promise, but it didn't seem to know where it was going. And too many loose ends. For example, where did the dust storm come from and why? How did the alien bug jump from person to person where there was no apparent direct contact? And the little girl who apparently was killed near the beginning seems to show up in a later scene. Many others too numerous to mention.

This girl is a narcissist and a truly stupid one at that, not worth anyone else's time and effort. Not to wish the worst for her, but a large slap across the face would have been a good start. And where were her married lovers in all this? Idiots all.

If a couple sees a meteorite or UFO falling out of the sky onto their property and they find a baby (?), wouldn't they report the whole thing to the sheriff? And when they "adopted" the child, didn't anyone ask to find out where the child came from? Seems as both the couple and the residents of Brightburn were clueless and incurious. Didn't his school require records of vaccinations, etc?

The number of holes in the plot makes this movie a flawed exercise.

Who really died in the fire? Maybe someone can reveal the answer.

Some have written that this was like "Rosemary's Baby," but the opening scene and another one later on were more like "Alien." Also check out "The Stranger Within" with Barbara Eden a TV movie from the early/mid 70s. In addition the "Village of the Damned" from the early/mid 60s. These are more sci-fi, but also deal with mothers having inhuman babies.