MovieChat Forums > Mary Reilly (1996) Discussion > flaws in this film

flaws in this film

posted 14 years ago by vfeinmann-2
17 replies | jump to latest

1st: John Malcovich as Hyde gives exactly the same performance that he gave in Dangerous Liaisons as the Viscount. We have already seen him as the hyper self-confident, sexy, ironic, playing cat and mouse with innocent and shy young girls. Long haired too, the same look, the same gestures. It kind of gets old.

2nd: It’s absolutely obvious even for someone who doesn’t already know the story that Jeckyll and Hyde are the same man! Save for the different hairstyle and a light beard they have the same face, they have the same voice, when Hyde first appears it would be just so obvious to anybody that worked for Dr. Jeckyll that it is him! They should´ve characterized Malcovich in some way to differentiate him when playing one or the other, but that there would still be some resemblance that she confirms in the end.

3rd: Glenn Close is awful and overacting, horribly affected and exaggerated. Also somehow repeating her role and her looks from Dangerous Liaisons.

4th: The transformation scene is totally unachieved, it moves to laughter that there is some kind of alien coming out of him, it looks ridiculous and uncalled for. They should’ve just insinuated it with noises, screams, and Julia Roberts face looking horrified.

4th: I am not a native english speaker so I wouldn´t know about Julia Roberts’ accent, but I get it from previous posts that it was bad. How nobody noticed that in time and tried to fix it while on production beats me.

5th: This is not so much a flaw as it is a turnoff, that John Malcovich as hot as he is and everything, looks fat and saggy when they show his torso, he even kind of has breasts. Has anyone else noticed?

Best!

[–] r2626 14 years ago

For your only post on IMDb you really showed that you are quite a critic. It is evident that you are not a talented critic. Anyone can pick a movie apart with their opinions.

Help stamp out and do away with redundancy

[–] vfeinmann-2 14 years ago

oh, i just had some free time and thought i'd share my insights with the world.
thanks! :)

[–] mann-bearpig 14 years ago

i agree that this movie was very disappointing. given mary's history of sexual and physical abuse, it was a huge stretch that she would ever be attracted to the cruel, violent and overtly sexual mr. hyde. and, like vfeinmann-2 said, the transformation scene was laughable.

[–] Merrida 14 years ago

Wrong. You lack an understanding of victims of sexual and psychological abuse, especially as a child. In many cases, that becomes an expression of love and devotion. The victim starts to relate that abuse to mean affection. The same way an adult woman who is being beaten would return to the same man again and again, despite the abuse. You need to also learn the basics of anthropology and gain a better understanding of how relationships form. There's every reason to believe that yes, Mary could quite easily be taken in. I find that extremely believable. No strain or stretch.
______________________________________
Sic vis pacem para bellum.

[–] elowynofavalon-2 14 years ago

Stockholm Syndrome.

[–] shannon77 11 years ago

insights, criticism, thought, reviews are always welcome. Its a discussion.

feel free to comment anytime..

and bring an evil twin if you wish too...>>))

Everyday I learn something new!

[–] Caliane 13 years ago

r2626:

WOW. Unkind much? I thought the OP (not a native English speaker) made some excellent points about the film. What point did you make other than a vague insult (and prove YOUR lack of talent as a critic)?

[–] Rick-34 12 years ago

Hear, hear!

[–] Alex_Askew 14 years ago

yep, I agree with everything you said.

[–] anghmho 13 years ago

Add a sixt flaw: Julia Roberts does slip in and out of a somewhat believable accent, but John Malkovitch's lack of any attempt at an accent is very distracting.

[–] polexia 13 years ago

Malkovitch's boobs were the most interesting this about this film.

I am in a thousand winds that blow,
I am the softly falling snow.

[–] Rick-34 12 years ago

I was thinking about this.

Why is it OK for John Malkovich, Glenn Close, and Uma Thurman to play French characters with American accents, but actors must adopt attempts at English accents if they play the English?

Personally, I'd rather see an actor not bother to try to attempt an accent than to try and fail. Indeed, some English accents are not distinguishable from some American accents (e.g. Patrick McGoohan's).

If an actor can pull off a good accent, all the better. But it's not obligatory.

I'm more disturbed by the fact that everybody in the film thought Hyde and Jekyll were two different people. Um, they're both John Malkovich!! Little effort was made to create significantly different looks for the two characters.

[–] jac163 12 years ago

I guess we are supposed to ignore the fact that Jekyll has an american accent, but. I do know Malkovitch can do a pretty passable British accent.
To me accents play an important part to the credibility of the character.
Julia Roberts put on a reasonable accent and despite the fact it sometimes slipped, at least she tried.

[–] Cult_of_Kibner 12 years ago

I just assumed Malkovich's version of Jekyll was an American scientist living in the UK. I don't see the problem with that.

As for Julia Roberts, I don't know jack about Irish accents and I could still tell hers sounded like sh*t.

LedgerJoker: Tonight you'll break your one rule!
KeatonBatman: What rule? <breaks his neck>

[–] iansat 11 years ago

I agree completely. Julia Roberts attempted an accent, which sounded either Irish OR American. As she can't pull it off I think she was a bad choice. Malkovich's American accent was so distracting I couldn't watch it to the end. The (first) scene in the brothel just made me listen to the accents rather than watch the film. Incidentally, some of the Brits have quite pronounced regional accents so that made the American accents stand out even more ridiculously. Disclosure: I'm British and I didn't rate the film as I didn't watch it all. I would have probably given it a six if the accents weren't an obvious issue.

[–] scoup 11 years ago

Agreed. this movie was a disappointment. Most of the movie I was distracted about how plain Julia Roberts looked. It's not a dig, but I just kept thinking hair & makeup do wonders for her.

Glenn Close was way over the top and looked like a vampire with all that makeup. The dialog was on the nose. The transformation was lame - why 2 heads and arms when they look exactly alike except for the hair? Bones breaking for the same body shape?

[–] fiatlux-1 11 years ago

But to be fair, Julia Roberts was supposed to look plain here. That was her character, she was a maid.

"I'd say this cloud is Cumulo Nimbus."
"Didn't he discover America?"
"Penfold, shush."