Customer Reviews

The Kingfisher

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The previous reviewer clearly has a bigotted axe to grind. Why else would they use a line like "...appears to have as its point the fashionable cliche that homosexual love is as important as heterosexual love." And then follow it with, "Or something like that."

This film is based on the stage play. It is small. It is quiet. It is literate. And it is very funny. And yes, the acting is splendid. A great turn for actors in their seventies/eighties. Remember - it is next to impossible to find three lead roles when you're that age.

The sole complaint is that the transfer, from film to DVD, is not the best. For the first 20 minutes or so the film moves slightly up and down - a function of the film not being locked in its gate. This calms down soon after. Most people won't even notice it, with the proliferation of 'moving cow' camera techniques, these days.

Pay no attention to the homophobic, inappropriate remarks bizarrely expressed by the other reviewer. (What were they smoking when they watched this film?) The film is not about homosexual or heterosexual love. It's about growing old, about love lost, chances missed, and that it's never too late to seize the day - and to laugh!

How many of us remember the great love of our youth. And for some reason or other the one that got away. Where is he/she now and is it possible for providence to give us a last opportunity to correct this?

Three great actors play out the scenario. As Cecil (Rex Harrison) discovers that his love Evelyn (Wendy Hiller) that getaway 50 years ago has been recently widowed and is passing by his home on the way from the funeral.

For 50 years Evelyn was married to an avid golfer who died on the seventeenth hole. Why did they get married? For 50 years Cecil decided never to marry and lived with his servant Hawkins (Cyril Cusack) who is not looking forward to the impending meeting.

This film is based on "The kingfisher: A comedy in two acts" by William Douglas Home and we are voyeurs watching these people and of course the kingfisher. You will have to watch again for all the nuances'. Also notice the extras on the DVD.

Be sure to watch Rex playing a character named Cecil in "The Honey Pot" (1967).

The Honey Pot ~ Rex Harrison

Years ago this film was a special on HBO. I recorded it....a couple times even. I never tired of the acting, the writing, the visual delight. These actors know how to act and knowing what is coming up, each time I see it, is part of the fun. I wore out 2 tapes I had made and for several years I tried to find a copy. When they finally put it on DVD no one was happier than I was.
Everyone should treat themselves to this film. It is a prize.

When I first commented on this movie, I hadn't actually seen it. Now I have to really recommend it more strongly.

I saw Rex Harrison & Claudette Colbert in this play on Broadway - what a thrill. Dame Wendy Hiller will also be great in the role, so I'm excited even though I haven't seen the movie yet. See Dame Wendy in Pygmallion (the original G.B. Shaw play before music and a softer ending made it into My Fair Lady) and you'll know why I'm so pleased to find this. I'll have to add an opinion after viewing later.

And I've always loved Cyril Cusack - one of the great old British actors.Pygmalion

To watch these magnificent actors was a joy. Rex Harrison has always been a great actor, whether portraying a Pope, Emperor or, in this case, a lonely bachelor. Dame Wendy Hiller was a special kind of actress who could make any character she portrayed become real. Who stole the show, tho, was Cyril Cusak. What a very funny man he was and so subtle in his role in this movie.
Wonderful character study.

A true delightful treasure of the small screen. Very fine acting one that can be watched many times without tiring. Written and delivered with great wit and charm. The cinematography is excellent and adds to the charm of the piece. If you enjoy good literary works and don't wish to be confronted with sex and violence then this is for you. The plot is simple. It is about a couple reuniting after 50 years. A personal favourite and viewed many times without ever tiring of it.

For those of us who did not have the opportunity to see Rex Harrison in the theater, being able to watch him in this particular movie is truly a privilege. Anyone who appreciates good acting that can take a simple script to a higher level will enjoy The Kingfisher.

Strong acting from both main characters, particularly from Rex Harrison - but the narrative and purpose of the film never really excite the viewer. It seems to ramble along with characters coming in and exiting as needed. Interesting and not disturbing but not a film you'd rave about to friends saying that they must see it. If you're into old films with predictable lines and action capitalising on the skills of well-known actors, then see it - but you probably won't watch it more than on two wet non-consecutive evenings spread some time apart.

Give three great actors a weak script and you have a weak production with outstanding performances. This television film was supposed to be something very witty and sophisticated, something like Oscar Wilde would have written. It isn't. It's quite dull, in fact, and appears to have as its point the fashionable cliche that homosexual love is as important as heterosexual love. Or something like that. Hiller, Harrison, and Cusak (especially the latter) are predictably marvelous, but you could almost see the script they're going through. On the whole, it's a waste of great talent.