Customer Reviews

The Millionairess

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

When one gets tired of the violence, sex, and quite frankly,
impermissible bad language in modern films, it's nice to go back to someone who knows how to use language. eg. George Bernard Shaw. This movie was done (poorly) with Sophia Loren and
Peter Sellers...but I adored the play with Maggie Smith. Oh...how she dominates her role. At once, we understand how magnificent a star she is. She plays the richest woman in England who is obsessed with getting what she wants, and having the cash to do it. She is beautiful and arrogant yet brilliant in the ways of capitalism. When she is given the challenge of
getting a job and supporting herself without her wealth, well,
she can do it because she understands money. Indeed she walks into businesses and transforms them into profitable enterprises. Whether the impact of her changes hurts the poor or middle class is of no concern to her...profitability is the key. This is a wonderful production and is a MUST for any Maggie Smith fan.

I've always been a huge fan of Maggie Smith, and she is wickedly good as Epifania Ognisanti di Parerga Fitzfassenden, The Millionairess. Jeez, what a mouthful. My complaint, which doesn't entirely spoil the film, is the mediocre quality of the BBC production. The sound is a trifle off, and it feels like it's taking place on an echoey stage, which it is. Having said that, Maggie's performance is tremendous, and almost overcomes the spotty production.

The Millionairess has always been one of my favorite plays by Bernard Shaw (along with Pygmalion and Caesar and Cleopatra) and this BBC production of it is definitely worth your money.

Dame Maggie Smith is absolutely perfect as Epifania and, as expected, steals the show and runs away with it. The rest of the cast is perfect as well, with the possible exception of Charles Gray as Adrian, who didn't really fulfil my expectations of the character.

This is an excellent production. If you are at all interested in this, I recommend getting "The Shaw Collection" DVD set instead. These are a series of televised BBC "Play of the Month". The production values aren't always top-notch, but the acting is typically quite good. The direction and sets are very stage-like as opposed to a TV or cinema movie.
This would be more enjoyable for Shaw, literature, or theater fans than your average public. Maggie Smith does a fantastic job. The rest of the cast is excellent. I haven't read the play so I don't know if anything was changed. The first time I tried watching it, I fell asleep several times. The next time I watched it I was glued to the screen.

The only reason I bought this was because of Maggie Smith... but this has to be the most ghastly production the BBC has ever created. Maggie must have been desperate for employment to have taken on such a shabby, tasteless, idiotic, inane show as this. It has the hollow, one room approach you might see in a stage play but no sane person would be able to watch this terrible show from start to finish.

It is so bad, the DVD is not even useful as a cup coaster.

I have thousands of movies in my collection and this one rates with the bottom 3 worst movies imaginable... which are not even worthwhile of being listed as part of the collection. Perhaps the British can tolerate this tripe but I don't know of too many on this side of the pond who could.

Save your money. There are other movies with Maggie Smith which would be worthwhile to buy.

I love Maggie Smith, but this is SLOW. Get a book, go for a walk, but skip this movie! Done on a stage & just a sad piece of acting.

First I want to say that the DVD came promptly and in great condition.
The movie was fun and I adore Maggie Smith. It was fun to see her at an earlier age than when she played in Harry Potter.

Thank you for this movie - it arrived when expected and in excellent condition. I am very happy with the quality and response for this product.

This play by Bernard Shaw was viewed by me recently. Mr. Shaw truly was gifted. The main character is a woman after my own heart. She sets out to get what she wants and does it, against all odds. The DVD came in a timely manner and the packaging was fine.

Shaw's writing with Maggie Smith's performance makes for a most incredible play. England, oh how we love England!