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34 of 35 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Beautiful wry, touching romance--extraordinary acting., March 2, 2002
This review is from: Turtle Diary [VHS] (VHS Tape)
Turtle Diary is one of those little gems of a film that sometimes come out of Britain to great critical acclaim and little American distribution. Starring Glenda Jackson and Ben Kingsley, it tells the tale of two older, very lonely London residents who are fascinated with the great sea turtles in the aquarium at the London Zoo. Jackson is a successful writer of children's book suffering though a major writers block. Kingsley is a dron at a local book store. The meet by chance at the zoo and concoct a plan to liberate the sea turtles and return them to the sea. The bulk of the movie deals with the planning and execution of this plan. This is an exercise in character study. There isn't a lot of action, but there is a lot of dialog. However, both Jackson and Kingsley are at the very top of their form in the film and the rest of the cast-a collection of well known and accomplished English character actors-provide awesome background and support for the story. There is a surprise ending of sorts, which I didn't anticipate when I first saw the film. This is a quirky little movie that would be perfect for a romantic afternoon with your significant other. An absolute gem of a film.
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12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Wonderful heart warmer!, April 14, 2005
This review is from: Turtle Diary [VHS] (VHS Tape)
I agree with David, the first reviewer: this is a wonderful movie. It's about everyday, "average" people whose lives have become predictable routine and who seem to have little to look forward to. Two people, total strangers to one another, share a connection with the large sea turtles at their local zoo: the feeling of being trapped, feeling caged by life, and the hopelessness of it all. - This movie studies what can happen when two people rise to their potentials. It celebrates the joy that one derives when daring to embrace life. I won't tell you the story of this movie, nor how it ends, because I don't want to rob you of the deep joy I felt after I watched this movie. It's been years since I've seen it, but it has carved out a special place in my heart that no other movie has managed to push aside. This is not a movie for action lovers. It's not schmaltz, it's not a tear jerker, it's a feel-good movie that ranks among the finest out there. I wish they'd put it on DVD! I have the laserdisc version, which thankfully preserved the movie's original aspect ratio.
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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Wonderful metaphor, wonderful film, December 8, 2006
This review is from: Turtle Diary [VHS] (VHS Tape)
As one reviewer pointed out, the plight of the sea turtles -- fully grown and just swimming in circles in a much-too-small tank -- is a metaphor for the condition of the two main protagonists, who are middle-aged and trapped in the unfulfilling lives they have become used to. They hatch a plot to release the turtles back into the open sea, and in the process begin their own journey. If you hate this film, you are either extremely young, extremely fortunate, or have never felt the frustration of being in a rut. This is an utterly delightful film in my opinion, because it omits explosions and special effects and fast cars and focuses on lives people actually live -- and with a happy ending, too. Excellent on all accounts, and it definitely needs to be put on DVD.
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