Product Details

• Actors: Julia Roberts, John Malkovich, George Cole, Michael Gambon, Kathy Staff
• Directors: Stephen Frears
• Writers: Christopher Hampton, Valerie Martin
• Producers: Iain Smith, Lynn Pleshette, Nancy Graham Tanen, Ned Tanen, Norma Heyman
• Format: Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, DVD, Widescreen, NTSC
• Language: English, French, Spanish, Portuguese
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rating: R (Restricted)
• Studio: Sony Pictures
• DVD Release Date: September 12, 2000
• Run Time: 108 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (59 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B00004W4UB
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #28,097 in Movies & TV (See Bestsellers in Movies & TV)
• For more information about "Mary Reilly" visit the Internet Movie Database (IMDb)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com essential video
Stephen Frears reunites with the production talents who made the tempting Dangerous Liaisons for this new look at the infamous Dr. Jekyll (a deft John Malkovich). Instead of being in the laboratory where the good doctor unlocks his evil twin, we stay in the mansion overlooking the lab. An inquisitive, proper maid, Mary Reilly (Julia Roberts) slowly becomes Dr. Jekyll's confidant. Rather than a horror story, the film is a spooky mystery that keeps us in the dark, and what a wonderful dark Frears and his designers have fashioned. Roberts carries the movie, digging deep for her best dramatic work to date. Though some may wish she'd show more passion, she holds her emotions appropriately in check. The movie faced considerable, well-documented troubles, including the reshooting of several scenes months after the initial production. This probably affected the finale, which has little impact and nearly ruins a good thing. --Doug Thomas

Product Description
AN INNOCENT IRISH HOUSEMAID FINDS HERSELF ENMESHED IN A LOVE TRIANGLE BETWEEN HER KINDLY EMPLOYER, DR. JEKYLL, AND HIS BRUTAL ALTER-EGO, MR. HYDE. SPECIAL FEATURES: LANGUAGES: ENGLISH, FRENCH, SPANISH, AND PORTUGUESE. SUBTITLES IN ENGLISH, FRENCH, SPANISH, PORTUGUESE, CHINES, KOREAN AND THAI, AND MUCH MORE.

See all Editorial Reviews

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Malkovich and Roberts Lights-Up The Screen, July 21, 2000

By	Tom Palces (Manila, Philippines) - See all my reviews

Julia Roberts as Mary Reilly is wonderful in the film. She gave a sensitive dramatic performance in this artistic film which takes the classic tale of Dr.Jekyll and Mr.Hyde (played superbly by John Malkovich) in a different perspective - in the eyes of his faithful lady servant, Mary, played by Roberts. Also, in the film is a hilarious participation of Glenn Close. I recommend this movie for serious fans of Julia Roberts. Great Film!

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Nightmares of Fog and Murder, August 19, 2001

By A Customer

The movie rolls in and out with fog for a reason. You may argue that you didn't like Julia Roberts so-so Irish accent or that the movie was too slow but if you can't see the method behind the madness of this film let me enlighten you. The whole movie drifts as a nightmare of fog. The slow part is due to this floating horrible sense of dread that drifts you through these mysterious places that would tend to seem normal but aren't for some unexplainable reason. It's clear that the bounds of reality and dream seem to mingle throughout this movie, and in most part is very disturbing because of this almost expressionist like effect. But this effect works together with the music to achieve this feeling of lurking fear. In one scene that really scared me, a normal act by the workers of an eel being skinned later turns into a horrible dream by Mary of the dead thing rising and staring at her. The film goes even further than the normal Jekyll and Hyde duality theme, showing that there is duality in almost everything. The day and the night, consciousness and dream, human and beast, love and lust, and for the most part starts to blend the ideas into the normal course of a servant's everyday life. Although Jekyll and Hyde are a good and evil influence on the film they are not shown as much because it's dreamscape is through that of Mary. So it shows him not as the tortured victim of a supernatural will battle that he saw himself as but as a mysterious, psychotic, nightmare being that fleshes itself out throughout the film as a real person. In fact the whole movie becomes more real as it progresses. The movie is a very good example of psychological, dream-like terror that is often disturbing and one of the better versions of the Jekyll and Hyde story, only bested by the silent John Barrymore version.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Haunting, February 24, 2000

By	"claremonde99" (Pittsburgh, PA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Mary Reilly [VHS] (VHS Tape)

This film happens to be a peculiar favorite of mine primarily because the setting, music, and cinematography set the overall haunting atmosphere of the film. Everything about the atmosphere is overshadowing. The film seems to mold the setting as an additional character by accenting the actions of Jekyll, Hyde,and Mary. A particular scene that catches my attention everytime is when Mary plants the flowers in the backyard, and soon afterward the vibrant colors of the flowers do no help "enliven" the space. This is the main reason for why I enjoyed the film because it demonstrates how enviornment forshadows the dangerous activities of the Doctor. However, I do acknowledge there are aspects of the film that are not as strong.There are parts of the film that both distracte, and fascinate me.

The only weak point for me in watching the film is the lack of control in the Irish "accent" from Julia Roberts that filters in and out frequently throughout the film. The acting from the cast is good. John Malkovich's performance was great and as always with a suave seduction that isn't unfamiliar from his previous works. I was surprised however by Julia Robert's portrayal of Mary Reilly. I have never seen Roberts play a character that wasn't "glamorous" to some degree. Mary Reilly is a strong character that has survived abuse, and lived out a good life. I feel that Roberts did convey the sadness and curiosity of the character Mary.

Overall, this film is an enjoyable film, but not a masterpiece or classic. It is a film that is filled with dark corridors, shadows, and fog, all of which add to the story and plight of the principal characters.