Product Details

• Actors: Helen Mirren, David Morrissey, Harry Andrews, Norma West, Oliver Ford Davies
• Directors: John Gorrie
• Writers: Ken Taylor, Terence Rattigan
• Producers: John Rosenberg
• Format: Color, DVD, NTSC
• Language: English
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rating: NR (Not Rated)
• Studio: Lance Entertainment
• DVD Release Date: September 21, 2004
• Run Time: 109 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 2.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B00007M5HT
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #106,341 in Movies & TV (See Bestsellers in Movies & TV)
• For more information about "Cause Celebre" visit the Internet Movie Database (IMDb)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

The magnificent Helen Mirren soars through British TV movie Cause Célèbre, a true-life story of a scandalous murder in 1930s England. Soon after Alma Rattenbury (Mirren) hires an 18-year-old named Bowman (David Morrissey) to help around the house, she falls into an affair with the much younger man. Madly in love with her and jealous of her much older husband, Bowman rashly murders the elderly man. When the lovers are put on trial, the tabloids rant less about the murder and more about the sin of Alma's middle-aged passion. The storyline of Cause Célèbre contains few surprises, but it's skillfully written--the mordant wit of Alma's and Bowman's lawyers blithely discussing how each intends to blame the other's client is delicious--and wonderfully acted by Morrissey; David Suchet as Alma's celebrated lawyer, T. J. O'Connor; and especially Mirren, whose intelligence, sexiness, and empathy make her every scene fascinating. --Bret Fetzer

Product Description

It's 1935. The headlines scream "murder most foul." All England is boiling with fury - scandalized by "the crime of the decade." CAUSE CÉLÈBRE is an emotionally complex real-life drama of love, betrayal, guilt and obsession spun hopelessly out of control. Did Alma Rattenbury (Helan Mirren) - as she confessed - bludgeon her ailing husband to death? Or, was it Bowen, her 18-year-old-lover. Whatever the truth, as an upper class wife and mother, she is already condemned by an outraged public for the unforgivable crime of loving a boy only half her age. Into this maelstrom of emotion, facing Alma's confession and the public's wrath steps T.J. O'Conner (David Suchet) the distinguished, brilliant attorney for the defense fiercely determined to save his client. Helen Mirren weaves a spellbinding web as Alma Rattenbury, a fragile, free-spirited woman caught in a passion she is helpless to control.

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Uneven is the Keyword, February 9, 2006

By	Kino (S.F., CA USA) - See all my reviews

Helen Mirren can always dazzle; all these Brits are so well trained but this vehicle is not up to their talents. David Morrissey looks promising, but is uneven in this part. He's good playing innocent but I didn't buy his character's evil side. It may be the fault of the screen play. They managed to take an interesting (true) story and totally muddle it. I'd love to see this re-made for the big screen.

4.0 out of 5 stars Atmosphere and depiction of time period is great, August 17, 2009

By	Susan J. Lynn "SJLynn" (Southern Missouri) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I really enjoyed this movie. My husband had purchased it in a resale shop and we watch it when our cable was off. I especially enjoyed Helen Mirren. You can't go wrong when she is in a film. I looked up the actual story and I think they depicted the story well. It is another case where if these two individuals (Helen) and the young boy (George Stoner) hadn't met, there wouldn't have been a murder. Even though she was found innocent of the actual murder, the public felt she was responsible. She couldn't live with the gossip or remorse and killed herself. She had two young sons to live for but it wasn't enough for her to fight for. She seems to have been somewhat a weak individual but she also was awarded a medal for bravery in WWI. So how can you tell. Mr. Stoner (the young man) was released after 9 years and lived to the ripe old age of 83. Maybe she should have thought twice before she killed herself.

7 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars NOT a murder "mystery" as such, October 16, 2005

By	Barbara B. (Oregon, USA) - See all my reviews

If you are thinking about watching this movie, just be aware that it is NOT a murder "mystery" as such. Unfortunately, I got it thinking it was more of an Agatha Christie type story, and spent the entire time trying to figure out who really "done it." I was very disappointed when the typical twists and turns of a true mystery didn't materialize.

If my expectations had been different, I might have enjoyed this movie more. The set design was superb, as was most of the acting and the dialog (although, without subtitles, the British accent was a bit difficult for me to understand at times). But, on the other hand, I might have been disappointed anyway, since the story is somewhat disjointed and I never bought into the relationships between the characters (the two mismatched lovers, the husband and wife, the wife and 'companion' etc.)

The story might have been true, but that doesn't necessarily make it a good movie.