Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
For those of you who like period pieces..., April 10, 2001
By A Customer
Don't listen to the other reviews concerning zero chemistry! Polly Walker and Vincent Perez may not be another Scarlett and Rhett, but they are by no means a Richard and Winona from "Autumn in New York." This bittersweet tale involves a beautiful young Irish woman and her adventures as a governess in Spain. As a war stirs in the background, the governess deals with issues of doomed love while she fights to remain brave during her year in Spain. Will she forget about her "true love" back home? Will she consummate her relationship with her employer's married son? Enjoy the lovely scenery of Spain as you take a trip back in time with this intriguing drama. If you liked "House of the Spirits," you'll probably like this movie.
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22 of 23 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Thoughtful Film about Revolutions - Political and Personal, February 20, 2004
TALK OF ANGELS is a beautifully photographed, well written, and sensitively acted story about how political upheavals alter our interpersonal relationships. The time is 1936 and the place is Spain in the throws of Fascism and Franco. A wealthy family (Marisa Paredes is the mother, Franco Nero the father with three daughters the eldest of whom is Penelope Cruz) in an unnamed Spanish city has just hired a governess from Ireland to teach their children proper English. The governess, Lavelle, (Polly Walker) has taken the job to put distance between her Irish activist betrothed and herself, finding the need to explore the world before settling for what she has. In her new Spanish home Lavelle encounters other Irish expatriots who have fled Ireland's upheavals only to find those of Spain. Among these eccentric women is one (Frances McDormand) who falls in love with Lavelle. The family for whom Lavelle works attempts to stay outside the political upheaval that fills the streets at night. All proceeds smoothly until the son Francisco (Vincent Perez) visits with his wife and family in tow. Francisco supports the Spanish activists, and Lavelle slowly falls in love with him - the embodiment of the ideals of her own betrothed. Sides are drawn and defined in the political arena and in the personal arena, and it is the resolution of both that provides an open end to the story.The acting is first rate with Polly Walker incandescently beautiful and delivering a character role with great sensitivity. Vincent Perez is her perfect foil and the rest of the fine cast draw unforgettable characters. There is much to be learned here about the political milieu in Spain in the 1930s. And there is even more to experience in the beauty of the conversations, the dancing, the vistas of Spanish landscapes. The musical score is lush and wisely orchestrated. This is a little sleeper of a film that deserves repeated viewings to catch all the levels of meaning. Recommended.
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24 of 26 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent., March 15, 2002
This wonderfully acted tale takes place in the mist of the Fascist's rise to power in Spain. The movie tells the story of an Irish nanny, how she contends with her peers and the family she works for. She falls in love with the married son of the family--but while a theme in the movie, it is not the major one. Instead, the movie focuses in on the family dynamic and how different members of the family contend with the social and political strife around them, told through the eyes (to use a cliche) of the nanny.Sadly, because this movie doesn't rely on nude scenes, things blowing up every five minutes are cursing every other word, few have heard of this movie. My recommendation would be that you get a copy of this movie ASAP.
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