Look Back in Anger (1989)

A great showing of this ground-breaking play

John Osborne broke the mold of polite English drama with this "kitchen sink" story of frustration, class wars, betrayal, post-war malaise, and
personal failure. Branagh and Thompson, married at the time, not surprisingly show great personal chemistry, and are also completely believable in their roles of a woman who married down and a man who married up and who can't forgive either himself or his wife for his failures.Also keep your eye on the ironing board. This is a filmed version of the play; no added scenes of the great outdoors. February 4, 2007

This Just In . . .

This movie is for anyone who didn't handle their past relationships perfectly and who wants to understand they are not alone in the mistakes they made.

I agree with another reviewer - this is my favorite Kenneth Brannagh performance. I've enjoyed him in other things, but I usually find myself looking at the screen and thinking, "Hey, there's charismatic Kenneth Branagh doing a charismatic acting performance." But his charisma is well placed in this part, playing Jimmy Porter, a man whose ideas are larger than his station, who is overwrought with the limitations of his era.

Jimmy: "They all want to escape from the pain of being alive, and most of all from love . . . It's no good trying to fool yourself about love, you can't fall into it like a soft job without dirtying up your hands. It takes muscle and guts. And if you can't bare the thought of messing up your nice, clean soul . . . then you'd better . . . become a saint, because you'll never make it as a human being. It's either this world or the next."

I don't know if the title of the play is ironic, sarcastic, tragic or literal - probably all four and more.

Jimmy: "You made a good enemy, didn't you? What they call a worthy opponent."
Alison: "I love you."

Alison: "You know, I keep looking back as far as I can remember, and I can't remember what it was to feel young . . . really young."

I titled this review "This Just In" because I feel kind of silly reviewing a movie that came out 17 years ago. But I recommend it because Judy Dench's choice to film the movie like a stage play was exceptional. A point of this play is to look at human relations in the confines of a small living space, small social circle, and British social constructs. And watching the characters, we see how difficult each conversational reply is because everyone in the room knows so much about each other's past. Their small space becomes even more difficult to move in, as they avoid the land mines, slip between the elephants, and struggle with eye contact. Yet despite the constant hardship, love survives.

Please comment, express feedback, or suggest related works or plays. April 22, 2006

I loved this film!

I'm usually not too keen on plays done on film, but this one was really well done. Judi Dench did a very good job directing, and Branagh and Thompson worked really well together, as always. Everyone ought to see this film at least once. May 9, 2001

An exhausting, cathartic emotional experience.

This is minimalist filmed version of a play originally directed for the stage by Judi Dench. In my opinion, it's also Kenneth Branagh's finest screen performance. For a full two hours, he is Jimmy Porter, the man you want to hate but can't help but love. He's one of the educated lower class, burdened by ego and unfulfilled potential. He's an urban lion with a huge heart and claws that constantly torture those around him, namely his wife (Emma Thompson).
These characters are so real, you'll dream about them afterward, and if you give it a chance, this film will work its way into your heart and teach you something about life. January 15, 2000

Not What You Would Expect

Don't get me wrong, it is an excellent play. Well-acted and well-directed, but for Kenneth Branagh's USA fans, the character of Jimmy is a little tough to take at first. However, once you get some background on the characters, you find yourself very involved in the story. Fair warning, this is a play for adults and is very emotionally (usually negatively) charged. Don't be put off by that fact, though. The excellent performances alone make it well-worth watching. July 27, 1999

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