Tag Archives: Keira Knightley

2003 Films, Alan Rickman, Andrew Lincoln, Bill Nighy, Billy Bob Thornton, British, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Christmas, Claudia Schiffer, Colin Firth, Comedy, Denise Richards, Emma Thompson, Gregor Fisher, Heike Makatsch, Hugh Grant, January Jones, Joanna Page, Keira Knightley, Kris Marshall, Laura Linney, Liam Neeson, Lúcia Moniz, Martin Freeman, Martine McCutcheon, Richard Curtis, Rodrigo Santoro, Romantic Comedy

Love Actually-2003

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Love Actually-2003

Director Richard Curtis

Starring Hugh Grant, Emma Thompson, Liam Neeson

Scott’s Review #1,438

Reviewed September 8, 2024

Grade: B

Love Actually (2003) is a British romantic comedy perfect for watching around the holidays, especially on Christmas Eve. Perhaps even on Valentine’s Day, the setting is tinsel-laden and filled with holiday merriment and sweetness.

It involves an ensemble cast of dozens but surprisingly not hard to follow. The myriad of stories had me naturally more invested in some than others, preferring the heavy drama to the silly side plots.

The film begins beautifully as a voice-over narrator sets the stage and message of love. He ruminates about pure and uncomplicated love of lovers, and friends, and points out that the messages from the 9/11 victims were messages of love and not hate.

The story then switches among the interconnecting “love stories” of many people.

The quick segment nearly left me in tears and to let the poignant message sink in.

I was pleasantly surprised to find nine stories some of which intersect with others. I am a fan of this type of storytelling but not all of them connect with others which might have made it too confusing or even better layered.

Some stories are not given a lot of exposure but the balance feels close to right.

I preferred the first half of Love Actually to the second. I had heard of the film and finally watched it twenty years later but anticipated more of a sappy romantic comedy than anything of substance, especially since the rom-com master Hugh Grant stars.

I immediately felt an emotional connection to stories like the United Kingdom Prime Minister (Grant) and his romantic connection with Natalie (Martine McCutcheon), a junior member of his household staff. This ‘boy meets a girl from the wrong side of tracks’ felt authentic and laden with possibilities.

Another win is the love story between Sarah (Laura Linney) and handsome creative director, Karl (Rodrigo Santoro). Their buildup and near tryst after a Christmas party had me in their corner, and rooting for the pair to overcome an obstacle involving Sarah’s dependent brother.

Finally, my favorite couple is writer Jamie (Colin Firth) and his Portuguese housekeeper, Aurélia (Lúcia Moniz). Their sweetness and innocence are gleeful and true and rooting for them to get together despite language barriers was easy. 

Richard Curtis, who directs and writes the screenplay, misses an opportunity when he creates an unfulfilling love triangle between newlyweds Juliet (Keira Knightley), Peter (Chiwetel Ejiofor), and best man Mike (Andrew Lincoln). Initially unclear if Mike is smitten with Juliet or Peter the traditional route is chosen instead of an LGBTQ+ presence.  

In one story, the horny British lad named Colin (Kris Marchall) unsuccessfully tries to woo British women and decides to go to America to get laid. Predictably, he meets one hot woman after another in the mid-west USA.

This story is hokey and could have been dropped altogether in favor of more screen time for the more interesting stories.

In the final act, I was disappointed when the film teeters too much towards cheesy with a tepid Christmas pageant where many stories come to a head.

This culminates with a silly chase throughout Heathrow Airport where one character jumps security and outwits inattentive airport personnel to catch his love interest before she leaves on a flight to New York.

Since 9/11 is mentioned in the beginning this tired plot device is surprising given the times of heightened terrorism and deserved respect for airport security.

Curtis rips off Paul Thomas Anderson’s Boogie Nights (1997) in the epilogue by using the same song, ‘God Only Knows’ by the Beach Boys, and the same wrap-up of what happens to the characters.

Despite the thievery, I did enjoy seeing what happens in my favorite stories.

Love Actually (2003) wobbles a bit by trying to have all nine stories pack a punch but the effort is nice and the message of love closes out the film.

We know happiness and Christmas miracles usually don’t pan out but it’s nice to escape and pretend they do.

2011 Films, Biography, David Cronenberg, Drama, Independent, Independent Drama, Keira Knightley, Michael Fassbender, Viggo Mortensen, Vincent Cassel

A Dangerous Method-2011

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A Dangerous Method-2011

Director David Cronenberg

Starring Keira Knightley, Viggo Mortensen, Michael Fassbender

Scott’s Review #1,009

Reviewed April 9, 2020

Grade: B+

A literal psychological-themed drama, if ever there was one, director David Cronenberg uses popular actors of the day to create a film based on a non-fiction book.

Famous psychoanalysts, Sigmund Freud and Carl Jung share a tumultuous relationship when they catch the eye of the first female psychoanalyst, who was a patient of each.

Thanks to a talented cast and an independent feel, the result is a compelling piece and a history lesson in sexual titillation, jealousy, passion, and drama, among real-life elite sophisticates.

Set on the eve of World War I in Zurich, Switzerland, a young woman, Sabina Spielrein (Keira Knightley), suffering from hysteria begins a new course of treatment with the young Swiss doctor Carl Jung (Michael Fassbender).

He uses word association, dream interpretation, and other experimental methods as part of his approach to psychoanalysis and finds that Spielrein’s condition was triggered by the humiliation and sexual arousal she felt as a child when her father spanked her naked.

They embark on a torrid affair.

Jung and friend and confidante, Sigmund Freud (Viggo Mortensen) explore various psychoanalytical methods, but cracks appear in their friendship as they begin to disagree more frequently on matters of psychoanalysis.

When Spielrein, now a student, meets Freud, she confides her relationship with Jung to him, which leads to animosity between the men. Spielrein embarks on other lovers as she attempts to reconcile the geniuses, to allow for their psychoanalysis studies to continue to develop with relevancy.

The film is intelligently written and for any viewer fascinated with psychology or sexual interest, a wonderful marvel. Since Freud and Jung are two of the most recognizable names in behavioral science and Spielrein is one of the most influential women in the field, the production is as much a historical and biographical study as it is dramatic enjoyment.

Spanking, bondage, and sexual humiliation for gratification and pleasure, strong taboos at the turn of the twentieth century, are explored and embraced in delicious and wicked style.

Given that Fassbender, Mortensen, and Knightley are easy on the eyes provide further stimulation than if less attractive actors were cast. Nonetheless, what the actors provide in eye candy is equally matched by their acting talent as each one immerses themselves into each pivotal role.

Cleverly and uniquely, the film is not a trite romantic triangle or giddy formulaic genre movie. Rather, the sets, costumes, and cinematography are fresh and grip the audience.

Carl Jung is the central figure as both his personal and professional experiences are given plenty of screen time. He wrestles between remaining committed to his wife or giving in to his deepest desires with Speilrein- we can guess how this turns out!

The early scenes between Fassbender and Knightley crackle with passion and will make many blush and smirk with naughtiness.

The title of the film is bold but doesn’t always live up to the subject matter. More sensual, fun, and intelligent than dangerous, the film is hardly raw or gritty, surprising given it’s an independent project. It is softer to the touch, especially during scenes between Jung and Speilrein than hard-edged.

Many early psychoanalytical ideas of approach and remedy are discussed and explored making the film more of a study than a thriller.

A Dangerous Method (2011) received stellar reviews and year-end awards consideration, but unsuccessful box-office returns. Hardly a popcorn film and deeply accepting of its indie roots, the film ought to be shown in high-school or academic psychology classes- whether in abnormal or general studies remains a question.

With a fascinating story that risks making the prudish blush or turn away, the film will please those independent thinkers, sexual deviants, or those aching for an expressive and satisfying film.

2018 Films, Biography, Dominic West, Drama, Eleanor Tomlinson, Fiona Shaw, Keira Knightley, Period Drama, Wash Westmoreland

Colette-2018

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Colette-2018

Director Wash Westmoreland

Starring Keira Knightley, Dominic West

Scott’s Review #888

Reviewed April 20, 2019

Grade: B+

Colette (2018) is a French period drama and biopic based on the life and times of the novelist Sidonie-Gabrielle Colette.

The film is directed by Wash Westmoreland, who also directed Still Alice (2014), so the man is successful at creating a film from a strong female point of view.

With a prominent and cultured French style and sophistication, the film pairs well with and ultimately belongs to star Keira Knightley.

The glaring British accents, rather than French, and the formulaic approach bring the experience down a notch from grandeur in a film likely to be forgotten.

Knightley plays the title character, whose upbringing in a rural area of France is pleasant but hardly sophisticated and utterly country.

When Colette meets a handsome literary genius named Willy (Dominic West), successful but employing ghostwriters to fill his creative void, the pair marry and combine forces to create popular novels based on Colette’s naughty schoolgirl experiences.

The duo embarks on frequent dalliances with feminine and masculine women (Colette is bisexual) and faces the trials and tribulations of seesawing finances and competitiveness until their ultimate divorce.

Along the way, Willy and Colette enjoy the excesses of late nineteenth-century Paris.

Besides a few quick exterior shots of the Seine River and fabulous Parisian landmarks such as Notre Dame, the filming likely did not take place in France at all, though you’d never know it.

Both cozy and flamboyant scenes of Parisian eateries and lavish nightclubs, like the Moulin Rouge, and one wealthy socialite’s love nest, are featured, giving the film an authentic French flair.

The costumes are decadent, and stage shows with Colette and her partner crackle with daring artistic merit.

Knightley, a household name but still teetering on the brink of one definitive significant role, comes close with her portrayal of Colette.

Westmoreland is wise to climax the film with photos and a summary of the real-life writer and her husband.

If only the film had received marginally good reviews and achieved great reviews, then perhaps the actress might have secured an Oscar nomination, but alas, the opportunity was missed. Nonetheless, Knightley plays the role with delicious and naughty delight, sinking her teeth into a character who wants to live and have fun.

Despite the rich French flavor, Colette is marred by a jarring flaw: the actors all have English accents rather than French. All in favor of occasional suspensions of disbelief to elicit the desired effect or manipulation, it is assumed that Westmoreland decided, since most of the actors are British, to let the detail slide in favor of comfort with the language.

Perhaps this misfire is why the sets and locations are overcompensated and decorated in such lovely French style.

The story is formulaic and silly, to be honest, while Knightley and West share great chemistry. As Willy and Colette paint the town, they also have repeated misunderstandings or outbursts of rage and jealousy (mostly on her part) before deciding to accept and enjoy each other as they are.

Unfortunate is how, through the affairs and celebratory nights, Colette accepts her role as a ghostwriter to his name recognition, only to divorce and never see Willy again, based on his sale of the treasured Claudine series.

Hopeful was I for a happily ever after result.

A crisp and polished offering of the life and times of a complex and peculiar French figure Colette (2018) has its share of ups and downs.

Unknown how true to real life the story is, the acting is compelling and reaches a high point, while the cultural flavor is zestful and spicy.

The film may not be well remembered, but it is ultimately a success due to a few above-par qualities that outweigh the negatives.

2006 Films, Adventure, Bill Nighy, Fantasy, Geoffrey Rush, Gore Verbinski, Johnny Depp, Jonathan Pryce, Keira Knightley, Naomie Harris, Orlando Bloom, Scott Stewart

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest-2006

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Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest-2006

Director Gore Verbinski

Starring Johnny Depp, Orlando Bloom

Scott’s Review #606

Reviewed January 11, 2017

Grade: B-

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest is the follow-up to the original Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, from 2003.

The sequel is decent but inferior to Curse of the Black Pearl.

The visual effects are spectacular, and the budget is very high, but the story isn’t there. The film drags along at times as well as being a bit confusing.

Johnny Depp gives his all to his role of Jack Sparrow, performing with gusto, and is the highlight of the franchise.

The supporting characters, Bloom as Will Turner, and Keira Knightley as Elizabeth Swann, are fine, but not on the level of Depp.

Otherwise, the performances are all okay, but just a carbon copy of the first film.

Story-wise, Will and Elizabeth are arrested for aiding Jack Sparrow’s escape execution, and the plot involves the attempts at locating Sparrow along with the typical adventure aspects of a film like this and the stock character villains, with grimaces, heavy makeup, and over-acting, but I expected as much.

Not a bad sequel, certain to entertain the masses, and guaranteed to make a ton of money, inevitably ensuring another sequel will be made, with little doubt of being even less compelling.

Oscar Nominations: 1 win-Best Sound Editing, Best Sound Mixing, Best Art Direction, Best Visual Effects (won)

2010 Films, Alex Garland, Andrea Riseborough, Andrew Garfield, Carey Mulligan, Charlotte Rampling, Domhnall Gleeson, Drama, Keira Knightley, Mark Romanek, Sally Hawkins, Science Fiction

Never Let Me Go-2010

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Never Let Me Go-2010

Director Mark Romanek

Starring Carey Mulligan, Andrew Garfield, Keira Knightley

Scott’s Review #555

Reviewed December 21, 2016

Grade: A-

Offering a unique experience in creative story-telling, Never Let Me Go (2010) is an excellent film that I was happy to discover.

A mixture of romance and science-fiction, tells of young love and tragedy interestingly- sacrifice and science can lead to dire results.

Based on a 2005 novel of the same name.

A small British drama about a private school where the children are raised as typical children, but at a certain point are expected to donate organs to save other lives, the concept is quite fresh and original.

The film deals with both the moral and psychological effects of the chosen ones as they attempt to allude to ending their lives- if they can prove they are in love.

My initial reactions were multiple emotions-thought-provoking, touching, and sad is what I felt.

This film will make you think. It is equally evocative and thought-provoking- many times I imagined myself in a similar situation.

As Andrew Garfield’s character gets out of his car on the side of the road and screams up at the sky, it is the most powerful scene in the film.

Excellent acting by the three leads (Mulligan, Garfield, and Knightley), with special praise for Carey Mulligan.

Charlotte Rampling as the mysterious headmistress of the school is brilliant.

Independent Spirit Award Nominations: Best Cinematography

2014 Films, Allen Leech, Benedict Cumberbatch, Biography, Drama, Keira Knightley, Morten Tyldum

The Imitation Game-2014

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The Imitation Game-2014

Director Morten Tyldum

Starring Benedict Cumberbatch, Keira Knightley

Scott’s Review #213

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Reviewed January 15, 2015

Grade: A

The Imitation Game (2014) tells the story of Alan Turing, a confident and brilliant British mathematician who was responsible for cracking Nazi Germany’s Enigma code, which led to the Allied forces winning World War II.

The film also delves into Turing’s complex and sad personal life and the audience grows to know his upbringing largely told via flashbacks as a small boy at boarding school.

The film is tragic yet wonderfully made and is a powerful viewing experience in human storytelling.

The film has two aspects going on. The first is the hiring of Turing by the Government Code and Cypher School at Bletchley Park to crack the code and the numerous struggles faced in accomplishing this feat.

Turing is not easy-going. He is arrogant, quick-witted, and even smug. However, through his friendship with Joan (Keira Knightley), an intelligent woman on the team of scholars, we see a human side to him as they forge a lifelong bond.

The other is of his personal life which is a bit more mysterious and comes into play during the second half. Keeping a secret about his personal life, he is homosexual, which in the time the film is set (1940’s England), is illegal.

Alan and Joan agree to marry, in large part to appease her parents, but circumstances change these plans.

Benedict Cumberbatch, who portrays Turning, deserves praise for his impressive portrayal. He successfully gives depth and a wide range of emotions to the character.

He begins as a self-centered man but becomes layered, guarded, and protective due to his private life of which he is forced to hide a great deal.

Keira Knightley’s character supports Cumberbatch’s character of Alan as she becomes engaged to him and later in life becomes his biggest champion. Her character, besides being quite intelligent, is also kind and giving.

The ending will give the viewer many tears and cause to think of the enormity of World War II in terms of the vast amount of casualties. The facts listed just before the credits roll are awe-inspiring and gut-wrenching.

The Imitation Game is not a war movie per se since it does not deal with battle scenes. It is more of a drama dealing with the effects of war. Many figures are presented and some characters are affected.

For instance, in one scene, the group (led by Turing) must make a heartbreaking decision not to stop an impending attack, which will cause many deaths- including a character’s brother- instead of choosing to keep mum to save thousands more.

It is a powerful scene.

The Imitation Game (2014) successfully and heartbreakingly tells the story of a heroic figure who received no accolades while living, instead of being ostracized, and not until posthumously, did he receive his due.

Sadly, this was too little too late.

Oscar Nominations: 1 win-Best Picture, Best Director-Morten Tyldum, Best Actor-Benedict Cumberbatch, Best Supporting Actress-Keira Knightley, Best Adapted Screenplay (won), Best Original Score, Best Production Design, Best Film Editing

2012 Films, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Alicia Vikander, Bill Skarsgård, Domhnall Gleeson, Drama, Emerald Fennell, Holliday Grainger, Joe Wright, Jude Law, Keira Knightley, Kelly Macdonald, Leo Tolstoy, Michelle Dockery, Olivia Williams, Raphaël Personnaz, Romantic Drama

Anna Karenina-2012

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Anna Karenina-2012

Director Joe Wright

Starring Keira Knightley, Jude Law

Scott’s Review #126

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Reviewed July 22, 2014

Grade: B+

Anna Karenina (2012) is the film adaptation of the classic Leo Tolstoy novel. Shamefully, having not read the novel, but being familiar with the story I was not sure how successful the transition from novel to film would be.

The transition proved to be quite successful, as it would turn out.

Being a fan of director Joe Wright, who did wonderful work on his direction of Atonement in 2007, he is a master of costumed period pieces and Anna Karenina is no different in that regard.

It is vastly different, however, in the way it is shot. The film is non-traditional and is shot with jarring, quick camera movements interspersed with musical numbers.

It resembles Moulin Rouge (2001) in this style and is not for everyone’s tastes. I enjoy this technique and, combined with the wonderful art direction/costumes, makes for modern, unique storytelling.

Keira Knightley is as adequate as Anna, but nothing special. I have to wonder if she was cast simply because she is typically the lead in Joe Wright films.

It is a tragedy, of course, and a tale of a lonely love-torn young woman conflicted between two high-class men. On a broader scale, it’s a story of the romantic entanglements of the high-class world and their trials and tribulations, centering on Anna.

The look of the film is what impressed me most, more than the story did.

Oscar Nominations: 1 win-Best Original Score, Best Production Design, Best Cinematography, Best Costume Design (won)