Shadowlands [DVD]

Description

Based on the true story of author C. S. Lewis and his relationship with poet Joy Gresham. Joy breathes new life into his ordinary e xistence but he resists any romantic involvement, seemingly unable to conjure his long suppressed emotions. However, Lewis breaks do wn his wall when Joy is faced with terminal cancer. Review: Slow, deep, meaningful and provoking - This is the biography of CS Lewis from a time after his most famous writting (Narnia stories), during his mature, sedate, academic life. It shows a fine mind stuck in comfortable, safe, routine, being shaken out of his complacency by an intelligent and startlingly frank american, Mrs Gresham. It has at its core an exploration of C S Lewis's life study of one of the great challenges to monotheists: Why does a compassionate God let us suffer? It does it delicately, thoroughly and in a very restrained manner. Of course being a true story, there is great poignancy. There is a great cast of minor characters, an all star cast, a host of insightful scenes and a steady slow narrative pace with very moment usefully filled (though not a hint of hollywood flavour). A great film that will be a classic long after action flics and romantic commedies fade into background nise. Highly recommended Review: Deeply moving love story and character study. Attenborough's best. - Immensely moving, with a stunning, complex performance by Anthony Hopkins, and a very good one by Debra Winger as his slow developing love. Yes, it's manipulative in a few moments, obvious in a few others, but overall this is a highly intelligent, thoughtful, subtle look at damaged adults reaching for love and dealing with loss. By far my favorite of Attenborough's films. A 'tearjerker', but elevated way beyond that by the writing, direction and acting, into a profound examination of the way we need love to lift us up, while that very thing makes us so vulnerable. Ironically, while this may be the strongest of all Attenborough's films, with a stellar cast, great reviews, a fascinating main character (The novelist C.S. Lewis), and powerful universal emotions, it seems almost a forgotten film, which is everyone's loss.