MoPoshy Absolutely brilliant

Catangro After playing with our expectations, this turns out to be a very different sort of film.

Orla Zuniga It is interesting even when nothing much happens, which is for most of its 3-hour running time. Read full review

Aspen Orson There is definitely an excellent idea hidden in the background of the film. Unfortunately, it's difficult to find it.

michael-826 This movie has everything that ought to make it worth watching. A large selection of well known actors and an interesting story that takes place in London 1880. Nowadays, it even has references to present history of terrorism and the power struggle between nations.But alas. It fails on nearly every account possible. You don't feel engaged in the lives of the people in the movie. The music is lousy and there isn't really any suspense. The whole thing looks like a movie project from first grade at some school for movie directors.I bet that Gerard Depardieu, Robin Williams, Patricia Arquette and Jim Broadbent are looking back at this lousy movie as the absolute low point in their careers.If you are really enthusiastic about investigating the border between good storytelling and extremely bad taste, this is it.

bob the moo London in the late 19th Century is a haven for all manner of political exiles. Verloc is an anarchist who has spent years in the employment of the Russian Government as a spy while also providing information to the London police. When Vladimir, the new Russian ambassador demands that Verloc start to prove his worth by bombing selected targets. Without a choice but to act, Verloc starts in motion a chain of events that will end with a bombing but hurt himself and his family in the process as it is only a matter of time before the police can find him – unless his "colleagues" can silence him first.Although the plot is fairly enjoyable, it is the delivery of the film that somehow stops it being anything more than interesting. The simple tale shuns the political detail that could have come and centres on the emotional drama around Verloc and his family, but it doesn't totally succeed in doing this to the point where it is enough to make the film work. The construction is good enough; Verloc's position is quite tense and the consequences had the potential to be quite impacting but it somehow never becomes as interesting as the material suggests it would. Part of this is the delivery, that is a bit uneven and unsure of itself but the most obvious weakness is the acting.Hoskins does as well as he can, but spread over the uneven material he comes over as a bit unsure of what he is meant to be doing. Regardless though, he is a big part of me sticking with the film as his character is effective. Of course, sharing his scenes with Arquette can only serve to make Hoskins look like a master of his trade in the same way that Arquette's make her look like some talentless waitress who was sleeping with the director (not that she was of course). Her accent is terrible of course, but this is only one failing in a performance that is wooden, emotionless and totally unconvincing. Support from Depardieu, Broadbent, Izzard, Bale and others adds colour and the impression of depth but none of them really work that well – Broadbent and Izzard in particular seem to add a slight comic touch that doesn't really fit. Williams has a small role but it is effective and memorable – just a shame that he seems to almost be in an entirely different film from the main narrative.Overall this is an OK film that is interesting enough to be worth seeing but it is hard to shake the feeling that nobody was totally sure what to do with it and the end result shows an uneven hand on the tiller. Hoskins helps it but Arquette is pitiful and the famous support cannot make up for her being so bad in so central a role.

johnng45 I don't know why this movie should be made. It's an upset movie on my list! As what people say, the ending was sad, The movie disappointed me! The greatest thing I can never forget is Christian Bale! It's just a boy! Why they killed him!Christian did a good job in every movie that I have to say (Except of Amercian Psycho)! I put this a 5 because of good acting! I like Gerard Degardiu, Jim Broadbent, Bob Hopkins, Christian Bale, Robin Williams ¡®some I can't remember! Thank you! 5/10 for the actors!

foxhenchman I'm constantly amazed how well Conrad is adapted by modern film makers. The political intrigue can be mostly ignored, as it is slight and not very interesting. What this movie does well is depict human emotions and reactions in difficult situations, and here is where the well picked cast delivers. Robin Williams is unbilled, but provides a fascinating character study of a true anarchist which contrasts nicely against Bob Hoskins' unwilling agent role. I was beginning to grow tired in the middle of the film, thinking the shallow political action was the ending, but the later intense focus on the human reactions and struggles following the incident do a wonderful job of drawing you back in.