Wicksandrea I didn't enjoy the acting, choice of actors, over dramatisation, or indeed the costumes. It seemed over wrought to me. I persevered until nearly the end, but the acting particularly of the brother still grated

evanston_dad It's like Terence Davies sets out to make movies that will challenge you to stay awake through them. If I do, do I win something? Because I should.After the mournful and glacially paced "The Deep Blue Sea," I didn't think a film could come along that would more effectively numb me into somnolence. But lo and behold, here comes "A Quiet Passion," and by the same filmmaker, no less!"A Quiet Passion" tells the story of Emily Dickinson, who, as played by Cynthia Nixon, was about the most. miserable. person. ever. to spend time with. You know that friend who has the ability to suck the fun out of absolutely any situation? That's our Em. She'd be the girl who would join a group of friends (if she had any) at a football game and then spend the entire time complaining about the pointlessness of football. According to this biography, Dickinson was a frustrated artist who held people to unrealistically high moral standards and refused to accept the slightest weakness in anyone. This made her a riot to be around, as you can imagine, and caused her to die -- shocker!! -- alone and miserable.The film is funereally paced, and consists of one monotonous scene after another in which Dickinson gets her knickers in a twist about one thing or another and yells at whoever happens to be in the room with her. You might think so much yelling might at least give the film an ounce of energy, but you would be wrong. I've never been so excited in a movie to see a main character start exhibiting symptoms of a mysterious disease, because I knew then that it wouldn't be long before she died and the movie would be over.All I can say is thank God for the lovely Jennifer Ehle, who plays Dickinson's sister as a human being you might want to actually have a conversation with without wanting to stab her or yourself in the eye with the butter knife.Grade: F

cdcrb although most of the reviews are the same, I must point out the performance by Cynthia Nixon, as Emily Dickenson. it's spell binding and frightening at the same time. ms. Nixon is at the top of her game here and provides us with a character only bette davis could have delivered in the day. see this film for her. otherwise, it's hard going and quite down. not much reason to plunk down big bucks at the box office.

patrick-ohana I'm still morose from this masterpiece when writing this review. I'll start with the excellent parts and then proceed to the outstanding ones. I can't imagine better acting than the ensemble portrayals depicted in this gem, and especially that of Cynthia Nixon, who should and will receive several awards for giving us dear Emily Dickinson, dearest poet and individual. The writing (screenplay) and directing by Terence Davies, and everything else that constitutes a movie, are superb, and powerful. It's Emily Dickinson in all her glory. What an unusual and marvelous individual! Having read and studied a few of her poems at college was a blessing, but in disguise given all that I further learned about her. Life is cruel and unbearable would be an utter understatement. I'll let you revel in Emily: one of the few most beautiful names to pronounce :(