richard-1787 I saw this movie when it first came out 21 years ago and really liked it. On second viewing it didn't hold up so well, though. The sets and costumes are beautiful, such as you find in the best Merchant/Ivory films. The actors are all first rate. The problem is that the script is often either clichéd or silly - an adjective I don't think I've used in several decades. It's as if Merchant/Ivory left the writing of the script to the Woody Allen of Midnight in Paris. The various historical characters are all likable enough, and George Sand gets more fully developed as the movie progresses. Chopin comes off as a comical caricature, though, as does Musset - though he was probably rather like that in life. In fact, several of the Romantic artists who figure in this film probably did no little posing in their day, and may well have come off equally silly in real life.There's no reason why a movie like this should provide uniformly serious or realistic portrayals of the artists involved. It's a feature film, after all, and not a documentary. And as a feature film it is wonderful to look at and often entertaining to watch.For me, it would have been even more entertaining had it been a little less clichéd.

Pol Pololo An insult to the memory of one of the greatest, if not the greatest music composers of all times.The director and writers should change profession and use the spare time to learn how to do proper research.Why does Hugh grant needs to speak in a pseudo polish-Russian-god knows what accent in a movie where everyone is speaking English and pretending being french without french accents? If Chopin was German or British or French surely this movie would have been burnt...Surely they can't take the fact that one of the greatest comes from Poland.But then if you have an IQ below 50 and you love soap operas this movie is for you! I can change my review for you.Alternative review: Great movie, I, I ve learned a lot about history and music and Hugh Grant should have been awarded an Oscar for that true some portrait of the music composer.

nycritic If it weren't for Judy Davis' overpowering presence (which might sound redundant since that is what she is known for), IMPROMPTU would be an extended piece of boredom modulated by the occasional incursion into repartee, blended with the revolving door of (then) rising and established British actors, peppered with an occasional American thrown in for sport. What little plot there actually is, revolves around Aurora Dupin, a.k.a. Georges Sand -- arguably the first feminist the world and literature ever had -- and how her life becomes a sitcom of sorts where men and women flutter in and out, some of them -- Franz Lizst (Julian Sands) and Frederic Chopin (Hugh Grant) -- becoming lovers, and others, like Felicien Mallefille (one of her former beaus, played by Georges Corraface) turning mildly psycho and trying to prove something by challenging the effeminate Chopin into a duel which never officially establishes itself since Chopin faints dead away and she has to shoot Mallefille herself. Some characters are written rather shabbily -- most notably Marie d'Agoult played by a shrill Bernadette Peters -- who switches personalities quicker than she would do outfits and seems to act on whims that have to do more with her love/hate acquaintance with Sand than actual preoccupation with anyone else. Other than that, with Emma Thompson in a small part, IMPROMPTU lives up to its ad hoc story and execution and is a solid piece of entertainment.

lastliberal I like strong women. Maybe i am weird in that way. George Sand was a strong woman. She knew what she wanted and she was willing to wait until she found it. In the meantime, she took a man's name, she dressed like a man, she smoked and cussed like a man, and she didn't call her lovers the next day either. That didn't keep them from running back panting and that made this movie hilarious.I had never seen Judy Davis before. She was in two movies last year (The Break-up and Marie Antoinette), but I'v not seen either one. She was magnificent in her role as George Sand. I think I use the word magnificent too much, so let's say she was stupendous and tremendous.Then she found him. The one she was waiting for. She knew the moment she heard his music. he could talk to angels. He was Frederic Chopin, and he was definitely not interested. No matter she plowed ahead, despite the interference of her best friend (Bernadette Peters)and ...well, I won't tell you if she succeeded as that would spoil it wouldn't it.With Hugh Grant, Mandy Patinkin and Emma Thompson helping Peters support Davis, this film had all one could wish for. It was an enjoyable romp through the countryside, funny, and a charming love story.