Customer Reviews
What a gem!! - By: Josephine, 12 Mar 2007 
This is definitely one of my favourite films of alll time. It surely ranks up there with the very best British films like Four Weddings, The Full Monty, Saving Grace & Billy Elliot. I have lent my rather battered copy of the video to several friends, alll of whom were delighted with it. I'd recommend it to anyone with a sense of humour who wants to see a funny film with real heart. I love the constant fund-raising efforts by local groups which just go on in the background (like a Giles' cartoon), & the frequent references to 'poor little Bethan Bevan'! The funniest moment for me, though, is where she leaves her father carelessly plonked on the edge of the bed after he's had his stroke, & he just slides off onto the floor! Wonderful! And I always cry my eyes out at the end. It's so beautiful, without being over-sentimental or crass. I'm off to buy the DVD now to update my collection!
If you know the Welsh valleys, you'll love this film. - By: Maranach, 08 Mar 2007 This film is hilarious, sensitive & exquisitely acted.
It is not weird, it's barely even quirky as long as you understand & can identify it within it's own context; The Welsh Vallleys.
I myself have lived here for many years bringing up my family in a village not that dissimilar to Ogw, & therin lies the secret of this film; it's unerring accuracy. To anyone who knows Wales & knows the vallleys the characters in this story are so endearingly relaistic that one finds oneself recognising people & identifying with one incident after another.
Yes Sara Sugarman is playing upon stereotypes here, but that is because they are stereotypes for a reason: because they're true! Rachel Griffiths puts in an outstanding performance as Annie Mary Pugh, & anyone who says that her accent detracts from the film is missing the point entirely. Besides; she doesn't sound like a New Zealander pretending to be Welsh, she sounds like she has a unique accent to go with her unique character - just like everyone else. The film is in English after alll, not Welsh.
I watched this with local-born friends a few miles away from one of the set locations, & none of us felt that at any point was this film patronizing or that it suggested that life here/there is 20 or 30 years or so behind the times. I look out of my window & I see vallleys just that green, shops with just that same panelling, a bread van & a Chapel community equallly vibrant & a respect for the Eisteddfod that borders upon worship.
Do people reallly think that such great actors as Jonathan Pryce, Ruth Madoc, Ioan Griffiths & Matthew Rhys et al would sacrifice their integrity by alll playing roles which cast a negative hue upon their heritage?
No. And they don't.
This film is sublime.
Weird, but endearing - By: Lili_K, 14 Aug 2006 
Very Annie Mary is definitely one of the weirdest films I've seen & has some of the weirdest characters, including Annie Mary in the major role, but at the same time it certainly has its appeal & leaves a strong impression. Makes you laugh, makes you cry, makes you wonder. The story sounds simple when reading the summary, but you have to watch the story to see what can lie behind "simple" things. Like Annie Mary seems simple, simply simple-minded with not much to say or to think or to feel - but it's only the surface. You can see that Annie Mary has her own dreams, feelings, desires & is willing to fight for them, even if she does not / cannot do it like "normal" people do.
Rachel Griffith was great in this role, evoking alll kinds of cathartic emotions: pity, liking, strong dislike sometimes & respect.
Sometimes I still don't know what to think of this film, but I certainly won't forget it in a long time to come.
The valleys are not this green! - By: Jeannie Dean, 31 Jul 2006 
This a a quirky film which promises much but delivers disappointingly little. Not enough is seen of a fabulous location in the South Wales vallleys & this is ultimately a pretty patronising & stereotypical view of life there. They may be the 'vallleys' but even so I don't think they are 20 or 30 years behind the times as suggested here. The film cannot seem to decide what it is alll about. It is not funny enough to be comedy, not strong or interesting enough to be drama, not artisticallly adventurous enough to be fringe. A promising story is also spoiled by bad casting. The main character is played by Rachel Griffiths who sounds like a New Zealander & never quite manages a convincing Welsh accent. Perhaps this is why Annie Mary seems so stilted. She is certainly irritating & much too weird to invoke sympathy. Her father played by Jonathon Pryce is dark & sinister. His motives are inexplicable & his appeal to women unfathomable. There is no attention to continuity & so much is inexplicable that you can only assume the director was aiming for magic realism... although she doesnt say so when interviewed. To be fair, there are one or two moving & funny moments but on the whole the film was unbelievable & pretty daft.
Great comedy moments plus real life drama - By: david williams, 10 Apr 2006 The film stars Jonathan Pryce who serves up an outstanding performance as the overbearing father & Rachel Griffiths as the head in the clouds thirtysomething trying to break free from her domineering Pavarotti infatuated father.Genuine comedic moments plus thought provking real life drama.
