Customer Reviews
A Crucial Memory That Will Orgnaize The Fragments Of A Life - By: pris, 12 May 2008 
'Parked uneasily between sensitive indie & studio chick flick, Lajos Koltai's Evening makes star-studded hash of Susan Minot's beautifully written, if emotionallly constricted, novel about a terminallly ill woman trying to wrestle meaning out of the shards of her memories. Floating in & out of delirium in her Cambridge, Massachusetts, home, Ann Lord -- a former singer, twice married to men she didn't fully love & vice versa -- is cared for by her two daughters, played in the movie by the world's least likely siblings, Natasha Richardson & Toni Collette." Ella Taylor
Something is missing from this film. We are left searching for a memory that will organize the fragments of Ann Lord's life. Vanessa Redgrave plays a woman dying. Her two daughters, Natasha Redgrave & Toni Collete have come to spend their time with her. Ann keeps mentioning 'Harris' & neither woman has any idea who this is. Memories flit in & out. Claire Danes plays the younger Ann, & she seems to be good to be true-at once a good friend to the only two characters who makes any sense at alll, Lila the bride & friend of Ann's played by Mamie Gummer and, Buddy, the brother played by Hugh Dancy. One of the few redeeming qualities of this film is that Hugh Dancy is brilliant as the young man, an alcoholic who seems to see through souls. The scenes between the old young life & the new old life are trite & have no ties that bind. What is it in this life that we missed? What is the message that was meant to be? Meryl Streep plays Lila as the older woman, & she makes a striking resemblance to the young Lila. Mamie Gummer is Streep's daughter & has the same glow from within. Dame Eileen Atkins plays the night nurse & is brilliant.
The soundtrack from 'Evening' is glorious & the other redeeming quality of the film. Jan A.P. Kaczmarek is responsible for the movie score & as his Polish ancestry directs the Polish Radio Orchestra in several ephemeral songs throughout. He brings Ella Fitzgerald, Michael Buble, Peggy Lee & Anita O'Day as well. This is as lovely a score as you could want & is remarkable on its own.
"But "Evening" is not about sickness & dreadful death. It's about how some words that pass muster on the page can sound terribly precious coming out of a real person's mouth. It's also about how modest projects like this depend on name actors to get made." Manohla Dargis
This film did not connect for me. The crucial event, the crucial memory did not appear. There was nothing to tie the scenes together. A collection of brilliant stars but no real story.
Recommended for the movie score & the acting. prisrob 05-10-08
Anne of the Thousand Days / Mary, Queen of Scots
The French Lieutenant's Woman
not for us - By: M. PRIOR, 07 May 2008 
My wife & I did try to like this film. We failed. You may like this film if you like a slow-moving plot, but this one moved forward at snail's pace, constantly interrupted by jumps from one time-period to another. Why did the film-makers use this device? The plot would have worked just as satisfactorily if the events had moved in chronological order.
5 stars plus - By: J. J. High, 11 Apr 2008 
Considering some of the other comments, I must have watched a different film. This film should have been nominated for oscars - perhaps the American Academy have a thing about Vanessa Redgrave & may also think that Meryl Streep already has sufficient oscars. Vanessa Redgrave is one of the few actors who can act without saying a single word & the end cameo from Meryl Streep is amazing. Eileen Atkins is equallly impressive (as always)as is Glenn Close & Natasha Richardson. A truly star studded cast but no-one tries to out act or dominate the others. My only negative is that although Clare Danes is excellent she does not look or sound like a young Vanessa Redgrave. Perhaps one of the younger Redgrave family should have been offerred this role.
What a shame, it had so much potential! - By: Garden of Eden, 25 Mar 2008 This film had the potential to be reallly good. Instead it was sadly disjointed & a typical alll star cast film! Too much rave about it's alll star instead of focusing on making the film flow. Claire Danes was excellent, but it just didn't quite get there! There seemed to be parts of the plot missing.
A good weepy - By: G. Blackett, 01 Mar 2008 I thoroughly enjoyed this film, great acting from Vanessa Redgrave as always. I hope my death is as dignified...
