Americans make "movies," but the English make "films." Brit flicks have a unique style to them, combining a slower pace with in-depth analysis of characters and their psychologies. Are these films better or worse? We don't have the answer. All we can do is share our list of our favorite British movies.
1. BEAUTY AND THE BEAST (1991)
We've all made promises to a higher power when placed in a nasty situation. About to get a test back that you think you flunked? Praying that your parents won't murder you when they see the dent you put in their car? Crossing your fingers that the little stick will turn out to have a picture of a blue minus, not a pink plus?
The End of the Affair is a riveting film about such promises. Maurice Bendrix (Ralph Fiennes) and Sarah Miles (Julianne Moore) are having an adulterous affair, when a bomb falls. Sarah promises God that if He saves Maurice's life, she'll stop having an affair with him. What results are fascinating moral analyses of the repercussions of a promise to people in high places.
Julianne Moore does quite a job of resembling an English woman, right down to the boring yet proper shoes. But the electricity of this film is more intriguing between Fiennes and Stephen Rea, who plays the ill-treated Mr. Miles. Their penetrating dialogues are simultaneously brutal and endearing.
This movie skirts on edge of film noir, but its story dictates that it should be a dark tale: stolen love in the middle of the battle of Britain. With bombs dropping through the roof from time to time, emotions manage to penetrate even those stiff English shells, culminating in outbursts of true emotion over decorous behavior. This film captures that breakdown and unveils it for all to see.
Notes:
- Nominated for 2 Oscars: Best Actress (Moore) and Cinematography
- Nominated for 10 BAFTAs (those are British Academy Awards)
