BootDigest Such a frustrating disappointment

Exoticalot People are voting emotionally.

Matialth Good concept, poorly executed.

Aneesa Wardle The story, direction, characters, and writing/dialogue is akin to taking a tranquilizer shot to the neck, but everything else was so well done.

mark.waltz So says Michael Palin after his wife Maggie Smith thrusts a knife into his hands, demanding that he kill the filthy beast making a mess in their middle class home. It is just after the war and there is a meat shortage. Butchers close faster than they open and some are accused of passing if horse as beef. Smith is a bit of a social climber here, trying too hard to impress those who are in a higher class. Neighbors suspect something is up as the odor from their house is unbearable. In fact, the pig is seen urinating, but fortunately, the audience is spared the sight of it defacating. In short, this is a black comedy that may not be for all tastes, especially those who don't eat pork.After their teaming in "The Missionary", Palin and Smith were reunited for this strange comedy where the goal seems to be about making the audience sit gaping. As always, Smith is center of attention, but even she has a difficult time holding court when Liz Smith is on as her somewhat senile mother. Palin is delightfully droll, and Denholm Elliott and Richard Griffiths add authority. I really had a difficult time in tying to perceive what the film was trying to say, but had a hard time in finding fault with the darkness of the situation. So while I don't think I ever venture back in watching this again, I still recommend it for its performances, especially the two Smiths.

matthew-58 The 1980s were dark days for the British film industry and productivity was at an unprecedented low. That doesn't mean that there weren't a number of very fine films made during this time. It does mean that they tend to be rather forgotten in what is often described as a period of wilderness for British cinema. This is rather unfair, as there are a number of fine films made during this decade that don't get the attention they should. A Private Function is a case in point.The cast assembled for the film is simply one of the best I have ever seen in one movie. Look at the cast today and you would say it was star-studded; actually, many of these actors were not especially famous at the time (only Michael Palin, Maggie Smith, Denholm Elliott and Alison Steadman were really famous actors). Most of the others (Richard Griffiths, Pete Postlethwaite, Jim Carter, Liz Smith, Bill Paterson, Tony Haygarth) have achieved more recognition since. Their obvious talent and future potential was clear to see in this movie. As the fortunes of British films have improved since, their careers have duly flourished.If the film has a weakness, it is that it is supposed to be a star vehicle for Michael Palin, and yet his character is utterly dull and boring. Palin has proved he is a very capable actor elsewhere and might have impressed more if the kind of effort Bennett put into developing the other characters had also been afforded to Palin's role. This is a minor point though, because the rest of the characters are so well scripted it doesn't seem to matter too much. Palin would probably be the first to admit that the film works because of the script's overall quality (Alan Bennett is simply one of Britain's most incisive comic minds) and because of the wonderful supporting cast, not because of the strength of his own character.A Private Function is a relatively low budget and uniquely British film. The writing and the acting represent the very best of British cinema. It's a shame it doesn't get more recognition but the gentle wit, eccentric characters and lack of glamour and romance, plus the state the British film industry was in at the time it was made, probably meant that it was never destined to be a blockbuster. It does remain a very funny and at times quite barbed portrait of a particular period in 20th century British history.

sol- Bizarre and at times disgusting, this is an amusing comedy overall nevertheless, and the performances are simply divine. The best of the cast has to be Denholm Elliott as a rude cynic who places himself above all others, yet is unaware how low he himself stoops at times, but Maggie Smith is a delight too as a snobbish lady, and as her timid husband, Michael Palin has hardly been better. The film is however marred by having too many characters and much too many different individual story lines to follow. It is hard to keep track of who is who and what is what, which distracts from the jokes. The humour itself is a bit hard to grasp at times too, but generally the situations and dialogue stay amusing if not laugh-out-loud funny. Tony Pierce-Roberts, best known for his work with the Merchant-Ivory team, shoots the film well too, with interesting panning shots to aid the film visually. It is not really a brilliant comedy, and some have suggested that British viewers would best enjoy it, but there is enough in it, especially with the acting, for non-British filmgoers to enjoy it to a degree also.

Howard (howard-45) Life after WWII was bleak in England. Rationing was hitting hard, but spirits were lifted by the forthcoming royal marriage of Elizabeth and Philip. This slice of village life takes a poke at stiff England and the trials and tribulations of getting a slap up feast on the table for the local VIPs to celebrate the marriage. Michael Palin is the wimp, and marvellous Maggie Smith is the "trousers" in the relationship. Lots of lovely one-liners to treasure.