Peter's Friends (1992) User Reviews

A British "Big Chill". I mean that in a good way!

[preppy-3 · 8/10 · 24 February 2008]

Film starts off on New Years Eve 1982 with a collegiate musical troupe giving their final bad performance. It cuts to 1992 where one of them named Peter (Stephen Fry) invites the whole group to his remote English castle for a New Years Eve party. We have the Andersons--Roger (Hugh Laurie) and Mary (Imelda Staunton). They've lost a child and she lives in fear that they'll lose the other. Then there's Maggie (Emma Thompson) who's madly in love with Peter. There's Sarah (Alphonsia Emmanuel) a sexually active woman who brings along her man of the moment (Tony Slattery). And there's Andrew (Kenneth Branagh) who's unhappily married to TV star Carol (Rita Rudner).

This was called a rip off of "The Big Chill". It is, but it's well-made with a great cast, a wonderful script and is totally involving. This is one of the few movies that mixes drama and laughs and both work beautifully. It was also shot (I believe) on location in England and the setting itself is just incredible. All the acting is good across the board. Rudner is a delight (and has the best lines). Emmanuel sometimes overdoes her role but not enough to damage the film. Dramatic, witty, warm--basically a great comedy drama well worth catching.

"Did you ever see "Upstairs Downstairs"?"

I like the way the story unfolds

[IridescentTranquility · 8/10 · 14 January 2005]

A lot of people seem to think the plot is particularly weak and that some of the character development is unrealistic, but I think it is quite effective. To fully appreciate why the characters behave the way they do (for instance, Mary saying goodbye to her baby son Ben, while husband Roger stands by) it is worth watching the film twice. Peter's character also unfolds in a logical way, and his actions become crystal clear as the film progresses. Carol - seemingly a B-list celebrity who thinks she's a legend - turns out to be a multi- layered character, and is certainly one of the most memorable.

The only drawback to this rather character-driven film is that sometimes I watch it and think I have obviously missed a scene somewhere. Although I cannot identify with everything the characters have been through, they are all reasonably fleshed out. As the audience gets further into the film, the layers of show and pretence are peeled back like onion skins. The two "extra" characters are eliminated with reasonable explanations. I can see what makes all of the characters tick - except for Brian. Roger and Mary are a good couple, stressed and yet strengthened by the way they finally deal with their personal tragedy - in fact I feel like the holiday is quite cathartic for them. Carol and Andrew, although a bit "showbiz" for my liking are obviously moulded and shaped by their Hollywood surroundings - they are clearly used to fulfilling a role on and off camera and somehow I don't feel that the audience for this film sees the ultimate end of their relationship. Sarah, another thespian type (evidently with a colourful past) seems to do some serious thinking about her approach to relationships. Maggie - oh, I do like Maggie! - the rather bookish spinster undergoes a total change before balancing her old self with the new self she has tapped into. Peter, excellently played by Stephen Fry, makes a courteous host, friend and confidante to all, reluctant to burden his friends with a problem far more stunning than anything his friends have been faced with (perhaps Roger and Mary's is on a par?).

But I have tried and tried, and watched this film over and over and I still feel as though I have somehow missed a key scene that would help me understand Brian. Where is it, I ask? I still don't get the Greta Garbo joke - I can only surmise that it is a story he finds humour in where nobody else ever could, because the punchline never made it to the final cut. A line from him after upsetting Mary states, "It's not like me to put my foot in it" - how ironic when he spends the rest of his time in the film spoiling the moment (particularly after the revue group's lovely song by the piano) and upsetting others. So where the others have a bit of backstory - we know who went out with (or slept with) who at university - and can be empathised with, Brian appears one-dimensional. His character as it stands is the only real flaw in the film, his only real purpose is to be cast off by Sarah when Andrew helps her see how wrongly she approaches her relationships.

A notable mention also goes to the soundtrack. I only wanted to see this film initially because it featured Tears For Fears' 1985 single Everybody Wants To Rule The World, but this is in no way the only musical highlight. The opening sequence was one I enjoyed very much.

One of my favorites.

[Julie-30 · 8/10 · 3 January 2003]

I can watch Peter's Friends over and over without getting bored. The characters are about the same age I am, and my friends and I have shared many of the same experiences. The script is witty and clever, the characters are well-developed and the actors are superb. What more can I say besides "I want the DVD!"

Fantastic

[jmd-2 · 9 February 1999]

This film has one of the best 80's soundtracks. It is a feel good movie with a great cast. Some very amusing moments and some sad moments but all in all it features the kind of friends we'd all love to have.

Provocative British wit: a contemporary battle of the sexes

[khatcher-2 · 7/10 · 20 June 2004]

Good, solid drama in the best British style, replete with witty dialogues, more or less a showcase for Kenneth Branagh to bestow upon us something that is not in the least Shakespearian. Nicely-paced development lets the principal characters ease their way into the proceedings in an orchestrated way, such that there is a fine balance in screen presence as well as in the interwoven combinations of the players from scene to scene, very much in the straight theatre tradition. Therein lies a possible weakness: the film has a straight-jacket feel to it, as though indeed it was too severely and strictly transposed from the stage to the screen.

Very much in the vein of a `battle of the sexes', we have in `Peter's Friends' several couples meeting some years after graduating, supposedly to remember old times. I rather fancy that the ladies win this battle by a slight margin, as the performances by Imelda Staunton, Emma Thompson and Alphonsia Emmanuel manage to pull off a finely-tuned upper-hand over the gentlemen.

This is about the third time I have seen this film - and will doubtlessly see it again. However, having recently seen `Gosford Park' a couple of times, I cannot help marrying up the two films - and thus falling into the trap of comparing them. `Gosford Park' comes out clearly the winner: Altman's masterpiece.

A "Footlights" reunion that is perhaps a tad incestuous..........

[ianlouisiana · 7/10 · 21 December 2005]

Peter's friends have that veneer of Cambridge charm and sophistication that vanishes fairly rapidly unless they are allowed their own way all the time.Peter himself is a little more personable,but the unfortunate chap is suffering from Aids and not long for this world.On inheriting the family home from his father(actually Wrotham Park in Herts,also used in "Gosford Park"),Peter asks all his "Footlights" chums for a last get together.But ten years on,they are all carrying a lot of baggage.There is not innately an awful lot wrong with this movie and it says a lot for Kenneth Branagh's strength of character that he went on from directing this "safe" subject to the rather more challenging "Hamlet" and "Much ado about nothing" with splendid success Stephen Fry is the most sympathetic character character in the film ,all the others are fighting mental demons of one sort or the other whilst Peter has the sublime aura of peace that sometimes settles on the tragically doomed. At the start of the movie Peter's friends gather round the piano and sing"The way you look tonight" very nicely.This scene captures the insular but rather naive and touching mutual love and dependence Cambridge Thesps display throughout their careers. Despite life's vicissitudes,a decade later it has been strong enough to bring them to Peter's house without the knowledge of his fatal illness. Mr Tony Slattery is perhaps moving in rather fast company,but otherwise this is a an ensemble piece of glowing talent.Miss Emma Thompson is particularly fine as an emotionally fragile lonely woman. To some it may seem a little precious and self - obsessed,but then University Am Dram is a little precious and self - obsessed.If you accept that caveat there is a lot to be enjoyed here.

likeable but predictable

[charbrom · 6/10 · 17 February 2001]

Watching this movie you come up with two thoughts: 1. Great ensemble, well acted and you can see the joy the actors must have had while making this. 2. Why didn't the screenwriters and director Branagh give the characters a bit more authenticity. Because for someone who sees a lot of movies, there wasn't much left to guess. The changes the characters go through are as predictable as the development of the story. You can see the two weak relationships end and the final scenes are a little bit corny and even moralistic. But overall it's an ok movie to watch. Something for a rainy sunday afternoon.

Not a Rip Off of the Big Chill!

[noni-10 · 10/10 · 11 September 1999]

This movie has often been dubbed another rip off of The Big Chill. Except for the whole reunion bit, this movie bears little resemblance to the former. It is funnier, wittier and the characters are more clearly defined.The movie centers around Peter, whose father has just died and left him the house. He decides to have a big party and invite his friends from college that he hasn't seen in years.As it turns out, everyone has their problems. Roger and Mary have just lost a child,Maggie is trying to find a man and has her eye on Peter, who is definitely not interested,Sarah is involved with a married man and seems to have trouble getting involved with anyone who's available,Andrew and his Hollywood actress wife are having marriage problems.This movie is well acted, the script is well written,thanks to Rita Rudner and her husband Martin Bergman and the casting is excellent. Starring Stephen Fry as Peter,Kenneth Branagh as Andrew,Hugh Laurie as Roger,Emma Thompson as Maggie,Alphonsia Emmanuel as Sarah and Imelda Staunton as Mary.With Rita Rudner as Carol.

Spoilers!! despite the miss judge of direction is a rather enjoyable and delightful film

[apban · 7/10 · 17 January 2006]

This film has a great cast but is unfortunately let down by the direction. In my honest opinion Kenneth Branagh should not have directed this film. I think they should have chosen someone outside the group of very real friends to perhaps keep it from some sentimentality. Branagh also seems to not enjoy close ups that much as some really great performances are missed. For example the scene were everything is coming to a head Branagh decides to pan around a Christmas tree and you are unable to see the faces of the actors. This bad direction does take away some of the impact of the scene.

Despite the somewhat bad direction the performances are superb. While the whole cast is excellent I do think the best performance came from Hugh Laurie who was wonderful as a father who is trying to cope with the death of one his twins. The heart felt scene were he basically semi-explodes to his friends is so touching. He expresses his hurt about how people always say it's hard for a mother to lose a child and not the father is so touching and moving that despite the somewhat lack of close up his performance is still a knock out as is his scene with Imelda Staunton who plays his wife. Their scene were they work through their heartache is very powerful. I think Brangha was right to have played that in one shot. But alas both Laurie and Staunon are somewhat under used and their is very little of them actually talking to their friends.

This film despite the miss judge of direction is a rather enjoyable and delightful film that I do recommend and while does have some heartache it is a very amusing film.

A Must See

[Lynnette · 10/10 · 7 June 1999]

Really, this is a great flick. Especially if you go for British comedy. Rita Rudner's writing is just fantastic. I caught this in the theatres by chance and loved it--and bought it as soon as it became available on video.

Since this is just commentary, I'm not going to get into the plot any--I'll just toss in my 2 cents.

In the Maltin Review, he mentions that many consider this a British "Big Chill". In a way, I can see that, but where the "Big Chill" focuses on how much the characters have changed since college, "Peter's Friend's" does a good job of showing how the characters really HAVEN'T changed since then. They have matured, but the root of who they are--their faults, strengths, and weaknesses--are still the same.

The wit flows, the humor can be obvious as well as understated, the interplay between the actors is simply sublime, and the overall feel is fun and warm. I've seen many of these actors together in other films and they're all first rate. Just because Emma Thompson is the only one to win an Oscar doesn't mean the others are slackers!!

The one thing I've had to accept, though, is that in 7 years, it has become dated--especially the reason why Peter decides to bring his old college buddies together. That last scene packed a much bigger punch in 1992 than it could in 1999. Not that the issues are any less significant now, just that, as a culture, we're more accustomed to the subject. (And I won't spoil it--if you want to know what the subject is, rent the movie! *grin*)

Also, the soundtrack is fabulous! And I'd say it's worth the price of a rental for those who "came of age" in the 80's just to watch the opening montage: The highlights of the 80's set to "Everybody Wants to Rule the World". Fantastically done.

Rent it and enjoy!!

Reunions

[B24 · 7/10 · 25 July 2006]

For those of us who have experienced countless "reunions" in our mature lives, there is much to recognize here. No matter what the year in real time, the more things change, the more they stay the same.

This is basically an intelligent script. That is why I am reluctant to have to fault the director's overwrought interpretation as evidenced by a good deal of melodramatic interplay where understatement would be so much more effective. Only Kenneth Branagh manages to carry it off well, especially in the final scene. I was particularly annoyed by the waste of talent in making the character played by Emma Thompson something of a comic figure. The line "fill me with your babies" is an example of bathos rather than something antic or farcical. If read properly, it should evoke pity for someone who is only mildly neurotic and fully capable of mature insights -- as further scenes demonstrate.

An audience expects greater depth from a serious play that has as its center the otherwise trite scenario of disparate guests coming together for a weekend in the country. Unless farce is intended, the laughs ought to come from wordplay, not pies in the face or anguished physical disintegration.

Still, I like the idea of fresh characterizations that pop up from time to time like that of "Peter" as the centerpiece here.

A movie true to human spirit and those little glitches in it

[Golden_God · 10/10 · 4 January 1999]

When I first watched Peter's Friends, I was seventeen years old, still young and unexperienced. I wouldn't say that the five years since then have made me some sort of oracle, but I have made a few mistakes and also a lot of good choices. And even more, I am able to relate to the story that Kenneth Branagh's wonderful alternative to It's A Wonderful Life as a holiday film.

Today it makes me laugh. It makes me embarrassed. It evokes so many feelings that are pivotal for the human spirit, so many things that are universal. If you have friends, or if you've lost them, or if you've met any people at all in your life, you will be able to relate to the six friends in Peter's Friends. What the heck, you only have to be human to relate to it.

No other movie speaks so truly about us as human beings and how we behave in small social groups. Food for thought, but also for heart.

The Big Chill for Brits

[billyfish · 6/10 · 8 June 2005]

I don't mean to say it's a rip-off of TBC, but the comparison is unavoidable, as old chums get together for a weekend at a large manor after not seeing each other in 10 years. That's pretty much where the similarity ends, however, as Peter and his friends are far more interested in dealing with the here and now than in rehashing the past. True, the past does provide some background to the story, but it is not the omnipresent theme as in TBC. It was surprising to see both Hugh Laurie and Stephen Fry play it straight -- the opposite of what you'd expect from these extremely funny men. Tony Slattery of Whose Line Is It Anyway? fame provided much of the comic relief with his bumbling boyfriend shtick. Rita Rudner (who co-wrote the movie) is also funny as Kenneth Branagh's neurotic Hollywood wife.

It's a watchable movie but there are few surprises and one can't help but feel that Branagh and Emma Thompson are not even stretching their acting muscles here. Still, I would recommend it as most of the characters are likable and the writing is good.

Tries too hard

[little_red_corvette · 4/10 · 27 April 2010]

When this movie was released in 1992 it sounded worthwhile. I was (and remain) a fan of many of the actors, enjoyed Rita Rudner's comedy, and had been impressed with Kenneth Branagh's work to date.

But I never got around to seeing it until recently, and now I understand why it received middling to poor reviews on its release.

From the first scene following the opening montage, the entire film feels simultaneously flat and strident. None of the characters feels natural. Each actor is playing an archetype, and with no subtlety. The script is cliché-ridden and the actors seem compelled or directed to over-deliver every line. The final scenes are truly painful due to the hackneyed, awkward delivery, and the forced gaiety of the final scene.

There were a few enjoyable moments, but the movie never comes together. When it was over I felt relieved, and embarrassed for the participants.

The house and grounds the story is set in are gorgeous, though.

It's partly autobiographical actually

[ajkandy · 19 May 2000]

...If you don't believe me, you can hunt up a 1983 book called "Footlights: One Hundred Years Of Cambridge Comedy" which is the history of the Footlights amateur theatrical society at Cambridge- whose alumni have included since the 1950s most of the auteurs of post-music hall English comedy.

Footlights revues since 1960 have included the casts of Beyond The Fringe (Jonathan Miller, Dudley Moore, Peter Cook and Alan Bennett), Monty Python (all of them), The Goodies (Graeme Garden, Bill Oddie and Tim Brooke-Taylor), Alas Smith And Jones, and Douglas Adams (Hitch-Hiker's Guide To The Galaxy).

In 1981 the Footlights mounted an Edinburgh Fringe Festival show called The Cellar Tapes, whose cast included...Stephen Fry, Hugh Laurie, Emma Thompson, and Tony Slattery!

The Cellar Tapes show won the Fringe's Perrier Award and pretty much guaranteed everyone jobs for life in British TV and film. The scene of them at school doing an amateur theatrical show for the university dons is a reference to this, supposedly.

Of the film, despite an interesting concept, some good moments and a talented cast I found this film disjointed, emotionally cold, only rarely witty, and even faintly unbelievable at times --the scene where Thompson breaks down and cries is so reserved and smug it's like she can never really let go- which she never does in anything she's in anyway!

It's rather as if they want to thinly satirize themselves- but only thinly, as if they take themselves too seriously to open themselves to self-mockery. For a better take on this concept, I recommend the 1998 film "Final Cut" starring Jude Law which has the current mob of Britpack actors playing themselves in an improvised film-- often times for laughs.

It's amazing how far Branagh's star has fallen since 1992 when he was The Olivier People Actually Liked. I guess some people really do peak early- he did the movie of Henry V (and wrote his autobiography) when he was 26! Since then?....Anyone?...Bueller?

Peter's Friends

[ixamxdollpartsx82 · 7/10 · 12 January 2007]

This movie was good. I love how it shows past to present. How change can occur w/ friends, and some secrets but still care for each other. Emma Thompson is so funny! "Fill me w/ your little baby's" Thats what she say to Peter. Emma Thompson is so funny in this film. Hugh Lorie's character is a jingle writer and so is his wife. They had a very tragic death (there young boy) and in turn is destroying there marriage. And we cannot forget Peter. Peter has been lingering threw life parting and having fun. Peter father has passed away and has been left the estate which he cannot afford. So, he wants to have a party with the people he loves the most, his friends. This made me realize how much i miss my friends, and how important they are. And it is worth some of the drama.

Much of it is excellent, but perhaps they tried too hard to do too much...

[planktonrules · 6/10 · 23 August 2009]

PETER'S FRIENDS has a lot to like. Some of the performances and vignettes are very good and it's impossible to say that the film isn't touching. At the same time, however, I also found myself thinking that perhaps the film makers tried too hard--putting too many conflicts, too many complicated back stories and, unfortunately, too many clichés to make this a must-see picture. It was a case of all the wonderful parts adding up to an okay whole but not a lot more.

The film begins by showing a group of six college chums doing some sort of review show for an audience of not terribly appreciative people. We did not get to see the show--perhaps they were terrible--we just don't know. However, these six friends are all very excited afterwords and they pose for a picture and talk about how they'll all be best friends forever.

Now suddenly it's a decade later. The six eternal friends have drifted a bit--all having their own lives and maintaining only incidental contacts. Out of the blue, Peter (Stephen Fry) contacts them all--inviting them to his huge family mansion to celebrate the New Year. All six can make it and two of them invite significant others. Unfortunately, some of the six are incredibly shallow, unlikable and easy to read because they are a tad clichéd--representing more archetypes than believable people. One is a nympho who commits to relationships way too quickly and as a result is lonely and rather pathetic. She brings her latest lover--who seems like a boorish jerk. One has married a shallow Hollywood actress and is desperately unhappy with all his wealth and happiness. His wife is annoying and well,...annoying. One is lonely and a spinster--or at least she will be if she doesn't do something about her life. And, finally, two of them married and their marriage is in trouble following the death of one of their kids. Frankly, the only ones that didn't seem unreal were the grieving couple and I really wish there'd been much more time in the film devoted to them. They were compelling and believable.

An additional problem with the film is that all these people had very complicated lives--enough to make a mini-series instead of a full-length film. Because it was all crammed in so tightly and there were almost magical resolutions or at least realizations on this poignant weekend that it all seemed artificial. Now there were gobs of interesting moments--but with so many, many, many such moments you wonder if there are six friends anywhere with that much going on at one time! Too much from start to finish helped sink this British incarnation of THE BIG CHILL to the level of a time-passer.

Not entirely a comedy, not entirely a melodrama

[emguy · 6/10 · 20 August 2007]

It wasn't a bad movie, but with a lesser cast it would have been. It kept flirting with amateurish melodrama and the occasional attempt at broad comedy while still wanting to be a witty comedy, yet somehow the performances kept it together (except for one highly over-acted scene from Branagh). Knowing we were basically watching "Kenneth's Friends" with various points of similarity to the actors' real lives put an unfortunate air of "vanity project" about the movie.

How ironic that comments here have commented on the extreme Britishness of the writing, when at least one of the two screenwriters was American. Rita Rudner slipped at least one line from her stand-up act into the movie (about not falling in love), and found a way for one of the characters to praise the line too.

Those who are in denial about similarities to The Big Chill are just in denial. The comparison was inescapable, and I kept thinking of it as The Brit Chill while I was watching it, before I had read any reviews or IMDb comments. Kevin Costner didn't show up as the dead guy that prompted the reunion in this one either! :-)

Very British

[richard-1521 · 9/10 · 8 November 2006]

You won't find a laugh track. Or even any side-splitting laughs. Its not slapstick, indeed most of the humor is directed ironically at the character who's making the self-deprecating comment. Its not really tragic - its a situation comedy of the old school, with great actors, a reasonable framework for them to perform, and no artificial beginning or ending, just characterization. Like many movies of this kind, you have to bring your brain along and do some of the work yourself. It is, however, an effort that will be greatly rewarded, and highly rewarding. So find the movie, watch it, think about it, and enjoy it. You'll probably continue to do so through many viewings.

And while its not out on DVD in the US, it available out on laserdisc (if anyone still has one - I did for many years). Not much, but its something.

A Most Curious Beast.

[severin72 · 6/10 · 8 April 2012]

Often dismissed (probably fairly) as an attempt to transplant "The Big Chill" into the English countryside, "Peter's Friends" is even more striking now for showing some familiar faces looking way younger than we now see them and for deploying co-writer Rita Rudner so far outside her familiar, Emo Phillips-in-drag persona. Peter (Stephen Fry) hosts a new year's reunion of college friends and their partners at the English country house (read: mansion) he has just inherited from his father. Nostalgia, crises and comedy ensue. It's as well acted as one would expect from the ensemble cast (oddly, Brannagh, the most distinguished actor among them is most the uneven, possibly distracted by directing duties) but the writing is inconsistent. The pace is too pressured with no time for reflection between constant emotional highs and lows. It's all a bit too frantic and formulaic. Despite all that the film is compelling. The characters are sufficiently well-rounded and likable to keep the viewer interested and Brannagh manages to make England in the dead of Winter look more lovely than bone-chilling. If you're the same age as the cast or up to about ten years younger it's intriguing. Outside of that demographic it's more likely to come across as puzzling or dull.

Just perfect

[stich77 · 10/10 · 19 October 2020]

The perfetto movie with a perfect cast and a marvellous soundtrack

A good, but not exceptional British comedy.

[malpasc-391-915380 · 7/10 · 13 October 2017]

If you've ever hosted or been invited to a reunion you'll recognise a lot in this film. The excited expectations of catching up with people you were great friends with many years ago, followed by the reality that as years go by, life has changed for all of you. You want everyone to be the same, but they're not.

Peter invites a group of his old university friends to a party at his recently deceased father's mansion. The friends have not all seen each other since they graduated in 1982, although have individually stayed in touch during that time.

As with this type of film things don't go according to the host's plans as the lives of each member of the group are revealed - Roger and Mary have suffered an enormous tragedy, losing a baby to cot death, and as a couple are not dealing with how it has affected their relationship. Andrew has married his sitcom star wife Carol and lives in California, their marriage isn't a happy one in-spite of wealth and success. Maggie is a lonely spinster in love with Peter who doesn't reciprocate. Sarah basically beds unavailable men and brings her latest one, Brian, to the party. When his life becomes all too real (he's married with a child), the relationship falls apart and he goes back home.

The only person who you think doesn't have events going on in their life seems to be Peter, only revealing to the rest of the group, and us the audience that he his HIV positive. The way this announcement is dealt with in the film really dates it. In 1992 HIV was still a big and controversial issue, and was in many ways still considered a death sentence. If the film was made and set now in 2017 Peter's announcement would have basically 0 shock value.

The script isn't laugh out loud funny but is witty in that way British comedy films usually are - a mix of self-deprecation, sarcasm and one liners.

I first watched this way back in about 1993 and at that time I considered it to be one of my favourite films. I was 15 at the time, and wasn't really into a lot of the films my peers were into!

25 years after it was made I still really enjoy Peter's Friends although now I can see some flaws - it is a bit of a "love-in" of Kenneth Branagh's friends, a bit too sentimental and mushy in places, as well as slightly slow in the middle.

A good, but not exceptional British comedy.

A merry little journey through emotions and time

[setenantparlamain · 8/10 · 25 December 2006]

"Peter's friends" is a seemingly modest, delectable and almost quiet film about the people we become if we're lucky. It's one of those extremely rare reunion movies where very dissimilar characters are bound together by sincere friendship, not old resentments. As they're invited to a country manor by one of them to celebrate New Year's and enjoy each other's company for old times' sake, they're unfazed by the impression they may leave, but perhaps too eager to make it a fun time together. It's the people they bring along that start to complicate everything but also truly re-unite them.

The cast is fantastic (mind the wonderful Phyllida Law, Thompson's mother, in the role of Vera) and the atmosphere brilliantly subdued. The upbeat late 80's music brings back memories, and it's a sorely needed uplifting element amidst the dreary British winter. Branagh's direction leaves some direction to be desired, but it's exactly that slightly amateurish feel to it that makes the film tick.

When I watched "Peter's friends" for the first time more than ten years ago, it struck me as a slow-paced movie, quirky but fun. A decade later, it seems spirited, joyful and warm with lots of smirks, some laughs, and plenty of "I know this awful embarrassing feeling" moments. It's also become a great testimony to the late 80s, early 90s era, now trapped in time but well remembered for its excess in clothing, opulence in music, powerful political movements and, perhaps, youthful naivety. It's a movie I could watch each year anew.

The Big English Chill

[SnoopyStyle · 6/10 · 31 December 2017]

In 1982, six college friends perform a review in front of a bored audience. Ten years later, they reunite for New Years weekend after Peter Morton (Stephen Fry) inherits the family country manor. Andrew Benson (Kenneth Branagh) is a Hollywood writer married to successful American actress Carol (Rita Rudner). Mary (Imelda Staunton) and Roger Charleston (Hugh Laurie) are married jingle writers. Maggie Chester (Emma Thompson) is a single cat lady and publisher. Sarah Johnson is a fashion designer coming with married Brian.

The easy comparison is The Big Chill. Branagh brings together his friends and colleagues. Rita Rudner doesn't seem right as an acting diva. I'm surprised that Branagh couldn't get a bigger name for the role. A California blonde would be much better for the contrast. The characters are obvious and broadly drawn. Once the characters are presented, the story doesn't really go too far. There was a fresh energy about The Big Chill but this goes over like a cold rainy English day. The great cast does keep the interest high throughout.

A stupid, obvious film

[Rosabel · 2/10 · 30 June 1999]

What a waste of time and talent! We are supposed to feel deeply involved with a clutch of actors who are too selfish and petty to feel anything for each other. In no time, the two "outsiders" at the snobby little weekend gathering of Peter and his old university friends are driven out, and the remaining coterie can get on with admiring themselves and being alternately belligerent and maudlin with each other. I thought it was ironic that Branagh's American arch-bitch actress wife, played by Rita Rudner, is the only character in the whole film who actually puts herself out to do something for someone else, when she comforts a distraught Emma Thompson after the latter's rejection by Peter, and gives her a makeover and new hairdo to make her feel better. It's a silly gesture, but it's the only generous action by anyone, even while Rudner's character throughout is portrayed as a distasteful, brash American clod, not like those wry, witty, humorous Brits. No one in this movie seems able to keep their mouth shut about anything, and we're even treated to a ludicrous moment when the bereaved mother of a SIDS victim sits down at the dinner table and happily announces to the assembly that she and her husband have been "shagging". A weekend with these tasteless vulgarians would drive anyone mad with disgust. Apart from the ugly characterisations, the plot is so obvious and telegraphs its intentions so far in advance, there is nothing for an intelligent viewer to look forward to. Early in the movie, Peter has a sudden attack of weakness while helping his friend to carry in firewood; what can be the matter with him? Nothing as original as maybe lung cancer from smoking too much - no, naturally, it has to be AIDS, the poverty of imagination on the part of the writers advertising the climax of the movie a good hour before our arrival there. This is a stupid waste of a good cast, and a worse waste of the viewer's time.