Uninvited (1999) User Reviews

Very deep and tasty

[Aiet · 7/10 · 19 May 2004]

I saw the movie on a festival couple of years ago, where Carlo (the director) won some award.

Actually I really liked the movie and Franco Nero's performance was so brilliant. And the director's attitude to the question of the right to judge someone is one of the best I've seen.

Watching the movie, your also catch some tasty details - like there's a scene where the main character gets near his ex-love's house, and we begin to think he is going to kill her. And, at the same time, we might just notice a traffic sign at the street, displaying "no right turn". Only for a second, and there's no close-up or something. You really need to watch out for this kind of small things. :)

Anyone without famous parents would do better

[filmhebert · 1/10 · 15 February 2006]

Awful is not enough, I would go for "shameful" Anyone without famous parents would do better... although they probably wouldn't have the chance to make a film like this.

This film is badly written, badly directed and completely pointless. daddy-Franco Nero has never been a good actor, while mom-Vanessa Redgrave is, but unfortunately she is not enough.

This filmmaker is really BAD, and throughout his whole (hopefully short) career he just keeps exploiting his family fame and that of his family friends.

Pity even people who are known for their political commitment end up giving unfair help to their family.

worst film ever made in the history of mankind

[josephemeryprank · 1/10 · 17 August 2009]

if i could vote with no stars i would but i can't so it gets one. strangely enough this might even be a good film if it was made properly but the present offering is diabolical. awful script, awful direction, production, film-making, whatever you call it, whatever went into it is bad bad bad. it looks ugly, the actors are all 1970s rejects, franco nero is almost incomprehensible, the storyline rushes through with huge gaps and nothing is done with any depth or feeling. pure 1970s TV trailer trash. i couldn't work out what the hell vanessa redgrave was doing embarrassing herself by appearing in it and now i have just read that the director is her son and the other lead actor her husband (?). so that explains that one. and now i know why it had been given away and was on sale in the pdsa shop for a quid. really must start investing in proper films.

UNfairly UNderrated

[albertomallofres-pantoja · 10/10 · 20 September 2001]

I have seen this film on TV very recently. I haven´t been able to watch it in theatres because it remained unreleased in some countries, which I think it´s a shame. If I´m not wrong, this was the debut of Carlo Nero (son of Franco Nero and Vanessa Redgrave) as a feature film director (he had been the third assistant director of "A Month By The Lake", starring his mother) and I believe he did a fine job. The movie´s plot is a fortunate blend of crime thriller and romantic drama with some touches of humour and it works rather well. Nevertheless, the film had a lukewarm response when exhibited at the San Sebastián Film Festival two years ago (coinciding with the presentation of the Donostia Prize to Redgrave, and with Nero Sr. - who is also the producer - and Nero Jr. in attendance) and some journalists pointed out that the director had "misused" his parents, especially his mum, who had been given "only" an eight-minutes-or-so cameo role, despite the fact that she´d got second-billing in the credits behind Franco Nero. Well, she could have replied that she won an Oscar as Best Supporting Actress for a film in which her appearance wasn´t much longer ("Julia") and so did Dame Judi Dench for her brief work in "Shakespeare In Love". (On the other hand, nobody has ever remarked on Redgrave´s labour in "Wilde", where she also received second-billing and made an even shorter role.) Going back to "Uninvited", I personally think that the story is interesting and poignant - a young boy is charged with the murder of the stinkingly rich husband of the girl he´s loved since high school - the characters are highly credible (including Redgrave´s amusing bit as a severe schoolteacher) and the subplot of the unhappily married woman who sympathizes with the framed boy and becomes his penfriend is warm and touching. But if I had to show up just one thing in the film, it would be undoubtedly Franco Nero´s wonderful performance as the boy´s defending counsel. This notable actor has been unfairly underrated and overlooked for many years, and I think it´s time to do justice to him. All his scenes, particularly his speech before the court during the trial, are priceless and prove what a good actor he really is. OK, this is family business, but maybe Francis Ford Coppola´s films aren´t? This movie has much more merits to be screened in a theatre than many others that usually get to people those premises. I hope time dots the i´s and crosses the t´s.

A somewhat original idea for a movie, that many would want to see.

[Uma-2 · 10/10 · 20 January 1999]

I'm not sure if I'm qualified to comment on this film because I participated in the filming, but after seeing it I must admit that I was quite proud of the fact that I did. It is the type of story that makes a movie that many would want to see. It's twisted, and very interesting. It should do ok at the box offices; I for one will definitely be taking my friends to see it.