Breathtaking (2000) User Reviews

Pointless Drivel

[mwendel · 4/10 · 28 January 2004]

The atmosphere was right, the cast was decent, but this movie just came across as pointless drivel. The movie definitely had a dark and edgy tone to it, as you would expect from a thriller involving psychopaths. But there was just something about it at the end that wasn't fulfilling nor redeeming and left you wanting more from this film.

The characters' interactions in this movie seemed reserved and lackluster, with no real feeling or motivation. Maybe it was the way every angle this movie was shot from seemed like it was the same. There didn't appear to be a lot variety in scene selection or angle choice to heighten the supposed intensity of the actors and actresses in delivery. The movie felt and looked flat. Almost like a child's diorama.

Discovery of plot elements seemed to be totally random and not carefully planned and timed. Nor, were we certain about which characters really knew what about whom. I didn't feel like we got any really strong introductions to these characters and their background histories were shaky at best. There were lots of plot pieces that could have been used in a more fulfilling fashion. I won't give them away, but I think if you should happen to watch this film you'll know what I'm talking about.

The movie felt cheap. I think the cast was robbed of an excellent opportunity to real show some talent through this film, but poor direction and production. Don't watch this movie unless you really like on of the performers or have time to kill.

Decent thriller - great actress

[BiggerBoatNeeded · 2 August 2004]

Psychiatrist Caroline Henshow (Joanne Whalley) takes a position in a new area and befriends an abused woman, a woman whose problems re-ignite issues from her own past.

Joanne Whalley takes to the lead with a certain flourish and as well as being entirely believable in the role keeps you guessing as to quite what she will do next!! It is a pity that she is not on-screen in such an intense role more often.

Breathtaking is a good, solid, English thriller. Many of the locations are suitably squalid and one can certainly sympathies with the motivations of the downtrodden Sandra (Lorraine Pilkington). This is not a classic by any means, but will keep you interested and has a couple of unexpected twists.

A film to fall asleep to.

[MP_1 · 2/10 · 31 January 2001]

'Breathtaking' has a serviceable storyline which, in the right hands, could well have been made into a film to fall asleep to on a wet Wednesday afternoon. But Sadly this film doesn't even manage to drag itself up to this sorrowful standard.

Films like this are ten a penny and seem to get churned out with impunity. Maybe they have different titles and re-jigged plotlines, but they are still, essentially the same old thing. It is disheartening to see that filmmakers are still making these kind of trite films. But then we are talking about a director whose career highlight was the 1988 film 'Buster'.

If, after watching it, you don't feel like you've been robbed of an hour and a half of your life, then either you lead a very sad and boring life. Or you are a martyr to overacting, bland staging and second rate direction.

Local amateur film makers get given money by SKY to produce a children's television version of Roman Polanski's "Repulsion"

[grouchoscores · 1/10 · 11 October 2006]

More like a student short film with amateurish writing. When will they learn that writing for television is not a good training ground for writing good film scripts. How do these people get to make such useless rubbish without ever having studied how good films work. The story must have worked out with crayons, the dialogue is wooden and light, the direction is not up to even a local amateur dramatic society (where some of the supporting actors seemed to have come from) Insomnia kept me up watching this film on a SKY movie channel.(And SKY produced this piece of drivel) The film has put me off to sleep. Joanne Whalley looks fabulous though.

Plot holes galore with pointless nudity

[xxmnhkk · 22 October 2023]

Although it's an interesting story, which to be quite frank would've worked better for a prime time disposable thriller. A full frontal, show all nude scene, involving woodland and A lake Late at night. Skinny dip had no bearing on the point and seemed only to be there for cheap thrills in exchange for an 18 certificate. Spoilers alert the main event of the movie and how she went around it and the method of it made no real life sense and quite possibly only done for male viewers.

This is a cheaply done film that if they had removed the parts that they could easily have done to make it an 18 certificated movie would've been perfect for a daytime thinner.