Critics Reviews
User Reviews Critics Reviews
| Jan 30, 1998theglobeandmail.com
Law also starred in the stage production of this poignant, funny drama.....Never sentimental, this visually arresting film explores the most fundamental passages of the human heart with wit and sensitivity.....Thompson has the more difficult and less rewarding role here.... ... Full Review
| Jan 16, 1998San Francisco Chronicle
STILTED DIALOGUE Unfortunately, as lively as these two actresses are, they can't breathe life into the often stagnant ``Winter Guest'' and its stilted lines (``A person needs to be needed; if you don't need me, you could lie'').
Alan Rickman, a talented actor displaying considerably less talent in his directing debut, hasn't found a way to tell the story cinematically.
... Full Review
| Jan 16, 1998San Francisco Chronicle
Rickman is an actor of rare talent himself, and he uses his insights to extract good performances out of his actors here.
All of this is nicely acted, and the interactions between Law and Thompson could easily have made up the entire film.
... Full Review
| Dec 30, 1997Hartford Courant
Wednesday December 24, 1997 "The Winter Guest" is a beautiful, deeply moving film that teams Emma Thompson with her mother, veteran actress Phyllida Law, and marks an auspicious film directorial debut for actor Alan Rickman .
But when all their strands start pulling together you appreciate just how effective the strategies of "The Winter Guest" really are.
... Full Review
Variety
Acclaimed British actor Alan Rickman makes a stagy but accomplished directing debut in "The Winter Guest," an intimate drama tracking four pairs of Scots in a bleak seacoast town on the coldest day of the year.
Less sentimental are schoolboys Tom (Sean Biggerstaff) and Sam (Douglas Murphy), who skip school to play on the beach and discuss their growing pains.
... Full Review
Variety
Acclaimed British actor Alan Rickman makes a stagy but accomplished directing debut in "The Winter Guest," an intimate drama tracking four pairs of Scots in a bleak seacoast town on the coldest day of the year.
Less sentimental are schoolboys Tom (Sean Biggerstaff) and Sam (Douglas Murphy), who skip school to play on the beach and discuss their growing pains.
... Full Review
The Cincinnati Enquirer
Ms. Thompson and Ms. Law play mother and daughter on screen in The Winter Guest, and their resemblance adds realism to their emotional wrestling match.
Mr. Rickman gives his actors plenty of time to compose the mood of their scenes, which are driven almost entirely by dialogue.
... Full Review
Urban Cinefile
The Winter Guest is a rare treat - a beautiful cinematic experience and a must-see for lovers of a complex, intelligent film, that is etched into the psyche.
There is little that is judgemental in Rickmans film, much that is wise.
... Full Review