Truly, Madly, Deeply

1991

written and directed by Anthony Minghella

When discussing this film, Anthony Minghella said,

"However jaundiced we become, we're all basically film fans. I was a huge fan of Alan Rickman, a huge fan of Juliet Stevenson. I felt the enormous buzz of having them do my work. A lot of the time I just felt, I'm very lucky today."

Anthony Minghella: Turly, Madly Deeply, My First Film: Twenty Celebrated Film Directors Talk About Their First Film, edited by Stephen Lowenstein, page 233, Pantheon Books, 2000.

Reviewed by Augustina, 23 March, 1998

Overall rating: 5 hands (Romantic Comedy)

Rickmaniac rating: 5 hands (Because Jamie's so darn cute!)

Synopsis: Nina mourns for Jamie and forsakes the rest of her life, until Jamie returns from the dead with a few friends from the other side.

This film is a fairly typical "Romantic Comedy," with an outcome that is very apparent part way through the film. Though there were several funny scenes, the "bathtub scene" being my personal favorite, this film is a weepy one. Bring a box of Kleenex. (Come to think of it, Jamie could have used a box of Kleenex, too! I don't think I've seen so much sneezing in any other film). Overall, this film was very enjoyable.

Jamie is a character with very pronounced opinions who would probably annoy people no end in real life, but Mr. Rickman pulls it off with style. Watch out for AR's excellent use of hands in Jamie's first scene. No wonder Nina was so upset about losing him. There were many humorous scenes to look out for in this film, including the aforementioned "bathtub scene." Especially funny was the idea of a bunch of Jamie's dead friends watching videos in the living room, a rather ludicrous situation!

This film is a must-see.

Reviewed by Shelly April 3, 1998

Overall Rating: 5 hands

Rickmaniac Rating: 5 hands

For a Rickmaniac, picking a favorite Alan Rickman film is a tough choice. For me, the choice can change from day to day. Still, when I’m asked the question, my most frequent answer is "Truly, Madly, Deeply." This film benefits not only from a great performance by Mr. Rickman, but also from a superb cast, an excellent script, and wonderful direction -- the film was written and directed by Anthony Minghella.

It is the story of Nina (Juliet Stevenson, giving an outstanding performance), a woman who cannot break free from her grief over the death of her partner, Jamie (Rickman), a cellist whom she "truly, madly, deeply" loved. One of the things I liked about this movie was how real the characters seemed. Nina’s anguish is almost tangible; she’s more than a sad cliché character. She exhibits the very real emotions of grieving, including anger that her loved one has left her alone. And then Jamie shows up one day in her flat; he has come back to her as a ghost, albeit a very real ghost. Nina, is of course, ecstatic at his return, and spends the better part of a week in a state of giddiness, alone with Jamie in her flat. But, inevitably, her life intrudes, and she must venture back out. Jamie’s purpose in returning to Nina begins to become apparent at this point in the story.

The movie is one of those that will have you alternately laughing and crying. The humor is sometimes subtle, always smart. Jamie, though lovable and charming, does have his idiosyncrasies, and death has added some new ones as well. He can’t quite seem to stay warm, and worries about catching a cold. "Can you imagine, if I get a cold now, it could last forever!" he tells Nina. In one of the movie’s most touching moments, he marvels at our "capacity to love," as he relates to Nina the story of a child who died. I smiled through my tears during the moving conclusion, which touches on universal and profound truths about love, loss and life.

Rickmaniacs have much to love about this film. Especially fun is the scene where we get to hear Jamie sing "Sun Ain’t Gonna’ Shine Anymore."

Fausta thanks Augustina and Shelly for their reviews

My thanks to Claire, Rafaella, and Shelly for the photos.

Truly, Madly, Deeply

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