Charlotte Gray

The cinematography, costumes and general historical depiction of the setting and period are all very nice. But until the last quarter, the plot is lifeless and the film is too restrained and bland along the lines of a television movie. Not even Cate Blanchett stands out in this film; it’s as if she’s following the director’s instructions that “sometimes less is more”. If not for the dramatization at the end, Charlotte Gray would have left me as cold as reading an uninteresting book. (22.08.2004)

A romantic drama set in World War II that tells the story of a Scottish woman's tremendous determination to give up almost everything for the love of a man. Charlotte Gray is a film that tells the story of a very common theme today:war and its effects on those around it. It's an incredibly moving, telling story, and a very realistic one in terms of the anti-Semitism of the time. The whole film is accompanied by a beautiful musical score and the visual impact is provided by great cinematography. The actors were well very cast, a great Cate Blanchett and a great Billy Crudup with Michael Gambon. Truly, a film that doesn't lack quality and its only major issue on the overall image for me was the running time and a few other negligible little flaws. (02.07.2010)

Despite the excellent camera work, it is quite an average affair, mainly due to the script, which takes the somewhat cumbersome subject matter too seriously, thus undermining the tension. However, the characters ultimately find their way into the viewer's heart, and thanks to the captivating performance by Cate Blanchett and the excellent Michael Gambon, boredom is not a concern. (30.01.2007)