A Promise (2014)

Pretty Good

Powerful

The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

It is a whirlwind of delight --- attractive actors, stunning couture, spectacular sets and outrageous parties.

It's no wonder that the film's budget was nearly $11 million. "A Promise" is truly gorgeously shot.It's equally no surprise that the US box-office take was less than $1 million. I don't know at whose feet to lay the blame for this soporific set-piece: casting? direction? I do know that this is a love story without much in the way of romantic feeling. Perhaps a boy-meets-girl, boy-gets-girl plot is way too predictable these days, but there was so little spark, particularly from the younger of the two male leads, that I did not even root for the typical outcome.It was clever, I suppose, to substitute "British" class-based accents for a story set in Germany to distinguish characters' social classes from one another. (How would the average viewer know a higher-class German-accented English versus a lower-class one?) And there were certainly other competent directorial decisions. There may have also been an anachronism or two, however, including a clunky scene near the end alluding to the rise of Nazism, but the timing wasn't completely clear (right after the war? early 1920s?), so I'll give M. Leconte a pass on that.May the great Alan Rickman, a highlight of this production, rest in peace.

The novel was exceptional and the love story devastatingly sad, but the film had so little chemistry between Rebecca Hall and Richard Madden that I felt nothing. Really didn't care about them at all. Not one bit. Nada.Alan Rickman was extraordinary as usual (and so weird watching this film knowing this was one of his last films), but even he couldn't save this movie. I've always been a big fan of Patrice Leconte, especially Man on a Train, a film that had a quiet haunting beauty about it. If only he had been able to suffuse A Promise with that same emotional weight.

I was riveted by Hall's performance and character. It is the first movie I have viewed her in and have subsequently viewed some of her other movies - this being my favourite.I'm surprised more people didn't enjoy the romance. I found the scenes intense and moving. Both the main characters were humble and deep in their feelings towards each other. I found the restraint displayed between them - despite the depth of their feeling - gave the characters a particular dignity - especially that of Charlotte. I loved the subtleties in her expressions which displayed a greater depth of love and emotion for Frederick than she was able to express.I enjoyed the movie far better than the book. Unfortunately I found the ending a let down to the film overall; although there was a build up to their meeting it lacked the passion and feeling their eventual meeting could of and should have had. Still better than the book though; and I can appreciate that the build up during Frederick's absence showed the depth of feeling Charlotte had for Frederick despite the years of separation.I rated the film a 10 despite its flaws because I disagree with the harsh general ratings and enjoyed it so much I had to watch my favourite scenes over and over.

I watched this film and was anxious to see a period piece set in Germany pre WWI but it never quite got off the ground. There is no chemistry between the two lovers. The male lead is not somebody a wife would fall in love with even if he is there all the time. He had no personality. He does not make her laugh, is not all that great with the son and offers no sex appeal. Rickman offers the only acting spark. It would have been interesting to see more of what Germany was like leading up, during and after the defeat of the war. Would make for such wonderful material both in plot and theme. A feeble attempt was made to stir up the politico in a scene close to the end where there is an aggressive street demonstration with people wearing swastikas. The Nazi party did not come into existence at the time the film depicts (end of war 1918). The DAP which was the predecessor of the Nazi party came into being in 1919 but it was not known enough for a street demonstration in 1918 and not with Nazi swastikas. These are simple facts I found online. I would not have researched had there not been that street demonstration scene with swastikas. It was totally out of place for the rest of the film. There should have been more of these types of scenes as there were riots in Germany in 1916 because of shortages in fuel and food. The film totally missed the effects the war had on the German people. The kiss at the end was as passionless as the whole lifeless movie.