I think this is a new genre that they're all sort of working their way through it and haven't got all the kinks worked out yet but it's a genre that works for me.

Just what I expected

A great movie, one of the best of this year. There was a bit of confusion at one point in the plot, but nothing serious.

An old-fashioned movie made with new-fashioned finesse.

It looks pretty and, very slowly, seems to be building towards something, but almost nothing of a dramatically satisfying/unpredictable/entertaining nature happens. It has the appearance of a vanity project. Someone's grandparent had an interesting life, so their story was turned into a film, but someone forgot to include enough drama/characterisation/plot to keep an audience awake . A bright young man (played by a very dull actor) is employed by an older man, an industrial magnate. The young man is attracted to the magnate's wife ( a very dull actress) and vice-versa. The young man goes to Mexico, on business, and promises to return within 2 years. The magnate dies. The young man doesn't return from Mexico. Eventually he does. He and the magnate's wife can now be together. Nothing much else happens. The End.

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.

Usually, when there is a love story involving one woman and two man, it's always the same content : it's about cheating, infidelity ; there is a lot of graphic sex scenes or at least erotic moments ; it always ends in violence as the deceived man seeks revenge ! Here nothing like that happens and i could have written this story as it's exactly my feelings and what would be my attitude in such a situation : sure it's « bad » to love two persons at the same time, all the more if you are already engaged to one but as passion is unexpected, it would be stupid to say that it can't happen. However, if as humans, we can't control her feelings, at least, we are accountable for our actions : so if we have promised to love and support the spouse, we are committed to our words and we can't fulfill our passion with number two as long as number one is alive. Thus, the only solution for those lovers is to wait that number one either goes away either dies and this is what this movie actually depicts ! no kiss, no foreplay, no sex, thus no infidelity as long as « Severus Snape » is alive. Rebecca has to wait patiently, without losing hope because fate with World War I keeps delaying her new life ! It's all the more difficult as it was the start of the XXth century so manners and lifestyle were really strict : A bit like the Victorians English, everything related to desire was bottled up (clothes, arts, …) so even the more trivial situations were like sublimation for this forbidden passion ! The movie is really excellent to depict their reality and the cast is really wonderful : The sadly late « Snape » was always cool portraying ambivalent guy who speaks little but knows much ; Rebecca delivers one of her best work as she has indeed this kind of passion and fragility and for sure righteousness. In addition, as she is really beautiful for my eyes, i can plunge easily into each of her movies that put her as the desired woman. Sure, a lot of scenes drags a bit, the setting is a bit dark, strict but having our french famous director staged for English cast such a beautiful love story in Germany was really unexpected and totally captivating !

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.