starring: Mark Rylance, Kristin Scott Thomas, Patsy Kensit, Jeremy Kemp, Douglas Henshall
directed by: Philip Haas
directed by: Philip Haas
![: Angels & Insects [VHS]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51TZFT3A4XL._SL160_.jpg)
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Binding: VHS Tape
EAN: 9786305812258
Format: Closed-captioned, Color, Original recording reissued, NTSC
ISBN: 630581225X
Label: MGM (Video & DVD)
Languages:
Manufacturer: MGM (Video & DVD)
Number Of Items: 1
Publisher: MGM (Video & DVD)
Release Date: March 07, 2000
Running Time: 118 minutes
Studio: MGM (Video & DVD)
Theatrical Release Date: January 26, 1996
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Editorial Review:
Amazon.com:
Angels and Insects, an ambitious costume drama, tells the tale of William Adamson, a buttoned-down Victorian explorer (Mark Rylance) who returns to England penniless and dependent on the kindness of his sponsor, Sir Harald Alabaster (Jeremy Kemp). Adamson's intelligence and lower social class endear him to the old man, but Sir Harald's son, Edgar, seems annoyed by his presence. Nevertheless, Adamson falls in love with Sir Harald's daughter, a shy sex kitten (Patsy Kensit), and offers to marry her. A web of sexual politics, true love, and class struggle develops, even as the explorer begins an intriguing study of a nearby ant colony. With encouragement from a dirt-poor Alabaster cousin (Kristin Scott Thomas), Adamson begins to write about the insects, never realizing the parallels with his own life. The film is a puzzle to solve while savoring the beauty of flesh and outlandish, vibrant costumes. Rylance, unknown to most American audiences, is a perfect hero to root for, with his impeccable manners and soothing Scottish tones. Another curious winner from filmmakers Philip and Belinda Haas (The Music of Chance). --Doug Thomas
Average Rating: 
Rating:
- Can you spell "objective correlative.."I guess plenty of reviewers have outlined the story, and so far the few I have read have not given away the dramatic secret near the end (though several claim that it becomes obvious early on - well, I guess I'm just slow or something..) Of course, after that one can see much more meaning in many of the scenes earlier in the movie.
I endorse all those who have found it a masterful, dark, sexually charged retelling of the tale, and like them I love the constant interplay between the ... Read More
Rating:
- Of insects and dark family secrets"Angels and Insects" unfolds leisurely, and is an aesthetically pleasing movie. Based upon A.S. Byatt's [whose "Possession" was also adapted for the big screen] novella "Morpho Eugenia", the story centers around an impoverished naturalist, William Adamson [Mark Rylance] who has spent a great many years in the wilds of the Amazon, studying the insect colonies there. Upon his return to Victorian England, he is taken under the benevolent wings of Rev Harald Alabaster [Jeremy Kemp], and promptly forms ... Read More
Rating:
- Truly a case of too little too late...I had really high expectations for this film walking in. I love period pieces and I love the idea of the erotic love story; and even the whole fascination with the study of insect life mirroring the relationships of the human counterparts seemed really intriguing to me.
What can I say; I love the bizarre.
The problem I have with this film is that it takes so long to actually grab your interest that it's over before we have a chance to really appreciate all that it has ... Read More
Rating:
- Abstract Ideas Always Better Than RealityMark Rylance, a naturalist in the Darwinian/Victorian sense returns to England after losing his life's work in a shipwreck. While visiting the estate of an educated wealthy sympathizer, he falls in love with the patriarchs daughter, Eugenia (Patsy Kensit). Eugenia agrees to marry him and continue to live on the family estate. Because the naturalist has no visible means of support or noble lineage, he is despised and mistreated by Eugenia's brother. Apparent to everyone is the fact that the naturalist ... Read More
Rating:
- A Victorian Costume Drama That Is Way Off The Beaten PathSet in England in the 1860's, ANGELS AND INSECTS is a highly unusual film. Briefly stated it is the story of William, a young entomologist from working class beginnings, who can't believe his luck when Eugenie Alabaster, the lovely, fragile, daughter of his very wealthy benefactor agrees to marry him and everyone in the Alabaster family but her brother Edgar seems to approve the match. It seems poor Eugenie had previously had her heart broken by a fiancé who committed suicide. However it soon becomes ... Read More
