Hilary & Jackie | Emily Watson, Rachel Griffiths | Two great actresses playing two disturbed...

Hilary & Jackie | Emily Watson, Rachel Griffiths | A very touching and moving film about passion, devotion and above all else; love...

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Hilary & Jackie

	Hilary & Jackie Emily Watson, Rachel Griffiths Universal Studios, 2002 average customer review:based on 69 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

It earned Oscar nods, yet this cinematic look at a genius--that of English cellist Jacqueline du Pré, who enraptured audiences with her bold, emblazoned, and wholly unconventional playing style, and who died at age 42--was criticized for its "lapses" in truth by people who purportedly knew du Pré. Some of the controversy revolved around the other main character in Anand Tucker's gorgeous, involving movie--du Pré's sister, Hilary, whose book, A Genius in the Family (cowritten with brother Piers), dished some dirt on Jackie's sleeping with Hilary's husband. But don't let that deter you from this ebullient movie experience. The film is a bisected story (each sister's tale is told in the same amount of screen time) teeming with heartfelt drama that belies the cheap shots it received from its detractors. It's stirring, reckless, loving, involving, and rife with unconventional passion; passion for music, life, art, and the delicate relationship between these two synchronous, extraordinary sisters as played by brilliant actors Emily Watson and Rachel Griffiths (both of whom earned Oscar nods). Though Watson got the juicy, showy role as Jackie, it's Griffiths who provides the heart, soul, and spine of the film. And director Tucker has that gift of being able to explain through the visual medium what is happening inside of his character's heads. He's helped by a fine screenplay by Frank Boyce Cottrell. No matter what the truth of Hilary and Jackie might really be, this is an exceptional, rare film that is defined and graced by fine acting and writing. --Paula Nechak

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Two great actresses playing two disturbed sisters...WOW!!!

HILARY AND JACKIE is still one of the most disturbing and unsettling pieces of film that I have ever seen! From the very beginning of the film there is a looming foreboding and an uncomfortable uneasiness that follows through every frame in this account of the lives of sisters Hilary and Jackie Du Pre. Rachel Griffiths and Emily Watson are each disturbingly terrific and I am always amazed at the incredible performances.No small wonder that each actress has gone on to such acclaim in their respective careers.

It is essential to remember that this screenplay is adapted from Hilary and Piers Du Pre's account A GENIUS IN THE FAMILY.The book as well as the film is extremely intimate and disturbing at best. What is positively fascinating is how this film 's narrative runs. The story commences with a portrait of the two sisters and their childhood as musical prodigies together. Then the film diverges in their teen years and tells the remaining story and timeline through each of the sisters' perspectives with gut wrenching honesty that balances each girl. Though I was well acquainted with the music of Cellist Jacqueline Du Pre and her husband pianist/conductor Daniel Barenboim as a conservatory student in the 1970's, it is not really essential to know anything about music or these people to be totally immersed in a truly good story that is informative and very revealing about the mechanics of genius, motivation and family.

If you offended by the exposing of warts and "speaking ill of the dead" perhaps HILARY AND JACKIE will not be for you. If you are willing to accept that this account of the lives of the Du Pre sisters COULD be true, then by all means come with an open mind and be blown away by what you see! Whether true, not true or somewhere in between, HILARY AND JACKIE presents two great actresses playing their hearts out for all of us to behold.

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A very touching and moving film about passion, devotion and above all else; love...

I love a good biopic, truly adore them. Every once in a while a biopic comes along so outstanding in its power and presence and emotional connection that my love for the every popular genre is reconfirmed to the enth degree. `Hilary & Jackie' is that type of movie, a film that swells with the grace and glory of love and passion as well as the moving aspects of pain and misery. I will admit to having not known a whole lot of the du Pre sisters before watching this beautiful film, but my adoration of everything Emily Watson caused me to seek it out and watch it. Not only is Watson stellar (and so deserving of that Oscar nomination) but the entire film is handled with such delicacy and devotion that one can't help but become swept away as it progresses towards its devastating, yet affirming, end.

`Hilary & Jackie' tells the story of Hilary and Jacqueline du Pre, two talented young sisters growing up in a home that makes music the focal part of their existence. We are given an overview of the young lives of both Hilary and Jackie, Hilary the eldest and at the moment more talented of the sisters. Hilary is a flautist who has won award upon award, and her young sister Jackie just wants to be included with her sister at all times, so she practices her cello and perfects her craft to where soon she is rising above her sister in talent and in recognition. The film then shifts gears to their later life when Hilary has practically given up on her music to start a family with her fiancé Kiffer and Jackie is now world renowned and unhappily settled into a life of fame.

The film is split in sections and tells the same portion of the girls lives through the eyes of each, giving Emily Watson and Rachel Griffiths equal time to astound the audience. Watson undoubtedly has the showier role. Jackie is repressed by her talent, struggling every day to find herself in her music. She loves to play, needs to play, but the pressure to perform eats away at her to the point where she begins to resent it in a way. As the film progresses and her health starts to evaporate her performance becomes even more pivotal to the success of the film, and she delivers masterfully. This is nothing against Griffiths though, who devours her characters restrained passion, a passion that has been suppressed by the talent of her younger sister. You can read in her eyes the resentment for her lot in life, yet her undying love for her sister overpowers any and all other emotions in her life. She is committed to her sister, even if it means sacrificing her own happiness.

While Watson and Griffiths are without doubt the biggest selling points of the film, they are accompanied by a slew of phenomenal supporting performances. Charles Dance and Celia Imrie are amazing as Hilary and Jackie's parents, and David Morrissey is fantastic as Kiffer, Hilary's husband.

Some have attacked this film for being untrue and or `stretching' facts, but my question to them is `what biopic doesn't do that?' In all honesty in order to make most non-fiction engrossing to the general public Hollywood has to add layers of fiction in order to embellish truths. Fact remains that simple sequences of silence cannot capture exactly what is going on in someone's head (sure, an actor can emote a feeling with their facial features but one cannot emote a specific thought) and so to complain that the film shows Jackie abuse her cello and yet she (according to you) never did is kind of petty when her resentment of her fame alone would have moved her to wish harm done to the very thing that is causing her grief, her cello. She may have never actually placed it out in the cold, but director's decision to include that scene was an attempt to further impress upon the audience Jackie's mental condition at the time. It may not be true, but does it really need to be.

As far as the supposed `hokiness' of the opening (and closing) beach sequence I have only this to say; "you missed the point." As one reviewer mentioned, the film hints towards a slight psychic connection between the girls (as is common among twins and has been known to express itself in `close' siblings) and this little detail adds a layer to the genius surrounding these two talents. I think that the opening and closing sequences add closure to the film and actually brought a tear to my eye.

In my opinion the few areas of inaccuracy within the film (granted I have not read the book and am basically going off of what some reviewers have mentioned as falsities within the film) shouldn't deter anyone from embracing the movie for what it is. It tells the tragic tale of the du Pre sisters (I think we can all agree it was tragic in a touching sort of way) and I think that in the end it paints a beautiful picture of unrivaled love between siblings that endured to the end despite any persons faults.

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Excellent Movie!

Excellent Movie, I am a cellist and I can tell you that this movie won't disappoint you.
Good Presentation.
Fast delivery.

Quick ship - Perfect Condition

The only reason I gave this movie 5 stars was for the acting and directing. Superb!! But the story is very one-sided, being based on the book by Hilary. I think Jackie's story would be very different. I was very young when I had the honor of attending a concert of Jacqueling du Pre. To say that she was great, impressive, fantastic - all understatements. She had talent such as had never been and has still not been. Her private life is not very interesting compared to seeing her play the cello - and hearing the sounds that only she could bring forth from that instrument. After having said all that, I really enjoyed the movie! As I said, it was so well acted and directed that it would be difficult to dislike it. Having seen Jaqueline play, Emily Watson was Jaqueline du Pre - on stage.

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