Plenty [DVD]

Meryl Streep gives a heartbreaking performance in this deeply affecting and brilliant film about a woman trapped forever in the past. Susan Traherne might appear on paper to be a selfish and unlikable woman, but Streep somehow manages to let the audience see her inner anguish and restlessness, and her quiet desperation at not being able to recapture the feeling of living life to its fullest; something she experienced during WWII as a Resistance fighter in France. It is one of the most exquisite performances ever captured on film.Fred Schepisi crafted this Edward R. Pressman produced RKO film from a play by David Hare. There is a fine cast which lend support to Meryl Streep, including a winning turn from Tracey Ullman as Susan's wild and irreverent friend, Alice Park. Beautifully shot in several countries, the viewer feels as if they too are trapped in a moment in time. It is a poignant and wistfull moment, however, and in the end, the ache that runs through this story is fully driven home by a flashback of a joyful Susan shortly after the war ended.When the film opens, Susan is waiting in the dark with other Resistance fighters when a paratrooper they had not been expecting lands in their area. Sam Neill is Lazar, who has landed far from his intended location. Once the weapons are lowered and he is identified, Susan will escort him to the nearby village. Lazar saves her life from a group of Germans on night patrol, and Susan's vulnerability in that moment bonds the two together in a tender manner brought about by war.Susan and Lazar will share a brief but intense intimacy only those who have shared some danger with another can understand. When he gets the message to leave due to impending danger, he will leave behind a momento of the time they shared that she will carry with her for life; a reminder of a life with meaning she longs to return to. The Germans murder a man in the streets they believe to be Lazar, while he escapes by bicycle. Susan watches as her life disappears with a touch of the cap; the only gesture he dare show.Susan after the war is restless and strong willed. She wants to change everything but does not know how. She is unable to remain ensconced in a job or situation for any length of time and longs for that hour or two during the Resistance when she saw bravery, and the best in people. It is much more than nostalgia, but a paralyzing ache that will cause her to always move on. Streep lets us see into Susan's soul, and rather than being unsympathetic because of her character's outward actions, we fall in love with her from the inside out and want to save her.She meets a diplomat named Raymond Brock (Charles Dance) who shows kindness to her in a sensitive situation. They have a romance that will eventually come to an end, or so it would seem, when she can not leave the past in France behind and move forward with her life. The one constant during all this turmoil is the spirited Alice (Tracey Ullman). She is a free soul and lives her life as she pleases, which is often to her detriment.Susan's anguish begins to worsen, and once she makes a proposition to a bloke named Mick, her world begins to unravel. Sting is very good as Mick, who is in way over his head with Susan and her friend Alice. Just over his head is where the bullets will land when Susan finally has a mental breakdown. It is Raymond who will return to pick up the pieces. When the ambassador, portrayed with stoic flair by John Gielgud, decides to resign, Raymond will get a post in Egypt, where Susan is far from Europe and her memories.She is also far from herself, as her friend Alice will discover when she comes to visit. The languid pace and sandy colors of Egypt would seem to agree with Susan. She is lovely and sedate, but it is because she is, in fact, sedated. Susan is a picture of serenity, but her spirit is not in evidence. It is only when Alice speaks to Raymond in her defence that she shows a glimmer of her former self.The seed has been planted, and when the ambassador dies, Susan decides to return to England for the funeral, against her husband's wishes. It is in England she will remain, forcing Raymond to abandon his post, effectively ruining his career. Susan does not want him to suffer because of her, and has a talk with his superior with disastrous results. It will force a confrontation between she and Raymond in which she will leave her home. It is a poignant scene as she walks down the street, a bit unsteady. We know she will never return.Lazar tracks her down from a BBC broadcast about the Resistance, and they have a reunion which proves to be too late. France is too far away to reach after so much damage has been done. We will see a joyful and hopeful Susan in a golden field in France after the war, and our hearts will break at a life which never happened.Magnificent is not a strong enough word for Meryl Streep's performance in "Plenty." It is one of the most memorable you will ever see in film. A beautiful refrain played by the London Symphony Orchestra haunts this film, and each time I hear it still, I see Meryl Streep in that field in France, with a world of promise in front of her. This is a movie, and a performance, no film lover should miss.

Plenty is one of my all-time favourite films. I loved this movie.I understand why many people did not like it, but I think they should have another look. Sure, it is not an easy movie to watch, and Meryl Streep's character is not the most pleasant woman in the world, but that is part of the point. "Plenty" is unabashedly unsentimental, and that is one of its greatest strengths.Meryl Streep gives one of her best performances, and it's not only because of her flawless British accent. That is just the surface of Ms. Streep's complete, and absolutely brilliant transformation into a very complicated character. She is also sexier than she has ever been on screen up to that time. She looks simply beautiful!!This film is about as performance-oriented as films get, and it is full of great performances -the entire cast is excellent!!"Plenty" is a movie about how different life can turn out from the way we plan it. It is not supposed to be cheerful. It is gritty, gripping, and extremely powerful. It portrays the hardships of Resistance era France, and the harsh realities of Britain immediately after the Second World War; as well as the decadence that prosperity can bring, and the disappointments of life, and how the inability to deal with them can destroy a person's sanity.Of particular note are Charles Dance, as Streep's husband, Sam Neil as her lover, Sting and Tracey Ullman in small but important supporting roles, and especially Sir John Gielgud, who effortlessly steals the few scenes he is in. In one of the movie's few comic moments, Mr. Gielgud corrects the wife of a Burmese diplomat just as he is leaving a dinner party on the nationality of a certain European film director. Just this scene makes the movie worth watching!I have seen this movie described as an underrated tour-de-force. That is an extremely fitting description. I would add the word classic to that description. This is a film that challenges the viewer to sit through its grim depictions of what life can be like if we don't know how to deal with life not turning out like we want it to. Depicting different eras from the Second World War to the early to mid sixties, "Plenty" is a period piece with painstaking recreations and some incredible locations in England, France and Jordan.If someone has not seen this movie, I urge them to buy it or rent it and watch it. For a long time, this film was not available in widescreen on home video. Now there is at least one widescreen DVD which restores the film to its stunning beauty and allows us to enjoy its excellent cinematography. To anyone who appreciates great acting, this film is a MUST SEE. No serious film collector should be without this great classic.If someone has seen it but did not like it, I urge them to watch it again, and again.I have seen this film at least 50 times, and I could easily watch it 50 times more.

I'm on a Meryl Streep kick these days and have been watching as many of her movies as I can. This one is the one I like least. It opens in a European country (Belgium?) during (or after?) World War II. It's actually hard to figure out, because the characters talk very rapidly and have thick accents. There are no subtitles with this DVD. I would have appreciated some kind of note to the viewer at the beginning of the movie explaining a bit about the time, setting, and story. Instead, the viewer is thrown into a fast-moving spy situation. I was lost almost from the first five minutes and had to give it up after a while. It's a shame, because I would probably have enjoyed the story otherwise.

Plenty is a fascinating movie about a woman who admittedly likes "...to lose control..."When she does there are harsh consequences. Meryl Street is extraordinary in this thoughtful movie. She shows us with the slightest turn of her head, a distant look in her eye, a specific walk or turn, the many dimensions of the character. The movie at times is not easy to follow and requires the viewer to pay close attention at all times.I will watch this again and again and gain new insights and knowledge each time, I am sure.

Another movie with 4 star review from a reliable critic—another disappointment!

I have loved this film for years, since I first saw it on release in the mid 1980's. I have watched it several times since, and always find something new and refreshing.Meryl Streep at her best, supported by a magnificent cast in an unfolding story of a significant time of change in a woman's life in the aftermath of WWII. Emotionally gripping because we are travelling the journey with her.Streep is amazing in a film that was never hugely publicised, but well worth viewing.

I had this film on DVD because it is a very good one. It was the reason to get this in blu ray. I'm deeply disappointed that picture and color quality have not improved! What is the point of buying this blu ray?

Really awful! The plot is boring and there is no draw to the characters. Whaten Tracey Ulman' s character enters it's like she's in a different film. Could not take any more half aT through and turned it off.

This is based on a play so there's not going to be a lot of action in it.But it for me kept me watching it. It's not for most people, but is wellacted by most of the cast

does Meryl ever let you down, don't think so

All good