Exoticalot People are voting emotionally.

Protraph Lack of good storyline.

Lela The tone of this movie is interesting -- the stakes are both dramatic and high, but it's balanced with a lot of fun, tongue and cheek dialogue.

Francene Odetta It's simply great fun, a winsome film and an occasionally over-the-top luxury fantasy that never flags.

SimonJack Watching this goofy and silly BBC movie for television, I didn't quite hang on the obvious question the film poses at the start. What in the world did Ada (Aunt Ada) Doom see in the woodshed that was so nasty? I think the writers and filmmakers wanted that of the viewers, but the hook doesn't quite grab. That's mostly due to the obvious shift then to lighthearted screenplay immediately after. They no doubt needed that quick switch to convince viewers that this was indeed a comedy. Well, all the psychological or market jockeying aside, this is an entertaining movie that isn't nearly as funny as it could have been. For instance, the members of Flora Poste's (Kate Beckinsale) family on the farm aren't as goofy as her London friends. Especially Mrs. Mary Smiling, played by Joanna Lumley. Her eccentric hobby of collecting women's bras and displaying them on torso mannequins is more far out than anyone on the farm. The thing about Flora's relatives on the farm is that they're all quite dirty. The place is run down and no one seems to care about cleaning it up or cleaning themselves. So, it's not that much a task for Flora to gradually get them to clean up their act. She does this in some clever ways with each one – and this is the part of the screenplay is very good. Of course, the viewers get onto what she is doing quickly, but the fun is in watching what she will do next. There are some holes in the plot where things are left out between scenes that would have been good to see. And, had the writers made the farm people actually a little more eccentric, there would have been much more comedy. Instead, the plot revolves closely around Flora, who provides very little of the comedy. Aside from that, I think one of the funniest things about this movie is the names of some of the people, and places. Besides Aunt Ada Doom, Mrs. Mary Smiling is always… you might guess – smiling. Freddie Jones plays Adam Lambsbreath. Anyone who's ever been around sheep can get an idea of that one. Stephen Fry is Meyerbug, which lists in the credits as Flora calls him, Mybug. And, he does bug her. Of course, there's the family name that has always had someone on Cold Comfort Farm, Starkadder. There are some others – Mrs. Beetle, Mr. Neck, etc. Then, there's Beershorn Halt, Ticklepenny Corner, Nettle Flitch, the Church of the Quiverin' Brethren, and Cold Comfort Farm. It's a lightly funny film with some fair performances from Ian McKellen as Amos Starkadder, Rufus Sewell as Seth, Fry as Mybug, Sheila Burrell as Aunt Ada, Eileen Atkins as Judith Starkadder, and Joanna Lumley as Mary Smiling. In a late scene Aunt Ada repeats aloud to everyone for the umpteenth time, "I saw something nasty in the woodshed." Mr. Neck, who is visiting, says, "Sure you did. But did it see you, Baby."Here are some favorite lines from the film. For more, see the Quotes section under this IMDb Web page of the film. Flora Poste: I'm willing to bet there are also cousins called "Seth" and "Reuben." Mary Smiling: Why" Flora: Highly sexed young men living on a farm are always called Seth or Reuben. Amos Starkadder, "Seth, you drain the well. There's a neighbor missing."Amos Starkadder, "They'll all burn in hell, and someone's gotta tell 'em so.Flora Poste, "Then, you have no idea what you're going to say before you get there?" Amos Starkadder, "Aye. I always know it'll be something about burnin'."Earl P. Neck, taking Seth Starkadder to Hollywood, sees Judith and says to Flora, "I'd take here too, but she's too gloomy."

kenjha A young woman in 1930s England tries to mooch off her relatives as she gathers material for her future career as a writer. This is meant to be a spoof of the novels of such writers as Dickens and Austen. It is described as a comedy, and the way the actors deliver their lines certainly suggests that the dialog is dripping with wit. The only problem is that there is nary a single chuckle to be had from the humorless script. With hardly a plot to hold one's interest, it soon turns into a dreary bore. It is based on a popular comic novel from the 1930s; hence the humor is either dated or the screenplay does not do justice to the novel. It's a shame because it has a good cast that seems to be really trying.

jimbonic12 Oh how I loved this movie. It's movie heaven to me. It's funny, romantic, escapist, and has a happy ending. It left me feeling happy and energized. I just got the DVD and hadn't seen the movie before, and I was delighted. This is the sort of movie the Brits excel at: it's subtle, not violent, has superb performances, has a wry, intelligent script, the cinematography is visually beautiful shots of the British countryside, and the score is lovely and sets and matches the tone of the movie. It's low key and humanistic as opposed to Hollywood mainstream blockbusters with their explosive special effects. Farm doesn't have any special effects but is a delight because of the witty, intelligent script, superb acting, and visually gorgeous cinematography.I recommend turning the subtitles on if you're watching the DVD because the British accents and slang make it easy to miss words and lines without the subtitles.

T Y This movie depicts a post-Victorian, but nonetheless backwards-glancing, (1930s) rural England. Given this material; the propensity of the English to believe it's their job to tidy up rooms, regions and nations, matched by the arrogance to subjugate and condescend to anyone they deem untidy over the centuries; it seems like the movie could be a drag. As a story it's been told one too many times... but a light touch and a off-kilter tone make it an enjoyable fable. It's a fond allegory of empire."Robert Post's child" w/o hope of fortune but with great confidence in her world-view, takes on a rural situation out of boredom, works absurdly positive miracles, and sets things right, handily rescuing everyone from their self-constructed cages; all while reckoning with the gravitas of an unseen Miss Havisham in the room off the landing While Flora has no humility of her own, she does have manners; and with those, she pushes a bunch of maladaptive family members to a place they can unload their baggage by rediscovering humility.Making it all more bearable, the urbanites (played by Lumley and Beckinsale), typically snide and unlikeable, instead are awfully pleasant when they condescend. A few lines still make me smirk. "It's not good to be dewy-eyed around smart people, but you can always secretly despise them" is given a bright, cheerful delivery by Lumley. While perfectly serviceable as an unspoken rule of etiquette, it sounds quite absurd when uttered. A house-man who develops a admiration for his dish-scrubber, "...me and my little mop" always makes me laugh.Manners come into play everywhere. Ruben's change from a gruff beast to a sweet fella is nicely done. A late scene in which Miss Post must gently rebuff his proposal has a sublime, light touch. Strangely, after countless viewings where I simply admired the writing, it made me tear up for the first time today. The cast all does expert work, making most of the movie look effortless. Lumley's bespoke Miss Smiley could make for a good movie on her own.The film was developed for British TV which explains a regrettable gag here and there, and some resolutions that are just too pat. Schlesinger replaced somebody else as director at the last minute. As director, it feels like he's confident in the material and just gets out of the way. I think there are just slight problems that prevent it from becoming a classic. Aunt Ada "saw something nasty in the woodshed" a few too many times. But there is an abundance of pleasures in it. The way manners are voiced... the ramshackle design of the old farmhouse. The production designer for Nanny McPhee has definitely seen this movie.Once upon a time, movies were made for learned adults.