Colibel Terrible acting, screenplay and direction.

NekoHomey Purely Joyful Movie!

Humbersi The first must-see film of the year.

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

Dalbert Pringle From a purely visual perspective - Far From Heaven is a truly mesmerizing "retro-film" experience. With excellent camerawork, lighting, and meticulous attention to detail, this super-lush movie production is a dazzling re-creation of a 1950's soap opera "dreamworld" set in the upper middle-class suburbs of Hartford, Connecticut.Far From Heaven is a finely-tuned weeper about forbidden desires, denial and racial boundaries. Its story peels back the layers from the "Stepford Wife" Syndrome of the 1950's that has lodged itself firmly into our collective consciousness. Far From Heaven dares to suggest that "soap opera" might actually be regarded as something socially relevant.When seriously considering this film's storyline - Far Form Heaven really is 'far-from-heaven', alright - That's for sure - In fact, from the main character's point of view, it's all pretty well close to hell.

seymourblack-1 Set in suburban Connecticut in 1957, this story of a housewife whose world suddenly starts to unravel, is told with a kind of frankness that wouldn't have been possible in the 1950s because of the Production Code. The stark difference between the reality and the outward appearance of the lives of a group of middle-class people is brilliantly illustrated by the ways in which issues such as homosexuality and interracial love are dealt with in a milieu in which the importance of conforming to bourgeois standards is absolutely paramount. The emotional pain that this inflicts on some individuals is obviously intense and provides a great deal of the raw material for this high-quality melodrama.As an acknowledged admirer of Douglas Sirk who directed a series of highly successful domestic dramas in the 1950s, it's understandable why director/writer Todd Haynes was attracted to the idea of utilizing the Sirkian style for "Far From Heaven", especially as this story features similar themes to those featured in Sirk's movies. The result is a film that looks as if it could've been made in 1957 and as a consequence, is very authentic-looking and enjoyable to watch.To all appearances, Cathy Whitaker (Julianne Moore), who lives in a beautiful house in Hartford, Connecticut, is the perfect wife, mother and homemaker. Always beautifully dressed and good humoured, she takes pride in being seen as part of the ideal couple that the townsfolk affectionately call "Mr & Mrs Magnatech". Magnatech is the television advertising company where Cathy's husband Frank (Dennis Quaid) is employed.One day, Cathy sees an unfamiliar black man in her garden and after chatting to him discovers that he's the son of her regular gardener who'd been taken ill some time ago. Raymond Deagan (Dennis Haysbert) informs her that his father had recently passed away and in an expression of sympathy, Cathy reaches out and touches his shoulder and later learns that Raymond is a widower with an 11-year-old daughter and that he's also inherited his father's business.On one of the many nights when her husband is late coming home, Cathy decides to take a meal to his office and is shocked on arrival there to discover Frank locked in a passionate embrace with another man. After this incident, the couple agree that Frank will seek help from a psychiatrist who advises that aversion therapy might prove helpful although success is, by no means, guaranteed.When Cathy attends a local art exhibition which her best friend Eleanor Fine (Patricia Clarkson) was involved in arranging, she meets Raymond and they enjoy a pleasant conversation about the merits of a Joan Miro painting. Cathy is unconcerned by the disapproving looks that their conversation attracts and later asks Raymond how he feels in a situation (such as at the art exhibition) where he's the only one of his colour present and he responds by inviting her to a local bar and restaurant that's patronised exclusively by black customers. Their presence there also attracts hostility and disapproval but probably more significantly, is witnessed by one of the town's leading gossips who spreads some rumours that lead to Cathy's daughter being ostracised from her group of friends at her ballet club and Frank expressing disapproval of her conduct.Cathy's friendship with Raymond remains platonic but Frank becomes physically abusive to her and drinks heavily as he struggles desperately, without success, to conform to the standards of his intolerant friends and neighbours. In an effort to repair the damage done to their relationship by all that's happened, the couple go on a holiday to Miami, Florida, but this doesn't prove to be the answer to their problems.The overall visual look of this movie is absolutely magnificent and powerfully evokes that of many 1950s' productions and Douglas Sirk's in particular. Its cinematography is also spectacularly good and effective in the way in which light, shadow, colours and certain camera angles reflect the mood of what's happening on-screen. With moving performances from its talented cast, "Far From Heaven" stands out as a powerful, thought-provoking and memorable work of the highest calibre.

brchthethird Suburbia is a subject that has been tackled in numerous novels and films over the decades, and most of them have the same general message that the inhabitants of suburbia, despite the happiness on the surface, are actually troubled people. FAR FROM HEAVEN is really no different in that regard. It is a period piece set in 1950's New Hampshire, and revolves around a (supposedly) happy married couple played by Julianne Moore and Dennis Quaid. To avoid any plot specifics I'll just say that the film deals with issues of racism and homosexuality through the lens and attitudes of 1950's America. It is also directed by Todd Haynes, well known for his other films with deal with gay culture and issues. Even though this is the first film I've seen by him, I would imagine that this film is very toned down from he did previously, given the PG-13 rating. One thing the film does really well is take a well-worn topic, but treat it with such dead-face sincerity that it almost comes off as a parody. Yet, this film really isn't that funny. In fact, it provoked little emotional response out of me in general other than the occasional bemused chuckle. While some might count this as a negative, I don't necessarily see it that way because I feel like this film's goal is to emulate a style of film and filmmaking rather than to comment on it in a postmodern way. The style of film I believe this film takes its cues from is the 1950's melodrama, e.g., PEYTON PLACE. Todd Haynes really showed an affection for this era in the overall design and look of the film, which has this idyllic quality to it. The production design, sets, costumes, etc. were all stylized in such a way that it made me feel like I was watching a film from the 1950's. Even the acting and line delivery was ever so slightly stilted to give off such a vibe. However, the one element that brought everything together was the beautiful score by Elmer Bernstein which lent an air of longing and yearning that complemented the film's thematic concerns quite nicely. Overall, FAR FROM HEAVEN doesn't have a unique story and the fact that it doesn't have much below the surface while at the same time portraying a milieu famous for being shallow is kind of ironic. Still, it is lovingly crafted and features some fine performances from its cast.

HollywoodVixen90 This is honestly one of the worst movies I have watched in a LONG time. I fell asleep about 45 minutes into the movie because I was so bored. I thought this would be a good movie because I remember that it got good reviews after it came out. Well the reviews were wrong. This movie is so incredibly slow, the dialogue is boring, and the acting seems so stiff and forced. The way they portray Julianne Moore as the "average, normal 50's housewife" is totally inaccurate. What did the director think every woman was like June Cleaver then?? I highly doubt that a normal woman acted that way and spoke that way. I mean come on, seriously. It's a shame because this movie maybe could have been saved and made into something watchable if maybe another director had done this movie. This movie is just bad in my opinion. It's only good to watch if you need a sleep-aid.