VeteranLight I don't have all the words right now but this film is a work of art.

Numerootno A story that's too fascinating to pass by...

Sameer Callahan It really made me laugh, but for some moments I was tearing up because I could relate so much.

Izzy Adkins The movie is surprisingly subdued in its pacing, its characterizations, and its go-for-broke sensibilities.

SnoopyStyle It's late 19th century, Cornwall, England. Amy Foster (Rachel Weisz) has a son and works for bedridden Miss Swaffer (Kathy Bates). Amy was a result of a scandalous birth and sent to work for the Smiths at 12. Her father Isaac Foster was denied his family inheritance. Her parents have always been cold to her. Some years earlier, Yanko Góral (Vincent Perez) from the Carpathian Mountains is on his way to America, the land of true gold. His ship sinks on a stormy night. Bodies wash ashore and he's the sole survivor. He stumbles onto the Smith's farm. Amy shows kindness to the foreigner who speaks no English. He's working for Mr. Swaffer (Joss Ackland) when Dr. Kennedy (Ian McKellen) finally makes the connection. Kennedy teaches him English while he teaches Kennedy chess. He starts a romance with Amy. The small town is suspicious of the newcomer. Amy's mother has a dark secret about Amy's conception.This is an old time romance. There are stormy nights and wind swept cliffs. The locals are small-minded. Rachel Weisz shows her quiet sadness acting skills. There is plenty of death and tragedy. The start is too slow. It doesn't need to do the flashforward. It doesn't need to show Yanko's homeland. All it really needs to start are the bodies washing ashore. The style could also be more epic. The stark landscape could have given more atmosphere to the tone. It's an old time romance done in a relatively old time way.

CinemaZealot57 This flick is one of the better couples movies out there. Loaded with romance from the heart. Two people that are outcasts (both undeservedly)find each other and the magic happens as they say. Oppression of the soul from others in the town. Cursed by townspeople for no fault of their own other than one being a foreigner and the other a despised beautiful young woman with a questionable birth right. This flick is loaded with moments when you want to reach out and punch people for the way they treat the featured lovers. Exceptionally well cast movie. The acting and emotional portrayals are true to the core. You just can't beat a really good actor or actress. And this flick is loaded with them. If you want a nice romantic night with your sweetie then watch this flick together. You will not regret it.

harrywolf Acting? Not so hot, in fact quite poor. If you like Hollywood, you wont notice this. For the record, 'Mousehole' is pronounced locally as 'Mousall', not 'muzzle'. Accents were poor. Go to Cornwall if you don't believe me. Lots of continuity errors. Did I say the acting was poor? Over-acting, melodramatic stuff. Poorly made. How can all these reviews here like this movie? Lousy script too - did I watch the same movie? This thing is pretty much unwatchable - are you folks on prozac? This was like a bad silent movie. The melodramatic music/scenes in the early stages left us in no doubt as to the outcome. Not enough dialogue.Lots wrong with this movie. Sorry.

cm-9 A combination of a wonderful story, strong, interesting and attractive characters, and a very fine cast made this film a pleasant surprise for me. My wife and I rented it, thinking it would be 'just another period drama' but wanting to see Rachel Weisz ... then as we watched the opening credits, and saw in quick succession, 'Vincent Perez', 'Joss Ackland', 'Ian McKellen', 'Zoe Wanamaker' we knew we would be in for a treat!If you are a Rachel Weisz fan, this has to be her best film so far, and she certainly uses her interesting dark looks to better effect here than in Chain Reaction or the recent Beautiful Creatures. Although her character is largely silent throughout this film, she has enormous screen presence, standing out even amongst this all-star cast.I won't comment too much on the plot, as I am sure it means different things to different people, but we enjoyed the humanity and liberal views of the doctor and the squire, and the contrast with the ingrained xenophobia of the working men - perhaps a bit trite, since this seemed to us un-Victorian and closer to what you might expect in the present day, but on the other hand maybe it was already in the Joseph Conrad story (I don't know, I haven't read it).Negative points:other users have commented on the cinematography; I found it rather flat, for example the weather never seemed to change (very un-British!) and I did not feel the crispness of the seaside atmosphere was captured. The locations mostly looked to me like Yorkshire rather than Cornwall, and there were few long shots (usually difficult because there is an electricity pylon or other modern-day eyesore in the frame, but these problems can be overcome...)also the accents ... Vincent Perez was particularly good, but Rachel Weisz was too well-spoken for a servant girl (does her accent ever change??) and none of the farmers or fishermen seemed to have a Cornish accent ... except Zoe Wanamaker made a half-decent effort.