On I List of Movie Reviews
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Impromptu (1991)
Rate:
7
Viewed:
11/16
11/16:
Impromptu is quite similar to Gothic except it has a happy tone, doesn't include
drugs or hallucinations, and contains none of Ken Russell's bizarreness.
Instead of Lord Byron, Percy Shelley, Mary Shelley, Claire Clairmont, and John Polidori, the real-life characters are
George Sand, Frédéric Chopin, Marie d'Agoult, Alfred de Musset, Franz Liszt, Eugène Delacroix, and Felicien Mallefille.
Judy Davis is miscast as George Sand. She's ugly and unappealing. Somebody else other than her, say Helena Bonham Carter,
will be more believable. Hugh Grant is the true winner. His performance is excellent, far ahead of
anyone, and the harbinger of great talent as evidenced in future films such as
Four Weddings and a Funeral and
The Englishman Who Went Up a Hill But Came Down a Mountain.
Julian Sands completes the link between Impromptu and Gothic by starring in both
films. A below-average actor, he has appeared in one too many similar themed films such as
A Room with a View and Vatel. Ralph Brown puts on his
best imitation of Edgar Allan Poe. Mandy Patinkin is a tad overdone as usual.
Bernadette Peters is fun and has a nice scene when she explained to Sand how to win over Chopin. Emma Thompson does
her fair share to liven up the mood.
The story works, and the set-up of the atmosphere is a nice throwback to the early 19th century. But the film looks too
modern and the language doesn't fit the period. The best part is the makeshift play that's held for the host and the
hostess which is funny to watch.
All in all, Impromptu is an uneven period picture, but it has some winning traits and is much better than
Gothic.