[kellynch]

Rickman is great at playing a villain, but my favorite role of his was in the film Truly, Madly, Deeply. Yes, I suppose it is technically a dreaded "chick flick," but the acting in that movie is second to none. Juliet Stephenson is the most underused actress out there.

I love, love, LOVE that movie. I sob every single time I see it. It's got to be one of the more beautiful movies ever made. The acting is superb, and the music (can't go wrong with Bach) is gorgeous.

But wait a minute! It's about ghosts, so perhaps we, as conservatives and observant Christians/Jews shouldn't be able to watch it.

FYI...from what I gather, Anthony Minghella (who directed the execrable "English Patient") wrote the part specifically for Juliet Stephenson. Did you see her in Sense & Sensibility? She was terrific in that too.

[grellis]

No, you can't go wrong with Bach, that concerto in particular. It has long been my favorite piece of music. When it was used in the film, I probably went through a whole box of kleenex. It's too bad that Rickman is pigeonholed as a villain. For an actor who is unconventional-looking to pull off the role of a romantic lead so effortlessly speaks volumes about his talent.

The English Patient excrable??! You're being waaay too kind. That movie was so bad, one has to invent words to truly encompass its broad range of pure putrescence. I'll give it some thought. Minghella is a hit-or-miss director. When he's on, he's great. When he's bad, it is as if he is seeking new depths to how horrible a film can be.

Speaking of directors, I have always thought (and will always think) that Terry Gilliam would have done a masterful job with the HP series. He's not British, but having trouped as a Python for so long he really captures some very British sensibilities. I think the movies, to date, have been crafted to appeal to American audiences which is jarring when compared to the way the books are written. Also, Gilliam has a flair for the fantastic, as opposed to the cartoonish. Its like comparing The Adventures of Baron Munchhausen to The Goonies--visually, they're not in the same ballpark.