Amazing Grace

[tipou]

ambra, what a wonderful thing to do! to share your love of cinema and give some of your time this way. amazing grace was just the right choice, it seems.
may i congratulate you on your excellent choice of favourite actors! james stewart was the epitome of grace, indeed.
and please congratulate your "husband" for his excellent work!

[ambra]

Actually, robbiesheik is the one who showed the film at the retirement community, I was just quoting her. She's the one who deserves the kudos for her work.

[spice]

My sister and I finally rented and watched Amazing Grace this past weekend. We have sung that song in church so many times and now we appreciated it even more knowing the history behind it. The performance Rufus gave as Thomas Clarkson was brillant. Wish some smart movie exec would produce a movie about the life of Clarkson and give Ruf the role!!

[nell]

I really enjoyed this movie. An incredible heart wrenching story. As has been stated before Rufus really stole the show. His depiction of Thomas Clarkson was absolutely brilliant. He really brought the man to life - what a hero. It would have been nice if the story was turned around to have Thomas Clarkson as the lead character - now that would have been even more fascinating. After reading a bit about Clarkson and the raw deal he got after dedicating his life to his cause and Wilberforce getting all the credit I think there's another movie to be made here.
However, Rufus certainly brought out as much of the character in his scenes as was humanly (or even super-humanly) possible. I loved all his scenes but particularly the golf scene - he was like an excited kid bursting at the seams.
I thought the film itself was really well made and put together and brought across a very important time in history. The delivery here was far better IMHO than in John Adams which a few of us also watched recently.

Someone mentioned wanting to give Thomas Clarkson a hug. Hell yes - I 2nd that - what an incredible man.

As an afterthought the other characters did a good job too. Well I did say Rufus stole the show didn't I ? ;D

[ginababe]

After seeing this movie, I was inspired to read two of William Wilberforce's biographies. It's a truly "amazing" story, and to understand where the song originated and what it really was about just gave me tingles.

I agree, Rufus did a wonderful job, my favorite scene in particular was when he was holding the baby in what looked to be a meadow? And he was singing a lullaby to him/her, it was very sweet, and of course the scene of Thomas describing the living situation of the slaves on the ship was so sad.

[nell]

I found this new review today - Amazing Grace seemed to get the thumbs up. Sherlock gets a less favourable mention.

Amazing Grace
I shame to write that while neither the worthy subject matter nor the combined prettiness of Ioan Gruffudd and Romola Garai could get me to get over my wariness about Amazing Grace, the discovery that Benedict Cumberbatch was in it (after seeing a trailer on another DVD) sent me straight out to the library--where I found it just on the "new returns" cart, right where I started looking (seriously, it was the second title my eye fell upon). So you see, it was meant to be.

I was wary about this movie for reasons I can't even remember now: possibly I just assumed it was trying to be another Amistad, and I think, too, I was worried that it would wind up being one of those movies about white men's pain instead of, you know, slavery. This didn't come to pass, exactly: it isn't really a movie about slavery, in a way; it's a movie--by the director's own admission--about politics. But that works, because by doing that, I think it therefore avoids the first trap--which would be easy to fall into, probably, because it's a film about William Wilberforce, so it needs to actually be about him, but that would be a lot more problematic if the movie were full of images of suffering slaves.

Even aside from the fact that it manages to avoid a potentially unpleasant scenario, I came away from the film quite impressed. The actors are good: Ioan Gruffudd has that driven idealism thing down pat, and Romola Garai comes across as sparky without being crazily anachronistic--and the love story actually works, which astonishes me. Perhaps I am cynical and have watched too many historical movies that don't make it clear why the characters should be in love in the first place (cough Becoming Jane cough), but William and Barbara's interactions, while being necessarily impressionistic (like the film as a whole--or maybe it's "episodic" I mean), conveyed a sense of real rapport and connection between the two of them. And Benedict Cumberbatch made a very energetic William Pitt, full of fierce intelligence, an intelligence that's also playful, and maybe just a bit dangerous. (Full disclosure: I may have started calling him "Pittsy" partway through the film. I am not exactly objective about Benedict Cumberbatch, apparently.*)

Rufus Sewell is also in this film, bringing his special brand of endearing and slightly crazy, and Ciaran Hinds, and my dear old Nicholas Farrell, and even Stephen Campbell Moore has a small part. So basically, if you've seen any British movies ever, you will probably recognize someone. (There are also some more famous actors, like Michael Gambon, but this is my personal list of people I'm always happy to see when they turn up unexpectedly.)


*This really came out of nowhere. I've seen him in a reasonable number of things, because I watch a lot of PBS, so I first saw him (and JJ Feild!) in To the Ends of the Earth, and eventually everyone has to be in an episode of Miss Marple, and he was just in Small Island as well; and I thought he was absolutely hilarious in Starter for Ten. But I watched the first episode of Sherlock and was a little disappointed. Granted, I watched it in bits and pieces over a few days, so that probably didn't help. But having liked him so much in several other things, I was surprised not to like him more in this, and watching Amazing Grace allowed me to put two and two together: as Sherlock, he's missing that indefinable warmth he's had in everything else. That doesn't necessarily mean that his characters have all been nice, or kind, though sometimes they are. It's more that he always feels present and connected, and Sherlock just isn't--which is the point, probably (he describes himself as a high-functioning sociopath)--but he comes across as a thinking machine, all sharp edges and coldness, more than a grounded person. And so far, Watson hasn't made up the balance. I'm definitely going to give it another go on PBS, since it's not too long a wait, but I might not seek out the other two episodes before then. (Those of you who love it: feel free to tell me why! I am open to being convinced--and I did like it, just not as much as I wanted to.)


One of the comments had this to say about Rufus

And Rufus Sewell stole the whole damn show for me, but then, he always does.

Here's the link if anyones interested in the other comments (as if ? ) ;D

tempestsarekind.livejournal.com/248708.html

[GreenEyesToo]

I just read that entry before coming on here!

Aug 13, 2010 7:08:36 GMT nell said:

Rufus Sewell is also in this film, bringing his special brand of endearing and slightly crazy

Remembering what he once said about Petruchio being closest to his natural energy, "endearing and slightly crazy" probably just about sums Rufus up!

And don't we just love him for it?!

[rufluvr]

Ginababe- In anticipation of Rufus' role of Clarkson in Amazing Grace, I too read up on the subject. I've always been interested in the subject matter to start with because Sojourner Truth (a gutsy female freed slave/abolishonist) is a personal hero of mine. However when Ruf was filming AG I realized that though I'd read a fair amount about the anti-slavery movement in the US, I wasn't all that familiar with the whole story of the movement to abolish the slave trade in England. There are some great books out there on the subject of the slave trade that I thinks give great overall views of the poitical players involved, which is important to note becausea there is some controversy considering the true intention and role Wilberforce played versus Thomas Clarson's contributions and how they have been written up (or some say mis-written) in histories by Wilberforce's relatives. Also, one must read John Newton's auto-biography to get the full story behind his writing Amazing Grace. Many know he was a former slave-ship captain minister, but few know that previous to his success, due to his stupidity and misfortunes in the Navy he actually ended up a slave himself for a while almost starving to death (!) Well, you have read the book to understand how that came about. There's also another interesting book on how the song Amazing Grace became the biggest spiritual ever.

[robela]

Recently watched this dvd not really knowing what to expect.

It was a truly wonderful film and I believe historically correct.
I agree that Rufus was truly outstanding as Thomas Clarkson. He did steal every scene he was in.. Benedict Cumberbach was also very good as William Pitt.

It was very moving to watch the Making of the Film and made me feel proud to be British. Rufus spoke well in the Making of commentary saying he was proud to be in this film and that this film HAD TO BE MADE!

I am going to be busy re-watching all the wonderful films I have only recently discovered starring Rufus!

[Petruchio - Good God]

I have seen "Amazing Grace" yesterday again - very good movie, but horrible haircut of Roof... but he was perfect in the role of tThomas Clarkson... also I love the Making of... with the interview of Roof....

[zenina]

I watched this Monday night and really liked it. Rufus as Thomas Clarkson was brilliant. And like others have remarked, at some point I just wanted to hug him. He portrayed a man driven by a passion for this cause and after having educated myself about him on Wikipedia I found Rufus potrayal even more moving.
Ioan Gruffud as Wilberforce didn't do a lot for me. His potrayal didn't captivate me.
I have to admit that I had very little knowledge about this chapter of history (had learned something about it in the recent BBC series Garrow's Law where also the character of Olaudah Equiano - there as Gustavo Vassa - made an appearance. ) But I'm so glad that because of Rufus I watched this moving film and have learned something more about this chapter in history.

[megagem]

This is the film that infected me with my Rufusitis and pretty much drove me into my obsession with this man.
Thomas, to me, is one of the most beautiful characters Rufus has played thus far. He's kooky and funny. There's an awkwardness, then there's confidence. He's a gentle and sweet man full of passion for humanity and want for a better world. I think because I was so used to only knowing Rufus as Count Adhemar (the first film of his I ever saw), seeing him suddenly play someone so different was...I can't really find a word good enough to describe it.
Rufus shows such emotion in this role, and I think it was maxx who first mentioned his face in the scene with the shackles. That pleading look in his eye is heartwrenching as he waits for Wilberforce's answer. He's on the brink of tears.
The awkwardness of his entrance after shaking Wilberforce's hand and taking note of the 'sweet, little rabbit' then how he isn't quite sure what to do after the introduction is over. It's instantly endearing. The gentleness of him with the baby...how can you not think "awwww!" it's beautiful, and his "bollocks" remark is priceless.
The scene where he and Wilberforce are telling Pitt about their plan and Thomas tries to make a worthy excuse to make it sound, well, worthy:
THOMAS: "It promotes the war effort, patriotism, and all that."
PITT: "Since when have you been interested about the war effort, patriotism and...all that?"
A slow, broad and somewhat cheeky smile creeps across Roof's face.
Bam.
That was it. Rufusitis set in. ;D
One more thing I love about Thomas Clarkson is that he's subtlely hilarious. The "how sweet of you" and "well this one bloody does" and how he's memorized a poem yet has "absolutely no idea what it's about" remarks always get a out of me.
The graveyard scene where he speaks to Equiano's grave also never fails to bring a tear to my eye and it is the scene that I always remember the clearest every time I think of this film. It's so beautifully haunting.
I still haven't 'met' all of Rufus' characters, but despite that, and despite the great roles I'm certain Rufus will get in the future, Thomas Clarkson will always and forever be my favourite, bar none. Scarecrow hat and all

[rueful]

Thanks for sharing your wonderful summary of Thomas's appeal, Meg. You captured so many of his beautiful moments. He's one of my favorites too, for all the reasons you mention.

[mayogirl]

Dear all

watched AG last night - a truly brilliant story about a group of committed people who would not give up - I have to agree I loved Mr Rufus in it he had the best line ever when he spoke of the insanity of the King: "He shakes hands with trees and think he can see Germany in his binnoculars"..(spelling not right) but a wonderful film I am going to buy the dvd...

[welshdragon]

Glad you liked AG - it's one of my favourites. Rufus has some great lines in this film. When it gets to the end and the bagpipes start playing it sends shivers down my spine and I cry my eyes out every time!!