Review of Shirley Valentine (1989) by Stephen M — 05 Apr 2008
How does one take an incredibly popular one woman stage play and turn it into a film? I am sure that is a question that was asked a lot, from the moment they decided to make this movie to the time it hit the theaters and made the world fall in love with Shirley Valentine AND Pauline Collins.
The writer and director of this picture did a masterful job of showing the outside world in Shirley Valentine's story. In the play, she speaks to the wall and to the audience; in the movie, she speaks to the wall and to the audience but the use of flashback brings many of the characters into our vision as well, not to mention the people who enter Shirley's life in real time. It is MASTERFUL.
The movie manages, brilliantly, to keep the intimacy of Shirley's kitchen (and her mind), even while taking us out into London and, even, to the foreign land of Greece.
These whacky characters drift in and out of her life, making the off center Shirley seem like the only sane person in the world.. in short.. us. She is so univesal a character that we cannot help but fall for her and want to be just like her. I'm sure there isn't anyone who hasn't felt like Shirley, at least in some way; except that she is funnier and gutsyer than the rest of us.
If you don't know Shirley Valentine, rent the dvd and introduce yourself to her. She is worth knowing.
On second thought, just buy the dvd. You'll want to take this journey more than once.
This review of Shirley Valentine (1989) was written by Stephen M on 05 Apr 2008.
Shirley Valentine has generally received positive reviews.
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