A Chorus of Disapproval (1989)

Don't listen to the Hype. It's awful

Clever, believable, and super fun to watch. It totally has replay value.

When a movie has you begging for it to end not even half way through it's pure crap. We've all seen this movie and this characters millions of times, nothing new in it. Don't waste your time.

All of these films share one commonality, that being a kind of emotional center that humanizes a cast of monsters.

To enjoy this film you need to be a fan of either Michael Winner or Alan Ayckborn and I am not.Winner thought he could direct comedies,which clearly on the evidence of this film he is not.I am of course assuming that this is supposed to be a comedy since I did not laugh on even a solitary occasion.Mind you given that Anthony Hopkins played rthe director as if he was Harry Secombe on speed.Was that part originally written that way.Jeremy Irons seems to simpler about looking a bit forlorn.The rest of the cast whilst full of household names are not really able to do much with their often brief time on screen.The best of the bunch is Prunella Scales as the put upon and downtrodden wife.Lionel Jefferies triumphs a lot.Sylvia Simms exudes a sort of glacial charm.Even Richard Briefs seems one to forget.A truly forgettable film.

Although this movie has a screenplay by Alan Ayckbourn(AND Michael Winner) it is a sad(and pale) reflection of the stage play. The (hamfisted) direction by Michael Winner has turned what should be witty light comedy,into a slow dreary and turgid drama. It may have the same plot,and basically the same script as the original stage version,but allow Michael Winner to touch it and it becomes boring. What is worse is the misuse and waste of a great cast. I have never (conciously) seen a Michael Winner film before,and going by this never will again. My (newly acquired) DVD is going straight to the charity shop! PS:~ I saw the stage play when it was premiered in 1984.

Saw this, rather incongruously, with Spanish subtitles in a hotel in deepest, darkest Mexico... and made me feel a little homesick with its warm but too-close-to-the-bone portrayal of provincial English life. Lost dreams and opportunities, and eating chips in your car, staring at the gloomy sea and drizzle. Beautiful.

I am surprised that other reviews for this film are negative. If anyone has ever participated in an amateur operatic society then they know that this movie is bang on. Perhaps it is an in-joke, but for us in the know it is hysterical. Most surprising is Anthony Hopkins revealing a remarkable gift fo comedy. His performance alone is worth seeing this. Jeremy Irons is perfectly cast as the stranger who wanders into these "strange doings", and the supporting cast (including the wonderful Lionel Jeffries)are superb. In short, this is one my all-time favorite comedies, and a "must-see" for anyone who has trod the boards with amateurs. I would think anyone would find it amusing, but apparently some of the other critics are quite clueless when it comes to this film. It's not available for purchase, but don't miss it if you find in on TV or in a rental store--especially if you have done an amaatuer musical or are a Hopkins fan. I give it a 10.