VHS Movie Reviews for Photographing Fairies [VHS]

Photographing Fairies [VHS]

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VHS Movie Reviews of Photographing Fairies [VHS]

Movie Review: The power of dreams
Summary: 5 Stars

This is a little known but perfectly formed gem that is guaranteed to stay with you forever. Based on a remarkable true story that will simply blow your mind it is a multi-layered examination of our belief systems and why they are so limiting of our imaginations. If you hunger for something more than just the physical reality of this world then you will be riveted by what this film reveals. The story of the two little girls and their discovery is remarkable enough on its own. What they did with it in this film is an absolute artistic triumph. For such a tremendous achievement to still not be available on DVD is a crime. Will someone please do something about it. I saw this many years ago and I would like nothing better than to watch it again, but I cannot stand to see a 'pan and scan' version. DVD version now please!

Movie Review: A must for Toby Stephens fans
Summary: 4 Stars

Toby does a beautiful job in this one, as the other reviewers say. His performance is more restrained here than in some of his other work -- and they deliberately dowdy his looks down a bit -- but that makes it all the more powerful. The script is also very good.

Movie Review: A jewel of a movie
Summary: 5 Stars

Moving, beautiful, intriguing, and Toby Stephens' performance is, as always, a joy to watch.

Movie Review: I See Queen Mab Has Been With You!
Summary: 5 Stars

The schism between belief and science, religion and technology, the afterlife and end of life, childhood innocence and adult reality, are all themes which flow through this marvelous film. Photographing Fairies is a deceptive title for a film that is more than a simple tale of two little girls who claimed to photograph little flying sprites in rural Birkinwell, England. During the latter quarter of the 19th century and into the 20th century, beliefs about civilization as the privilege of modern western society was shaken by the reality of modern social ills culminating with the devastation wreaked by WWI.

From this groundwork, two men loose their wives: Charles Castle (Toby Stevens), a grieving, young photographer who lost his wife on their honeymoon and earns a living creating staged memorial photographs of dead soldiers for their grieving families, and the second and far darker character, a country parson, Rev. Templeton (Ben Kingsley), whose very calling relies on humanity's ultimate desire to believe in something more, in life after death but which he has not maintained. Templeton's wife Beatrice approached Castle with the photograph offering evidence of fairies with their young daughters. Castle analyzes the image and arrives at the conclusion no trick photography was involved. He sets out to discover the "truth" of the image with mind-altering results.

Although somewhat heavy-handed in some symbolic references to Christian beliefs, this is balanced by the notion of fairies as pre-Christian elemental beings of Nature. In addition, the use of an organic flower is key to the transition to "slow time" that enables whoever consumes it to see what is invisible to the naked eye of modern man, and ultimately, to technology. 19th century photography enabled audiences to possess visual evidence of the living and the dead as well as the spiritual as the trends for post-mortem and spirit photography was fashionable for the Victorians. As Castle's beliefs are replaced with new mystical experiences, Rev. Templeton is adamant to thwart any efforts that deny his beliefs and self-indulgent practices.

This is a subtle storyline that belies the title and it is all for the better. Superior acting from Toby Stevenson and Ben Kingsley lift the story to a level that leaves the audience pondering several questions that become more intriguing on multiple viewings. Wonderful period costuming, locations, and soundtrack have been commented on by others and all in all, Photographing Fairies is worth the watch and is worthy of film libraries that contain lesser films about the unseen and perhaps, unknowable.