SunnyHello Nice effects though.

SnoReptilePlenty Memorable, crazy movie

Matialth Good concept, poorly executed.

Humaira Grant It’s not bad or unwatchable but despite the amplitude of the spectacle, the end result is underwhelming.

Leofwine_draca On the face of it, A CHORUS OF DISAPPROVAL reveals that director Michael Winner wasn't at his best when directing comedies. His various films with Charles Bronson were much better: tighter, more exciting, with better direction. This adaptation of the Alan Ayckbourn play is a little dreary, a little slow, although it does have a fantastic (and fascinating) cast to recommend it and to help while away the time.The plot concerns a good-looking young man (Jeremy Irons, at his suave best) who joins an amateur dramatic society in a provincial British town. Before long, he's mired in a hotbed of scandal, corruption, and seduction, and an all-star cast of British luminaries do their best with the occasional limitations of the script. Thus we get the likes of Gareth Hunt and Jenny Seagrove in straight roles, Prunella Scales in an odd choice as a love interest, a hammy Anthony Hopkins as a barnstorming Welshman, and more minor parts for the likes of Richard Briers, Lionel Jeffries, and Patsy Kensit.

jhulme55 With all the high-flying "special effects" movies around these days, this movie is a bare-bones, real-life-like story about real people in a small town and the relationships among them. The cast is fantastic. Jeremy Irons should have gotten an Academy Award for his performance. Anthony Hopkins also turns in an admirable character-driven performance that is just one more example of his outstanding acting ability. There were technical aspects of the photography and sound that could be criticized, but, ignoring those, it is a wonderfully portrayed story. Be sure to watch this film with someone who is a feeling person with a good sense of humor and an interest in different people with different personalities. This movie is one of my all time favorites.

newatt-2 Most brilliant about the script is that "The Beggar's Opera" is being staged and as Jeremy Iron's character progresses through the narrative, many of his experiences mimic MacHeath's -- a phenomenon underlined by the score. So, familiarity with the source material makes for a brilliant movie. It might appear very light without that familiarity - also the twisted ending requires some knowledge of another stock theatre piece. Anthony Hopkins, Jeremy Irons and Prunella Scales are utterly thorough - This is the first movie I ever bought, back in the dark pre-internet days when it had to be seriously hunted for. Sound quality is a bit poor and Anthony Hopkins' Welsh accent is a bit thick for those of us who rarely hear one.

chaucer-1 Why this movie never got much attention has always been a bit of a mystery to me. Funny, sad and (as another commentator mentioned)absolutely veracious when it comes to the world of of amateur theatricals. Brilliantly written by Alan Ayckbourn, superbly cast and performed this film drew upon the cream of the British acting profession, and it shows. Why on earth Hollywood waited until the superficial Hannibal Lecter to award Anthony Hopkins an Oscar when it had his outstanding performance in Chorus of Disapproval is another of life's mysteries. I never get tired of watching it. For the commentator from Olive NJ who bucketed the film, he/she should be aware that the film is set in Yorkshire not Wales - different country.