SoTrumpBelieve Must See Movie...

Fairaher The film makes a home in your brain and the only cure is to see it again.

Voxitype Good films always raise compelling questions, whether the format is fiction or documentary fact.

Lachlan Coulson This is a gorgeous movie made by a gorgeous spirit.

martindonovanitaly I don't know why, sometimes I think it may have to do with previous lives, otherwise why do I feel so comfortable within the discomforts of this English seaside hotel. But the fact is that, often, I want to put it on and sit at one of the tables myself. I believe that Terence Rattigan is the main reason. What a wonderful writer. Then, Gladys Cooper of course, how can such a perfidious mother be such a pleasure to watch? Maybe is that explosive combination of Rattigan/Cooper. Wendy Hiller in one of her few meaty roles in movies, she won an Oscar for it and every nuance, every look is worth pages and pages of exposition. Exquisite. Cathleen Nesbitt is a joy to behold. Deborah Kerr, David Niven who also won the Oscar for his sad impostor, Burt Lancaster and Rita Hayworth bring a dash of Hollywood to the grayness of Bournemouth. Okay, now, dinner is served. Don't let it get cold.

urbisoler-1 Actually, I would rate this film a bit higher than 8 if I knew how to do so. You wouldn't think that a film where the action takes place in virtually one room would qualify for greatness but the character studies alone make this film outstanding. One of the best ever. Fortunately, there is sufficient variety in character to keep one's interest at a high level. You don't have time for your mind to question why one behaves thus before the story is already involved with another character's dilemma. And, you don't have time to critique how well a character displays an emotion before the impact is felt elsewhere. If you are a collector of fine films, this one belongs in your collection.

Richard Burin Separate Tables (Delbert Mann, 1958) is an acting masterclass, a stunning adaptation of Rattigan's two single-act plays set at a Bournemouth hotel. David Niven, Deborah Kerr and Wendy Hiller (my new favourite) are flawless in their sensitive, layered performances: he an army major with a dark secret, Kerr the meek, downtrodden girl who loves him, Hiller the hotel manager fighting disappointments of her own. Shooting on home soil, American stars Burt Lancaster and Rita Hayworth are very good in somewhat less interesting parts. Taking dead-aim at intolerance, as well as examining the disappointments and compromises of adulthood, this is a remarkable piece of humanist drama and one of the most intelligent films to come out of Hollywood in the '50s. Charles Lang's cinematography is a big plus; the only duff element is the wearisome theme song.

MartinHafer "Separate Tables" is a very good film--the sort of movie they just don't make anymore because it lacks explosions, topless bimbos and 3-D! It's well worth watching if you want a good film that doesn't rely on these plot devices. However, before I get to the film in general, there is one odd thing I noticed early in the film. I knew that David Niven had been given the Oscar for Best Actor for this film, but I was bowled over by how incredibly broad and transparent his character was in the first five minutes of the film. To put it bluntly, he was the worst part of the film because I knew one of his big, dark secrets almost immediately--he simply came on too strong to possibly really be who he claimed to be! While 1959 was a pretty poor year for this Oscar category, to me Paul Newman clearly had a better performance of the nominees--clearly.The film is sort of like a slower paced and more subtle ensemble soap opera--kind of like what you might have seen if "The Love Boat" or "Peyton Place" had been written better and with less of the hysteria. And, instead of a small town or cruise ship, the location for this film is a rooming house in England. The concoction is very agreeable due to excellent writing and acting (aside from the one mentioned above). Burt Lancaster and Rita Hayworth were very agreeable and worth seeing--and it's odd Lancaster wasn't nominated for the Oscar instead of Niven (who, incidentally, seemed to have a lot less screen time!). However, my favorite in the cast was Gladys Cooper. This elderly actress was simply superb as the puritanical and overbearing resident. She was thoroughly hateful and this visceral reaction was why I liked her in the film so much.The film is so well done that it would a great film for young film makers to see (along with great 50s films like "Marty" and "12 Angry Men"). It shows that writing and acting are still THE keys to a good film--no matter what Hollywood seems to be saying to the contrary these days!