Educating Rita

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Alec B The intimacy of the play is ruined by the film's pointless expansion of it's world (who cares about anyone else except for Rita and Frank?) so even though Walters and Caine give excellent performances all of the potentially interesting themes get lost in boring secondary material. Rated 2/5 Stars •  Rated 2 out of 5 stars 11/10/23 Full Review isla s I thought this was a really good film, with important themes and I liked that both of the main characters were flawed in their own ways. I also liked learning about their partners and friends. If I were to be critical, I'd say it did feel slightly formulaic towads the end - however it is over 30 years old (and it does sound quite dated as far as the music/soundtrack is concerned, which I suppose is to be expected) but I liked it in terms of the elements of social commentary it contained. I felt I could relate to Rita in some respects and I also understood where the tutor, Frank Bryant, was coming from. The performances from the big name cast members (regarding Frank Bryant played by Michael Caine and Rita, played by Julie Walters) was very good and I thought it was a well made film, a thought provoking one. Rated 4.5/5 Stars •  Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review Ethan T Educating Rita is predictable and horrendously scored by Hentschel in a distracting blare of synths, albeit in true 80s style. Walters and Caine keep things afloat admirably, but their scenes together dwarf all of theirs apart and the minor characters are quite dull. Based on a play. I think that many of the film's charms remain thanks to the stage adaptation and in spite of the additional features such as the soundtrack that have aged poorly. I must say, though, that the transformation of Rita from novice to near-genius was glossed over to a strange extent and that Walters did not really play the middle stages at all. Caine dips in well and clearly relishes his busy character arc apart from a recurring storyline with his wife that seems unsure whether to play for laughs or tug on the heartstrings. Perhaps it would be a stretch to call Educating Rita a timeless classic, but it's harmless enough to trundle peacefully on as Caine and Walters deservedly retain recognition for other works despite getting awards attention for this back in the day. Special mention must go to the ending that struck a satisfyingly hollow chord considering the flawed nature of the characters rather than chasing something silly. Rated 3/5 Stars •  Rated 3 out of 5 stars 10/29/21 Full Review Audience Member Poor Frank. There's no sentimental ending, some good twists, some dusty bookshelves and a broken middle aged man. It's a decent storyline and ages ok. Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 01/28/23 Full Review Audience Member A nice segway from a Bond film to a former Bond director, Lewis Gilbert's glorious comedy drama is a respite from the guns and explosions of the first two films on this list. Michael Caine and Julie Walters are brilliant, as you already know I'm sure, and Educating Rita remains endlessly watchable. Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 01/29/23 Full Review William L A more comedic, modern take on the Pygmalion narrative, Educating Rita relies more on Caine and Walters' chemistry rather than it does the story, attempting to establish a dialogue on retaining identity and individualism vs. pursuing conventional development for practical gain, but falls through when the protagonists are allowed to essentially both win with opposing strategies with little in the way of repercussions. The conflict is rather cookie-cutter and is reconciled far too painlessly; "I'm a hopeless drunk, Rita. Guess I'm going to Australia!" Minor characters exist essentially only to serve subplots, and can swing wildly in their nature. There's an inspirational tone, but too many weaknesses to keep the ship straight. (3/5) Rated 3/5 Stars •  Rated 3 out of 5 stars 12/10/20 Full Review Read all reviews

Educating Rita

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