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The V.I.P.s

Play trailer Poster for The V.I.P.s Released Sep 19, 1963 1h 59m Comedy Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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0% Tomatometer 6 Reviews 44% Popcornmeter 500+ Ratings
Inclement weather has delayed a flight from London's Heathrow Airport to New York City. A cross-section of elite passengers waits to board the plane as they experience various life crises. Among them: Frances (Elizabeth Taylor), a woman fleeing a loveless marriage to her millionaire husband, Paul (Richard Burton) ; a duchess (Margaret Rutherford) who has fallen on hard times; and Gloria (Elsa Martinelli), an aspiring actress accompanied by her money-grubbing producer, Max (Orson Welles).
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The V.I.P.s

Critics Reviews

View All (6) Critics Reviews
James Powers The Hollywood Reporter Uneven, trite and uninspired in the dialogue and situations involving the various lovers, brilliantly funny and touching in Miss Rutherford's sequences. The result of this is that Miss Rutherford, doughty, indomitable, makes the picture her own. Sep 20, 2018 Full Review Judith Crist New York Herald Tribune Where once, in a romantic melodrama, we were allowed to see that unloveliness and heartbreak touch the lives of some, today we are permitted only the triumph of love and the pursuit of happiness -- and the cotton wool is tucked around us cozily. Aug 15, 2022 Full Review Wesley Lovell Cinema Sight Trying to shoehorn a talent ensemble into a trite premise results in unmitigated failure. Rated: 1.5/4 Aug 15, 2011 Full Review Emanuel Levy EmanuelLevy.Com An all-cast star succeeds in camouflaging the thin plot of this adventure-disaster flick Rated: C+ Apr 22, 2011 Full Review Dennis Schwartz Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews It's jet-set entertainment for celebrity watchers and those who will watch anything while a passenger in air flight. Rated: C- Jan 16, 2007 Full Review Walter Chaw Film Freak Central Nothing's indicted here, just indulged. Rated: 0.5/4 Jan 15, 2007 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Red T The acting is actually ok throughout but there isn't much charm, the humor comes across as out of place and flat from Welles & The Duchess, and it feels like everyone is playing characters but has no chemistry. The only chemistry to speak of is with Burton & Taylor who are decent but only in the last 30 minutes do they truly interact in any meaningful way. Everyone else feels useless to the plot. The cinematography isn't that good. The camerawork is basic, this is filled especially in the first half with tons of pointless scenes from side characters or the love triangle where everyone just sits and talks with no emotion. The airport isn't used as a unique location either and I'm no really sure why his takes place there because there is nothing unique to the story where this could have taken place almost anywhere else. The music also is just ok being boring, not used enough, and the same song loop I swear. Which leads to the biggest problem of bad editing and subpar pacing. Thing just sort of happen in the first half including with the love triangle and it is extremely jumpy with cutting to pointless subplots of side characters like Welles who could've been cut completely. Things do get better in the second half as much more focus is given to Taylor & Burton along with meaningful drama but its nothing that really stands out much. Unless your a hardcore Burton/Taylor fan I can't recommend this to anyone. Most people should skip this. Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 07/26/23 Full Review Russ This gets Two Stars - one each for Miss Taylor's luscious boobies, on display in the low-cut pink gown / slash / nightgown. It follows the ensemble cast formula weaving several plot threads in an attempt to a create a whole where there is none. The 70's Irwin Allen disaster flicks used the same cheap trick. You have sympathetic characters to root for and schemers to hiss at. Audiences of the time were doubtless drawn to this by the casting of Taylor and Burton playing out their real life drama, as they did three years later in "Who's Afraid..." although at that time with Taylor deliberately overweight as a frumpy middle-aged drunk. Rated 2 out of 5 stars 03/04/24 Full Review Audience Member A top flight cast was generally wasted in this story of love lost.......Burton plays a very wealthy man and Taylor plays his wife.......both were at the top of their game....and Elizabeth looked terrific. Liz is on the way from London to New York, so the setting is the London Airport...other characters include Orson Wells, a famous movie producer, in a role that should have been eliminated, Margaret Rufferford who won an Oscar as supporting role. Perhaps the most interesting story was Rod Taylor an Australian Tractor Manufacturer and his Secretary played by Maggie Smith. She by the way was terrific.....The worst thing about this film was the change from B/W to color........Unless your a fan of Burton, Taylor or wish to see Maggie Smith....I would forget this one....... Rated 2 out of 5 stars 02/17/23 Full Review steve d A bunch of actors sleepwalking through a payday with a terrible script. Rated 1 out of 5 stars 03/30/23 Full Review jona i The stars salvage what they can from this thin plot. Margaret Rutherford is delightful, though. Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review ashley h The V.I.P.s is a decent film. It is about fog delays a group of travelers headed for New York. Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton give good performances. The script is a little slow in places. Anthony Asquith did an alright job directing this movie. I liked this motion picture because of the drama. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review Read all reviews
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Movie Info

Synopsis Inclement weather has delayed a flight from London's Heathrow Airport to New York City. A cross-section of elite passengers waits to board the plane as they experience various life crises. Among them: Frances (Elizabeth Taylor), a woman fleeing a loveless marriage to her millionaire husband, Paul (Richard Burton) ; a duchess (Margaret Rutherford) who has fallen on hard times; and Gloria (Elsa Martinelli), an aspiring actress accompanied by her money-grubbing producer, Max (Orson Welles).
Director
Anthony Asquith
Producer
Anatole de Grunwald
Distributor
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Production Co
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Genre
Comedy, Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Sep 19, 1963, Original
Release Date (Streaming)
Nov 21, 2016
Runtime
1h 59m
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