- Actors: Sting, Denholm Elliott, Joan Plowright, Suzanna Hamilton, Benjamin Whitrow
- Directors: Richard Loncraine
- Writers: Dennis Potter
- Producers: Alan E. Salke, Herbert F. Solow, Kenith Trodd, Naim Attallah
- Format: PAL
- Language English
- Number of discs: 1
- Classification: 18
- Studio: Arrow
- DVD Release Date: 24 Jan 2000
- Run Time: 87 minutes
- Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
- ASIN: B00004R66N
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 179,894 in Film & TV (See Top 100 in Film & TV)
What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?
Product details |
Reviews
Sunday Telegraph
"… fine, funny and ultimately moving performances …"
"Sting finds the right blend of sociability and evil for one who could be an angel and a devil."
"Sting finds the right blend of sociability and evil for one who could be an angel and a devil."
Suggested Tags from Similar Products(What's this?)Be the first one to add a relevant tag (keyword that's strongly related to this product)
|
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
A disturbing, but at times touching movie about the life of a woman who's devoted to caring for her brain damaged daughter who was the victim of a hit and run accident.
Joan Plowright plays the woman in question, whose life has become the monotony of caring for her daughter without any assistance, and with little results and no happiness or reward for herself. As a consequence, she 'succumbs' like a helpless butterfly within a net, to the charms of a clever and handsome young con man who enters her life in the guise of her disabled daughter's one-time boyfriend. The husband (played by the late great Denholm Elliott) appears to see through this, but has no luck in convincing his wife of the young man's real intentions of whiling his way into their home - perhaps only due to the sheer desperation of the mother needing such a 'knight in shining armour' to rescue her from her bleak and colourless life - at whatever the cost to others.
Sometimes the devil - others an angel in disguise, 'Martin' (played marvellously by the charismatic 'Sting' - lead vocalist of the pop group 'The Police') is still capable of creating some of the most heart-rending and touching scenes between he and the mother.
NOTE: My copy (unsure about this one) has not been re-mastered and the quality is not good in places - almost as bad as an old Video Tape copy. Movie appears even older than its twenty-seven years.
Joan Plowright plays the woman in question, whose life has become the monotony of caring for her daughter without any assistance, and with little results and no happiness or reward for herself. As a consequence, she 'succumbs' like a helpless butterfly within a net, to the charms of a clever and handsome young con man who enters her life in the guise of her disabled daughter's one-time boyfriend. The husband (played by the late great Denholm Elliott) appears to see through this, but has no luck in convincing his wife of the young man's real intentions of whiling his way into their home - perhaps only due to the sheer desperation of the mother needing such a 'knight in shining armour' to rescue her from her bleak and colourless life - at whatever the cost to others.
Sometimes the devil - others an angel in disguise, 'Martin' (played marvellously by the charismatic 'Sting' - lead vocalist of the pop group 'The Police') is still capable of creating some of the most heart-rending and touching scenes between he and the mother.
NOTE: My copy (unsure about this one) has not been re-mastered and the quality is not good in places - almost as bad as an old Video Tape copy. Movie appears even older than its twenty-seven years.
7 of 8 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
The movie itself is brilliant and features Sting in a diabolic role that fits him very well. Accompagnied by the music of The Police, Sting himself and the GoGo's, this is a real masterpiece. However, I was personally dissappointed in this new edition as it did not feature any extras. I expected at least the video that was made for the song Spread a little happiness. None of that. Also the transfer from the original master tape is very rudimentary and lacked a decent remastering resulting in a lot of fuzzy and unclear dark fragments and the typical JPG squares appearing in the background. Nevertheless, the film is brilliant and combined with an attractive pricesetting, this is definitely a "want to have it" for every decent The Police or Sting fan.
6 of 7 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
An early Sting vehicle with outstanding supporting cast of Denholm Elliot and Joan Plowright, Brimstone and Treacle is deadly humorous. Sting is Martin, a seeming street hustler and pickpocket who targets curdmugeon Denholm Elliot as an easy mark. Lifting his wallet he finds his way to Elliot's home where he ingratiates himself to the family via tall tales of a relationship with the helpless and comatose daughter, Suzanna Hamilton. Her tragic hit-and-run accident has left her a vegetable and her parents embittered. Besides lying to the folks, Martin is up to no good when he offers to sit the brain damaged daughter while Mummsy trots off the the hair salon... Although suspicious of the unwanted guest, Elliots wife manages to find Martin's presence strangely comforting to their daughter -- but why? Brimstone and Treacle is a Dennis Potter treasure of black fun that pokes wicked humor at religion and good will towards all to the tunes of The Police, The Go-Go's and the melodeous trio of Elliot, Plowright and Sting! Not a film for younger audiences, this is still adult subject matter that taken with a grain of treacle is likely to make you wish all devils were as georgous as a very young and studly Sting.
Would you like to see more reviews about this item?
Were these reviews helpful?
Let us know
Most Recent Customer Reviews
Before Sting got seriously annoying!
I know nothing about the play, so I am not comparing it in that way, but I did see echoes of Orton in this - Sloane reminded me of Stings version of Martin (though of course Sloane... Read more
Published 10 months ago by Flora Cake
"When The Trumpet Of The Lord Shall Sound And Men Shall Be No More"
The translation from play to film rarely works: 'Sleuth' and 'the Anniversary' spring to mind as successes, but the over-riding reality of these things is those messy Joe Orton... Read more
Published on 16 Mar 2010 by Paul Ess.
Disturbing, yet touching movie.
A disturbing, but at times touching movie about the life of a woman who's devoted to caring for her brain damaged daughter who was the victim of a hit and run accident. Read more
Published on 29 Dec 2008 by FAMOUS NAME
DVD disappointment
The movie, Brimstone and Treacle, is a very fine film adaptation of the play by Dennis Potter and all the actors give very good performances. A very entertaining film. BUT... Read more
Published on 22 Jan 2002
Customer Discussions
|
This product's forum
Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
|
Related forums
|
Listmania!
Look for similar items by category
Look for similar items by subject
Feedback
- Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
