Stylish but barely mediocre overall

There are better movies of two hours length. I loved the actress'performance.

I am only giving this movie a 1 for the great cast, though I can't imagine what any of them were thinking. This movie was horrible

A terrific literary drama and character piece that shows how the process of creating art can be seen differently by those doing it and those looking at it from the outside.

For a decade or so, James Ivory directed a series of remarkable historical dramas that developed a well-deserved following, such as A Room with a View and Remains of the Day. Though this has a cast equal to the best of those, and the acting is indeed very fine, it is by no means as enjoyable as those masterpieces.The problem lies in the story. Mr. and Mrs. Bridge tells the story of an affluent couple in 1940s Mission Hills, KS. They are extremely sexually repressed, but it's not just a matter of sex. They have accepted all the upper middle-class values of their day, to the point that they simply do not allow themselves to live.Other movies have dealt with this same situation, and been more enjoyable because at least one character came to a realization of how those values imprisoned her/him and "made a break for it." Right off hand I think of Revolutionary Road, the 1950s story in The Hours, the wife in Pleasantville, etc. The Bridges go to Paris at one moment and the art in the Louvre seems to speak to her, but it never leads anywhere. Her best friend, who feels trapped in such a life, finally commits suicide, but it doesn't bring about an awakening in Mrs. Bridge. Finally, and perhaps symbolically, she becomes trapped in her car - but is towed out and goes on as before. From what I gather from some of the other reviews, Mrs. Bridge is presented as a dullard in the novel on which this is based, and her failure to see how lost she is presented as funny. That's certainly not the case here. We are supposed to sympathize with her, but she's so impervious sometimes, and downright dim-witted, that it's very hard to do so.Two hours of this is too much, and the end, which marks no change, emphasizes this. The story and the characters simply are not interesting enough to justify sitting through the movie, as well as it is acted and as beautifully as it is filmed. We get the point in the first 15 minutes or so; the rest of the movie adds nothing to that.I honestly cannot recommend that anyone watch it.

This is probably the least interesting of the Merchant Ivory movies. It's not based on a great novel just an average one. The strong point is Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward acting well. There are some insights into changing values and attitudes of the time but it's just not that interesting.Nothing very eventful or dramatic happens. It's just a meandering story about a family in the 30s with the main character being the mother. She has a emotionally distant husband who loves her in his own way. She is unappreciated by both him and her children who have their own struggles. She has a friend played by Blythe Danner going through some sort of breakdown. They have a little trip to Europe.In the end if feels more of a waste of time. While Merchant Ivory usually selects interesting novels or subjects to adapt I don't know why they decided on this rather boring story.It's far from a must watch.

the two books this movie was based on are some of my favorites. they perfectly, poignantly, and sometimes humorously capture the lives of an upper middle class couple of their time. the movie did a good job getting some parts right, but of course it pales in comparison to the two books. for those who live in or know kansas city well, its an interesting film. i live in the neighborhood in which it was set and go to the same places the characters did. otherwise, its still an interesting study of the lives of its time period.

Although it was filmed in my home town, the novel written by a friend's uncle, the Bridge home about 6 blocks from mine, it was like watching home movies. Someone else's home movies. It truly had the same effect as embalming fluid would. The only redeeming quality I can think of, is if you live in Kansas City and get a tingle out of seeing some familiar buildings onscreen, this should really send you. It sent me off to sleep.