Such a frustrating disappointment

Save your money for something good and enjoyable

This is one of the few movies I've ever seen where the whole audience broke into spontaneous, loud applause a third of the way in.

An old-fashioned movie made with new-fashioned finesse.

Another very good example of an understated British flick being elevated by a strong cast into something worth notice. In a refreshing take on the WWII drama, the focus is on the ones who stayed behind in the war-torn south of England, like the farmers to feed the impoverished nation; the women to keep the factories running and, as in "The Land Girls", to work the land in place of the absent men.Stephen Mackintosh, my favourite underrated Brit actor, gives the film's best performance as Joe, the farmer's son who wishes he was anywhere but home, but he's well supported by Catherine McCormack, Rachel Weisz and Anna Friel as the unfeasibly but mercifully smouldering girls of the Women's Land Army. Tom Georgeson brings gruff character as Mr Lawrence, the farmer, and check out an early Paul Bettany appearance.Thousands of women found a new freedom in work during the War, but they were expected to return to their domestic, invisible lives once the men returned. "The Land Girls" is not cinema verité; and doesn't pretend to tackle the grimness my mother talks of in England in the 40s and 50s. But who cares? – when I want grim I'll watch a documentary; I'll settle back happily any day to watch fine actors in a quiet, 'little' film with gorgeous Dorset scenery (it really is that beautiful, visit if you can) and a tender story.It will be too slow, too uneventful, for some. Perhaps they'd have preferred a blowsy Hollywood version, where Antonio Banderas plays the farmer's son and Renee Zellwegger the upper crust beauty (hooray for the ghost of a UK film industry). But I found it gentle and charming just as it was; and when the ingredients are so fine to begin with, that's good enough for me. If you like this sort of thing I recommend Powell & Pressburger's magical "Canterbury Tale".

I must compare LAND GIRLS (1998)with the newly-released (2001) ENIGMA both of which I saw this evening. The more recent film is utterly cliche-ridden (Tom Stoppard, the screenwriter, even throws in a bit borrowed from John Buchan's 39 STEPS!) while David Leland's movie continues to surprise the viewer to the last frame. The horror,the restraint, the mood of Britain at war come through careful period reconstruction. Reality is heightened so that the dazzlingly photographed British countryside continually reminds us of the dark shadow of War which hangs over these young lives. The acting is uniformly good and many of the cast come from the British stage to deliver real truth-of-performance. Unlike ENIGMA'S characters you believe the Land Girls and the people around them.

I first saw this movie on cable with my significant other, and though I usually dread this type of film, I found myself drawn to the simple yet enjoyable plot. The love story between Stella and Joe was well done; slow, almost arduous, yet it seemed never to lag, and I felt very attached this movie and its cast. It's just one of those movies that really isn't much to look at or think about, but leaves you with an extremely -- well -- pleasant feeling. Casting was brilliant, and some of the cinematography took great advantage of the beautiful English countryside.

I like World War II dramas particularly the ones that delve into the more obscure aspects. Many interesting character dramas have evolved, notably, Schindler's List, Memphis Belle, The Americanization of Emily, Tuskeegee Airmen, and Hiroshima. Even the bio pics: Patton, Truman, Eisenhower all provided interesting perspective for me, where I had none before.The idea that England had a Woman's Land Army in WWII, whereby women went to take over farm chores as the men have gone off to war, sounds interesting. Women of all shapes and sizes, and backgrounds banding together for the common good, yep, it definitely has possibilities.Now add Catherine McCormack in the lead, a woman who has the opportunity over the next few years to surpass Michelle Pfeiffer, as the beautiful woman who CAN act, throw in stunning period locations and costumes, and Land Girls should not fail.But fail it does.The story of these three women (McCormack, Rachel Weisz, Anna Friel) is limp and un-centered, where, by comparison, The Tuskeegee Airmen is driving and informative.Pass on this mess, and if you want to see more of Catherine McCormack (aside from Braveheart) choose Dangerous Beauty instead.