Sylvia [DVD]

The film Sylvia deals with the second half of poet Sylvia Plath's life, primarily on her marriage and motherhood and final great creative efforts. It is a tragic tale. It is tragic for within the wonderful creative person is growing depression, anxiety, and suspicion. The film reminds us that the human condition is fragile despite the strength and brilliance of creativity and genius. Of course there has been much back and forth around who was right and who was wrong in the Ted Hughes-Sylvia Plath marriage. I must say that the film is extremely fair and even-handed, never fully taking the part of Hughes over Plath or Plath over Hughes.It is extremely difficult to make an interesting movie about a depressed creative genius and at least this film attempts to explore the untreated clinical depression that plagued Plath and made her life miserable and drove her husband away. What a complete tragedy that the artist found that the very quality within her that was making her miserable also drove away the person she loved most and thus even made her more miserable. Is there any character in mythology who found that the more they approached the beloved, the more the very act of approach drove the beloved away? This was the dilemma that Plath faced.I was also touched by the struggle that Plath underwent being pulled into the world of the living by her children, her guilt about leaving them motherless, and yet the depressed undercurrent continually pulling her into the land of the dead. There is a scene of almost unspeakable pain where Plath puts her children in a car and drives to the ocean where she plans to drown herself. She looks back at the car before walking into the rough surf and sees the tiny innocent eyes of her children watching her every move. She just could not kill herself at that point and reluctantly and defeated she returns to the world of the living.Yet there is a flaw in the film that is difficult to address. For basically we see a terrible tragedy of a depressed woman lose her husband through jealousy and insecurity and then finally commit suicide and yet we only get a few glimpses of her brilliance. What a struggle her life must have been and yet there were periods of great creativity as evidenced by her life's workGwyneth Paltrow does a great job and is perfectly matched by Daniel Craig as Ted Hughes. The photography and art direction are a concert in gray and black, moody colors to match the brooding depression in Sylvia's mind.

The largest and most overplayed criticism of this film is that Sylvia Plath's daughter did not like it. Notably, she never saw it, said this before the movie came out, made some off-color cynical comments about the movie fetishizing her mother's life for those who lacked the imagination to picture an anguished woman sticking her head in the oven.I absolutely don't blame her for saying so. If someone made a movie about my parent or family member, I would likely hate them and reject the whole ridiculous idea. The film itself, however, sensitively portrays both the life and the death of the author, and Gweneth, whatever you might think of her silly side project Goop or her uncoupling, is here an eerily brilliant actress giving one of her best performances.The plot of the film makes it an often uncomfortable viewing, but it has many rewarding moments of inspiration as well. They incorporate SOME of her best poetry (hard to do in a film) and evokes some very difficult relationships in the life of a talented as well as troubled author. Her moodiness is often painfully tangible. At times she acts with childlike vulnerability, at other times like a soul too old for her own good.Ultimately, if the film were excessively 'comfortable,' it would probably be dishonest or Hollywoodesque. On the other hand, perhaps her life was far more fun than we give it credit for. Hopefully I'll return to improve this review later, but that's all I've got for now.

But I was glad to run across it. It was depressing as I knew it would be given who it was about. Paltrow and Craig do great jobs as you expect them to. However, I never knew this side to Plath. Never. And I studied literature in one of my undergraduate degrees. So I looked it up and realized it was true. . . people even hated Ted Hughes for his treatment of her. It showed me a new facet to Plath. I guess the literary world portrays her as a semi-feminist with a strong side. Yeah who can be classified as strong when they try to end their lives so many times right? But her writings had a strong tone. And to see that she was just another co-dependent mentally abused woman by a cheating spouse shocked me. Anyway it is worth your time. I guess I just missed this in the theatres as Paltrow seemed to have too many good movies for a while there that her performances all seemed to be the same (even though they were not) and I think the obsession with Plath's misery gets old . . . the glamorizing of it does . . . for me. But again I am glad I ran across this movie and took the time to watch it.

You don't have to be familiar with SYLVIA PLATH'S poetry to enjoy this film, which is a sensitive reconstruction of Sylvia'slife and death in England. The opening shot of SYLVIA pedalling furiously towards her Cambridge College catches the mood of her intense, driven attitude to everything -- whatever she did was full tilt, no half measures. And she wanted a man to match: in Ted Hughes she found her soul-mate -- they met and married in a matter of months - four, if I remember correctly.And who could play this man who would in the distant future become our POET LAUREATE? Daniel Craig, that's who -- he is all forceful conviction and with the presence to match her intensity. Gwyneth Paltrow plays Sylvia with energy, pathos, and conviction. They make a great pair, and together have made a fine film.

Both Paltrow and Craig turn in masterful performances as Plath and Hughes. Both of them have striking likenesses to the characters they portray in real life and produce a film that is accurate and insightful in relation to the actual real story.Given the subject matter this is a dark and sad film but it couldn't be anything else if it was to be true to the real life story.if you are studying Plath or Hughes at School or College, then watch this, as it brings the story to life.

This film portrays accurately the relationship between Sylvia Plath and Ted Hughes, both played wonderfully by Gwyneth Paltrow and Ted Hughes. Extremely sad, it cannot fail to move anyone interested in the life of probably the greatest female poet of the twentieth century.

It did not say in the advert it was produced for the Dutch market although the dialogue was alright there were no English subtitles and as I am hard of hearing it was difficult to follow as some of the actors did not speak clearly. I will be more careful in future and only by direct from Amazons own.

it's very heartfelt and sensitive, obviously it's a biographical storyline, but done very tastefully and stylishly. it makes me close to tears every time as i feel for the little babies Plath left behind. Amazing acting by Paltrow and Craig, emotional but one of my favourite films nonetheless