Insight The talents of Australian actress Cate Blanchett shine through again in this her latest film "Charlotte Gray". But our Cate [as the aussies call her] has plenty of good performances nipping at her heels including Billy Crudup and Rupert Penry Jones in this war thriller / romance set in 1943. Directed by acclaimed Australian Gillian Armstrong there is a strong focus on the role of women during WW2 including their use in espionage. In all the British trained some 5000 undercover officers who worked with resistance fighters and wreaked havoc on German forces in Europe, Africa and Asia. Of those 5000 special men and women over 1250 were killed. For women the task of serving their country as undercover agents in the SOE first began in the First Aid Nursing Yoemanry [FANY]. Dating back to WW1 [The Great War], the group of volunteers trained in many skills including becoming secret agents. Charlotte Gray [Cate Blanchett] is one of these many young women. The film follows closely the physical and mental aspects of performing under great pressure with the constant threat of discovery, betrayal, torture or death ever present. There is a lot of passion and spirit in "Charlotte Gray" with scenes ranging from poignant, to heartbreaking to joy, running viewers through the whole gambit of emotion and "Charlotte Gray" comes out pretty good in the end and more importantly a very enjoyable cinema experience. The scenery is a rich tapestry and the period is recreated surprisingly well. Doesn't quite have the legs to be a "biggie" but still worth seeing if only for the nostalgia and romance of a bygone period. The Story The world of 1943 is one at war and all good men and women must rally to the cause. A young scottish woman Charlotte Gray's chance encounter on a train will lead her to a journey of adventure, danger, discovery and finally true love. When Charlotte [Cate Blanchett] parachutes into France she is on two missions. One is to work with the french resistance, the other is to find out what has happened to a young RAF airman Peter Gregory [Rupert Penry Jones] shot down in a dog fight and now somewhere on French soil. The Verdict "A touching film that allows all the characters plenty of freedom. So much freedom in fact that Billy Crudup nearly steals the show from Blanchett. In the end though, most viewers will leave the theatre a little perplexed. "Charlotte Gary" is good, but perhaps too good and though very enjoyable niether the cast nor Australian director Gillian Armstrong [High Tide & My Brilliant Career] are quite able to pull it off big-time."

What The Critics Say "Charlotte is almost too good to be true. Blanchett makes her believable." The Wolf IOFILM.CO.UK "Mostly a sparkless film: a would-be thinking-person’s tearjerker whose cliché plot lines and ice-cold sentimentality sabotage its best intentions." Michael Wilmington CHICAGO TRIBUNE "Beautiful but dull." Mary F Pols CONTRA COSTA TIMES "The movie is almost breathlessly girlish, the kind of chaste, fantasy romance-adventure that might be imagined by a girl of 11 still dreaming of her first kiss." Jean Oppenheimer NEW TIMES LOS ANGELES "Not a great work but wields powerful weapons in its director and its star." Connie Ogle MIAMI HERALD "This is what they used to call a real 'movie movie.'" Rex Reed NEW YORK OBSERVER "Cate Blanchet made more movies this year than MGM and she was excellent in all of them. Her best shots for an Oscar nomination? Supporting actress in Bandits and Best Actress in Charlotte Grey." Joel Siegel ABCNEWS.COM "Redolent with luxurious, old-fashioned pleasures." Charles Taylor, SALON.COM "Despite all the huge themes it takes on -- love, war, good and evil, fear, self-discovery -- Charlotte Gray, the movie, has very little depth of any kind." Shirley Sealy FILM JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL "From the opening credits superimposed on the rushing view of lavender fields from a train, Charlotte Gray creates a superbly appealing atmosphere, in what is a triumph of brilliantly blended cinematography and production design, costumes and music. Together, they capture the bitter sweet nostalgia that gradually transforms into a melancholy love drama as Gillian Armstrong’s direction elicits memorable performances. Faultless locations and attention to the smallest detail pays off in taking us into the time and place of the story, in the wintry heart of war in France, in 1943." Andrew L Urban URBAN CINEFILE "An enthralling, visually spectacular and gripping tale about hope, love and courage, Charlotte Gray is totally compelling. I especially enjoyed the myriad of details that actually allow us to be 'mise en scene'. The costumes are superb: the detail is such that I am convinced that in one scene, the crooked seams of the stockings are intentional. Rich production design and the wonderful locations of the rolling French hills to the picturesque, historic village bring their own charm, while the splendid heavily stringed score conducts an orchestra of emotions in our hearts." Louise Keller URBAN CINEFILE The Cast Cate Blanchett Billy Crudup Michael Gambon Rupert Penry-Jones James Fleet Abigail Cruttenden Charlotte McDougall Robert Hands Tom Goodman-Hill Michael Fitzgerald Hugh Ross Martin Oldfield Nicholas Farrell Mike Burnside Damian Myerscough Victoria Scarborough John Pierce Jones Louise Vincent Gillain Barge ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... Charlotte Gray/Dominique Julien Lavade Levade Peter Gregory Richard Cannerley Daisy Sally Borowski Businessman at party Businessman at party Psychiatrist Assault course instructor Mr Jackson Morse code instructor Gun instructor Clare Monceau Monsieur Monceau Madame Cariteau Madame Galliot Directed by Gillian Armstrong Screenplay by Jeremy Brock Book by Sebastian Faulks Run Time 121 minutes Rated M15+ [AUST] Copyright©2002 - United International Pictures - All Rights Reserved

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