Acensbart Excellent but underrated film

Dynamixor The performances transcend the film's tropes, grounding it in characters that feel more complete than this subgenre often produces.

WillSushyMedia This movie was so-so. It had it's moments, but wasn't the greatest.

Caryl It is a whirlwind of delight --- attractive actors, stunning couture, spectacular sets and outrageous parties. It's a feast for the eyes. But what really makes this dramedy work is the acting.

LeonLouisRicci Only the coldest heart could be unaffected by this story of an endangered species being mutilated for rich men's egos so they can have a gorilla hand ashtray or a severed head to brag about. Yes, the natives who actually do the killing do need to feed their families, but there are other, less brutal and intrusive ways. just because something has always been done or it is the easiest way, certainly does not make it right.So enter a real-life (they are the best kind) martyr, a woman of dubious sanity and complete commitment to a cause, Dian Fossey. She finds herself in a Mystical land studying a very rare and strange, but docile creature, the Mountain Gorilla.The fact that the species is on the verge of extinction, not by natural causes, but by the aforementioned poaching, is at the heart and is the core of her crusade. The Movie is time compressed and some of the motivation, besides just complete compassion, can be seen as thin and some of her more crazy behavior unjustified.But as enlightening and soulful entertainment this is quite engaging. It is inspiring, heartbreaking, and frustrating. It is an excellent work and artistic license aside, can be commanding by all involved and a fine tribute to a noble and troubled Woman. Fortunately, her work and over the top involvement in the mist, was and is an example of One determined fight against all odds and she did succeed, but at such a heavy cost. She probably would think that it was worth it.

George-Holmes I guess I shouldn't vote on something I haven't seen all of. It could have risen to an 8. Then again it could have sunk to a 1. Or a zero.The best words to describe it are clunky, awkward, clumsy and uninspired. Sigourney Weaver (who I think is a terrific actress most of the time) is terrible here. I couldn't tell if she was going for camp comedy or melodrama, but it had to be one of the two. Her delivery was either wooden or awkwardly over the top. John Waters likely would not have allowed it, his movies have a consistency and flow to them, regardless of whether or not you are drawn to the subject matter.Granted, the script doesn't help and the director seems to be on auto-pilot.I'm also never a big fan of movies that depict ignorant foreigners entering a culture and loudly and brashly disrupting it and becoming very indignant when they can't walk all over it and subvert it for their own needs, despite centuries of culture being at stake. This kind of lack of sensitivity and tunnel vision tends to remind me of the attitudes that precluded slavery.I do however, give the film 2 points for beautiful cinematography, and one point for the acting of Weaver's friend who seems quite believable as a loyal friend and guide who sees the bigger picture but is powerless to impart this wisdom to Fossey. I took off the film (for a second time) about halfway through, just as Bryan Brown's character arrived, and he had only spouted a few clichés before I took it off again, so my I've made no judgement of that actor.The late 80's was a time of smug, disposable movies being churned out. Thank god it's over, (although some say it's coming back again) but you still be burned at the video store, and of course for a few hours of your time. I escaped with only one hour wasted.

moviesleuth2 Dian Fossey was definitely a strange person, that much is certain. "Gorrillas in the Mist" aptly conveys that, though it could have been more.The only real problem is the lack of depth. The pacing is great, especially given the long history it's telling. Even though it is a little long as it is, I think that more insight could have been useful, especially when it comes to Dian's relationship with the gorilla Digit. As someone who previously knew some background on Dian, I can't say for certain how the average person would have seen the relationship between Dian and Digit (it was nothing weird at all, if that causes worry), but the short time devoted to the connection between the two probably wouldn't have given it justice, especially when compared to the other parts of Dian's life. I think another person with no prior knowledge of Dian or Digit would have thought her as weird as everyone else who knew her. Maybe that's what director Michael Apted wanted, though I highly doubt it given his attention to Dian's aggressive conservation methods.Finally, the ending is rather peculiar. It makes Dian look like a heroine, which in a way she was, as much of her research did help save the mountain gorillas from extinction. It has the adorable images of gorillas in their natural setting set to heroic memoriam music, the kind that one uses after telling the story of a fallen hero. However, this isn't such a clear cut issue. I realize that recognizing her as that is in the eye of the beholder, but even so, some of her methods were quite cruel, and especially towards the end, she wasn't a likable person at all. Additionally, it leaves a lot of the science part out (though given the target audience, this decision was probably made with good intentions). However, her methods of research were controversial, as most scientists believe that human interference should be avoided at all costs. But Dian took a radically different approach. She studied them in order to get close to them, which gave her a different perspective on their behavior.That being said, there are many parts of this film that do work. Sigourney Weaver is terrific as Dian Fossey, encompassing her soft side and her love of the gorillas, as well as her portrayal of Dian's dark side, with her explosive and near psychotic temperament. But she can't hold this movie alone. The script (especially the character) don't allow for a great deal of sympathy for Dian. In the end, I was left thinking she was a nutcase who did a lot of good things, as well as bad things. Also, she was very successful at conveying Dian's struggle with the atmosphere due to health problems, though the movie doesn't explain why.The supporting cast is great. Bryan Brown is the likable Aussie photographer who makes his relationship with Dian very believable--he loves her, even though he thinks she's a little off her rocker. John Omirah Miluwi is terrific as her sympathetic tracker. He likes her enough that he'll support her through everything, and effectively portrays the character who brings her back to reality when she needs it (which is quite often) without seeming cliché or irritating. Sometimes he seems like a father figure who is happy when his daughter is happy. He's the only person who really seems to understand Dian, which makes it easier to connect with Dian. In a sense, he's the much-needed link between Dian and the audience, so it's good that he shares the screen with Weaver almost 50/50.The production is brilliant as well. Apted makes the scenery beautiful, but he doesn't portray is as exotic as some fantasy safari, which it wasn't. He plays it straight, which is as it should be. This was about all parts of Dian, and just Dian alone. Therefore any weird and inventive camera or other kinds of tricks were not needed and thankfully were not used. The gorillas were the part that worked flawlessly. It was impossible to tell which were real or which were fake without considering that some of the close-ups had to be people in gorilla suits. Still, they moved and acted flawlessly.Even with it's faults, "Gorillas in the Mist" is a great film, with an interesting character study of a woman who is no doubt one of the most influential figures in ape research and conservation.

Brigid O Sullivan (wisewebwoman) It is a shame how a movie treatment can be made of a world-renowned character, like Ms Fossey, that bears very little relationship to the person she was, as portrayed both by her own book and the books written about her.Her character remains unknown in this movie. And I've watched it for a second time now, to see if the first frustration with which I viewed it, when it was first released, had left me. No, it hadn't. It starts off poorly, with a fictionalized account of how Fossey met Louis Leakey, the famed anthropologist and how she begs him for a job. Simply not true. Fossey had already been to Africa at the time she met Leakey and he was the one who asked her to go there and work with the endangered gorillas, then numbering well under a 100. I don't even see the benefit of making this autobiographical change to the story. Fossey's motivation for going on this hazardous mission, leaving a fiancé in the U.S. is never explored. Was she is in love, as some speculate, with Leakey? Her love and interest in the gorillas is never in doubt and in real-life her obsession consumed her such that her eccentricity became sociopathic to the degree that her distrust of humans encompassed anyone who crossed her path from her students to the government of Rwanda.Her relationship with the National Geographic photographer is unfortunately Hollywoodized here and does not reach the intellectual level of harmony that they had in real life, they knew from the beginning , because of their individual interests and pursuits, that it was doomed to short-term, but celebrated the "in the moment" aspect of it. This could have been portrayed on screen a lot better.The shift to sociopathic personality, about halfway through the movie is too sudden to ring true and the ending feels rushed and "let's get it over with already". Her murder was appalling and undeserved but she had made many enemies, not the least of whom were her students from whom she demanded servility and unquestioning obedience.Sadly, I think she was ill-served in this bio-pic, perhaps a deeper psychological exploration of her character will be made at some point.However, the gorilla filming was breathtaking.6 out of 10.