Kattiera Nana I think this is a new genre that they're all sort of working their way through it and haven't got all the kinks worked out yet but it's a genre that works for me.

Limerculer A waste of 90 minutes of my life

Tayyab Torres Strong acting helps the film overcome an uncertain premise and create characters that hold our attention absolutely.

Nicole I enjoyed watching this film and would recommend other to give it a try , (as I am) but this movie, although enjoyable to watch due to the better than average acting fails to add anything new to its storyline that is all too familiar to these types of movies.

chaswe-28402 Stunningly successful cinematic treatment of a stage performance. Since I didn't see the stage show I'm not qualified to pass judgement on the filmic innovations, but I suspect they were ingenious and creative. The result is definitely cinematic, but highly unlike run-of the-mill movies. Packed with upwards of 25 recognisable British star names. The most memorable performance, imho, was that of Maggie Smith. I first saw this film about 1970, and the horrific moment when she reveals her harridan face has vividly stayed with me for 48 years. Another memorable scene was Corin Redgrave waving goodbye. Tickled to death to go. The film is also instructive. Amazing to discover that, by January 1915, 1,000,000 British men had actually volunteered to serve in this war. Particularly instructive was the film's opening section. Derided by some critics, I felt I learned a lot from seeing the map of Europe being rolled up, and the incomprehensible discussions between the major players. Does anybody know what this war was actually about ? It contrasts with the crystal-clear reasons for WWII, for which it paved the way. Underlying the narrative is the sinister but unavoidable sense that since we're all going to die, does it matter when ? Presumably it matters not when, but how. Hell's bells ting-a-ling for you but not for me. Toodle-oo, nah-poo, goodby-ee. Masterly: a far better film than Gandhi, which darling Dickie bangs on about in the DVD Special Feature.

peter_WMC Shocking, brilliant, unforgettable. The most brilliant indictment of the idiocy of war. Don't be discouraged by the title or the fact that it is a musical. It contrasts the propaganda and misinformation with the real horror and cost in lives of the war. It does it with music and song and with readings. All based on fact.A film that you will remember for ever.

richardmarquis-149-126832 In 1985 I attended a VE + 40 Party in a Village Hall near Cambridge, where I live, with a friend who later became a Fellow of King's College, Cambridge. We dressed as far as possible in 1940s clothes. I had a bowler hat, and he borrowed one from one of the King's porters. One of the attractions was a good band, dressed in 1940s British Army uniforms, with a brilliant tenor soloist who sang "When this Lousy War is over." There was complete silence afterwards for about 15 seconds or so, then tumultuous applause, after which the party really livened up, I decided to eat some Woolton Pie, a terrible erzatz ration dish named after Fred Marquis, First Earl of Woolton, one of my mother's cousins, I think. My father always insisted my mother serve it when cousin Fred came over as a kind of ironic payback. He'd been Minister of Food and Supply in Churchill's War Cabinet (I have one of his Red Boxes still). Since my fortieth birthday was coming up within a fortnight, to be celebrated in a big dinner At King's, I had not planned to drink anything much, but after that song and the feelings of pride and loss and heartbreak and beauty that it summoned up, I'm afraid I did drink quite a lot and in fact woke up next morning in a hedge. This film brings that evening flooding back!

TheLittleSongbird Richard Attenborough is one of our greatest directors and actors, and I have really enjoyed his movies with him as director; Gandhi, Shadowlands, Chaplin and Cry Freedom to name a few. Oh! What a Lovely War is one of his more interesting films, and perhaps his most audacious. While sometimes lacking the power of the play by Joan Littlewood, and sometimes the structure is a tad disjointed, it is still a very entertaining and ultimately moving film. Visually it is great to look at, with great looking sets and colourful costumes. Attenborough cleverly stages the music hall numbers, which are all outstanding, and the spoken dialogue still retains the delicious satire of the play. The performances from an all star cast are exemplary, including Laurence Olivier, Michael Redgrave, Vanessa Redgrave, Joe Melia, Dirk Bogarde, Phillis Calvert and John Gielgud. All the performances were wonderful, but two in particular stood out. One was Maggie Smith as one of the showgirls in a small but wholly relevant role in the film. The other is John Mills as Haig, a brilliant and understated performance. All in all, a very interesting film. 8/10 Bethany Cox