Director Gabriel Nero (son of Vanessa Redgrave & Franco Nero-"Camelot" co-stars) & actor Joely Richardson (daughter of Vanessa Redgrave & Tony Richardson & sister of Natasha Richardson), make this heavy political drama- that is nearly a series of monologues by 1 of Britain's finest actors, Vanessa Redgrave-a family affair. Julia (Redgrave) becomes aware that people in a developing country, who labor as hard (if not harder) as she has done, have far less to show for it. This message is particularly poignant for people living in developed capitalist societies. The concept that 'if any person works at it enough they can achieve their dreams' is shown to be a Westernized myth that's simply not true for too many people who suffer from abject poverty. For Julia, this realization's difficult to accept as she witnesses it first hand when traveling to an under- developed nation. There she's sickened by poverty beyond the pale. This woman of conscience becomes ill with a fever & somewhat deliriously introspective. She asks questions of conscience that anyone from a capitalist, developed country may. She's tormented by the sight of such down-trodden people living in squaller. After her fever breaks, Julia's conscience is raised. When she begins wishing for what she once considered simple comforts at home, she can't do so without anguish. What she learned forced her to realize how privileged she lives. Joely Richardson is Julia at 30yo. (Both she & her sister, Natasha, strongly resemble their mother, so Joely being the younger Vanessa is clearly a great bit of casting by her brother Gabriel=director). Angeline Jolie is a revolutionary in a developing country with whom the elder Julia meets & converses. Documentarian Michael Moore is a reporter who holds a political conversation about ice cream. The main idea's that milk in ice cream is used to generate tourist money-spending in a developed country; but, in an under-developed one, milk sustains lives of impoverished starving people. That stark contrast is quite a powerful one. Although HBO's now airing this fine film, it's a treasure that marks the work of a privileged family of 'theatrical royalty' (The Redgraves) making a collective political effort, statement & art mainly through the voice of their family's matriarch, Vanessa. V. Redgrave has quite a large body of work that deals with cutting edge social issues; so this more extreme one is no surprise. Instead, I view it as one of her better acting achievements. Clearly the film benefits from the great intimacy imparted because of this being a family venture. A message to be taken from "The Fever" is that being socially aware of cultural diversity requires intense self-analysis of one's own culture! Can the culture we live in be deconstructed? Does a fish see the water it swims thru? To understand cultural difference, it must be experienced as Julia did. "The Fever" underscores this point & punctuates it with a bold exclaimation mark! It asks, since many people work hard, why do some benefit much more greatly than others? In truth, people who do the hardest labor reap the least benefits. In fact, they also suffer more as a result of damage done to their bodies & psyches. While so many suffer, so many prosper without laboring with nearly as much burden. I believe watching Vanessa Redgrave create an internal struggle through a series of monologues is a brilliant conscience raising masterpiece to own & re-view~Read full review
This movie is a flashback of memories: disturbing memories about the problems of the world and an individual's (our) relationship to them. The acting is first rate from Vanessa Redgrave, naturally. To me, the primary supporting cast is the collection of stories themselves and the personal reflections of the protagonist. I found the movie very thought provoking and well worth owning for repeat viewing.
I like that i got it so fast and they kept me posted at all time. I want to buy is so that it could be part of my movie world. One thing for sure i will be buying from them really soon.
Awful......period.Awful...awful...awful waste of time and money...ugh......................................................................................................................................................................................
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