Evengyny Thanks for the memories!

Aedonerre I gave this film a 9 out of 10, because it was exactly what I expected it to be.

Hadrina The movie's neither hopeful in contrived ways, nor hopeless in different contrived ways. Somehow it manages to be wonderful

Quiet Muffin This movie tries so hard to be funny, yet it falls flat every time. Just another example of recycled ideas repackaged with women in an attempt to appeal to a certain audience.

A_Different_Drummer The great irony of course is that, because this was conceived as an "historical" -- almost educational -- drama, it never found an audience.Which of course is the insanity of the modern entertainment business.As a film, as a narrative, as a story, as entertainment it is perfect.Perfect as to script, casting, acting, direction, editing, the whole 9 years.In a parallel universe somewhere this film made it to theatres around the world and was cherished.In this is universe, it is actually hard to find a copy.

Imnozy Longitude is an example of the very best in television drama. Based on a true story, meticulously acted and directed, this is the type of movie that the British do better than anyone else in the world.The performances of the two principals, Michael Gambon and Jeremy Irons were awe inspiring, the excellent supporting cast did not let them down.What on the surface sounds like a dry story - the search for a means of accurately determining longitude at sea - and the obsession many years later of a returned WW1 soldier with locating and restoring the devices invented for that purpose - was turned into a genuine cliffhanger by the producers. Initially I found the switching from one story to another somewhat disconcerting, but it was done so well that it soon felt quite comfortable.This is the story of one man's lifelong trial and error search to perfect his devices and to win the prize offered for the solution to the longitude problem. Against all odds and at great damage to his health he and his son eventually succeeded. Interspersed with this is the story of another man centuries later who was determined to locate & restore the devices and to ensure their preservation for future generations.I can really recommend this show to anyone with an enquiring mind, who enjoys a fascinating story, excellently told.

gwat I thought this film was over-long, in particular the Gould/Irons story was boring and irrelevant, and the piece would have benefited by cutting this bit out altogether.Being a firm believer that truth is stranger and more interesting than fiction I was also disappointed by the sensationalising of events. This sort of dumbing-down of history is a real insult to viewers. The plot took the easy option at every point - the "Board" are villains from start to finish, Harrison not only proves his clock works but saves the bacon of the of ship or fleet at every turn, the proponents of the rival astronomical systems are all bungling fools. All nice cosy escapism I suppose. However, the acting was fine and the production values superb.

afuller *Possible spoilers follow*I had the pleasure of viewing Longitude on A & E last night after finding my self intrigued by the ads they had run during the day. Prior to seeing it, I must confess that I had been ignorant of the struggles of John Harrison or Dava Sobel's chronicle of them. Even though I was initially dismayed that the film appeared to be a British costume drama I decided to give it a chance. I am thankful I did, because I was absolutely engrossed after no more than thirty minutes. The overall premise is man's quest to determine an accurate method of determining his longitude to navigate the seas more safely. This hook is presented right at the beginning of the film and the title of the film is explained. As we will see later in the film, this problem is not easily solved. In this day and age of satellite GPS we find it amazing that such a great effort was undertaken to obtain information we take for granted on a daily basis. What makes the film work is that we experience this epic quest from two extremely intense personal struggles. Michael Gambon does not become John Harrison...Gambon IS Harrison! In this life, I will be privileged to view another performance as convincing as Gambon's. The net effect of this is to communicate Harrison's passion for solving the longitude problem and create great empathy within the viewer. However, what truly elevates "Longitude" as a film is the segues to and from the struggles of Rupert Gould, a brilliant man who became obsessed with the restoration and preservation of the Harrison chronometers in the first half of this century. Jeremy Irons' portrayal of Gould is nearly a match of Gambon's. Gould is presented as a kindred spirit to Harrison, and the interweave of both men's tales is deftly handled. Their triumphs and failures are layered upon one another, and this only serves to heighten the emotion evoked by the film. Believe me, emotion is evoked in spades as we see Harrison and Gould question their capabilities as engineers and scientists, whether or not the pursuit of their dreams is worth the opposition of the establishment, and if those same dreams are worth the sacrifice of their interpersonal relationships. There are several moving moments between Harrison and his faithful son William who is also magnificently played by Ian Hart. These personal struggles and triumphs are what drive the film and make the story of the solution to the longitude problem so compelling. "Longitude" is an utterly magnificent achievement of filmed entertainment that enlightens and moves the viewer with its epic yet intimate portrayal of a man attempting to solve a problem we find simple today but was considered the greatest scientific quandary of its time.