Amadeus

Overlong, overstuffed, overripe, this film adaptation of what I consider to be a brilliant play (I saw it twice on Broadway) is nonetheless worth viewing. There are some thrilling moments, but too much emphasis on musical excerpts. The principals (Tom Hulce and F. Murray (Omar) Abraham) are excellent. The production is lavish, detail is flawless, but ultimately the film is hoisted by the petard of its own conventions. I didn't see it for a long time, because I was afraid that seeing it might have spoiled (spoilt?) the play for me. It didn't, but that's because I waited the requisite number of years before giving the VCR a go.