Clint Eastwood stars in his final movie portraying Walt Kowalski. He is a cantankerous and bitter Korean War veteran. He displays a large Stars and Stripes flag on the front of his house. After his wife's' funeral he realises that he is all alone in the world and the fact that his children attempt to put him in a home whilst giving him his birthday gifts only compounds the issue. The community is dominated by Hmong and Latin immigrants. He is constantly hassled by his priest to go to confession which was his wife's' dying wish.
The film comes to life when his neighbour Thao attempts to steal his vintage Gran Torino as a gang initiation. He becomes embroiled with his neighbours struggles to keep Thao from the grips of a Hmong gang. The relationship between Thao,Sue (his sister) and Walt develops throughout the movie and his acceptance of the Hmong culture is truly enlightening.
It is a journey of discovery for the grumpy old man and the conclusion is very emotional and is not the typical ending to a Clint Eastwood (Dirty Harry) movie.
Walt Kowalski is a Korean vet living in a Michigan neighbourhood now inhabited by immigrant families. Gran Torino tells of his struggles after the death of his wife and his attitude toward his remaining family and neighbours.
I was one of the few people that didn't see this film on the cinema but I have just watched the DVD and thought the film was quite slow but the fight scenes were great when they come along. Overall I would say it's a good film that you have to see.
This season of Family Guy was hilarious; almost every episode had me in stitches. This season features things like; Peter getting a new dog, Stewie opening up a new nightclub and bonnie finally giving birth to a baby..... You have to either watch it or buy it. I recommend buying it from Play because £16.99 is a bargain! I've already pre-ordered
Some films are less than the sum of their parts but as long as there are some very good parts you can still end up with a film worth watching. By the end of The Changeling there is the nagging feeling that this should have been an outstanding film rather than merely a very good one. All the elements are there with Angelina Jolie fiercely independent yet thwarted by the corrupt system, John Malkovich's pastor initially ambiguous but becoming surprisingly sympathetic as the battle against injustice pans out and a brilliantly unsettling performance from Jason Butler Harner as a deeply disturbed yet oddly vulnerable killer. There are some excellent performances in minor roles from children as well as adults and a moving tale to tell. Despite the powerful story however, several strands play out in frustratingly unconvincing ways, not least the swiftness with which a mother accepts the wrong child and the child's ultimate reasons for playing along. For all Clint Eastwood's experience some of the blame must be directed at him for the uneven feel at a few key moments: some things are rushed, others too laboured. Perhaps the most serious miss-step is to show a hanging in such graphic detail when less would have been so much more.
The Changeling is frequently very good rather than consistently compelling but the elements of this story and quality of the cast deserved so much more. Like the Irish accent employed by Jeffrey Donovan's police captain, you feel there are too many flaws to feel fully satisfied.
A professor of philosophy witnesses a tragic ballooning accident and is subsequently stalked by one of the other witnesses.
Based on a book by Ian McEwan, Enduring Love has an arresting start and a powerful end but a very lumpy, uneven middle which lurches between dumb, dull, exasperating, and plain unpleasant. Despite the literary origin the script much prefers monosyllabic utterance, the characters - largely well-educated - frustratingly incapable of articulating what they are going through, with considerable loss of sympathy from the audience.
The casting of Daniel Craig as a mild-mannered professor of philosophy takes some swallowing, especially as his lectures on the nature of love are pitched at an embarrassingly juvenile level. Indeed, when he brings forth his insights, they resemble nothing so much as a pothead convinced of his spurious profundity: "Perhaps love is an illusion! Perhaps love has no purpose!" Far out, man. One of his students, even less articulate, is quite blown away by such "dangerous" thoughts. Craig's level-headed girlfriend does not believe that love is an illusion but can only look on in bewilderment as the accident and the stalker take over his life.
Rhys fans is creepily disturbing as the stalker and Samantha Morton is appealing as the girlfriend but a very good supporting cast including Bill Nighy and Susan Lynch as Craig's friends and Helen McCrory as the dead man's widow is sadly underused. The film benefits from sequences of considerable visual panache: the way that a picnic in idyllic countryside descends into vertiginous nightmare is spectacularly well caught, whilst a scene in which Craig careens back to his apartment in mounting panic employs unsettling camera angles and a camera seemingly mounted on the actor's face to fabulously claustrophobic effect. Very much in tandem with this is the remarkable score by Jeremy Sams which is a gloriously and unashamedly old-fashioned work for conventional orchestra, unafraid to accentuate the melodrama. But in the end it all amounts to too much show, too little substance.
Opening with archive news footage and the first official report that Mayor Moscone and Harvey Milk had been shot, and interspersed throughout with Milk recording his will just days before the assassinations, Gus Van Sant's Milk was always going to be a bittersweet gem of a film. After this emotional beginning, the action shifts back in time to 1970 and Harvey Milk (Sean Penn delivering an Oscar winning performance) celebrating his 40th birthday in New York and meeting his much younger lover, Scott Smith (James Franco). Dissatisfied with the direction that his life has taken, Milk suggests that he and Smith move to San Francisco where they can start afresh and hopefully find greater acceptance of their relationship. They open the Castro Camera shop in the heart of Eureka Valley, a formerly conservative Catholic neighbourhood which was slowly developing into a predominantly gay area known as The Castro. To counter the opposition and discrimination that they encounter from long-term residents of the neighbourhood, Milk uses his business skills to become a gay rights activist and campaigner for social justice and equality. At first, Scott Smith works as Milk's campaign manager but he eventually becomes disillusioned with Milk's dedication to politics and leaves him. After several unsuccessful political campaigns, Milk is eventually elected to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors in 1977 and becomes the first openly gay man to be elected to public office in the United States. Although Milk works well with Mayor Moscone (Victor Garber) and most of the other Supervisors, he has a difficult relationship with Dan White (Josh Brolin), a former police officer who is conservative both socially and politically. Milk and White have an irreparable falling out over Milk's successful opposition to Proposition 6, legislation that would make it illegal for homosexuals and those who support them to work in public schools, and White resigns from the Board of Supervisors. White later changes his mind and asks to be reinstated but Mayor Moscone, after being lobbied by Milk and other liberal Supervisors, denies his request. On 27th November 1978 Dan White returns to City Hall and shoots dead both Mayor Moscone and Harvey Milk. The film ends with a highly emotive shot of the massive candlelight vigil that took place on the streets of San Francisco in memory of Milk and Moscone and, with a particularly nice touch given the emotional rapport that has developed between the audience and the characters, pictures of the actual people depicted and summaries of their lives precede the closing credits. I think Milk has got to be the best film I have seen this year, it is a success in every way. Sean Penn is a truly exceptional and versatile actor who seems able to transform himself into anyone from anywhere and his portrayal of Harvey Milk seems to be a perfect recreation of the Milk I have seen in news footage. Josh Brolin and James Franco also deliver skilled, pathos filled performances. Being based on a fairly well-known true story, there may well not be any surprises or twists in the tale but Dustin Lance Black's script has captured perfectly the place and people involved and the audience are drawn into the story from the very beginning. Milk is very possibly Gus Van Sant's most perfect film (yes, even better than My Own Private Idaho) and this DVD release has some great special features - buy it, watch it, then tell your friends about it!
Absolutely fantastic value for money, i have seen every episode of dawsons creek numerous times and i still can't seem to get myself to turn it off. The first time i wathced it i was hooked from the first episode, i would reccomend this box set to anyone because you will be getting a numerous episodes jam packed with romance, comedy, and drama. i don't regret buying mine at all, one of the best things i have spent my money on!
The first season of Prison Break is exactly what you'd expect from the title - convicts trying to escape from prison. The series can be clever and exciting as you join Michael Schofield and crew of cons attempt to break out of Fox River State Penitentiary. Mixed agendas and quick twists of both loyalties and storyline are common and add to the drama and ongoing enigmatic elements of where this is all headed. You follow two main storylines - Michael's intellectual but complex escape plans and the effort to prove from outside the penitentiary, the innocence of his brother Lincoln, who is on death row for the supposed murder of Terrance Stedman (the brother of the Vice President.) The viewer quickly learns of the bureaucratic and desperate measures in place to avoid any kind of 'truth' prevailing surrounding the odd circumstances of the 'murder.' It is an all-round good series when you're watching it, but personally I felt it was nothing extraordinary and after catching the first couple of episodes of season two admittedly, will not be going out of my way to watch it further. It perhaps lacks a chance for true character development- which may reflect the restrictions of life within prison. As with everything, some people may absolutely love this series and there are many likable elements and exciting episodes and it is definitely entertaining enough to warrant watching.
Absolutely brilliant. A stroke of genius. Each and every character no matter how large or small the role is hilarious in their own way and they can all hold their own on screen. Definitely one of the best TV series ever. This box set also comes with mountains of bonus material from behind the scenes.
Drag Me To Hell is a scary, ghoulish and slightly camp fright-movie which laughs in the face of death!
Verdict
very entertaining!
Rather than "excellent", the rating should be callled "eeeeeeeeexcellent" as that is the way Mr Brittas says it.
This sitcom is another excellent piece of comedy from the world leaders in good television, the UK. How we envy you in the rest of the world.
If you liked Fawlty Towers, you'll like The Brittas Empire too. It is funny and well written and just simply funny sometimes because of the absurdity, for instance Carole's keeping her children in drawers in reception or Colins utter disgustingness.
Another point: As a gay man myself, I thoroughly enjoyed the characters of Tim and Gavin. In the media, homosexual men are often depicted in a stereotypic way, but this is not the case here. It just works natural although we don't see a kiss. :(
The video quality is as can be expected, it looks like television because it is. The audio is mono, but it doesn't really matter because the dialogue is the important.
There is only one negative comment I have to make: The extra features are far too few and far too dull.
Otherwise: Buy it! 10/10 or eeeeeeexcellent.
My God,
This movie will put thoughts in your mind that will last forever! It is really not recommended for minors or kids. I think this is the reason it has not come out on DVD in the USA. Very powerful mind control Flick. It has affected me, since it could be real.
When Truman Capote read about the tragic slaying of a Kansas family in the New York Times, his sharp, inspiration driven mind saw potential in not only the story of the victims but the motives of the killers. With help from fellow writer Harper Lee, he set about a famous investigation into the deaths. Dreamily beautiful and delicately handled, this biopic concentrates on the changeable period in Capote's life when he befriended the two murderers, Richard Hickock and Perry Smith. By interviewing these two convicts as they await execution of death row, Capote found an emotional connection with Perry Smith, the more sensitive and intellectual of the two, who notably placed a pillow under a teenage boy's head before shooting him in the face. This little quirk is of the kind Capote desired, weaving together accounts of the murders with his own narrative style to create "In Cold Blood", allegedly the world"s first "non-fiction novel". The course of the film mostly serves as a detailed look at the relationship between Capote and killer Perry Smith. It handles the would-be-friendship with a balance of intelligent script-writing and very natural acting, without blowing it out of proportion. The result is exceptional, as you start to wonder what Truman Capote"s motives really were for "In Cold Blood". In discussions between himself and his editor, Capote speaks of needing a definite ending to the book. Of course, as an audience we know the outcome, but Capote flirts with the idea of trying to stop the execution, or at the very least delay it. He knows, however, this would not give the desired satisfying conclusion to his forthcoming work, but the thought of two gold-mines of literary inspiration being wasted leaves him confused and heart-broken. While watching the film the viewer is not confused. Phillip Seymour Hoffman's outstanding acting not only makes Capote an interesting character to get to know, but he is wonderful to watch. With the famously high pitched voice, this could have been a comic, zany, caricature. Instead we get an almost melodic tone of voice that isn't at all hard to listen to, with the emotional backing that cries out for award recognition. The most harrowing scene is the moment before the execution, when Capote knows that the outcome he partially hoped for is now imminent. It is all the more hard to watch for the viewing audience, as we have come to wish the convicts dead, but also sympathise with them and their position. This is not a popcorn movie, nor is it exciting entertainment. But I do not mean this as criticism. This should earn the film more respect for not straying into these tempting, money making genres. By keeping sombre and unglamorous, "Capote" is an uncompromising success, definitely worthy of all the awards and recognition it has received.
The classic Grimm's fairytale gets an atmospheric update in this disturbing Korean horror. However, it must be said that only the basic structure of the fairytale are left - there is a house in the woods, and there's more than a nod to cannibalism. But the house isn't made of sweets (although sweets are eaten as a meal by the family living inside) and the house becomes a safe haven for a young man, Eun-soo, who's stumbled away from the wreck of a car crash. When he collapses in the forest, a young girl leads him to the "House of Happy Children". Creepiness oozes from every floorboard, from the cupcake and marshmallow breakfasts they serve their confused traveller to the oddly behaving parents who smile, beam but disappear very suddenly.
When the parents vanish, the children are left in the hands of Eun-soo (and unsurprisingly, he's more than a bit miffed about this situation). But they aren't alone for long, as another pair of sinister adults turn up, and prove far more dangerous than the missing parents. As the second act of the movie enters into more upsetting and visceral areas of horror, we realise that, unlike the fairytale, it is the children here who shall have their enemies for breakfast. However, as more fairytale themes are recklessly ransacked for horror delights, the story starts to buckle under the strain. By the end, you get the feeling that directors Pil-Sung Yim & Yim Phil-Sung may have had something interesting to say about child abuse and the revenge children inflict on their betrayers, but any profound messages are lost under the sheer hysteria of the terror onscreen. Endless shocks and jolts may keep the viewer safe from boredom, but do little to establish a core communication of meaning or reason.
Far removed from anything that could describes as a "children's fantasy", this is dark, shocking and at times upsetting to watch. But never before has such a sense of foreboding and menace been created from such a simple set-up, and for that experience alone I am grateful I gave this reimagining of a classic story a go. Just don't show it to the kids.
"...Just, one more thing..." four words that have spelt the end for many an onscreen killer, four words spoken by shabby, mild mannered investigator Lt. Colombo (Peter Falk); forget your DNA sequencers & crime scene investigators, for when Colombo's on the case; its curtains for any and all wrongdoers. A great DVD set because no matter how many times you may've seen an episode, there's always something to grab your attention; with an ingenious narrative structure that reveals the murderer in the first scene, 'Colombo' is all about character and analysis. One of those rare shows that actually gets you thinking; for every crime appears flawless, every culprit elusive & Machiavellian and yet their heinous deeds are slowly unravelled by a combination of genteel persuasion and good old fashioned police work. Colombo isn't loud or uncouth, and his dogged determination draws comparisons to Jacques Vergès in that he's all about the facts, has no predilection towards egomania, never humiliates or feels the need to harass his suspects but simply lets the evidence speak for itself. As the programme ran for eleven years with seven feature length specials, they're bound to be a few duff episodes here & there, but the ratio of hits to misses is high enough to ensure the cigar chomping gumshoe gets a recommendation from me. Classic TV.
70s cult classic from action auteur Walter Hill; 'The Warriors: Ultimate Director's Cut' breathes new life into an old B-movie warhorse that's as much fun today, as it must've been 30 years ago. A historic gang meet in The Bronx turns ugly, when conspirators assassinate unifying, charismatic gang leader; Cyrus and frame 'The Warriors' for his murder. Now on hostile turf, in an increasingly chaotic situation and miles away from their patch on Coney Island, 'The Warriors' brave the mean streets n' subways of NYC, battling cops & rival gangs alike, in a desperate bid get home in time for their tea. I liked the introductory allusions to Greco-Persian literature (i.e. 'The Warriors' represent Greek mercenaries who fought for 'The Persian Empire' and found themselves having to fight their way home). Michael 'Swan' Beck's line: "When we saw the ocean we figured we were home, safe" is a nod to the famous "thalatta, thalatta!" ("The sea, the sea!") line from Xenophon's 'Anabasis'. In which Greeks are recruited into Prince Cyrus's army to reclaim the throne of Persia from Artaxerxes, but when Cyrus is slain in battle, the campaign is rendered useless hence the story of a fighting fallback. Here; Cyrus's great truce is declared null & void after his assassination. One of the first things you'll notice is just how intentionally camp these teenaged tearaways are: posing and overacting as if their lives depended on it; the bad dudes in this picture are about the most genteel, non-threatening bunch of gang bangers you're ever likely to meet, some of them are just extremely polite; even paying for their train tickets and forming an orderly queue through the barriers. You had African American Kung-Fu masters 'The Riffs' (Cyrus was their leader), lipstick lesbians 'The Lizzies', mimes (WTF?) 'The Hi Hats', snazzy cats 'The Boppers' the sharp dressing 'Saracens', Black Panther-esque paramilitaries 'The Panzers', baseball oddballs 'The Furies' and of course, this war to end all wars wouldn't be complete without the dulcet tones of the Gramercy 'Riffs' DJ, putting out the word on 'The Warriors' always accompanied by an appropriate song (e.g. 'Keep On Running' etc). Acting comes a distant second to pace & action as Ajax (James Remar) sells killer lines like: "those lousy skinhead f***s", "did we lose those f***ing clowns yet?" and "what's the matter; you going faggot?" a line which has an audible clang of irony, coming as it does from a character who spends all his time around guys with a penchant for wearing matching outfits, tight jeans and the occasional tank top. Some of the deleted scenes were excellent, particularly part of Cyrus's speech and where Warrior Cleon selects the nine who'll attend the meeting. 'The Warriors' also boasts a unique visual style that emphasises the comic book feel, achieved to great effect by director Walter Hill & cinematographer Andrew Laszlo (who'd go onto do 'Streets Of Fire', 'Southern Comfort' and 'First Blood'). The actual comic book transitions aren't necessary, since we get the idea, though I presume they're included to give the film an episodic, pulp fiction feel. Michael Beck puts in a good, Val Kilmer-esque performance as War Chief Swan alongside Deborah Van Valkenburgh as pouting, loud mouth hooker-with-a-heart-of-gold; Mercy. A great film, though its difficult to say why; for nothing much happens: 'The Warriors' fight some other equally ludicrous gangs, run, jump on the train, run from some cops, beat up some cops, jump on the train and so on. But its all done with such verve, pace and forward momentum that you can't help but be taken along for the ride; cheering these hapless, wannabe tough guys on their perilous journey home. So if you're looking for a gritty, accurate portrayal of the New York underworld, look elsewhere (or read Sol Yourik's novel which is a lot more serious than Hill's adaptation) but if its 90 minutes of vibrant escapism and a drive-in movie style gang picture you're after, then watch 'The Warriors': "CAAAAN YOU DIG IT?"
An exceptional blend of tense thriller and science fiction mystery with some mind-blowing set-pieces that leap off the screen on blu-ray. I rented this to decide if I wanted to buy it...and now it's number 1 on my wish list.
Nicolas Cage is excellent (and I'm not a fan!) and the children give very natural performances.
Ignore the critics and try to avoid hearing about the ending.
Personally I felt the ending was excellent; because the film could so easily have gone down the 'hero saves the day' route; but instead it went for a very original and shocking ending.
Easily in my top 10 films of this year.
Brilliant British Motion Picture.
Based on the novel: "Bethnal Green" by Michael Fisher. This motion picture presented 'life in the raw'. This was the first film I ran when organiser/projectionist of 'Ebbw Vale College Of Further Education Students Union Film Society' during the middle of the 1960's.
London Locations.
This ground breaking British motion picture was shot on locations - mainly around the Bethnal Green area, London, England, United Kingdom. The extensive location filming shows the reality of a London that was already beginning to alter, and eventually vanish, and is now either largely forgotten altogether or now over romanticised. The location filming adds a great deal to the authenticity and atmosphere of the story. Capturing a moments in time before the small terraced streets were demolished and replaced by high rise non character structures, it's a superb record of how life really was, pulling very few punches, but still showing the occasional glimmer of light. In fact, there's even an almost happy ending.
Not Swinging London.
This motion picture is not filled with the kookiness of the 'Swinging London' motion pictures that followed later in the 1960's decade. Christmas decorations, hats bursting into flames, cats and caged canaries, one character's unexpected yearning for a career in escapology, the climactic pub brawl - all the better for being filmed on location in an actual public house - when bawdy bits of comic relief temper a well realised display of violence that could have otherwise be thought too realistic and may have caused problems with the British Board Of Film Censors.
Filmatic Elements Combined.
It mixes the nit and gritty realism elements of early 1960's kitchen sink with classic British crime thriller story line. The well worked characters strong, the tone of this filmatic work is just right and the cast is excellent with stars and supporting cast including:- Bernard Lee ('M' James Bond) as the ageing redundant father who turns strongman father. Doris ('On The Buses') Hare as mother. Roy Kinnear as the factory foreman. William Marlowe as the gang hard man Charlie Batey, also one must not forget the fabulous Rita Tushingham and 1960's pop idol Mike ('Come Outside') Sarne.
Well worth obtaining a copy of the DVD
Place To Go"
(British Lion - UK - 1963)
A family is struggling to keep their heads above the water - when the head of the household, Matt Flint is sacked from his job for being too mouthy at work. In an effort to earn some form of living he then becomes an escapologist. Unfortunately, he is not too successful and quite often ends up embarrassing both himself and his family in the process. His son, Ricky Flint, is in love with Catherine Donovan, who was not an easy catch. However, Ricky becomes fed up being on the bread line and turns to local gangster, Jack Ellerman, who is planning a robbery from the cigarette factory where he works. Things go badly wrong and he manages to get out of it in a hurry. All in all a really good slab of realism directed by the excellent Basil Dearden.
"Whoever has the money has the power": the tagline for Scott Frank's stylish directorial debut "The Lookout". Chris Pratt (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) was the star of his high school's hockey team, beloved by everyone, until he was involved in a terrible car accident and became mentally impaired. Four years later, we find Chris cleaning floors at a small town bank. Since the accident he has taken to making note of all his actions to help him keep track of things. "I wake up. I look outside, so that I know what to wear. I take a shower, with soap." - the poignant voiceover of Chris narrates. His life is completely planned and unsurprising. That is, until he is befriended by a man at a bar called Gary (Matthew Goode), who lets him on a secret. Him and his friends are planning to rob the bank where Chris works, and want him to help out. They want him to be the lookout. This heist thriller did relatively poorly at the box office and passed a lot of people by, although winning Best First Feature at the 2008 Independent Spirit Awards. Gordon-Levitt puts in a strong and believable performance as Pratt, ensuring the sympathies of the audience, while a highly likeable Jeff Daniels plays Chris's blind, guitar-playing roommate Lewis, who brings some comic relief when necessary. Frank uses these two characters as a base for the film, while studying the effects that the heist has on them, and their relationship. Isla Fisher also stars as Luvlee Lemons (yes, she's a stripper), a friend of Gary's, who is used as bait to convince Chris to join their gang. The sleepy and snowy setting of a small town in Kansas helps add to the tense atmosphere the director achieves in the second half of the film. The violence in later parts is very realistic, but shocking nonetheless and in no way glorified. There are some plot holes which took me out of the film a bit (would Chris really be allowed to drive unsupervised?) but these are few and far between, and did not detract any from my enjoyment of it. Frank keeps this noir understated, maintaining a dark, eerie tone throughout and surprising with a highly powerful climax. "The Lookout" is more than your average crime drama: mixing complex characters, endearing drama, and suspenseful action to grip the audience for the full 99 minute run time, and is much deserving of a wider audience.
The third sequal in the bourne trilogy , and it's the best one yet. Matt Damon is comfortable in his role of Jason Bourne and acts with excellence in this stunning action movie. Jason Bourne trys to find out who started it all , who made him Jason Bourne. With scenes in London , Paris , Madrid , New York and Tangier this action masterpiece is not to be missed!
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