Starter For Ten
Fingers on buzzers as we check out university life with Brian (James McEvoy) in Starter For Ten as he tries to make the University Challenge team whilst dealing with his feelings for Alice (Alice Eve) and Rebecca (Rebecca Hall).
McEvoy, even at 27, convinces as a young man of 18, whilst Eve and Hall are never less than charming and show the acting skills to deal with a range of emotions and situations.
Written by David Nichols and directed by Tom Vaughan, in its most intimate moments Starter For Ten echoes the John Hughes movie Pretty In Pink, dropping its protagonist into the middle of a love-triangle and saying "make your choice" knowing that his first reaction will always be the wrong one and that he'll have to crawl over broken glass to win over the girl that he should have chosen from the beginning.
It's the journey that Brian has to take that compels, he's made some bad choices, he's lost his head on occasion, but he's working at it and putting in the effort. He's come to realise that life isn't about knowing the right answer, but asking the right questions.
This is possibly one of the worst films I have ever watched and I am a true Adam Sandler fan!
The film is riddled with socio-political jokes and plays heavily on stereotypes. This wouldn't normally bother me, but teamed with the lack of any real plot, this film is boring at best.
I think I only laughed twice throughout this film, which is a rarity for Sandler films.
Not worth seeing, I would recommend you check out Sandler's Chuck and Larry film instead as that is 5 * all the way!
Not the most exciting of Adam Sandler's films but definitely one to watch on a cosy night in. It will have you laughing, but in comparison to Sandler's other films I was left unsatisfied.
I've only recently been introduced to Fonejacker through a friend and we could not stop laughing throughout each episode we watched.
This show features prank calls to real people.
The best part of it though is the images that illustrate the conversation.
The word 'masterpiece' is battered around review circles and the word is now exhausted. But I am going to bring it out of its iron lung and use it for this movie. Slap me in the wrists if you want but this movie deserves to be called a masterpiece.
Directed by Alfred Hitchcock the master of suspense, or as I affectionately call him - Alfred, stars John Dall and James Stewart in a story about two young males in their quest to perform the perfect murder. Is there such a thing as a perfect murder? Will Brandon and Phillip get away with murdering their old classmate David Kentley...These questions will not be answered in this review, but they are indeed explored and answered in the movie.
Anyways back onto the meat on the review bones. I simply cannot go any further without commenting on the superb performance by John Dall. In this movie he just personifies charisma. If charisma could be bottled, John Dall would have become a very rich man indeed. Eau de John Dall would be this world's biggest seller and you would attract the opposite sex at the drop of a top hat. Unfortunately nobody has ever thought of bottling charisma and Eau de John Dall is nothing more than a distant, distant pipedream.
James Stewart cannot go without a mention; after all he is James Stewart. Stewart plays Rupert Cadell, the gentleman's former prep-school headmaster. And it is perhaps his discussions of the art of murder and the ideas of philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche that spurred the two murders into the state they find themselves in. But enough of that, that would be spoiling the plot and we wouldn't want to do that would we. After all we may have to talk about some Greek Mythology in regards to this film....Maybe not.
James Stewart is another actor that can just ooze sophistication and glide through scenes almost effortlessly. He did have some trouble in this movie however, and I will talk about it slightly later on. But in this movie James Stewart still shines, but in my personal opinion James Dall outshines him as Brandon.
What I have yet to mention is that this film is actually based on a stage play of the same name by Patrick Hamilton, and it certainly shows in the movie. But is a very good way indeed. It has been shot as to appears as one continuous long shot in real time. Therefore during filming, if an actor or actress for that matter made just one mistake in one of the ten minute chunks they filmed in, the result was ten minutes of mistakes. Incidentally Alfred Hitchcock called the film an 'experiment that did not work'. But Alfred you should never have been this dishearted about this project. There are scenes in the film that just glow with greatness. Avoiding spoiling the movie I am going to have to tip toe around a few scenes before settling on an example to talk about. Fear not, I have found one.
There is a scene in the film in which you watch the maid Mrs Wilson clear up a few plates of food that are left over from the dinner part that occurs in the apartment. Interesting stuff I hear you all cry, and you would be correct. The chest in which the plates lie contains a very dark secret indeed, and for the minute or so you watch the maid get ever closer to the macabre delight that awaits in the chest your anxiety levels begin to increase. And dare I say it? You begin to feel sympathy for the murderers. Perhaps it is due in part to the fact you want the film to continue on, or perhaps it is due to the charisma I have talked ever so fervently about. Regardless of the reason, putting away dishes has never been as exciting as this, and that is one surreal experience you don't want to miss.
The conclusion is simple - Go buy the film. Then follow the purchase up by buying Psycho. Then follow that by purchasing Vertigo. Then follow that with Rear Window...
Wait, stop you purchasing plans there. What you should actually do is build a small affordable shrine on the man himself - Alfred Hitchcock, made out of Hitchcock DVD's and on every Wednesday you should pay it a visit. Thank him for all his contributions to cinema and thank him for being so brilliant for making movies such as Rope.
This is such a fantastic 80's film and a definite must-see.
It stars a young Goldie Hawn who is vivacious and hilarious in this story about a rich girl (Hawn) getting amnesia soon after meeting and being rude to a local carpenter (Russell) from a small town. Realising his chance to get even with Hawn, Russell convinces Hawn that she is the mother to his four unruly boys and also his wife. Cue hilarious antics!
This is a feel good film that will leave you smiling!
Nonstop action all the way, but with a seemingly higher level of violence than one would expect of Bond. There is no real overarching plot to takeover/destroy the world, just an all powerful evil organisation- more Man from Uncle than Bond.
Having said all of that-its entertaining all the same, it just isn't one of the 007 Greats.
Bond is back and looking for revenge.
To be able to view the whole Morse production from start to finish and to see how the characters develop and change in the hands of the different writers and directors allows one to really appreciate the extraordinarily high quality of the whole "Morse and Lewis" story. It really is a high of British television output.
Morse benefits hugely from the almost feature-film length of each episode, giving the writers plenty of time to embellish their tales without having to rush the investigation or the denouement. The characters have plenty of time for revealing new traits and new twists.
Altogether a delight!
All the 33 Morse crime thrillers plus three documentaries in a compact package.
Glossy, entertaining, if somewhat over familiar & clichéd, heist thriller with an all-star cast. In order to settle his inherited debt to the Russian mafia, professional safebreaker & gentleman thief Keith Ripley (Morgan Freeman) recruits slick stick-up man & womanising Latin lover Gabriel Martin (Antonio Banderas) to steal a pair of priceless Faberge eggs from Romanov's state-of-the-art vault. Thrown into the mix are Ripley's hot Goddaughter Alexandra Korolenko (Radha Mitchell), veteran NYPD investigator / Ripley's nemesis Lt. Weber (Robert Forster) and a shady Russian mob boss played with menacing conviction by Rade Serbedzija. 'Thick As Thieves' a.k.a. 'The Code' was, for reasons unknown, released straight to DVD and consequently dismissed as a below par movie. Personally, I enjoyed this Elmore Leonard-esque crime caper; not so much for its pre-functionary plot, been-there-seen-that action sequences or OTT twists, but because the actors worked so well together; creating a genuine sense of urgency and character investment to what's otherwise a pretty tepid affair. Banderas & Freeman make for an excellent double act; referencing classic heist pictures as they case the joint disguised as cops, Radha Mitchell gets her kit off again whilst developing a convincing rapport with Banderas (who, hilariously, is accompanied by a Spanish guitar string solo anytime he appears on screen), their scenes give the multitude of twists which dominate the last half an hour some much needed zest. 'Thick As Thieves' may just be another day at the office for all involved, but it's an ideal Sunday afternoon matinee; not in the least bit demanding, well paced with a host of good actors getting it done without too much of a fuss. It's not 'The Score' but it's not 'The Real McCoy' either; saved by its stars, Mimi Leder's by-the-numbers thriller certainly doesn't deserve its persona-non-grata status and is worth watching for those who like to see a bit of good old fashioned stealing on screen. Heist gone right.
The late / great Natasha Richardson took some time off from theatre in 1990 to star in Volker Schlöndorff's commendably surreal and disturbing adaptation of Margaret Atwood's feminist sci-fi fable. In fascist America; nuclear fallout has rendered 99% of women infertile; the extent of U.S. dystopian megalomania becomes apparent in the Republic Of Gilead; where martial law operates within a matrix of repression enforced by an Orwellian police state. Kate / Ofred (Richardson) is one of a limited number of fertile women; arrested & sold into indentured servitude by the Christian theocracy: Ofred was arrested for trying to cross the border into Canada, a fellow inmate played by Elizabeth McGovern was charged with "gender treachery" (i.e. lesbianism). The prisoners, now dubbed handmaids, are duly informed that they're going to "serve God and their country" as a platoon of heavily armed storm troopers round them up into a bus at gunpoint. Handmaids, who're loaned out to the elite as surrogate sex slaves, are forced to partake in bizarre threesomes with husband & wife in the hope of conceiving a child; Ofred finds herself a slave of none other than the regime's commander (Robert Duvall) and his wife, a former televangelist named Serena Joy (an excellent Faye Dunnaway). Few artists would jump at the chance of playing what's essentially a dehumanised symbol of the state gone wrong, but Natasha Richardson's performance as a semi-robotic servant is comparable only to her scene stealing turn as Mary, Kris Kristofferson's put upon lover in 'Chelsea Walls', for she manages to work within a paradox: silence speaks volumes and profound meaning is conveyed in a few words or subtle gestures. The Republic Of Gilead could allude to many things, though in keeping with themes of misogyny and religious fanaticism, is a nod to Israelite Jephthah son of Gilead, who made a vow to his God in Judges 11:31 that in exchange for victory in war: "Whatever or whoever emerges and comes out of the doors of my house to meet me, when I return from the people of Ammon, shall surely be God's, and I shall sacrifice him/her/it as a holocaust", unfortunately for Jephthah, it was his own daughter who became the sacrifice. Director Volker Schlöndorff ('Death Of A Salesman') brings out the best in a screenplay adapted by Harold Pinter and makes his intentionally unnerving juxtaposition of a warm, fuzzy colour palette with extremely bleak narrative overtones work to brilliant effect. 'The Handmaid's Tale' is more like a filmed play than a movie, and though I don't concur with all of Atwood's understandable, if somewhat oversimplified, grievances; its still an intriguing and highly original picture from a well-written and compelling source. I liked the fact that neither the commander or his wife are portrayed as maniacally evil or deranged, just inflexible, ruthless ideologues who're so enthral to the system as it exists and obsessed with their own legitimate desire for children, that they fail to see the perverse manner in which the government demand they go about it. 'The Handmaid's Tale' is 'A Brave New World' meets 'Rosemary's Baby' with great ensemble performances from the leads and a memorable early role for Adin Quinn, Natasha Richardson's elegance, poise and assured screen presence reminds the viewer of her mother; cinema icon Vanessa Redgrave, for she brings a nuance, depth & humanity to a difficult and demanding role. Not for everyone, but a film unlike any you've ever seen before, or are ever likely to see again.
"You furnish the pictures, I'll furnish the war" wrote U.S. newspaper magnate William Randolph Hearst, to a Havana based correspondent in 1898. Said pictures were of the burning wreckage of an anchored & manned U.S.S. 'Maine' (blown to bits in a false flag terrorist attack allegedly carried out by the U.S. government, but blamed on Spain). Said war, was the Rothschild backed U.S. invasion of Spanish colonial territories that followed, with Hearst & others using the 'Maine' incident to propagandise & manufacture consent for a new imperial era that would culminate in World War I. 76 years later, another member of the Hearst lineage would be in the spotlight; not for spinning the news, but for being the news: In 1974, WRH's granddaughter; Patricia Campbell Hearst, 19, was taken hostage by radical members of the California based 'Symbionese Liberation Army' to be ransomed in exchange for their imprisoned comrades. Held for three months, the teenage heiress went native: adopting the mores of her captors, later seen on film committing an armed robbery in full paramilitary garb and revolutionary's beret. The late / great Natasha Richardson puts in a powerhouse performance as precocious Patty Hearst in Paul Schrader's compelling, if one note, biopic. 'Patty Hearst' isn't so much a dramatisation as it is an unabashed whitewash that vindicates the young woman of any and all personal responsibility whilst also making her out to be little more than a vacuous, insipid socialite who barely deserves our attention much less an entire film devoted to her exploits. Master screenwriter Paul Schrader ('Raging Bull', 'Taxi Driver', 'Bringing Out The Dead') directs, taking Patty's word (or at least her lawyer's word if you get my drift) as gospel, refreshing in his absolute and unwavering devotion to one side of the story. Maybe 'The SLA' were all a bunch of delusional fanatics, for if that's the tale that cut Patty's jail term, got her a presidential pardon (it always pays to be wealthier than the president) and a none too shabby movie career with oddball auteur John Waters, then it must be true. For her part, Natasha Richardson plays it straight down the middle with a complex and instantly believable performance that seems to belong in a better film. Her scenes in captivity convey pure fear, panic and a disorientating intensity which ensures that we never lose sympathy for the titular teen, but nor do we ever feel that's she's in any real danger once 'The SLA' (depicted in a hapless, almost comedic, manner) are revealed. It's this narrative ambivalence that creates an atmosphere of detachment and frustration as Schrader, for all intents and purposes, makes 'Heart Of Darkness' meets 'Ruthless People'. Patty, the quintessential fish out of water or Gale Benson-esque innocent, is despised and cherished by Schrader's cinematic eye; her odd couple tag-team with imposing 'SLA' leader Cinque (Ving Rhames) providing the film's one & only scene of humour. Vilified for being an apathetic, over privileged blank canvas is perhaps too harsh a criticism to bestow upon any feckless teen, irrespective of how extraordinary their life may be whilst its just plain wrong to regard Patty's fate as some kind of Karmic comeuppance for the sins of her bloodline. And yet, ultimately, we're none the wiser about Patty Hearst's real motivations or how they were affected by the mood of the times. Schrader's depiction of urban guerrillas 'The SLA' is equally absurd; their left wing rhetoric given little time beyond a few out-of-context sound bites which border on self-parody (look out for William Forsythe's brilliant, if highly implausible, turn as a self hating white man). Eminently watchable, 'Patty Hearst' just manages to stay on the right side of frustration, held together by an excellent, captivating turn by Natasha Richardson and strong support from Ving Rhames, Olivia Barash & William Forsythe.
A truly wonderful feel-good movie - it is already a classic in its own right.
I saw this at the cinema 3 times so just had to buy it. The first time I went, everyone in the cinema was singing along to the music which is gives us a new and beautiful setting to enjoy it, creating great new memories.
Go on treat yourself or a friend it will be a gift that keeps on giving each time you press play - enjoy!!
Sydney Pollack renders a faithful adaptation of the book Crow Killer (available from find-dvd (books) for less than a tenner).
Robert Redford gives a steady performance in a shoot in the dead of a Utah winter, which must have been uncomfortable to say the least.
The story goes about the main character and the people he meets and his experiences through some years in the Rocky Mountains.
The scenery is astounding, the dialogue is faithful to the era and the supporting cast is perfect.
This was a labour of love for Redford as he relished the outdoors in which the film was shot. Some scenes were filmed on his own land in Utah.
The movie is made up from excerpts from the book (which covers around 60 years of Johnson's life).
Any film collection is incomplete without this movie.
10/10
Adaptation of a book, 19th century west, fur trapper/indian fighter.
This film is absolutely astounding, it is one of the definitive films of the 70s and without a doubt Martin Scorsese"s best film to date. Robert De Niro"s performance as Travis Bickle is outstanding, you see what he sees and you feel what he feels it"s almost as if you are seeing things through his eyes and reacting to things as he reacts to them. This has definitely got to be one of Robert De Niro"s finest performances ever. From the opening scene to the strange yet amazing final scene, taxi driver is absolutely astounding.
Quirky is the word of the day, and it is more than appropriate for this gem of a film. So what's it about I hear you ask? Well wrap up tight in whatever garment adorns your body and listen closely as we are travel down the road of Japanese charm.
Directed by Park Chan Wook; who is an absolute a master of his craft tells the story of two young lovers in a mental institution. Sounds' intriguing already, however the 'fun' does not stop there. Let me explain just who these two young lover birds are. What a terrible cliché there, will have to make up for that poor use of language later in the review.
Essentially you have two main characters, as just about every romantic comedy has these days. I am calling this film a romantic comedy and I really shouldn't; it has way more substance and ingenuity to it than your typical romantic comedies. Young-goon the female lead does indeed fall for Park Il-sun the strapping male character, but she is not your average young liberated women, she is a cyborg.
I am more than aware that as this review progresses certain aspects of this film will be branded as just ludicrous or ridiculous but that is one of its strengths. This is a film is unique, it is like nothing you have ever seen before. Poor cliché count moves up to two with that last sentence. Anyways, the unique factor it has is only enhanced with the cast of characters dotted throughout its Rubik's cube plot. You will be welcomed into the mental institutions family by been given the honour of meeting such inmates as a girl who thinks she is a Swiss yodeller, a paranoid middle aged man and even a young female that can only look at people with the aid of a mirror. Sounds like the usual lot you would find at a Glaswegian chippy but with a bit more charisma thrown in to make it a show.
I am getting too bogged down with the plot so I will attempt to move away from it and explain more reasons why you should go see this film. So far we have the plot and the characters. Next up is the visuals.
Park Chan Wook always directs his films to have a haunting beauty surrounding them. This film is set in a mental hospital is no different. We are expecting the environment to look morbid and depressing, it simply shouldn't look pretty. But Park is able to make it look like a surreal wonder that we all secretly want to experience. Kind of like Willy Wonka's Chocolate Factory only without the chocolate river. Watching the film on blu-ray lifted the vivid colours and emblazed them on your retinas, with your only response to this intrusive procedure being a smile.
I always feel slightly awkward commenting on the performances of the actors in foreign films as I am usually not a fluent speaker of their native tongue, and it seems as though I don't have the proper 'credentials' so to speak to fully comment on their acting ability. But I will say that they two leads in this film were great. In no way where they over bearing or rash, it was subtle and measured to perfection. Exactly the way a film like this should be treated.
So with all this fluff over and done with, the real reason why people read a review is to see if they should buy it or not. And for me the answer to that question in regards to this film is yes. You may come away from the film without a firm grip on the plot or what precisely happened. But what you will come away with is a smile on your face and a nice warm fuzzy feeling in your heart. Total poor cliché count - Three.
When I first heard the title 'Rachel Getting Married' I dismissed it immediately. Oh how dreadfully, dreadfully wrong I was to do so. Bear in mind I had seen no prior trailers or those long promotional 'essays' we may often see in regards to the film.
Hearing the title my mind pieced together a romantic comedy of sorts, revolving around the drama leading up to the wedding day of a certain Mrs Rachel [Insert Generic Surname Here]. And too an extent I was right, but in a bad way. And to be honest looking back on that last sentence I am not even sure that makes any sense. But please let me explain.
The plot of the movie revolves around Kym: An ex-junkie that has recently been released from rehab and might I add played to a perfect tee by the delightful Anne Hathaway. Following Kym's release from rehab we are slowly introduced to members of her family. Rachel (Rosemarie DeWitt) Kym's sister and Sidney (Tunde Adebimpe) Rachel's soon to be husband are just two of these intricately beautiful characters that grace the screen in this movie. But I have neglected to mention one of my favourite characters - Paul the father played by Bill Irwin.
Without giving too much of the plot away, Paul is very much the one that keeps this family together as one. He is both funny and disturbed, and that is why I like him as a character. The dish washing scene is a beautiful example for this.
As the movie progresses we hear of the families past. We grieve with the family, and we share the joy of the wedding with them. One of my favourite scenes is towards the beginning of the film however. We are treated to a dress rehearsal of the wedding and we get to hear speeches from different members of each family. Many cinema goers and even directors would have completely dismissed this as completely unnecessary but thankfully Jonathan Demme did not. I mean you don't put a masterpiece like Stop Making Sense together without a great mind.
For a good few minutes we glide around the table and listen to people speak passionately of this couple. You as an audience member are welcomed within this make believe family. Perhaps I am alone in this thought, but I am not at my happiest drinking gallons of alcohol and making a fool of myself, slurring words and sentences as the night goes on. I like to listen to people. I like to engage in debates, thoughts and ideas with others. And during this scene I just had a great big smile on face as I watched the charisma and charm flow instead of the wine....
This review is now beginning to drag so I will quickly end by saying, go see this movie. Sit back and keep your eyes on the screen because there is no doubt you will get drawn for the two hours this little gem lasts for.
A tonic to watch on a cold rainy Sunday afternoon.
British Comedy at it best!
1960 Holiday Camp Comedy
I have not seen the first two films but I own this one. I thought it was easy to follow and gather the story although I know nothing of the first two films. Although I thought I wouldn"t, I really enjoyed this film but and now I"m very interested in buying the first two. This is a great film to watch over and over, it is also a great price... a lot less than what I paid of course.
These films are a story unlike any another and will appeal to people of all ages.
"Hi, I'm Genghis Khan; I've just moved in next door and was wondering, if it's not too much trouble; could I borrow some sugar, please?" is a line that definitely doesn't feature in Sergei Bodrov's 'Mongol'. Part one of a proposed trilogy chronicling the rise to power of fearsome Asiatic Warrior-King Temudjin a.k.a. 'Genghis Khan' ('Universal Leader') played with aplomb by Japan's Tadanobu Asano, who some may remember as Hattori Genosuke in Takeshi Kitano's 'Zatoichi-The Blind Swordsman'. It's worth noting the trilogy structure so as to expect a slow build up and detailed characterisation, leading up the inevitable conquests which, no doubt, will be the focus of later instalments. 'Mongol' is unique in that it takes what occidental scholars have called a revisionist approach to Genghis Khan's life, but a lot of these facts, revelations to the west, are well known in other parts of the world; even amongst those who consider the Mongol invasions to be amongst the most calamitous to ever befall their lands. Russian director Sergei Bodrov adopts a tone & style not dissimilar to his underrated Central Asian epic 'Nomad' (co-directed by Talgat Temenov & Ivan Passer) which featured heroic 18th century Kazaks awaiting a unifying leader to stem the Jungar incursion, incidentally, their prophesised Warrior-King; Mansur Ablai Khan, was a descendant of the great Khan himself. 'Mongol' depicts the narrative timeline as it would've been if one were living amongst the tribes: ages known only through guesswork, progression & success determined by the size of an army or horses gathered. Genghis Khan's just laws stated that a Mongolian warrior must do no harm to women or children nor betray his Khan; the latter would hold true for enternity, the former, alas, would not. With sequels (tentatively titled 'The Great Khan' & 'Golden Horde') on their way, 'Mongol: The Rise To Power Of Genghis Khan' is a gripping & exhilarating introduction to what's sure to become one of the best historical epics ever made.
Series 2 started with a fantastic episode, dealing with Tony being run- over, they did it really well, which is an example of why Skins is so special. It's not just about teenagers taking drugs and partying, there is another side to these teenagers' lives that isn't so fun.
The series started great, but after the second episode it became a bumpy ride for the audience, mainly down to the way the series balances itself between drama and comedy. The journey from "Michelle's episode" became mainly about the comedy side (slapstick, the over usage of drugs and drink for high and drunken escapades). The writers of Skins may be great at delivering these gags, but they don't set themselves apart from making this a show that I find, personally worth while watching. The over use of humour makes it more a show that I could switch on and have a quick, fun ten minutes viewing at an end of a episode, but not something I would feel I need to watch week in week out.
There were a few great episodes like "Tony" that kept me a float and made me think it's worth keeping with this show to see these characters develop. Which, it did, by going into hidden meanings, being well shot and making it an important episode for Tony's development in the series.
As a whole the series had some great storylines going on throughout, however, it was so fragmented, that it would have welcomed a shorter series so the pieces stayed together and were delivered to full effect. Unfortunately, this highlights the weaknesses off having the episodic structure. Things become stretched out as you concentrate on another character; it's hard to carry on previous storylines without losing sight of the goal of the current episode.
I don't think that this series delivered the promise of a totally different show, and unlike series one it didn"t equal-out the drama and the comedy. I think, the show needed some proper planning and for the writers to tap into their various emotional experiences and see how they can apply it to their own character creations. The series held many revelations and introductions. For example, the new character Sketch, Max's stalker, why Sid's father is such a screw up himself.
A great example of what I think is a perfect way for Skins to balance out the comedy in a scene is in season three "Effy". Cook goes round to see Effy, as he"s made her some cake. Her mum explains that she has gone off on a weekend trip. Cook is surprised by this because he wasn't told, as he goes to leave Effy's Mum takes the cake cheekily without asking for it and says 'thank you'. This is perfect as it provides drama and also a gag - the perfect balance act!
An episode per character series format that focuses on 10 teenagers on their last year of college.
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