Reviews

I spotted Dancing without Borders in my local library because of its absolutely stunning cover: a graceful yet somehow fierce young man in an impossibly high leap across a lush green canvas with Philip Glass playing on a grand piano in the background. It was too striking to ignore. I had never heard of the film before and watched it with no expectations and absolutely no idea about the characters.

The storyline was very simple. A wealthy US dance patron spots a talented Cambodian dancer in a remote village and finances his ballet training in NYC. A ballet super-star is born. But don't be fooled by the simplicity of the story. Dancing across Borders is a very compelling film from start to finish. I just couldn't take my eyes off the screen. Every little sequence is beautifully shot and perfectly narrated. Simplicity can sometimes be very powerful. Dancing Across Borders is a perfect example of just how powerfully artistic story-telling can transform a seemingly simple story into a complex multi-layered tale of the charmed life of Sokvannara "Sy" Sar

The alien nature of ballet as a dance form to Sy is matched by his unfamiliarity with English as a language and compounded by the culture shock of living alone in the US, without any family and very far away from home. The film documents his journey through this absolutely bewildering maze of unique challenges. It weaves its way through his initial shaky steps in ballet (which were incidentally shot just to video-document his progress during dance lessons and not really meant for this film) and showcases his sheer dedication to the dance and his single-minded determination to be better.

The film has this inherent lyricism about how it presents the story. Cambodian as well as western classical music is used extensively to transition between Cambodia and the US. Ballet music adapted for the piano is always quite amazing and the movie has these piano pieces by the spadefuls. Sy's ballet competition and stage performances are beautifully woven into the film and you can actually see how he gradually gets better at the dance form.

Overall, I recommend this film to everyone with an interest in ballet, photography, classical music, any dance or just story-telling. It's a fine showcase for all of these. It's a documentary but is more watchable and fun than most dramatized works of fiction.

Couldn't make it through 30 minutes of this utter trash of a movie. Acting is terrible. Where did they pick up this lot? Why Why WHY pray, is the talented Olivia Colman sharing the screen with these insipid hacks??! It was as if everyone had memorized their lines but were dead tired by the time the shoot rolled around. The characters are all uniformly despicable and I just wanted to throw things (preferably rotten and slushy) at them.

And the plot, you ask? It has been done to death a million times in better movies and better shows with supremely better actors. If you are feeling inclined to watch it just because the plot sounds remotely interesting, STOP. Pick up "Lucky Seven" instead.

Why is this even called a romantic comedy? There is nothing romantic in being socially malicious because you put too much faith in pseudo-pop- statistics from Vogue and nothing comic in the interminable boredom this movie indifferently nudges you into.

Everyone apart from Olivia Colman might just as well be made of wood and stuck on the wall - that's how uninteresting they are. Maybe the lead actress should stick to the runway and not return to the screen AT ALL. If there had been a rating below 1 star, I would have readily chosen it. Since there is no such option, the one lone star goes to Michael Bublé whose heartfelt track "Lost" is misused in this shoddy piece of work.

Bottomline: This is bottom of the barrel fare. Avoid, unless you are a rabid fan of Olivia Colman and have developed an effective way to block out the rest of the abomination of a cast and ignore the vapid excuse for a plot. Ugh.

It's been so long since I have had such a good rousing laugh out of watching characters on screen. And such wild and colourful characters they are - set in equally atrocious plot lines! The six half-hour episodes of the two seasons of Beautiful People are unpredictable and completely loony. The jokes are sometimes so terrible, you cannot help but laugh helplessly at the insanely good acting that makes each of them work.

Young Simon, played extremely well by Luke Ward-Wilkinson, is at the heart of his crazy family and deluded neighbours. Joined by his over- the-top across-the-street best friend, Kylie (played fabulously by theatre star Layton Williams), the pair gradually give viewers a roller-coaster of an insight into what it is to truly express yourself. The supporting cast of the wickedly awesome Olivia Colman as mum, the deceptively mellow Aidan McArdle as dad and the dead-set funny Meera Syal as auntie Hayley take the meaning of "supporting" to new heights - standing solidly behind the zaniest acts that Simon and Kylie concoct.

The music in the show is outstanding. The cast adapt many show-time tunes into hilarious and creatively choreographed renditions. Many catchy stick-in-your-head-for-days 90s pop tunes pop dangerously up at the most unexpected of times and force a hearty laugh out of you. Even more funny are the silly little cameos by theatre greats like Elaine Page and pop starlets like Danni Minogue. The whole show had me in splits around 97% of the time.

Beautiful People is just as hilarious on screen as it was in print. Go and watch it - your brain will thank you with a burst of warm endorphins!

For a cooking romance, this movie is surprisingly... cold. The characters didn't engage me. The child actress was annoying. The storyline was choppy. For a movie to succeed I think its very important for the audience to be drawn into the story and empathize with the characters. Unfortunately this never happens in "No Reservations". There is hardly any character development. Zeta-Jones and Eckhart are fine actors but definitely not in this movie. They have chemistry but since there is no basis for this chemistry, it falls flat on its face. I mean how bad can a movie be if one finds oneself liking the psychologist instead of all the dazzling main actors?? Do yourself a favor, avoid this movie and go see some of their finer ones.

Loved this movie from start to finish. The script is intelligent and wonderfully humorous. In a day and age where comedy is stricken with a poverty of feeling and nuances, this movie is a brilliant example of how comedy could skillfully be presented with a generous dose of insight and wisdom.

The actors portraying Ira and Abby and the supporting cast are so genuine that it's hard to believe that they are unreal. I believe that we don't need any more sadness from the celluloid medium anymore than we already have in our lives, so I love happy movies. This movie is a celebration of happiness and delivers it in dollops.

I strongly recommend that you go and see it as soon as you can. It is bound to lift your spirits and fill you with joy!

This is one of the movies which elevates your faith in hard work and gives you a parting gift of cheer. You might skeptically expect it to do this in a soppy plot-hole ridden way, seeing as it is from the Disney stables, however, this film stands out for being totally believable and utterly down to earth. It is no far-fetched fantasy or glossy almanac of unreal heroes. It chronicles the struggles and the humility of the heroes we can identify with and easily relate to.

Mark Wahlberg gives a heartfelt performance with his portrayal of Vince Papale. Not a single scene goes by without the raw emotion and quiet strength that his character exudes on-screen. The period 70s music and the wonderfully composed soundtrack mesh beautifully into the story and elicit the emotion, pain and the joy from the audience. Add to that flawless editing, and you have a rare offering from the celluloid world which transcends the screen and registers right in your heart.

A note to the non-sports fans: I am not an American Football fan. I am not even familiar with the game, but this movie is a fine example of how even niche-themes can be globally appealing to people when enacted this ideally and presented in a way that everyone can relate to.

A haunting violin track plays as the camera pans over a faded green-carpeted hotel corridor. We stop at a door with a crooked 9. A key turns in the lock and we see a little man enter... and his fishbowl.

The first few seconds have all the makings of a horror flick/classic murder mystery. The film does have the potential to develop into one of these. But alas, the movie lives up to its category. Incredibly short, and thus incomplete.

If you wanted to watch this film because you are a Hartnett fan, you might be rather disappointed. If your motivation is sheer curiosity and an interest in weird imagery you often see in REM sleep, you've hit jackpot.

I wonder what direction the director went with this short...