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hdickins
Reviews
Morris: A Life with Bells On (2009)
A work of gentle genius
I'm not sure that everyone would get this film. Maybe not even everyone British. Nor everyone with a sense of humour. BUT... I'm convinced it is a work of genius.
All the characters are well conceived and, it must be said, completely absurd! In fact it's exactly these bizarre and endearing characters that drive the film. Of course these characters are based on some small nugget of truth, but also on stereo-types - in an inoffensive and self-deprecating way. Even the names of the characters are hilarious.
The mockumentary-style works well, but I wonder if some of the jokes are just a little impenetrable for some people. Not that this matters, for all its subtlety, the humour comes thick and fast. It's just that sometimes, some people might take some point seriously - Don't! ALL of the film is truly absurd and a work of complete fiction. The supposed existence of the authoritarian "Morris Circle" is particularly vivid and yet absolute fiction.
This is not a film for everyone, but nonetheless, it deserves to have a far wider audience and I'm sure is destined to become a true cult-classic.
I offer my hearty congratulations to everyone involved. It was far better than I dared to believe it would be. 9/10
The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian (2008)
More convincing than the Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe.
I saw a (very early) screening of this in Cardiff. And I was very impressed. Having been slightly disappointed by the first film, Prince Caspian was grittier and far more convincing. The young cast are more 3-dimensional, both individually and with the dynamics between them. The non-human characters were excellent too, especially Trumpkin & Reepicheep (although I still find Neesom's voice 'wrong' for Aslan)
The story is perhaps a little rushed - with little time spent on the background to the story; but exploring those aspects would have made the film unwieldy, so I think they made the right choices. Also, the film does stay reasonably true to the book. (Not entirely, but close enough - there are certainly very few big omissions or alterations to the story, so you won't feel 'betrayed' if you're a fan on the book.)
The story is also, naturally, less obviously Christian in it's content - while still having a 'faith' element to it. Again, I'd say this is pitched very well - Lucy's steadfast but childlike trust in Aslan is particularly well portrayed.
Of course, the film does feel like a sequel, but not in a bad way; it just helps to have seen the first film. Similarly, it does 'help' to be familiar with the book too.
See it!