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Reviews
Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End (2007)
Bloated, muddled and over-long
Dear oh dear. 168 minutes was an hour too long. There were far too many plot lines, far too many plodding, irrelevant scenes and the end result was a confusing, drawn-out mess. Yes, it had things to recommend it - the finale was exciting, Geoffrey Rush was terrific, Depp was, well, Depp and the film looked fantastic.
But I was disappointed. No way should this movie have been three hours. When I saw it the kids in the cinema grew restless very quickly and some parents had to take their kids out early. Nearly three hours for a family movie? What on earth were they thinking of? As well as the afore-mentioned many, many plots, I have to say that Bloom and Knightley's performances left me cold. I found myself shrugging my shoulders over their romance and Knightley's rallying speech, intended no doubt to be inspiring and moving, was laughable.
The next one should be a much shorter, uncomplicated romp. I don't mean dumb it down - just don't stuff it so full of plot it has to be this gargantuan length. Some films need to be long - the Lord of the Rings movies for example - this one didn't have to be and shouldn't have been.
Three stars because of Rush and the visuals.
Leonora (1984)
A superb romantic thriller!
This film is a gem! More people should see it, for it's brilliant plot, wonderful and subtle dialogue, and fine acting. Many a respected theatre actor should hang their heads in shame that they can't match the standard set here. The film gripped me and I truly felt like I was part of Leonora's world. I found it believable and suspenseful, and the fight scenes exciting. It was also genuinely frightening in places!
This is a brilliant film.