Reviews

The movie script and the things that happen are all believable ...(well except Kiera with Carell) - I watched the movie for Kiera (and she carries him big time) but I'm afraid Carell continues to act like a wooden, nervous, slightly wrong type of character (that I get) but he hasn't displayed once in his career somebody who wasn't that. Consequently, the definition of decent acting is somebody who you can believe in and as he's never showed any range other that - He deserves to be shot, and certainly doesn't doesn't deserve to get decent roles he does. (Oh well life's unfair) If Carell doesn't wind you up like me then it's an OK sort of Movie.

I'm not going to go through what the movie is all about as others will do that far better, I only wish to describe the excellent Photography in the movie. It's a contrasty Black and White movie but if you read the reviews many don't even mention this or actually enjoy the B&W medium.

The Director has used every trick in the still photographers book to direct your eye where he wants them by the use of background lines / settings and / or a myriad of other best practices . As the camera is constantly on the 2 leads, this therefore makes the movie really about 2 people and luckily the actors are great so the movie works really well.

If you watch it with a photographers head on then it's all a little bit over the top BUT at the end of the day the B&W and his settings along with the urban environment adds to the film.( also the actual photography portion in the film as the Director semi parodies himself.) The Director has made this contrasty film work well – Watch it for scenes and the touching story ( and the backgrounds ) - It's great.

Give yourself a treat and simply watch all the scenes to see how to use the backgrounds to best effect.

Any still B&W Photographer will appreciate this film..

You can't hide the real feelings which are obvious in this film - It hits you that Noah and Ali are two people showing all the blatant signals of a couple falling instantly in love. It's blatantly obvious in some of the looks, - it's more than acting - and in reality they were ...... Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams became boyfriend / girlfriend on the set and 6 years later they still are a couple.... How wonderful. ( So romance isn't dead ) I wish I knew this before seeing this superb film but its something in the direct looks and their chemistry together which just exudes that exact moment where everything you say and do comes back from the other just how you want it to come back - A superb film - A must see.

You cannot fully grasp the amount put into each episode until you watch each one 3 times - ( there is so much in each episode that its amazing - you only have to put on any US film to see how little dialogue is in films these days )

It's when you actually analyse everything but the Shameless story then the true quality shines through. ( The story is brilliant but the Lowlife side of Manchester muddies the true quality of the writing / editing / pace / acting / fun / sheer enjoyment of each episode.

The series is that good that you easily enjoy watching them again and again.

One of the best things ever made for TV. Collect the Series - enjoy.

Witty, clever, adult, full-on, with the tender romantic real side it without all the media watering down to appease all the advertisers and executives out there.

A Man's - Sex in L.A. with a rich attractive Guy who really doesn't give a **** but enjoys himself along the way but doesn't get any satisfaction from it - What he wants is the ex and caring for his daughter ( sounds like a lot of divorced fathers out there ) and actually he is very endearing, and seeping through its pretty romantic.

Its not often you get good free writing where the writers just let loose and enjoy themselves - Its here and its so refreshing.

Just watch the first episode - its superb and Thanks to the makers they definitely more Golden Globes.

Monkey Dust is absolutely magnificent – As an UK Adult animated sketch show it pushes the boundaries and is extremely thought provoking - IE - First sketch - Advertising Executive comes up with new campaign to re brand Cancer for the masses to improve its name . ( which is typical in this screwed up world of ours ) It is funny ( not funny Ha Ha but funny peculiar / reflective ) but has some had some real thought written into all the sketches – IE ( Father who kills himself because he's divorced and cant do enough for his son (a real emotion of fathers ) It makes fun of TV ( IE New Reality show called Sitting on the Toilet which views someone sitting on the bog ) Everything is fair game – Muslims / Asylum seekers / pedophiles / Swearing /.....It's / cynical / reflective / funny / clever / well written / .... Nothing is spared – Black Humour / Reverse Political Humour / Oh the list is endless - It observes this corrupt / sold out / strange / world we live in. ...... I know the writers will go on to do more well known things but here its raw and magnificent. ( and not watered down by appealing to the masses ) It is a real treat where the writers are allowed to express their views of the world with no limits and ....... its simply superb.

Please watch even a few episodes –

Please, Please do not go to see The Dark Knight at a NON IMAX cinema.

I saw The Dark Knight the first evening it was available at a normal cinema ( free ticket ) and it was superb - loved it ( everybody else will tell you all about the film ) but as I had previously ordered Middle, back row IMAX tickets for the next night and I wondered if there would be much difference.

So - the next night - Sat in the Middle, back row of Auckland IMAX Cinema. I was absolutely blown away - a totally stunning Cinematic event and a truly fantastic piece of art - A different film from a normal cinema - This is no DVD at a home theatre film. It must be watched in IMAX to appreciate all the effort put into the film. If you cannot see it in IMAX as your town or country doesn't have IMAX then just hope that you can view it sometime in the future.

The views from on top of skyscrapers where instead of enjoying the film I tried to pick apart the quality of reproduction and what came back was a view which is very close to reality and the tremendous feeling of 100% superb quality.

• This is also due to the huge, huge, huge screen as it also gives the viewer a feeling of " being there " as the screen is nearly larger than your field of view. A true immersion into a cinematic experience.

The Views from skyscrapers which genuinely induced a wonderful feeling of vertigo and it makes you sit forward to look over the edge.

100ft high Batman face close-ups with an incredible smooth texture to the Bat mask - shocking that not one speck of dust is viewable at any point - What is that mask made of ??? Wonderful, Wonderful huge use of the IMAX medium - Action scenes where the viewer is a tiny insignificant part of an exploding catastrophe - I could go on on but there is just so much on IMAX to appreciate.

My only criticism - the volume was too loud and therefore a single Bullet would hurt your senses. I'm sure I missed a huge % of the nuances which the sound man included in the film simply because the volume was so loud that your ears couldn't distinguish all the subtle sounds. But that was the cinema's fault and no fault of the film.

A truly amazing piece of art, and I must congratulate everybody in making a 2.5hr epic experience which includes all and more of the concepts which ones brain could possibly dream up.

Rick