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Reviews
Flushed Away (2006)
One of the best!
Top notch movie aimed at adults as well as kids, with great characterisations.
The story is imaginative. The entire cast, from Roddy to Big Toad to le Frog, to all the supporting roles, is nothing less than superlative.
And a big kiss to Winslet's sassy but adorable sewer rat.
Not to be missed.
Heart of Hope (2021)
An engaging movie
Heart of Hope is the story of an aspiring eight-year-old dancer with a heart condition. This is no sweet 'tween' fantasy but a touching story that takes its subject seriously, brightening the way with splashes of humour and hopes for a better world.
Parents can safely take their children to this film. Charming and entertaining, it also carries a social message for all ages. It is a rare and diverting look at the issue of organ donation, bringing the subject comfortably into view - and hopefully initiating debate within families about the benefits of donating body parts. It has an eight year-old protagonist who adds a good deal of charm to the story.
Connie-Kiss Mee gives an assured performance as the heroine, supported by actors who excel in even the smallest roles. In the larger parts, Sean Knopp as Iris's father brings a gentle chemistry to his relationship with his daughter, as does Linda-Jean Barry as the supportive grandmother. Sarah Leigh as Megan, in what could have been a thankless role, displays a depth of motherlove while clinging to the cliffs of despair.
Postman Rick (Matthew Foley) fills a good-fairy role in the events that follow. His engaging courtship of teacher Audrey (Georgina Hellier) brought a smile to my face.
Jessica Brown Findlay makes a cameo appearance in the fantasy dance sequences which are embedded in the film, and which reflect a flamboyant theme of hope.
The smart Heart of Hope script was written by Arabella Burfitt-Dons. Technically, the film has superior production values; emotionally, director Roydon Turner has imbued his film with a natural honesty.
1917 (2019)
Film of the Decade?
Extraordinary stuff, put together to seem like one continuous shot with the camera dancing rings around the characters. It is virtually impossible to see any cuts, the whole thing, apart from a fade-out/ fade-in two thirds the way through, appears to happen in two hours of real-time.
The script is intelligent and loaded. "When you give the orders (to abort the attack) to Colonel Mackenzie, make sure there are witnesses. Some people like to fight.", the settings are astonishing, the camerawork remarkable. And the story is riveting. The sequence where the protagonist runs 300 yards across the field of advancing soldiers must be one of the great sequences in movie history.
It is difficult not to wax lyrical about this film
It's clear to see why this won Best Dramatic Film at the Golden Globes, and it now seems destined to win the 2020 Best Film Oscar, too ( a week away at time of writing). Certainly a second Oscar must be a formality for Sam (American Beauty) Mendes as director.
Alas, I had hoped for an Oscar win for Quentin Tarrantino. Unless the Acadeny has an attack of sentimentality at ignoring the great Tarantino for so long, that is a forlorn hope.However, I'll bet on him getting his THIRD screenplay Oscar.
Film as a creative art form, despite the plethora of Disney remakes and Star Wars rehashes, is alive and well.