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willmurphy6663
Reviews
What They Had (2018)
great comedic film with pathos
This film has fell under the radar for me as it was a very funny and sad film. The father is briliant and has some great one liners and carries the film with his honesty and charm. The film isnt perfect by any means/ Although the premise of the films seems to be about the love between the father and mother and the grown up children just cannot find that themselves. \however, hilary swanks husband who she appears to be really struggling with seems like a nice guy, who buys her presents and appears kind and attentive, so it doesnt really make sense. Despite this flaw however, it was a touching and funny film and worth watchiing.
Emily (2022)
a very interesting portrait of the Brontes
Even though the film maker has weaved a fantasy life for Emily and her family, this film is beautiful and spell binding and manages to capture many of the Bronte themes of landscape, family dynamics and repressed emotion. Aspects of wuthering heights itself are weaved into the family story with Emily through the relationship with her brother, mirroring that of heathcliff and kathy as well as actual scenes where they watch their rich neighbours through the window as well as the gothic nature of the ghost story telling. Emily is portrayed in a very interesting way as difficult, an outsider, rebellious and full of anger. While Emily is wild, Charlotte is portrayed as carrying out their families wishes and it is refreshing to see them at odds with each other. The love story is both beautiful and tragic. Definitely worth a watch!
Empire of Light (2022)
a beautiful tender portrayal of love and mental health
I am quite surprised at the low rating, and the mark kermode review. For me the story works on all levels. The social background, the aching loneliness of Hilarys character. All of the characters had a pathos about them and they felt real. The love story which is 'love for a season', works because of the conversation between Hilary and Stephen. Olivia is brilliant as usual.
The attention to detail to get the time setting of the film correct seems of the highest order. The theme of film and stories being essential to making sense of our own stories was beautifully done with the art deco cinema.
The film i found a heartbreaking watch, the mental health aspect, the inevitable seperation, the issue of race....but at the centre of it was the intimacy and realness of connection/kindness and depth of understanding in the relationships...
Yanks (1979)
great love story beautifully done
I have seen yanks a number of times now over a period of years. I wrote because I cant believe it gets 6.4 and I have given it an 8. John Scleissenger and Colin Welland do a great job on this film, trying to create a period peace that captures the time. Its also a beautiful love story with Lisa Eichman and Richard Gere at the centre of it, the chemistry and love story between them is there from the minute they step on screen together, and Lisa's family and background it also really well played.
its a long film but I don't find it long and it tries to show all that was going on in England from 1943-44 when America entered the war, and times were so difficult and dangerous, a fitting tribute to those who lived through those times
Jenny's Wedding (2015)
nice coming out movie
5.3 is way too low for this movie. An emotional family drama dealing with an uptight family's anxieties and prejudices and although the film is a fantasy and on the side of the angels it plays out what should happen if a family had to turn round and accept what is unacceptable to them. It is nice to see a main stream film that is not just the usual tired romantic comedy.
The actors do a good job. Tom Wilkinson and Linda Edmonde are excellent as the parents and have the meaty roles to play as they have the difficult journey to take. Family dynamics are played out well as a background to the story as well as the social network that the parents live in.
Dan in Real Life (2007)
a really funny family film
i have reviewed this film partly because it is one of my favourites and partly because it has for me too low a mark on IMDb. For me it is one of those hidden gem films that is cult but not a massive hit. its strengths are the study of family dynamics, and its humour care of a good script and a host of good actors. it is a film that as a family we can watch again on a cold winters night and still laugh at. if you like films with an emotional heart, that has a meaningful psychological story line and a nice love story then i am sure you will like this story, for me it must score a minimum of 7.5. The actors in the film read like a whose who, and when you look at the actors talking about the film there seems to be a lot of preparation which shows through in the film.
Corrina, Corrina (1994)
great film hidden gem
i was very surprised at the low rating for this film, however when you read the reviews there is very little negative comments. A little 4 year old girl/father lose their mother/wife in the sixties in America. the little girl is so traumatised by the loss of her mother that she becomes mute. the father is not sensitive enough to her emotional distress to be able to help her. Enter Whoopi Goldberg as a nanny who through emotional literacy and counselling skills/ or good mum skills whatever you want to call it is able to heal the girl. the other theme dealt with is the obvious issue of racism and cross cultural love: a beautiful little film, good acting well dealt with
enjoy
will
White Palace (1990)
still one of my favourites
i read the reviews of loved and hated this film, and as you can guess i am on of the ones that have loved it. I can understand that people find the story implausible, because of the age difference and the social and cultural differences of the love story. i suppose having been in a few love across the divide love stories myself i identify and understand the motivations of the two characters and what the director is trying to say. Both James Spader and Susan Sarrandon are lost in the film, James had lost his lover and all meaning in his life, and Susan has lost her son, and her self respect and is being self destructive to herself. She has a truth which she teaches him on their first meeting, where she accurately reads him, and shows him how to let go and have a good time and have contact. The original sex scene which some people hate in the reviews is my all time favourite. If the sexes were reversed it would verge on rape, but because it is female on male it doesn't feel that way. the way she holds him down catches him unawares and drags him into this sexual and emotional awakening is what makes it so electrifying for me. James spader's night after rejection of her rings true, and for most people it would end there....but he goes on and they really learn off each other...maybe as i have found in real life it would end, but i think that love is about two people coming together having contact being together loving and learning from each other.
So may people that i see staying together in so called sensible compatible marriages don't have what you see these two having together for however long.......
Running on Empty (1988)
one of my all time favourites
i have a few favourite films that i watch over and over and never tire of, this is one of them, waking the dead another, the white palace, before sunset, children of a lesser god to name some of the top of my head. i looked this up to see its rating i was surprised it got this high and that the people who hate it weren't that many. for me its a beautiful film, still a hidden gem of Sydney lumet, and i love it mainly for river phoenix and the love story setting with Martha plumpton. the crescendo of them getting together, the childish way she rebuffs him on a misunderstanding of his communication and the way he blurts all he has not said to her i can only describe as beautiful and truthful. The description of Martha of her parents as polite but not intimate, tells the truth that a lot of children have experienced in so called nice/good childhoods.
The elecrifying scene between Christine lahti and her father where he challenges her that she wants for her child what she rejected for herself and the anger between them and his tears shed when she is gone... well as i say you'll have to watch the film.... final favourite for me, 'Corrina Corrina...
Two Lovers (2008)
not what Iexpected
I chose this movie because of its rating and good reviews. However, in the end I had to skip through it as it was so tortuous. Difficult to watch and difficult to understand why Jaochim is doing what he is doing. It wasn't funny and I don't feel it had the deep meaning that other reviews have alluded to.
It could have been a lovely film - great acting but just a terrible story line. Apart from being lost, I cannot really understand the central character's behaviour.
User reviews saying this is the film of the year or a deep artistic experience are just way of the mark for me.