Reviews

I'm Still Here, the feature film debut from director Kris Smith that draws on his experiences with terminal illness, is as poignant and punchy as they come. Matthew (portrayed by Dan Burman), a young man with his whole life ahead of him suddenly discovers that he has terminal cancer - thus begins a roller-coaster ride of pain and heartache, from reconciling with family to falling in love at the wrong time.

Burman's sterling no holds barred performance married with Smith's raw, almost documentary- like filmmaking (thanks also to the excellent cinematography by DOP Joshua Carver) give I'm Still Here its emotional core – since the film seems so natural it makes it all the more relatable, and that it makes the drama all the more heartbreaking (oh yes, you certainly will need tissues). In all the right places, Burman channels melancholy, wit and pure agony on his journey through all the stages of grief portrayed in the film that will certainly pull at your heartstrings.

His co-stars are equally as empathic, particularly Lucy Russell as Rebecca and Chris Szuca as Ben who deliver fresh, engaging performances. Whilst the focus of Matthew's attention is on his love interest Olivia (Rebecca Bailey), the more meaningful relationships are the ones he forms in his community; particularly in the case of fellow cancer sufferer Rebecca and the estranged married couple Ben and Sophie. Matthew's realization of his larger role in the world around him will certainly have audiences feeling warm, even if his kindness is shrouded in tragedy.

The film's somber score by Asche & Spencer, whose credits include Machine Gun Preacher and Monster's Ball, reinforces the moody tone well as Matthew struggles with day-to-day life, knowing his time is growing shorter by the minute.

I'm Still Here is a dose of fresh, no-holds-barred filmmaking that will break your heart in two with its powerful drama. Smith has made his cinematic mark, as his beautiful debut shows strong signs of great promise in his future – he's most certainly a director to watch.

This could have been a GREAT movie, but it was so lazy and badly done that it turned out to be a tweeny load of rubbish in my opinion.

It was such a good idea - kids play a video game, you die in the game you die in real life. It could have been fantastic.

Yet the deaths were corny and the ultimate villain (a REAL Hungarian countess, Elizabeth Bathory, who was said to be "vampiric" as she bathed in virgin's blood - you can also find her on the Atmosfear/Nightmare board game series) was a load of twoddle. She was pathetic.

The "anti"-climax ruined the whole film.

Don't bother. You'll want your time back.

5/10

I really want to love this game. I do.

Amazing graphics, enemies and plot lines, and a distinct reference to Silent Hill.

But that annoying Triangle button that you have to press every time you want to do something is just plain stupid! It's a waste of time.

Sight Jacking is equally frustrating, as it takes you forever to understand why you're doing it in the first places (something that nun failed to tell me).

I'd watch it being played, but I don't think I could handle playing it myself. It's too annoying.

This movie was a lot better than I expected. Claire Redfield joining the crew, another stunning performance from Jovovich and the strangest twists and biggest explosions the series has seen yet.

However - this should have been rated an "18" rather than a "15" in the UK.

It was very gory and very disturbing - the undead so far were not too scary for me but this was more gory and disturbing than the Dawn of the Dead remake and it frightened the hell out of me.

A good movie - but be warned.

8/10.

• A repeat of the first film (Shrek goes to pick up someone who doesn't want to go with him, and delivers that person to someone else) - Gag after gag with no real storyline.

• The gags aren't that funny.

• Any good jokes were put on the trailers, which were shown to you about fifty times on TV and such, making them unfunny when you see the whole film.

• Pointless use of characters (some characters did not need to be involved, such as the princesses).

• You are waiting for the good bits to come on, but they never come.

Why has all this happened? Because Shrek has been "milked" (and will continue to be "milked" as Shrek 4 and a Puss in Boots spin off are currently in production). Hollywood loves sequels, but this has pushed it too far.

Worth seeing if you are a fan of the Shrek series, but you will be disappointed.

5/10

I am a complete stranger to the works of Hsiao-hsien Hou and Yasujiro Ozu, but I would like to give my opinion on this anyway.

Probably like me, strangers to the works of those directors will find this slow-paced, a little repetitive (with Yoko constantly getting on/off trains) and somewhat confusing in places.

However, watching it I noticed how simply human it was. Most films have a terrible dilemma, which usually are very much unlike real life. But this is a very simple film, in which in the dilemma is simply that she is three months pregnant but does not wish to marry the father of the unborn child. Very human.

Another way it was a very human hearted film was the relationships between her parents - who watch their growing daughter with concern slowly become more independent - and between her bookshop friend - having little chats in the bookshop, not going into deep conversation but having light-hearted chat.

It didn't have to be complicated, and that's what I liked most about this film. It was something to relate to.

This film is definitely a piece of art. Notice how the only soundtrack within the whole picture (music-wise) is Weyne's pieces (that is, during the film - there is a song during the credits). This brings more emphasis on the humanity of the film and the artistic camera shots used. It's a very poetic and serene film.

Cafe Lumiere probably means more to Hsiao-hsien Hou and Yasujiro Ozu fans than it did to me. But it was a sweet film and I'd definitely recommend it to those who just want something simple and quiet to watch.

When I saw 'All About Lily Chou-Chou' (aka 'Riri ShuShu No Subete', by Shunji Iwai, 2001), I thought this was as messed up as teens could get in these movies.

However, after seeing 'Battle Royale' (aka 'Batoru Rowaiaru'), I realised I was clearly wrong in my presumption.

I am not going to spoil it for those who have not seen this movie yet, but all I will say is that 'Battle Royale' is dark, gory and sinister. This movie has a constant love/hate, trust/mistrust relationship about the teenagers and a dark ending around every corner.

The acting is absolutely outstanding and the film itself stunning.

A must-see, but definitely NOT for the faint at heart.

This movie was absolutely amazing.

Acting by the two leads Cage and Peña was very believable and tear-jerking. The movie itself was very cleverly made, despite some of the goofs within the film (many have noticed cars and advertisements that were introduced AFTER 9/11) - for example, even at the start police cars have dents in them (looking more realistic) and hardly any special effects were used.

A gripping movie that will make you cry (it certainly made me cry and jump right out of my seat in some scenes!). I was 11 when the towers were hit so I didn't really take too much notice, being young. But now I realise what an impact this had upon America. My heart went out to everyone during that film.

This is definitely a must-see. But not for the faint-hearted - this movie is very, VERY emotional.

This film is AMAZING. 'Ginger Snaps' uses the metaphor of werewolfism for puberty and teenage life, but with clever little twists.

Brigitte (Emily Perkins) and Ginger (Katherine Isabelle) Fitzgerald are two social outcasts, sisters and best friends, together "against life as we know it"... obsessed with death and suicide. Neither of them (despite the fact they're 15-16) have experienced puberty as of yet, and are glad that they haven't so they remain different to everyone else. But one night, when out tricking their loathed enemy from school, Trina Sinclair (Danielle Hampton), Ginger gets "the curse"... now angry she has something in common with the others (she's properly hit puberty) she doesn't notice a werewolf stalking her. It finally attacks and after a desperate struggle, with Brigitte attempting to save her sister, she takes Ginger back home. Ginger is very much wounded but Brigitte finds it scary that they have almost healed within minutes of getting cut... Slowly, over the next 28 days, Ginger becomes more and more like a young woman on the prowl. They think it's puberty and hormones at first, but when Ginger starts growing a tail they realise something's not quite right. As the best friends slowly grow apart as Ginger grows more wolf-like Brigitte knows she has to find a way to save her sister before she loses her completely. With the help of local drug-dealer-and-plant-know-it-all Sam, can she get her sister back? Or will she lose Ginger to the werewolf virus?

So whats all the hype about? Well firstly, Katharine Isabelle, Emily Perkins and Kris Lemche shine like gems in 'Ginger Snaps'. Their acting is beyond superb (Perkins does even BETTER in 'Ginger Snaps II: Unleashed')! The black humour in this movie is hilarious, gets me in stitches every time! For example, after Ginger is accused of being a werewolf, during the family dinner time, Ginger takes a bite out a chicken wing, looks at Brigitte and bitterly says "Wish these were babie's legs." - cracks me up every time! Pamela (Mimi Rogers), the girls' mother, is fantastic too! She is absolutely hilarious in her mother role, but I think we are meant to be laughing at her sometimes. Or maybe because we are with the two depressed girls all through the movie, we HAVE to laugh at her contrast with her daughters! The gore, horror, shocks, surprises, humour, soundtrack, acting and unique idea for 'Ginger Snaps' is what makes it so special. This movie, I feel, has inspired many people and influenced them a lot. My friend received a t-shirt with the girls' pact on it as a friendship birthday gift once, and I know that this movie has inspired a lot of death shots (I myself did some after seeing 'Ginger Snaps'!).

You MUST see this movie - it's pure genius!

I was watching this movie today, having not seen it for about two years, and I noticed a LOT more in it this time than when I last saw it:

1. The stunning animation. Not the Americanised, simplistic anime but a prettier and more detailed style. Smoother animation, too.

2. The plot - a more developed version of what you get on the series, which is what fans like to see! :)

3. The humour! I have always loved Digimon's humour and it is definitely improved further in this movie.

4. The fight scenes are as good as ever!

5. Great soundtrack! (apart from that Digimon Rap thing at the start - it got on my nerves o_O;;)

So, overall, this movie is great entertainment. Obviously I recommend this especially to Digimon fans but it also appeals to other audiences. I myself was a Digimon fan about 6 years ago, and hadn't seen it, and when I saw the old videos I have of the series and the movie recently after pulling them out of my shelves I remembered why I liked Digimon so much :D As everyone else has said, beats Pokemon any day! And this is coming from an ex-Pokemon fan too! Maybe the reason it beats Pokemon (apart from the reasons above) is because Digimon shows a lot more human emotion, rather than just fight fight fight pull Brock away from girls and more fighting and getting shiny badges.

Three word summary: BIG Digimon adventure

This film had it's good and bad parts. On one hand, the plot was predictable, the jokes not particularly funny and the speed of the characters movement gave me a headache (they constantly run around and jump and dance). I did like the characters, although they weren't anything new or interesting. David Schwimmer (as the giraffe) made me laugh, but mainly because I could compare the personality of the giraffe to that of Schwimmer's character Ross in the TV show Friends - both a bit paranoid and very cautious at all times. Ali G (as the lemur king) made me giggle as well when he danced, and I particularly liked the 'wackiness' of his character. The penguins were probably the most enjoyable characters on the film - they were "psychotic" (as the lion Alex liked to call them) and I found them very entertaining to watch. The animation in this film was very well done. I noticed in particular the perfection on the water effects (eg by the sea in Madagascar or in Gloria's swimming pool) and Alex's mane (how it moves when he does). I would say this film is enjoyable. It isn't anything new or fantastic, but it did have small moments where it made you smile or laugh. Otherwise it got a bit predictable really. My advice - see if you liked Shrek. But don't expect too much - the trailers make it look better than it is!

I loved the first Legally Blonde. It was one of those charming, innocent teen movies. The acting in it was flawless and the jokes creative.

But this one was trying to re-use the first, and failed miserably. The acting LB2 was very good, but the plot was complete nonsense and the jokes recycled, making them not very funny anymore really. Especially when used badly.

I was also annoyed at LB2's Elle Woods.. in the first, she was a great character because at first she was a naive, dumb blonde who lived up to her stereotype. But she overcame the odds, realised her potential and proved to the world that she was an intelligent, interesting, mature woman. However, when I saw her character in this sequel, she went right back to stupid again! I didn't understand why at all.

The animal testing case annoyed me as well. The murder trial Elle had to sort in the first was good because it was a serious case, which was funny to contrast with her bubbly, girlie personality. It was also funny when she won that case with the rule about the perm. But the animal testing thing was so typical of a girl like her when she was at the start of the first to try and change. She had changed at the end of the first movie though, so why go back to who she was? Some of the other characters were a bit pointless as well. Emmett was there, but his role was pretty small and meaningless. Paulette's character wasn't as good as it was in the first movie.

I just felt this movie had no point to it. The first had already covered everything, and on my DVD explains what happened to them (Paulette marries that guy she likes, Emmett proposes to Elle, etc) so there was no point trying to carry on from that Happy Ever After. It was just recycling the first and adding in a whole load of rubbish.

I love this! It's a cute show with a witty script and some great story lines. Noah & Saskia also has a great theme, as I have not seen many shows that are about good internet friendships. The only ones I have seen are about the ones with creeps on the end (like Sarah Platt in Coronation Street a while back). I love the way they show the closeness of the two as it reminds me of me and my close internet friend. They've done it really well. Noah & Saskia, for those who don't know, is a teenage based programme about two internet friends, Noah King and Saskia Litras (obviously, hence the title!!) who work on a website/comic thing together in their spare time and the programme shows them going on through their everyday lives by day, at school and such, and how they get on. Like Saskia will have falls out with her friends and Noah has a little cousin Eddie to deal with. Despite the fact that Noah lives in London and Saskia in Austrailia, they consider themselves the best of friends, under the alias Max Hammer (for Noah) and Indy (for Saskia). Blumenau and Greenwood are great as Noah and Saskia, as they capture the whole thing brilliantly. They're really good actors and I hope to see more from them. They are very convincing as their characters. This is one of the best things I have seen from CBBC so far. I really recommend this if you are looking for a great way to spend half an hour, and if you like teenage friendship type of shows. Wicked!!