Reviews

This film surprised me in a good way.

From the trailer and the posters to be found in many of the bus shelters of our town it would have been fair to have expected a routine rom-com. The pose struck by the leads Jake Gylenhall & Anne Hathaway on that poster just screamed "knock about rom-com,just like hundreds of others" It isn't though and that was a pleasant and engaging surprise.

Jake Gylenhall pulls off the role of super bright but super slacker son Jamie in a high achieving family well and is convincing as a magnetising presence that women find irresistible.

The absence of Anne Hathaway's character Maggie in the first segment of the film is the first suggestion that this will not be a routine paint by numbers romance and Maggie's introduction sets the scene for the complex character she successfully portrays.

This film covers a lot of ground and both of the leads are engaging and believable.

Issues such as serious illness, the workings of the big pharmaceutical companies and their attempts to influence the decision making of medical professionals, the struggle people have to pay for treatment and a believably complex love story are woven in without significant signposting or obvious plot twists.

Once again, the two lead actors were excellent and overall this made for an enjoyable and engaging film

I'm coming pretty late to this film, almost ten years after its release and also having read none of the books.

Having said that, I have a very positive view of JK Rowling. Having written these books that have been so successful from scratch and starting from difficult circumstances, famously writing the first book in a cafe to save on heating bills, she has achieved a great deal and should be saluted for that.

This is a fun film which is easy to get involved in. The faith shown by the producers of the film in the three young leads is repaid enormously and Daniel Radcliffe pulls off an astonishingly accomplished performance as Harry.

There are many wonderful British actors in this film, Richard Harris, Maggie Smith, Alan Rickman, Zoe Wanamaker, Ian Hart, Robbie Coltrane, John Hurt - it is a treat to watch them at work.

A super film with excellent sets and affects that support the whole structure of this film that is delivered through superb comic acting and tells a vibrant and enjoyable story

This is another masterpiece from Christopher Nolan, the British director who is rapidly becoming my favourite director and, surely, the leading British director of his generation This is a complex, complicated, thrilling, moving film that manages to engage through to the very end.

Moreover Nolan did not only direct this film, he also wrote it and produced it Astonishing Especially as Mr Nolan is not even 40 yet ! From the man who brought us "Memento" this is the tale of Cobb played by Leonardo Di Caprio who is an "extractor" - paid by clients to capture secrets from deep within the minds of his targets.

In interviews the director has expressed a wish for audiences to know as little as possible about the story before seeing the film - and having seen this film tonight I can see why So I will say little more about the detail of the story.

The cast is strong - Di Caprio, for me, is growing into his face as an actor and gets better as time goes on Joseph Gordon Levitt may be remembered by some for his role in the wonderful 3rd Rock from the Sun but here he is excellent as sidekick Arthur Add in Ellen Page, Marion Cotillard ( whose presence clearly inspired one of the hidden little jokes in the story that my wife rather than I picked up ) Michael Caine and Pete Postlethwaite and we have a cast strong enough to carry a weighty story.

This is a breathtaking film, surely Nolan cannot keep churning out fabulous films like this ? - well maybe, wonderfully he can.

The music in this film is perfect, never intrusive

For the film a holics who see this you may well pick up elements of James Bond,Ocean's Eleven and the Matrix - but do not get me wrong this is definitely its own film and wonderful for it

Moving, exciting and thought provoking.

I felt the need to watch Memento three times before I felt I had a comprehensive understanding of it I can see myself watching this masterpiece at least once more

9/10 Bravo Christopher Nolan I can't believe that you're not even 40 yet

I write as a committed fan of both Pedro Almodovar and Penelope Cruz so any new film from the Spanish maestro is always going to find favour with me. Broken Embraces is no exception.

The film does, however, seem to lack the vivid nature of Volver which seemed to drip colours and emotions from the screen and took the viewer on a captivating journey. Broken Embraces felt like an altogether more restrained and toned down affair.

The usual Almodovar themes of love, sex and death are revisited in this film and there are some beautifully written and acted scenes around all three of these subjects.

While Penelope Cruz shone in the role of Lena, it was,unusually for a Pedro film, a male lead that stood out for me - Lluis Homer as Mateo / Harry was strong, credible and engrossing throughout.

A strong cast in support with excellent performances from Blanco Portillo as Judit and Tamer Noves notable as Diego, Judit's son.

There were a couple of points in the film where I felt that we were building up to the conclusion, particularly after the scenes in Lanzarote only for the film to press on for a number of additional scenes. Even though this film is not particularly long, these , to me, false finishes made it seem longer than it could have been.

The film within the film - Girls and Suitcases - did not engage me wholly and felt like a distraction of sorts towards the end, though i understood why it was crucial to the stor as a whole

Overall a good and satisfying film and one to be recommended - the scenes involving Lena & Mateo were spell binding at times and I particularly enjoyed the scene between Mateo & Diego as they bounced ideas off each other for a new drama about a blood donor drive organised by vampires.....

If it is all possible I would recommend that you put out of your mind your opinion of the situation in Iraq before seeing this film.

It would be ludicrous of me to suggest that it is possible to make an apolitical film about Iraq but Kathryn Bigelow has come very close with this film.

The Hurt Locker seems to show ( and I only say seems as I have no military experience with which to contrast ) in meaningful detail the brutality and random nature of death and the impact it has on those at the forefront, both those in uniform and those not.

The focus on the working and personal relationship between Sgt James, Sgt Sanborn and Specialist Eldridge is very well drawn and makes personal the different ways individuals cope with the never ending stress and trauma of the situation they find themselves in and how this impacts upon the people they live and work with.

Brian Geraghty is impressive as the naive and callow Eldridge, expressing his fears openly that he will not make it home alive and the lack of control he has over his fate. I also found Anthony Mackie impressive as the thoughtful Sgt Sanborn.

Watching this film I did find myself seeking subtext more closely than I would for other films because of the subject matter, but I am hard pressed to point to any scene or dialogue that appeared preachy, flag waving or at Political with a capital P.

Of course the personal is political and I found this to be an impressive film for convincingly portraying the impact that decisions made thousands of miles away have on real lives.

Recommended

My feelings about this film swung between two competing schools of thought as I watched it.

One - do I feel any attachment and engagement in this story of Belle Epoque Paris where an extremely wealthy courtesan falls in love with the son of an extremely wealthy courtesan, a young man with apparently few redeeming features to his character ?

and

Two - This is a very well made and acted film - Michelle Pfeiffer is excellent, drawing me into the feelings of her character as the film progressed and Rupert Friend makes much of a role that I'm sure other young actors would have found too complex

In the end I settled closer to thought number two - this is a film with much to say about love and who we fall in love with.

I was fortunate to attend a screening of this film at which both the writer - Christopher Hampton & director Stephen Frears were present and enjoyed listening to them talk about the film, it's development and their hopes for it. Two very engaging characters who proved to be happy to answer all kinds of questions that we the Nottingham audience could throw at them

It is not uncommon in a film to see British "stiff upper lip" challenged and outflanked by an outsider - normally an American. As a Brit you learn to put aside any feelings of protectiveness and sensitivity and try to give the film it's fair credit when such a story is presented to you.

In the case of this film - Easy Virtue - this is not difficult to do as it is a well acted gem of a period piece that overcomes any of the initial worries about stereotypes and charms and amuses all the way through.

Kirstin Scott Thomas is superb as the glacial matriarch, Colin Firth detached and louche as her distant husband, Jessica Biel believable as the breath of fresh air ( gust of cold wind ) introduced into the family by the eager but naive son.

Kris Marshall gives an amusing performance as the world weary - seen it all butler and as a whole this is a good enjoyable film.

Taken as it is from a Noel Coward play, I am not sufficiently qualifies to comment on how much , or little, the film has changed the spirit of the play - I suspect not a lot as Mr Coward delighted in ridiculing the sensibilities of the British gentry and if the stiff upper lip is going to be ridiculed by anyone better that it is a Brit !!

I found the latest Bond film to be a compelling and exciting film - I enjoy how Daniel Craig is bringing life to this version of Bond - dark, troubled and driven - this Bond feels like less of a cartoon than the later films of the Pierce Brosnan version and the fact that I have been to see both of the Daniel Craig films at the cinema rather than waiting for them on DVD as had been the case in the past is a sign of how more engaged I feel.

This film starts off as if the director has been watching the Bourne films closely - rapid cutting and jerky filming of chases and fights makes for an uncomfortable start to the film - a feeling that is transferred to the emotions as the story unfolds.

The locations are at times stunning and the story complex - as many have suggested it is important you remember the ins and outs of Casino Royale if you wish to get the best out of this film.

The life of the secret agent portrayed is both brutal and cold - I imagine much more close to reality than some of the previous portrayals - to me that makes for a more genuine and credible film - but I can see how some fans may tire of this gritty reality and yearn for the comic book martini drinking sex mad playboy that has been part of the Bond heritage.

Well done Daniel Craig for the quality of the acting and the physical bravery involved in this role and also well done to Dame Judi for her continued excellent portrayal of M

Enjoyed this film very much. Will try desperately to avoid words such as "heartwarming" " meaningful" and even worse - "nice" as they would do this film a grave disservice but there is an undeniable human warmth about this work that attracted and entertained the both us of who went to see it.

This is no sugary sweet "life is a box of chocolates " film - far from it but if I were to commend Miranda July on one aspect of this work ( and I could easily pick out any number ) it is the way in which all of the characters behave like real people. So big deal I may hear some of you say - but this is a really difficult thing to portray and the actors concerned and certainly the director deserve huge credit for making this a film of warmth and enjoyment as well as being an excellent reflection of the human condition.

Would see it again and that is definitely a reflection for me on how much I value this film.....

What could have been a sophisticated analysis of the many twists and turns of human sexuality unfortunately came off as a meandering and indulgent work.

Too much Cruise looking pained and furrowed of brow, not enough exploration of the initial story development and not enough Kidman. Too much reliance on Cruise attempting to convey feelings without words, never his strong point, and an indulgent feel to the middle of the film meant that this was a disappointment.

I suppose I might not be the most objective of reviewers, not being either a huge Kubrick or Cruise fan, but this could have been better, surely.

And what a lame finish

I Robot is an enjoyable film with a number of redeeming features, one of which is the performance of Will Smith. The fact that this film takes its inspiration from Asimov, and nothing more than its inspiration may have set up viewers for disappointment. This is not a highly complex tale but a straightforward adventure with whizz bang effects, a chase or two and good and bad guys and a few of questionable provenance thrown in.

Good fun, no more, but no shame in that. Enjoyable, but hard to imagine many others in the lead role making as decent a job as Smith