Reviews

"Arrested Development" is a character-driven American comedy television series. And it's good. REALLY good.

I first caught this programme by chance, here in the UK on BBC Two in the early hours one morning. The show was given minimal promotion when it first started airing here, and as in the United States - remained firmly cult throughout it's three year run. The lack of mainstream success for this programme is somewhat baffling to me, but it's quite progressive in every which way so perhaps it never had much cross-over potential.

"Arrested Development" fits into that recent sub-genre of television, Spoof-Documentary. But it brings many new elements to the genre, and it's hard to really categorise this show since it's pretty much one of a kind.

One of the elements of the show that never fails to make me laugh is the way in which the camera is used. Shot using a single-camera set-up, the producers of "Arrested Development" have used the camera as a tool in ways we've never seen before. Every jerky move, every shake, every reaction shot are used with incredible precision (and restraint) in order to heighten the comedy at every moment.

The script, of course, is superb. The repartee between the characters is the best you'll ever hear. The Bluth family is a complete and utter mess - 10 times more dysfunctional than the Simpsons - but you'll never tire of the characters or the ridiculous circumstances they find themselves in. This is one of the most bizarre programmes ever, some of the events that take place can only be described as outlandish - but the writing is so sharp, witty and precise that everything just works, you accept everything for what it is.

As you can probably tell, I'm pretty enamoured with the Bluth family (weird, right?). This is the most consistently hilarious, original and easily the smartest comedy programmes to come out of the past decade - and I'm tempted to say the best comedy programme ever to come out of America. If you've any self-respect, you'll rent out all three seasons of "Arrested Development" immediately, if not sooner.

'Soapdish' is one of the best, yet least well remembered comedies of the 1990's. The film revolves around the various off-camera drama's that occur behind the scenes of a cheaply produced Daytime Soap Opera. The first of the film's various impressive strengths is it's fantastic A-List cast. 'Soapdish' features some of the greatest actors and actresses of it's era.

The film is superbly led by Sally Field, as the neurotic ageing actress Celeste Talbert (She famously throws a tantrum when put in a costume that makes her look like "Gloria F*CKING Swanson!"). Her supporting cast reads like a who's-who of 90's Movie Greats! Whoopi Goldberg, Robert Downey Jr, Teri Hatcher, Kevin Kline and Kathy Najimy all elevate the film greatly. Goldberg is predictably excellent, whilst Downey Jr.'s and Hatcher's performances hint at the comedic excellence they would later achieve.

In terms of writing, the film is outstanding. There is a really modern edge to the script, which strays into the wonderfully bizarre on several occasions. There also several visual gags that are quite ahead of their time. In some ways, the film is reminiscent of Mel Brooks at his best and frequently reminded this reviewer of 'High Anxiety' (1977). Much of the film's humour hinges on it's often scathing, but pretty accurate, representations of daytime television and of neurotic and pretentious actors. For example, The extras casting session featuring the exploitative executive played by Carrie Fisher, is both hilarious and honest.

'Soapdish' is, for my money, one of the very best comedies Hollywood produced during the 1990's. It's excellent script and A-Class cast make it a must-see. It's hard not to love this film after it's kept you laughing for 90 minutes.

"Just Shoot Me" was a highly successful American sitcom that ran for 7 seasons between 1997 and 2003. It's one of the finest television comedies you could ever hope to find, with a superb cast and a script that is consistently of the highest quality. In short, this is one show you can't afford to miss.

The most crucial element to the show's success is probably it's excellent ensemble cast, who have such great chemistry and work so well together. Wendie Malick steals the show for me. She is flawless as the ex-Model whose personal life is full of dubious activities (and various substances!). Malick injects real humanity to Nina Van Horn. The character is, in my opinion, infinitely more interesting than the frankly ridiculous Karen Walker of rival show "Will and Grace". Laura San Giacomo gives a typically assured performance as Maya. George Segal is also superb, and David Spade can always be relied upon for a laugh.

The writing is the spine of any Sitcom, and "Just Shoot Me!" has one of the best there is. Great, witty repartee between the characters and some pretty great character development go towards making this show what it is. Who ever thought the simple line "My friend Binny..." could be so hilarious? Why the show didn't pick up several Emmy's for it's cast and writers I'll never know. Truth is, it's much better than many of the shows that have triumphed at that particular awards show. Another great thing about the show is that it didn't outstay it's welcome - there were 7 great seasons of the show and it most definitely went out on top.

"Just Shoot Me!" is everything Sitcom should be. Witty, intelligent and with a wonderful cast portraying diverse and realistic characters. This is as good as it gets.

"Sister, Sister" is a great show for what it is, a family-orientated American sitcom. A lot of the situations are very corny, but isn't that the point? The show is very successful at what it does. This is not meant to be Shakespeare - it's a mainstream, easy going sitcom aimed at the Teen market.

I used to love this show as a kid. It's fun, innocent and the principle cast are all very likable. What more could you ask for? As a viewer from the UK, this show SCREAMED American culture, and at the time I thought that was pretty damn cool. Maybe it was the fact that everyone got to wear their own clothes in school, or that the girls' house is just so gorgeous - I don't know. The show is also a lot of fun to watch now because it's so damn 90s! That's an aspect of "Sister, Sister" I really enjoy, being a kid of that era.

Don't lay into this show too hard. What did it ever do wrong? It was an unpretentious teen Sitcom that gave a lot of viewers many laughs for the few years it was on. It was a likable show that had a great cast and if you would care to look at it objectively, good set design, lighting and an overall great look (It won awards for that) It's very 90's, It's very easy viewing, And I love it.

In "The Comeback" Lisa Kudrow plays Valerie Cherish, a Z-List ex-Sitcom star who is desperate to resuscitate her flagging career. She lands a role on a tacky new sitcom (although her 'lead' role quickly descends into a recurring cameo), but only under the proviso she also star in a low-rent Reality series documenting her return to the spotlight. "The Comeback" is comprised of scenes presented as 'raw' footage from the fictional reality show that the programme is based around. Much of the show's humour comes from the idea that we are watching un-edited, raw footage of an over-the-hill actress and her constant attempts to regain dignity, which always fail.

First to be applauded for this marvellous series is Kudrow who puts in the flawless performance only ever hinted at on the sterile apartment sets of "Friends". The comparisons between Kudrow and the character she plays in this series are obvious, and add greatly to the overall appeal of the programme. Kudrow's decision to knowingly mock herself is both self-assured and inspired. In "The Comeback", Kudrow is at her best; subtle, with impeccable timing and always completely hilarious. The way in which she constructs her characters gradual unravelling as she's faced with a variety of embarrassing situations is fascinating and presents a masterclass in how comedy acting should be done. Valerie Cherish will make you cringe, laugh and, here's what makes Kudrow's performance really superb, you'll also feel desperately sorry for her.

Along with Kudrow, the camera style of "The Comeback" is what makes it so funny and entertaining. There's something continually funny about seeing the reality show's Producer dip in and out of frame and ask Valerie pressing questions off camera; as she's stitching poor Valerie up like a kipper whilst making her a laughing stock. The constant parodies of current American Reality shows are great, especially because they expose the entire premise of Reality TV to be complete garbage. The world of network sitcom is also taunted throughout the series. Even the fake sitcom's name - 'Room and Bored' - is so awful that you can imagine seeing it pop up in next week's TV Guide.

If you're a Film or Television producer, you'll find endless humour at the sight of camera crew's bashing through doors and falling down stairs to keep up with the 'star'. There is definitely a perverse pleasure to be had, for those in the business, to see a crew struggle with those irritating logistical problems that you've faced before and will no doubt face again on the next shoot. Laura Silverman, by the way, is excellent as the mild-mannered, but totally ruthless, Reality Show Producer who you'll want to work on your next production! She's completely believable.

"The Comeback" is an outstanding comedy series that ended well before it's time. For those in Film and Television, especially, it offers an entire new level of humour that has rarely been shown before. The writing is great, the performances stellar, and the idea actually very novel; although it might not seem so at first glance. Without a doubt, this is a must-see series that I can't recommend highly enough.

"ReBoot" was a strange little show in many ways. The first ever entirely CGI-Series, it was incredibly ground-breaking at the time for this fact alone. But it wasn't just that which made "ReBoot" so original. The whole premise for the show is very geeky, which is probably why it's initial massive success surprised so many people. You have to figure there is something more this show is offering the viewer, and there definitely is.

Obviously, the show is technically astounding for it's time. It's hard to appreciate just what amazing work the team behind "ReBoot" created with, by today's standards, very primitive tools. People often credit "Toy Story" as the first truly immersive CGI production, but "ReBoot" is the real ground breaker in this field. Apart from that, the characters created on this show are amazing. They have back story, character development, strong personality and have generally been incredibly well realised. Although quite basic in the first two seasons, the writing on "ReBoot" was very well developed by the Third and Fourth Seasons. It's certainly the best written Kids programme I've ever seen.

It's a great shame that "ReBoot" isn't given more credit. It was truly technically groundbreaking, and in addition it was very well written and produced. One can only imagine at the talent and dedication of the team behind this truly charming television programming. The whole show was a risk and was TRULY original. If more programmes on Television (especially animated ones) were as classy, vivid, imaginative, inventive and generally impressive as "ReBoot" than the TV schedules would be a much more inspiring.

Before watching this film, I wasn't sure what to expect. I only saw it recently, and since it's initial release in 2000 it seems to have been largely forgotten. That in mind, I wasn't expecting too much from it. However, "The Cell" really surprised me and turned out to be one of the very best of it's genre. The film works well on many different levels and is very interesting, original and entertaining. The whole premise for the film is very original I thought, and it has been delivered very well. Jennifer Lopez' character is a child physcologist of sorts who, with the aid of incredible new technology, delves deep into the minds of her patients to try and cure them. When a serial killer is found in a coma, she is hired to try and help discover where his latest victim is being held before it's too late.

It's a simple premise and it has been very well delivered - as a viewer you never feel as if the story is running away with itself, everything is very well restrained and measured - it would have been all too easy for the writers to go ahead of themselves with this plot and lose the audience. The best part of the film for me was the amazing scenes in which Lopez is inside the mind of Carl, the clinically insane killer. These scenes have been superbly put together, with all kinds of Camera Lens trickery and some truly amazing visual effects. Probably the most impressive thing about these scenes is that they are all very well integrated and run very smoothly from one to the other - this is an important aspect of the film's success. Visual icons used to make the meaning of scenes and to push the narrative forward could have been too obvious and lost all credibility all to easily, but again these are very well realised and add to the whole strong intelligence of the movie. The use of colour composition and camera work is simply stunning on numerous occasions - the "dream" world of the killer's mind has been incredibly realised.

The final winning aspect of this film is it's cast. This is the best I've ever seen Jennier Lopez in a serious role - why doesn't such pick such great roles like this anymore? Vince Vaughn puts in a strong performance as the ex-Lawyer turned Cop who is hell bent saving the latest of the killer's victims. Vincent D'Onofrio is outstanding as the deranged serial killer - probably the best performance in the film because he manages to capture the humanity of his evil character perfectly - a mature and sophisticated performance. Direction by Tarsem Singh is good - he has managed to command one of the finest Lopez performances ever here and for that, must be applauded. Overall - this film is a real winner. The cast strong, writing well realised and the cinematography is stunning throughout. An original, thought provoking and valuable addition to the Thriller genre.

This film really surprised me. Why? Because it turned out to be one of the best Romantic Comedy films I've ever seen. This is a sharp, witty and very sarcastic film that most audiences will really enjoy. "L.A. Story" also contains some brilliant performances from it's cast, and for me Sarah Jessica Parker steals the movie as the adorable SaNdEe*. Steve Martin is very good, as you expect him to be. The rest of the cast do a good, solid job without any other real stand-out performances. But that doesn't matter because everything else in the movie is right on the money.

A feel-good film, sharply written and delivered. Also it's a must see for fans of Sarah Jessica Parker as this is one of her best performances from her starlet days. There are several laugh-out-loud moments, including the hilarious earthquake scene, and on the whole the film is a real winner. A great movie that I really enjoyed.

"How To Marry A Millionaire" is a typical 20th Century Fox comedy blockbuster of the 1950's. This movie is the very definition of a big, brassy and over-the-top Hollywood of days gone by, and it's all the more fabulous for it. The three leading ladies are wonderful - each providing something different from the other and all of them truly accomplished and talented comedy actresses.

Marilyn Monroe, for my money, steals the show hands down. She is absolutely adorable in the film and she looks at her most beautiful, too. Many other beautiful women have drifted in and out of film over the years, but in "How To Marry A Millionaire" it should be obvious to anyone that Monroe is the most beautiful of them all, period. She is also puts in the kind of perfected comedy performance nobody else can. Betty Grable is wonderful, and just as hilarious and beautiful. Lauren Bacall leads the way and is pretty much flawless in her portrayal of the money-hunting ladies ring leader.

The cinematography is pure 1950's Hollywood and it looks pretty stunning, it has to be said. This was one of the first movies to use 20th Century Fox's Cinemascope format, which was basically a 1950's version of today's Widescreen technique. This causes the only real problem for me, which is a lack of close-up's. This is something nearly all other Cinemascope pictures fall victim to. The only other possible complaint about the movie is that it's quite slow moving, but then so are nearly all other films from this time so it's perhaps not a very fair criticism.

So, all things considered, this is a very entertaining movie and a must see for fans of Monroe, Grable or Bacall. The script, although dated in places, holds up pretty well and even provides a rather poignant take on Sexual Politics in places. The movie was fully restored a couple years back, and this restoration (Completed with a full Widescreen Frame to best emulate the film's original Cinemascope format) is the only way to watch the film. "How To Marry A Millionaire" is a great movie from the 1950's that defines it's era and even manages to remain appealing in some ways today.

"Some Like It Hot" is an outstanding comedy from 1959, directed by the genius that was Billy Wilder and starring three true Hollywood greats. Marilyn Monroe, Jack Lemmon and Tony Curtis supply all the laughs with their flawless comedic performances. The film is based around two musicians (Curtis and Lemmon) who find themselves witnesses to a gangland shooting. They search desperately for a musical job that will send them else where so they can escape the mob who are quickly tracking them down to ''silence'' them. The only available job is that of a girl group. Desperate times call for desperate measures and the unlikely pair take on fake names and through make-up and dress become women impersonators to join the girl group undetected.

Of course, their quest is not an easy one and it leads to truly hilarious results. I'm not going to reel of endless details of the film's funniest moments but needless to say there are a whole wealth of them. Marilyn Monroe is outstanding in the film, and it proves once and for all what an under-appreciated true great of comedy acting she was. Curtis and Lemmon are a flawless double act and both put in career defining performances here. Monroe was reportedly at her most difficult during the film's production, but whatever was needed to create this truly wonderful box office gem was well worth it. "Some Like It Hot" is an undeniably fabulous film that no self respecting film buff or lover should be without.

"River of No Return" was released when Monroe-Mania was sweeping the globe. Marilyn had just completed two incredibly successful titles - "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes" and "How To Marry A Millionaire", with few people doubting her status as a true star. Fox needed to use her again, and they needed to do so quickly. This, evidently, is the best they could come up with. Monroe plays an ambitious Saloon Singer looking to better herself, and when her boyfriend earns the rights to a claim for a gold it seems like her ticket to a better life. Add in a chance meeting with a farmer and his estranged son, neither of whom are bothered about riches, and you get the basic structure of "River of No Return".

The whole film is a pretty clumsy example of character driven narrative meets big budget action and it's pure 1950's fluff. Mitchum is good in places, but far too 2-Dimensional to really achieve greatness. And then, then there is Marilyn. As she so often had to do in many of her mediocre pictures, she saves the picture from total disaster because she is so compelling. You can see the beginnings of her Strasberg-Guided acting style here. Indeed, they are humble beginnings and she achieved much better in later films under the same guidance, but she puts in a good performance here all the same. As mentioned, the script isn't up to much at all and starts to wear thin by the end, despite some nice moments between Monroe and Mitchum characters young son. Production Values weren't lacking in the visuals, however. For it's time, "River of No Return" is definitely a pretty film with some nice location work. The use of the setting cannot be faulted is very well intelligently used throughout. It's said about nearly all Marilyn films, but I'm going to say it again - Monroe looks stunning. Everyone knows the camera adores her, but it's like the camera misses a heartbeat over her in this - she looks just amazing. She herself hated this movie, calling it a ''bomb'' and adding ''The acting finished third, after the costumes and cinemascope''. She's not wrong.

"River of No Return" is a film that seems to achieve being likable in spite of itself. The script is laughably bad, the characters very unoriginal and some of the acting is seriously lacking. But, all that aside, there is something quite likable about this dinosaur of a blockbuster. Marilyn Monroe fans will love her in it, and fans of the film's era will get something out of it too. A perfect example of 20th Century Fox in the 1950's and how, despite a seriously sparse movie, they still managed to keep the bucks rolling in. An interesting artifact if nothing else.

"Something's Got To Give" was your typical 20th Century Fox designed Marilyn Monroe vehicle. Woman lost at sea, Husband and her Children move on with lives, Woman returns home after several years - can things ever be the same? So a very simple plot, which was in fact already done years before in a movie on which this was based. On paper, certainly not a very exciting picture - nothing original and nothing ground breaking. But as it turned out, "Something's Got To Give" became one of the most fascinating movie projects of the early 1960's and indeed the Hollywood Studio System. This was due, in part, to it's leading lady - Monroe - and the circumstances surrounding the picture. By the time of the movie, Marilyn's difficult behaviour had become somewhat legendary and she had been blamed for costly delays on nearly all of her pictures - unable or unwilling to 'get herself together' to go in front of the cameras, she was often late on set, distracted and a seeming nightmare to work around. Yet, her incredible charisma and unique connection with the camera would always prevail and the efforts it took to get the best from her were always, without question, worth it 100%. Billy Wilder once said of her - "Better Marilyn late, than all the others on time".

During the time of this production, Monroe's personal life was in total chaos as it so often was in her life. Secretive Affairs with the Kennedy's were perhaps the most important developments of her life at the time, but other aspects like her continued manic depressive personality, dependency on sleeping pills and alcohol continued to play a major part in her apparent downfall and they ravaged the girl. The extent to which her personal life was seemingly destroying her is evident for all to see in the restored footage from the movie. Although, superficially she looks far better here than she had previously in both "The Misfits" and "Some Like It Hot". Monroe seemed to have regained some of that magical glow that appeared to have been lost in her previous few films - Wardrobe Screen Tests prove that. Looking vitalised and healthy, those close to the film would be forgiven in thinking that things may have started to change and perhaps, after all, Marilyn Monroe was back on form. But they were wrong.

In several restored scenes, Marilyn looks confused and almost "doped up". She struggles with lines and at one point appears to almost break down into tears whilst trying to perform a scene in which she must silently emote. "I Can't....." she says before appearing to break down. In other scenes, she struggles with relatively simple lines over and over. It truly is a heartbreaking sight. A once masterful comedienne and fine dramatic actress, to see Monroe struggle so much - and appear to frustrated by it, is truly a sad sight to see. Yet, on the other end of the spectrum, in many other scenes she is excellent! One particular example is a scene in which she is trying to convince her ex-Husband that a total stranger she has just met is the main with whom she spent her time on the Island - to put her ex-Husband's fears at rest about her fidelity. Monroe is masterful, she goes through the entire scene without error and her timing is beautiful - it's a truly outstanding scene. There are other similar moments in which Marilyn is on form, but it would appear moments of excellence and despair came in even quantities in this picture.

The one-off look it gives us at Marilyn Monroe in her final days is what makes "Something's Got To Give" so fascinating. For fans of the blonde bombshell, it's also a heartbreaking piece because it shows how truly ravaged and destroyed the beautiful Marilyn became. But yet, in even measure, it shows how despite everything that was happening in her personal life Monroe was still able to perform wonderfully in several scenes. Dean Martin is also to be applauded - his sheer kindness towards Marilyn when she got it wrong is heart warming. Attempting to encourage her - "That was good though, wasn't it George (Kukor)" - he says at one point and he means it. A genuine soul who wanted to help Marilyn out when she was so clearly in need of assistance, Dean Martin is to be thanked and applauded. "Something's Got To Give" is a fascinating unfinished movie that can also be very moving and even heartbreaking. Marilyn Monroe fans should do everything they can to try and catch a glimpse of it, at least, because what it shows of this Iconic actresses, who died before her time, is truly compelling.

Not usually a fan of this type of all-out Action movie, "Romeo Must Die" knocked me off balance when I found it to be one of the best films I have ever enjoyed. Producer Joel Silver (Who also produced "The Matrix") describes the film as an "Urban rendition of Romeo and Juliet" and although this is a very simple way of looking at the film, it's not far off the mark. Like the great Shakespeare work, there are two opposing families in this film, each looking to make big commercial gains in the world of real estate development. Caught up in their lies, greed and violence are Trish O'Day (Played by Aaliyah) and Han Sing (Played by Jet Li). The story revolves around their quickly blooming relationship and the opposing families around them.

The film boasts some serious eye candy with some of the best special effects you'll see. Luckily, this is not the only good thing going for the movie as the eye candy is wonderfully supported by some fantastic performances from the cast. In her first feature movie, Aaliyah is absolutely breath taking as Trish O'Day. Showing the kind of charm and 'x' factor that few will ever have, she alone makes this film a must see. Jet Li's performance is, as always, about his skills as a martial artist but his scripted acting continues to improve. Another stand out performance for me was that of D.B. Woodside who plays Trish O'Days brother - Colin. Although not such a major role, D.B. excels in this role. High end production values mean the film has a real style and "gloss" to it and everything fits in place and the story moves along at just the right pace. In fact, "Romeo Must Die" is a shining example of how good story telling does not need to be lost in a sea of special effects and glossy American values. Jonathon Ross describes the film as "Fast, Furious, Fun", which is definitely true, but there is more to this film that the audience can take away with them. The reason the film works is that it works on two levels - storyline and action. You can enjoy both aspects and take from them what you like. This is a brilliant film and I highly recommend it.

"Gentlemen Prefer Blondes" is a much loved and incredibly popular film from a Golden age of Hollywood which saw such screen icons as Marilyn Monroe become household names across America, and indeed, the world. This film represents Monroe's big breakout role and is movie that made her a worldwide icon of the big screen and secured her place in Hollywood's Most Exclusive of Halls of Fame. Even looking at the film now, so many years after it's release, it's easy to see why. Everything about this film sparkles - and that's not just because it's in colour. Script, Acting and the Musical aspects are all outstanding contributors to the movie's success. Obviously some of the dialogue is dated by now, but that's hardly the film's fault when you consider how much the world has changed since it's release. No, the film still sparkles, that's for sure. And there's one big, platinum-blonde reason why this is - Marilyn Monroe. Her comic timing in this movie is simply outstanding, while it's true she does have some of the film's best lines it's also the case that she truly makes the most of them - her character is a joy from start to end. Praise too must be awarder to her co-star Jane Russell, who has equally commandeering comic skills and who hit a career high in this movie.

Baisically, this film is a classic from it's era and is highly recommended. I'm currently studying Media and also Cinema and so this was a very worthwhile film to watch to learn more about it's era and I really enjoyed it. Memorable moments include, of course, the iconic performance of "Diamonds are a girl's Best Friend" courtesy of Monroe (It inspired Madonna's music video "Material Girl" - which is basically a carbon copy of the entire scene in this movie), the classic line "I Just Love Finding New Places to Wear Diamonds!" and so much more. I've also become really interested in the life and work of Marilyn Monroe as a result of seeing the movie. A must see if you're interested in Classic Hollywood or Marilyn Monroe

I was pretty unimpressed with this movie, to be frank. There was something about every aspect of it that didn't quite add up and you're left with an essentially dull film, which you're not really too concerned about by the end. I am a huge fan of Marilyn but I don't feel she was at all her best in this picture, and I don't think that's entirely her fault - the film around her is incredibly flimsy. The dialogue is often wooden and unconvincing, and Montand's character and his storyline are just totally unbelievable - nothing of what he says or what he does was convincing to me and this really brought the film down very hard and very quickly. The musical numbers are pretty standard fair and were nothing Marilyn hadn't done before. The film didn't make me laugh and I didn't care what happened to the characters. If anything I was only sad the talented Marilyn Monroe was a part of the film - as her portfolio shows she was deserving of far higher quality films than this. I can't recommend the film as it's not really worth your time and you probably won't enjoy it - if you just want to see all of Monroe's film's than see it, but otherwise don't bother.

This is a decent comedy and I enjoyed it on the whole. I'll be honest and say and the only real reason and I took an interested in the film and watched it is Marilyn Monroe. I've been trying to watch as many as her films as possible lately, ever since a study of Photography at college found me researching the icon of the silver screen. The good news is for me is that there was plenty of Marilyn to enjoy in this classic comedy. I was pleased to find that she is supported by a good cast and a very funny script, and the film on the whole is a real winner. There were several laugh out loud moments for me, and considering my young age and the fact this is a film from the 1950's I would say that's something pretty impressive. For me, though, the reason the film was great has to be Ms. Monroe. She is just simply stunning and elegant in this movie (A word her character very much likes to use!). She really captures the audiences heart as "The Girl" and it's not hard to see why Tom Ewell's character fell for her obvious charms - she is just a sheer delight in the film.

A sequence which I found totally hilarious was that in which Ewell's character imagines a variety of heated liaisons with various women in his life - all of them supposedly throwing themselves at him. The way in which he and the "women" deliver the lines - in a classic dead-pan fashion had me almost crying with laughter. Really hilarious stuff. And that's not even mentioning the glorious skirt-over-subway scene. This is a film to watch and fall in love with. You'll really enjoy it if you like Marilyn, you want to laugh, you're looking for a warm movie to just relax to and you're interested in cinema history and classic Hollywood. A great film for so many people - rent it and enjoy!

"40 Days and 40 Nights" has a simple premise - Matt (Played by Josh Hartnett) is a young man in the prime of life, who has sex with various women in an attempt to fulfil an empty life after being badly hurt by his ex-girlfriend and love of his life, Nicole. In an attempt to find new purpose to his life, he tries to go 40 Days without having any kind of sex. Things get complicated, however, when he falls in love with Erica (Played by Shannyn Sossamon). The film's based around this and of course, this basic plot is where most of the comedy comes from. The plot may sound interesting but it's not presented in an interesting way and you soon lose interest in Hartnett and his character's challenge. Sossamon does provide some kind of reprieve for the film, though. Her performance as Erica is very well done - her character, and indeed her, are likable and interesting. In fact - it's fair to say the film is partly let down by Hartnett's performance - his character becomes 2 dimensional, although some of his comedy acting shows promise, Hartnett is certainly nothing to get excited about in this film.

The dialogue between the characters is usually very seedy and their outlook on sex is, like Hartnett's performance, one-dimensional. The plot chugs along at an infuriating slow rate and it's hindered by often pointless detours that were probably designed to build character but fail to do so, leaving you totally indifferent to any character and what happens to them. The ending is very shaky and leaves the film with an unresolved feeling in many ways. Sure, the film does have it's moments of comedy that are amusing, at least, but it's not enough to stop this film becoming what it is - totally unremarkable.