Reviews

A man finds a suitcase full of cash

Starring Sean Bean, Chris Hemsworth and Victoria Profeta

Written and Directed by Stephen Milburn Anderson

This is an enjoyable romp that kept me hooked all the way through. It's not the greatest movie ever made and it has it's fair share of plot holes and unrealistic elements, but I enjoyed watching it.

Sean Bean makes this film. Without him it wouldn't have worked. He is superb. The other two main characters, Chris Hemsworth and Victoria Profeta were less good. For much of the movie they seemed quite lacklustre and I didn't buy Hemsworth's accent. He was trying desperately to disguise his Australian accent but I think he struggled.

If you can get past the unrealistic plot in parts, this is a fun movie. Sean Bean at his best.

7/10

A man discovers he can travel in time and sets out to find love

Starring Domhnall Gleeson, Rachel McAdams and Bill Nighy

Written and directed by Richard Curtis

Well I am a sucker for any movie that includes time travel so how could I resist this one?

Okay it's more Love Actually than The Time Machine if you add a dash of Groundhog Day, but it's a really good feel good film. It's funny and witty in all the right places and it's really cleverly written. It more than keeps you interested for every scene. Normally I wouldn't really consider myself to be a rom-com kind of guy but this is an exception.

Domhnall Gleeson as the lead is a little bit of a wimp and the part could easily have been played by Hugh Grant but that aside he still played a good part as did everybody else.

This is one I would recommend.

Enjoyed

9/10

A bunch of high school kids spend their Saturday in detention

Starring Emilio Estevez, Judd Nelson, Molly Ringwald, Anthony Michael Hall and Ally Sheedy

Written and directed by John Hughes

This is another one that I somehow managed to miss during the eighties. But then again I was only thirteen so it was probably a little old for me.

I was expecting this to be just like St Elmo's Fire and, although I really liked that movie, this was surprisingly totally different. It really is a great movie. It's very much a typical eighties film but this one has that something extra. It's funny in all the right places but also grabs at your heart strings with a splash of drama in all the right places as well. It's surprisingly well acted and probably has to go down as one of the greatest teenage high school movies ever made.

A lot of the plaudits must go down to the terrific script and direction by John Hughes.

I wasn't expecting to like this film as much as I did. But it turns out I love it.

10/10

A teenager accidentally starts world war three

Starring Matthew Broderick and Dabney Coleman

Written by Lawrence Lasker and Walter F Parkes

Directed by John Badham

As a teen of the eighties I have always known about this film but somehow I never got around to watching it.

Watching it now is like a trip back in time and it is pretty typical of movies of the time. It's actually quite a good movie with an original story, which you don't get very often nowadays. There are no stand out acting performances but the movie does suck you in and has a decent ending that makes you think.

If you want to watch a fun family friendly movie, you can't go much wrong with this one. I enjoyed it.

8/10

A young boy tries to find his father

Starring Thomas Doret and Cecile De France

Written and directed by Jeanne-Pierre Dardenne and Luc Dardenne

There is something incredibly charming and captivating about some of these French movies with subtitles and this is no different.

It's just a great story with no bells and whistles. Great acting and it keeps you mesmerized until the end. These films tug at your heart strings and you forget about the subtitles completely.

I loved this.

8/10

A poor retelling of the original novel and book

Starring Guy Pearce

Based on the book by H G Wells

Screenplay by David Duncan and John Logan

Directed by Simon Wells

I was quite excited to catch up with this movie as I am a big fan of the original novel and the original film, but I was less than impressed.

I felt deflated watching this. Fair play to them that they have tried to create something different rather than just copying the original movie but it has lost all of the magic and charm completely. The original Time machine kept you glued to the screen, it captured your imagination, this didn't sadly.

There's plenty of action and thrills but that didn't make up for the loss of the awe and wonder. And Samantha Mumba? Really? That's just poor casting. She couldn't act her way out of a packet of crisps.

6/10

Two terminally ill men make a list

Starring Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman

Written by Justin Zackham

Directed by Rob Reiner

This is a great film. Plenty of laughs and drama mixed together with some top class acting. Once in a while a movie comes along which grabs you by the ghoulies. One minute you are laughing and the next minute tears are streaming down your face. There's not a lot to dislike about this one. In fact I have no negative comments whatsoever.

This is a great film. Easy to watch and not easy to forget.

10/10

A boy's school receives some very unwelcome visitors

Starring Alastair Sim and Margaret Rutherford

Screenplay by Frank Launder and John Dighton

Directed by Frank Launder

For an old movie this is a fun runaround.

It's short and witty and a great way to pass just over an hour of your time. It's silly and easy to watch and passes really quickly so that says something about it.

If you fancy a laugh without too much of a plot headache, give it a shot.

7.5/10

One marriage, one party, one war looming

Starring Robert De Niro, John Savage and Christopher Walken

Written by Michael Cimino, Deric Washburn, Louis Garfinkle and Quinn K Redeker

Directed by Michael Cimino

This is a great film.

It's pretty long at around three hours so you need to have a bit of spare time and patience, unless, like me, you watch it over a few separate sittings. And it's slow to get going so you will have to stick with it. But it's worth it.

Everything about this movie is brilliant. From the acting to the story development to the cinematography. It's a clever movie with lots of hidden meanings and depth and you probably need to watch it a few times to appreciate everything it has to offer.

The acting is top notch, especially Christopher Walken.

Superb.

On a side note I recognized the theme music from a kids TV show in the eighties ( Take Hart) and I finally get the Revels Advert from TV!

10/10

Sometimes revenge is the only answer

Starring Robert De Nero, Kevin Bacon, Brad Pitt and Dustin Hoffman

Based on a book by Lorenzo Carcaterra

Directed by and Screenplay by Barry Levinson

This is another example of something that could have been so much better.

I was sat watching this thinking to myself, ' I bet the book is better than this.'

There are so many big names in this film and it even has a soundtrack by John Williams, it should have worked but it didn't. There is something that just doesn't work. It felt like the whole movie was crammed together and didn't have room to breathe. We don't get time to get our heads around the story or the individual characters, I spent most of the movie trying to work out which character was which. And just when I was starting to get a grip, we are shoved thirteen years into the future and have to try and work it all out again.

Considering the star studded line up, for me it was Dustin Hoffman that came out on top even though he only played a small role. He played to alcohol lawyer with perfection, it's a pity we didn't see any stand out performances by any of the others. I don't know what went wrong. Maybe this movie would have been better served with a different production team or a different director.

As for the story itself, it's allegedly based on a true story but that is another story.

Watchable but frustratingly disappointing.

7/10

A girl discovers a universe where her parents treat her like a Queen but all is not as it seems

Voiced by Dakota Fanning, Teri Hatcher, Jennifer Saunders, Dawn French, John Hodgman and Robert Bailey Jr

Written by Neil Gaiman (Novel)

Screenplay written by and also directed by Henry Selick

At last a great movie!

The whole thing is just incredible from the story to the voice actors to the unbelievably good animation. Right from the beginning credits ( which are superb by the way) this movie sucks you in and it doesn't matter how old you are. Neil Gaiman is gaining a top class reputation as a writer and this has all the hallmarks of his imagination. I haven't read the book or most of his books, so I don't know how it compares to the novel, but this works brilliantly as a movie in it's own right.

I am in my forties but I enjoyed this movie just as much as any kid would. In my opinion it manages to create a magical world within a magical world much better than anything I've seen from the hands of Tim Burton or anybody else.

It's fun and totally hypnotizing.

10/10

A woman's fight against water pollution

Starring Julia Roberts, Albert Finney and Aaron Echhart

Written by Susannah Grant

Directed by Steven Soderbergh.

When I read the tagline for this one I wasn't overly excited and I wasn't wrong.

This is average at best. Everything about it spells the word average. Average story, average acting and an overall average production. I've seen much better courtroom drama's than this and I'm not really a fan of court room dramas.

The story just about kept my interest but the whole movie seemed to drag and I was literally struggling to keep my eyes open. My son went to bed.

Julia Roberts was better than I thought she would be but there are no Oscar winning performances in this one. Probably the most interesting thing about this film is that it's based on a true story and I will probably google it.

6.5/10

The Return of London's Flying Squad

Starring Ray Winstone and Ben Drew

Written by Nick Love and John Hodge

Directed by Nick Love

I was a bit too young to watch the original TV show although I know a bit about it. So I'm not too blind sighted by any memories of the original series. I recorded this a few months ago but never really fancied it but I was wrong. It's a decent movie. The script is really good and the acting and whole production is superb. It contains lots of great action sequences and sharp, witty dialogue. Ray Winstone was born to play this role! There's nothing original to be found here, just a fun, lively movie with something for everybody. I was scratching me head a little bit towards the end because I always have trouble keeping up with these action movie plots but I think I more or less got to grips with it. Overall a fun movie with nothing too deep or complex. Just a movie to enjoy. And I did.

A safe 8/10

A gangster is on a revenge mission

Starring Lee Marvin and Angie Dickinson

Screenplay by Alexander Jacobs, David Newhouse and Rafe Newhouse

Directed by Donald E Westlake

This is a below average thriller with a disappointing ending.

The whole thing is too artyfarty for it's own good and the constant use of pointless flashbacks does nothing to further the tension or plot. The acting throughout is as wooden as a park bench. The plot didn't really go anywhere and didn't keep my interest. The whole movie was just trying to be too arty and clever and that got in the way. I haven't watched many films from this era in the sixties so I don't really know if this was a common thing at the time.

The ending left me frustrated and so did most of the film. I can't really find anything good to say about it at all.

6/10

A teenager from the wrong side of the tracks tries to build a new life

Starring Martin Compston and William Ruane

Screenplay by Paul Laverty

Directed by Ken Loach

This is a gritty drama with plenty of colourful language from the get go.

It's not a fun movie, it's not exactly a laugh a minute. It's dark, it's real, it's disturbing. It's a bit like a lower budget, made for TV, council estate version of Trainspotting. The acting is pretty decent and I liked all the location filming. The plot is okay, it kept my interest but it's not overly exciting. It's a short movie and probably long enough. But I really struggled with the Scottish accents. And I couldn't get the subtitles working on my TV!

Gritty. 7/10

A drifter loses her memory after an accident to find herself in a strange town

Starring Christina Ricci, Ioan Gruffudd and Kerry Fox

Screenplay by Anthony Horowitz

Directed by Brian Gilbert

This is a case of a cool idea being poorly executed.

When you think about it, this is the kind of twisty idea that could only come out of Anthony Horowitz's head. But it doesn't quite work on the TV screen. It's sadly a bit of a limp biscuit as far as movies are concerned.

Everything about it screams low budget. The acting, the cinematography, the location filming. It's all very underwhelming. Arguable the best actor in it, Christina Ricci herself seems miscast and none of the other acting performances are anything to shout about.

This would probably make an amazing book and I'm guessing Horowitz would do a good job of it.

Watchable but instantly forgettable.

6/10

Change begins with a whisper

Starring Emma Stone, Viola Davis and Octavia Spencer

Screenplay by Tate Taylor.

Novel by Kathryn Stockett

Directed by Tate Taylor

Based on the bestselling book by Kathryn Stockett, this movie is powerfully evocative and really makes you think. It's not a fun movie, it's quite disturbing and pulls at your heart strings. The acting is top class all the way through and the attention to detail is superb. We are transported back in time and there's no way back until the final credit.

Having said all that I found it a little bit boring. For all the emotional impact, I like my movies to excite me in some way. And this didn't to be honest. For me it lacked a little bit of something to keep me hooked, to keep me on the edge of my seat. And there was one extra problem. I really needed subtitles. I couldn't understand half of what was being said. When you can't hear or understand every other line that's being spoken it doesn't help!

But I'm in the UK and that southern drawl ( or whatever it's called) was pretty hard to follow!

7.5/10 Mainly for the acting and the attention to detail.

A young girl moves to a new community as a boy

Starring Zoe Heran

Written and directed by Celine Sciamma

This is another short but pretty mesmerizing French movie with subtitles.

It's an oddball movie. A gentle and quirky tale of a young girl's search for her own identity. It kept my interest all the way.

No car chases. No special effects. Just a decent story that gives a unique insight into a child's life.

I liked it.

7.5/10

It's back to school and Greg falls in love

Starring Zachary Gordon and Devon Bostick

Screenplay by Gabe Sachs and Jeff Judah

Based on the book by Jeff Kinney

Directed by David Bowers

This is just as good as the first film. Once again it's aimed at a much younger audience than me but the kid in me really enjoyed it.

It's full of laughs and it's another movie that makes you feel warm and fuzzy inside. This time the focus is on Greg's laborious relationship with his older brother and he also falls in love with the new girl in town. There's a different director for this sequel but it has the same feel and there's not much difference in how the movies come across. It's just as funny and silly and enjoyable.

8/10 I must look out for the third installment.

A young girl comes home from school to find her father has left.

Starring Clara Augarde, Lio and Michel Galabru

Written by Mariette Desert and Katell Quillevere

Directed by Katell Quillevere

I am really falling in love with these French subtitled films.

This is a coming of age tale. A battle between religion and lust. It's quirky, dark and funny in places. It starts off slow but slowly creeps in and captivates you. It is well acted and it's one of those movies that makes you think about life and all kinds of stuff. It's packed full of symbolism and meaning.

I love it!

10/10

A millionaire finds himself awake during heart surgery

Starring Hayden Christensen, Jessica Alba and Lena Olin

Written and Directed by Joby Harold

This is a surprisingly good film although I didn't really fancy it.

It's quirky and different from anything I have seen before and the plot kept me intrigued all the way through. There aren't really any brilliant acting performances but they all did just enough to make it a decent movie. Probably the pick of the bunch was Lena Olin who outshone everybody in the acting department. Overall not the best movie I've ever seen but worth a watch. But a few twists and turns.

7.5/10

A man wakes from a coma and loses his identity

Starring Liam Neeson and Diane Kruger

Written by Oliver Butcher and Stephen Cornwell ( Screenplay)

Based on the novel by Didier Van Cauwelaert

Directed by Jaume Collet-Serra

A man loses his memory and nobody recognizes him, including his wife.

Does this sound familiar? Well the plot isn't new and the premise has been used in many movies. But guess what? I don't care.

I love this film! It has everything that I want in a movie. Great acting, a super plot, some brilliant action scenes and lots of twists. Unlike some movies where the plot twists are difficult to keep up with, I didn't have any difficulty here. The plot is clever but it doesn't try to be too clever. I was with it all the way.

It keeps you guessing all the way and I really think that is the secret to a great movie. A good plot keeps you waiting, to find out what happens next. This film suits Liam Neeson. I can't imagine anybody else playing the main lead. And he is a great actor. Not wooden at all like some people suggest.

Did I tell you that love this movie?

10/10 for me.

It's not a diary, it's a movie Starring Zachary Gordon, Robert Capron and Devon Bostick Written by Jackie Filgo, Jeff Filgo, Gabe Sachs and Jeff Judah Based on the book by Jeff Kinney.

Directed by Thor Freudenthal.

This is a kids movie so it's not exactly aimed at me.

Having said that I quite enjoyed it. It's a funny, feel good movie that made me chuckle. I liked it but I'm guessing kids everywhere love it.

The acting is brilliant, considering how young they all were! Considering it's a film for kids I did enjoy it.

8/10

A guy finds a finger in his kitchen Starring Colin Hanks, Fran Kranz and Rachel Blanchard Written by Eric Laster Directed by Peter Spears I think this is only the second movie I have ever watched on you tube.

This isn't the best move ever made but it's silly and quirky and offbeat and it genuinely made me laugh in a few places. Even though it is a low budget film and there are no famous movie stars in it, I enjoyed it. It's well written, even if it is pretty stupid in parts.

I thought the main character reminded me of Tom Hanks but I only found out at the end that it was his son.

Crazy. Silly. Daft.

7.5/10