Film Reviews by JD

Like Theory of Everything this is a biography seen from the perspective of the celebrities wife. Because of this it also shares strong female roles. Alma Hitchcock played by Helen Mirram is a force to be reckoned with, I thought Toni Colette was exceptionally good as the quiet unassuming but very influential secretary and Scarlett Johansson brilliant as the leading lady in Psycho. All 3 were believable and interesting, more than can be said for just about all of the male actors. Hopkins imitation of Hitchcock was laughable, I don't think it was supposed to be, the directors of the studio were completely average, fortunately the female roles dominate the plot and so momentum is carried and a view of this brilliant director is shown from a different and emotional angle.

The storyline is close to the book and loses none of the wonderful Pratchett humour. I and many I know love Pratchett's discworld novels, some are better than others, the good ones are the most fun you can have with paper. I'm sure Terry would have approved of this visual adaption. I think death is so good, to get so many gags out of it is amazing. I would single out Stephen Marcus who plays Banjo Cropper as a surprisingly good performance. Playing the strong idiot is rarely done well, this was done outstandingly. Great slapstick.

From the perspective of the portrayal of a moment in Northern Irish history that accelerated it towards trouble, this is brilliant and spellbinding. Every point of view is beautifully explored and a very balanced account is given. It is more likely in my opinion to be closer to the truth than the subsequent cover up type "enquiries" so beloved of corrupt modern politicians. Where it is less good in my opinion is as a drama. There are romantic plots which are just so pointless and overshadowed as to be irritating, character build up to engage sympathy and involvement is inadequate and some of the acting of the minor characters is poor. The part of the march from which the film gets its name is however gripping and moving and will touch the hearts of catholics and protestants alike.

Paul Greengrass must put more effort into finding the truth and portraying it in an utterly balanced and unbias way than any other director. The crashes are seen from the point of view of everybody I can think of, from air traffic control to the passangers. It is done in a way that is completely realistic and yet very caring. Some having a complete understanding of and control of the situation (air traffic control in particular), others having neither (the pilots for example). The portrayal of the air force is not flattering and probably true (in light of the known outcome ( you wouldn't want the USAF guarding your bike)). The final scene ranks along side Butch Cassidy and the Sun-dance Kid for OMG status.

If you enjoy a diet of satire, python and the fast show, you will see a feast of mirth, some however may see it as very snooty and public school humour, others too dated. I think the production is good for 1967, I like Cook and Moore, distantly insane and daft, (although my admiration of Cook's genius is fading) their impact on modern humour is undeniable. I enjoyed this film, though if you don't already know and like them, this film probably won't change that.

Looking at the cast you might expect a real gem. Vanessa Redgrave, Micky Rooney, Jack Nicholson in the lead role. The plot and direction, sadly, let it down. A very ordinary detective drama. Sean Penn is definitely a better actor than director. The stunning cast with great acting keep this from being a 2 star.

In the bonus section Tommy Lee Jones admits that this is not a great film. I would agree. It has lots of character development, atmospheric cinematography and a steady plot. The acting is not great and I would suggest the direction suffers from having the director also playing the main character, (directing himself). This brand of Hollywood egoism is unfortunately not uncommon. The genre is unusual lying between detective drama, foreign interest (Mexican) and cowboy. Not a genre about to become more common, I hope.

The film tries to show the skills of a tracker. Smelling blood, feeling the dampness of a foot print. It is difficult to get the feeling of it. The drama is "special forces secret agent" who is so secret that he is supposed to be dead. The best moments however are of Benicio's character in his assasination attempt of a Serbian dictator and his various escapes from authority. Paul Greengrass does this sort of action soooo much better in Bourne. The fight sequences between Jones and Toro are poor and the action unauthentic. The plot particularly towards the end becomes ragged, unbelievable and ultimately unengaging.

A masterclass in shy awkwardness with just enough humour to entertain from both Nighy and MacDonald. Possibly not the best work of either of them or indeed of Curtis's but a pleasant rom-com, predictable but amusing.

Every now and then a DVD comes along which you want to give more stars to than 5 because you have been giving 4 and 5 to fairly good stuff but this is just so much better than those. It is a British "Bridge" only less gory. I thought that since "Life on Mars" that British detective dramas were average and that only the Danes did it well. Tenant and Colman blow my little hypothesis out of the water. You will be hard pressed to watch this one episode at a time. Do not watch if your doing anything important the next day. The acting is fantastic, I thought Colman was light comedy only, she does a mean drama. Tenant is awesome. Even the plot is pretty good.

It is a study / film biography of a strange and remarkable man. Timothy Spall is one of our greatest actors. The sets and landscape photography are truely fantastic and yet it is not a great film. It drags on, inconsequentially. It is easy to pause it almost indefinitely without really wanting or needing to see any more. Sad to see such a great potential so disasterously directed.

Every morning Nicole Kidman wakes to remember nothing. Her husband gives her a quick tutorial on her life before going to work. Almost from the start there is an air of paranoia and suspicion. As the plot progresses suspicion moves around. With a "Groundhog Day" repetition but with a slow movement towards discovering the truth. I found it interesting with a sufficiently unguessable plot and good acting. Some scenes are pretty intense. One other reviewer describes it as an airport thriller. I would not entirely disagree but I was only glad for the end in order to discover the truth behind her amnesia.

Whether or not it is a reasonable reflection of what it is like to be in a tank in WW II I am unsure, it is certainly believable, the bonus section featured veterans who had advised the actors. As an insight into the hardship and psychological forces inside a tank it is a masterpiece. As a drama it is thrilling. As a US beats the rest of the world war film it is irritatingly patriotic and pointless.

James Brown is depicted as having a really hard childhood and growing quickly into a very confident almost arrogant man, sure of his own ability and definite about his fate. Not sure if I believe it all. He and the actor playing him are fantastic at the splits, the bounce up and the mashed potatoe. I was so inspired that I got completely into funk for weeks afterwards. You will feeeeeel good.

The drama students who fill every role are keen, put a lot of energy and emotion into their roles but are not really ready for the big time. The plot is like a drug fuelled Eastenders, utterly unrealistic and implausable. I became so disengaged with this intense drivel that I only watched the first episode, may be it got better.