Film Reviews by JD

I thought Travis Fimmel was so good in Vikings that he might bring this alive. Nope. His acting is exactly the same, I have never seen an actor with less range. The problem is that the amount of technology brought to this film must have taken months or at least cost a lot but merely looks like lord of the rings with a much less interesting plot and certainly much less interest.

Sorry my title was supposed to be a pun. The setting is extremely wild, set in the cold Polish forest. The border guards are being investigated for a bombing of a group of colleagues. It is subtitled but this should not deter you from a great crime/detective drama. Nor should its low budget. Its all in the plot and acting. 18 is a bit harsh a certificate. No swearing, no nudity just a few dead bodies. Most 15 year olds will have seen worse. Though the complexity of the plot will leave most 15 year old behind.

The Wars of the Roses read by Dan Jones with his commentary acted out by mute period costume actors. A strange presentation. His angle is that Henry VI is the worst king ever and that those around him sought to prop up England benevolently. Who knows? It is difficult to stay awake through it all, but it is interesting in parts

Take Hanks out of this film and you have 90 minutes of wonder at how a pilot crash landed a plane into a river. Really not that interesting no matter how many bits of false drama are added. Hanks of course gives it a lot of personality but it isn't enough.

The acting is theatrical, which 50 years later seems quaint and false. Of its time but not as good as I'd hoped.

This is so depressing it is almost funny. A young man who is totally lost, has no ambition or drive but whose brother is even more lost persuades his brother unintentionally to attempt suicide. Incredibly he becomes romantically involved, briefly giving a hint of direction to his life. The acting particularly from Casey is truly amazing. So much texture given to his character, so many levels of despair. The greatest shock is that it is vaguely up-liftng.

This is directed in part as a documentary, based (loosely I'm guessing) on a murderess Pamela Stuart, and part as a drama. Nicole Kidman plays the lead who portrays a vacuous narcissistic TV presenter who ultimately kills her husband for wanting her to have children. The problem is that no matter how well Nicole plays this part it is about an empty person. Indeed the better she plays it the less interesting it becomes. To make this film even vaguely watchable the character has to be changed preferable the director van Sant and the screen writer Buck Henry.

6 characters and their story which ends on each occasion with a trip to the dock of crown court. These characters are unpleasant to repulsive: murderers, adulterers, stalkers and bent coppers. Not a relaxing evening's viewing, in fact unsettling. The films flash backwards and forwards from the dock to the build up to the crime in such a way as to lead you to predict incorrectly the crime that was eventually committed. Entertaining but no less unpleasant. If you want a gritty, well acted series, this is for you.

A strange combination of detective crime series and lingering shots of beautiful, wild countryside and a rugged sea. The detective bits are cosy, apart from some ketchup soaked actors. Everyone knows everyone else, and the drama is low key. The scenic panoramas are fantastic and possibly not long enough for me. Although this lacks a bite and is steady, the acting is good the plots interesting and I was sorry to get to the end.

This is a fantastic series. It is an inspired blend of courtroom drama, interesting characters, and an insight into the lives of barristers and clerks. Maxine Peake does a great job of playing a successful passionate defence barrister. You will remember this fondly for many months.

This is a fantastic series. It is an inspired blend of courtroom drama, interesting characters, and an insight into the lives of barristers and clerks. Maxine Peake does a great job of playing a successful passionate defence barrister. You will remember this fondly for many months.

This is a fantastic series. It is an inspired blend of courtroom drama, interesting characters, and an insight into the lives of barristers and clerks. Maxine Peake does a great job of playing a successful passionate defence barrister. You will remember this fondly for many months.

This is not so much a detective drama series as a romantic and picturesque portrait of Sicily. Stylish but not very exciting.

Why would you copy the Bridge? A Danish/Swedish masterpiece which I would whole-heartedly recommend to anyone. This is a French/English version with considerably less humour and drama. A poor copy.

John Simms has been catapulted to success by Life on Mars. He was lucky. But his acting in this is better than usual and it is difficult not to be carried along by the pace of this crime drama. The plot twists and turns, crosses, double and treble crosses. It is fast moving with ferocious action.