Film Reviews by JD

I think the awards were a little generous. This story is a blend of brutal, unemotional killings and homely scenes of a small town pregnant detective that provides plenty of variety and an interesting plot but the direction was not outstanding, nor the acting. The murders are a fashionable spectre of splashing viscera which I do not think adds to the excitement value. I would rather recommend an episode of Columbo.

The central theme is the reduction in inequality of American Afro-carribeans and in particular female American Afro-carribeans. It is done with great style some humour and a fair plot but its title and cover give an impression of a rural idyll. For my taste I do not like serious political themes dressed in a rom com style. You may disagree.

Watch this if you feel stressed. It is better than Yoga. The pace is glacial. The setting of remote Mongolia by an isolated tent may sound bleak but it is in fact beautifully calm. You may dose off in some of the slower sections but at the end of the film you will feel relaxed beyond belief. I do not believe that an edge of seat film is necessarily good. This is the dip in the sofa.

Some good special effects. I wasn't keen on the swarm of ants on the face look. Quite distracting initially and then after 10 minutes quite annoying. Lots of superhero effects, but these are so frequently seen that there should be a good plot, suspense, action and drama beyond that. There isn't.

As I write I am surprised that the current rating is one-and-three-quarters. Possibly the previous reviewer was misled by the description of crime drama. It is a very unusual plot and difficult to assign a genre. The main theme is the effect on different personalities of a catastrophic event. Some of these developments are beautifully played some are not easy to understand and not interesting but this is interwoven with the unravelling of the event. Most of it is excellent. I think a little editing would make it a 5 star.

This is a fantastic film for anyone who enjoys comic book superheroes. It is better than bat-man because it isn't clogged with sentimental romantic padding (well a little bit only) it is much more kerrrpoowww and spplaattt with a bit of star wars techno-wonder thrown in for good measure. Not to be watched with your film buff hat on but with your pants over your Lycra.

I thought this would be a musical drama. It is of course just a filmed opera and not to my taste but maybe to yours.

Sometimes 5 stars are not enough. Hoffman and Keener are absolutely absorbing; their cold indifferent but intense relationship is the backdrop to an equally intense relationship between journalist and murderer. There are so many themes running through the plot as examples: the effect of alcoholism on a lonely man and the effect of crime on a remote community. Few better films have I seen.

Tally ho what. This is from the Terry Thomas genre. The fighting scenes are so bad as to be recommendable. I cannot remember ever seeing such utterly unconvincing stabbings. A good laugh. There is some good acting particularly of course by Michael Caine and in parts is quite moving.

This account of the last days of the third Reich from the Nazi bunkers is breathtakingly acted and strangely moving.

The prospect a seeing a film with two child unknown actors in the main roles must not put you off seeing this film. Their acting is out of this world, utterly convincing and fantastically moving. The plot based on the holocaust has not been done from this angle before and I cannot imagine a better way of doing it than through the eyes of a child. The areas of want are in fact in some of the adult acting which is a bit OTT.

I am quite happy to try films from any decade and do not subscribe to the opinion that old films should be revered or modern films are better because of high-tech effects. This film is brilliantly directed and the acting is side-splittingly funny. It just shows that good humour is timeless. A pretty star studded cast, a recommended oldie.

If you want something for a 15 - 17 year old this might do. But an 18 year old probably would have grown out of this type of stuff. I am not in this age group and found it tedious beyond endurance.

Where was Hopkins? Is this a retirement booster? I have never seen such a poor performance. The rest of the actors fill the usual hero falls in love with girl background rubbish that you expect. None of the acting was interesting. I hope the plot is used again as there are lots of twists.

Sometimes you wish you hadn't rated some pretty good films as 5 star when something like this comes along. It should be in the next league. It is not so much the plot, which is excellent, but the acting, the scenes, the cultural detail, the brilliant shots and action which is so much more personal than the the usual dry and overly heroic fight scenes. It is totally exhausting.