Welcome to CD's film reviews page. CD has written 189 reviews and rated 193 films.
This film is certainly well-rated by the critics. I found it very interesting in its detail around Viking rituals, but the plot, main characters and pacing let the film down. The fighting is predictably gory, and the landscapes and cinematic photography, especially in Iceland, are occasionally magnificent. Worth a watch as a Viking saga with a bit of a difference, praised for its authenticity and detail.
This film is fairly unique and is magnificent in parts. The beautiful pastoral scenery and setting in 5th century Gaul, complete with shepherds/ shepherdesses, nymphs and a druid is captivating. However, this is mainly a film about love, romance and faithfulness and comes across as a bit slow and stilted at times. It is in French with sub-titles and the young actors do a good job. Recommended for those who like romances and are seeking a relaxing evening (with beautiful birdsong in the film's background soundtrack).
Definitely a 4 star film for the first 60 mins but the film loses direction and it is very long. The casting is great and the locales and quirkiness introduced into many scenes really works well. Josh O'Connor puts in a great performance and I like the avoidance of easy cliches in the plot, and in the relationships within the film. I am sufficiently impressed to seek out other films by this director and those involving the lead actors from this one.
This film has some good critical reviews but I could not get into it, in spite of some effort. The 1970s TV format makes it all very tacky, the characters seem to be caricatures and the scenarios quite predictable. I gave up within 30mins so it would be unfair to judge the whole film on a partial watch, but nothing make an impact on me
This is a film which is very highly rated by critics, and it is indeed classy in all aspects. It is however rather long and as a 1959 film (in black and white) is sometimes quite old-style in its language and terminology. James Stewart is in top form and the supporting cast is very strong. There is enough drama in the courtroom to keep the momentum at a good level throughout, which is impressive in itself as one never sees any flashback to the "crime" itself. It also cleverly gets away from one-dimensional "good" and "bad" in the characters and has some memorable quotes on human nature, especially from Stewart's character. The added bonus is the music directed by Duke Ellington and the great man appearing himself in one scene. Highly recommended.
Brosnan in particular puts in a great acting performance and is ably partnered by Neeson and well supported by the rest of the cast. There is some great screenplay in picturesque western mountain and plains' scenery, but the limited dimension of the plot - revenge for an incident in the past - is not really interesting enough and the film loses momentum before the end. Still worth a watch though and I'll be looking out for Brosnan in future westerns.
The actors and director do a great job with this superior Stephen King novel. The plot is changed slightly but this does not detract from an excellent vampire horror film. David Soul is just right for the lead role and James Mason is great as the sinister antique dealer. The horror effects, while quite basic in modern horror terms, are well done, and the New England backdrop works well (as it does in a lot of Stephen King novels). The film is very well paced and never drags. Highly recommended.
The sky-diving action sequences in this film are stunning and the link in the plot to the surfing world adds to the interest of this film. Unfortunately the casting does not work that well with Keanu Reeves and his fellow cop, although the chemistry is much stronger between Keanu Reeves and Patrick Swayze. The plot is rather unbelievable (the surfers make 30 bank robberies before hitting serious problems), but the action sets with car chases, quite a lot of shooting and the sky-diving and surfing make this movie more watchable. It seems a long film and suffers a but from being a bit of buddy movie, a police movie and an action thriller. The music is good in a 1990s way. Overall worth a watch.
This film gets great reviews and I can see why. The casting and acting is great, and the film has a sadness and emotion running though it that reminds me a little of the 1990 Film "Ghost" (starring Patrick Swayze). It's not particularly scary but is certainly unsettling. I found it an engrossing watch, well directed and superbly paced. Highly recommended.
The quality of the lead actors compensates for some issues in the casting of the supporting roles and the plot. This film does not get great reviews but with Walter Hill directing and Christoph Waltz, Rachel Brosnahan, and Willem Dafoe making the most of the key scenes, it is very watchable. The plot is to its credit not predictable, but is not very credible. Altogether worth a view with the added fun of seeing most of the filmset aiming to look like Mexico.
This is a poignant and sad film with enough action and drama to make it a good watch. The casting is good and action is sufficient to keep it all moving. It seems to stay true to many of the reported real events but Ridley Scott also brings out the relationship that Getty jr. develops with one of the kidnappers, Getty sr.'s interest in Roman civilisation, and a few of his business principles that had an impact on how he dealt with the crisis. Michelle Williams is fantastically determined as the mother and is the real hero of the story. Overall well worth an evening's viewing.
This film is highly rated by many critics and I can see why. Brilliantly directed, great acting, intriguing storyline and wonderful screenplay with amazing shots of Chicago especially at the start and the end of the film. Underneath is a moving story and some ethical and human questions that make this much more than an action thriller on a train.
this is a very well acted but dark tale of singlemindedness, with little thought from the lead character to the consequences. The real success is in the creation of mood and atmosphere, as the plot and dialogue are minimal and we learn little of the characters. The filmset in the house is great but the film casting is odd - it sometimes works but in several cases does not. Why cast an actor in the husband role who has such a significantly different regional accent to his father? I cannot say that it is a great film but Florence Pugh gives a great performance and it is a worthwhile watch.
This film steadily gets better. It’s a good cast although it takes time to get used to Nick Cage’s character. The actor playing his daughter is excellent and the lead baddie and the lawman put in great performances. Quite an old style type of western with pleasant scenery and plenty of rifle shooting.
I enjoyed the start of this film and the mediterranean backdrop, but I found it hard to engage with the main characters or the plot so gave up after 30 mins. It seems to be a well rated film applauded for the performances of the leads, so I may give it another view in the future.