Film Reviews by MG

Gorgeous landscapes and a dreamy beauty, but unconvincing portrayal of the people. Perhaps it was because I watched the dubbed version and the actors chosen weren't very good, but this all felt a bit lame and childish. Take a look at the stills from the film on the Cinema Paradiso website and focus on the simplistic facial expressions. Caricature rather than characterisation, unless the voice overs are really good.

An intelligent film, in which the influence of a Director, who is perhaps trying too hard, is strongly felt. It might make you think twice before you book that twee cottage on the harbourside. We tourists destroy that which attracts us.

The flickering, deliberately poor quality film feels as inauthentic as the porthole on the wall - perhaps that's the point?

The story on which this is based is dramatic enough to make a great film. Instead it has just been used as an excuse for a rom com, only very loosely related to the true story, of little originality with a startling mismatch between the two leads. A fatal problem for a rom com!

An unconvincing and unexciting depiction of a romance. Beautifully set and skillfully shot in an Italian rural paradise that seems too good to be true, as does the central character's family background. The fatal flaw, for me, was that I didn't care whether the two potential lovers got together or not, which therefore made for a rather dull two hours. A good ending though, especially the father's moving monologue, but this only served to highlight what had been missing from the rest of the film.

The film makers let the original footage speak for itself. A decision that produces a documentary that is full of drama and literally wonderful. An absorbing and enjoyable film.

Reviews (but not on this website!), suggested that this was worth watching, so we gave it a try, hoping, at the very least, for some harmless Saturday night entertainment. We were disappointed. It was just a bit tedious. Great special effects, but who cares, when the characters are so wooden? The screenplay sounded at times as if had been written as a Monty Python sketch satirizing Super Hero films.

A missed opportunity!

Sexist, boring and dated, but most of all....... not very funny. I cannot understand why it has attracted critical acclaim (in some quarters!)

Everything hinges on the central characater, who is brilliantly portrayed. If you like him (and I expect most people will), you will like the film. It is really a western, but set in Ireland - will the flawed sheriff retain his integrity and successfully take on the bad guys?

Excellent acting throughout and well directed, the film cashes in the "rural Ireland charm card" effectively.

Lots of laugh out loud moments, but also real threat and evil. A very good film.

Dialogue indistinct and not worth the effort of straining to decipher. Willem Dafoe very watchableas usual, but the central characters ie the children were irratating in their attempt to be authentic.