Film Reviews by tm

A buddy movie with a difference. Slick, easy to watch and at times deep; though what you notice first is that there is no violence which is pretty amazing for a film about the work of a hitman. but that is not the only clever thing about this smart film which explores the relationship between an ordinary guy who accidentally befriends a very dangerous and slightly unhinged murderer!

there are twists and turns and moments of sheer joy as the two of them negotiate a friendship that leads them to an edge as improbable as the film is plausible. who gets killed and what happens next remains a surprise to the end:

Brosnan is just amazing as a randy, alcoholic murderer on the edge while Kinnear is his usual excellent self as the guy next door whose aspirations are not supported by his drive to succeed..

His failure to get you to suspend disbelief is unbelievable considering the excellent raw materiel.

when you look over Mamet's oeuvre, you realise his successes have always been when a real movie director has realised his writing.

this film has a great premise and an excellent plot. it should make an outstanding film in the right hands. unfortunately, Mamet who is a good play write cant direct. he takes some excellent actors and pretty well all the right ingredients for success and somehow contrives to waste them all on a tedious and implausible trudge through some lovely scenery without ever letting the viewer get out of the awareness of the fact that this is a film about a con trick of some sort.

finally when you see exactly what, you do get a sense of relief rather than a sense of excitement and revelation.

such a pity.

I hate remakes but this could do with one.

the plot is convoluted yes but the adroit direction and subtle but effective acting, together with a very human sub plot and romance, carries this quite brilliant espionage/CIA type thriller over the line with pace, excitement and emotional impact.

obviously if you don't like CIA paranoia type thrillers then this is not for you; but if you liked the Bourne series, and found The Conversation clever but dull, this is right up your street. indeed it is a cross between the conversation and Bourne Identity; with the complexity of the former and the engagement of the latter. It is not as fast paced as some but it makes up for lack of pace with a good dollop of a subtle rom-com which is played with remarkable sensitivity for a thriller.

Redford is great as is Dunaway and all the cast. the plot s a little hackneyed but then this was probably the first so the others are copying!"

it is not quirky in the way some auteur films are, i.e. there is a plot and a narrative; there are people you care for and issues yo want resolved, but the way this movie goes about dealing with them is unique, sensitive and witty. the actors, none of them famous, all realize their characters so well you forget they are acting, and the children are amazing and if you get time, watch the "extras" where the actors reflect on their roles.

The characters seem lost and all are looking for love, meaning, affirmation and structure. they are all running away from something; their own fears about failure, loss and rejecting. the movie is highly original, gentle, kind, and very funny. a delight to watch.

this was a disappointing movie. I had hoped for high art, breakthrough imagery, brilliant and subtle editing that made Nazism look disturbingly attractive and fascinating. A sort of "birth of a nation for Nazis" ; now that was a brilliant movie. After all, Capra and so many other contemporaries were so enamoured of the Leni Riefenstahl' s product that they didn't think they could match her peerless work.

what I got was a pretty hum drum home movie; a sort of "the crude family next door go on holiday" to their holiday villa to visit their equally unpleasant cousins.

there were some intriguing closeups of the sinister legends of the holocaust looking, well like sinister legends, but in all honesty, unless you were a fan already, how could you possibly sit through this without yawning and wondering if you had enough crisps to get you through it?

it is intriguing as a historical document for example the SA were credited strongly even though a few weeks earlier, the Fuhrer had agreed to have them decapitated. and so on but as art; no. if you want to see effective subtle and powerful racist propaganda, then go to WD Griffiths' much earlier masterpiece.

Jeff bridges tries in vain to save this awful film. yes it has a cult following but why?

the director obviously had no confidence in his own ability or courage to take this film seriously and went for comedic thrills. he achieved neither suspense nor humour; just some awful and clumsy slapstick.

ah well. a couple of hours wasted.

good thing he made little else.

has some curiosity value

executive action (with Burt Lancaster) explores the same territory; much better .

"The mass murder of European Jews and other groups by the Nazis during World War II" is one definition of the Shoah. Though there are many detractors who disagree with many aspects of this telling of the fictional sufferings of a Catholic Pole; no spoiler.

there is no denying that such things (as depicted here) may have happened or that such people will have suffered in this way but the naysayers say that to depict it so, suggests that the many are slighted by concentrating on the few.

maybe.

but to me a film is a work of art and should be judged on its own merits; and this one has so many.

it is brilliantly realised, good script, good acting and compelling structure.

a moving and challenging piece which is easy watching, enjoyable in a painful sort of way and which should make you think.

what more can you ask of a film?

a worthy political thriller which is watchable for an excellent performance by Chastain if nothing else.

the script was heavy at times and maybe editing the first hour savagely would have been good for the film. once it got going, it ran well.

enjoyed it enough but the characters are drawn in a detached and slightly exaggerated style which means you have less investment in them than might have made the film even more engaging.

Pandora's Box, which was made some years earlier explores similar tropes and ideas with more verve and grace and emotion, albeit a little more melodramatically.

not sure if I would recommend this piece to someone who had few opportunities to watch film.

this scrupulous and subtle observation of family life in a Midwest cattle ranch is told with great skill and a tight script. it is delivered by an ensemble cast which never disappoints. the film is a painful joy to watch, from start to finish, even if the subject matter is harsh and so human.

Newman is electric and utterly believable while Patricia Neal lends a sad and evocative charm as the gentle but hopeful lost woman.

Melvyn Douglas realises the obscure role of the father perfectly, as someone who is at once wise and fair but possibly as much to blame for the consequences he himself despises.

Branden De Wilde plays his role as the cypher/ soft core of the film just right.

brilliant acting and and assured directing in this slow but engrossing film about a little boy who feels compelled to do what he feels is his task despite enormous risks and discouragement from grownups.

I enjoyed it immensely but by partner fell asleep

a complex film which breaks the fourth wall on occasion, reflects on accountability, responsibility, identity, acting and loyalty.

should we feel responsible for those who suffer far away?

what does news reporting really tell us about the visceral impact of a natural calamity?

It was Ok but I thought it could have been much better. Although I really wanted to know more about the characters in the first film and so was committed to watching it, I felt short changed and that so much more could have been done. I think the auteur missed a huge opportunity by just using his trip there as a facile vehicle for carrying his film; lazy but good.

a complex tale of four lovers with one woman in mind.

the plot is convoluted and at times unbelievable but I think the point is some parable about faithlessness identity, trust and self deception.

its been done better before and since. not entirely sure why it merits such esteem.

I enjoyed this but I cant help feeling annoyed by the very weird editing of the title sequences which got on my nerves and eventually made me give up as the film was good but not great. a pretty typical anime, violent, beautiful, standard Japanese adolescent stuff.

nowhere near as impactful as Akira or as subtle and eloquent as Spirited away, it is hard to understand how this has captured the imagination of so many.

a colourful, eccentric and meticulous adaptation which may have got closer to the sharp irony that Austen wanted us to feel, in a meticulously observed and if (for some) over stylised telling which i found funny, sharp and engrossing.

i loved it. Personally i think it is one of the best and perhaps the most original filmings of an Austen book, ever.