Film Reviews by RL

Well as others have said, it's entirely predictable after the first 15 minutes. I did like the way that the film was shot and the sets. It was very pleasing on the eye. I thought that the dialogue was natural and the actors slotted into their roles well. However the way the characters were written to act were totally unnatural and the end was stunted and not explained well, highly unbelievable. Like the photo on the front of the DVD it was a film of two sides, some good, some bad.

If you enjoy films about child abuse and naff endings this is the one for you. Fully grown adults making kids look at them naked and watch pornos with them. How entertaining and thoughtful! The writer/director Michael Thelin is clearly not all there. The premise for the film is amazing but he has to approach it like some weird pervert. Plus the last scene (I will spoil it because he doesn't deserve any money from you renting it) shows the main character getting fully run over by a car and then walking it off. Presumably in some sad hope of a sequel?

The last line and the start of the closing credits sums it up. A person says in a silly voice something that after 2 hours 10 minutes doesn't make any sense then it cuts to rubbish 1980s music with the casts pictures appearing next to their names in comedy fashion.

One plus point for everything Sting appears either in his underwear or pulling silly faces or both. One plus point for each time Patrick Stewart appears. A few plus point for some pretty nice visuals.

One minus point for the word "spice", "worm" or "chaska" being used. Minus point for annoying whispered dialogue. Also minus points for stilted dialogue, flat characters and crappy costumes. Many minus points for large bits of the story line being cut (although frankly even if it was put back in the film would still be terrible). The whole thing is rushed and doesn't make much sense in parts. Give it a miss and watch nearly any other non-low budget sci-fi.

It's a very nicely acted and well put together piece, extremely atmospheric in places and with some filming of the landscapes that is pleasing on the eye. The story does start of a bit slow but the ending does make up for that. Altogether although there was nothing at all wrong with the film, it was just a bit sluggish at times and didn't really grip me. Can see why some may love it though.

I have absolutely no interest in chess at all and had zero respect for the repellent Bobby Fischer. However this film is very, very easy to watch. Maguire, Schreiber and Sarsgaard play their respective, and very different roles very well. Steven Knights screenplay makes a dull game come to life building up the tension and giving you a real feel of what it was like at the time. The cinematography, set design and costumes added to this effect and were spot on. Surprisingly interesting and took the attention away from the racist madness of the main man.

It's well acted, directed, looks and feels good and the music is decent. A well put together film let down by a weird story line and over the top feminism. The mother is an annoying ageing hippy which doesn't help.

First up, I have nothing again low budget films. Or indie feel films. Or slow paced films. But these three stories just aren't very interesting. They don't really go very far and there is zero action. I was going to give it one star but they are well acted for the most part. They are actually reasonably well written and filmed. But they don't make you smile or laugh or cry or think or hum or whistle or admire their beauty and you can't really relate to them. They are just dull.

I'm not sure why everyone on Amazon is raving about this. It's slow paced and barely anything happened. The main character's wife is annoying and his poetry is poor. I'm not a stupid guy and I like lots of different kinds of films but this didn't really entertain, excite, educate or amuse me. On the plus side Driver performed well and the general atmosphere of the film was great.

I like both Britt and Asa as actors and this is very much a "feel good" movie but it's exceptionally lightweight. There's plot holes all over it and the end is a total let down. If you don't mind films being a bit silly go for it, it'll make you smile.

Certainly a film that gets better as it goes along. It's low budget and aside from Fred Durst I'd never heard of any of the actors in it. But the performances are all strong, the writing is pretty tight and although the stories own internal logic is strained a little at times it's not so bad to put me off. It's broody and creepy without being over the top most of the time, although it sometimes goes off the boil. A pleasant surprise.

First of all Jurgen Vogel (plays the teacher) is really, really great in this. He's incredibly human and very believable. I was thinking it'd be cool if him and Daniel Bruhl (Goodbye Lenin!) were in a film together (they are!). It's certainly massively entertaining and kept my attention well throughout. As many others on here have commented though it does have one or two flaws to stop it from being an amazing film. The idea that the teacher and manipulate a group of teenagers to form a quasi-fascist, semi-violent group is not unbelievable. However the speed he does it in (five days) and the fact he doesn't mean to makes it all so unbelievable. Which is a shame because had the teacher had been evil and the film set over a much longer period, it'd be 5 out of 5 for me.

Whilst it was very nicely shot and some of the cinematography was decent the story itself was childish and the dialogue stilted. I'm fully aware that it's not supposed to be in any way a serious film but the unrealistic events and depictions of the places shown in the film are grating. I am going to watch the original one though, as I imagine that might be better

Funny, moving, thoughtful and entertaining. It's the first thing I've seen by Gallienne and was impressed. Although semi-autobiographical he still had to act and did so very well. I'd certainly recommend it.

Most films of this nature actually have some style, lesson, or something to think about. They also have some sort of sense of realism. This whole film doesn't ring true one bit and is irritating. I'd rather watch paint dry and listen to finger nails being scratched down a blackboard. Apparently it was script writers Alice Bell's first film. It shows with the stilted dialogue and silly story. The incest angle is pretty needless too. I see it's going for under £1 on Amazon if you buy it. Save the pound and buy some air freshener instead.

Being a mere toddler when this was first released I didn't come into this viewing with any nostalgia. Overall it was an amusing enough film to watch and the story kept me entertained enough to the end. But I'd probably not recommend it for three reasons:

1) It's not really very funny. The Banana Boat Song at the dinner table made me laugh, but that's about it.

2) The special effects aren't appalling but they don't cut it in this day and age.

3) Beetlejuice as a character is totally lame and a pervert. And he barely features in it.

Glenn Shaddix was good as Otho and you could tell Winona Ryder was going somewhere with her career but even her character was 2D.