Film Reviews by BE

One star for effort but must do better! I was expecting more from this movie but gave up after half an hour before total boredom set in. Jim Broadbent looked incongruous in a hard hat.

Very interesting story of a singer/songwriter who never 'made it' in America. Once you have listened to the rhetoric of acquaintances, you can check out for yourself what a gifted and unassuming performer Sixto Rodriguez was. Not wishing to spoil the movie, I'll say no more apart from the fact that I am smitten and have ordered one of his albums!

A not totally believable premise, gloomy and disjointed. Although not for the faint hearted, Romain Duris portrays trauma exceedingly well. Spot the Massive clothing continuity error at the end!

Boring and unconvincing. Besides looking relatively healthy and well fed, the prisoners of war appeared to have managed to shave every day which defies belief given their situation. This did not bode well to set the scene. Nicole Kidman have her usual stuffed doll performance and I don't think the disjointed presentation enabled Colin Firth to give of his all either.

Very long so watched in two sessions. It's listed as being 159 mins in length but I think it could have been longer than that. The trailer could be seen as misleading as it is relatively slow moving. It is beautifully crafted, the acting is impeccable and it has a superior script. Foreign films now have the edge in the movie business. The Americans have lost their way and sometimes we're not much better. Subtitles necessary as in a foreign language but much better than being dubbed with a sloppy accent. It all adds to the enchantment of the film. An absolute must for real movie fans.

I truly hope PSH's talent is not judged by this awful movie. Unfortunately, there were no subtitles available with the consequence that I barely understood any of the sloppy American dialogue. I don't think it actually mattered very much as nearly every other word was an expletive. PSH's diction was Brando-esque at the best of times and this is no different. An extremely disappointing film.

Characters failed to engage in a really silly storyline. Bleak and depressing. How anybody was expected to brave the elements without any appropriate clothing beats me but I won't give the ending away (if you can survive until then)! Even Joaquin Phoenix couldn't save this one.

A harrowing depiction of first world war battlefields, a quest to find a feared dead fiancé and some incongrous scenes of a whimsical nature, failed to make this movie gel. It would have been better if the main theme had been stuck to instead of additional storylines being attached to some of the characters.

Too much rhetoric in between very little paparazzi footage. It is mainly about the man with the camera and not the celebrities he caught on camera.

This is a morose tale of corrupt bureaucracy and human deception. The actors are very natural and perform their roles exceptionally well. The movie is set in a dismal location, it is without humour and yet is strangely compelling.

Goodness knows what it is about plus far too many expletives. If you want American clap trap, this is it!

I don't think this movie has stood the test of time. The sound track was rough, the music mellow dramatic and the scenes too composed. Maggie Smith gave a very dramatic performance but generally the acting appeared dated. I had difficulty in engaging with most of the characters and found the movie only came into its own for the last half hour.

Richard Linklater has surpassed himself with this one. The best thing to come out of America in years. It's superb and plays for 2hrs 40mins. My only reservation, as usual, is the sloppy American diction. I put the subtitles on but quite distracting as displayed all over the screen! Nevertheless, a brilliant movie.

Well, something must have got lost in translation for me. I neither liked or disliked. The story takes place in a very bleak setting in Poland where the sun never appears to shine. The script is sparse and could have been learnt in fifteen minutes. I usually love foreign movies but this one's way down on my list.

No story as such but a presentation of ageing Italians who appear to be living in an unchallenging void, clinging on to the edge of life. They mask the inevitable by living an hedonistic and shallow lifestyle. Nonetheless, I was enthralled throughout. Tony Servillo brilliantly took the lead role, the settings were beguiling along with some really beautiful scenery. It is excellently crafted. My only criticism is the subtitles which at times were so fast and furious, I had to backtrack to fully read them.