Film Reviews by MH

3 Academy awards including best picture? Were they watching the same film I saw? I must be stupider than I thought, because I struggled to make sense of any of the film, and I found Chiron's inability/refusal to communicate intensely irritating. I fail to see what new light it shone on the plight of poor people or gay people and the character's race never seemed to be an issue. Too much camera-lingering on inexpressive faces left me puzzled and bored and it was frequently touch and go as to whether I would make it to the end. Assuming it must be me at fault, I forced myself to watch the whole thing and was left with the strong conviction that I had wasted 111 minutes of my life.

Spoiler alert: Victor Meldrew review coming up.

If you are a Jim Broadbent fan then you will no doubt enjoy this, as there is a lot of Jim being . . . well, Jim Broadbent. Seen one of his films, you've seen them all. I find his customary film persona intensely irritating, and spend most of the time wanting to slap him. So self-absorbed, so unable to relate to other people and their needs, so generally clueless. I chose to try to overcome this because of the several other good actors billed, and on the recommendation of a newspaper critic whose opinion I usually find useful.

The story is muddled and told in a series of flashbacks to his student days, many of them (the flashbacks) repeated 2, 3 or even 4 times, and a couple of them confusingly shown with Broadbent as his present day character inserted into the earlier scene. There is the occasional clue as to things that are happening which are never elaborated on, requiring some intelligent guess-work on the part of the viewer (perhaps I'm not intelligent enough - there is also a suicide, the reason for which I couldn't work out).

The main female character in youth is enigmatic to the point of being boring, and Charlotte Rampling, who has made a career out of being inscrutable without actually acting, does her usual thing.

Michelle Dockery sports a huge and completely unnatural-looking pregnancy bump, while her character adds nothing to the story.

I saw it in a cinema and the man next to me got up and left about halfway through, swiftly followed by a couple in the back row. I should have followed their example - 2 hours of my life wasted.

Cinema Paradiso has a huge catalogue of really good films - I advise you to choose another.

When I sent for this film I had no firm Idea what it was about, except that a 12-year-old boy and girl run away into the woods together.

I must be a bit dim, because it took me ages to 'get it' but when I did, I can't tell you how much I enjoyed it. Quirky, off-beat, and really funny in a 'delighted grin' kind of way - not laugh out loud. If you notice Bruce Willis is in it playing a cop, don't get the wrong idea. You'll have trouble recognising him - and the subtlety of his acting. Frances McDormand does her usual Coen brothers turn, and indeed, I did wonder for a moment if it had been made by the fabled pair, leaving out their usual violence and gore, but no.

This is not whimsy, but if you're into Rambo or rom-com give it a miss. If you're looking to be thoroughly entertained by something quite out of the ordinary, give it a try.

Judging by the review above and the critic's review, I guess it must be me.

It was one of the most boring movies I have ever seen. I only stuck with it because I kept thinking "it can't really be this bad, it must get better". It didn't.

It was so slow-moving, and David Oyelowo was so lacking in charisma, that it made a situation and event which should have been shaming for all white Americans and gut-wrenching for all whites just pedestrian.

12 Years a Slave was little better. If you want to see a film about the horrors of slavery, gird up your loins and watch Django Unchained, and if you want to see a film about the stoicism, nobility and shear decency of black people watch Glory.

This was one of the most pointless and boring films I've ever seen, punctuated by a distasteful view of Kathy Bates in the nude.

Jack Nicholson may be able to act, but he didn't bother in this film.