Film Reviews by PV

This movie, like the first 300 (which is set at the same time in Thermapolae) is utter tosh - with some unintentionally funny hammed up lines in it too, so enjoy it as comedy if nothing else. However, it is entertaining though half-computer game as it's all done on green screen.

Interestingly but absurdly, the producers decided they needed female characters so rewrite history to create superwoman characters to battle the Greeks and then the Queen of the Spartans to side with them.

It is all utter twaddle but efficient at 90 minutes, and really quite enjoyable to watch for a bit of trash movie escapism. What I like is that the film doesn't pretend to be what it's not - it knows it's OTT tosh and doesn't pretend to be anything else. And it's rather well written in places too, in an overblown way.

So I enjoyed it. 3 stars.

This movie is selling itself on a gimmick - the fact it was filmed over 12 years with the same cast - which, if nothing else, is a logistical nightmare! It should definitely win an Oscar for best gimmick of the year - but no other one.

The film itself is OK, but nothing more. It could have been made with different actors playing the child and adult character, of course. It would not have received so much attention then, however.

The first hour is great - when the boy is 8 years old and more.

When adolescence hits the whole thing goes downhill, betting bogged down in typical American psychobabble and waffling about feelings. Moreover, I did not believe for a minute the journey of some of the characters - esp the mum who goes from uneducated dimwit to professor genius in 5 years; and I really don't believe in what happens to her university professor teacher, a silverback smoothie. The plot points are calculated to elicit sympathy for the mother and boy and his sister. But instead of that, they had me groaning - plus they actually made the movie a bit misandrist.

Enjoy the first hour. But don't expect too much from the rest.

Great music though - so well done to whoever sorted the soundtrack.

3 stars for an average movie.

On one level, this movie about vain, spoilt, self-obsessed, pill-popping, pretentious Hollywood celebrities reminds me of Woody Allen's Blue Jasmine - especially in the character of Havana, the has-been flaky film star.

Benji is the star, however, as he finds himself a star aged 9 and washed up aged 13 - and his utterly nutty dysfunctional family provided the plot details - which are, it is true, unbelievable, but which does actually work because LA is so nutty that anything is possible.

I dislike films which show 'ghosts' in that tricksy Hollywood movie way, but it just about works here in showing the utterly unhinged loopy-loo family with dad John Cusack and his mad wife, daughter and obviously deeply disturbed and unhappy son.

The sheer cruelty of ambition is laid bare, with Havana skipping around when a part becomes available to her because of a child's death. It is just totally appalling and cringe-making but - and this is the clincher - one can believe it happening. Hollywood ambition really is that brutal; these people really are that blinded by fame and the illusion of stardom that humanity come a very distant second.

I don't usually like David Cronenburg but I did like this - it's my favourite film by him, I think.

4 stars or maybe even more. I wouldn't mind watching it again.

As soon as this film finished I wanted to watch it all again - and I thought about it for the rest of the day, and the next day... This may be because the plot is a tad confusing - but then, so was that in The Usual Suspects... But really, I'd like to get to grips with the plot from early on this time.

If you have ever thought of taking cocaine, watch this movie and see how it gets out of Colombia to reach the US and Europe.

This is a well-written, well-acted, well-made thriller - very slick and ultra violent in a grand guignol way. I knew when certain gruesome things were mentioned in 'plants' early in the film we'd see them later on, and sure enough, we did!

Not the best thriller ever - but very watchable. As I said, I'd like to watch it all again now.

4 stars.

This 1969 film has a star cast - with a young Anthony Hopkins being historionic and moral in the face of callous spy-handler Ralph Richardson and his upper crust M16 bods.

It starts in Finland, then moves to the UK and finally East Germany (with some unusual scenery of the place).

It's all a bit like a B-move Day of the Jackal - and based on a John Le Carre novel too. But it's still a good. effective thriller.

The handsome star - Christopher Jones - is excellent, but seems to have disappeared without trace soon after this movie (apparently he was drugged against his knowledge whilst in Ryan's Daughter in 1970, and left acting to be an artist after that).

This movie is a bit preachy at times, in line with the late 60s anti-war 'love n peace' shtick - however, it's still a good watch and unlike modern movies does not have a booming soundtrack. Also, the actors - all British - get their foreign accents pretty spot-on (take note lazy BBC drama producers!).

4 stars.

This is an enjoyable film for music fans - esp those of Hendrix - and all the more impressive as the film makers were not allowed to use any of Jimi's songs (hence the use of standards, Beatles songs, the Troggs' Wild Thing etc).

The period is evoked well and on a budget - and some interesting issues are raised.

But somehow I just do not believe that Jimi Hendrix was in effect created by his then girlfriend (Hendrix always played like Hendrix) and growing his hair was the fashion of the age - not his posh totty g/f's idea.

Also, not sure I believe in the cartoon policeman of the day stopping people and confiscating their clothes.

I wonder how much else is made up therefore.

But anyway, a good cast, great central performance, and thankfully not the usually glossy Hollywood biopic.

Sadly no subtitles; but anyway, cue up the Hendrix CD to play after this film finishes because it does miss the music (thanks to Hendrix's family's refusal of a request for the music to be used, apparently).

4 stars.

This film reminded me of the cheapo airport thrillers and especially the sort of thing that was popular in the 50s and 60s - and the credits at the end reveal it's based on a novel by a pretty much unknown writer. I suspect they got the big acting talent on board by having Ridley Scott as Exec Producer - but really, this is a B movie pretending to be a top feature, It's not. it's a B movie.

Very silly really, and this film also manages to be utterly irritating and annoying at several points. The main character is a pain.

I found a lot of it pretty predictable. Those who enjoy a good love story/sob story will like it, no doubt. Me, I was glad when it finished - and despite the fact it's only 88 minutes, it felt MUCH longer.

There are 2 really bad things about this film: a terrible soundtrack of the sort of music one may see on some 4th rate corporate training video, and secondly, the fact there are no subtitles on the DVD!

Otherwise, I loved this film. Great acting from great actors (Michael Caine, Tom Courtenay, the late David Hemmings and the late Bob Hoskins plus Helen Mirren) illuminates a slice of social history as we see how people's lives were affected by events and attitudes of the 20th century.

What's more, it is just about the only film I know to feature Margate, Chatham and Rochester.

This is a film to wallow in and contemplate; if you want fast paced plotting, this is not for you.

But I loved it. Such a shame the music is so rubbish. So glad this film avoided what would happen these days, especially at the hands of the pc BBC (unnecessary female characters and storylines tagged on; loads of token black and Asian characters to up to diversity quotient).

Good old-fashioned film-making and none the worse for that - and it's from a best-selling award-winning novel.

4.5 stars rounded up

This is one of the most moving films about the Second World War that I have ever seen.

I wasn't sure at first if it was a children's film (it isn't) but it didn't matter - the plot and characters soon had me gripped (thou at first I was unsure about the 'Death' narration - by Roger Allam AKA Thursday from ITV;s Endeavour - but yes, that works too).

Some genuine surprises in the plot which no Hollywood movie would ever choose make this even better.

Excellent acting, script, atmosphere. And how great to watch a movie about books too - and some beautiful language and stories.

I haven't read the 2007 book, so no idea how this compares. But this film really is lovely and deeply moving too - and it's unusual too see a film considering World War II from the German side.

5 stars.

I haven't read the William Faulker novel this film is based on, but suspect it is way superior to this movie.

Some problems with this film: the annoying split-screen - which is very pretentious film-school-student-level and Goddard 1970s (this is what happens when you let an actor direct). Plus the fact I simply do not believe the James Franco character at all (maybe he just cannot act?). The long lingering on a metropolitan American imagining of what it is to be amongst the rural poor in the 1920s/30s - overdone really. And the use of monologues by characters - which clog up and lengthen the film (no film needs commentary from characters to tell us what is happening if it's filmed well).

Still, things to enjoy: the superb performance by the open-mouth rotten-toothed father character with the authentic dialect and accent (thank Faulkner for that). Some spooky sound and music. The atmosphere of the poor south. The 'disaster' scenes of various types.

For those who like wallowing in nostalgic poverty porn misery, this'll be like heaven.

For me, my reaction is 'neh'... it passed a couple of hours when there was nothing on the telly. Ho hum. 2 stars.

The marvellous Terry-Thomas stars in this - and I could watch him in anything and be happy! But apart from his talents, this film is actually really good fun. A little dated, yes - and lots of that farce the French love so much, with lots of gaff-prone people around and some very old visual jokes.

However, it did make me laugh and has a really impressive ending though it does lag a bit in the middle.

I had never heard of this film until I read a newspaper article on war films - and can't remember it ever being on TV.

Think Magnificent Men in their Flying Machines in French - and then add lots of jokes from silent comedy - and that's about it really. And always OK to make fun of the Nazis too.

4 stars at least.

This movie is just great - and like all those old Disney films, works on two levels, so both little kids and adults can enjoy it. There are loads of jokes and also dialogue that will fly right over little ones' heads - but the animation and perfectly-paced story are so great, they won't mind! I am SO glad they screenwriters didn't dumb down for the kids and take out the French dialogue or big words, for example, or the references to drinking and drugs (the chances are, children's book editors would).

The movie doesn't shy away from the realities of the ocean - in that fish and eggs are eaten, for example. (Sadly of course, by now the Chinese will have caught and eaten most of the sea life on display here and made some larger creatures extinct...90% of sharks have been killed in the last 15 years for their fins in the vile and disgusting Chinese shark fin industry.)

I think of tedious animated movies with awful songs (That Frog Princess one...) and can't help wishing they'd make more movies like Finding Nemo, though I can't see how they could make a sequel.

The animation is just glorious - attention to detail wonderful. Perfect characterisation, esp with Dory and the sharks (voiced by Barry Humphries AKA Dame Edna, no less) and snappy, intelligent dialogue.

My only slight criticism is the 'huggy' American-style father-son relationship - all self-esteem and therapy-speak - and the pc 'single father' shtick. BUT it doesn't lecture and it's not TOO schmaltzy, thank goodness, and is countered by events and the dry wit of the dialogue.

A thoroughly enjoyable movie. I could watch it again right now. 5 stars!

This film has NO subtitles available but possibly the quietest volume of any DVD I have ever watched - not a good combination!

Having said that, it is a highly interesting and unusual film, with a superbly understated performance by the main character, a mixed-race police officer.

The landscape of smalltown Australia (Queensland) and Aboriginal community issues make an unusual backdrop and a welcome change from the usual LA and New York set cop dramas and the endless harping on about racism in the USA.

Having said that, the film is confusing - it tries to pack too much in, with undeveloped subplots of a 'Hound of the Baskervilles' type dog, and what happens to the main character's daughter. The plot is at times vague and confused, involving missing Aboriginal girls, drug dealers, dog breeders etc in a way I never truly understood.

The end packs a punch, however unrealistically.

A movie I'd like to watch again (with subtitles!)

3.5 stars rounded up to 4.

This is billed as a comedy - well, Hitchcock considered Psycho a comedy! If you find theatrical deaths and disembowelling of horses funny, then this is a laugh-in for you! It's a tragi-comedy, perhaps!

The plot is as thin as a Rizla - all about some man with a pretty white horse who two local women have their eye on (the man not the horse). A very laboured analogy and metaphor comparing people to horses clunks through the script...

I notice it won a prize in a Spanish film festival - well, maybe because it has a chirpy and resourceful Spanish character!

All in all, this is a weird film - portraying small-town Iceland as a place of oddballs, alcoholics, prim and jealous peasant farmers.

A curio. Worth watching for its uniqueness. I particularly likes the scenes of the Russian ship and the swimming horse...

Remind me never to visit the awful place portrayed in this film, though. 3 stars.

This film is foodie fun - and worth a watch. Like a fantasy or a fairy tale about how the American Dream is just wunnerful... The US is good at these short comedy films - they don't drag like so many UK film comedies.

If this were remade in Britain it'd star Lenny Henry playing himself as per usual, and Sanjeev Baskar, be about curry or West Indian food (not really all that great IMHO)and the race relations polemic would be rammed home continually in a smug and worthy BBC fashion. Happily, this movie puts the story and characters first - and the food, of course.

It's part road trip and part 'little man takes on the world and wins against all odds'.

Truly unbelievable though - food critics are really not like this in all ways. And wives of unemployed chefs do not live in mansions either...

This is the first film I have seen to feature Twitter as a major plot point though...

An odd soundtrack - maybe just the director's favourite mix tape! Bizarrely, A Message to you Rudie is used (though this is all about restaurant and then Cuban food). Weirdly, one scene features two men singing a Hispanic version of Sexual Healing by Marvin Gaye to a 10 year old boy. (People have been arrested under operation Yewtree in the UK for less!)

3.5 stars - I enjoyed some jokes and the frustration of the main character of talentless venomous critics - and the food, despite not being a big fan of that Cuban-style food. Watch and get hungry!