Film Reviews by MT

The first half of the film is pretty slow, somewhat uncoordinated and provided very little engagement with the characters and that's with the stellar talent in the cast. I can't blame the cast as the problem lies with the screenplay. So having watched the first half with everyone in the family wondering if there was a point to it, we all enjoyed the second half and the completely shocking and surprising turn of events portrayed. Given the strength of the ending, we all forgave the slow and uncoordinated start and consider the film to be one of the better watches over the last few months.

For those reviewers who reference the NHS, well this is an act of fiction and no one should draw any comparison with the NHS on any scale.

So if you prepare yourself for a slowish start then I think the ending really makes up for this and turns the film from below average to very good. I actually feel three stars is maybe a little mean on my behalf but the ending is a solid four stars. We've talked about the film over the next few days which is clearly a sign of something which strikes a nerve.

Based upon a true story (from the UK I might add) and it really works. All the characters work well together and the film is well paced with no obvious slow or erroneous scenes. So in summary, all elements of the film work really well and we found it an enjoyable watch. Just a great film so please give it a go. There aren't may films which merit 5 stars (maybe a couple a year from my perspective) but this is one of them.

What killed the film for me were the strange and irrelevant sub-plots in the film which just distracted from the main theme of the film. Can't blame Steve or the other actors, just a screenplay which went awry. Shame but we all gave up on it. Not often I don't stick a film out to the end but this was an exception!

I got through it (only one in the family) so that gives it one star in my book. That's it. Brad pretty much whispers through the entire film and keeps saying his BPM is low!!! So what! And the amount of dialogue is actually very minimal. I'd like to say the picture "said it all" but really nothing special and nothing we haven't seen before. The story is really predictable whilst the only sun-plot (biomedical research vessel found whilst travelling to Tommy Lee) was completely out of context. Can't think of anything good to say...oh and it's almost 2 hours long!!!

Wasn't too sure about this film but it sounded interesting. Based upon a true night out in London in 2002 when Woody got arrested.

What is remarkable is that they filmed the 'night' in 2017 as a live event which was streamed into cinemas. The cynic in me said it couldn't possibly work with moving from the theatre to a restaurant, ride in a camper, nightclub, ride in prison van, prison, Waterloo bridge, all in real-time!!!!! Apart from some early dialogue gaffs which don't detract, this is a remarkable film and very entertaining.

I recommend this film as 1) the whole family talked about it 2) it is based on a true story 3) I cannot believe they filmed it as a single live take 4) the Willie Nelson drunken scene in a prison cell is sublime. Enjoy.

Have to admit I'm not a great fan of Emma Thompson but here she is perfectly cast as an acerbic late night talk show host with falling ratings, a boss who wants her gone and (to throw in a PC element) an all-male writing team. Almost irreverent at times and although predictable in its content, it is an an enjoyable and well paced film which doesn't let the PC element of the story steal the film. Very easy watch and Emma and the other actors did a great job. Hate to say it but we all liked it.

I consider the original Mel Gibson film "What Woman Want" a very good film. Just the right amount of comedy and drama from the 'I can hear woman's thoughts' plotline. But this re-make with a switch of a man to a woman missed the mark completely. The whole family watched it (3 daughters) and no one laughed. In fact the incessant diatribe from the protagonist become irritating within a few short minutes. We got to the end which means 1 star but I really cannot recommend this film. Even the subplot with the new man and son being passed off as her family was mis-played. So basically nothing good except for the pace which keep us going until the bitter end.

Relatively simple and straight forward story of a failed writer who turns to forging letters from famous people to get by. As with most true stories, no plot twists or significant sub-plots but Melissa plays the character well which helps you engage with the film. She picks up a friend early on in the film played by Richard E Grant who is equally down-and-out and this relationship works for the most part and provides the bulk of the content to the film. I do consider Richard E Grant to be mis-cast in this role but overall the relationship between the two works. I'm not a huge fan of Melissa but I feel in this film she finally gets to act and she does it well. Recommended for those who like true stories, a decent screenplay and interesting characters.

We (family) enjoyed this film. It has a good plot (it's a sci-fi film after all so pretty outrageous), was well paced and left us wanting to know what would happen. A couple of sub-plots also went down well (no spoilers here). There is some very wooden acting in the film, particularly by Keanu, and although this removes most of the tension it doesn't destroy the film. So it flows well with a good plot and keeps you wanting to know what happens all the way to the end. So I would recommend this film except for those who want to see Keanu acting because in this film, he fails miserably.

I like films and, in principal, even the bad ones. But this was worse than poor. Clearly the premise should have worked and you'd have thought the odd laugh would have been easy. But no. Not even cringey laughs! Feels like 5 or 6 different films were edited together as there is no consistency of plot or character. I cannot find anything of worth to say in respect of this film. And this isn't just me, my 20 something daughters also had despair. Kevin Hart needs to stop trying to "do it all himself" and get some good people in. Sorry!

Watched with the family and everyone enjoyed the film. I usually hate films which 'bounce around in time' but for once, this really worked. The true story is remarkable and the film brings this story to life. The leads work really well together and the twist is a great one. And as others have said, the effects don't overwhelm the film but bring it to life. If you've ever thought of sailing the world's oceans, watch this first! This film is so much better than the Robert Redford All Is Lost film. Just sayin'

The story is maybe something we can all relate to as we get older and the health issues portrayed are very much of the moment. Putting the couple together in an RV and going on an adventure really works and allows the film to entertain images of family and past trips. As pointed out by another reviewer, I found Helen Mirren's accent off-putting but didn't spoil the film. Donald was the star for me and his character 'pulled' me into the film. So accents aside, a very watchable film and a thought-provoking finale, which although obvious from the start what was coming was no less powerful. I didn't feel the film lost it's way and the pace was well judged based upon the characters and screenplay. Even my daughters watched the film and didn't talk through it so it must be OK!

Story, screenplay and actors all very good. Well paced and engaging but...Rex is the star. How Kate's character came to join the Marines and then become a dog handler was really interesting and the way she and Rex became a team was really well played. Not a blockbuster, but a really great portrayal of a true story. One of the best films I've seen in a while. Up there with Only The Brave.

Dreadful film and no endearing aspects - at all. But daughters seems to think it's OK. What do I know?

On paper, I couldn't see Owen Wilson and Julia Roberts working - especially given the premise of the film. But happy to report that from my families perspective, we all enjoyed it. Film is a slow burn for sure but works on all levels. I found the scenes that focussed on a particular character a little off-putting but they did work. Don't expect too much and you'll enjoy it. This is definitely not melancholic or heart wrenching and all the better for it.