Film Reviews by Cato

Jean- Luc Godard's film on Communism, which is apparently supposed to be humorous, although I didn't really find it at all funny (French humour maybe). It's about five Parisian students, which I found extremely realistic but were apparently actors, talking about the state in which they find themselves at that time in French history. Definitely for intellectual socialistically leaning viewers this one.

To direct and take the leading part in any dramatic venture is pretty hard going, but Asia Argento managed it very well, if a little OTT at times. I can sympathise with the above reviewer, and the only thing I can think is that the actor was maybe older than the character he was playing. However, the poor lad was given some very hard treatment, especially by the customers who his prostitute mother was picking up every ten minutes. The film was indeed very nasty at times, and I wondered why it hadn't receive an 18 certificate. Perhaps it escaped the powers that be. Anyway, you have been warned.

You won't actually see much of Dartmoor in this film, only a poor criminal running across it at the beginning, but it's a wonderful example of late British silent films, in fact the last that was made. This was the second film of the director, Anthony Asquith, who went on to direct The Winslow Boy, The Importance of Being Earnest and The Millionairess later in his career. Most of the action takes place in a barber shop, and is a melodramatic love story which of course tragically ends, but the filming is exquisite and can stand with the rest of European films of the time, so brilliantly is it made.

A kind of metaphysical thriller about a man (Lee Marvin) who tries to get some money back from some crooked characters who obviously don't want to give it back. Guns and fights are very much to the fore, and Marvin gives a very good performance of the man obsessed with his revengeful quest. At the time of it's release (1967) it must have seemed a fantastic film, but of course it has spawned a large collection of films that have tried to copy it in one way or another. It's a top class gangster film, very well directed by John Boorman with some brilliant cinematography from Philip H Lathrop.

A good film, with a plot which goes from evil to good, although the evil remains in the main character's life till the end, in that memory records your childhood more than everything else The film gets some middling reviews in some cases, especially for Stephen Dillane, who I think gives a very good performance, albeit quiet and reflective.

I may be slighting the holy grail of great films, but not being all that fond of sci-fi or computer games I found this effort extremely tedious and switched off half way through. The actress conducting events though had some of the largest lips I've ever seen on screen, so it wasn't entirely lost on me.

Based on a story by Somerset Maugham, this taut thriller has the benefit of Deanna Durbin playing a very serious part for a change, together with Gene Kelly who likewise plays very straight (but still uses those eyes) as a very naughty boy. Gail Sondergaard also fits into the story very ably as the mother of Kelly, and altogether this film, directed by Robert Siodmak, almost reaches the blackest of film noir. Very recommended.

A good rendition of the Shakespeare play with excellent performances from some well known actors. The best of these was Ben Kingsley, who with his guitar and singing voice made a superb Feste, and the late Mel Smith was a merry Sir Toby Belch, although I found the actresses a little underwhelming. The sound quality of the DVD was poor and needed turning up to maximum.

I can somehow see how this film was given an 18 certificate, albeit in Ireland, for the theme is all about sex, and mostly about the lesbian variety. It's an amusing take on the subject, the cast is excellent and the story bounces along, but in the end it's all about sex!

I very much agree with AD's first two paragraphs, but the actress playing the part of the Irish nanny was one Fionnula Flanagan, which maybe gives the game away as to why she had her accent.

Scary, but only when Susannah shrieks after seeing one of the men from her past, who seems to crop up rather a lot, considering he's dead. Obviously It's a good film, it was made by Robert Altman after all, but I did find the "images" rather wearing after a time.

After about 20 minutes of Disney adverts, we settled down to watch the main film, and although It wasn't really my cup of tea, my grandchildren, aged seven 7 and nine loved it.

Having read the book by Mary Shelley recently I thought that Frankenstein was created by a scientist, but in this film he is the mad scientist himself played by the estimable Peter Cushing slicing off the top of some poor mad geezer's head to "cure" him with someone else's brain. Complicated? Well, not really, as it skips along at a galloping pace, and in 1969 it was maybe well thought of by the audience (mostly teenagers probably). But today it seems very old fashioned, in that we've been shown so many horror movies that we we might find this one a tad OTT. The acting is incredibly hammy by all concerned, but some of the action is pretty nasty. Enjoy.

The action flies along in this credible story about the end of the Brits' rule in India, largely brought about by the behaviour of the man in the title of the film. The director really does let rip against the pompous behaviour of the white men, barring the Indian speaking Scotsman played by Toby Stephens, who speaks up for the Indians at every possible chance. It's a great rollicking film, not just about fighting, but also the lives of the Indian women who entertain their own soldiers, who are part of the British infantry until they rebel under their leader, Mangal Pandey.

Richard Widmark gives a suitably restrained performance (always the cool guy), as the ex Indian warrior who has joined the white men again, helping the wagon train survivors who have found themselves besieged by those pesky Apaches. If you like your cowboy films this is a very good one, let down by the poor sound on the copy I watched, as well as the unlikely ending. Apparently Widmark actually hated guns in what he considered to be one of the greatest countries in the civilised world. Nothing's changed very much there then.