Film Reviews by fs

How refreshing these days to get a thoughtful film about really important subjects. What a tragedy that her brave whistle-blowing, which might well have stopped a brutal and illegal war, did not achieve what she had hoped.

If we ourselves had been in the same position, would we have had the courage to do what she did?  (And could we have lived with ourselves if we had not?)

The film was well put together, so that the narrative flowed well. But hopefully it also made people really think about political corruption. An appalling war and its dreadful consequences for Iraq, all so that Tony could cozy up to a not very bright American President manipulated by Cheney and Rumsfeld.

I found the four books were quite slow - and the TV programmes even slower! I think much of it was the director lingering lovingly over shots with the two girls - found that quite irritating and a bit self-indulgent - and some of their acting did seem to me pretty wooden, like little tableaux.

  Some of  the casting of the adults was great though - the teacher was brilliant! and the programmes did give a real feeling over what it must have been like growing up in a deprived area of Naples. Even if it must have been teeming with people, as someone observed - this wasn’t captured at all.  

I do wonder if it’s any better growing up today in deprived parts of Naples .......

We thought this was a really clever script, based on a reality that most folk never saw. Cheney really was the almost Invisible Man - lacking the charisma to win the post of President, as  Vice-Presidenr he used the younger (and extremely politically green) Bush as a mouthpiece for all his destructive policies.

You’ve had several negative reviews - this is certainly a  thoughtful and angry movie, not a mindless rom-com or whizz-bang never-mind the lack of plot just look at the special effects movie.

We thoroughly enjoyed this film. Reminded me of Vanity Fair actually - a lot of tongue in cheek and anti-hero stuff. Most enjoyable, not violent and not depressing!