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sherlock_2040
Reviews
Hostel (2005)
Overrated.
I was beginning to look forward to this film, I like a good scare. The films central idea (the murder holiday thing) is the only reason I've given this a 2, instead of a big fat 0.
The film is gross, well, not really. In terms of graphic, it's not as graphic as it wants to be. I'm sorry, but none of the blood & guts etc... looked real! Whereas another just-as-bad film, the Hills Have Eyes remake at least had decent effects.
The characters were all bumped off far too quick, and there wasn't enough tension to frighten me. It was obvious from the moment the characters spoke who was and wasn't going to survive.
There wasn't enough going on in the 'killing place', we should have seen more. The film could have been disturbing, disgusting and terrifying but it forgot what it was in all the hype.
It could have been much better.
Les triplettes de Belleville (2003)
Superb animation
'Belleville Rendez-Vous' was one of those animation that comes along once in a while.
The opening cabaret sequence that sent up Disney animation and cabaret shows at the time set the tone for what we could tell was going to be a high class animation.
The story line is pretty simple really, grandson is kidnapped by the French mafia during the mountain stage of the tour de france, and grand-ma goes looking for him and meets the eccentric Belleville triplets.
There is very little dialouge (in fact, only about one or two instances of it), and I'm glad of that. You certainly don't need dialouge, the animation told it's own story.
The characters were brilliant exaggerations of real life, and easily recongisable.
Absolutely amazing and adorable.
Family Guy (1999)
Superior to the Simpsons...
A show with a talking dog with a drink problem and a baby bent on world domination and the death of his mother?
In several words, this show is brilliant. Fair enough the idea of a dysfunctual family is a little bit clichéd, but their situations and some of the ideas certainly aren't.
Rather than funny, this show is more witty which I much prefer. There isn't a character that I dislike in the show, you can't really hate any of them. My favourite has to be Brian the dog though.
A very funny show, it's a pity they only show it on occassion on channel four.
Quills (2000)
Not historically accurate, but a damn good film!
The film does exactly what the first few lines of the film say, it's going to tell you a naughty tale. The infamous french writer, the Marquis de Sade, Abbe du Coulmier and Dr Royer-Collard are taken out of history and put straight into a tale that could have perhaps come from the Marquis' own pen.
The Marquis is writing his prose and publishing with the help of a chamber maid, from his prison cell in the mental asylum Charenton, Napoleon wants de Sade's writing stopped and so the cruel doctor, Dr Royer-Collard is dispatched to stop this. What ensures is a tale more about censorship and corruption than anything else.
Kudos goes to the writer Douglas Wright, not only is his script solid and makes good watching, but where else can you find a writer with the courage to create his own works of de Sade?
Geoffrey Rush is clearly enjoying himself, as are the other central characters Joaquin Phoenix, Kate Winslet and Michael Caine. I doubt there are many films out with such talented actors proving why they are talented.
A superb film, whilst not historically accurate, but after all... it's a naughty little tale. Excellently written, beautifully directed and amazingly acted.
Stigmata (1999)
Surprisingly good!
This film was on TV last week, but I forgot about. Lukcily we had a copy at Blockbuster, so I rented it. I sort of put off watching it because I wasn't expecting it to be very good, but I finally watched it last night, and was very surprised.
I don't normally like so called scary films, because a lot of the time they're trying to gross you out and not really frighten you (okay some are supposed to frighten you), and this film spooked me and made me jump on several occassions.
I really liked the way it was filmed, the shots of Christ getting crusified when Frankie was being attack were quite disturbing. The acting was quite good as well, which is usually the exception in scary films.
I also liked that there were no real bad guys in the film, sure you could say that Jonathan Pyrce's character was a bad one, but it's clear that's what the character is doing is what he believes to be right. Kudos to Jonathan Pyrce.
Overall a rather good film
Love! Valour! Compassion! (1997)
A moving piece of film... (Contains Spoilers)
The film might have flaws, but it is a very moving piece of film. Jason Alexander might be playing the stereotypical gay man, but it is decently acted, particular the relationship he forms with John Jeckyll's twin brother. You can't help but feeling saddened during the scene where Buzz is on the landing talking, you realise then that his obsession with musical theatre is just his way of coping. He's going to die and nothing he nor anyone else can stop it. I have to be honest and say it was the relationship between John, James and Buzz that had me moved to tears, particular John's line "I just want you to like me." The relationship between Bobby and Gregory is equally moving, especial as later in the film when either of the characters reveals their demise you discover that Bobby is not going to remain faithful to Gregory, and James' inability to cope with his disease. I have watched this film several times and still feel emotional during the later scenes, and I would gladly watch the play (and since I'm a technical theatre student I may even get to work on it!). It does remind me a lot of 'Bent' although I've only read the play. It's a film I would recommend you watch, and a play that would be worth seeing.
Evita (1996)
It was okay...
Being a musical lover, I thought that I may as well watch Evita.
The opening looked fantastic, very much like the real funeral of Eva Péron and it definately set the tone for an Alan Parker film. Antonio Banderas surprised me, after hearing his rather pathetic singing at Andrew Lloyd Webber's 50th Birthday concert, I was very surprised -- was he dubbed or something?
Madonna also very much surprised me, I wasn't really expecting much of her, but she was very very good. Jonathan Pyrce was exceptional... one good thing about this film, they didn't let Andrea Corr sing 'Another Suitcase in Another Hall' thank you whoever decided that!
After the strength of the opening, the film seemed to go down hill. It was still visually very good, but the storyline sort of vanished, it was still there, but hidden. I think that his particular musical was probably more suited to the stage.
Ned Kelly (2003)
A waste of talent....
I was originally looking forward to this film. I didn't get a chance to see it at the cinema, and it was only recently that I was able to rent the film from Blockbuster (thankfully, I work there so it was free...). I don't know much of the Ned Kelly story, so I can't really comment on the accuracy of the storyline.
This film wasted the talent of Geoffrey Rush; he was given far too little to do and what little he was given didn't seem that well directed or written. Rush did what he could with what he had, and that was very good. Orlando Bloom is a talented actor, but he could have benefited from stronger direction and writing in this film. I'm not too familiar with the other actors, but they all seemed to be very 2D characters, there was no reason behind them. This was either down to bad direction, bad writing or just bad acting.
At times in the film I was left confused; I didn't really click that it was Ned Kelly's mother that had been arrested until they actually said it, and neither did I understand why they were shooting at the police officers in the woods. Also it didn't really make sense, and occasionally I couldn't actually understand what the actors were saying.
It's not my habit to hate a film, but this was very confusing in places and suffered. Could have been better.
Love! Valour! Compassion! (1997)
A moving piece of film... (Contains Spoilers)
The film might have flaws, but it is a very moving piece of film. Jason Alexander might be playing the stereotypical gay man, but it is decently acted, particular the relationship he forms with John Jeckyll's twin brother. You can't help but feeling saddened during the scene where Buzz is on the landing talking, you realise then that his obsession with musical theatre is just his way of coping. He's going to die and nothing he nor anyone else can stop it. I have to be honest and say it was the relationship between John, James and Buzz that had me moved to tears, particular John's line "I just want you to like me." The relationship between Bobby and Gregory is equally moving, especial as later in the film when either of the characters reveals their demise you discover that Bobby is not going to remain faithful to Gregory, and James' inability to cope with his disease. I have watched this film several times and still feel emotional during the later scenes, and I would gladly watch the play (and since I'm a technical theatre student I may even get to work on it!). It does remind me a lot of 'Bent' although I've only read the play. It's a film I would recommend you watch, and a play that would be worth seeing.
Ghost Ship (2002)
Interesting movie that had more potential (Contains Spoilers)
Spoiler Alert! I love Dark Castle entertainment, I didn't love 13 Ghosts, but I did really enjoy House on Haunted Hill. I loved the original HoHH, and I thought the 'remake' was inventive and had some unique parts to it. It wasn't brilliant, but the special effects were beautiful and the sets were magnificent.
As a technical theatre student studying everything from stage management to lighting design these films are wonderful exercise in how to create atmosphere through lighting, sound & setting.
Okay so the film wasn't Oscar worthy, particularly well written or particularly well acted, but it did create an atmosphere it did give us a sense of setting and era... and to top it all off, everything was lush in detail.
The special effects team had done their homework. During the opening scene where they're all cut up by the high-tension cable, not only was it gory and creepy, but it was accurate to a degree. The lighting effects with the light reflecting off the water, the dripping sounds and the sound track were all amazing.
I would watch this film again, but only the opening and the middle part where Katie takes us on a journey through what happened. I enjoyed the film, and that's all films are really about - enjoyment. The background history here was errie and disturbing, there was a definite sense of panic here; made me think about how vulnerable you are travelling on board of a ship, your fate put completely in the hands of total strangers.
A lot more could have been made of the film though. More exploration of the ship, discovery of more bodies or something to alert people that something wasn't quite right about this ship. More background story about the gold! The dead captain told the live captain that they salvaged the gold from a sinking ship, more background was needed.
After watching the film I was left with a feeling of wanting to know 'why' it happened, rather than *what* was going to happen next.
Kudos to the special effects team, possibly the first time I've felt sick watching a film. You knew what was going to happen from the camera shots of the tension cable, but I wasn't quite expecting that! Also kudos to the actors who played the ill-fated passengers, especially to the little girl and the dead captain!
I'd give this film at least 5.5 out of ten, it did what it set out to do -- entertain me and that's good enough for me :)