Reviews

This movie just has to be one of the greatest comedies ever made. It is hilirious. Struggling and notoriously hard to work with actor Michael Dorsey (Dustin Hoffman) takes on the role of a woman in a daytime television soap opera, basically because he cannot get any more jobs as a male actor due to his reputation. The fun starts early on in the film with Dorothy Michaels appearing in the New York crowd suddenly and going for the script reading. From then on the film is sentimental, touching, dry and absolutely side-splittingly funny. The other actors/actresses in the film really do make it work. It is brilliantly cast with comedic moments from Teri Garr, Dabney Coleman, Charles Durning and the ever-brilliant and sarcastic Bill Murray. I wasn't even born until two years after the movie came out, but it's still so fresh and full of life after 22 years that you just have to love it. It's definately a five star for this. ***** out of *****

One of my favourite comedies of all time. It's nearly as good as 'Only Fools And Horses'(1981)...but not quite :-) OFAH was also written by Londoner John Sullivan. 'Dear John' is a very laid back comedy centering around divorcee John Lacey (Ralph Bates), a school teacher who joins the 1-2-1 club for divorced and separated people. There's some great characters such as macho man Kirk St.Moritz, Kate, Mrs. Arnott and the unforgettable Ralph Dring (played excellently by Peter Denyer). The club is run by the posh and snooty Louise Williams..."Were there any sexual problems?" The sitcom revolved around different people's experiences and problems being talked about at the club and the funny things that happen in life. It's a lovely sitcom and if you can get the video it's money well spent for good, clean British humour. **** out of *****

This is one of those movies that you just watch and know what to expect. There's the unlikely pairing of a tough ruthless cop and a comedic cop, they don't get on and then they do. Seen similar stuff in The Hard Way (1991), 'Bowfinger'(1999) which also starred Eddie Murphy and countless others. I watched it once and just about made it to the end of the film. There is some good action sequences but the actual whole jigsaw of the film together is a complete bore, to put it mildly. You do expect a hell of a better film with these two superstars, but it just doesn't work at all. It seems that as long as a director has the BIG names in the movie, the plot doesn't seem to matter any more. It's NOT showtime! ** out of *****

We all now Robin Williams as the crazy wild man of comedy. I must say I do enjoy his movies. From 'Good Morning Vietnam' to 'Mrs. Doubtfire', he has never failed to deliver. Here he play photo finishings worker Simon Parrish, a loner whom people make fun of. We find out early on in the movie that Simon is obsessed by a family whose photos he develops and when he loses his job of 11 years, he finds out some dirty secrets, cracks and then takes matters into his own hands. Williams is very watchable as a crackpot and a lot of the time I couldn't take my eyes off the screen, but the movie just fell a little short for me at the finale. The movie has a short running length for of around 85 mins...not a lot for a so-called 'thriller'. It's interesting and enjoyable enough, but there just doesn't seem enough substance here for this one to become a classic. *** out of *****

Another smashing performance from Jack Nicholson. He plays Warren Schmidt, a retired insurance worker and a very successful man. But really, Warren is a sad and lonely man. When he wife dies suddenly, he takes to the road in his 35ft trailer exploring his roots and re-entering his past. Hope Davis plays his daughter Jeanie in the movie and a very good actress she is too. When I first watched this movie I thought of it as the sort of film that you'd watch once or twice maybe a year, something like that. But I have watched it quite a bit over the last few weeks. It's a positive film about real people, and people whom we can all relate to. It also carries a very positive message about life, love and relationships. Look out for Kathy Bates as Jeanie's fiancé's sex crazed mom. **** out of *****

Ben Stiller is quite a funny guy. He has one of those rubber faces that you can instantly crack up looking at. He plays Greg Focker, a male nurse in love with Meg Byrnes. The two are blissfully happy...all until it comes to meeting her parents. There's the charming, helpful mom and the ex CIA (psychotic???) dad (Robert DiNiro). I won't blabber on too much about the story except to say that you can tell just what's going to happen...one disaster after another. It's funny stuff...sometimes, with the slapstick of Stiller, but DeNiro's character may be hard to swallow and leave a bad taste as he interrogates and sometimes cooly humiliates Greg. DeNiro does play a good part; the naive father wanting the best for his daughter and no man is good enough for her. Good performances all round, but don't expect to be laughing your heart out as this film has a quite uneven balance of slapstick and sinister dryness. *** out of *****