Film Reviews by None

Beware of claims made in the promotional spiel. a not particularly funny, imaginative or sensitive movie. The lead male looks unerringly like a young Rory McGrath, sadly the wit and timing of Rory is totally absent. The script is lame and resorts to loud repetative swearing whenever a 'crisis' occurs. Save your money for a genuine comedy.

Story moves at an acceptable pace and the principle characters are well portrayed, but in a style that makes them difficult to warm to. The rivalry between Bayle and Jackman could have been better drawn, each displays an irritating, self-centred character without humour or empathy. Caine doesn't get out of first gear, his and Johansson's talents are not really on view. Bowie's role is also slight. The denouement is flagged up well before it occurs and replaces mystery with absurdity.

Cronenberg directs the story in a rather bleak manner and it seems rather low budget at times. Viggo Mortenson plays his role with convincing aplomb and Naomi Watts holds your attention without hogging the limelight. The bath-house scene is well acted but gruesome and predictable. Mortenson's speed of recovery in hospital belies belief and the ending hints of a sequel maybe? The extras on the dvd are worth your time.

A visual treat for the whole family. Stellar cast with Michelle Pfeiffer switching from bewitching to terrifying before your eyes. De Niro appears to enjoy himself and the cgi does not detract from the acting too much. The film will probably become a christmas regular on television. Good defeats evil again, at least in this fairy tale.

A compelling watch from start to end. James McAvoy's journey from naivity to despair reflects vividly the experience of many of Amin's citizens. A must see film with Forest Whitaker in a role that he performs admirably, reminded me somewhat of De Niro in Raging Bull in as much as he is immersed in the role and "becomes" the character. Perhaps some other political figures could see something of their own reflection in Amin's behaviour?

Jody Foster and Terrance Howard play their roles convincingly but fail to really question the notion that the ends justify the means. The film is more morally ambiguous than Bronson's series of vigilante films but still leans towards a simplistic scenario with 100% bad guys, 100% good guys and women with empathy for each other. I'm not sure the genre is turned on its head at all. The "I Walk the City" extra is interesting but rather a bit self congratulatory.

Take a stellar British cast add a funeral, a very small person, a wheelchair bound man with the need for toilet assistance, hallucenogenic anti-anxiety pills, dodgy photos, blackmail, assault, dodgy carpentry and very nearly manslaughter. Unfortunately the end result is less than the sum of its parts. Abundant talent, abundantly wasted. A cast enjoying making a film is not the same as a cast making a film that an audience will enjoy.

A tame remake of the body snatcher 'genre.' The cast do well with the available script but the "everybody lives happily after," ending is too sugary. The film hints at the worldwide benefits of benevolent control, with an absence of free will, this theme had more legs and could have been further explored. A world without war, terrorism, starvation etc, in exchange for emotions/choice could have been a real challenge for the director, shame.