Film Reviews by JL

Movies are like meals some peoples likes are others "no thanks". But this film had Pacino (of whom one "respected" reviewer once famously said "I could'nt enjoy any film with Pacino in it"!) Presumably "The Godfather" was not to be enjoyed?

My personal view is that AP is a fine actor if at times a little loud. In this movie Pacino is really good in a lovely tale with a fine "supporting cast" And that is an understatement as to the quality of that cast.

Recommended.

Really enjoyed this and it was a delight to hear Kera Knightly sing. A small voice but quite lovely.

Nothing particularly original in the story of songwriter trying to make good but this is most enjoyable from start to finish.

A wonderful scene when a recording of a really catchy song is made "alfresco" on the roof of a building. Shades of the Beatles.

What a lovely film! On every level it enthralls. Wonderful acting throughout with a story of real depth and humanity.

My wife and I watched it twice in the same day.

I really do sometimes wonder about film critics and movies like this! It sometimes make me think of the "Emperors New Clothes" in that it is seen as clever and brilliant to see something in a film that almost no other person can see! This movie won the Oscar for best foreign film. I have yet see Leviathan but it can't fail to be better than this arty-farty "gem".

Having the wonderful CD encouraged me to put this DVD on my list. After a long wait I was so disappointed to find that it was unplayable due to disc damage. However this is not CP's fault as I have made three attempts to get a playable disc and it appears that there is manufacturing fault on all of them.

My recollection is that this film was badly mauled by critics and was not shown widely in cinemas so I was expecting very little.

However it is not a bad movie at all with fine performances from Douglas and Damon and eye catching cameo from Rob Lowe as a brilliant but somewhat dubious cosmetic surgeon.

I was never a fan of Liberace, although to my surprise I once saw him window shopping in Chester back in the very early sixties. He was appearing in Liverpool at the time. It was at the time Sunday closing so there was hardly anyone about.

Recommended if you remember just how famous Liberace once was!