Film Reviews by CD

This is a complex and gripping drama from Tolstoy which this series of episodes struggles a bit with realising. The acting is generally good, but the casting does not always seem to work well, with some anomalies around ages and accents of some of the actors even within the same families. There are plenty of interesting 19th scenes and some action. The script is quite interesting and I like the way that the characters are neither good nor bad and definitely flawed. The birth of Anna's daughter seems to kick off the second part of the drama, but it loses a bit of its power and interest once the relationships become a bit more established. Overall an enjoyable watch but I prefer a number of other period dramas such as "War and Peace" and "Vanity Fair" to this one, even though they are much longer.

Really enjoyed this western classic, brilliantly directed by Walter Hill and with great performances by Robert Duvall and all the cast. It reminded me of "Lonesome Dove". The landscapes and photography are great, with a simple but good plot, expert pacing and fine casting of all the roles. Highly recommended.

I was reminded a bit of the recent George Clooney Film "Jay Kelly" (2025) by this light comedy. Nicolas Cage does not shy away from self-deprecating humour and parts of this film are very funny and enjoyable e.g. the "paronoid" car escape and wall climbing scenes. The buddy element of this film is well done, but the storyline and rather gratuitous violence especially towards the end lets it down. The cast is a strong one and does a good job. Overall an enjoyable and undemanding watch.

I enjoyed this more than I expected as I thought it might come across as a bit dated. There are enough funny moments to keep the film moving and some good comic acting performances. Peter Sellers' accent is constantly amusing and there is some great timing in the gaps and in the slapstick. There is also a lot of 1970s charm in the scenes, acting and decor. A 3 star rating but close to 4 stars from me.

Really enjoyed this unusual and well cast film.  Plenty of action and great actors, it works as a simple plot of greed and revenge.  The Scottish scenery gives at times an unlikely backdrop to the samurai swordplay but it adds to the film overall.

The film starts sluggishly, but once it get beyond the office based early scenes it takes off into a full-blown action thriller. The hero is a techo-wiz which yields some fun suprises for the villains. All in all an enjoyable way to spend an evening.

The casting is good as is the acting, but the film lacks real excitement and action. It just about holds the attention of the viewer but don't expect many thrills.

A British vampire film with a very strong cast, an innovative and coherent plot and some good seaside scenery and action scenes. However it has a problem with its pacing and the momentum drops considerably at times. The best bits are the more gothic 19th century parts. Definitely worth a watch and nearly 4 stars from me.

I decided to watch this following the recent passing away of Terence Stamp. "The Limey" was I understand a film that the actor rated highly, but I was a bit disappointed. It certainly has sufficient action and enough interesting characters to make it a woithwhile watch, but Stamp's cockney accent seems a bit forced and becomes a slightly irritating distraction. There are also some rather uninformative and repetitive flashbacks, and even some "flash forwards" which occur too often in the film. Peter Fonda is really the more interesting character, deeply flawed but ironically more human than Stamp's character.

I had high expectations as this film has very favourable reviews from the critics. I was disappointed first of all by the music score in the early scenes which in its jaunty fairground style does not match the film at all. Also the plot is very clunky and never really develops beyond the one that becomes apparent in the first 15 minutes of the film. There are several positives - the casting is very good as is the camera work, particularly the evening scenes outside the surgeon's house (with the nightingales singing) and at the cemetry. The mask and the face of the character playing the daughter are memorable as is the sadness behind the whole situation. It's all very french which is fun, with a particularly dingy police office and downbeat gendarmes who seem to make no progress at all on solving the crimes.

I did not enjoy this film although it has good reviews. On the positive side it has high energy and a good cast of actors, but in its combination of Music and Horror there are many more entertaining films. The horror element seems almost grafted on to the end of the film. The characters are quite unlikable and stereotyped. I found myself using the fast forward button quite frequently after the first 20 mins, searching for a plot I could follow. I failed in this, but it would be unfair to take too much from this review as I did not stay the course of the full film - however enough to realise this film is not for me.

Dave Bautista puts in a brilliant performance  within a strong cast.  The film has a great emotional power - much more than the “plot” might suggest.  It is not a horror film but a thoughtful drama that  is engrossing throughout. 

Once the main character reveals himself this turns into an enjoyable albeit violent thriller with little subtlety.  It is rescued by odd moments of humour and some slick action sequences, which compensate for the lack of any clear plot. The soundtrack is also memorable at times and the actors are clearly very much enjoying themselves.  For a more satisfying older style movie in this genre I would recommend “To live and die in LA”, but this is an entertaining way to spend an evening if you want to see justice meted out to bad guys. 

Good casting and acting, and well directed. The momentum is maintained to the end and the ending is uncertain until the last scene. Enjoyable with some good dialogue and action.

Very enjoyable and well directed thriller mostly taking place on a Canadian train. It has a lot of enjoyable elements, some good baddies, interesting diologue and good acting performances from all involved. Hackman brings his special brand of toughness and humour to the scenes.