Film Reviews by CD

I really enjoyed this old fashioned, very English adventure yarn. The lead actors (James Fox and Bob Hoskins) are excellent and there is a fun cameo appearance from Peter Falk of Columbo fame. The filming, supposedly in Brazil/ The Amazon, is very spectacular and there are some fine dinosaur special effects even though this film was shot back in 2001. A thoroughly recommended family film.

This is my second viewing of this film, which has featured in at least one list of scariest movies in the past few years. It certainly has some spooky moments especially when modern technology gets some demonic interference. One feels very sorry for the main character who you feel has been set up specially for this vigil as part of a grudge against him for leaving his religious calling. There are some dull bits with an extended wavering candle scene, but it is harrowing when he tries to leave the house midway and the end is one of suspense.

This film has a number of strong points, in particular the quality of the lead actors and the vibrancy of some dialogue and scenes.  However it has very little in terms of a plot and the hip repartee becomes a bit tiresome  after a while. I would not describe the film as a comedy.  Worth  a watch for the sharp directing and acting. 

I do no generally watch this type of action film -  it seemed very disjointed and in spite of the good actors, the characters and acting are a bit thin. There are some good moments, particularly in some of the chase scenes, and there is a bit of humour. However, it all seemed a bit stale by the end.

Unfortunately I quickly decided after 15 mins that this was not a film for me. The animation is very clever, but the storyline is a bit limited and I found the voices rather irritating. However it may well appeal for PG Family viewing and it has had good ratings elsewhere.

I found this film rather disappointing, and gave up after half an hour of waiting for the action to kick in. The acting is fine, especially from the leads, but the filming has rather dark lighting that makes it difficult to see much in the indoor scenes. There are several similar scenes with the women characters exchanging insights on the disappearances, but the film fails to ignite.

I was expecting a lighter film with more comedy, but was impressed with the more serious and thoughtful film that I watched. The characters are well defined and the acting is great.  The sadness of the whole situation is well drawn out.  Strangely, the Scottish Island context is quite low profile and the local characters are limited, although the weather gets its share of attention. 

Really liked the amazing landscapes.  The conversations and interviews were less interesting to me, except when the artist talked about his techniques.

The scale and ambition of this drama is amazing.  Superbly acted, amazing sets, music and filming, good plot and narration and a wonderful array of characters - a real gem of a film.

I thoroughly enjoyed this film which exceeded my expectations from the reviews I had read.  It is not overly violent for its 18 rating. The acting and characterisation are good and the soundtrack is terrific in a 1980s way.  There are some absorbing scenes with Dafoe doing the counterfeiting and a top notch car chase towards the end.  William Petersen as the lead is impressively gritty.  There is also some tongue in cheek humour with for example a running chase in which the crook asks the cop why he is chasing him and the cop replies “because you are running away!’  The ending is a satisfying finale.  

Once you get past the sluggish start and rather irritating mannerisms and drawl, this is a wonderful film.  The lead characters and actors are very likeable and the main action scenes are superb.  It is also fascinating to see a view (albeit in a movie but hopefully based on some reality) of behind the scenes, particularly the trials and tests for the pilots/astronauts, the dynamic with their wives and families, and the media and political circus around the 1960s’  US rocket program. It is striking as well to see the lack of diversity in whom was even considered for the space program in the 1960s.  Best seen in a couple of sittings as it is quite a long film, but really enjoyable.

I enjoyed the main characters and the context of the farm, but the film is very slow and needed more action to bring it to life. That being said, it was a pleasant way to spend an afternoon and the theme of unrequited love is too little explored in modern films. Plenty of animals, wet Irish weather and dodgy Irish accents from the international cast.

I almost gave up on this film after 30 minutes. What improved it was the entry of Sasha Cohen; also it is enlivened by Ricky Bobby’s dad in the film and the sharp and funny dialogue from Ricky’s children.  Not nearly as fun as some other Will Ferrell films, this is still worth a watch for a few of the gags in the second half.

I was quite familiar with the novel before seeing this dramatisation. The film assembles a very strong cast with Derek Jacobi and Toby Jones particularly standing out, but the actor playing Dick Swiveller (a rakish gentleman who undergoes reform doing the story) is also just right for the part. The film leaves out a number of scenes from the book and several characters, but in the core story is true to the original. In some ways it is sharper than the novel. It brings out more clearly the deceit towards Nell and the selfishness of the grandfather's gambling addiction, as well as the more obvious profiteering evil of Daniel Quilp and the Brass family. It is very unclear where in England the travel part of the story is set, and at some point seems to be in the Lake District (although the West country is mentioned), which gives some pleasant back-drops and countryside. Overall a good watch.

I first became aware of this film at last year’s BFI Festival in London and wished I had seen it on the big screen.  The landscape of Iceland is austere but fantastic and the photography in this film truly does it justice.  The characters of all the cast are very well articulated and there is sufficient drama and surprise to keep the momentum of the film.  The main character Lucas (a Danish priest) is an anti-hero whose hardness comes out during the drama. Extra bonuses are the animals ( sheepdog and horses) and the songs. It is a longish film but I enjoyed it greatly by taking a break between the main chapters. Highly recommended.