Film Reviews by HM

Another quirky movie she stars in. She plays the hopeless female like nobody else and succeeds here wonderfully. This type of American comedy drama is the equivalent of the British Rom Com genre. Light but moving, some laugh out loud moments, it engages and delivers this semi-true story of a wronged women leaving her husband and doing a road trip with her two teenage sons. Along the way she meets various 'wrong men' as she attempts to find a husband.

Great fun and worth your while watching. Renee is as attractive and charismatic as ever.

Good fun, funny and dramatic. Not at all historically accurate. However, if you like Black Adder and don't take this seriously, it is a lot of fun and very entertaining. A total send up of the period and it all looks gorgeous. Women rule throughout the film in a ay they wouldn't have got away with really but it is a feminist view of now looking back for a location to hang this set of attitudes. Go on, allow yourself to enjoy it in the spirit it was made.

Hollywood make this film on its own? No chance, it would be crude and lacking in self mockery. A GB culture slice to be sure, although the writing and directing belong to a Brit an Aussie and a Greek!

It must have been tempting to have cartoon baddies in this telling of true events. Instead confusion reigns and parties with conflicting interests collide. The film is accessible for people of all ages and delivers an important slice of Britain's political history, revealing complex background stories. Essentially, the land owning class fear a power grab and revolution, French style, so when Manchester locals hold a rally to demand democratic representation, the militia and regular military are sent to break up the meeting.

The real art of this film is to tell the story from the perspective of participants leading up to the event. In this, it has succeeded admirably. Radicals, cynics, innocents and the guilty rub shoulders. This piece of history comes alive. Hard to imagine why it took so long to be told; not in London I suppose…..

Highly absorbing telling of a story that effects us all to this day.

It must have been tempting to have cartoon baddies in this telling of true events. Instead confusion reigns and parties with conflicting interests collide. The film is accessible for people of all ages and delivers an important slice of Britain's political history, revealing complex background stories. Essentially, the land owning class fear a power grab and revolution, French style, so when Manchester locals hold a rally to demand democratic representation, the militia and regular military are sent to break up the meeting.

The real art of this film is to tell the story from the perspective of participants leading up to the event. In this, it has succeeded admirably. Radicals, cynics, innocents and the guilty rub shoulders. This piece of history comes alive. Hard to imagine why it took so long to be told; not in London I suppose…..

Highly absorbing telling of a story that effects us all to this day.

Low budget; people in space suits in a forest. No special effects and no CGI. Rocket capsule with less sophisticated equipment than a washing machine. Reminded me of early Doctor Who. However, it did engage me with its simple action drama. Dad and daughter are prospectors searching for rare stones but collide with outlaws doing the same thing; not to mention forest locals. This story could transfer to the wild west or the frontier of any place, say, the Australian outback in 19th century, it is that kind of story. A 90 minute quick B movie really.

Enjoyed it.

I remembered part way through this movie why I Ioved Stan and Ollie so much when a kid and why I still do; I smiled in every scene they made and likewise this movie is just the same. It is an affectionate portrait of the two men in their career twilight years. The script is sensitive and respectful to the great men whilst shining a light on their conflicts and friendship. Delightful; see it!

Absorbing movie. A mystery story really, with an imaginative backdrop scenario. I wish more Sci-Fi were like this; I don't need outer space cowboys as in Star Bores or magic super heroes, but some thing actually to do with science. A movie story like this has credibility to my mind. Enjoyed it. Into ray gun fights and spaceships whizzing around? This isn't for you. It is intelligent.

Fine performance by Portman too.

Heavy violence in London's den of multi-culture. A Russian émigré family mired in criminality find incriminating evidence in the possession of an English girl of Russian decent; a diary to be precise. Crime caper unfolds as we glimpse into the world of the Russian mafia.

Suspense, mystery and action combine to keep you gripped until a surprise ending. Worth a watch without doubt. Cronenberg likes his layers as this onion script unpeels.

Having a good sound system is essential as you are popped into the cockpit of Armstrong the test pilot. Did these guys actually do this for a living? Scary.

This is a slice of real life as the anal retentive personality of the man is torturously revealed. Nerves of steel and an ambition to take it to the edge shine through, although you may miss it if you have your 'action movie' goggles on. This is real life stuff and all the more startling as the moon mission takes off making you share the environment with the astronauts. I really did feel I was right there with these guys and it was a hollowing out experience I can tell you. Much recommended; it explains a lot about what mind set it takes to live like this. No need to make stuff up, reality is sufficient.

Not your usual heist movie; a tangled plot gives plenty to be interested in. The characters stand alone well and do not merely prop up the plot. Fine performances all round. Criminals' wives are pressured into getting their hands on money to stave off a gangsters' desire to get his money back stolen by their husbands. Exiting, action, plot; the lot. Deffo worth a viewing.

Reviews ecstatic, so didn't believe it would be all that good (see reviews of Black Panther; adored by critics but the usual CGI mash-up and slated by members of the public). Actually it is well paced, imaginative, funny and action packed with purpose rather than for its own sake. Great entertainment. Enjoy (you will).

Some people seem to think this should be like a 2000 page biography; it is a movie, therefore events have to be rolled together to give the flavour of key moments of somebodies life. In this respect the movie works very well. It outlines his beginnings, ability, creativity, sexuality and his sometimes strained relationship with the other band members. And there is also his ego, eccentric behaviour and his emerging sexuality with insecurities to go with it. All in all a blast of a movie condensing (by necessity) his pop group life into a very enjoyable 2 hours plus. Of course, the music helps being pretty spectacular with or without visuals. Loved it.

If you want the full bio, read the book!

How not to carry out a robbery. A true story (well probably approximate) unfolding the ludicrous idea of stealing rare books from a library in the states. Basically the gang is a bunch of useless students with a grudge against authority. Believable all the way and if you just forget this isn't a daring heist movie with the usual guns and over the top characters you will enjoy it for what it is. Interviews with actual participants and parents in the farce are slotted in at intervals to add to the feeling of authenticity. I loved it as I always feel a true story is better than fiction and often weirder!

American Chinese girl is in a relationship with the son of a high status mega rich Hong Kong Chinese family. Family disapproves and she gets batted about when she lands in the Hong Kong social and family swirl. Entertaining and light hearted, it has similarities to Brit Rom Coms without the ingenuity. Eye catching (particularly when a rich guy throws a birthday party on a container ship flying guests in by helicopter to be met by hundreds of bikini clad girls) and stylish it is pleasing on the eye without troubling your intelligence. Popcorn and beer entertainment, basically good fun. Enjoy.

Started ok bringing the story up to date in the mobile phone/camera and CCTV age. Not so easy going around shooting people with electronic eyes everywhere. It quickly becomes a search for the men who assault his family and so ends up a weak thriller with shoot outs. An opportunity to analyse the Vigilante impact on the public and police, the psychology behind it. The movie fails to take the subject seriously enough and so the original is still the best bet if you haven't seen it.