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hsmith2007
Reviews
The Dark Knight (2008)
IMDb number 1??
I've just been to see this film and whilst I consider it to be good and I enjoyed it, I am absolutely amazed at the fantastic write-ups that it has had. It was exciting, well made with a great performance by Heath Ledger, it also had many flaws. The main one, for me, was that, after several serious Batman films, this one, more than any other, ignores the fact that it is supposed to be fun.
There were so many sub-plots and complications, including an intensely boring analysis of the meaning of heroism. Cynical violence was also taken to new levels (how did it get a 12A rating in the UK?) and, except for Heath, the acting performances were very average. Was Christian Bale supposed to be the star? The action sequences were good, but of the type that have been seen many times before (car and bike chases, flying between tall buildings etc) and there was nothing really special.
I am very suspicious about the 70% plus of people that seem to have given this 10 out of 10 and cannot see how this has happened.
Time Lock (1957)
Simpe but gripping story
A very simple story of a young boy accidentally locked in a bank vault with no way of getting out until the time lock is released some 60 hours later, well after the air will have run out. No way except, of course, breaking in. And that's it. Together with an average cast and fairly wooden performances from some of them this should, by rights, have been no more than an average fifties film. Its strength, however, is its script. This kept the story very tight with very little embellishment and a great deal of intelligence. Usually with this type of story there are many gaps where one cannot help but feel that a truck could be driven through the errors made or the ridiculous twists. With Time Lock, however, the script covers virtually everything that the viewer would consider. Details such as the thinking and methodology of how to get into the vault, organising the people required and even such items as the possible medical effects on the boy and how to calculate the amount of air left to breathe. All this had a great effect on building the tension and I had to watch it until the end. One of the most enjoyable films that I have seen in a while.
The Dead (1987)
A wonderful film
Saw this film at the NFT in London where it was showing as part of the BFI's John Huston season. I wasn't really sure what to expect and the first few minutes of the film gave very little away. In fact the rest of the film continued to give little away! No real plot, no action, no suspense, very little drama and, except for a short section at the very end, no scenery.
The result of lack of all of these features was, however, a wonderful film. I don't fully understand why, but I think that its understated nature made the film almost completely perfect. The acting, script and, most important of all, the casting were all spot on and I can't remember walking away from a cinema feeling so good, but I still can't work out why. I just know that I will be getting the DVD (this is one of those films that will, I am sure, be just as good on the small screen as the cinema experience, provided that you can find somewhere quiet to watch it!) and I will be watching it again soon. I will be also interested to find out what my family and friends think of it. I'm sure that it will not be everybody's choice but I am convinced that a large number will agree with my view.
9 out of 10.
The Edge of the World (1937)
Quaint, but gripping
Just seen this film at the National Film Institute in London and was surprised by the number of people that had come to see a 1930s black and white film based on a remote Scottish island. I went because I have always been a fan of Powell & Pressburger but had never seen anything from this era (also, my wife & daughter had gone to see the Phantom of the Opera stage musical and I needed something to do!).
The film was a very pleasant surprise. Whilst it shared many aspects of 1930s cinema (some stilted acting, dodgy accents, melodrama and a relatively corny plot) the overall feel was of a story well told, an accurate picture of an island community (**SPOILER?**) whose way of life is about to end forever and, most surprisingly, no sentimentalism - those of a very timid nature may even be slightly upset by some of the dialogue. Before the film an even older silent documentary about life on St Kilda was shown and this highlighted how accurate the feel of The Edge of the World was.
This film is never going to get anyone's heart pounding with excitement, but there are moments of real tension and the story is very strong. Despite the comments above this film had a strong cast, although John Laurie, in a supporting role, stole much of the stars' thunder and Finlay Currie provided his usual strong and benign presence.
Unless you have an aversion to films that do not rely totally on big action and special effects, I would recommend this film, although getting to see it may be a problem.
This was my first visit to the NFI and on the strength of this film, I will be going back.
Vanilla Sky (2001)
Intellectual?!
I can't believe that this film has been described as intellectual. A film can easily be confusing without being intellectual, and Vanilla Sky is a case in point. Yes, I did find it difficult to understand and frustrating, but not because it was clever.
The underlying story has been done so many times that the ending was no surprise, it was just disappointing and slightly ridiculous - almost a cross between The Matrix and Soylent Green. The path to the conclusion was tortuous in the extreme, with a touch of unintended comedy - if Cameron Diaz had turned into Penelope Cruz one more time, I'm sure I would have laughed out loud.
Overall, very disappointing after the hype.