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Reviews
When Brendan Met Trudy (2000)
Interesting idea weakly executed.
It was the wording on the box in the video shop that drew myself and my girlfriend to this movie. Brendan is a schoolteacher who has lost the plot, sings in an church choir and who watches lots of old movies. He is conservative in all his ways. Trudy is the complete opposite and won't watch anything not in colour.
I won't say which character reminds me of myself.
The box also claims the movie is much better than Notting Hill. That sounds like a kiss of death to me.
In the course of time Trudy turns out to be a thief and the movie is yet another romantic tale of opposites falling in love. Like many, this one has one-dimensional characters and decent actors restricted by a weak script. Like so many movies today, laughs are got through coarse language and predictable jokes and, sex takes up time that would be better spent developing the plot. It's almost as if they were straining to fill an hour and a half.
This movie is interesting though if you want to count how many old
movies were used to pull lines from. I almost thought it was a Media Studies Student's project.
As Brendan the Schoolteacher might put it: "5 out of 10. Fair idea but you lost the point half-way through. I know you can do better, Doyle."
A Christmas Carol (1999)
The defining performance of Patrick Stewart's career?
Long after I have forgotten Star Trek: The Next Generation this will stand out for me as the defining performance of Patrick Stewart's career.
He is simply superb, bringing all his Shakesperean gravitas to the role of Scrooge. Surely this is what Dickens would have had in mind.
ST:TNG may have brought him fame and fortune, but this was surely the role he was born for?
A.I. Artificial Intelligence (2001)
after a promising start the film goes badly off the rails and makes little sense
This is a turkey. No, seriously - save it for Thanksgiving.
The film starts really well and is something of a cross between Pinnochio, Robocop and DARYL (1985)! The way in which the robot moves to showing human emotion is really nicely done and neatly moves onto the main theme of the film - David's struggle between that part of him which is robot and the part that is human. Haley Joel Osment does a good job here and shows more acting ability than many of the humans - though I'd recommend 'Pay it Forward' as a script worthy of his talents.
This film had promise and looked like becoming a family-friendly thought provoker.
All of a sudden though, in Act II, somebody completely lost the plot and we were bizarrely transformed into a vision of the future that was like a cross between Blade Runner and Super Mario Brothers. In trying to be an adult movie but aiming at a PG certificate, the film goes downhill very badly and you feel as if you have changed channels to watch something different from the opening section. It just didn't work.
Act III just gets plain weird. If I wrote the plot the reader wouldn't believe it - the film gets really ludicrous. In going for a novel (yet family oriented) view of the future we get something more akin to 'Flight of the Navigator' crossed with '2001' crossed with heartwarming, fuzzy sentiment.
Conclusion: after a promising start the film goes badly off the rails and makes little sense. It is not, as some suppose a new fairy tale - it would probably give young children I know nightmares!! It is, however either a kids movie that hopes for an adult audience or vice versa, with a rehash of many ideas that have been far better set out before (e.g. Robocop, Blade Runner).
2/10, though could have been 8 or 9.
What Women Want (2000)
a long cigarette advert
I do not know why people have raved so much about this movie - it's garbage!
I was, until now, a big Mel Gibson fan. After all, he kicked the English out of Scotland and was a flying rooster. As for 'What Women Want'.... urgh.
It's an interesting idea - giving a man the ability to hear women's thoughts. After this idea though you are left with Mel Gibson and the Helen Hunt flirting their way through a not-terribly-well scripted cigarette advert. Seriously, Mel Gibson seemingly chain-smokes through several packets of Marlboro in this one.
I used to respect his work, but for Mel Gibson to star in what was nothing but a long cigarette ad was grossly irresponsible. He has forgotten how many young people he influences.
28 Days (2000)
Thoughtful movie, nice touch of humour
Having been used to Sandra Bullock appearing as 'eye-candy' more than anything else, it was refreshing to see her in a serious role - something I haven't seen her in since A Time To Kill.
In short - she ends up in rehab against her wishes. Her scumbag boyfriend doesn't take her problems seriously (nor does she, at first) and then..... well, watch it for yourself and find out!
It's a thought-provoking movie. Not 100% serious docudrama about rehab, but adds some nice humorous touches. Similar to the black humour MASH used to depict the Korean War, but not as gritty as MASH, nor are the characters quite as well defined. Unusual for today's movies, it doesn't rely on heaving bosoms or SFX to make up for a poor story-line or poor acting - it has both.
My main complaint - a certain cigarette company (red and white packet) had their products splashed about. Subtly giving the impression that drug addicts' and alcoholics' problems can be cured with evil little white things you inhale from!
Super Mario Bros. (1993)
garbage
In a word: garbage
describing this movie brings back too many painful memories. The weather was bad outside and there was nothing else on TV. In a strange way I felt drawn to it like you feel drawn to watch a car-crash when driving on the motorway.
A decent cast couldn't save a terrible, terrible script. If you come across it on TV do something more worthwhile, like counting the number of fibres in your carpet.
Arguably the worst movie ever made?
The Last Days of Dolwyn (1949)
this movie is a hidden gem
Warning: partial plot spoiler follows.
I recently came across this movie, quite by accident. It was showing on the Carton Cinema channel when I came home from work and as a flicked through the channels, I was hooked.
The basic plot is a Welsh valley is to be flooded to provide a reservoir for mill towns in Lancashire while the entire population are moved to a square mile of terraced houses in Liverpool.
The older members of the village are often bemused at the thought of city folk offering them a 'better life' when they are perfectly happy in Dolwyn. Some of the younger folk are excited by this.
The idea is 'sold' to the town by a young Richard Burton, forcefully playing the man who was once a teenage delinquent forced to leave the town (though, of course, thanks to the passage of time, nobody recognises him).
The scenario of valleys, etc, being flooded was not uncommon in the early 20th century and this film captures your imagination. You can sense the anticipation of those who see Liverpool as a better life and you feel sad with those who have been told their beautiful village is to be flooded.
The plot largely revolves around one old lady's attempt to foil the flooding and carries an interesting twist in the tail at the end.
This movie is well worth watching. You are in for a treat when you do.
I give it 10/10
Odd Man Out (1947)
Well played, super movie.
James Mason gives the performance of a lifetime as a dying IRA-man.
There's little I can say to add to others' description of the movie except for a few historical notes:
The city _is_ Belfast. It was shot on the streets - according to my Grandfather most outside scenes had huge audiences. The Bar which McQueen ends up in is the Crown Bar, on Great Victoria Street. The exterior of the actual bar is seen although a replica of the inside is seen. This is an architecturally beautiful bar and well worth a visit!
Mason wins the viewers' pity for a dying rebel. Remember, this is the 'old' IRA and not the latter-day thugs we are familiar with. From the outset you feel sympathy for the man and this increases as you are taken through the last hours of his life.
It is hard to get on video, though BBC2 (UK) usually shows it round Christmas. Set your video!