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kieranwright
Reviews
Follow a Star (1959)
Great nostalgic film and extremely funny in places
This is a lovely film starring a lovely man, with some genuinely funny moments. In the part where he gets hypnotised, you really see his acting ability. In a way it's sad that Norman Wisdom is not part of this day and age. If he was he may have taken on serious film roles, as the likes of Jim Carrey have. This is definitely one of his best films, and one that my whole family loves. He also has a great voice, and at some point must have had to make a decision whether to pursue a singing or acting career. Incidentally, Norman has great support from the likes of Hattie Jacques and John Le Measurier who give assured performances. A film from a different age.
The Mayor of Casterbridge (2003)
Flawless!
Surprise surprise, yet another world-class performance from Mr Ciaran Hinds. When is this guy going to be on 20 million a movie? Come on directors, give this guy the break he so richly deserves. Solid performances all round and compulsive viewing. Credits also for the set pieces etc and direction and pace.
The Living Daylights (1987)
Watch it and make up your own mind
It has to be said that, in general, Dalton is considered by many to be the weakest Bond. However, what people fail to consider is that when Dalton took over, the Bond franchise was practically on its knees with nowhere to go - the Bond creative team realised that they had to inject some kind of realism into the films - enter Dalton. He is the chalk to Roger Moore's cheese and, as far as I can see, this was too much for the critics of the time to digest. What many also didn't get was that this was the closest you'll ever get to anyone playing 'Ian Fleming's "James Bond". As far as I'm concerned, the only credible actor to play Bond was Dalton. The others, Connery included, fall short of the mark. If you don't believe me, take the trouble to read a Bond novel, then watch either this, or Licence to Kill, and make up your own mind.
The Jungle Book 2 (2003)
Refreshingly good sequel
From the outset, let me say that I went along to this with very low expectations. However, I was very pleasantly surprised, not only by the score, which, after the slight disappointment of Return to Neverland having firmly anchored their soundtrack circa 2000, was really authentic to the original film. A big surprise for me was the addition of John Goodman, who turned out to perfectly cast and Haley Joel Osment (as usual, great). There are also some nice touches - a parody on the Beatles and the animation is perfect, as you'd expect. Don't listen to the critics - this is an excellent film, worth every penny. A word of caution though, children around 5 and under may find Shere Khan very scary!!!
A Matter of Life and Death (1946)
Review of the film seen for the first time in 20 years.
This is a great film, not only because it encapsulates the perfect image of the English village, but because it is beautifully directed and features ground-breaking effects for the time. In addition, it features two fine actors in David Niven and the under-rated Roger Livesey. It is a rarity these days - a film that both adults and children alike will enjoy with a timeless innocence that, unfortunately, seems to be gone forever. This is a film that I originally saw 20 years ago as a small child. It has been in the back of my mind for that time and I have often looked at the future films on TV to check whether it would be on.