Silverquill Reviews

Anne of Green Gables: A New Beginning (2008 TV Movie)

I could swallow Continuing story, but this is a disgrace to Anne books and shows total lack of invention!

[2/10 · 29 May 2011]

As if Contonuing Story was not enough, here comes this. It's just awful what they made with the books. Bad script, bad directing, bad story in general. Bad story badly told just about sums it up. It doesn't even deserve a vote.

And I just can't forgive for making references to continuing story and Dominic and not to the books, which are far far better than this and at the same time killing Gilbert. And a nostalgic Anne? Where's her spirit? Much as I respect Shirley MacLaine, the actress wasn't convincing at all. None of the cast were. And it just goes off show- it doesn't matter if you bring in good actresses- if the plot is undigestible. This movie butchered the characters. Butchered. The first two movies were very much in tone with the books, very much like Anne should be.

But this final installment is just a disgrace to the entire series of my beloved books. No thank you. It annoyed me beyond all possible measure. And I do not consder myself a purist when it comes to movie-book adaptations. Except this one time.

But I suppose if you're not too big on the books, you may like it, especially if you like parent- child focused stories. But it's just as bad as Secret garden two, where another lookalike steps in and a story is supposed to give the viewer a sense of circular repetition and closure. Which is really bad with Anne. I was really discouraged to see this disaster.

Total nonsense. please, let someone make Anne movies based more on the books. Please, do the books justice!

Ice Dreams (2009 TV Movie)

Kinda nice for one-time Saturday night watch but nothing new

[9 April 2011]

Truth be told, I enjoyed this flick better than some of the recent hallmark productions simply because it doesn't seem to have any pretensions. It's very watchable, unlike , say Smooch, which makes you cringe all the way through.

Just a nice simple flick using a well-known formula in a well-liked sport setting. Don't really mind, at least the actors get something to do. And the cast is actually very nice, does a nice job and seems to have good interaction going but perhaps the female lead, though very likable, is too hyper. The male lead doesn't seem to have much to do other than sitting and thinking and worrying. Kinda sympathise with him. He appears quite justly bored with his role. It's like volcano meets an iceberg with those two. She's in the lead, he follows.

Overall, shaky production but pleasant to look at.

Leap Year (2010)

Enjoyment of a genre generic movie rests largely on acting

[5/10 · 31 March 2011]

And this movie delivers in terms of acting. Beautiful scenery and in it a girl meets boy story..only the girl wants to make a romantic proposal to her fiancée, who is not the type to appreciate her spirited ideas. So she enlists the help of Declan, a somewhat rough and tumble chap and his little old car. They travel through Ireland, which naturally brings them closer. They are challenged to a kiss, which is a traditional trick to point to the obvious attraction between the two.

It works though, between Amy Adams and Mathew Goode, it does. It's a quaint little story that is nice to watch on a rainy day. The writing isn't bad- the very fact you can sit back and enjoy it without flinching is a good sign. Therre will be tired romantic comedies in which this kind if pleasant hour and and a half will be impossible- and that is usually the down-line bottom of genre generic cinema/ TV. This one isn't there, this one is somewhere in the middle and the idea of leap year proposal is appealing for a romantic comedy. It is, simply, put a good, quaint love story. Nothing else.

Though the ending is somewhat objectionable Not in the fact that they've only knew each other for three days. It's a romantic comedy, of course the proposal will be made within two or seven days from initial meeting, what I find questionable is the fact that she says I never IN MY LIFe though I'd see you down on your knee. As is she'd known him for ages. But then again, I suppose you could put it down to the journey and adventures along as a bridge that brings close enough for her to say that, though of course that is something of a final stretch.

All in all, an enjoyable flick with good acting and nice scenery You do not really want anything more from such movies. When you decide to pick up a movie like this, you know what you're in for. So you know what you're doing.