jeremyscholes1200 Reviews

Waterloo Road (2006– )

Shaky start but worth watching

[9 March 2006]

Difficult to say whether this series set in an under-achieving inner-city comprehensive is meant to be a comedy, a drama or a comedy-drama as there are elements of all three. Jamie Glover as Andrew plays the ex fee-paying school English teacher who comes to Waterloo Road as Deputy Head and initially he's coming over as a cold fish though with indications that he will develop into the saviour of the school. Ex Coronation Street actress Angela Griffin is the pick of the bunch as the very human and humane humanities teacher and in fact the show seems to be a haven for ex-Corry actresses with Jill Halfpenny, Denise Welch and Judith Barker (the second Mrs Ken Barlow) joining Ms Griffin and I see from IMDb that Chloe Newsome will soon make it 5 unless she was in the first episode and I missed her.

This kind of drama is really done much better by US producers these days though enough was going on for me to tune in and see how it progresses.

Planespotting (2005 TV Movie)

The English Abroad - Always worth watching

[7/10 · 30 January 2006]

It shows how far behind my video watching has got that I just got around to watching this film which I had taped around 9 months ago.

The plot revolves around a real-life event a few years ago when a group of British plane spotters fell foul of the Greek authorities and found themselves in jail and then sent for trail on espionage charges. The Greeks simply could not believe or understand that writing down plane details was a hobby and were convinced their motives were more sinister.

The chief spotter is played by Mark Benton who is presently starring in an ITV series "Northern Lights" as well as in several TV commercials. He is making a bit a name for himself as a leading TV comedy actor and you can see why with a strong performance here that captures both the humour and bathetic seriousness of the situation he finds himself in. The ever-reliable Lesley Sharp plays his wife brilliantly and they are surrounded by a group of character actors who convey the stunning anal concentration of the group to the fore. (Examples include cell talks on the history of RAF Brize Norton whilst they are banged up and STILL spotting plane numbers from their cell windows).

In reality it is simply a tale of a group of eccentric underdogs battling against the odds in a strange land (apart from the fact it is based on reality the subject could have formed the foundation of an Ealing comedy 50 years ago) and is well worth watching should the opportunity come your way.

Marian, Again (2005 TV Movie)

Excellent tense drama well worth seeking out

[8/10 · 7 September 2005]

For some reason the cast list here on IMDb shows only a secondary portion of the cast.

Stephen Tompkinson stars as the nervy teacher with a vulnerable family and a mysterious missing woman in his past. As is usual with Tompkinson his performance seems wooden and simplistic at the start but before too long you begin to empathise with his predicament and by the second half the strength of his performance comes out.

Owen Teale is the villain of the piece. Can't say too much without spoiling but a truly creepy performance.

Kelly Harrison plays the Marian of the title. An excellent performance showing her as a vibrant young teenager in flashback and an automaton under the control of Teale in the present time. All her body language conveys the anguish of captivity so well.

Samantha Beckinsale (still ever reminiscent of her father the late Richard Beckinsale - so much more so than sister Kate) is standard fare as Tompkinson's wife but does a sound job at showing an increasing unease at the revelations emerging.

Special mention must be made of the young actress who played daughter Olivia who had to show both as a normal 13 year old and some rather unusual goings on later.

All in all a very tense piece. So many of these ITV 2-part, 3-hour TV Drama Marathons leave you waiting for the end. In this one the 3 hours passes quickly and it's well worth catching up on if you can.

Chicago (2002)

Jones & Zellweger top class in the windy city

[8/10 · 30 August 2005]

Just seen Chicago after originally seeing it in the cinema when it was released and the sheer quality of the production still hits home. The staging, costumes and music are of the highest class and this is matched by great performances throughout the production.

Those who only know Catherine Zeta Jones as a celebrity wife and Hollywood actress might be surprised to know she was a stage musical singer in the UK before she hit the big time and has also released records. Her voice, dancing and overall personality impact here is huge and she was a perfect choice to take on the role of Velma Kelly.

Renee Zellweger's musical antecedents are less known to me but she puts up a fine performance here. The ventriloquist scene with Billy Flynn is brilliant and she holds her own in all the musical sequences as well as showing brilliant timing and nuances with the comedy aspects.

I was also aware that Richard Gere had been a stage hoofer some time in his past but his performance here was also a revelation. His voice was a little weedy in all reality but his dancing and demeanour as the lawyer/showman Flynn was spot on.

John C Reilly also gives an excellent performance as Roxy Hart's ineffectual husband Amos and the scenes between him and Flynn are masterpieces of comedy and pathos combined.

Mention also should be made of the entire dancing and singing troupe in this show as they keep up the high standards set by the name cast.

In summary a great translation of Kander & Ebb's musical to the screen. Best seen on the big screen but given that that chance has now gone then pick it up on video or DVD. If you like screen musicals this is one of the very best.

Freaky Friday (2003)

Better then expected with good performances from the leads

[7/10 · 24 August 2005]

I hadn't seen the original though knew the concept. I enjoyed the film and Jamie Lee Curtis and Lindsey Lohan did good jobs of inhabiting each other's bodies. Curtis really goes to town with the gestures and mannerisms of a 16 yr old (proving perhaps we're all still 16 in our minds) and Lohan does a good impression of a mature mom whilst actually being 16. The end is highly predictable though none the worse for that.

Of the supporting players Mark Harmon has little to do but look baffled at the character changes and the annoying part goes to Harold Gould as a rather pointless deaf grand-dad. The part of the teacher played by Stephen Tobolowsky could have been expanded as his dry approach was amusing.

Overall a film well worth seeing. Lindsey Lohan should go far and Jamie Lee Curtis is still worth good movie parts which she seems to find hard to get these days.

I'll Be There (2003)

Charlotte exceeds expectations and is actually acceptable in film role

[6/10 · 23 August 2005]

A better than expected "star" vehicle for Charlotte Church's film debut. She inevitably gets some criticism for just being herself in normal life but in this film she is at least as good as most 16 year old actresses with possibly rather more training would be albeit it's true that to some extent she is playing herself. I've always thought Jemma Redgrave to be a wooden actress but she isn't too bad here and does a good job of looking extremely proud of her daughter by the end. The flashback when she plays herself at 18 stretches the imagination though.

Joss Ackland is quite effective as the old rocker of a grandfather. He seems to be having a ball singing with the rock band and it is his own voice. I just about remembered he has sung in the past and played Juan Peron on the original album of Evita.

Craig Ferguson is in mixed form as the rock star. Early on he is a caricature and doesn't act very well in the attempt but as the character calms down he gives a better performance.

Overall a good family film - A predictable ending (It was obvious what Charlotte's closing song in the film would be from very early on - Anbd the title gave another clue) but none the worse for that.

Navigating the Heart (2000 TV Movie)

Simple and sweet with good performances by Matheson and Smith

[5/10 · 18 August 2005]

Yes it's a plain and simple love story that was never going to be an Oscar contender. But not as awful as some think. John and Edith don't fall in love overnight as suggested elsewhere - She's up in BC for 3 weeks before the relationship is fully realised. Secondly the scene on the boat could hardly be called "getting naked" in a sense of ridicule. They merely remove wet clothes to save freezing and covered immediately in blankets the most you ever see of Edith is a bit of bare arm ! I enjoyed the film. Tim Matheson gave as solid a performance as you see regularly on West Wing and he would warrant parts in more aignificant movies than this. Jaclyn Smith looked about 35 instead of the 53 she was when the film was made and was attractive and ultimately heart-warming in the part.

In summary a nice film to watch on a wet afternoon.

Overkill: The Aileen Wuornos Story (1992 TV Movie)

Excellent characterisation by Jean Smart - Well worth seeing

[7/10 · 17 August 2005]

I accept the view of other contributors that this TV version of the story presents a sanitised picture with some aspects of the Wuornos story being reduced or ignored. In particular the motivation behind the murders is only peripherally explored and the true relationship between Wuornos and Tyria is really ignored being presented as room-sharing "sisters" almost.

However I do disagree with one commentator who says Jean Smart is awful in the title role. This is an actress I hadn't come across before but I can see from her IMDb entry that she has appeared in many films. I shall certainly keep an eye out for her in the future. I found her performance here compelling. She puts across the serial killer characteristics of someone who can function some of the time in their normal environment in a relatively "normal" manner but who is subsumed by an overwhelming compulsion in other circumstances. The scenes before her capture where she is dancing frenetically and aimlessly in a club and then is slouched in a yard full of bike-riders is a case in point.

I think an excellent performance from Smart well supported by Park Overall as Tyria though the police roles are perfunctory and basic at times.

Although the Charlize Theron version of this story is much more well known and garnered her worthy accolades this TV film is well worth watching if you get the chance.

Switch (1991)

Some of the funniest scenes around

[27 July 2005]

I haven't seen this movie for ages but upon reading these reviews I'll certainly dig it out. I do remember Switch as one of the funniest movies I've seen. Ellen Barkin's performance is so funny as a female actress playing a man in a woman's body. There's a scene where she staggers down a corridor in "unfamiliar" high heels and suddenly crashes out of sight that is the equal of David Jason's scene in "Only Fools and Horses" where he leans on a non-existent bar-top and crashes to the ground. Pure brilliant visual comedy. The excellent parts of the film probably don't add up to a top-grade film in total but recommended for viewing just for best bits.