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Reviews
Moulin Rouge! (2001)
Lucky me - lucky you.
I consider myself extremely fortunate to experience, at first hand, a film which, will no doubt rapture the world. The entire experience of Cannes festival aside, I can do nothing but praise this beautiful and energetic beast of a movie. I've longed for a step back to the times when musicals got all the praise they deserve. To be honest, I was a little puzzled when I read the song list-but, believe me, this is executed marvelously. The performances are fabulous and the directing is as sleek as can be. Without wanting to sound like Mr. Motivater, this film is energy, energy, energy and good, better, great! After watching this film I felt as though I had swallowed a celluloid wrapped packet of Wine Gums-you'll soon see why; colour, spice, something to really get your teeth into. Please obey me when I say-go see this film!
Stop Making Sense (1984)
Urged to clap and cheer...
I don't get the whole thing of watching concert movies, but I really enjoyed this. I suppose it's because Mr. Byrne is such a fascinating creature. Great music, interesting visuals and throbbing with energy. Talking Heads make this experience unpredictable, funny and musically brilliant. Not a dull moment, not a bad song.
Memento (2000)
Unravelling the braintangular of rudemath...
Memento is a genuinely decent mystery thriller. From the onset one realises this cannot be watched with anything less than 100% attention. However, giving this film your undivided attention is very rewarding, for soon you are dragged in to a story which never weakens its grip. Great performances, rapist wit and methodical madness all combine to make the most entrancing film to hit cinema screens this century. To reveal even little of the story is to hinder another viewers enjoyment. Turn on, tune in and be captivated. Absolutely brilliant!
Unbreakable (2000)
One never tires of watching a real classic...
Watch-able but disproportioned movie yet again relying on an inevitable twist. Unbreakable is enjoyable, annoying and a little frustrating. On exiting the cinema I began to think of the director as little more than a small kid with big ideas. These ideas are good, but like most children he wanted to have the biggest pie in the picnic; therefore ruining what could have been the perfect movie experience. Fundamentally, it's all there; it's just the piecing of the puzzle that left room for improvement. The long, often pointless scenes of mystery leading to story turning points could have worked just as well, in fact better if considerably cut. Trying to be too clever often backfire's and in my eyes, this movie did just that, for any cinema fanatic would have felt as though the twist(s) were too weak to merit their immense build up. Shorter scenes should have been lengthened and most importantly, vice versa. Letting another steer the production wheel or by giving the script the vital reduction it needed could have made the watching of Unbreakable far more enjoyable. Like The Sixth Sense, it is a film which can be watched with real satisfaction only once. Samuel L Jackson's character seemed smart and worthwhile until one realises he is nothing but a deranged idiot. Bruce Willis walked around as though he was being controlled by Jim Henson's creature workshop. File under watch once, discuss and forget'.
Tommy Boy (1995)
Lukey Likey-Lukey Watch Morey!
This film is AWESOME! OK, so I happen to be a fan of the late, great, dangerously overweight Chris Farley-but there's nothing wrong with it... and a lot of stuff right. Tommy is an adorable child stuck in the body of an a fat, clumsy jerk. Although his brain may have little to offer the Callaghan brake pad company, his heart is big, and it is that which sees him through. There are loads of good lines-with great delivery and plenty of visual gags. Keep a constant eye on Farley, who's on his best form ever as Tommy Boy, the kid whose brain has a thick candy shell. Even the terrible David Spade fails to let the film down-thanks to the large doses of Farleyism that spare us the torture of his irritating voice and appearance. Chris Farley is brilliant and this is his greatest film. Enough said.
The Producers (1967)
So, this is it...
It took me a long time to consider writing this, but since buying the sound-track, I can now confirm: The Producers is the greatest comedy ever made. I love so many other comedies, both old and new-but only this is worthy of such a title. Excessive praise would be sickly and mundane-I shall try and minimise my thoughts. The cast is amazingly brilliant, the story diminishes that of ANY other comedy, the script is a work of pure comedic genius and as for the movie on a whole: charming, hilarious, touching and ever so watch-able. It is not so much that every time I watch this film I discover something new-it's just that the many elements of its brilliance becomes so much more apparent. I have compared it to the classics; from Kindhearts and Coronets and Some Like It Hot through to The Blues Brothers and Dumb and Dumb-but it remains in a league of its own. Personal opinion maybe, but given a watch I'm sure that you too will discover its charms are quite simply irresistible. The Producers is an unequalled masterpiece.
Boys Don't Cry (1999)
Superbly powerful!
If nothing else (which is extremely doubtful) this film highlights the weakness' of 99% of the trash that is puked from the belly of Hollywood. This film really does it. Within minutes you are sucked in to the screen, completely overcome by the harsh realities that face its leading character. This is how biographical cinema should be. It's hard for me to recall a time when a film enthralled me as much as this. The directing is magnificent; delivering tension, emotion, suspension and disgust, all with equal measure. The acting... Academy Awards rarely go to those who deserve them, but in this case the nail has been hit on the head. All actors involved worked perfectly, but what can be said of Mrs Swank? Surely she WAS Brandon. Either that or tinseltown has found someone who can REALLY act. This film is a must for those who've felt the full force of the blows that life can deliver... as for anyone else-watch and learn.
A Night at the Roxbury (1998)
Awfully good...
'Sounds goooood! It certainly does if you're a fan of Dumb and Dumber and you read the box. This film is...mmm, let me think of the word-watchable. It certainly is, I've seen a ridiculous amount of times. Why? Even I know this film should not be classed as a 'good movie'. But since when has something had to be good to be enjoyable? Try a summer night's fishing with no interest and plenty of beers (Ray Road near Molesey Heath... Ernie!). It's just SO stupid and SO short that last summer (2000) me and my close friend (Ross Batchelor) couldn't get enough of it. To be honest, the first time I watched this film I was not impressed, but then it began to grow on me. Each time I watch it I notice another element of physical or verbal stupidity which was slowly but surely transformed into a big laugh. The Butabi's are ass-wads
moronic no-hopers with small brains and big hearts. I like it. I laugh whenever I watch it. But don't let that suggest this film is any good. It really is down to your state of mind (or lack of mind). With my other recently favourable films including Happiness (1998)-also featuring Emily Sanderson Butabi (no, really, it sounds better), Buffalo '66 and Rushmore, anyone who has seen A Night At The Roxbury and all of the above must be very confused. Should you see it? NO!... YES! Try it, you just might like it.
Goodbye, Mr. Chips (1939)
A truly beautiful movie.
When watching this one can't help but think that the days of cinematic innocence are long gone. Goodbye Mr Chips is a prime example of cinema at its finest. Robert Donat manages to absorb the viewer with every element of his charming character. The gaiety and glory of upper class England is reflected beautifully throughout the highly sentimental and touching story-line. All the performances are perfect and the balance between happiness and sorrow is exemplary. More of an emotional boat trip than roller-coaster ride, but delightful nevertheless. Robert Donat and Greer Garson are just a couple of the many actors that were stars in their own right. Performers of the golden age shine brighter and longer than any actors of the present, and this film proves exactly why. If you wish to watch a film that holds, rather than grabs you, choose Goodbye Mr Chips. It provides charm and sentimentality, unequaled in the majority of modern day motion pictures. Cinema is rarely such a loveable treat.
The Fast Show (1994)
Not funny... it is as simple as that.
The jokes aren't funny, the character's aren't funny, the catch-phrases aren't funny, The Fast Show is a huge success. Why? It astounds me that some of my closest friends like The Fast Show. The continual jokes are monotonous and predictable. I watched this programme when I had little else to do in the company of others that like it. I failed to laugh once. What is clearly intended to be clever and witty is simply immature, patronising and extremely dull. Its title is contradicted by the fact that, to the less pleasured viewer it appears to last for hours. The Fast Show is nothing more than a modern day interpretation of Russ Abbot humour. Funny for kids, perhaps, but for me, and many others I know, it is simply a large band of writers and performers proving that too many cooks certainly spoil the broth. Nevertheless, it is extremely successful, which I sincerely hope does not lead to other comedians following in their footsteps and continuing to butcher the evermore tarnished reputation of British comedy. There's some great comedy in Britain, don't let this bunch clog the outlet.
The Man with Two Brains (1983)
'You won't have to shave her anywhere!'
I find it incredibly hard to understand that this film was a flop at the box office. It is, without a doubt, an almost floor-less comedy. From the monologue delivered by the young girl, through the vagina shaving scene, past the midget wheeling the dead dog and right up until Martin refuses to inject those pert buttock cheeks with window cleaner (it makes you brain die last) there are laughs, and big ones at that. It's got more funny lines than I've had hot dinners. Reiner and Martin have pulled off a corker of a film that will always make me laugh 'I suppose if it were Christmas you'd hang ornaments on it!' Top stuff!
The Langoliers (1995)
Terrible, watch at your peril.
Why does nearly every film version of a Stephen King book have to be 2+ HOURS LONG? If the special effects were decent, the film was cut to half its length, the actors could act and the script was re-written then it may be watchable. The storyline is an intriguing idea wasted on a b-rate movie that may as well have been filmed in a train tunnel.