neilclelland Reviews

Eye for an Eye (1996)

Irresponsible film-making

[1/10 · 27 July 2001]

For me, this film started badly, with merely a terrible script and hammy acting from the ever distressed and irritating Sally Field, and quickly spiralled down to a morally repugnant finale.

Maybe I should have guessed from the title. I spent the entire film wondering who I was supposed to be sympathising with, because I cannot become attached and empathise with anyone who is so hell-bent on revenge and destruction, Kiefer Sutherland was truly evil and so I was left purely feeling for the rest of her family (Ed Harris was great as ever), who she neglected in order to partake in her little obsessive Death Wish fantasy, and who were the true victims of the story.

At least Death Wish voiced the counter arguments against vigilantism throughout the film and Bronson was given something of a reprimand at the end, whereas here the FBI agent is somewhat discredited and she is seen to get off scott free. Also Bronson became more of a social avenger driven by revenge, rather than a physcotic killer who is only out for revenge for what as happened to her, and not society as a whole.

I found this a nasty, nasty film which left me with an incredibly sour taste in my mouth.

Notting Hill (1999)

Better than the cynics may expect...

[7/10 · 25 June 2001]

Now lets not get carried away with Notting Hill, I thought (or 1 Wedding and a Film Star, as it should be known) - it is not going to be the greatest or "loveliest" film that has ever been made. Hugh Grant in reality is a fairly boring and very type cast actor and so, unfortunately, is the plot.

So, the real test for this film,for me, was always going to be if it could rise above these obvious shortcomings, and in general it does seemed to do so. The script, which has to be the main star, is brilliant. Better than 4 Weddings and a Funeral, Richard Curtis inserts many more "Blackadder" moments, which will have many in stitches. Julia Roberts is as engaging as ever and revels in the apparent auto-biographical nature of her part.

The support cast is universally brilliant, although stand outs include: Rhys Ifans who is hilarious as Spike, Hugh Grant's flat mate; Tim (Darling) McInnerny and Gina McKee both excel making a touching couple, and Dylan Moran is unforgettable in his tiny part as the shop lifter.

I was a sceptical viewer, but I was pleasantly surprised, it is better than 4 Weddings, so worth seeing for all those, like me, who initially refused to just see a rehash of the same film.

Rope (1948)

A real education in film-making

[7/10 · 25 June 2001]

The story is not the best, having no real plot twists and an ending that can be predicted from about 5 minutes in. The acting is a bit uneven, with John Dall having a blast, but the rest seemingly only cruising. Must have been awful, I hear you say! But you forget one thing: this is Hitchcock.

An experimental picture, and his first in colour, is absolutely gripping - not so much for the story, but for the film and the camera work, for that is where the real story is. I found myself trying to spot the infamously few cuts, keeping a track of the camera and which props would have to moved and then replaced in a single shot.

Amazing! A real education in film-making.

Memento (2000)

Like a breath of fresh air.....

[9/10 · 22 June 2001]

Fantastic!! This film is a must see for anyone who likes cinema. Obviously it is the delivery, rather than what would otherwise have been a simple story, that is the key to this film. Starting at the end and then working backwards in the style of the affliction which affects and fragments the lead characters mind, one has to do mental gymnastics trying to cope with seeing the cause of after seeing it's effect.

Not a Sunday afternoon flick, this is a film that you really have to watch and concentrate all the time if you are to get to the end knowing what is going on. Many people I have spoken to have been put off by the fact that you frequently have to go long periods not understanding why something has happened, but I think that is part of the beauty.

Saying any more would give the game away - but this is up there with Being John Malkovich in the originality stakes...

The Chase (1994)

A lot of fun!!

[7/10 · 22 June 2001]

I don't think anyone would argue that this is the greatest movie that has ever been released, with huge gaps in the plot pretty much universally bad acting - but it is a lot of fun! Charlie Sheen plays himself essentially, hamming it up in a ludicrous plot where he kidnaps a rich mans daughter with a candy bar and ends up being chased down the highway by half the area's police force and all of the news channels!!

Henry Rollins give the film's outstanding turn as a vicious, yet naive police officer who is being filmed on the job, and both Henry and the character are obviously enjoying every minute of it.

The film tries to take a stab at the media culture (for example chasing OJ down the highway) but the attack is never really directed enough and therefore loses a lot of it's potential bite.

Seems to have a decent soundtrack though, with our Henry on it, along with the likes of Bad Religion and NOFX. All in all, don't take this film too seriously, have a laugh and just go with the lunacy of it all.

In the Name of the Father (1993)

An honourable piece of cinema

[8/10 · 22 June 2001]

Being an account of a true story, this movie has to be assessed both as a film in it's own right and as a historical documentation which reflects the reality of the events.

On the first count, it is excellent: Pete Postlethwaite and Daniel Day-Lewis sympathetically portray the wrongfully imprisoned father and son and wonderfully develop their relationship from warring factions to reconciliation with love and respect for each other. The film is clear in it's position and focuses on this angle, keeping many of the judicial complications to a minimum and works well because of it. Demonstrating the closeness that can be between people achieved against tremendous adversity and condemnation.

As a direct result of this, the film suffers from the factual angle, mainly because Gerald and Giuseppe were never actually imprisoned together. However, other than this, the story seemed to stay fairly close to the main historical facts surrounding the Guildford 4 trial and should be commended for trying to inform about this tragic happening, rather than glorify it in order to attract viewers.

All in all, Jim Sheridan and everyone who worked on this film should feel proud of what they have created, a film which informs and entertains both as a factual account of events and as a tale of tolerance and acceptance both socially and within the family unit.

Saboteur (1942)

If only the leads lived up to the support!

[8/10 · 22 June 2001]

I thoroughly enjoyed this film, which in many ways, as Hitchcock did on several occasions, was a first attempt at a plot which he re-shot later in his career. Possibly the most amazing thing about it, however, is how faceless the lead characters are. After watching, one remembers Murray Alper as the jovial truck driver, Vaughan Glaser's touching turn as a blind "patriot", the unforgettable traveling Freak Show and of course Otto Kruger as the suave and sophisticated villain, all of whom completely overshadow Bob Cummings as the rather wooden fugitive (compare that bridge jump to Harrison Ford's similar stunt in Andrew Davis' "The Fugitive") and Priscilla Lane whose change of heart and subsequent love towards Cummings is never quite believable.

The other major support player is, of course, Hitchcock himself who bookends the film with 2 extraordinary stunts. Many people criticise the older films for their lack of realistic special effects. My feelings are that with lack of technology, to even attempt and convey what the director wants to show is an amazing achievement.

Obviously this film carries an anti-fascist message, made at the time of the Second World War, but being a Hitchcock it is never the most important thing and the emphasis is always on the action. Well worth checking out, especially for the support roles.

Ordinary Decent Criminal (2000)

Go see 'The General'

[1/10 · 25 April 2000]

I'm a big fan of Kevin Spacey's work, but this is a sub-standard film. If you think it looks interesting, or you saw it and liked it, go and check out John Boorman's "The General". It is basically about the same guy, but is far superior in every way (and doesn't suffer from the Hollywood glorifications).

Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace (1999)

Not Worthy to carry the name Star Wars

[5/10 · 25 April 2000]

What a disappointment!! How can you respect a baddie (Darth Maul) who dies in the first film?? Vader nearly lasted all of the original trilogy - now that is a real baddie, the secret is NOT to kill them off. The characterisations are also no where near as strong as the originals, I found myself not really relating with any of them. This has nothing to do with the acting, which on the whole is pretty good (and let's face it Mark Hamill was no De Niro). Jaja Binks becomes the main focus of the comedy, making it much more slapstick and childish compared to the dry humour of Han Solo and the cheeky banter between the two droids. All in all, this is a poor film and does not deserve to have the title of Star Wars.