Serenstars Reviews

The Sweeney (2012)

It definitely had its moments

[7/10 · 6 February 2013]

I'm old enough to remember the Thaw/Waterman TV series and my daughter is way too young but she's a fan of Plan B and there wasn't much else we fancied watching, so we gave this a go.

We quite enjoyed it. Our toes curled a bit in the Ray Winstone sex scenes and we giggled at the chubby middle aged Regan and his team chasing after the automatic weapon wielding gang with their little handguns ... and we raised our eyebrows at the overweight heavy smoking, heavy drinking detective not even slightly out of breath after running a mile, up and down stairs and through buildings .... so quite a lot of belief had to be suspended in order to watch this film. But once you got past all that, as a bit of escapist entertainment it wasn't half bad and although the plot was thin and the believability factor strained to the max, the performances were good and it definitely had its moments.

Not the worst film I've ever seen by a long road and nowhere near as bad as some of the reviews on here would have you believe.

War Horse (2011)

Exceeded my expectations

[9/10 · 29 May 2012]

I was extremely wary of watching this film due to the fact that I had read the book to my children when they were younger, and had also been to see the stage production at the National Theatre - both of which were superb. Reading a few negative reviews from the critics, I decided not to go and see War Horse when it went on general release, because I feared that it would be transformed into the usual Hollywood sap and the essence of the original story would somehow be lost.

So it is only now on my monthly film subscription channel that I decided to watch it and I am so glad I did. It was much, much better than I was expecting. I honestly think some of the reviewers are missing the point entirely. Yes the story is rather corny and 'unbelievable' - but it is based on a children's book. It's not meant to be a historical account of the first World War, or some intense documentary account for adults. Michael Morpurgo writes books for children as a means of both entertaining and educating at the same time and in my opinion Spielberg has stayed absolutely true to that. So it's 'far fetched'. So what? Aren't a lot of children's stories, and that's what this is. To tell a story of war from the perspective of a horse obviously requires a suspension of belief - whether you are reading the book, watching the stage production or going to see the film, but once you get past that then you begin to see the many excellent things about this film - the wonderful cast, incredible cinematography, a sublime musical score and so on - movie making of the highest calibre.

I can only a wonder why I waited so long to see it.

Housewife, 49 (2005 TV Movie)

What a gem!

[10/10 · 7 May 2012]

Flicking through the channels on a slow TV night, I chanced across this film just as it was beginning. Within minutes I knew I had found something worth watching. How 'Housewife, 49' (made in 2006) had slipped under my radar I'm not sure, and why it hasn't received far greater accolades than it has, I have no idea.

I went to the cinema earlier this week and watched the latest blockbuster, raking in millions at the box office .. and honestly, it wasn't a patch on this.

Just for starters - The acting is breathtaking. Who knew Victoria Wood was such a stunning actress and as for the performance from David Threlfall (known to British TV audiences as Frank Gallagher in Shameless) - all I can say is Wow! His portrayal of this tightly buttoned-up straight-laced man who loved his family more than life itself (but was totally unable to show it) is like an acting masterclass. Add to that a supporting cast of Brit stalwarts like Stephanie Cole and the wonderful Sylvestra Le Touzel (one of my favourite actresses) and this wasn't a film that was going to go far wrong - that was apparent. But add to that a moving and eloquent storyline, great authenticity and attention to detail, bucket-loads of Brit humour and smart direction and cinematography .. and the result is an absolute gem of a film which I intend to purchase on DVD asap.

The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (2011)

Absolutely loved it!

[10/10 · 27 February 2012]

Just got back from having seen this wonderful film at a packed cinema and I'm still smiling. It really is the most entertaining, colourful and uplifting film I've seen for a very long time. Apart from India itself - which is a star in its own right - it is the performances from this stellar cast that really make this movie. At times it was like an acting masterclass, but never at any time could you see the cogs turning. The central characters were all wholly believable, and to be honest I find it impossible to single anyone out, although if I had to, my vote would probably go to Bill Nighy. He is just superb as Douglas - the apologetic, hesitant, henpecked husband of the self centred, bitter, scolding Jean portrayed by Penelope Wilton, who is also excellent. There is one particular scene between the two, where Douglas, for once bites back - and the emotion from Nighy is just mesmerising to watch. When you add the likes of Dames Maggie Smith and Judy Dench to the mix, the delicious Celia Imrie, Tom Wilkinson and Ronald Pickup (with an honourable mention to the latter, who brought a wonderfully rakish comedic performance to the mix) - and you can't go wrong.

The younger cast members and all the supporting players do an excellent job - but it is the oldies who steal the show. That doesn't mean it's an oldies film - far from it. I took my 16 year old daughter and she laughed, cried and loved it as much as I did.

Blackbeard's Ghost (1968)

Laugh Out Loud Funny

[8/10 · 13 February 2012]

This just came on the television as I was working on some sewing ... I sort of half started watching it and before I knew it the sewing had been set aside and my 16 year old daughter was calling from the other room to ask what I was laughing at. I hadn't even realised I was laughing so much and it really is funny - mainly because of Peter Ustinov's wonderful comedic performance as the pirate Blackbeard's Ghost, but also the completely bonkers events that occur - particularly the madcap track and field competition, and the fight with the bad guys at the end in which fingers are used as guns to hilarious effect (you'd have to watch it to understand what I'm on about). Silly, slapstick, knockabout nonsense it may be ... but the script is sharp and funny (particularly Ustinov's wonderful dialogue) and all in all it's a delightfully daft romp that made me smile, chuckle and yes .. laugh out loud.

Bridesmaids (I) (2011)

Worst movie I've seen for a while.

[1/10 · 14 January 2012]

My 16 year old daughter and I were having a girl's night in and decided to rent a film. We watched the trailer for Bridesmaids and it seemed the perfect choice. We settled down to watch and it started off bad and went downhill from there, to the point where I couldn't even make it to the end. I thought it was absolutely dire! The main character is one of the most annoying, unsympathetic characters I have ever seen in a film. No redeeming features whatsoever. I could find nothing likable about her - she was stupid, selfish, thoughtless and irritating in equal measure - completely unlikeable. The other characters provided a couple of isolated funny moments but that was it. I barely raised a smile throughout, and when the main character was on screen I could hardly watch. I am really surprised that there are so many positive reviews for this movie. I honestly can't think of one good thing to say about it. Dreadful.