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rogerlapthorn
Reviews
War Horse (2011)
Disappointing Spielberg drivel
A typical Spielberg movie full of CGI effects, music with tinned pathos and so typically American in style and form. This is a film with no real depth, just "depth" in a Hollywood plastic sense.
Although a reasonable weepy yarn, several things annoyed me:
(a) Why do film producers (and the BBC for that matter) choose such strange "local" accents for people supposed to come from Devon? When making a multi-million dollar movie can't they afford some REAL local extras who speak with a proper Devon accent? (b) Why were there lots of conifer plantations on Dartmoor in a film set before/during WW1? These only started to be planted well after WW1. (c) Why was the Devon village made of Cotswold stone? There were plenty of Dartmoor villages that would have made perfect sets. (d) Why do we have to have what my wife and I call "American deep" music to portray pathos? It just doesn't add anything. (e) Why did I keep thinking about all the CGI effects?
So, in conclusion, why did Spielberg bother making this? Why did I bother going?
Never Let Me Go (2010)
Am I shallow not to "get" this film?
Sorry, but I found this film very disappointing. Some of the scenes were visually beautiful, but Carey Mulligan was let down by a poor script, poor supporting actors and actresses and poor direction. Expecting something of an art-house gem, what we got was a pretentious little film in which the acting was wooden, the story line inconsistent and the overall package a failure. I came away from the cinema unmoved and unimpressed.
Perhaps I was watching this at one level when I should have be looking for the deeper meanings beneath the surface? I find it amazing that others have rated this film so highly. No, this is one film that did not live up to the hype, for me at least.
I'm not saying don't see it - see it and make up your own minds - but it really did not work for me.