reedy_37 Reviews

Dirty Sanchez: The Movie (2006)

TV show writ large

[9/10 · 3 October 2006]

Disgraceful. Yet somehow compelling. The very fact that it is not you on screen hurling yourself over, into and through things that were not designed for such a purpose makes you appreciate those that are doing so even more.

Anyone who has seen the TV series should know what to expect. Like Jackass before them however, they have been allowed to go even further, and at times you wonder if they have not perhaps gone too far, never more so than during Pritchard's quest to win back his honour. Of course, a certain part of you will always be yelling for these fools to hurt themselves in ever more ingenious ways, and it is this part that will make you want to queue again.

Children of Men (2006)

Proof that throwing money at a film does not guarantee a turkey

[9/10 · 3 October 2006]

The thing that immediately strikes you when you walk out of this film is the sheer scale of the thing. Not since some of the more memorable battle scenes in Saving Private Ryan have i seen such a large area being used at once. (Not counting CGI films of course).

The size of the story and its surroundings is not the only aspect that makes this film such a hit though. Considering that they are tackling a subject that could be so easily overcome by the sentimental trash that often swamps futuristic films, the producers avoid many, if not all, of the potential traps that this genre sets. The acting is superb throughout, and even Pam Ferris, maybe the most unlikely freedom fighter ever cast, is brilliant.

Citizen Kane (1941)

In no way is this the Greatest Film Ever

[2/10 · 31 May 2006]

I know that this is regularly voted as the best movie ever made, and is even in the top 20 or so on this very site, but i saw nothing in this film to convince me that this was the case.

The plot seemed laboured, and even if it was based on a true story, it could surely have been livelier or at the very least a bit shorter. By the time the film finished i could not wait to forget all about it, and watch a proper movie.

Maybe it's the films reputation that makes it appear so bland and boring. Anything with so much hype is always going to be a let-down, but i honestly just think that it's so popular simply because of the reputation that its Director/Star has built up over the years.

Take my advice: Avoid this film unless you need a quick-working cure for insomnia.

Black Knight (2001)

So what if there's no actual plot?

[9/10 · 19 May 2006]

OK, so this may not be the most subtle movie of all time (it does have Martin Lawrence in it after all) but it IS genuinely funny most of the way through. Providing, that is, you don't mind your laughs on a rather low-brow level.

Much of the humour is in the finest slap-stick traditions, and that which is not works due to Lawrence's trademark howls and reactions (see just about every film he's ever done), especially the shocked/'feeling someone else's pain' grimace accompanied by clasping hands which he seems to have claimed for his own.

Of course this is not an entirely original film, and it wn't be remembered as a classic, but if you just want to laugh so hard you cry for 90 minutes, then this film is right up there. Just remember not to be snobbish when you watch it.

Diabolique (1955)

Timeless Classic

[8/10 · 13 January 2006]

Before I saw this film, I wouldn't go near a 'thriller', or a foreign film, and definitely not one that was made thirty years before I was born.

Afterwards however, I couldn't get enough. Vera Clouzot is, quite frankly, mesmerising in the lead, and the film has plenty of genuinely chilling moments, not least with the image in the window.

Foreign language films can be a bit daunting at first, but this is a great place to start, and fans of any age would be well advised to check it out.

Henri Clouzot has been compared to Hitchcock, but this film seems to creep up on you even more than Psycho, and for its age, is doubtlessly one of the best films around.

Broken Arrow (1996)

Not just an action film.

[9/10 · 9 January 2006]

While the film undoubtedly contains most of the elements of a top action film, there is more to it than that.

John Travolta delivers and excellent performance as the fighter pilot-turned-terrorist, and the role affords him some of the best lines that you are likely to hear in a film (although you have to see most of them to understand). "I say Goddamn what a rush!" is just electrifying when delivered by Travolta.

Of course there are holes in the plot, and the 'two plucky heroes' format may be getting worn, but Woo and his cast make it work, and deliver a film that is sure to set your action muscles a-tingling!