roltzero Reviews

The Winslow Boy (1999)

Somnambulent Film Directing

[7/10 · 23 August 2006]

Not a patch on the original, which starred the great Robert Donat and the lovely Margaret Leighton. This film however did bring Jeremy Northam to my attention who was superb in this and anything I've seen him in, that's why I've given it 7. I thought the woman playing Catherine was rubbish and let the whole production down. She had none of the subtlety or underplayed pathos of Margaret Leighton, they might as well of had a wooden puppet playing the part. Nigel Hawthorne put in a creditable performance. One of the comic highlights of the original is Katherine Harrison's loud, cockney maid. The girl in this film seemed to sleep walk her way through the scenes, which should have made you sit up and at least smile. In fact that just about sums up Mamet's directorial style-somnambulent. If you want to see the definitive version though check out Donat and Co. you even get the screenplay written by the Author!

The Quatermass Experiment (2005 TV Movie)

A lost opportunity by the BBC

[2/10 · 27 June 2006]

When I heard that the BBC were planning to re-make The Quatermass Experiment, I got quite excited. The original is lost forever (except for two episodes) and the film, although a fairly good version (sorry Nigel) is half as long as the original. Great, the BBC might beef this up with some good effects, a colour version to last and interest others in Nigel Kneale's much underrated genius. What planet was I living on? 'Here, let's remake Quatermass'. 'Good idea, ooh shall we spend some money on it like Dr Who? Make it something people will remember'? 'Nah let's cut an hour out, pretend CGi's never been invented, and do it live as a gimmick and instantly forgettable'! 'Oh, and then let's cock-up 'A For Andromeda' in the same spectacular style'! Unforgivable! My advice, buy the scripts in paperback and imagine yourself a better version!

Quatermass and the Pit (1958–1959)

This will be their second dead planet

[10/10 · 27 June 2006]

Andre Morell gets the well deserved leading role in this first rate original sci-fi/horror story. He is definitely the greatest Quatermass of all, in the best of all the stories. He portrays the Prof. in a suave and sophisticated way but still makes him a caring human with a sense of humour. It's just a shame that the BBC as usual, didn't appreciate what it had, otherwise we might have seen the Prof. battling evil from beyond and within earth during the sixties as well. Only the prophet Kneale seems to be able to weave sci-fi, horror, history, religion and paranoia into rattling good yarns which stand the test of time. Don't look for top notch special effects or macho posturing, just marvel at the clever story, the wonderful dialogue (eat your heart out Russel T Davies) and the marvellous way it is portrayed. There are some superb bits of acting, particularly by the brilliant and much underrated Morell. Great support from Anthony Bushell, Cec Linder and Christine Finn (the voice of Tin-Tin in Thunderbirds). And look out for the harrowing moments, of which there are many, but particularly when the drill operator Sladden, is 'taken over'. Morell handles the speeches with consummate ease particularly at the beginning, where he lectures the 'big brass' about not dragging our human vices into outer space and the final 'We are the Martians now' speech-imagine an American actor trying to tackle that dialogue!

Doc Savage: The Man of Bronze (1975)

Far too camp

[5/10 · 19 March 2006]

I started reading the Bantam paperbacks in 1968 as a boy in England. They are a tremendous read and for years they promised, '..And there's a feature motion picture and a television series in his future' and for years I waited, only to be disappointed by this far too camped up film version. If they wanted to be amusing they only needed to treat it seriously, the far fetched aspects would have made strangers laugh and fans overjoyed. As for casting, Ron Ely's okay but Clint Walker would have been my choice (certainly when I started reading the books anyway) as for the 'Monk' in this movie, casting is appalling, the fellow is fat, Monk was like ' a good looking gorilla' and therefore an Ernest Borgnine, Bob Hoskins look-a-like would have been more suitable. No mention of Ham ever having a moustache in the books, but Renny was good casting. Having said that, like other commentators I usually watch the first half-hour and the last ten minutes which are set in period New York and do retain the flavour of the books. The rest of it is sadly clap-trap. And why in the film 'Rocketeer' did they substitute Howard Hughes for Doc Savage (as it is Doc who appears in the graphic novel) that might just have rekindled his cinematic career.

The Boys from Brazil (1978)

A battle of the greats.

[10/10 · 18 March 2006]

This is a gripping, highly amusing and entertaining film starring the two greatest actors of all time, Laurence Olivier and Gregory Peck. They both ham it up significantly but to necessary effect, their larger than life performances makes the concept of the film believable (Hitler clones). Unfortunately the boy actor in the film seems to be dubbed in every accent, I do wish they wouldn't do that. It is an episodic film with some good old stalwart British actors supporting. The climax of the film where Olivier's Nazi hunter gets to grips (literally) with Peck's evil Mengele is the greatest cinematic, geriatric scrap of the twentieth century. Highly recommended.