John's Reviews
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So many great things in this film, and yet you never actually believe it. The "laws of the demons" are never made clear. The township doesn't feel real. A missed opportunity.
(Worth watching) - review by John
Remarkably clear-sighted and sensible portrait of the passing of an era. Although it feels small while you're watching, it stays with you in surprising ways. 3.5 stars.
(Excellent) - review by John
I loved this the first time I saw it, and then later I just liked it. The sex scenes are the comedy high point for me, and Kristen Wiig's great performance. You need to drink beer while watching though. You know, one of those films. A need-for-beer film. A film you watch and then say "dude" to your mate who's also been drinking beer when it's finished.
(Excellent) - review by John
Great performances - the guys perform the material themselves. Beautifully shot. Excellent.
(Excellent) - review by John
A wonderful film with strange similarities to Be Kind Rewind (this one is better).
(Excellent) - review by John
Harder to get into than PT's other films, but remarkable nonetheless.
(Excellent) - review by John
An extraordinary film that has something to say about violence and the world we live in. Not an expensive flick but a near perfect one.
(Not to be missed!) - review by John
Truly a fine black comedy with great performances.
(Not to be missed!) - review by John
At times very impressive, but at others kind of lame. You guess much of the stuff pretty early. And it's almost impossible to like any of the characters except Michael Caine.
(Worth watching) - review by John
I don't think the two leads are too charismatic, but there is some genuine freshness and sweetness in here, and some very funny bits.
(Worth watching) - review by John
At times this does truly kick. Bruce holds it together. And the fact that it's a load of old crap doesn't matter. Strangely though it does drag a bit in the middle, mostly because they've already blown so many stunts in the first third.
(Worth watching) - review by John
Very well assembled little film.
(Worth watching) - review by John
My partner adores this. I think it's incredibly uneven, with some moments of utter brilliance but a kind of European distance from empathy imposed.
(Excellent) - review by John
I'd love to see La Jetee, the film this is based on. Wonderful flick, especially the first two thirds or so. Brad Pitt showed he can act. As ever, Gilliam's visual feasting is ravenous.
(Not to be missed!) - review by John
Ozu's first maor feature is a spellbinding work with a simple, very slow plot. It's very beautiful and not as mannered as his later films. You'll fall in love with the parents and with Michiko, but even the less likable characters have a real truth. And in the end, you may begin to feel uncomfortable about your own life and whether you make time in it for the important ones. A dream.
(Not to be missed!) - review by John
A masterwork of a great filmmaker. Extraordinary performances, particularly from Holm and Polly.
(Not to be missed!) - review by John
Solid Howard Hawks stuff - more a film about sleep deprivation, red tape and persistence than anything else. It would be made completely differently today, this is much more deadpan than contemporary audiences could handle.
(Worth watching) - review by John
A remarkably good film, made for a low budget, with a strong storyline and some great performances.
(Excellent) - review by John
The genius continues. The fact that it's a bit dated and lame doesn't affect the enjoyment of our kids. Now the whole family can "miss it by that much"!
(Excellent) - review by John
Again the marvels continue. The commentary of two of the actors (McNulty, who's actually an English actor, and Omar) is amusing if not particularly informative. Brilliant.
(Excellent) - review by John
A great romp of stand-up. What a guy.
(Excellent) - review by John
Crap but very very fine crap, with some stuff that will stay with you, notably the acting of Angel and the cop, and all the other super women. Yeah!
(Maybe) - review by John
Sweet-natured low-key "heist" drama (of sorts, with the Wilson brothers looking very young. Owen steals it but everyone's good and we get a first taste of Wes Anderson's gawky style.
(Excellent) - review by John
a fine biopic, bit of a chick flick too (in the same way Casablanca is a chick flick for guys, maybe), good performances though I thought Joaquin was a bit petite to be convincing as Johnny Cash.
(Worth watching) - review by John
Great little flick. The trailer is made for a horror movie. But it's not a horror movie at all, it's a light surreal comedy about friendship. Fun.
(Worth watching) - review by John
This season is really growing on me. Nice to see the team getting back together. Slowish though.
(Worth watching) - review by John
Remarkable and unforgettable. Some Euro arthouse-style huffing and puffing. But overall just extraordinary. Grief and survival and pride battle with family and love. I prefer this to Navigator, though they're similarly memorable.
(Not to be missed!) - review by John
Compelling. Like an old friend come to visit, with a new family.
(Excellent) - review by John
Amazingly the second half of the season is better than the first half. Wonderful wonderful wonderful black stuff.
(Not to be missed!) - review by John
Though the performances are excellent, especially from Laura Dern, and the dealing with issues of infidelity is done very well, there's something that doesn't quite hold together here. Maybe it's Ruffalo's acting. Maybe it's Watts' character. A great watch, though, and lovely to look at, in Curran's inimitable slow-paced style. Very grown up.
(Worth watching) - review by John
Some absolutely sublime moments ruined by a directorial approach which says "never take one minute what you can say in ten". So wonderful to start with, such a load of bollocks by the end. And talk about being so far up the fundament of its own futurism that it loses sight of the story.
(Maybe) - review by John
One of the great masterpieces, despite the occasional clunk you'd expect from an early talkie. Constantly surprising: comic when it should be dramatic, full of pathos when it should be angry, full of bureaucracy when it should be flaming with action, full of action when it should be still. One of the most influential movies ever.
(Not to be missed!) - review by John
Superb little film that makes a virtue of its low budget and gritty core. Smashing start, then just a low-soft-boiling tension for ages. Gorgeous to look at. Great performances. More kind of Euro-styled than Aussie.
(Excellent) - review by John
A pleasure just to watch Lee Evans in a rare performance. And Nathan Lane. This is the movie where Gore Verbinski learnt his stuff. Some classic moments too.
(Worth watching) - review by John
The two leads hold this excellent series together. It's quick, it's fun, it's like a cross between Arrested Development and Sopranos. Wonderfully fresh.
(Excellent) - review by John
Much fun, much lameness, the dancing is the highlight, though there's less of that as it goes along. Showstoppers are the opening number and the pair of neer do wells.
(Worth watching) - review by John
In the end this is a pretty thin film, but it's made with such panache and top performances that you forgive it. A good watch, this one.
(Worth watching) - review by John
This film feels very real, realistic, true. Top performances too, and a desire to hope. Maggie G is great. But so is the heart at the film's bottom.
(Worth watching) - review by John
Rollicking, splendiferous, exciting, and referred to by every subsequent pirate flick. Not as sophisticated or smooth as later vehicles like Sea Hawk, but worth a look.
(Worth watching) - review by John
Not a bad comedy with some neat moments of seriousness and Streep delivering a performance that raises the material above what it otherwise might have been. Tucci is great too. First two-thirds particularly good.
(Worth watching) - review by John
They just tried to cram too much into the one episode, so we're never truly involved with everyone's/anyone's story, and often have no idea even what's happening. It's a pity because with some control it could have been extraordinary (certainly some amazing SFX). Instead we get this dodgy randomness.
(Maybe) - review by John
Not for all, but if you like off-beat films that are different to other movies, and you like good performances, and you like music, this could work nicely.
(Excellent) - review by John
Not as flash as I was expecting, perhaps a little under-nourisehd story-wise, but with enough Altmanesque pleasures and passing moments to make it worthwhile.
(Worth watching) - review by John
Graphic, at times funny, adventurous and moving, but also at times frustrating and annoying. An intriguing mix, but worth a look.
(Worth watching) - review by John
This was more considered and less light than I expected. Nicely judged performances, but a bit pat toward the end.
(Worth watching) - review by John
although at times melodramatic and mawkish (and not without a few cheats along the way) this film still pulls off some wonders. Great lead performance too.
(Excellent) - review by John
A superb flick. Great performances from everyone. And serious tension, serious politics, serious heart.
(Excellent) - review by John
Lots of fun and some stirling truthiness in here too.
(Worth watching) - review by John
Much better than number two, and dark as well.
(Excellent) - review by John
A heartfelt and humane movie, loosely told but tightly structured. About the world of the underclass.
(Excellent) - review by John
An odd film with an exquisite centre (entirely made up of an award winning short film that was expanded to become this feature) and a kind of wry teen-angst outer region. The acting is very good.
(Worth watching) - review by John
And so we wrap. What a series. What endings, down-beat and yet moving. Heroic, messy, victims of the world and yet noble within it.
(Not to be missed!) - review by John
Probably the weakest Star Wars film, all set-up and occasional good action. But that epic scope and the effects make up for the messy, low-acting dagginess.
(Worth watching) - review by John
I give the first half hour or so of this four stars for bravura and energy and sheer gormlessness. it loses its way after that, though there's a few nice moments.
(Worth watching) - review by John
An epic, grungy, yet with a hidden poetry and truly crunching performances. Eric Roberts best ever. And Jon Voight a trenchant study in bottom-line hope.
(Excellent) - review by John
a sweet film though I did have a fight with my girlfriend in the middle of it.
(Worth watching) - review by John
Not the best of Marilyn's films but with enough choice pleasurable moments to keep it up there. MM really steals it from the other two.
(Worth watching) - review by John
A wonderful movie, surprisingly mad but so full of joy. And sheer talent.
(Not to be missed!) - review by John
A great little trip through a time and a place. Cleverly constructed and driven by Coogan's charisma.
(Excellent) - review by John
Although these guys are amazing - and there's lots of fun to be had between - the game itself is simply not a patch on real charades.
(Maybe) - review by John
Another instalment. The series is wearing out its welcome but the ability to fit so much story into one film continues to amaze.
(Worth watching) - review by John
A wonderful movie that investigates the power and sources of redemption. Probably more a 4 1/2 star film for me. Great performances and if you know that old East Berlin even more redolent.
(Excellent) - review by John
And the series gets even better.
(Excellent) - review by John
An amazing film for about 3/4 of its length and then the whole thing goes off the rails with the tae-kwon-do-ing winter section.
(Worth watching) - review by John
An intriguing, slightly dangerous and clever film. Solondz makes films that love his rivettingly flawed characters.
(Excellent) - review by John
Lots of fun and a couple of classic scenes. Especially good if you haven't seen the original film.
(Worth watching) - review by John
How good is this? A must for every scriptwriter.
(Excellent) - review by John
This is a terrific little movie, fresh, fun, with politics and heart, yet something that could almost have been made 20 years ago.
(Excellent) - review by John
Very annoying while you're watching it, despite the gorgeous lighting and strong performances and interesting pacing. But once it's over you start to get more from it. Worth thinking about.
(Worth watching) - review by John
Thought-provoking and smart in so many ways. A simple doco that puts you in touch with the range and experience of a great music.
(Worth watching) - review by John
Amazing, leftfield film that seems to come from another planet, the planet Natural Heart. Amazing - worth bearing with.
(Excellent) - review by John
a sweet wee film set amid the mawkish hurt of teens. Best thing is the lovely naturalism.
(Worth watching) - review by John
worth it for Antony and Rufus, oh and Leonard with U2.
(Worth watching) - review by John
Beautifully made and performed, but I'm not sure in the end I knew MC any better. The girl who runs from grief forever? Revenge on life and on herself?
(Worth watching) - review by John
A delightful if kooky piece. Reminded me constantly of 8 1/2. Good performances and very fresh.
(Worth watching) - review by John
Ends well but it's not really an ending is it? Roll on the second series - though I might have to wait a bit before I'm up to it.
(Worth watching) - review by John
To look at this is gorgeous. Slow-paced but with amazing performances from the leads. And a lot of food for thought.
(Excellent) - review by John
At first glance not as brilliant as Amores Perros or 21 grams, but a thrill the whole time, and in the end, with a premise as bold as a mountain, truly worth it. Why borders? Why leave your children alone?
(Excellent) - review by John
a lovely piece of sweet quirk.
(Excellent) - review by John
Fine acting, left-field humour, gentle pacing, joy.
(Excellent) - review by John
Near masterpiece debut where Altman developed a lot of his trademark style. Beautifully shot by Zsigmond with great performances and raunch and realism and everything.
(Excellent) - review by John
Terrific sci fi well managed and BEAUTIFUL to look at.
(Excellent) - review by John
The first ep is a bit time-marking, but the second one is a return to form. And there's actually a couple of jokes!
(Worth watching) - review by John
One of their lamest films and yet with enough sass - especially from Groucho who's in top form - to carry the day in the end.
(Worth watching) - review by John
Remarkable at times, confusing at others. I'm not a big hip hop head but there's some sublime stuff and a great heart in this one. Wonderful to see the Broken Angel House too (I think it's been torn down now). Also, I think Mos Def and the females steal the film.
(Worth watching) - review by John
Best Bond flick in yonks, best lead actor possibly ever (maybe even better than Sean). It flags near the end but it has a lot going for it.
(Excellent) - review by John
Carnivale starts to get wearying after a while. A circus without clowns, a show without humour. The darkness is still palpable of course.
(Worth watching) - review by John
A couple of the greatest scenes in cinema history overcome any old-school longueurs.
(Not to be missed!) - review by John
The middle of this film isn't bad, but it takes so long to get there and back. It's really like the final episode of a long-running series - except there was only one ep in the series! Not as good as that one either.
(Maybe) - review by John
An amazing movie. At first it doesn't make sense, and often it's hard to follow who's who, but there's so much beauty in it ... and grief.
(Excellent) - review by John
A classic, really, with great performances and a very clever satirical script. Much smarter than it looks on the surface.
(Excellent) - review by John
splendid little film that even kids will enjoy. Some sequences that are famous in film history.
(Excellent) - review by John
wonderful and funny and unforgettable and wry. Funny stuff all round.
(Not to be missed!) - review by John
Zahn and Cruz were enough for me - two faves having fun. A slim but occasionally delightful piece of fluff this film. Could have been better directed? Sure.
(Worth watching) - review by John
Very well done thriller. Interesting choice of Doug Liman for director. Damon is solid in his usual under-emoting way.
(Worth watching) - review by John
good idea with some good stuff, but disappointingly done and the second half drags on forever!
(Maybe) - review by John
A much more casual film from Sammo and the gang, with a few truly great action and comedy sequences and some other comedy that's more lame/great on the side!
(Worth watching) - review by John
Taut and yet easy-going, a terrific little film.
(Excellent) - review by John
Aside from a grand performance by Gary Oldman, and good ones from Steenburgen and Mitchell, rather forgettable and contrived.
(Don't bother!) - review by John
Pretty bloody good film, all in all. Good acting and well put together.
(Worth watching) - review by John
Some stunning stuff, some thought-provoking stuff, some bits that drag, and most of the characters are wood. But worth a look.
(Worth watching) - review by John
Another solid, clever, sting-in-the-tail Veber comedy. Dippy-doo and Auteuil wonderful as ever.
(Worth watching) - review by John
A remarkable and influential movie, with some kicks to the guts as well as jolly drole material. What a film.
(Excellent) - review by John
Froth and piffle but swings along on the charisma of its stars. Marilyn is hilarious but she's not the only one.
(Excellent) - review by John
So much acid, such clarity, a great comedy with Cary Grant mugging and Rosalind Russell holding the emotional core. Fabbo.
(Not to be missed!) - review by John
Dated but never dated, an unlikely buddy movie with great tension. What fun.
(Excellent) - review by John
The spooky times continue. Perhaps a little too arcane and without an obvious star, but there's so much gothic material here the blur of it all doesn't really matter, does it?
(Worth watching) - review by John
At times amazing, always insightful and thought-provoking. My only quibble is that I still don't understand the George Clooney subplot!
(Worth watching) - review by John
At times awesome, at times simply twin peaksy. Only two eps on the disk, though!
(Worth watching) - review by John
Wonderful, especially the third ep on this disk (ep 7?).
(Excellent) - review by John
Great beginning, good performances, comes together at the end, but not as good as Eternal Sunshine.
(Worth watching) - review by John
Brave, fine, no-apologies TV.
(Excellent) - review by John
Only for people with some dance training.
(Maybe) - review by John
a real classic, with subtext and subtlety and the occasional drift into sentimentality but a performance from AH that has become a defining cinematic turn.
(Not to be missed!) - review by John
sophisticated as anything in its day, it has a slightly dated feel but rattles along completely on the charm of its wonderful leads.
(Excellent) - review by John
Standout filmmaking, both dated and timeless, sexy and wry, pithy and sweet. Love those Californians and the little bits of madness.
(Not to be missed!) - review by John
Full of surprises and that old deadpan poker face - and let's face it what HUGE production values!
(Excellent) - review by John
Not for everyone because it's so sad, but a timely reminder of the devastation of war, family and sacrifice. A film that will stay with you even if you'd rather it didn't! Quite beautiful to boot.
(Excellent) - review by John
An amazing film that is really an arthouse movie with extreme production values and a mainstream budget. The number one production value is De Niro's performance and transformation. Number two the cinematography. Then there's the soundtrack. Wow.
(Excellent) - review by John
A crazy brilliant flick that in the end still leaves you wondering - is it true love? Is it an elaborate jerry-built spy plot? Mesmerising performances from both leads, who apparently hated one another.
(Excellent) - review by John
Gothic work, dark, freaky (literary), slightly whiffy, but fun.
(Excellent) - review by John
A great comedy that holds up after all these years. "Would you like me to seduce you?" Still influences numerous filmmakers today
(Not to be missed!) - review by John
Brilliant TV from Paul Abbott and a sublime cast.
(Not to be missed!) - review by John
This is about as good as TV gets. A gripping tale of love and politics. Wonderful casting and some fun as well.
(Not to be missed!) - review by John
There's almost too much stuff on this double-A disk for words. The whimsy of Gondry is on full display. Kids love this stuff too!
(Not to be missed!) - review by John
Beautifully assembled, shot and paced, a small film with a punchy emotional kick-in-the-guts return.
(Excellent) - review by John
More of the same. Mad but fab. Love the tongue kisses.
(Excellent) - review by John
The first half in particular of this excellent little indy are drole and fun and emotionally involving. If the second half staggers a little, it's only because it has to resolve the story ... Lovely memorable show.
(Excellent) - review by John
Though slow-paced, this is another excellent and heart-filled tale from Miyazaki.
(Excellent) - review by John
There's some wild stuff in here, lots of fun and very black at times. Windowlicker is still a classic.
(Worth watching) - review by John
An amazing, beautiful film.
(Excellent) - review by John
Moving and engrossing, well acted.
(Excellent) - review by John
quite a good general yoga work-out (with a couple of intermediate poses in there too).
(Worth watching) - review by John
More of the same as Project A, more great stunts, more wonders. What a guy, especially when he was at his peak.
(Excellent) - review by John
Gripping and well performed. Not gripping like a thriller, more like a shifting spanner in your gut. Similar in some ways to The Terrorist.
(Excellent) - review by John
A marvel of its time and still marvellous today, with plenty to tell us about our own world. Sure it's sooooo dated (the lead actor's performance) but it's also sooooo timeless and thrilling.
(Excellent) - review by John
It's forever long, nothing happens but if you can get into it this is a gorgeous trip. I doubt you could make this film these days. Beautiful cine, performances, and let's face it Peter Falk is an asset to any movie.
(Not to be missed!) - review by John
A remarkable flick that I didn't always follow (especially the subplot involving the gun) and reminiscent of a story by Stanislaw Lem. For film-makers a must-see in how to make a low budget film with basic locations and authentic-sounding dialogue. Great stuff.
(Excellent) - review by John
Although these stories are obscure and arcane and slightly mad, they are also among the most grown-up (and I don't mean the sauciness and violence, that's nearly coy) manga-style works around. Much better than the feature, though the feature does improve once you've seen these and see what they were TRYING to do.
(Excellent) - review by John
One for the converted - or for foreign movie lovers who have never seen a Rivette film. Slow but steady, with tiny intriguing subplots and above all delicious characters. A couple of plot points that don't quite hold but enough joy in human foibles for several movies. Not his best but good stuff. Love the two lead actors.
(Excellent) - review by John
Superior in direction and scripting, soapy in intent, erotic in inclination but televisual in final effect.
(Worth watching) - review by John
An exercise in style, camp melodrama and homoerotic dreams. Wanky in every sense of the word, this is perfect cinema for people who like their fantasies arch.
(Not to be missed!) - review by John
Engrossing, mad and fun, not his best work but still vivid. Perhaps I felt a little distanced from the characters, not sure why, especailly after All About My Mother...
(Excellent) - review by John
A landmark for its time and very influential, though it's showing its age now. But anyone who really loves 70s styling (including cinestyling) will go for it in a big way.
(Worth watching) - review by John
not for everyone, but if you like the cool, smart, heartfelt and slightly oddball movies of Rivette, then this is another fine one to watch.
(Excellent) - review by John
Still holds up after all this time (more than Love, Actually for example). Only Andie Macdowell seems miscast and wooden.
(Excellent) - review by John
An amazing film that exposes the cost of globalisation to the people who suffer most - the poor in the third world. Let's hope the EXTREME demands of the World Bank have been reduced, as the show implies at the end. But let's remember that most of the world struggles so that the winners can keep winning.
(Excellent) - review by John
Somewhat predictable, ticks all the boxes, but it's a kids movie and it does have Steve Martin in it and some good kid performances. I don't know who plays the oldest daughter's boyfriend but he nearly steals the movie.
(Worth watching) - review by John
A wacky and intriguing film, full of fresh ideas and lovely comedy, about hormones, really, and control. Good performances.
(Excellent) - review by John
Not bad - some good comedy in here - just don't forget it's really a kids' flick, so there is no subtext, and the other day-carer - the one who isn't Steve Zahn or Mr Murphy - is quite annoying. It's not as maudlin as Cheaper By The Dozen, with which one could easily compare it. Angelica Huston nearly steals it.
(Worth watching) - review by John
Not a bad yoga class, actually, though the inerpolations from the "sexpert" during the session are a little odd. Slightly testing one for beginners or a fairly easy one for intermediates.
(Worth watching) - review by John
Good performances, some cute sequences and a lovely bunch of references to old screwball comedy don't save this film from its cliches, bromides and lamenesses.
(Maybe) - review by John
A defining work in world cinema, a wild piece of horror-comedy with slow bits that are completely lame and great hilarious spooky stuff as well. Influenced so many things from Stephen Chow to Buffy.
(Excellent) - review by John
Wonderful, grotesque, dark, very funny, slightly camp, almost silent and very smart. Not for everyone. The Incredibles is great. This is great. They're both very different.
(Excellent) - review by John
The first series of Coupling is notable for its patches of brilliance and its patches of dodgy acting and lame lines. It gets by on good will for these eps and occasional genius set-ups like The Girl With Two Breasts, Patrick's size and Sally's bottom obsession. Later series really start delivering, but this is OK if clunky.
(Worth watching) - review by John
A wonderful, unexpected film that's half Jacques Tati and half Bread & Chocolate. Visual jokes, lovely performances, and a deceptively loose feel. Nothing much happens - well nothing in a Hollywood overdetermined way! But a great deal happens in its unspoken moments.
(Excellent) - review by John
One of the great comedy horror films. There's slow bits, there's daggy bits, but it's such an important and influential flick you'd be mad to miss it.
(Not to be missed!) - review by John
A beautiful film that turns an unlikely premise into a poetic meditation on love, change and sacrifice. Wonderful performances and gorgeous though understated cinematography. Images of the old lady stay with you.
(Excellent) - review by John
Really delightful, a lovely roller-coaster ride for kids, exciting with a very human message. And Jennifer Aniston's best ever performance! I'd rate this with The Incredibles.
(Excellent) - review by John
One of Jackie's best - the movie where he really perfected the mix of humour and action. Great pirates even though they don't appear till well into the flick. A classic.
(Excellent) - review by John
The story's good but the script's a bit dodgy. The acting's good but it's hard to get gripped. Yet there are some compelling things about witness protection and changing lives in here ...
(Maybe) - review by John
Melodrama at its most melodramatic. Amazing performances, an influential film (cf Far From Heaven which has some shot for shot steals/homages), some of the worst hair and make-up, especially in the close-ups, and a vast gay subtext. The early arch dialogue gives way to a very exciting pair of climaxes.
(Worth watching) - review by John
What a load of cobblers. However the music by Manfred Mann was very good and there were some amazing cheesy but nicely shot 70s style psycho-sexual sequences. And it's all non-sync! I think Acid might have eaten through the metal plate in the director's head though.
(Maybe) - review by John
A quiet, little film by the man who made Caro Diario. Cinematic in its essence, about the small things. My only regret, we never get to know the son well. But that's the dad's problem as well. Lovely.
(Excellent) - review by John
Not as extraordinary as In The Mood For Love, but a worthy sequel nevertheless (is there a trilogy, I wonder?). Full of wonderfulness. Ignore the reviews suggesting there's a subplot set in the future - and revel in the idea that Wong Kar Wai has bravely decided to look at what happened to the hero of ITMFL after he let the love of his life go.
(Worth watching) - review by John
Amazing performance, honesty, humour. Strangely this sad film is structured like a comedy complete with happy ending ... Of sorts.
(Excellent) - review by John
Very cute, with tons of France's best having a grand old time singing, dressing fabulously and having the hots for one another. Quite a hoot.
(Worth watching) - review by John
Extraordinary, slow-paced film made up of moments, details, excerpts, bits and pieces. Perfect performances. Longing without fulfilment played out with great intensity. Performances always understated and Lesley and Maggie gorgeous as ever. Very little happens. Everything happens.
(Not to be missed!) - review by John
A masterpiece of a style of filmmaking that's rare these days. Epic and yet detailed, and very fresh and puzzling, with charismatic performances especially from wonderful Mr Lancaster and M. Delon. A portrait rather than a drama - but what a portrait.
(Not to be missed!) - review by John
Wry, occasionally tragic and moving, sometimes missing the mark. Tautou is mostly unrecognisable (though there is one Ameilie throwaway moment). Oddly clean for a WWI flick.
(Worth watching) - review by John
Semi-porn ultra-violent but good dramatic values. As in many Japanese cartoons, morality is a little more relative than the black and white world of Hollywood tooning.
(Worth watching) - review by John
Not a milestone like its predecessor but still amazing. It's like BWWH One but designed as a teen Honkers music video. I was reminded of Young Guns, the same cynicism, longueurs and surprisingly good bits. Ah, but Maggie and Leslie are in it, and there's some Peking Opera Blues jokes, so ... just make sure you see the original!
(Worth watching) - review by John
There were fewer rom-coms in the 80s than more recently, but a couple were top pieces of work. This one is tightly scripted, tightly performed, and may even have a satirical understorey cocking a snoot at corporate values. Or maybe not. But it's great work from the three leads. And it even has Joan Cusack!
(Excellent) - review by John
Probably the best mini-series of the 1980s (the 70s had two: Norman Conquests and Roots). A brutal start, a cool Yorkshire cop as lead, humour and deep uncertainty coming from the fabulous Jedbergh, and a devastating end, with elegiac sound from Clapton and Kamen. Hard to follow (hell did I actually understand it in the end?) but completely gripping and some huge sequences.
(Not to be missed!) - review by John
The series really gets going with these three.
(Excellent) - review by John
More a political allegory for the death of East Germany, with some truly lovely bits but some slow passages too. A nostalgic must-see for anyone who witnessed the death throes of this strange, short-lived country.
(Maybe) - review by John
Ugly charmers Dippidoo and Reno in an oddball odd couple flic with lots of farcical violence and kooky humour and a dodgy daggy story that works with old-style style. Midnight Run without the pretensions. Fun.
(Worth watching) - review by John
The rock musical returns. Raunching, rolicking, daring. And the music ain't bad either. For the trannie in all of us.
(Not to be missed!) - review by John
Ordinary people living in extraordinary times: a small family survives the arrival and changes of Communism in China. Little tragedies, wry comedy and survival.
(Not to be missed!) - review by John
Despite its longueurs and its old-school pacing, Tootsie boasts a bravura lead performance, some scintillating scenes and set-ups and many memorable moments. An 80s classic.
(Excellent) - review by John
See review for Coupling Series 2 Disk 2! (so I must have enjoyed disk 1).
(Excellent) - review by John
Thin, obsessed with romance and destiny, this is a film that swings along on performances. A much better than average romcom.
(Worth watching) - review by John
Extraordinary movie plays like an upside-down Richard the Third in the ghetto (or a bit like Red Harvest). Mesmerising, takes its time and indeed fresh. First half is the strongest.
(Not to be missed!) - review by John
Gary Cooper as one of the great characters of cinema. Small town sense defeats big city persiflage AND gets the girl.
(Excellent) - review by John
The first 3 eps are a little slow for younger kids (the rest are more "typical", I know) but still brimming with humour and (cheap but effective) action and set-ups.
(Excellent) - review by John
The acting can be uneven (esp. Jack Davenport) and there are occasional misfires, it's the sheer cleverness of the scripts that makes this show work. Writer Steve Moffatt constructs elaborate set-ups and complex and hilarious climaxes. The great ones are just great.
(Excellent) - review by John
A young man in search of the perfect job at the European Commission has to study for a year in Barcelona. He moves into an apartment with a bunch of other young folks from all over Europe. It's loose, it's witty, at times it drags but overall it's loads of fun. If you've ever lived overseas, or been twenty, or both at the same time, this one will give you a buzz, in its own easy-going, slightly sexy way.
(Worth watching) - review by John
Like Secrets & Lies, a flick where you can barely stand the lead character for 75% of the movie and then they come good at the end. And "out there" debut feature with black humour (though none of the actual characters has a sense of humour), fresh twists and that rare thing in US cinema, an ability to resist explaining everything.
(Excellent) - review by John