Chris's Reviews

This is a brilliant movie but I'd better shut up before I upset someone. Watch out Australia this dumbed up USA culture is already here and gaining momentum. Goodbye classical music, goodbye quiet romantic restaurants, goodbye good literature, infact all literacy, goodbye courtesy, goodbye respect for the elderly and in fact everyone and everything. Welcome to the new world. It's almost here. I can understand Frank's frustration but not his solution however that's funny, because the new generation would have pretty close to the same solution as Frank if things upset them. It's got a few flaws, they could have left the girl out, but all in all, a scary movie. Will people seeing this recognise themselves and try to improve? I doubt it.

A very modern, slick, slightly quirky, clever Jewish humour sort of movie about love and relationships. The dialogue is sharp and intelligent and you have to be quick to catch the dialogue between some couples. It's not too clever nor patronising and has a fresh, sharp feel about it. While millions of movies have been made on this theme this movie opens up the characters as interesting people in today's world. Almost a classic, but I'll have to watch it again to make that decision.

If you can buy the premise that an obvious foreigner can walk into a school and start teaching without any papers you will have no trouble with this film. It is very good though, and the acting from the children is terrific. The story is multi layered but not too complex and has underlying lessons for most people, and that is an important thing in a film. It's an enjoyable watch too.

A powerful movie about a dirty war and the psychological changes it imposes on the lives of those directly and indirectly involved. The only real fault I could find was the very broad accents, which you obviously can't edit. It just gave me the willys having to rewind in order to get what was said and in a lot of cases it was crucial to the story. Often, even then it was unintelligible and unfortunately there was no option for subtitles. I can't believe this wasn't up for a handful of awards, it's a blast.

This so easily could have been a sickly sweet chick flick but they have raised ante and produced a finely honed intelligent and interesting movie. It won't smash the box offices but it sits well amongst some of the better films this year.

Reserve a whole afternoon for both discs because once started you will want to see the whole series at once. A cracker of a mini-series with lots of twists and plot changes. In the last series everything is opened up and comes to light, so you are never left wondering what it was all about. Fantastic cast and David Suchet was brilliant out of his Poirot type-cast role.

None of the characters are particularly strong nor are they given to opportunity to develop. In the end the movie just fades away. I guess all it proves is that most movies are more interesting than reality. But this one is a zzzzzzzzzz.

For me, this was Gosling's last chance to show that he can act but again he was given a role where he was required only to stare blankly into space. This gives you the opportunity to read into his dark but intellectual mind. It's thinking "I'm getting a fortune for doing nothing, what a lark". The story started off OK but it started to lose credibility towards the end and that ending where, again, you are given the challenge to work out the incredibly intelligent reason for flicking the light switch just when it was getting better. I was half asleep so missed it, or not.

A lightweight comedy/drama that just didn't convince me it was serious. Sometimes these french movies are like this and I think it can be the translation of the subtitles. It wasn't terrible but just a bit too flippant about some of the issues to be taken seriously.

I didn't know what to expect from this movie but in the end I found it didn't quite make it somehow.

Take one aggro drunk, one cult leader and what have you got?...............zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz I din't see what the fuss is about. The thin content and theme soon lost it's charm and even though there was some fantasic acting and rave reviews, I reckon time and attendences will prove this to be rightly seen as a dud.

A pretty thin storyline depending greatly on the beautiful side and sites of Cairo to save it. Unfortunately they don't. Good acting by all but just a little too subtle for my liking.

Oh well, I'm glad it wasn't just me that missed something. In the wash up I thought it was pretentious rubbish. Not my cuppa at all.

Weird, weird , weird and weird. Not a good watch, it did my head in. Nil stars.

Kooky characters and gratuitous violence signified to me that this is a B grade film trying to be an noir classic. The story was thin and implausible, the acting was atrocious and Matthew McConaughey was way out of his comfort zone. Rubbish, and barely worth a mention.

Doesn't put a foot wrong. Brilliant understated story that keeps you interested from beginning to end. The acting is superb and the whole package is hard to fault. The Danish release was called "Heaven", why the change?

Only if you've nothing better to do. Very thin plot.

A wonderful ageless film with lessons aplenty for us all, but most importantly, don't underestimate the intelligence of the aged. How people found this boring is beyond me, it has layers unravelling all the time. Cream floats to the top and this could be used as an object lesson for a lot of gormless USA moviemakers who sacrifice realism for sensationalism.

Brilliant brutally honest commentary on life in the poorer suburbs of London and how circumsatancs beyond people's control mould their lives from an early age. After 3 generations of the train being off the track it paints a very bleak picture for the future so this should really serve as a warning to society that it needs to change. Unfortunately, I think it's too late.

A great, tight, real drama that the yanks just can't seem to emulate. I guess they do it for the multitude that hate subtitles, or have they just run out of creative puff. More whinges below again about subtitles and again I ask what did they think they would be getting with a FRENCH movie? Anyway, this is a good, no frills, gritty drama that doesn't mess around........... from start to end.

A classy movie in most respects but I somehow felt an empty, let down feeling after the end. Everything ended without resolution and it left me with hollow feeling. Maybe this is the intention.

A really well crafted human comedy. I found myself under it's spell from the get go. There is no sensationalism but many of the topics covered are things we all agonise over in life from time to time. The individual personalities are very well defined and believable and none seem out of kilter. Some genuinely funny moments helped this along.

A pretty stock standard plot with no surprises. For English release they have changed the title and it actually makes no sense. It may be made by the same makers of Dragon Tattoo but it falls a long way short of that brilliant trilogy. It is however, well acted and there is not much wrong with it as far as dramatic thrillers go. It lacked a bit of oomph for me and I was easily able to second guess the last 5 minutes. There is much worse around.

Just don't get the director's humour. It's as if, everyone smiles and laughs, it must be funny. A long movie that I couldn't watch to the end.

The main character has an unhealthy love of all things meat. His most memorable being popping the eye from a boiled sheep head just bought from the local takeaway. Obviously a staple enjoyed by many Icelandics. So not a movie for vego's. This movie is dour and dire and the icelandic scenery is totally supportive. I can't recall a single reference to humour in the whole show but the subtitles may be to blame for that, but I doubt it. Great, hilarious spot for a 6 day mini-break. With all of the above in mind, (and there's much more) I actually quite enjoyed it. There are no cheap thrills and Box Office samplers, just a good honest movie with a beginning and end. Like so many Skandinavian productions.

I tried to find a way of liking this but because of the obvious ending I was really just waiting for it to end. The characters seemed incomplete and even if you could ignore the many flaws it simply turned out to be an unsatisfying movie overall. The hand held shots were doing my head in and took away from what was trying o be an epic.

All just a bit stupid with the std all-American ending. The guy playing Elvis did a pretty creditable job considering some of the film's inadequacies.

This is 25 years old yet could have been made today. It has an ageless quality about it that tends to reflect the era it was made about and not the era it was made in. A rare achievement indeed. The story is somewhat predictable and a bit too twee but stranger things do happen in real life. You can forgive all sins once you start watching, it's rich and the music is fantastic, opera lover or not.

...........and now for something completely different. Mads is great as usual but the whole of the movie is a gem. It's always catching you by surprise, just when you think it was taking the American-style predictable path. Denise (below) says "nothing really happens".......well I've got news for you, things happen in spades, did she turn it off after 5 minutes. It's such a shame so many people are going to miss it. And......... it's hilarious in parts.

I couldn't come to terms with the Paul Dano character being a boy genius novelist. I guess it all hinged on you believing that, but not me. Also, same character using a 70's typewriter and curling up like baby demanding his "blanky" while in Therapy. That's seriously disturbing and for him to just revert to norm is hard to swallow. It was a different concept but badly handled. Could have been a winner. Looking fwd to the sequel when they get married and try to get to Europe for the honeymoon.

See what happens when parents deceive their children. Lives destroyed. This movies is bleak, bleak and more bleak with a bit of grim thrown in for good measure. Great cinematography and well directed by Shortland. Acting is good all round but I don't see the Abbie Cornish comparison that the critic does, who cares anyway? ............and who cares if there were a lot of "Nazi movies this year", although I would hardly classify this as one. The music by Max Richter sets the mood for a movie that pretends to be nothing more than it is. Grim, but great, but you won't see it up for an Oscar, I bet.

Short, sweet and simple with a good enough script to keep you intrigued enough to keep you watching. Nothing over ambitious here and the reliance on a good story, good direction and good acting left you satisfied till the end.

Israeli film, slick and realistic. Much better than the remake with Helen Mirren. A credible and non formulaic plot kept me absorbed to the end.

No subtitles on my DVD, but all looked a bit too dour to bother getting it out again. Strictly for the converted I'd say.

This movie has all the elements to make it a hit but I felt something not to be right about it. It's a million little stories thrown into one but they are all rather boring and there's nothing new here. I guess I found it a bit sterile, trying to go somewhere but not succeeding. Everyone says it's quirky, but I reckon it is more "trying" to be quirky, and failing. The photography was different and sometimes Fellini like but I thought it was all a bit twee. I didn't get a laugh or drop a tear, it just lacked guts annd fell short. I could go on but "Kimbo" has already said it.

A delicious little movie. Very quirky and different from the plerhora of trashy American coming-of- age movies. Not a single "and like" to be heard, which is a refreshing change and the dialogue amongst the girls is quite intelligent. This movie has a few little surprises and leaves room for thought. Something a little different. Greta Gerwig is a star.

This film should be viewed as if you have never heard of Oscar Wilde, then you may enjoy it. Personally, I think it is a travesty and does no one any credit and wastes valuable actresses like Helen Hunt's and Scarlett's time. It's so miscombobulated that it transposes the setting from Mid-Victorian London to the 1930's Amalfi Coast (that'll get bums on seats) and transposes the actors from English to American. This shift in time noticeably permeates the whole film and makes it rather awkward. No only that, it liberally borrows from Wilde epigrams sourced from elsewhere and veers from the original book " Lady Windemere's Fan" so much so that Oscar must be spinning in his grave.

Yes Jack Black was good in this and I have to admit this grudgingly as I don't rate him or McConaughey very highly, even though they are given god like status in the USA. Having said that, it was a larger than life characterisation and it had a touch of vaudeville to it and something about the whole deal was just a bit awry. Yes it was relatively entertaining but I couldn't really see the point of it. It left me pondering how close to reality it was and still left the question about the real Bernie's personality unsolved.

Gold

Less is more so just indulge yourself in the beautiful photography, acting by Rampling and tight script. You know something is going to happen but you are strung along right to the end.

"Excision?", no such word in the dictionary, have I missed something? This is a well crafted indie movie and the stars do a great job. It's all pretty straightforward stuff and I thought and there were some really funny bits in it. Isn't every film a "genre" film Cindy?

Annoying and totally implausible. One of the few Stephen Fry dud efforts. Couldn't take this seriously because it isn't and doesn't know where it wants to go. A bit overdone with the "Pip Pip, stiff upper lip".

Surprise ending???????? That was just the biggest cop out ending I've ever seen. Promising movie COMPLETELY SPOILT by the unresolved surprise ending. Did they or didn't they die?.......who cares! No result though, and that made me angry.

Ho hum, not a beef mince pie in sight. More about egos that chefs. A mediocre Doco with the odd flash of brilliance attributed to the chefs.

A great movie but for me the written narrative running throughout the movie to Ndugu, a 6 Y.O. African child who Schmidt, uncharacterisically, fosters at $22.50 a month is not necessary and it really seems impausible coming from someone as mean, self centred and pragmatic as the character Nicholson is playing. He isn't that stupid that he wouldn't realise a six year old Tanzanian would not have a clue about his ramblings, nor even be able to read them. It should have simply been him narrating his thoughts to the audience. The rest?......Gold.

This is almost a movie of a play. There is some musical accompaniment but it does not add any dramatic effect. This is done in a very similar manner to another Winstone "movie-play" 44 Inch Chest but, unlike the former, I found this moving and very watchable. Probably cost 2 pound to make, and proves that $$$'s aren't always necessary to produce good cinema. Small but big.

Liquid Gold, I can't remember hearing the blues being played so effortlessly and restrained. Who would ever have thought Peter Green could have made a comeback after the tragedy of his life after the break up of Fleetwood Mac. This is just so sweet, no grandstanding, just classy old musos doing what they do the best. Peter Green can stand proud amongst the best.

A movie everyone who has been in love will understand. Very well acted and directed but doesn't quite get there for me. The actual storyline was pretty basic and a bit too fluffy for my liking. There are plenty of these types of scipts around, but this is one of the better ones.

Watching an entire move made by a hand held gets pretty tiring after a while. As an in-depth gritty picture of the underworld it excels but do you really want to follow a bunch of losers going through their boring moronic lives for 100 minutes to the conclusion which is pretty obvious right from the get go. I sat it out to the end but ut was really hard going. Nothing special, but it was gritty.

Spanish Hitchcockian is how I'd describe the genre. While it is full of dread and suspense there is, in fact, very little blood spilt. Worth a watch and different from mainstream dross.

There's much worse around the traps and it's worth 4 for originality. Interesting music and concept. Quite funny in parts and shows you don't need millions to make a movie that is funny and interesting. The Irich have a happy knack of turning something out of left field.

Tres terrible. No, EDK, it didn't improve, it got worse. Like Alan H.I also had a little nap and suspect I missed nothing.

Ionn Gruffud must have been destitute to be talked into his cameo bit part. But it's not about him, in fact it's barely about anything, it's just very, very Baaaaaaaaaaaaad.

You know why it's slow moving? They are trying to fit a story that's worth ten minutes into a hundred minutes. This tried hard to be art-house but you actually need an "angle" to attempt something different, which this definitely wasn't. The story was so thin and bog basic it should have been relegated to the telemovie heap.

A nice little tale without all the fanfare you'd expect from american movie in similar vein. A tight and interesting script with excellent acting by all concerned makes for an entertaining little movie with a twist of the unusual.

It's yesterday's news now, so was it really an interesting subject to make a movie about? I think not, but everyone else seems to love it. Sitcom type acting only given a bit of credibility with a cameo by Jeremy Irons, who made easy work of a non challenging script (for him). I thought it was bland and the end was pathetic.

I have to question why or what possessed Terrence Davies to make this movie. It is a work of art, but can't have made a cent. Not because it is bad, but because it just isn't "entertaining". It is very unusual and certainly won't suit general tastes. The soundtrack is intriguing and ranges from Boccerini to Debbie Reynolds. Set in the mid-50’s it is a dour recreation of how life was then, in England, for the working classes. This was before most had T.V. and the old sing-along was the main source of entertainment. I can remember the knock on effect of that era that we experienced in Australia, but we had sunshine, not bleakness. Our school system was very similar though. There are stark contrasts. One where a collage of miserable existence in a colourless world is being shown to the strains of a sickly sweet American song "Tammy's in Love". The sweet voice and lyrics were in a direct collision with the vision. The very apt “The Long Day Closes" plays as a black and white sunset turns to black, and the day is over. .....And so is the movie.

Something different from Finland. I wouldn't call it a thriller, as I never felt an edge-of-seat moment, but the storyline was original and believable. The acting was above average and all in-all a neat little package that I found thoroughly enjoyable.

The excellent book by NZ author Elizabeth Knox is a hard act to follow and this veers away a lot from the complexities of the novel at times. However, it would be a hard book to replicate on film and they have done pretty good job overall. Acting is first class and the story remains intriguing. There is good advice for all in this film if you are smart enough to catch it. Period drama with a big difference.

A stark and realistic depiction of life (and low life) in the Ozarks. "Arma goana hurnt surm squrls". Yep, subtitles would have helped at times. Jennifer Lawrence is a standout as the young teenager who goes searching for her father in order to keep the family together in the family home. No punches pulled here, this gritty drama kept me interested and impressed right up to the last Banjo twang!

This wooden and predictable movie that never rises to any great heights goes for a very long 136 minutes. Could have been done so much better. Can be put safely in the Hollywood war melodrama basket and safely forgotten.

Simon Maurado says it's slight, but I think that's what makes it a lovely little easy to watch little gem. These type of movie very often go the way of being plain stupid but this escapes that and all players avoid the trap of overacting. It is actually quite poignent. A feelgood movie without the schmatz..

A man is given a chance at life again after a ?near death experience that leaves him without a memory. An Intelligent film with many topics to ponder. Realistic and stark but shows how compassion and love can help people find happiness out of very little. Middle movie of a trilogy, the other two of which can't be got on Quikflix. Aki Kaurismaki is a director with great insight .....and I love saying that name. If you like this you'll find Le Havre another gem.

I would have given this 4 stars if it had ended with Phillipe looking at the Mexican Border. The whole movie was about a vet who finally made a bold decision not to go back when stop lossed after 10 missions. In general it was a brilliant effort spoilt by the end, which finally succumbed to a Momma's Apple Pie conclusion, along with stirring pro America music. A total cop out in the last 3 minutes, what a shame, it sent a mixed message to me.

A very tight and clever movie, different to anything else. Cusak and Diaz never did much for me before but this shows they have real talent, but often wasted on hollywood schmaltz. 12 plus years on it still shows no sign of ageing and I think it will go on to be a cult classic. I prejudged this movie purely on it's title years ago because I thought it was going to be some self indulgent glory grab by Malkovich, how wrong I was.

It's funny how one reviewer can have a diametrically opposite view of a movie to another. I found this to be a compelling and beautifully made movie about generosity of the spirit and compassion. You don't have to be wealthy to achieve it and this depiction is the epitome of that. It's also about the real world and real people and there are no awkward syrypy moments, just pure class in every respect. Very uplifting, with an ending thart did justice to the film.

A brilliantly made movie that I could never really get excited about because of the invention content. Let's face it, intermittent wipers aren't the world's most exciting invention, so I had to put that out of my mind and keep reminding myself that it was about justice. However a 2 hour movie about the justice of the patent rights of intermittent wipers does seem like small fish until you find out he made a whopping 40 million plus bucks out of it. What I found more interesting was the weird shape of Lauren Grahams nose.

Somerset Maugham' s requirements for a story, a beginning a middle and an end may be old fashioned but I subscribe to his theory. In this brilliantly directed, acted and filmed effort I was let down by the ending, ie: you are left to imagine it and that is always somewhat disatisfying and I think, in this case, a cop out. Just took the polish off it for me although, to be fair, it really is a very good intelligent film deserving of high recognition.

A rivetting story about love set in depressing post war Britain. An unsensational rendition of a woman trapped in a sexless stifling marriage to a mother's boy Judge. She unfortunately falls in love with another flashier type who can only partially reciprocate. She was not filled with self pity but rather understood all the implications of her predicament yet realised she was on a hiding to nothing with only love as a fragile lifeboat to keep her going. You always knew she was going to stick with a lost cause to the bitter end, like so many people do, simply out of love. Brilliantly acted, scripted and shot but you have to be in the right mood as it can get depressing and morbid. It's not a movie I could say I "enjoyed" but more one to be appreciated. Not a foot was put wrong in this finely crafted movie from Terence Davies.

Nothing new here, just a Mr Chips type re-hash, but very underwhelming and predictable. One of hundreds of coming of age stories but this one is pretty ho-hum and lacks guts. John Cleese must have been glad to put this one to bed. Try "Submarine" if you want something intelligent in this genre.

Believable, well crafted movie with a good story and good acting. A beginning and an end without loose ends, although the middle is an intriguing melange of back takes interwoven into the present. Normally I don't like this but they didn't lose the plot and kept it coherent for the viewer. If you had any niggling doubts through the movie it is all referred back to and explained, leaving you in no doubt. Therelationships between all the characters are brilliantly portrayed with total believable realism, something that is usually the defining point between gold and trash. It's not so much the ending I found myself asking about but rather how I would have reacted in the young father's place. It's a movie about morality rather than sensationalism.

The best and funniest part of the whole movie was the credits when he was quizzed by the Customs staff. It was the only part that actually seemed natural. A bit sad really. Did Stitch and Co. finish up and walk away without watching it?

Can't even give this a star, it's far and away the worse movie I've seen, with absolutely nothing to recommend it. Nothing is explained about the so called "ritual" and if the director thinks he can get away with a basic premise of people being eaten as the basis for the whole movie, he's deluded. Woeful. NIL STARS

A great take on the relatively short life of a truly brilliant pianist. No one have ever come close after nearly 30 years. A true innovator and it was sad to realise he died without reaching his full potential. A flawed genius indeed.

An easy to watch pleasant romp through 60's France. It's a pretty improbable story but the way it is woven you can forgive that and just enjoy it for what it is. You would need a heart of steel not to enjoy this little charmer.

Yahoody, a great western that deserved more time at the movies....did it even appear? Dean Semler did the photography and Ed Hharris did just about everything else including singing some of the credits. The Ed and Viggo combo worked a treat with a surprise Jeremy Irons, a long way from Brideshead Revisited, as the baddie. What's not to like? Some say Rene, but she was pretty unobtrusive, which is just how I like her. A classic.

Was it ever meant to be plausible or believable? This genre is made purely for entertainment, not moral or plot dissections. There are good and bad in this category and this one is a cracker. Put your cynicism aside and enjoy, there's not too much wrong with it

Definitely nothing much to declare about this very unfunny thin plot. A very light slapstick style French comedy, similar to many made by the yanks. Overacting by the Ruben character stretched my patience, and his habit of drawing a gun and shooting at practically everything became ludicrous and tiresome. The end 2 minutes was too crass to endure.

Lots of 5 stars given by "At the Movies" reviews, so it's not an open and shut case. I don't think this is a disaster at all, as Simon Miraudo claims. Just because he's a pro critic doen't make him right. When you get a bunch of zeros and fives there is always cause to raise the eyebrows, and such is the case with this movie. This movie has so many layers and the main character turns out not to be the useless twit everyone seems to see him as. In fact he surprises quite often with some very intelligent observations, leaving you to realise that under that makeup is a flower waiting to open. The fact that he was determined to seek out and kill his father's tormentor signifies that. You'll have to make up your own mind but give it a try, it's different and thought provoking, something that's sadly missing in movies today. And Sean Penn is fantastic.

Hard to fault this one. I found it hard to understand the broad accents at times but realsim is more important than perfect diction, switch on the subtitles. "Cindy" has summed the movie up perfectly but I would add that there is a glimmer of hope for the characters. When you disect it, there is actually a very good storyline threaded in but it is a very uncompromising movie that stayed with me for days after. Acting and cinematograhy was a highlight.

Pulp Fiction without the laughs. Somehow couldn't connect with it but it's still worth seeing. Better ones have been made in the same genre. 3.5

Playschool version of teens trying to do a Tarantino, Coen bros et al and it just doesn't work. The acting is atrocious and kids trying to pull off tough guy impressions just looked, and sounded, well ridiculous. An object lesson in how not to make a noir movie. I got a lot of laughs, all for the wrong reasons, hence 1 star. Back to school kiddies.

Brings patently home to parents and carers the importance of love and how preciously children regard it even though it sometimes doesn't seem reciprocated, however it is simmerimg underneath. This is what this movie is about, the learning curve of Cyril's love and those that do and don't love him. It's a universal story and brilliantly crafted. A short film, but just long enough. Barely any soundtrack barring excerts from Beethovens beautiful "Emperor Concerto". A superbly crafted gem from the Dardenne Brothers. 4.5

It's refreshing to see a love story based in reality. Rivetting disection of the love process.

Bloody brilliant!

The colours in this movie are so richly filmed you can almost smell Mexico. Hayek and Mollina were superb, making the total result a movie that is hard to fault. So much to put into one movie and somehow they managed to pull it off.

Tried so much to like this but something just didn't hit the right chord. Clive Owen seemed as if he couldn't be bothered but Michael Caine put his all into his small cameo role. Once Caine was out of it, dross returned. The ending was particularly pathetic I thought.

Please explain. Am I stupid? Did I miss something? Was 90% of the movie just a delusional state Falk was in and all a figment of his imagination as a result of him losing his wife 6 months earlier. If so, what a cop out with lots of unanswered questions. My subtitles cut out too but I went back to the setup and hit "sub cine" and the second half miraculously had subtitles.

Next please........

I wasn't expecting much from this but I found myself lauging from the get-go. It did lapse into a few flat areas but by and large it was entertaining and I never once looked for the stop button. There is much worse out there.It aint for intellectuals tho.

Next........

Disturbingly bad.

Why?

A compact, well crafted movie. Interesting and enjoyable to watch, if not a heavyweight. Michelle Williams was superb and managed to get Marilyn's mannerisms down just pat, making up for the fact that she didn't exactly look like her. Dame Judy, Kenneth Branagh and Eddie Redmayne put in great supporting role efforts. A rare insight into what her life must have been like and her flawed character, borne out of a loveless upbringing.

A good laugh and good SFX. The talking pug wore a bit thin tho. What is it about Americans and talking animals in their movies? Did it start with Francis the talking Donkey? The talking dog in recent release Beginnings totally spoilt an otherwise very good movie.

Harrison was suffering from narcolepsy through most of this, and you couldn't blame him. He must have needed some quick money. Trite rubbish.

The only cop out was when the Captain related the story of the Unicorn in a state of delusion. Easy way out. As a whole though this was a cracking yarn, with superior special effects. A sort of adult cartoon for the kids. A lot of work and thought went into this production and it really delivers in every respect.

There were two ways to go with this movie, tinsel town (equals money) or something equating closer to realism, but dire. I found this Disney style version to be underwhelming. It was just all too twee. The interior of the many clocks a twelve year old boy was supposed to be maintaining were spotless and you could go on forever, but you can forgive all these things because it was a "fairy story" even if it really wasn't. It had a dual personality. The usually brilliant Sacha Baron Cohen didn't nail the part of nasty Station Guard and and he had the weirdest of accents, almost sounding Australian at times. I found the boy pretty annoying at times and no one has eyes that blue. 5 Oscars?.....they must have been going cheap that week.

A brilliant novel but very hard to translate this to the screen. I think Fred Schepisi did a marvellous job of getting the "guts" of the book to screen but really, this is best enjoyed if you do not compare the two. This way you will be able to enjoy the full richness of the film. I am so glad he didn't try to sensationalise the stars and just played it straight, a fantastic effort by all concerned. Very cerebral and nothing is handed to you on a plate here so you do need to absorb as much as possible to get the most out of it. I loved Charlotte Rampling's aussie accent, it was spot on.

Still fresh and funny 9 years on. You could watch this now and think it was a new release. Such is the talent of the Coen Bros. It's lightweight but subtley done, as someone said "like a Carey Grant movie". Clooney can take a lot of the credit for this turning out so well but all the other actors were also well cast. Billy Bob and Geoffrey Rush in cameo roles were brilliant, and Zeta-Jones was the "Perfect Wife". A great watch and one for the library and good to see people still watching it.

I always felt as if I was watching a stage play, it had that overacted sort of feel that often occurs on the stage. The acting was very good but I never felt any of them were really in the environment they were supposed to portray. Hard core criminals playing at philosophy, but it just didn't quite work. All actors are very capable of playing hard men but in this it seemed like they were pretending and the use of profane language actually made them sound unbelievable, not tough. Still worth a watch tho, it's different.

Short and sweet but quite deep if you analyse it. A compact no frills classic that you almost will to go on and on. Some say that this is unresolved but I disagree.

Not one of Polanki's best. Peter Coyote really got on my nerves after a while and Hugh Grant seemed to be far too unrealistic in this role of a man lusting after another's wife. The retelling of someone else's torrid love life isn't as attractive as you might think and it all became mind numbingly boring after you realised Coyote was just going to bang on forever. The so-called shock ending was thin and if I'd been in a movie house I'd have given a standing ovation for the fact that it was finally over. 140 minutes of blah. Kristen Thomas looked as if she'd blundered into 70's B class movie, and she'd have been about right.

It's an English comedy, no wait, it's American, no wait, it's English........That's how I felt throughout the movie. It didn't feel as if Pegg and Frost had total say in this fairly funny movie. It's not the classic that Shaun of the Dead is and never likely to be. There were some really good lines in it and some really crummy segments. A little more thought could have made this a classic too.

After "Norbert", the 2nd worse film ever made.

This should be shown to every school kid. Make no mistake, this is not a love story with drugs thrown in, this is all about the terrible consequences of how addiction eventualy demolishes everything, love included. Just ask any parent whose child or children are addicted to narcotics. Anyone who has been involved with this knows that it can get a whole lot worse too. The film is a graphic depiction of the above and the acting and direction is at the highest level. Very powerful and very hard to sit through.

He's gotta be in the Director's idea of heaven surely? I'd love to have really seen where he was when they turfed him out. I hate a story without an ending so I hated to assume he ended in hell. Nevertheless, I found it to be different to anything I'd seen for a long time. Similar to Trueman Show, as one suggested, in some ways but this was cutting edge without the Hollywood gloss treatment. Everyone will find a message in this but that it will be entirely up to the viewer what that is.

Still plays well 12 years later. Kevin doesn't deserve all the credit, but he was great in this and it avoided the B/S factor that this type of genre attracts. A well crafted, well directed, well scripted and well acted little gem. How did this miss the movies back then?

A long and relatatively emotionless rendition of events.Time has not been kind to this version, in fact it seems more 70's than 90's, and I can't understand how it can lay claim to being a classic. Acting was often wooden and all in all didn't really live up to expectations.

A well crafted package and a credit to all participants. Not a shoot-'em-up as the title suggests but a very tight and gripping drama. None of the typical overdone artificiality American movies often resort to. This is a straight shooter about life as it is and real people and real situations. I can't believe more people haven't seen it. The director went on to later do Take shelter, also with Michael Shannon.....another very good effort.

This is showing it's age. It's really a B grader for late night TV. The acting isn't just wooden, it's almost as if they are reading direct from the script. The story is entertaining enough but it's predictale and been done a thousand times before. Lindsay Crouse is the wife of the director? Maybe there was a bit of sexual blackmail going on in that family. A very unconvincing effort on her part.

A classic and nothing short of brilliant but found the strong Scottish brogue difficult to understand. Nevertheless you wouldn't have it any other way, it obviously has to stay totally authentic. Pathos and humour are featured side by side in this thinking persons movie. I love one of the comments at the end when their van breaks down in a Lion Park and the school kid replies to the Ranger when asked to get back in the van..."we haven't tooched yer fookin' lions".

Better than the average Martial Arts film but very disapointed to learn that this Series is VERY loosley based on the truth and it is interesting to note that in reality IP man was actually in Hong Kong when Japan occupied China. In the closing credits it gives a summation of IP man (really Yip Man) as if it is absolute truth and I took it in good faith to be correct, as you would. Interesting to note that he was an opium addict who ripped his students off to pay for his habit. His only real claim to fame, it seems, is that Bruce Lee and other famous Kung Fu exponents trained at his school. The real story of his life would make far more interesting viewing.

You need watch the whole Series, and it is worth it just to see the stand out performances by Rob Brydon. He's a class above the rest and that's no mean feat. Just when you start to think this is a bit East Enders/Coronation Street it takes a turn to the dark side. Tracey is a precocious little airhead and it seems that her and Gavin are mismatched in the IQ stakes but he's smitten, and wound around Tracey's finger. Nessa, well she's up there with Brydon in the class act category but it's the whole story really that pulls it all together, very subtle and understated. The only mismatch is Gavin's mother, she's a bit too vaudville and her character seems out of place as if she's trying too hard, almost waiting for the laughter after the punch line. A winner all the same.

A faithful adaption of J.M. Coetzee's 1999 Booker Prize winning novel. It's a complex and intelligently written book (None of his aren't) and I wouldn't know where to start trying to make a movie of it. They could have done it the easy way and done it by narration but this was the real thing with dialogue direct from the book, right down to the last scene. This deserved more air time and is truly a great Australian movie, made in South Africa with no holds barred. The casting choices were excellent and John Malkovich was the perfect person to play the professor. Anyone making criticism of the movie really needs to read the book, preferably before you see the movie. It's like a simmering pot.

The acting is brilliant and the movie is a gripping, grissly affair, so not for the faint hearted. Where it was let down for me was the beginning, where the relationships of the characters to each other were not clear and unfortunately that set the cement for the rest of the movie. I wanted to know who everyone was right from the beginning. The fact that "John" just appeared and took over running the family was off-putting and didn't make sense. Also, some of the dialogue was very hard to pick up. I know they are going for realism, but it counts for nothing if you can't understand what is happening.

Gritty realistic depiction of "the troubles" and the history behind Sin Fein. Ken Loach does a masterful job, as usual, but this one is not for the faint hearted. The recent French movie :Outside the Law" almost identically reflects the same theme of revolutionary struggle between the French and Algerians and is equally as good. Hard to fault.

Fantastic movie. Tells the story of Algeria gaining independence from France, from the Algerian perspective. Very enlightening and really drives the message home about how terrorism begins and blossoms. All credit to all involved in what must have been a mammoth task bringing to life and recreating this era in history. Nearly 2 1/2 hours long, but it went very quickly because this was totally engrossing. No American style chest beating heroes here, all characters were "real" and totally believable. "Half a star" why bother to comment on this? It's made in France by French people ( and some Algerian too). They are not going to learn English especially for you.

Scenery fantastic (2 stars for that) but the story got lost, for me, in "Winter". All- in- all a bit of a mystery about what it was trying to portray and all too weird and unbelievable for my liking. Maybe the symbolism is par for the course for Koreans but I just didn't get it.

Watched it to see to see what all the fuss is about......Crapola!

If you want a gun totin' retiree with a suspect plot get out Gran Torino. O'Horten is far from being a dull character. He is actually a very self contained man and deep as an ocean. A predictable Clint Eastwood, he's not. This movie is refreshingly different and doesn't use sensationalism or have an "angle" to sell it, as do so many American movies. It does move slowly but that is part of it's charm and this makes the outcome more satisfying. Less is more.This is on my favourites list

Ben Kingsley is a standout in a quirky little movie that I, surprisingly, found myself roped into. Yes it was simplistic but that's not so bad in this case. At the end I felt everyone had earnt their pay for a job well done. Ray Winstone?.... well he's just Ray Winstone and he's great. A few laughs as well.

Realistic and believable without any cheap tricks. Noah Taylor is superb as the father. It is strange to find an Aussie in Wales, but it works. A finely made film that gently ropes you in. Hard to fault and my only disappointment was that the music tape cassette given to Oliver by his father (and was supposed to be full of his favourite ?80's tunes) was actually modern day. Revealing his father's taste in music would have been the icing on the cake for me.

A Musical Murder? French Miss Marple x 8? Typically French and out of left field but it left me cold. Just too smart by half and after 20 minutes I really couldn't have cared about the outcome, despite the fine line up of cast etc. It just got more and more ridiculous the longer it went and the ending was totally unsatisfactory, a supposed twist in the tail.......but who would care by then. Ho Hum.

I missed the last quarter just at a crucial moment when the tape ran out back in the old pre-digital days. I tried everywhere to get this great movie, then along came Quickflix. Same with "Repulsion" (great classic B&W by Polanski), so I am a big fan of Quickflix. This could have been a Coen Bros or Tarantino it's that good, especially for it's age. It has a Blood Simple feel to it. You can see why Joachim Phoenix went on to be the star he is. This a really entertaining movie with lots of twists. Get it out while you can.

Not a sequel so don't expect it, it lacks the finesse and script of the first but it is a ripping yarn well done and Malkovich is at his usual narcissistic best along with a great supporting role from Ray Winstone . Watch without preconceptions and you'll find it is a slick edge-of- seat thriller with a few laughs.

All very fancy pancy but in the end I was left wondering what it was all about with all those unresolved questions, then I realised...............some smart person's self indulgence. Somerset Maugham said a good story needs a start, middle and ending, his stock in trade, but his advice was ignored in this debacle.

Too much conflict between realistic dark human comedy and just plain stupid drawn out scenes left me in two minds about this film. It could have been a brilliant drama/comedy if it had stayed "real " and not tried to be all things to all people. The acting was fantastic and even the script was pretty good but somewhere in there the American need for Mommas Apple Pie scmaltz kept sneaking back in. ie, a happy ending was always going to be the order of the day. However, in every respect it was always 4 stars ahead of it's male counterpart "The Hangover". Definitely worth a watch.... and Kristen wasn't "slopy" at all Gerry C.

A classic, American scriptwriters take note. I only ever saw it in B&W so it was interesting to see the clothes, cars and Toby's light blue sunnies. Loved it.

As a movie this was pretty predictable, and the end inevitable but it did send a message to Police forces and their staff around the world about the effects of not controlling the daily temptation that officers are confronted with. 20 years on nothing much has changed, so I guess you could say the excercise was a massive waste of time. If something as graphic and real as this doesn't get the message across, nothing will. Harvey was great as usual.

I've been waiting, in anticipation, for this for so long. It has been lauded everywhere as a triumph etc etc but to me it was just one big let down. It won a Best Director at Canne and No.1 at the French Box office but the "not quite" documentary style left me sort of detached from the movie and I never quite got into it. My wife said the same. It kept jumping from place to place and by the end you were left with a pile of empty unanswered questions like.....what was the implausible story behind them all ending up in a disused empty motel, albeit equiped with booze and all the mod cons? Just weird and emotionless.

Made in 1996 but still as fresh as a daisy today. Hilarious and different but what we liked most was the country furniture and clothing that we can all remember from our distant pasts. A true Australian movie that embodies all that is real about Australia. This will stay as a little piece of history .......with a difference. Can't remember this being released but it sure deserved to do better. America.....look and learn.

I "sort of" enjoyed it but was always niggled by the thought that it was a movie that didn't know what it wanted to be. It seemed that Stephen Elliot was trying to keep it in the genre of a lighthearted romp, as many of Noel Coward's plays were, but this script really had too much depth for that. Don't get me wrong, it was good, but could have been really, really good. Everything was at the Director's disposal, great script, great actors, great photography and stunning location.

Had a lot of potential but in the end was blown by the need to stay within the boundaries of American "safe" movies. Seemed like the Diector had the goods but was kept on a short leash. The one saving grace was that it strung out so you had to stay to the end to find out the outcome even if, deep in your heart, you knew it would have a happy ending. The Yanks just can't help themselves.

How on earth did this get past the Movies. It should have been a box office winner. I'm so glad to have found it, it was so good. I think even the hardest nut to crack will enjoy this. Rowan Atkinson was refreshingly good out of his Mr Bean role and the rest of the cast were fantastic, especially Maggie Smith and Kristin Scott Thomas. Very stylish.

The movie has virtually no musical score so you are forced to absorb the atmosphere, a very clever ploy by Campion to get the watcher to concentrate only on one thing. Those used to the Hollywood over-the-top style productions will find this unnerving and will undoubtedly be looking for more. This movie challenges the viewer and is something special if you don't write it off after the first 10 minutes and stay to the end. It is now some 20 years old yet it could have been made yesterday, and still holds it's own with some of the best Aussie films. I wish I'd heard about it earlier and can't believe it has slipped into the broom cupboard with barely a whimper.

See, USA can make some great movies if they try. Don't compare it to Shawshank Redemption or Dead man Walking, it's a stand alone great movie in it's own right. Simmering, intelligent and intense it will keep you thinking about the various themes for some times afterwards. Sometimes small is best, and that short racist sentence delivered by Peter Boyle to Halle Berry was like a bolt of lightning. It sort of explained what the whole movie represented.

A "B grader" almost saved by Spacey and Bridges, but most of the time they were just beating time. Nothing much to upset anyone but I found it really drab, with no real surprises. The "feel good" music throughout really did my head in. It's a signature of budget US movies and when I hear it from the start the warning bells are already ringing. It's certainly my KPI anyway and it proved to be right once again.

Couldn't make head nor tail of it and not worth trying to. My hand was on fast fwd all thru it waiting for something to happen. Horror...........Yawn! A real P take.

Even Hugo and Tommy couldn't save this one. The characters were wooden and souless and it was really just a long 2 hour, ill conceived shoot 'em up gamer style movie good for young boys on a rainy afternoon. A bit of humour might have helped it along but everyone was oh so serious, about nothing much in particular as it turned out.

An English Tarantino movie? Really funny and very clever movie. Enjoyable from go to whoa. Don't take some of the obvious improbable scenes too seriously.

I agree with Brian M and Jack K about the difficult to understand accents. Some may also have a problem with the long dragged out virtually silent scenes. It's touted as a startling thriller but is nothing of the sort. It is actually a very well made movie and if you bear with it you won't be disappointed. This is a movie about real emotions and real people and although it's put me off going to Glasgow for life the realism extracted in depicting the subject is praisworthy. No cheap stunts here. All is revealed in the end but it takes a long dark time getting there.

Pure genius, by all concerned. One of the best movies of all time. I couldn't care less about your wife's sleeping habits Trent H (3/10/07)

With this sort of movie you'll always get the love it or hate it verdict. I loved it. It was interesting to see Robert Downey Jnr in hindsight, what a talent wasted on addiction. Woody Harrelson, brilliant but always the bridesmaid. You couldn't expect much less from an Oliver Stone / Tarantino collabaration and it's not just violence for the sake of it. If you peer into it there is a whole raft of interesting issues worth examination.

Portrays the very best and very worst of the human condition in retelling a little known true story about the annexing of French and refugee Jews in a velodrom in Paris and sending them to their deaths in German concentration camps. Well made movie with good performances by all actors. You have to be in the mood for this, but better to watch and know the truth than stay in denial.

What are American kids being brainwashed into? The correlation between this and Hitler Youth is glaringly obvious if you consider this movie. It is far deeper than it immediately appears. It seem in America if you are not a top performer you are considered worthless and anyone with any type of abnormality or who is non conformist is treated with disdain (and that's the nice way of putting it). The realisation that American children are being brainwashed into believing that the only worthwhile thing is winning is vividly portrayed using a debating contest as an example. Like child beauty contests and, generally, all contests American, the reason behind them gives way to who wins based on a bizarre formula and nothing to do with the aesthetic content. A strong social commentary, but you could be forgiven for thinking it was just another cheap- shot American teenage movie without substance. Was made before Up in the Air and never came here till Anna Kendrick made it big.

Gold!

Thin, predictable and pathetic. The simpering "Days of our Lives" type soundtrack is annoying. Reece Witherspoon is wasted in this and the rest of the characters have no substance, like cartoon characters just reading their lines. Story?.....well, I guess there is an elephant in the room, who understands Polish. I'm with you Sybil.

Strictly for the kids and it's worth 3 stars as purely a children's movie, but that's where it ends. Emma looks embarrasssed to be there most of the time. Not a patch on the first movie........it's mainly pretty silly with too many computrer generated gimmicks to make up for a bad plot and serious lack of content.......maybe kids won't like it??

Good movie without too much razzamatazz to fill in the gaps (don't:see Mr Magoriums Blah Blah...). Adult friendly and worth a watch just for Emma Thompson, unlike the second spinoff.

Got this on the advice of David Stratton (At the Movies ABC1 4 stars). It started well and generally a good show but I didn't like the way his (the Brain's) paranoia was played out. Looking at countless shots of his blank face didn't quite get the message across and if it had been done more in the vein of Shutter Island they would have nailed it. The last two minutes didn't make up for it but it was a satisfying conclusion.

Sensational documentary, just imagine, if the boat in front of Crowhurst hadn't sunk unexpectedly just days from the finish he'd have returned home a hero and pulled off the biggest hoax of the century. The poor man was given two impossible choices but he came up with a third of his own. Shows how media pressure was alive and well even in the 60's and how it can take a mans life and ruin a family. Truth can be stranger than fiction and the abundance of original archival footage and sound recordings keeps you entranced. The account of Bernard Moitessier, who was due to win the prize, but had a change of mind days from home, turned around to do another half circumnavigation......... incredible. His philosophy of life condensed into a 30 second monologue towards the end was fascinating.

Vomit inducing twaddle.

38 years old ......amazing! This must have blown them away in the 70's. Worth a look just for the historical value, but it is a great film with Dirk and Charlotte at their best. A very "different " movie, even today.

Pretty average kids show with all the usual throw-ins but lacking substance and too cheesy for words. Dustin was struggling with a crap script that was going nowhere, and he's not a nice old man all the time, he's scary like Professor Julius Sumner Miller (of Why Is It so?). A Zebra in a house?......hilarious. Bah humbug. Try the old version of Tom Thumb with Terry Thomas (circa 60's) if you really want a magical treat. It still stands the test of time.

How could you not like this. A very adult cartoon that is beautifully crafted frame by frame in the traditional way. I listened using the English voice option and it was strange to watch a French production with cockney accents, maybe subtitles would have been better. The story plays second fiddle to the incredible artwork, although it is still a good little yarn, as only the French can do. Take an hour off wth the kids to watch it, you won't regret it.

Has stood the test of time 27 years on and the indelible Coen Bros. stamp is undeniable. A lot of movies today are struggling to reach the class of this little beauty. "Jack" 24/9/09, below, sums it up nicely, and boring it ain't. A classic!

A cautionary tale about taking people for granted. Take note! Charming movie with a real Italian flavour, but uncharacteristically understated. The fact that it is mainly shot in Venice is a bonus but the city doesn't steal the show, that's done by Bruno Ganz et.al.

A classic Australian human comedy. Shows that Aussies aren't beyond making cutting edge films. Call it what you like but even if it's not to your taste you can't call it "lousy". I found it had a lot going for it and left me thinking about the situations for days afterwards. Great stuff!

It's a love it or hate it movie, I loved it but wouldn't hold it against any one who hated it. Sometimes gets a bit lost in it's own cleverness but it probably needs another look, it's diverse.

A remarkable true story with great directing, acting and photoraphy. I couldn't fault it. Flawless attention to detail and at times I forgot the cast were acting it was so absorbing and real. Yes, it was long and half could have been left on the cutting room floor, if you wanted the "American" version.

One of the best original movies I've seen this year and didn't even know what to expect. Deserves wider airplay as it would appeal to most people. Original and beautiful with some great performances by all. Give it a try, you won't be disappointed.

Perfectly terrible French Chick Flick that doesn't cut the mustard in any shape or form, subtitles notwithstanding. Story thin, not funny, and often cringeworthy with the little lovey musical "fun" interludes. It was a recent box office hit in France and a Oz Festival selection. Did anyone watch it first? That's 3 french love comedies I've seen recently and all have been unoriginal rubbish. Is this the start of a trend?

Not a worldbeater but deserrves a look. Not as cheesy as a lot of yank rubbish in similar vein with generally tight acting. Enjoyable. Barely heard at the box office but deserves better than some that made it. Love eat Pray for example.

A really different movie from Oz. Beautifully done, intelligent and very subtle. I was waiting for the ultimate revenge that the office bully would normally have copped in an American movie of this genre but it was brilliantly handled and left up to you to conclude the outcome once the office girls (sisterhood) realised what had happened. Small touches like that kept it all real, and push home the message that we are all different.

It's funny to call a vampire film beautiful, but that's how I found it. Vampire movies aren't my thing usually but this movie transcended the genre and stood alone as something of a moviemaking masterpiece. I didn't read the book, but probably will, however unlike Agnes I thought there was a different relationship between Oskar and Eli than there was between Eli and Hakan. Despite all the gore, it was a delicate and touching movie. Something you couldn't really imagine after watching the first ten minutes.

Anyone who his planning to watch this and knows very little about Serge Gainsbourg should do a quick brush up on Wikipaedia first. It will then all fall into place and be a more rewarding experience. I wasn't surprised to find it was produced by the makers of Pan's Labyrith, it is similarly quirky and different although never really loses the plot of his life. He was, after all, a fairly quirky guy himself and the actor playing him is almost a twin. Even the transition from child to adult actor bore a stong resemlance to the real thing. It won't be to everyone's tastes but a lot of thought went into this and deserves to be watched by serious movie lovers.

Matthew is a smartarse intolerable. The ending was tortuous. Oh Marissa why???

Critic review summed it up perfectly. "All very well done etc, but after you've seen it you realise there wasn't really much to it." . You have to hand it to Leonardo, he was at his best as were the remaining cast , and the special effects were spectacular, but throughout there was a niggling uneasiness for me and I have to say I didn't really settle into enjoying it. Maybe another look is needed.

I loved this movie, it had developed quirky characters, but aren't most of us? No stereotypes here. The father and mother were a hoot and the movie stayed true to it's theme and never lost it's way as this type of movie can, in an effort to please everyone. It was uncompromising and hard edged, but I liked it's honesty. Good effort all 'round by Julie Delphy. A truly REAL love story.

Can't understand how this star system works, I would have thought it's averaged, but there are only 2 reviews for this and both give ot 4 stars. "at a glance " gives it 2.5 ......how is it so? Wonder what my 5 will do? Great little movie, has it all, good script good acting and good direction. It's amazing that these little gems pass us by without a peep of recognition from the heaving masses.

Saw it on SBS and really enjoyed this but I wouldn't say "light hearted comedy". It's more in the vein of a human comedy and has something to say about life in general, woven around an interesting and entertaining story set in a significant time in Czech history. I was never aware that Hitler annexed Czechszlovakia as a German state. I'm going to get it out again so I can watch it at a decent time, at leisure

An OK movie for a wet Sunday. A bit too "feel good", contrived and twee for my tastes, but will please most people. A true story that has been somewhat glamorised to sell seats. It could have been so much better if it was grittier and the main character was developed more. It made equal pay for women look like a walk in the park, which it certainly wasn't.

Could have worked better without the mask. Story was a bit dysfunctional at times but this was saved by some good acting and a good overall premise. Not an award winner but surprisingly good. Drove me crazy looking at that ill thought out mask. Maybe it was the transfixed grin. 3 1/2

Pretty good show without the usual American apple pie format. Quite believable and Jackson was given a good script that wasn't too over the top. I couldn't put my finger on it but there was an element missing somewhere. Slow burner.

Did this ever get to the big screen or just get buried? It deserved better. Based on a frequently used formula, but Jodie tends to give the character real depth and credence as opposed to many previous weak attemps. Script, acting and story all very tight and even if this type of genre doesn't appeal, it should keep you rivetted to the set till the end

Seriously good. A multi layered work of art that has something for everyone if you take the time to dig deep. No American lollipop endings here because it's about real life and the portrayal of one man's attempt to deal with all manner of life's diversities. Sometimes grim, sometimes funny but all in all very tight, different and rewarding movie. Most reviews from ABC's At the Movies rated this highly but it gets a big thumbs down here, strange.

Edgy and different, great acting with an original plot. Viggo is the goods and Vincent Cassel was in his element. Vince will look back on taking the role as a dancing Maestro in the unbelievable Black Swan and wonder what the hell he was doing.

Not funny, every star is playing their alter egos and the Martians are, well, just pathetic. Their voices drove me insane after a while, a bit like the chipmunks. Age has definitely wearied this film.

Doesn't measure up to the books or TV series, which was a long time ago now. It's been said before but there is just something missing in this rendition. I think there are too many "good" bits competing with a lot of "bad bits". Lacks cohesion, but a good try at a hard to do movie.

Don't write this off as a kids show, it's far from it. How would you describe it......... bizarre, unusual, groundbreaking? A lot of work and thought went into this fairly long animation movie, but I would describe it more as a moving work of art, it has so many dimensions and totally original with a distinct French flavour. Don't forget to turn on the subtitles. Enjoy. I loved it.

Not a big fan of this genre but I have to say this one is a corker, with a good storyline to boot. Usually subtitles don't bother me but because it was quite an involved plot, you needed to concentrate on the words rather than the film, which really also deserved your full attention. Fantastic FX and photography and generally a top notch job.

It was on SBS recently and given 4 stars. I'm stuggling to give it 2. There was nothing ostensibly bad about it, but it just had no "grunt". A bit of a marshmellow with a happy ending. The final "10 years later" scene at the end of the Nazi regime was a total cop out.

Incredible documentary. And I thought I could tell good from bad music. This just shows how musicians at the top of their game continue to search for the perfect sound, while us mere novices just look on in wonderment. A whole new world opens.

Totally implausible. Someone this crazy would be in a straight jacket long before she reached the dizzy heights of Prima Ballerina. I got sick of trying to work out what was real or just her imagination, there's no clues so the director can use as much poetic lisense as he likes. If she really did have a 9 inch shard of glass stuck in her stomach, it defies belief that she could have danced the last act of Swan Lake in this state.

Great very original movie. Worth watch just for the beautiful and moving voice in the concert scene. A pity it's unavailable now, it's not so old.

Story?.....what story?.........I'm with you Burtondo (10 Jun 2011)

It's quirky, well done and different, but something about it just wasn't right. Maybe I wasn't in the right mood, I just didn't find it interesting or funny.

Totally implausable and not even funny.......you had to wait for the credits to see the real story. Stealing a tiger from Mikes Tyson while under the influence of Rohypnol? Do me a favour!

I'm with Jack K and Derek M. What more can you add, they sum it up perfectly, and they are right. Time has not wearied it. It still comes over as a fresh and interesting film, signs of a classic.

You have to really try to empathise with these characters and their situation to really appreciate this film. Once you achieve that, it is apparent how good this actually is. It's not easy to watch but the acting and beautiful scenery keeps you in there. Yes it does go on and on but that's the point about grief and the whole movie, you can't just turn it off. Highly recommended.

You need to be in the mood for this one because it is long and has a slow build up. It is however, worth the effort. Cinematography and the slow burn of actors and script make for a truly great movie experience. It helps to know the history behind the story too.

An unusual movie that improves as it progresses. Sometimes hard to believe but the premise grows as you continue watching. Acting is superb and, all in all, a very tight package that leaves you feelig all is not necessarily wrong with the world.

You hit it on the head Trish. Great movie that stands the test of time. Ole

Sandra A March 2011. It's in FRENCH Sandra because it's a FRENCH film.We want your comments on the film not you moanings about subtitles. Your zeros only lower the overall rating of what is a brilliant film.

Lyn (16/3). "difficult to watch because it was subtitled"? Don't bother commenting if you can't read, it lowers the average of a 5 star film in this case. It's RUSSIAN, did you expect it in English just for you? We want to hear your critique of the film. This film is dire but very powerful and very rewarding if you sit it out, makes you think afterwards, always a good indicator that the film achieved something.

I'm a Neil Young tragic. Great stuff....5 stars!!

What did you expect Carolyn? it's a FRENCH movie..........and a really good yarn. Why do you bother to comment, we want to know your opinion of the movie, not about whether your kids can read english.

Just simply brilliant, hard to fault. Again, never given enought airplay. Will go down as a classic, in time such as "the Boat " did.

"subtitled....bl##annoying". Joanne why don't you and everyone else that write a similar review (which only serves to drop the ratings) check where the movie is made before you watch it. This is a no brainer but if it's not made in an English speaking country there's about a 100% chance it will have subtitles. " It's annoying"?? It's a FRENCH movie! Great movie by the way, but it is pretty draining. Not a fluffy matinee number.

Why didn't anyone hear about this movie? Should have been a blockbuster and better than Black Balloon. Emma Booth was great as was Brenda Blethyn. A really mature Australian movie that deserved better airing. It's up there with some of the best. "slow and bearable" (see Debbie and Melissa) .....was I wastching a different movie?

What starts out as a lightweight bank heist movie suddenly turns dark and gripping. Typical tight British movie with good acting by all. "Inspector Poirot" is particularly good as a sleasy Porn King. Because it's a period movie (and based on fact) it will date well and in time could become a classic.

There is another world out there and Almodovar has found it. Cruz isn't the star although , as usual, carries her part to perfection. This shows a side to society that most of us scoff at and ridicule but this gives an insight to another life that ,although different , is the same as urs with all the heartbreaks, tragedies and laughs. A human comedy with a difference , and very touching. Throw away your predjudices and enjoy.

A nice all round comedy slightly spoilt by Alice Taglioni (not brilliant). Alice is not convincing as a french model (too old) and her acting wooden. But for that , it was probably worth 4 stars.

A bit Coen Bros. but that's good. Cronenberg has left his own mark and this is a powerful movie that will leave you thinking afterwards (always a good sign) and there are issues that are interesting. The violence is not gratuitous it's just how it rolls out, a bit like No Country for Old men, but with more thought about the plot. What you see is what you get, uncomplicated slick and edgy. A classic.

Some people should look at doing something useful with their hands. Half a star.

Why does everyone expect a script that meets "their" expectations? This is different and Cruz is brilliant, as usual. Sit back and enjoy the difference.

Saw it at the movies, very thin and frivolous. In same league as Eat, Pray etc. Kline is always good but can't save this one. Has "Chick Flick" become an overnight genre? If so, someone has done a favour to all intelligent woman by giving them a list of movies to avoid. Was "Simon" the reviewer paid to write that drivel? Move on

Mall Cop is one of the worst movies ever made and Norbert is possibly the worst. There are lunatics like this main character in the private security business but they pop up all over the place, people that need to be recognised or need to feel important. This is a comedy that is pretty thin at times but creepily close to people that really are out there, everywhere. Keeping that in mind you might find it interesting and funny. Dark enough to get 4 points.

I'm sure it has a very happy ending, but I'm still asking why oh why did I even start watching this vomit inducing pile of garbage to begin with. You could only endure staying to the end if you were comatose. Purile and sterile......but I'm almost certain it does have a happy ending

An intelligent movie that's a few steps above the rest, but relegated to the "festival movie" genre, hence only a few reviews. Subtitles?.....oooooh can't watch that! Spend a couple of hours and sit back and indulge yourself, it has everything, you won't be disappointed. Cruz is great as usual, but it's not just her movie. Almovadar has done it again.

A little gem, brilliantly done and a pity it's just going to be a sleeper. Deserves much better. Story, acting and direction all top notch. I didn't find it a bit blokey but I did find it hilarious in parts, you have to keep an alert mind or pou'll miss some of the dialogue.

Don't let the title fool you, a chick flick it isn't but it is a love story, of sorts. It's also realistic cutting edge story teling direction, acting, photograpy and direction. A few nasty scenes but it's not done in a gratuitous manner. It's a breath of fresh air to see a movie that is truly original and keeps you on edge and thinking throughout. No sentimentality as only the Scandanavians can do it. Subtitled, of course.

Brilliant special effects and an interesting story line. I'm not a fan of this sort of movie but this actually transcends the likes of Batman style movies and I eventually found it to be surprisingly good. Even in this parallel universe they make the so called superheroes (who don't possess special powers) so strong, they can survive getting the living crap being beaten out of them with barely a scar to show. All good fun.

Small is big...........this is about humanity, simple and honest and really, very funny. One of the reviewers called it a gem. A small word but it sums it up perfectly. I was thinking about this movie and the main character, the bandleader, (but then, all the other characters were perfectly portrayed) for several days and that is always a sign to me of a brilliant movie. Exquisite is the word I'd use. What a shame only a few will see it. It's in my top 5 of all time, vying with Monsoon wedding, but I think this wins by a nose, but you have to watch the movie to see the most spectacular nose I've ever seen.

I felt like an idiot towards the end when all was revealed. Did I miss the clues?? I don't think so, but I had consumed about 6 beers by then. ( it was a hot day) I don't want to give away the surprise ending but I felt like I'd been sold a dummy. A better movie than most critics rated it but I'm so used to the yanks teflon coating the main characters, that the truth came out of left field. Was that what that crafty devil Scorcese was planning? Well, he got me. I'm still seething, it was like missing a crytic crossword clue.

Rubbish!

Don't miss this, it's a timeless classic that's got something for for everyone with a charm of it's own. Hard to classify as it doen't fit any mould really. I can't believe how well they nailed the particular Maori culture it was representing. It wasn't demeaning or cliched and deserved a longer run at cinemas.

A "hand held" production that initially grates on you but the strong acting and story line holds you captured. Just when you think it's getting like the Royale Family (dry English comedy series set in one room) the pace increases and before you know it you are deeply involved. Eat your heart out Quentin Tarantino. This is a classic. But why was it rated a comedy?...........mind you, it did have me in stiches at times. Original as only the English can do it.

This could have been an all time classic but was let down by two minor things. Gemma Ward was out of her depth and too old for a16 plus. Every now and then this weird catwalk accent came out while she was talking and if you were just looking at her, you'd think it was set in the present time. Second thing was a little cheesy musical interlude while they were mucking about in the firing range, totally unnecessary and trite. The rest will blow you away with it's power and absolute honesty. The acting by the family was second to none. Up there with the best.

How do you get a rating of 2.5 stars when the four members have given it 2x5's and 2x4's? But enough of pedantics, this movie is funny, sad, historic and sometimes a bit silly, but it really is worth the effort . Even if you have the heart of a pea and don't even like classical music you would have to be the hardest case not to feel the least bit moved. It's almost exquisite, but spoiled by a few scenes of silly slapstick, which should have been left out. 5 stars to boost the total, in hopes that it may encourage people to watch it.

Had it's good moments but mostly seemed liked a Disney movie with "edge". The Germans would have maybe made a better fist of it. The upper class English accents (was that deliberate to show it could have happened anywhere?) made it sort of strange. I think "fictional" is the best way to descibe it. I can't see the guards missing all that kiddie banter for weeks on end, and the mother surely had an idea of exactly where they were, all a bit improbable. It looks like they were banking on the gripping finale to give the whole movie credibility.

I'm getting it out after a year to see it a second time. Jack K, review 5th Nov 2009 says it all but I'm giving it 5 stars to negate no brainers who write "Meh" (Ingma 6/10) and give it two stars. A brilliant little package of a movie that ticks all the boxes.

A hoot, and really well done. You shouldn't compare it with "where the wild things are" I guess, but I did and there's absolutely no doubt about what is chaff and what's hay. Knockers need to get off their high horses and enjoy it for what it is, a great movie, and it deserves better cred than some of the critics are giving it.

Exactly Pauline, Boy meets girl, boy dies. 2 hours of boredom. Period drama that just keeps banging on and on and on........One star for costumes and photography.

Just annoying from beginning to end.

I'm a hard nut to crack but by the end I was reaching for the tissues. None left, my wife started half way through. Not tragic sad, just a very emotional movie with understated acting and a delicious storyline. It's on my top ten and if it had stayed in cinemas long enough for the word to get around it may have been a box office hit.

Can somone strangle Amanda with a wet towel? That annoying voice goes for 90 bleeding minutes......aaaaaaaah. Can I give half a star?, that's for location.

I'm waiting for "Jack" to review it. Margaret and David gave it 4.5 stars but it needs to get the average up because it's definitely worth more than 2.5. FIVE stars for me, a brilliant movie.

One reviewer gives 5 stars, another gives 1. Average 2.5 This is a skewed testimonny of the movie. 1st reviewer gave it one presumably on the basis of subtitles. It's french, what do you expect?? Once able to overcome this huge hurdle I was able to settle in an watch to movie. It is simply brilliant, understated and subtly executed in a way that Hollywood blockbusters will never achieve. Gives food for thought long after it's over, Five stars from me.

Stark and gripping in a way that few movies can portray. This is a movie that will keep you thinking for days afterwards. Brilliant photography and acting brings it all into a tight knit package. Perhaps not for everyone, but everyone should see it because it has the rare ability to show us how pure evil can manifest itself into our lives. It's a wake up call without the religious dogma attached.

Great special effects offset by the worst script in living memory. Could have been so good.

Dour, but brilliant film. My wife complained about it all the way through but was still glued till the end. I still want to know what was in the box though.......that wasn't fair!

A story as thin as water, and if you are interested in looking at sheep rutting and never ending shots of dry saltbush plains you'll find this a treat. "Multi award winner at Cannes"? If watching a dog have a leak for ten minutes is your thing, go for it. The best part, and is quite funny, is the first 10 minutes. But really, half way through, if you get that far, you'll be wondering what the point is. You don't even get to see Tulpan. God, she must have been ugly.