Judy's Reviews

It's not often I can't sit through an entire movie, but this one was just more than a normal person could stand. Ridiculous plot, and so predictable - a kid of seven could have worked out what was coming next. But then, that's probably the audience it was aimed at.

So you think Australian cinema has moved on since the days of Alvin Purple? Nope. Under a thin disguise about a guy who's partner dies of cancer is the same old parade of breasts and bums so beloved of Aussie filmmakers. If they took out all the swearingthere would be hardly any dialogue left. Even the precocious child uses this kind of language. And another good old Aussie cliché - the 'hero' (the unappealing Matthew Goode) drives an ancient VW beetle. Give this one a big miss!

What a great cast I thought, but then the shock when the film started and I realised it was animated. And not even good animation, clunky puppet figures. It's seldom I can't watch through one of my own picks, but re-runs on TV were better than this. Actors, director, producer ... what were they thinking?!?

A few laughs, a bit of action and a couple of interesting twists, and beautiful Venice, made this well worth while. Jolie's clothes were a bit weird though - supposed to be the height of sophistication etc but looked sort of 1950s to me.

I would have liked to give this movie better than 3 stars: great performances and brilliant photography but the weird storyline left me feeling dissatisfied. The overlaying timelines and character interactions were confusing. Who and what was real? Good, but could have been better.

The film was half over before any semblance of plot or character establishedment kicked in, and then it was pretty shallow. A mixture of Yankee breast beating and soul searching; totally unconvincing and BORING! Did this film really win an Academy Award???

Actually I was surprised how entertaining this was. A feasible story line and good performances from lead and lesser players. Unfortunately Nick Giannopoulos has not aged well, so he was a poor fit for the role. The goat was a real star. And poor old Mykonos - so commercialised. Remind me never go there.

This would have to be one of the most depressing films I have ever seen. Great acting performance from Malkovitch couldn't make up for ill-defined characters whose motives are never explained and an implausible story line. The interwoven themes of the animal shelter and the rise of black violence/decline of white standards didn't work for me.

I have to admit I enjoyed this movie, although with such a great cast I expected so much more. It was light-hearted and trivial with implausible storylines and just the thing if you need cheering up.

Set in the depressing era of 1950s class-conscious England, this is based on a true story of an obsessive relationship that ends in tragedy. Great performances from Miranda Richardson and Ian Holm.