Lamaan's Reviews

This documentary provides a fly-on-the-wall view of a teacher at work with his children in a very tiny school in winter-wonderland Northern France. The film is features some kids (lovable or otherwise according to taste), a distinctly talented teacher, lots of lovely landscapes, and a total absence of explanations or storyline. A ripping good yarn it ain't, but surely educational for those interested in the raising of small children.

This series looks at the history of the British Empire, starting in about 1914, and taking it through its decline to its final demise in the late 20th Century. It is well made, well presented, and reasonably comprehensive - although, as is perhaps inevitable in such a short series, strongly biased in what it includes and what it leaves out.

The basic premise of the series is that the British Empire was of unalloyed evil, and that it brought nothing but poverty and misery to people who otherwise would have lived in glorious riches and happiness. This premise is 'proved' by a policy, especially in the third part of the series, of presenting the views of self-interested parties, whether critics or supporters of the Empire, as if these views settled the matter. Other opinions, such as those contained in the marvellous book and series on the 1919 Versailles Treaty, were studiously ignored.

Nevertheless, I found the series thoroughly enjoyable and informative, and well worth the watching.

This is a wonderfully comprehensive account of the first 1000 years of Christianity, as seen through the eyes of Christian 'believers'. In effect, it is the 'official' version of the story, as, for example, I was told it by a bishop of the Roman Catholic Church. The two disks are very well presented, and allow the viewer to travel through the millenium, seeing events fairly much as the people of the time would have seen them.

I lived through that period, and well remember both Nixon and Frost, and this movie exactly captured the men and their times. Brilliant! Frank Langella, the actor who played Nixon, is clearly one of the very best character actors of our time.

This is only a very short doco, but one done with unusual panache and style. Even though I have read many books, and seen both movies and documentaries on the subject, still this documentary gripped and stirred me. In its own modest way, this is a gem. My only criticism was that the maps, which are quite critical to understanding the plot, could have benefited from a little more work - but that is being hyper-fussy.

This is a very solid workman-like version of one of my most favourite operas. If this had been the only production of this opera I had seen, I would have cried 'bravo!'; as it was, however, I, like other reviewers, have seen Zeffirelli's masterpiece film, so the best I can say is 'well done!'. In this version, while the singing and staging were very good, the acting was wooden, and did nothing to overcome the inherent problems of the plot.

This film should be compulsory viewing for anybody who teaches dance, or deals with teenagers. It is a textbook example of how to do both properly and effectively. The story in a nutshell: guy meets a group of hopeless-case teenagers, and turns them into top class dancers. How predictable, you say? Ah, the real surprise is how it was done. Look, learn and be dazzled!

Peter Cook and Dudley Moore, the 'heroes' of this biography, were comic geniuses of the first order. Although their particular brand of humour can now seem a little dated (OK, so maybe very dated), it laid the foundations for so very much that followed. At the time when it was new, however, it was ground breaking. As this film shows, it was also heartbreaking for the two men involved.

The scripting, acting and direction is brilliant, and well worth the watch.

According to the director, this is a kid's version of Oliver Twist - the basic plot, with all the depth and subtlety removed. I agree. If you have some children, and you want them to see Dickens as he isn't, then this is a great movie. It does have some really excellent acting: Nancy, Bill Sykes and Bumble are especially memorable. Fagan, however, is rather wooden; I would have expected better from Ben Kingsley.

Not too bad, this disk contains two episodes, each of which demonstrates in a tolerably competent way a single historical lesson. In episode one, we learn why ancient Greek armies were better than anything that went before. In episode two, we learn why the Roman armies were able to womp the heck out of the Greek armies. Fair enough. But the graphics are ordinary, and the pace pedestrian. Very ho hum.

This movie lives a strange double-life. On the one hand it is a light-hearted madcap piece of nonsense with a definitely dated plot; on the other hand, it can also be seem as a thoroughly modern satire of the empty-headedness and callousness of (some) rich people in the face of social disaster. The acting is fantastic, getting six Academy nominations. The plot is less fantastic, which is no doubt why it was NOT nominated.

If you were desperate to learn about the English language, then I suppose you might want to watch this program, because it does include lots of nice shots of interesting landscape. I am very doubtful about its scholarship however, and really wouldn't trust much that it says. For instance, when it gets talking about Australian English, I doubt anybody involved with the series has ever heard an Australian talk, the way they mangle our words.

This is undoubtedly one of the best of its type - the TV series about a tough, stop-at-nothing cop. It is really well written, brilliantly acted, and never fails to surprise. The more I see of this series, the more deeply impressed I am.

Anything with Fred Astaire in it has to be pretty good, and this one is no exception. It has good music, some fabulous dancing, lots of memorable scenes, and an 'autumn-spring' romance theme that is most sensitively and adroitly handled.

For fun, inventiveness, imagination etc etc, the Ice Age series are tops. Which is best - Ace Age 1 or 2? Who knows? Who cares? They are just great viewing for all kids up to 105 and over. They get my vote for one of the all-time great feature-length cartoon series.

For the quality of the writing and for its ideas, I gave this documentary a 4 - it is really good, with many worthwhile insights. However, the presentation was total glitz, with pointless visual effects, and endless dramatic questions, which very often were left unanswered. So I deducted a point for that. I think I should have deducted two points, but I am feeling generous today. So, if you like good interesting history, watch this series. If you like mindless gimmicks and breathless commentary that occasionally falls over into mindless inanities, you will really love it. Otherwise, watch, grit your teeth, and endure!

I know Frank Sinatra is a great singer, but I found it hard to feel very sympathetic about his problems, which limited my enjoyment of the this film. Kim Novak was, well, Kim Novak, but Rita Hayworth I found most impressive as a slightly aging slightly self indulgent ex-stripper. For me, the plot was ho-hum, the music OK if you like Sinatra, but Rita Hayworth saved the day!

This is a nice light-weight 50's musical comedy. Future stars include Jack Lemmon and Richard York (the original Larry in Bewitched). The jokes are somewhat amusing, and the songs are worth a brief listen (none of them achieved any popularity back then). The highlight of the movie, for me, was the dancing. The 'hat dance' is, I think, a classic of its kind, in the finest tradition of Gene Kelly and Fred Astaire's energetic and athletic dances.

As this series progresses, it just gets better and better. The last time I saw it was when it was new to television, and I recall the excitement waiting for the final episodes. Well, after watching these episodes, I can't wait to see these final moments once more ... even though I remember the outcome. What a classic series!

In the advertising world, there is a saying, "If you have something to say, then say it. If not, then sing it." Here, the makers of this movie have neither anything to say, nor the slightest talent for singing.

The film revolves around the alleged fact that Hitler had some relatives (which this documentary does little to prove). But if they existed, they were apparently totally uninteresting nobodies. In short, scarcely worth a 5 minute film segment.

But were the filmmakers discouraged? No way! Presumably because their subject touched upon Adolf Hitler and his Holocaust, they obviously decided to put together their very own Holocaust, a visual attrocity of film cliques and tricks.

If you feel like committing suicide, and choose to die of horror at seeing a badly made documentary, this one is guaranteed to push you over the edge!

This is 'happy family' viewing, that is, it has a whimsical plot that will delight and challenge five year olds, with the charm of Sally Fields to stop grown-ups going totally to sleep.

The film is actually a series of TV episodes, blended into a nice self-contained movie. The plot revolves around a group of amiable nuns, one of whom (Sally Fields) can fly. Every one talks a happy mix of English and Spanish, and everybody is happy. The nuns are happy. Everybody else is happy. Even the unhappy people are happy. It is a happy film.

If you like happy films, especially if you have some five year olds to enjoy it with, you too will be happy.

Alistair Cooke is arguably the 20th Century's greatest commentator of American history and the American scene. Always respectful, but never over-awed, he had an uncanny ability to deliver new insights in a most charming way. This series is sheer magic.

Denzel Washington and Julie Roberts do battle with a mundane script and a pedestrial director ... and fairly much win. With lesser actors, this would be a 'nothing' film. As it is, it is a reasonably thrilling thriller.

A wonderful wacky romp, specially created for Marilyn fans. The casting is really great, and the plot is excellent - a guaranteed happy ending with just enough twists to please. The only drawback is a few minutes of orchestral nonsense which was probably very classy back in the 1950's, but now seems completely irrelevant to the movie.

An interesting movie, that wobbles cheerily between comedy, romance and a vague effort at deep emotional drama. Cary Grant excells himself showing off his skills as a vaudeville tumbler, while Katherine Hepburn tries valiantly but in vain to turn the movie into a psychological drama, finally settling for a happily little romance. All in all, good clean light-weight fun.

This film is so bad that it is actually a total hoot. With Jane Mansfield in her first starring role, it is an over-the-top camp satire of everything 50's - including itself. Personally, I loved it for the music, which is Early Rock'n'Roll. Another good thing is the plot, which is about as original as the average knock-knock joke. The good thing is that you don't need to pay it any attention, and can concentrate instead on the absurd colour and idiotic acting.

First the movies, then the music.

This disc contains a collection of some of Charlie's first 'tramp' films, all made in 1914. To 21st Century eyes, the plots are totally alien; there were many times I had no idea at all what was supposed to be going on, though I suppose it all made sense to 1914 audiences. For anybody interested in early Chaplin, or in comedy tumbling, however, this is just pure gold. The clowning around and the physical gags are just brilliant - there is just nothing to even approach them in current movie-making. And by the by, some of the supporting cast, at this stage, are I think every bit as good as Chaplin, who is awesome.

Next, the music. 1914 movies were of course silent, so they have no sound tracks. The DVD makers have fixed this by pasting a collection of Jelly Roll Morton's (New Orleans) 'hot jazz' over the visuals, with little or no attention to matching the sight or the sounds. The music is all from the era 1924-1928, which means that it is distinctly out of time - like putting a Beatles soundtrack over a World War II documentary - but nevertheless it is amongst the very best music ever. If you are like New Orleans jazz, the music alone makes this a worthwhile DVD to get.

In its own little corner of the universe, I think this one of the best films of all time. The story is simple: Monsieur Hulot, uncle to one of the film's characters, seems to be vaguely in need of a job. His brother in law tries to find him one. That's it! On this slim storyline, the film weaves a poem of joy and laughter with very few equals, and no superiors.

I've watched this film over and over for over 40 years, and I still find something new and worthwhile in it at each viewing. I look forward to the next 40 years with it.

This is a very frustrating documentary: there is obviously a very fascinating story here, but this doco does not tell it. All it did was to wet my appetite, and leave me wishing for more. Oh well, maybe that's all I should want from such a short piece of work.

This is a very gentle and affectionate satire on 1950's Anglo-French society. The plot, such as it is, is this: Monsiour Hulot, a sort of amiable Mr Bean, goes to a French seaside town for a week's holiday, stays there for a week, and then goes home. That's it! No dramas, no romance, nothing ... except some of the gentlest comedy, pantomime and gags ever put onto the screen. A true one-off.

As a dramatization of Lincoln's life, this left me breathless. I know the story of Lincoln so very well, having read many books, and seen most of the movies and documentaries, on the period. Yet this, more than anything else, made me feel that I was actually witnessing history. And all in spite of a movie that is so-o-o old, with wobbly colour, patchy sound (and sometimes none), and occasional streaks and other film damage. The casting, the acting, the sets and the effects are all flawless. If you haven't seen this movie, you haven't seen Abraham Lincoln.

Personally, I didn't like this black comedy. It was too black, too shock-horror, for my taste - and besides which, the plot left me entirely cold: this dill of a guy gets into trouble, then, with ever -increasing stupidity, makes matters worse. No thanks you. If I want Dumb and Dumber, I'll stick to the political pages of a newspaper. Having said all of which: The acting, especially of Joe Peschi, is good, and the laughs constant. Maybe this will suit people who like watching people make fools of themselves, while being shocked with cheap tricks.

When I first watched this movie, I felt quite disappointed. It seemed to be filled with second-rate songs and that particularly dopey dancing that was all the rage on the 1950's TV variety shows. But after a while, I found myself humming the tunes, and thinking that maybe the dancing wasn't quite so dopey after all. So I watched it again, and decided it could stay.

I have three complaints to make about this series. The first is that the menu is too tricky by half: not only do you need a PhD to navigate around the disks, the navigation methods are clumsy and inconvenient. The second is that there are no subtitles. In this era of respect for people with disabilities, this is unacceptable. The third is that it is too short - but that is just because its writing and production was SO good, that I never wanted it to end. In this case, the documentary is as good as the war it describes was terrible. I vote it one of the best war documentaries ever made.

The makers of this series had an idea - put it in colour. Thereafter, they never had another original thought. The script was ordinary, the music forgettable, the scholarship unadventuristic, and the overall effect bland and almost boring. This series is suitable for people who know absolutely nothing about WW1 - and can safely given the flick by everyone else.

They say that talking about history is really just telling stories - and this series shows just how true this can be. The history of England is so well known - yet Simon Schuma finds new ways of looking at everything, and new yarns to spin. I particularly liked his closing segment, about Two Winstons: a true gem!

This is one dark movie, like Shakespeare's Macbeth or Hamlet. Like Shakespeare's plays, it works at two levels - the psychological and the historical. Historically, it tells the story of the long reign of one of Old Russia's most brilliant Tsars - a story dominated by a bloody and vicious struggle for supremacy between the tsar and the nobility (the boyars). Psychologically, it shows how repeated traumas gradually unhinge the Tsar, leading to him earning the nickname, 'the Terrible'. The filming, acting and everything else is brilliant. The only blemish is the subtitles, which are often unreadable.

This is a good *average* film - nothing great, but not terrible either. The plot goes like this: at 11:14 pm, weird things happen. We don't know why, but gradually, all is revealed. So now we know ... but do we really care? Maybe, but not too much. The writing is OK, the acting so-so, the budget must have been microscopic, because the special effects are pathetic. But all in all, it is sort of enjoyable. I vote it reasonable, worth one viewing on a wet Sunday afternoon when there is nothing else to do.

There are two ways to present history - as an interminable string of kings, dates and facts (boring!) - or this way. Disc three covers the period from Elizabeth I to William and Mary with more drama than a soapie, more colour than Bollywood. This series just gets better and better.

If you are desperately keen to see every film that ever starred Fred Astaire, see this. But be aware: the plot is as feeble as most such films, the casting is mediocre, the music provided by Artie Shaw is more than usually forgettable, the recorded sound quality verges on the intolerable, and only the (infrequent) dance sequences make the film (barely) worth the effort of watching. In short, it is a dog of a film. (Sorry, Fido!)

If you like Bing Crosby and Bob Hope (which I do), then this is a must-see - the two of them when they were very young (in 1941), with a very young Dorothy Lamour. In this, the first of the 'Road' series, the reparty, jokes, song and dance, and everything else is new and fresh, and is still very funny. In short, an original and zany movie that showcases two of the greatest song, dance and comedy talents of the 20th century.

An excellent account of the period, beautifully made, and intelligently presented. British history as it was meant to be.