Reviews

A completely different kind of film, it is a drug-fuelled, abstract raging satire that lives long in the memory. Bruce Willis shows courage to not just churning out 'Armageddons' and his Dwayne Hoover is a classic comic creation, bettered by Nick Nolte's cross dressing salesman. If you enjoy coherent plotting and simple storylines then this is not for you. But if you want a new kind of cinematic experience that drags you along for the ride, then go see it now (and, though not to condone drug use, if you can lay your hands on something to 'relax' you, then the film hits a new plane.

Nothing polarises opinion faster than the question: 'What do you think of Dalton's Bond?' To some he is the ultimate Bond, a consummate professional spy with charm and rugged good looks, true to the spirit of Fleming. To others he is too dark, too wooden, too humourless to play the role which had been cheapened by Roger Moore's ageing tomfoolery. I believe him to be most definitely the former.

The Living Daylights explodes onto the screen with the Gibraltar exercise, one of the best 'teasers' of all the Bonds. The theme music is superb (as is the entire score by John Barry) and the action never lets up. Dalton is a real actor with range (unlike the smarmy and limited Moore) and so for once Bond truly involves us in his life. The romance with Kara Milovy is the best written and acted since O.H.M.S.S. and Bond's inner feelings are exposed to us for the first time. The gadgets and stunts are top-notch (especially the Aston) and Dalton does a lot of his own work. The supporting cast all work well together (with the unfortunate exception of John Terry as Felix Leiter)and the globetrotting is extensive and fast paced.

This film is the definitive Bond of the 1980s with Dalton dominating the proceedings. If things had turned out differently, he could well have been the best Bond ever...

With Tenue de Soiree, Blier is once again investigating male insecurity and men's relations with other men. Essentially a remake of Les Valseuses, this film quickly removes the presence of a woman (Monique) to leave the way clear for Bob's seduction of Antoine. A complex film, part crime comedy, part transvestite film, Blier seems to lose his way at the midpoint and the ending seems tacked on. Depardieu and Blanc in particular are excellent, but the script lets them down. A homophobe becomes a fully dressed transsexual in about 90 minutes, hardly realistic and the misogynistic tone of the film can be draining. A useful companion piece to Les Valseuses, but it is only half the film that Les Valseuses was in 1974.

What a film! In 90 minutes you get more gags than in all the Police Academy movies rolled into one. Which isn't hard! But seriously, you must see this movie. The Big Bus is the granddaddy of disaster spoofs, coming out 4 years before Airplane and boasting a storyline so insane, the writers should be locked up. The premise of a nuclear powered bus travelling non-stop from New York to Denver is inspired. The cast, led by a great Joseph Bologna, are having a ball and there are just jokes in every frame. See this film and laugh yourself silly!