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jeffonsax
Reviews
Alien (1979)
It is just Great!!
You must have seen this movie by now. If you haven't then why not. this is one of those films that must be seen and will always be part of our film history.
I like it because of the way it is shot. It is claustrophobic, the scenes in the general parts of the spaceship give a feeling that these people are living on top of each other and that creates stress and tension.
The lighting is cold, fluorescent and sometimes over dazzling. this also creates a feeling of high anxiety.
add to this the Alien, a double crossing robot and a ship that is about to blow up and you have great film.
Billy Elliot (2000)
I did not like it.
To me this film is just short of the mark for enjoyment. I did not enjoy the characters i found all the shouting and swearing unnecessary. It has been the fashion for year to portray the north of England as a hard done by hard nosed area. Well this is very boring and film makers should find another way of telling a story of this part of the country.
The story of a young boy who want to do something that will be accepted in his world is a good one. but i feel that it could have been told better. Major parts of the plot had no background. i sat through it confused. why did the brother behave so harsh? what happened the the mother?
Sorry a poor film in my view.
Cold Mountain (2003)
A nearly film.
I found this film OK but I think there were pasrts that just did not work.
This is a story about two people who meet during the Amerfian Civil war. He goes off to fight, she stays and waits for him.
My first problem was i did not think the director developed the love story enough. It was love at first sight but not convincing enough for me. I kept asking myself, why has she fallen for this guy she has only just met? Once the film gets going it was quite watchable. There is a bit of gore with he battle scenes and the war is a constant part of the plot with shootings all through.
The acting is good although for my English taste I think Zelleweger does a a bit too much over acting.
All in all worth watching.
When Harry Met Sally... (1989)
What is the point?
I should say at the outset that i do not enjoy Romantic comedies. I just don't get any pleasure from them.
This film is a case in point. Firstly I don't find the story very enjoyable. To make a whole film about two people meeting through various stages of their lives and and slowly, or should i say very slowly, starting a relationship is boring. I don't care. I don't want to know what will happen in the end. I just don't care.
Secondly I did not find anything funny. Now comedy is a matter of taste and the people i watched this with laughed out loud. Not me.
So If you love RomComs like Bridget Jones you will probably like this. If you like films with a bit more substance leave it alone.
The Shawshank Redemption (1994)
A Great Story
This film has become the film that wins most 'best 100' polls. I don't know why but it does.
However, this is a good movie. From my perspective I think it is liked so much is that the plot is ever changing and moves along at a good pace. The story seems to progress in little chapters and it builds to a wonderful climax. As the movie develops we become engrossed in what will happen next. We do enjoy Andy's victories over the bad guys and we do want to know what happens in the end.
Technically, This is nothing special. There are very few moody shots and angles that challenge the visual senses. Visually I do think this compares to Citizen Cane or Pulp Fiction. But in a way I think that because we are not distracted by fancy pictures we stay with the plot.
Make sure you watch this, even if it is just to see what all the fuss is about.
Troy (2004)
I was bored with this
I know nothing of the Iliad so can not comment on it's accuracy to that story. However, as a stand alone film I found this very boring. The battle scenes tried to be large and spectacular but they were just obvious CGI.
The acting is poor and no doubt Brad Pitt was cast just to attract the ladies. But he does not make a good warrior, too pretty i am afraid.
Good points are is the design. This film does look good with the landscape and castle buildings/walls impressive. I do like a film that at least tries to get the characters accents true but this film just seems to ignore it completely. we hear American, Scottish English anything but what you might expect for a film about an ancient eastern civilisation.
All in all, I do not recommend this film for a family sit down. It is too long and the young will get bored.
For adults, it is OK if you don't care about the lack realism.
The Pursuit of Happyness (2006)
Good but nothing special
This is an OK film. I suggest a good family film to watch. Will Smith does a nice job of the main character and there are some nice weepy moments. The little boy is also good and pulls at the heart strings here and there.
The story keeps going at an enjoyable pace with some twist and turns to keep it interesting. I thought the design and shooting was a little bland but this film is set in a big city so not much you can do with the mood.
I give this a thumbs up if you are looking for a film to sit and watch with a group of friends or family. But a thumbs down if you want something a bit more arty or challenging plot.
Saints and Soldiers (2003)
As a British viewer this was poor
As a British viewer I would categorise this film as OK but not great. My main problem with it the way that the British airman was portrayed. The character is portrayed as a selfish, rude and not very nice person.
Sure there are some Brits like this but in this film we are not told why. It would have been good to have had some background and character development on why this RAF plot behaved like this.
Other problems with this film is the plot. I was disappointed it did not tell the story of the massacre of the unarmed US troops at Malmedy. Instead it concentrated on a behind enemy lines escape.
The cinema-photography is good which is shot mainly in a snow covered forest. Acting is OK but again I found the medics character confusing. Why was he so nasty to the guy suffering from shell shock? If you are addicted to war films then see this, but it is not as good a Saving Private Ryan.
If you are British this is in the mould of a Mel Gibson 'make the Britis look bad' type movie.
Max Manus (2008)
A good war film
I found this war film very enjoyable. The story and acting was good as was the design. It has good moments of suspense and was like an old fashion picture of bravery and winning over the bad guys. The characters are interesting with the central protagonist Max Manus being someone we do care about.
It is good to look at with some very good photography at the outside locations. I particularly enjoyed the night scenes during the sabotage sequences in the harbour.
I would say a good film to watch for teenagers and adults.
It is a foreign language film with subtitles.