Reviews

It's nearly 50 years old, & despite it's dated sets & use of dodgy prosthetic make-up - it's the finest drama ever shown on tv. The range of fine acting, dramatic plots of corruption, murder and ambition , ensured this is a riveting watch. Plus , the fact that it's based on historical fact, is just mind-boggling ! Derek Jacobi gives the performance of his career as the stuttering, deformed & supposedly dim-witted Claudius, as the rule of empire claims life upon life in his extended family, yet he survives by his wits and a few close friends. It's 12 episodes but they fly by in an absorbing feast of dramatic entertainment. If you've never watched it - do yourself a favour and treat yourself.

...then watch this ! Frederic March, Merle Oberon & Herbert Marshall excel in this mawkish wartime tale of love at the time of WW1. The cast is excellent, the storyline less so , but doesn't detract from the cinematography and pulling of the heartstrings. Indeed, be prepared to get the tissues handy for the last few scenes. Has great affiliation with films like Random Harvest in which you yearn for that happy ending. It's nearly 90 years old now, looks dated , but those classic films had so much more sentiment than todays crop of cgi-driven movies. It's true, this was the golden age of the movies alright !

I can be pretty picky when watching Rom-Coms as most are cliche-ridden and completely dull & obvious. This was a very fresh take on the genre and it worked brilliantly. It's as if Richard Curtis was pulling the heartstrings and clever dialogue along - it's that good. I liked Jameela Jamil playing the narrator, popping up in a multitude of roles in the storyline. The 2 lovebirds Ben Hardy & Haley Lu Richardson were excellent and displayed great chemistry. The poignancy was perfectly delivered by.the wonderful Sally Phillips and Dexter Fletcher , the events which though unusual, were perfectly authentic. Great music, lovely shots of lesser-seen London and a great way to spend an hour and a half.

Don't get me wrong - I was expecting a complete rip-off of Groundhog Day with Amy Smart as the protagonist, reliving Christmas Eve & all the complications of rekindling an ex-love, a blind date as well as other friendships along the way. It worked better than expected and Amy Smart's natural sassiness & upbeat acting gave it a lot of positivity. What I think the film was missing, was just a depth of character in the feelings and conversations which worked so well in Groundhog Day, especially in the secondary characters. Even so - not a bad try and worth a watch. The all-round acting was good so will appeal to most people.

I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed the film, even though it meandered awkwardly through a surrogate's pregnancy to a 45 yr old Ed Helms . Definitely not your usual rom-com, but did have some comic moments popping up throughout. Patti Harrison was excellent as the 26 yr old surrogate with a chequered past and their relationship was good to see evolve even though not romantically. What killed me was the abrupt ending which left it all hanging with more questions than answers ! Could have spent another 15 mins exploring that area further. However , all in all, the film was pretty good.

Have now seen all the episodes and I'm not totally convinced by the storyline or characters. It's too easy to compare with the film versions of LOTR & The Hobbit, which I try not to do - but I found myself not giving a crap about any of the characters in this series. The cinematography and CGI have been excellent but the story has generally just plodded along and probably lost quite a number of viewers along the way. There will undoubtedly be another series given the ending of Rings of Power,. I'll probably watch it, as I love LOTR and read the books many times, but it's a case of diminishing returns across this series. Hopefully, the film-makers and writers can redeem themselves better in the next one, but this has been an average journey so far.

If you like rewrites on a classic novel, if you like making it more diversified for a more modern audience, then this is for you. I however , was looking forward to David Tennant as Phileas Fogg in a story I remembered as a boy, but sadly this was not it. Fogg here is a bumbler & insecure person whilst the storyline is to give modern audiences a more balanced contemporary attitude . I know some people are fine with rewritten adaptations of famous novels, but I'm not one of them, and whether it's Jane Austen, Charles Dickens or Jules Verne etc - I'd just like to see the story unfold as it was written.

The story is like a mix of Christmas Time Travel films with a hint of It's a Wonderful Life thrown in. I didn't think the makers could pull off such a cheesy plot of career v love at Christmastime , but they just about did ! With strong cameos from Christopher Lloyd & William Shatner , they were off to a good start, and great bubbly acting from Eloise Mumford made the film worth watching. Sure , it had several cliched moments and used a tried & tested formula - but overall I think you'll enjoy it .

A Hallmark film this certainly isn't or even intended to be ! For me, the leads raise the film from being a less than average holiday film to be a half decent Romantic comedy. The storyline is a bit meh and there seems to be an excessive use of crude language sometimes, just for the hell of it . However no-one puts in a duff performance and romantic comedy fans will be satisfied with the ending too ! Just don't make a Holidate 2 - ok ?!

I sat & watched this on my own this afternoon, having never seen it when it was released. I'm not ashamed to say there were moment where I cried like a baby, seeing actions of man's inhumanity to erase the Jewish people. If you've not seen it before, please watch it ,even for some of those most harrowing of events - as we must never forget those who suffered and push to make the world a kinder and more tolerant place to live.

Sky Cinema meets Hallmark Channel in this mostly enjoyable rom-com set in Ireland. Some of the dialogue is formulaic and sometime cringeworthy, but the pace & the storyline rattles along nicely enough. The beautiful Rose Reid is well cast as our violinist heroine on an exchange programme, staying at the same village as her late brother did a few years earlier. En route she encounters Beckett Rush, a tv actor (played by Jedidiah Woodacre) who annoys her but gradually opens up & slowly captures her heart . On the way we meet a variety of Irish villagers, none more dynamic than Vanessa Redgrave, who gives an effortless acting masterclass as a despised woman with a secret backstory. Overall, the story was sweet and I think we'll be seeing much more of Rose Reid in the future.

It's taken me over 20 years before I finally saw this film - don't know why I never saw it, but I'm wonderfully glad I finally did. It's a stand-out movie with the very young-looking Jake Gyllenhal as Homer, who along with schoolfriends , decide to build a rocket and be persuaded to enter the Indiana science competition. The acting is top notch, particularly from Chris Cooper as Homer's Dad, who's rough & tough and worked at the local mine for years. Their relationship will need you needing a tissue at the end. One to watch regularly from now on !

Wasn't sure what to expect with this - thought it'd turn out like a dumbed down Groundhog Day or something. However , the slow pace of the movie ( some are gonna be bored but I enjoyed it) as we follow Mark reliving each day till he meets Margaret and their quest on finding answers and themselves, is nicely done. This isn't just for teens as I'm over 60 & I loved the tale , despite some time anomaly science flaws. A definite watch !

It's so well written. It's funny, poignant and Douglas & Arkin play off each other beautifully. Arkin , especially, has me laughing out loud each episode. All the other characters are fantastic in their roles, particularly Nancy Travis , who still looks gorgeous. It's also great when seasoned actors drop in for a cameo, like Danny DeVito, Ann-Margaret etc who all play their roles well. All in all, I'm loving the show & long may it continue !

This film had some good things going for it - 2 able &handsome leads, a good background story of a relationship of a talented but pompous and insecure ballet choreographer , Carlton , with Kayla - who finds herself falling for Dustin, the caterer. This , plus the adoption of Mr Barclay , Dustin's acquired Scottie dog - should give the background for a decent film. Unfortunately, Carlton's demeanour and his awful faux English accent were bad, as were several scenes which ended up a bit cringeworthy, especially the elevator scene which others have already commented on. All in all, pleasing for the minority but the majority will think it could have been way better.

This was a welcome change from Christmas Tree Farms, Gingerbread Festivals or having leads whose parents died at Christmas ! The time travel story was well enacted and kept us guessing on how it would end for a while. Certainly for me , it was Erin Cahills best Hallmark role and was ably supported by Ryan Paevey (but he does need to inject a bit of oomph in his dialogue !). A solid 7 from me.

This storyline felt fresh & distinct, and not as syrupy as most of Hallmark Christmas movies. Kimberley Sustad was excellent as Marilee - her acting seemed very natural and believable, and was ably supported by Brandon Routh as a local firefighter. The cats were cute too !

I take on board everything reviewers have said so far about this film - & they're pretty correct. It's a bit amateurish, the leads don't have that spark together , the dialogue's pretty wooden & the age difference between the 2 leads doesn't feel right. However, for me, the naïve storytelling & enthusiastic acting , coupled with Brad's nice-guy -always-cheerful approach didn't make the film bomb. Overall it's a so-so rating for a so-so film and a win for the nice good guys out there !

I tried hard not to like this film. It was certainly corny & cliqued with an unbelievable script. However , it was definitely cute and had good showing from Vanessa Hudgens & Josh Whitmore as the eponymous Knight. It had all the usual time-travel analogies, some totally ridiculous too ! However, there's a lot of people who'll love this film, the scenery, the good-looking actors and feel it was a fine time to while away an hour or two ! Yea Verily !

It's very rare for me to bail out of watching a film the whole way through - but the poor acting & amateur storylines just made me stop watching. They're trying to blend a sweet Christmas theme mixed with One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest - and it just doesn't work. Sorry !!

This is the old adage of style before substance. The storyline, whilst half-baked, does fit into other Hallmark dating films they've made - but the right actors, script & chemistry has to work to make it palatable. None were apparent here, I'm afraid. I gave 4 stars & even that is generous !

Certainly one for having a tissue handy ! A lovely warming film based on a true story. Aimee Teegarden played the anxious and insecure girl in need of a transplant operation perfectly. Her smile lit up the screen and Brett Dalton was a good choice as the guy who was the perfect match . One of the best !

I know this is almost a doppelganger for A Christmas to Remember with Mira Sorvino & Cameron Mathison - but I liked it anyway ! The 2 leads here, Julie Gonzalo & Benjamin Ayres give assured mature performances and the supporting roles were great. Julie has such expressive features & i could be held spellbound by her beautiful eyes ! Try to come up with more original storylines next time tho' Hallmark !

In the hands of some of Hallmark's actor stables, this could have been a very schmaltzy, saccharined dud. However the seasoned & beautiful talents of Taylor Cole and a restrained but able support from Russ Paevey, elevated the film to something half-decent. No real surprises as a Matchmaker who attempts to find a match for an entrepreneurial Stay-Single guy, but begins to discover that maybe she is his ideal match ! The animals were definitely cute !