Reviews

There's a lot to like about this film. The acting is brilliant, the script strong, the costumes and sets are amazing... yet there is a sense that it moves from point A to only point A.0001. And even that fairly languidly. The action is set over essentially one day (actually slightly longer) and of course only so much can happen. As Miss Pettigrew is thrown into a somewhat strange world of relative extravagance and frivolity she adapts remarkably well, or, more correctly, reminds this peculiar world of what the real world is like. This is a somewhat old fashioned tale of what can happen in a world on the brink of war but the biggest changes happen in the lives and hearts of the story's main characters. Many reviews here just gush about the film. As I have said, it is throughly splendid - but be prepared. It is more like a gentle boat ride than a roller-coaster.

That this film is running at a 5.2 is a shocking and sad indictment on the IMDb voters quite frankly. OK, maybe its not for everyone - fair enough. But it is a quirky, whimsical and occasionally startlingly beautiful piece of film-making with some powerful messages... I guess it's true - most people are walking around asleep... OK - apparently I have to write some more lines - 1) It has a magnificent cast, 2) It has some truly laugh-out-loud funny moments, 3) it touches on some serious issues and addresses them with great sensitivity, 4) It has a sharp script, and 5) who can't relate to a dead-end job, crap boss and the fear of stepping out into the unknown? I didn't watch it when it first came out and I'm kinda glad - it might have ruined it for me this time around had I not appreciated it originally. Wake up and give this movie another try - it might surprise you.

This is a truly rare creature, a storyline without a single sympathetic character or redeeming feature. The four chief protagonists (a word chosen deliberately) are so thoroughly unlikeable that I had no interest whatsoever in watching their misery unfold. I also struggled to imagine anyone acting in such a way as the ensemble - an impressive cast indeed - and simply could not relate to any aspect of the film. Jude Law's dialogue and Julia Roberts' reactions when she was photographing him were nauseating and the notion that she might not have simply laughed in his face defies logic. In my experience people seldom act like they do in this movie and, for the very few who do, their lives end up in nothing but misery. I have and had no interest in watching this train-wreck happen on screen.

This film has clearly provoked strong reactions and that is a very positive thing. It has also helped break down some of the political apathy that plagues the West. Another positive thing. However, as a documentary it resorts to bludgeoning its viewers with its ideology rather than advocating for it and that I found hard to swallow. I have enjoyed Moore's efforts being a fan of the Awful Truth and even finding Bowling for Columbine thought-provoking but there were too many strained conclusions in this movie for me to not rebel. There were probably three key points that nauseated me: 1) It assumed its audience would be basically ignorant of most of its key premises (or possible alternative facts and hence conclusions), 2) It drew the worse possible conclusions from the facts available or the conclusion most suggestive of Bush family incompetence or conspiracy, and 3) It was definitely not above using its subjects in the worse possible way either to be held up to ridicule or manipulated for its own purposes. One key example - the Bushes are responsible for special treatment of Saudi Arabia... The US and the Saudis have had a close relationship for decades and Saudi Arabia has long been seen as one of the few Allies the US has in the Middle East. This is a relationship which has been extremely valuable to the US and will continue to be, regardless of the President of the moment. The Wahabist involvement in terrorism is well-known as is the funding coming out of Saudi however, that doesn't change the fundamental state relationships. That it got a rousing ovation at Cannes is certainly no surprise - it played right up to the prejudices of the Europeans and Hollywood's liberal luminaries. Some interesting and important points could have been made in this film - it is just a shame they weren't. As propaganda this film was highly successful, as a piece of advocacy it was sadly lacking.

Just watched this last night and I really enjoyed it. It manages to be something that is pretty rare, namely a romantic comedy that is both romantic and funny. Most romantic comedies go heavy on the romance and soft on the comedy (ie anything with Meg Ryan in it - the odd funny bit/moment - mostly about the every-girl eventually hooking up with the right man). This film is laugh-out-loud funny most of the way through. Its also a great buddy movie and has a great romantic plot line running through-out. The most surprising thing, however (at least for me) was the lovely Isla Fisher. I expected very little from her but she absolutely stole this movie from under her far more accomplished leads. She was cute, funny and utterly terrifying all at the same time. Nice to see a former Perth girl ripping it up. This is not sophisticated in any sense of the word but if you're looking for a light, fun watch this could be for you.

I watched the free version available on the internet. This is certainly a topic that could do with greater exposure as the culture of speech bullying becomes entrenched on campuses around the world. This doco tries to make some worthwhile points but lets itself down by pushing far too obviously a conservative agenda. The stories presented were more than capable of making the point by themselves. A more impartial style of inquiry would likely have been more effective. Of course some will say this type of film-making is necessary to counter the obvious bias of left-leaning filmmakers (Mike Moore is one previously mentioned by other posters) but their obvious agendas also let their films down. Someone needs to make it absolutely clear that there is no right to not be offended/confronted/challenged. The expression of another person's opinion - no matter how stupid or ludicrous - that you may disagree with is never enough to justify stifling it. Universities should be bastions - perhaps the strongest bastions - of the defence of free speech. They were built on the notion of defeating bad ideas with exposure to good ones - no matter how unpopular those ideas may be.

It seems from the more popular comments that people want to believe that this episode is a vindication of Lucas' genius. Firstly let me say that Lucas' genius needs no vindication but if it did - this film would not be it. It is a classic example of the proverbial curate's egg - absolutely breathtaking in its scope and vision in parts, and agonisingly, excruciatingly unbearable in parts. However, it really had to achieve just three main things, 1) marry the storyline up with A New Hope - achieved, 2) appease the die-hards - apparently achieved, and 3) create an engaging film which is capable of standing independently - highly questionable. The concepts and ideas tend to work well, the 'big' scenes and fights are pretty spectacular but the personal journeys of the major protagonists and the inter-personal and particularly the romantic elements were abysmal. I know I'm not the first to say this but I think Lucas is spectacular at what he does well. Unfortunately character development and romance are not part of his incredible repertoire. Just my opinion - no doubt some will agree, others call me crazy.

This is an interesting movie, well made and presents some important questions from a particular viewpoint. What it isn't is anti-gun, in spite of the publicity and the comments previously made. Mike Moore is great at what he does and he does it again in this film. I almost expected to see Crackers the Corporate Crime Fighting Chicken accosting someone at K-Mart for awhile there. But, although the movie is quite manipulative in many ways, I thought the juxtaposing of Canada's record against that of the USA was somewhat insightful. Coming from a Western country with superficially similar background to the USA (not unlike Canada) I came away from BFC with the impression that the real probelm is lack of social welfare - and that this problem is translated into gun deaths by dint of availability. This goes back to the question being asked by the Flint Sherriff (I think), is it false economy to take mothers out of homes from dawn til dark for minimum wage? Are the social costs outweighing the benefits? Many difficult questions, no clear answers. Sounds a lot like life. My vote 8/10

I really did enjoy this film, although it is certainly no cinematic masterpiece, however I do think it would be of fairly limited appeal to a non-Mormon audience. It is a fairly slow and simple story, done fairly simplistically, but not without its charms. To really appreciate it I suspect one would need to have some background knowledge of the key elements of the movie. I was certainly surprised to see it as a Disney movie and was mortified to see other posters suggesting that the advertising for the film was less than forthcoming on the true nature of the storyline. For what it is, its very entertaining and uplifting, but I would strongly suspect that this film will not appeal to a wide audience. My Vote 7/10 (although I unashamedly admit my own bias)

On the whole, somewhat disappointing. Some parts of the film were as spectacular as the first movie, but this sequel had way too much 'blah, blah, blah' for the action fans and the psuedo-intellectual/profound remarks were often laugh-out-loud ridiculous. I literally sniggered at some of Morpheus' remarks - did it really need to have so much rah-rah-rah??? As for the Agent Smith duplication thing - well, I got the picture after there were about half a dozen... did adding another 94 really improve the scene? Especially once it descended into video-game mode? In all I would still recommend seeing this movie - and on the big screen - but I wouldn't be too upset if you happened to miss it. My vote 7/10

This was a fantastic film. I admit to being slightly hesitant about the sub-titles but I'm glad I didn't let it put me off. I'd heard good things about this film and they are all true. This film is a must see for anyone who is interested in a new perspective on war, racial divisions and the futility of hate. My vote - another strong 8/10

Another strong performance by Mendes and a winning role for Hanks. This film is a powerful and moving betrayal of a father's desire for revenge and redemption for his son. A brialliant ensemble cast makes this movie a must see and one of the top flicks of 2002. My vote - a strong 8/10

I generally get annoyed when people say that any given movie wasn't as good as it could have been. IMHO a movie is what it is - if you don't like it make a better version yourself. That said, I have some sympathy with those that have suggested something along those lines with this film. It is an amazing premise and technically stunningly well done. It could not possibly have covered all possibilities and would always have left some aspects hanging (I always thought any real in-depth analysis of the plight of the pre-cogs or the legality of sentencing for attempted murder as though there was actual murder was going to be lacking) but for all that it remains a fantastic movie, a wonderful ride and very thought-provoking. Any film that can have me talking, thinking and questioning 24 hours later is worth an 8 - which is what I give this movie.

I had heard some patchy comments about this movie but it wasn't terrible. Yes it was stupid and slow in parts, but there were a few funny scenes and it was a clever idea. I was torn between a five and a six but gave it the benefit of the doubt. My vote 6/10

This film was listed at my video store as a 'comedy'. I think this was somewhat misleading. While it certainly had funny bits in it I consider it more of a dramatic piece with occasional highlights of the ludicrous in life. That said, this movie is difficult to pigeon-hole in other ways. It has a fantastic ensemble cast but is more than a mere ensemble piece. It is dark yet sweet, funny and tragic. It is not the type of film I rave about (unlike Rushmore) as soon as it ends, but it is one that I will think about days after it is over. An interesting piece, well executed, but more quietly impressive than overwhelmingly brilliant. My vote 7/10 but would almost have been an 8.

This film was quite enjoyable but some of the 'romantic' scenes were bordering on execrable. I struggled to understand why more viewers weren't vomitting at these nauseatingly puerile teen wannabes. Dunst's character was far from the classic hero's love-interest. She was closer to the town bicycle, stumbling from one partner to another at a pace that would make the 'Sex and the City' girls cringe. The action, what there was of it, was entertainly and slickly rendered (for the most part) but was really all too predictable and the obvious sequel ending avaricious in the extreme. All in all I struggle to understand how this film can be running at the vote that it currently is - except that it is a sad indictment on the movie-makers and watchers! My vote - a kind 7/10.

This film started very promisingly with some clear nods to some of the masters of suspense (very Hitchcockian opening). It develops some interesting tension and gets pretty creepy - but then it seems to lose its way. It goes from a chilling thriller to little more than a vehicle to get Mel to come around. (I also thought M Night Shyamalan's cameo was a bit too substantial to really be a directorial cameo but that's neither here nor there.) Still, in all not a bad movie - it just took the route too easy rather than the one less travelled. That's Hollywood I guess. My vote 7/10 (and a bit surprised to see this film currently in the top 250 of all time!).

Well, Russell Crowe was far better than I expected - he deserved the Oscar. Likewise Jennifer Connelly was amazing and also deserved an Oscar (I watched Monster's Ball almost immediately after A Beautiful Mind so I have grounds for comparison). Wonderful story wonderfully done. A very strong 8/10

To me this film seems very much the kind that you either love or hate. For a little while I wasn't entirely sure which side of the line I was going to come down on until I landed firmly in the 'love' camp. Certainly this film is unusual - Lynch doesn't disappoint in presenting a surreal, dreamlike montage lacking any clear plot progression - but it doesn't suffer from the apparently disjointed story-telling. If anything, it benefits from it. Your choice as to how you view the film, I tend to read it as fantasy/dream/illusion first, reality last. The fantasy juxtaposed against the grim reality of Tinseltown. Anyways, much to think and talk about here. That, at the end of the day, is how I ultimately judge a good film. If I leave it provoked, thoughtful and different somehow it has been effective. My vote 8/10 (almost a 9)

As has been remarked on and off about this movie the fact is the story ain't anything fantastic. The trick to enjoying this film is just to go with it and be awed by the amazing animation. The skill involved is mind-blowing at times - the technology is a whole level above. Just be amazed by the pictures and you'll get a kick out of the film. My vote 7/10

Lantana is something of a curate's egg (A history professor used this term to describe a paper of mine once - I had to look it up!). This is brilliantly acted by a superb cast. The writing is intelligent and the cinematography striking. However it is ponderous in pace and uses some unsatisfying caricatures. Then it all unravels too simply and quickly. If you can get into this film 'though it is worth the effort. My vote 7/10

This film reminded me of Mystery Men - another Stiller film. It was a clever concept and had some very funny and intelligent parts in it - but the whole thing didn't quite convert a clever idea into a killer movie. Unlike Mystery Men, Zoolander does have the advantage of ending before all the laughs run out. I think it is a light-hearted movie that just about achieves its aims - silly fun for just under 1 1/2 hours. My vote a solid 6/10