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Reviews
Scrooge (1951)
This is Christmas
For me, this is the best Christmas tale of them all (ok, maybe the nativity is a little more deserving, but still..)and this version is the best version. Don't be fooled by the dreadful colours in version, the black and white photography is an essential part of the atmosphere, particularly in the sequence concerning the third of the three visiting spirits. The cast is from the post war British ilk, all pristine accents and clean scrubbed faces, but this merely adds to the charm. Alistair Sim is, for me, the Ebeneezer that all others must now live up to, many have come close but non have surpassed. I own this on DVD and watch it at least a couple of times per year, so this is probably the only film I have seen more times than Star Wars episode IV! And it still makes me shed a tear when Scrooge goes back to see his Sister's last words.
Trance (1998)
What the hell was that?
This film seems to be completely pointless. There is no reason why anything that happens in it happens, as if it was written by a small child who got bored halfway through and thought "how can I wrap this up?". And what were Jared Harris and Christopher Walken thinking? Did they do it for a bet? I couldn't tell you the plot, I'm not entirely sure there is one to be quite frank, but if there is it didn't register. Jared and his bird go to Ireland after she falls down the stairs while lashed up, as you do. They go to a house with a very annoying small girl in it, meet Christopher Walken who has dug up some ancient woman preserved in peat. He brings her back to life for no other reason than it continues the story and she shows her gratitude by immediately icing him. From then on it all gets a bit silly. A couple of hours of my life that I'd like back!