The comedy isn’t really funny enough, with some of the slapstick seeming very extreme. It badly needs more laughs. Instead, it’s certainly interesting and memorable but it’s tonally quite peculiar.
The War of the Roses (1989)
The Awakening (2011)
Directed by Nick Murphy, this is a genuinely creepy thriller that follows the first rule of horror: what you don’t see is scarier than what you do see.
Imelda Staunton is excellent as a member of staff at the school, while Dominic West is pretty good as one of the teachers who becomes romantically involved with Cathcart.
On the down side, too much happens in the last 10 minutes, so the ending does seem a little rushed. And the deliberately ambiguous ending may frustrate.
Miss Potter (2006)
I enjoyed it because Renée Zellweger is always so watchable, but it’s very thin on plot. And the addition of animated sequences in which Potter’s art comes to life are clunky and awkward. I found them a little patronising, too. We can see for ourselves that she regards her characters as “living” things because Zellweger’s acting makes it clear. We don’t need it spelled out in such a literal manner.
On the plus side, Ewan McGregor is much better than usual. And there are some sweet moments detailing the couple’s romance. But ultimately Miss Potter feels like a branding exercise on behalf of the Beatrix Potter estate.
The Net (1995)
While it’s very basic in some ways, and we never really learn what the villains were planning to do, there are genuine thrills and surprises along the way. The fairground sequence is highly effective. And it was difficult to predict the ending. The filmmakers wrestle with how to make typing on a computer keyboard look exciting and just about make it work with fast edits and unusual close-ups.
As always, Sandra Bullock is highly watchable.
Vera Drake (2004)
Imelda Staunton is superb in the lead role, adding depth and emotional complexity to the moral issues explored by the script. The fall-out of her actions and the devastating effects on Vera and her family are brilliantly examined by Mike Leigh, with his usual intelligence and empathy.
Career Girls (1997)
They are complex characters, and the actors give astonishingly vivid performances to bring them to life. There’s so much twitchy energy when they’re on screen together that you don’t know where to look.
It would have been a masterpiece except for some plot problems. The pair keep bumping into people they knew years ago. This just doesn’t happen in a city as large as London. And for a story grounded in social realism, three major coincidences is two too many.
Comfort & Joy (1984)
A local radio DJ (Bill Paterson) becomes involved in a dangerously escalating feud between two rival ice-cream companies.
It’s funny, but with moments of drama. Claire Grogan (credited as C. P. Grogan) plays a young woman working in the Mr. Bunny ice cream van and doesn’t get enough lines of her own.
As with Local Hero, the locations are evocative and there’s a keen intelligence to the script.
Secrets & Lies (1996)
Leigh cleverly unpeels layers of the story, letting you know more about the characters and how they interrelate. It’s brilliantly shot, too. A party in the garden is framed like a play, with everyone in shot and everyone doing something at the same time. It’s fascinating to watch and definitely has the feel of a stage play. But, at the same time, the realism is such that it never seems “theatrical”.
Firefox (1982)
It’s confusingly plotted. The acting is hammy. There’s a total lack of dynamism. Clint is alone for much of the film so has no one to play off or interact with. Indeed, he has to talk to himself most of the time. Meanwhile, stilted, static scenes of grumpy army generals standing around talking does not make for good drama.
A fundamentally misconceived mess.
Magic (1978)
Anthony Hopkins is at his absolute best in this riveting drama about a ventriloquist, Charles “Corky” Withers, whose dummy (“Fats”) appears to take him over. It cleverly walks a tightrope between a psychological thriller and a horror film. Is it all in the ventriloquist’s mind? Or is there a genuinely supernatural element, with the dummy actually coming to life? That question is eventually answered but not before you’ve been put through a terrifying roller-coaster.
Magic was presumably influenced by Dead of Night, which had a section that explored a similar scenario.
The film is brilliantly directed by Richard Attenborough. Burgess Meredith (the Penguin from the Batman TV show) is excellent as Corky’s agent, Ben Greene, who soon learns that nothing is quite as it should be.
Pollock (2000)
Marcia Gay Harden is perfect as his wife, the painter Lee Krasner, in a role that’s satisfyingly developed.
Harris, who also directs, does a great job of articulating the artist’s gifts and his mental struggles, often at the same time. It can’t have been an easy role, but he convinces in the part to the extent that it’s impossible to imagine any other actor doing it so well.
Jennifer Connelly plays Ruth Kligman, who Pollock had an affair with shortly before his death in a car accident.
A Most Violent Year (2014)
Oscar Isaac stars as a New Yorker whose business – selling oil – is threatened by corruption and violence. Jessica Chastain plays his tough wife – a complex, brilliantly drawn character, whose father has a dubious criminal background.
It has a Martin Scorsese feel and the choice of urban locations is superb. The title doesn’t quite work, though, as it could be applied to countless other thrillers.
Meet Me in St. Louis (1944)
The story begins in St. Louis in the summer of 1903, and moves through the seasons before culminating in the World’s Fair in spring 1904.
The songs are nice rather than sensational. I was expecting something a little generic but Judy Garland is always treat to watch, and overall it’s surprisingly enjoyable.
The Love Punch (2013)
What might have been an interesting romantic comedy becomes a deliberately absurd slapstick caper. The actors are all strong (Timothy Spall and Celia Imrie also star) but the script just isn’t funny enough and their talents are wasted on something half-baked and crudely forgettable.
Darkest Hour (2017)
It’s brilliantly acted but poorly filmed. The overuse of shadows and light by director Joe Wright in pretty much every scene becomes wearing, and quickly feels clichéd, as does the naff music. In fact it’s quite “flat” all round.
Kristin Scott Thomas and Lily James are strong in supporting roles as Churchill's wife and secretary respectively. Oldman is superb and the film is worth seeing (once) if only for him.
Crash (2004)
The ensemble cast’s acting is strong (notably Sandra Bullock and Matt Dillon), and the weaving together of threads is expertly handled. What spoils the film is the very intrusive, jarring music that just doesn’t suit the scenes it soundtracks. Also, the visuals seem over-filtered.
Heathers (1989)
Winona Ryder stars as one of four girls named Heather in a high school clique. Christian Slater (who exudes the easy, relaxed charisma of a young Jack Nicholson) is new student Jason “J.D.” Dean, who begins murdering anyone who wrongs him.
It’s tonally strange – a little like a much nastier Clueless – but there’s plenty of wit and intelligence among the morbid and tasteless elements.
Dune: Part Two (2024)
Paul Atreides unites with the Fremen people of Arrakis to wage war on House Harkonnen.
There are too many shots of Zendaya scowling at Timothée Chalamet.
It’s visually stunning but also quite ponderous in places.
The Thing (1982)
Kurt Russell stars as one of a group of US researchers working in Antarctica, where the team encounter an alien life-form able to take on the form of other beings – including dogs and humans.
The plot cleverly explores how no one can trust each other because of the risk that any one of them could have been taken over by the alien. There's plenty of tension, and – although I don't love his acting style – Russell is pretty good in the lead role.
The Mirror Has Two Faces (1996)
Like most Streisand films, it’s a rich source of material for anyone wishing to psychoanalyse her. There’s lots about her childhood, her relationships with her parents (Lauren Bacall plays Rose’s stern mother), and her body image.
It’s flawed but fairly entertaining – especially if you’re already a Babs fan.
The Glenn Miller Story (1954)
In the title role, James Stewart seemingly makes very little effort to become the character, instead relying on his usual tics and mannerisms to carry the plot along.
As a biopic, it’s weak. As a story in its own right, it’s reasonably entertaining but oddly childish. You learn surprisingly little about Miller’s life and career.
White Oleander (2002)
Michelle Pfeiffer is Ingrid Magnussen, who is sent to prison for murdering an unfaithful boyfriend. Her daughter Astrid (Alison Lohman) is sent to a series of foster homes, which lead to problems of their own, but Ingrid’s controlling ways continue to determine events.
Adapted from Janet Fitch's 1999 novel, it’s a sad and often harrowing story about the damage adults do to children. Pfeiffer and Lohman are fantastic. In other roles, Robin Wright and Renée Zellweger are also excellent.
One odd casting decision is having Billy Connolly play the murdered boyfriend. He’s hardly in the film at all but he does stand out as an extremely unusual and somewhat jarring choice for that role.
The Story of Us (1999)
Ben and Katie (Bruce Willis and Michelle Pfeiffer) choose to separate when the children are away on summer camp. We see them working through the new relationship status, while looking back on the highs and lows of the marriage.
Director Rob Reiner (who also stars as a family friend) wisely keeps the film simple and focused.
The Blind Side (2009)
Sandra Bullock plays Leigh Anne, Oher’s new “mother”, and delivers one of her strongest performances in a complex role.
Only one criticism: I misheard some of the intro and it sent me down the wrong path. I spent the whole film expecting Oher to fatally injure another player, which wasn’t where it was heading at all. That’s my fault, but I do think the opening moments could have been clearer.
Miss Congeniality (2000)
So-so comedy directed by Donald Petrie.
Sandra Bullock stars as an FBI agent who goes undercover as a contestant in a beauty pageant after a terrorist threatens to set off a bomb. Michael Caine plays her coach, Victor, while William Shatner is the veteran presenter, Stan.
There are a few funny moments, but not nearly enough. As always, Bullock is brilliant but the material isn’t worthy of her talents. It’s also somewhat ambiguous in terms of its messaging about beauty contests, seeming to both condemn them and praise them. Plus, there's not enough of her as an agent.
I don't think I need to bother with the sequel.
While You Were Sleeping (1995)
Described as a romantic comedy, this OK film directed by Jon Turteltaub isn’t really funny at all.
Sandra Bullock stars as Lucy, a Chicago Transit Authority token collector. She has a crush on a commuter, Peter (Peter Gallagher), who she sees every morning. One day he’s pushed in front of a train and she saves his life. He goes into a coma, and in a blaze of confusion she allows Peter’s family to believe she’s his fiancé. But then she starts falling in love with Peter’s brother (Bill Pullman).
Whenever Bullock is on screen, she shines. Pullman is also pretty good. The problem is the ensemble case of family and friends – poorly drawn characters with too much screen time. It’s just not very well written. For example, when Peter’s actual fiancé shows up you expect all sorts of amusing misunderstandings, but that event is thrown away and a potentially interesting plot thread merely fizzles out.
The Truman Show (1998)
Jim Carrey stars as Truman Burbank, a man who doesn’t realise that his whole life has been filmed for a reality TV show broadcast to millions. This show is masterminded by Christof (Ed Harris), portrayed as an almost godlike figure.
It's a fascinating idea, but the execution seems fatally flawed. In places the storytelling isn't strong enough – mainly because you can’t easily tell what’s meant to be TV footage and what is us seeing what’s really going on.
The plot only works at all if you don't ask any questions of it. For example, why does Carrey’s character perform as though he’s in a TV show when he doesn’t know he is? And how does the acting role actually work for his wife (Laura Linney), who is on duty 24 hours a day, 365 days per year?
Dead of Night (1945)
It features a series of short stories framed within one wider narrative. Each of these tales deals with some kind of supernatural occurrence. The best of these, by some distance, is the one featuring Michael Redgrave as a ventriloquist whose dummy takes on a life of its own. It's chilling and unnerving, unlike the other segments, which seem a little too mannered and silly to really work – with hammy acting that doesn't help. There's also a "comical" story about a deceased golfer who returns to haunt his rival.
You have to admire the ambition of this construction, even if not all of it works.
Say Anything... (1989)
Following high school graduation, Lloyd pursues Diane (Ione Skye), who is cleverer and more “successful” than him. She lives with her pushy father (John Mahoney, of Frasier fame), who has strong ideas about her future.
As a 1980s teen saga, it’s in the general vein of the films by John Hughes. But there’s far more nuance and sophistication here, with Crowe developing the father character and his complex relationship with his daughter. (In Hughes’ films, adults are merely a one-dimensional “enemy”.)
Cusack and Skye both have a lot of charm and the scenes with the two of them working out their feelings for one another are sweet and endearing. Mahoney comes across weirdly, but we later learn why that is.
The Taking of Pelham One Two Three (1974)
Extremely entertaining crime thriller directed by Joseph Sargent and adapted from the 1973 novel by Morton Freedgood.
A New York subway train is hijacked by a team of four men in hat and moustache disguises. They take 17 passengers hostage and threaten to kill them unless they are paid $1 million within an hour.
Walter Matthau stars as the Transit Police lieutenant responsible for saving the victims and resolving the crisis. Robert Shaw plays "Mr. Blue", who is one of the deadly crooks.
It’s tense and exciting with plenty of moments of welcome humour. That said, there are also some very dodgy racist jokes.
The Hunter (1980)
He plays a bounty hunter whose task it is to bring in dangerous criminals. The plot is enjoyably open-ended, with several threads interwoven. McQueen acts more than usual, which makes for an enjoyable watch.
There’s also a lot of humour and some genuinely exciting scenes. I especially liked the running joke about his inability to park a car.
The Green Man (1956)
Alastair Sim, George Cole, Terry-Thomas and Jill Adams star in this delightfully silly frivolity.
It was based on a play and you can tell because of the farce-like scenes of people walking in and out of rooms.
What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? (1962)
Bette Davis and Joan Crawford star as two sisters, Jane and Blanche, with a deeply troubled relationship. Davis was once the popular child star “Baby Jane” Hudson, while Crawford is a former Hollywood star who, we learn, lost the use of her legs in an accident. Jane is increasingly unhinged and begins holding Blanche prisoner in their shared house.
Directed Robert Aldrich nicely ramps up the tension, turning a bizarre situation into a terrifying one. It's difficult to predict how the film can be resolved, but the ending is hugely satisfying.
Lake Placid (1999)
A huge killer crocodile is on the loose in Maine. The local Fish and Game officer Jack Wells (Bill Pullman), paleontologist Kelly Scott (Bridget Fonda), sheriff (Brendon Gleeson) and an eccentric professor of mythology (Oliver Platt) try to track down the beast.
The film can’t decide if it’s meant to be funny or scary and ends up neither. There are hints of Jaws and Crocodile Dundee in there, but with none of the ingredients that made those films so engaging.
Fonda has a degree of charm, as always, but the script is weak and you long for wittier lines. Gleeson seems entirely miscast as the grumpy sheriff and you can only wonder exactly what the actor or character was meant to contribute to the film. There are a couple of laughs but with some tweaking it could have been so much better.
The Proposal (2009)
High-powered businesswoman Margaret (Sandra Bullock) will be deported and lose her job at a New York publishing firm unless she gets married to an American. She forces her assistant Andrew (Ryan Reynolds) to go along with the plan. They travel to his family home in Alaska, where – in trying to convince his family and immigration agent that they’re in love – they inevitably fall in love for real.
It sounds formulaic but there are some genuinely funny moments and the script is finely tuned enough to sparkle.
Sandra Bullock is likeable as a hard-edged bully who slowly reveals her vulnerabilities. A ludicrous scene in which a small dog is carried off by an eagle actually works.
The strong cast also includes Mary Steenburgen and Betty White.
Zodiac (2007)
Mark Ruffalo plays the cop investigating. Robert Downey Jr is a journalist for the San Francisco Chronicle. And Jake Gyllenhaal is Robert Graysmith, a cartoonist at the same paper who becomes obsessed with the case and intent on solving it, no matter what.
Ruffalo and Gyllenhaal are such sensitive performers that they build huge depth into their characters. Downey Jr. is less impressive. Nothing wrong with him as such, but he makes less of an impact.
I like the way the film charts the passing years, and keeps the narrative on the ongoing quest to resolve the case rather than veering off too much into the personal soap operas of the main characters' changing lives.
Madame Bovary (2014)
Emma Bovary (Mia Wasikowska) finds her marriage to a village doctor stifling and lifeless. She seeks more exciting distractions, with disastrous consequences.
Wasikowska is excellent, as is the supporting cast. My only criticism is that Emma's character seems to change too quickly, with her downward spiral beginning rather suddenly after years of quiet restraint. This sort of character development can be handled more subtly across a novel but can seem rushed in the 118-minute running time of a film.
Instinct (1999)
Anthony Hopkins plays anthropologist Ethan Powell, who is now held in a high-security prison and refusing to speak. Earnest psychiatrist Theo Caulder (Cuba Gooding Jr) attempts to get to know Powell and uncovers the true story of what happened when he spent two years living in the jungle with gorillas. It should really have been called One Flew Over the Gorilla’s Nest or The Silence of the Lambs in the Mist, since there are hints of those Hannibal Lecter, Dianne Fossey and Randle McMurphy stories wrapped up in this narrative.
There are interesting themes about freedom and social control, but there’s too much about the dysfunctional prison society (and inmates) and too little about Powell’s psychological development. It’s also hammy in places. Plus, the music is somewhat jarring.
Donald Sutherland is a wasted as a professor who the plot doesn’t really require. Gooding is so-so: one-dimensional until a sudden and unexpected outpouring of emotion is unleashed at the end. But that emotion doesn’t seem warranted by what has gone before. Hopkins is as magnetically watchable as ever, even with a silly beard and even when the material is plain silly.
Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason (2004)
On the plus side, the three stars remain watchable no matter what – Renée Zellweger, Colin Firth and Hugh Grant all exude undeniable screen presence, but they can’t improve the wobbly script. There are long patches without any amusing lines at all. Loud music drowns out the dialogue in a few places.
The film gets worse in the second half, seemingly just stringing out a weak premise to make up the full running time. Especially wretched was the gaggle of friends who make up the “Greek chorus” (a standard Richard Curtis tic) offering advice and commentary. Very old-fashioned gender politics, too, and we’re repeatedly told that life is worthless if you don’t have a handsome boyfriend.
About Elly (2009)
A group of middle-class Iranians to go the Caspian Sea for a short holiday, staying in a run-down house on the beach.
Sepideh (Golshifteh Farahani), the organiser, has invited her daughter's nursery teacher, Elly (Taraneh Alidoosti), who she is trying to match up with one of her friends, who is also part of the group. Events take a darker turn when one of the couples' children nearly drowns. Then Elly goes missing. Has she gone home because she was so uncomfortable with the social situation, or did she get swept away by the strong tide while trying to rescue the boy?
The ensemble aspect of the film is expertly handled, offering multiple perspectives on the events. Farhadi really understands how to mine the interactions for maximum interest, while also revealing flashes of the darkest comedy.
A Separation (2011)
When a middle-class couple (Leila Hatami and Peyman Moaadi) split up, the daughter stays with her father and grandfather. The latter has Alzheimer's disease, but the carer hired to look after him becomes the centre of a dispute that threatens to shatter multiple lives.
Masterfully directed by Asghar Farhadi, the story brilliantly leads up to one key event and then examines the fall-out. It richly considers multiple perspectives and takes an impressive non-judgemental view.
The acting is highly convincing and the situation seems all too real.
U-571 (2000)
Directed by Jonathan Mostow, it’s a fast-paced wartime thriller that’s full of action. Matthew McConaughey is excellent as the man who unexpectedly finds himself as captain after his boss, played by Bill Paxton, is killed. Harvey Keitel does his usual thing (as the Chief Gunner's Mate) and has some presence. In an odd casting decision, Jon Bon Jovi portrays Lieutenant Pete Emmett, but brings nothing special to a minor role that could have been played by anyone. The other major failing is that the music is loud enough to obscure the dialogue at a couple of points.
At times you can clearly see the influence of the submarine masterpiece that is Das Boot. But where that film had long, brooding scenes that built up a claustrophobic tension, this one races from one dramatic moment to another. It does that very well, but ironically – given the subject matter – there’s a lack of depth.
Creation (2009)
Darwin (Paul Bettany) attempts to complete On the Origin of Species while dealing with the grief of his daughter Annie’s death. He’s also semi-estranged from his wife Emma (Jennifer Connelly), and his theories about the beginnings of life on Earth are inflaming tensions in the God-fearing community.
There are impressive scenes of nature, illustrating the idea of evolution as Darwin perceives it.
Bettany’s compelling performance lifts the film and makes it highly watchable. Connelly brings a welcome complexity to her part as she tries to reconcile her love for her husband with her love of the God his life’s work debunks.
The Railway Man (2013)
Patricia (Nicole Kidman) meets railway enthusiast Eric (Colin Firth) and the pair quickly fall in love and marry. But Patricia soon realises that Eric remains deeply traumatised by the suffering he experienced in a Japanese POW camp during World War II. While working on the Thai-Burma Railway he had been tortured by the Japanese military secret police, including their interpreter Takashi Nagase, and was never able to come to terms with the horrors he endured.
It’s an emotional story, extremely well-handled. Firth and Kidman are both excellent. You can really believe they are in love, and the scene in which they first meet, on a train journey, exudes warmth and charm. I wanted more of that. You can also believe how damaged Firth is.
The younger and older depictions of the key characters work well, and the time transitions are elegantly managed.
The ending is unexpectedly satisfying.
Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri (2017)
Frances McDormand portrays Mildred Hayes, a grieving woman drawn to increasingly extreme behaviour by her sense of loss and frustration because she feels the police gave up trying to solve the case of her daughter’s rape and murder.
Given the subject matter, it’s remarkable how funny this film is – a dark, deadpan wit that’s full of empathy for a cast of strange and desperate individuals. Gritty and unsentimental, it refuses to offer a single ray of hope.
My One and Only (2009)
Renée Zellweger stars. She leaves her husband (Kevin Bacon) after he cheats on her, and takes off on a road trip with her sons. In search of a new husband and financial stability, she encounters a range of unsuitable men.
The quirky tone takes a little getting used to, but once you acclimatise, the film is highly enjoyable.
Zellweger is excellent as always – highly watchable and sympathetic.
There are hints of Woody Allen (especially his Blue Jasmine) crossed with the parent/child drama of Anywhere but Here.
Adrift (2018)
Directed by Baltasar Kormákur, it’s a compelling drama that interweaves the disaster of a damaged boat, drifting at sea, with the events that led up to this happening.
Shailene Woodley and Sam Claflin star as a young couple whose romantic adventure quickly turns into a nightmare. Woodley is superb; Claflin less so.
12 Years a Slave (2013)
Chiwetel Ejiofor stars as Northup, delivering a remarkably potent and sensitive performance as a man trying to retain his dignity and composure as he is systematically put through hell.
Kidnapped in Washington DC and sold into slavery, Northup is transferred between cruel owners. We see him treated in an especially barbaric manner by sadistic plantation owner Edwin Epps (Michael Fassbender).
It’s difficult to endure in places – especially when Northup is forced into acts of cruelty against his fellow slaves – but Ejiofor is so compelling that you keep watching anyway.
New in Town (2009)
Hard-edged Miami-based consultant Lucy Hill (Renée Zellweger) is sent to New Ulm, Minnesota, to oversee changes at a food-manufacturing plant that will mean many redundancies. Against all her expectations, and helped by the handsome Ted (Harry Connick Jr.), Lucy eventually begins to warm to the quirky townsfolk and become sympathetic to their situation.
For a relatively lightweight comedy it's surprisingly enjoyable. Zellweger is always a joy to watch, such is the multi-dimensional way she inhabits a character. And while there's nothing much that truly surprises in the storyline, it keeps you engaged until the end.
The Last Legion (2007)
Thomas Sangster plays Romulus Augustulus, who is descended from the Caesar bloodline when his parents are killed. He is taken in by the kindly Aurelianus Ambrosius (Colin Firth) and Mira (Aishwarya Rai), and guided by the wise – and oddly bearded – Ambrosinus (Ben Kingsley).
It’s quite entertaining in a fairly silly manner. The only real criticism is that Sangster could’ve been more of a hero, instead of someone that things merely happen to. That way, you might have found yourself actually rooting for him.
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