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dave-2340
Reviews
Heli (2013)
very bleak...but very good
Well...you wouldn't want to be poor and living in South America after watching this... that's for sure ! A not so jolly tale of drug barons , suppressed working class no-hopers , and victims . Bleak it may be...but gripping nonetheless . We are told the tale of Heli , and his family...who suffer major mis-fortune in a violent drug torn world. Your heart goes out to them all as you watch the suffering grow .
The film contains some graphic scenes (one of which will have all men squirming). However , the biggest audience gasp was heard when the little doggy had its brief moment on centre stage !
A feel good film it isn't .
La vie d'Adèle (2013)
Stunning
This is a very tender , passionate tale of young love that I found fascinating . The three hours will simply fly by as you follow the life of Adele who falls in love with an arty student . The lead actress is stunning in both looks and believability , and you are swept along with her on her journey . This is acting on the edge...powerful and dramatic...worthy of many awards . The story rattles along at pace , and hardly has time to fully explore all the issues that are on show . Adeles family and friends for example simply disappear after a while , which was odd , as they were an important part of the anti-lesbian feeling present early on in the film . Nonetheless , its almost impossible to find fault . I didn't shed a tear at any stage (but came close a few times ) . The now infamous sex scenes were in my opinion incredibly moving and central to the plot (however they were rather long...men will be used more to a "Wham Bam 30 seconds approach " ! ) You should all go to see this ...male and female alike...though perhaps don't take your Mother !
Soulmate (2013)
Old Fashioned Ghost Story
This is the sort of thing that used to be the staple Christmas Fayre on the TV . You can imagine this being shown as a Family Ghost story to scare the young children and to take their mind off Santa Claus . Its a low budget moody,atmospheric tale that I will guess will flop badly at the box office (assuming it even makes it that far) . However , its in the main a very enjoyable simple drama that doesn't require you to think too much . Anna Walton is excellent in the lead (though she needs to work at bit at miming how to play a violin) . There are a couple of loud bangs to make you jump...a little bit of tomato sauce...a bit of ghostly make up....but other than that there aren't too many really scary moments to have you gripping the seat .But to be fair it doesn't pretend to be that sort of film . Its apparently got a certificate of 15...heaven knows why...kids will love it !
Gloria (2013)
One for the middle aged women I think
I had a MAJOR problem with this film from the very first scene . Gloria is a dead ringer for Dustin Hoffman in Tootsie . She looked not so bad without her big glasses and make-up....but for half of the film I expected her to rip a wig off and reveal she was a man ! Gloria totally dominates the film (I cant think of a scene where she isn't in shot)and she was deserving of all the favourable reviews . However ,the tale of a middle aged woman searching for love in this way was a little too far fetched for me....and her "last chance" with a man who looked old enough to be her grand-father just didn't sit right . I was also a little uncomfortable with the fairly graphic sex scenes , which I thought were not very tasteful , as opposed to, for instance, the scenes in Blue is the Warmest Colour (which I saw the night before)
Gravity (2013)
looks awesome
Saw this at the Leeds Film Festival at the Everyman Theatre . Wonderful comfort...but the tension was such that I couldn't relax into my cushioned sofa...instead my body was in the main knotted...gripping hand rests etc as the film progressed . I would guess this is a must watch in 3D....visually I think it would be much poorer without the glasses ! Some of the shots of Outer Space were simply breath-taking , and it was easy to live the drama alongside the two Actors . Bullock is fantastic . You can really believe in her character . Clooney has a few of the best lines , and basically plays himself...but gives a decent supporting performance . No doubt there were a few holes in the plot...but nonetheless...surely one of the top films this year . Im not sure its quite up there alongside 2001 , as it isn't the sort of film where you need to "think" . Its more pure escapism , where the increasing tension is more important than the actual story .