Change Your Image
dphe
Reviews
The World Is Not Enough (1999)
GOOFS - stunt man visible
Maybe you could add the following goof for this film:
When Bond leaves the building where he has been attacked by the helicopters with the tree cutting discs, he rolls down the steps to avoid being hit. As he gets upright near the bottom of the steps we see a clear facial shot of the stunt double. (Even more obvious if you use the VCR pause button, but obvious enough even if you don't)
Ordinary Decent Criminal (2000)
Not one of Spacey's best films
Neither Kevin Spacey nor Linda Fiorentino will look back at this film as being their defining moment on screen. The tale itself is lively and keeps the viewer entertained, though it is not exactly food for any deep thought. Whatever the disclaimer might say at the end of the film, this is based loosely on the story of Dublin gangster Martin Cahill but does not contain any of the gritty reality which Brendan Gleeson portrayed so well in the film "The General".
So if your idea of a great meal is Chinese takeaway, then this is the film for you: You'll enjoy watching it, but you'll not remember it for long !
Titanic (1997)
You have to see it
Look, I don't want to give away the ending, but the ship sinks.
If you want suspense, surprise, happy endings, or twists in the plot, then this really is not what you're looking for. On the other hand if you watched "Apollo 13" knowing the crew get home safely in the end anyway, and still enjoyed it for the personal insight into a significant historical event, then you have to watch "Titanic". As a film it is rightly to be considered a classic, both for the storyline (as seen from the perspective of the young lovers) and for the special effects.
Kate and Leonardo perform well in their roles, but it's the character played by Billy Zane which gives the story that extra bite. This is the guy you WANT to see going down with the ship.
Hackers (1995)
Dreadful stuff
This film is computer stories what Ed Wood was to horror. The acting is poor, the plot is uninteresting, and the technical bits are a cringe.
Avoid it. Tell your friends to avoid it. Avoid your friends who watch it.
Saving Private Ryan (1998)
Man's inhumanity to man
This is not a film for the melancholic.
Sure it has great special effects. There's more blood and guts to be found here than in your average war movie, and if you've become accustomed to watching NATO missions on CNN or on the 'net this might just bring to mind the fact that in war there is suffering, no matter what the technology used. In this respect, the sound effects are particularly poignant.
But there are two scenes in particular which brought me a cold sweat. In one a German soldier, and in the other an American, find themselves in a situation where death at the hands of the enemy is now inevitable. For each, the only remaining option is to beg for mercy, and hope that their communications are understood. But what brings out pathos in the viewer wins little understanding from these soldiers. Therein lies the most gruesome message of all; in war these men have lost the ability to treat others as humans. This contrasts sharply with what we learn of their private lives prior to the start of the war.
The cinematography is excellent. Just as the beach scene (filmed in Ireland) receives acclaim for its realism, the scene on the bridge is filled with tension as the soldiers await the arrival of the tanks. It's "High Noon" with Tom Hanks in the role of the sheriff.
Private Ryan plays little role in the film. Perhaps this is why some commentators have said the film lacked depth. They wanted to see how Mrs Ryan was feeling at home. To them I say "go watch a Lassie movie"
Harvey (1950)
The secret to happy living
Fifty years after it was created, this film is more relevant than ever. James Stewart plays Elwood P Dowd, a man who has found happiness in life not through business success, cosmetic surgery, wealth, or fame, but through an over-developed sense of friendship. Elwood's closest friend happens to be a six-foot invisible white rabbit, but the film goes on to reveal him as a character capable of making friends with just about anyone.
Though the film does deal with his drinking habit (portrayed in almost childish simplicity) it is the perceptions others have of him which provides the greatest depth to the film. To his close relatives he is an embarrassment, as his manners do not seem suitable for his social standing. But to those he befriends he is a charming and pleasant man with great insight. While he is being interviewed by a psychiatric doctor, Dowd offers a glimpse into his world when he explains how he followed the advice of his Grandmother: "In this world, Elwood,... you must be oh-so smart, or oh-so pleasant." For years I was smart,.. now I recommend pleasant--- you may quote me.
Shortly after being exposed to Dowd's thinking, Dr Chumley himself begins to see the rabbit. Perhaps the rabbit is the personification of Dowd's blissfully simplistic view of life. And if such a belief system should seem bizarre and outdated in today's world it is worth remembering that when the rabbit wanted out, it opened the gate for itself !!!