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hilary-franoux
Reviews
Making Mr. Right (1987)
A fairy Tale from the1980's
I first caught this movie half-way through on an obscure TV channel.
I was so taken with it that I hunted it down on video. John Malkovich, as the android, is in a role so out-of-character for him that it took me awhile to cotton on to who was playing the part! This film is sugary fluff all the way through but none the less watchable for it. Difinitely a girl's-night-in kind of movie with a reassuringly happy ending.
Lat sau san taam (1992)
Where's the story line?
Just a load of Orientals shooting each other in spectacular real-time and slow motion, only the locations change. Oh, and why is freeze-fame used so often? The dubbing is atrocious, the choice of vocabulary and delivery verge on the comical.
The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992)
sharply observed, witty, far too good for kids
Having seen previous Muppet offerings that were, frankly, banal this little gem almost escaped me. This film is best enjoyed if you already know the Dickens tale inside out so that you can relish the way it has been adapted to fit well-known Muppet characters and also so that you can spend you time watching for the throwaway comedy in the background. This is the same throwaway humour that Nick Park (Chicken Run) has become famous for. I recommend buying this movie on video and getting it out once a year, in the run-up to Christmas, as a family tradition.
Evolution (2001)
Sci-fi light-weighter that sparkles in places
This film is much better than I expected, the level of humour never rose above the "lavatorial" but had me laughing despite myself. The plot looked as if it had been taken from a serious book and grafted onto a "Viz/Mad magazine" by mistake. While most of the actors pulled their weight, David Duchovny sauntered from scene to scene as if he'd been forced to do the movie under duress and couldn't wait to get down the pub for a beer. This film will definitely be improved by watching it after you have had a few beers yourself!
Swordfish (2001)
Heart-stopping, rollercoaster ride. A highly watchable shocker
I went to this film, I must admit, mostly because Hugh Jackman was in it and I'm still on a "high" from his performance as Wolverine in the recent X-men movie. I'm not sure what I expected this film to be about, the beginning scenes lead me to believe I was in for another Pulp Fiction (which I found so disturbing I stopped watching after the first 20 minutes). Fortunately, the plot soon got under way and I was dragged from one scene to another without sufficient time to catch my breath, surprisingly, this did not irritate me and I caught myself gasping out loud on more than one occasion. John Travolta acts his socks off and gives the film blanket credibility despite the over-the-top nature of the plot. Don't blink, don't look down to eat your popcorn and whatever you do, do not go to the bathroom, this film demands your full attention and will reward you handsomely if you stick with it. This film will definitely loose impact when viewed on the small screen so go to see it NOW.
Dirty Dancing (1987)
THIS is the holiday romance I never had.
I can't fault this film. The characterisation and subject matter had me hooked from the start. Despite the heroine's trials and tribulations, I would gladly have swopped places with her to get my hands Patrick Swayze. What more could you want? Holiday setting, beautiful people, romance, and more sexy dance scenes than you can wave a stick at. This is one of the few films I can view time and again and still get a thrill of excitement watching the plot unfold.
Barbarella (1968)
Camp, non-cerebral 60's space romp.
A wonderfully dated, politically incorrect and camp romp though space and Jane Fonda's skimpy wardrobe. No brain power needed to enjoy this and don't bother trying to understand the plot. If you have a lava lamp on the coffee table, you should have this title in your video collection!