All the following films were seen at the cinema during 1997.
Daylight cert.15 (7/10)
Reminiscent, in different ways, of many of the disaster movies, this one set in the tunnel linking Manhatten and New Jersey. Sylvester Stallone just happens to once have been the local emergency chief - sacked and now driving a taxi, who manages to rescue the last half dozen people in the tunnel. The holes in the plot are as wide as the tunnel itself, but that didn't matter too much. Amy Brenneman was the only other person to stand out. Bit weak in places but otherwise quite enjoyable.
The Ghost and the Darkness cert.15 (7½/10)
I was a little disappointed with this one. Based on a true story from turn of the century Kenya, Val Kilmer and Michael Douglas lead. Assuming it was actually shot in Africa, what little scenery there was, was spectacular, but there was no edge-of-the seat tensions. It was always predictable, though sometimes not by more than a few minutes, which I suppose wasn't bad. Bernard Hill as the doctor, and particularly John Kani as the native African liason were excellent in supporting roles, but I found both of the leading characters to be a little wooden. Mind you, for the role Val Kilmer was playing, this perhaps was no bad thing. I enjoyed it, but it's not going to be an oscar winner.
Extreme Measures cert.15 (8/10)
Better than I expected. Gene Hackman, Hugh Grant and Sarah Jessica Parker star in a hospital drama. Vaguely remeniscent of Coma in some respects, but here it is the foppish one who is the doctor with the puzzle, and Gene Hackman as the doctor with the secret. SJP's role, was a little predictable actually, but it did take a little while to work out what the was going on as there were some nice twists and turns. What is the link between a casualty nurse, an FBI agent and a policeman that keeps them in on the secret? Worth seeing.
Ransom cert.15 (7/10)
Well written and filmed, very slick, and well made. The story line was well paced and the cast was good. Gary Sinise' warped policeman was by far and away the best though, leaving Mel Gibson floundering a long way behind, even the vaguely attractive Rene Russo put in a better performance. Lightly enjoyable, but instantly forgettable. I believe this is a remake of an old Henry Fonda film, but not having seen that film, I can't comment on the differences.
Sleepers cert.15 (9/10)
Wonderful film. I had put off going to see it for some time, but now I'm glad I have finally got around to it. Supposedly based on a true story, though there is a lot of controversy about that, this was a long film, almost two and a half hours. I felt it started a little slowly, and the commentary was occasionally distracting, but it did mean that the film could be graphic without being explicit. The fact that over half of the story was of the main characters as teenagers was a good idea, and even though it was completely predictable, it was the getting there that counted. Thoroughly enjoyable and well worth going to see. Be warned though, as you might expect from this sort of film, there is a lot of violence and abuse, and while mostly understated, it is quite obvious.
The Frighteners cert.15 (6½/10)
Light hearted, amusing, with a couple of genuine belly laughs. A comedy, mostly, with at least one part that made me jump. I'm not that much of a Michael J Fox fan, he still looks too young for this sort of part, but he played it well, and to be honest, I can't think of many actors who would have been better.
Fierce Creatures cert.PG (8/10)
Exceedingly funny, and strongly reccomended. Kevin Kline in particular, playing two roles, was wonderful. As usual John Cleese is wonderfully over the top in this story of a New Zealand tycoon, one of Kevin Kline's characters, taking over a small British zoo. Jamie Lee Curtiss is Willa, the lust object of Klines other character, and Michael Palin as an animal keeper who just won't stop talking, even to save his own life. There was a wonderful set of well known British comedy actors in supporting roles, including Derek Griffith, Gareth Hunt, and Ronnie Corbett. Watch out for the brief reference to A fish called Wanda right at the very end.
She's The One cert.15 (6/10)
Highly amusing in places, but not much of a story. Boy meets girl, they get married, have difficulties, almost split up, and finally get together. Interleaved with the story of his brothers and fathers disintigrating marriages. Not the most exciting film I've ever seen, and not one I'd go out of my way to see again, but well made and easy on the eye and brain. With Jennifer Aniston and Cameron Diaz.
Evita cert.15 (5/10)
Some lovely songs, wonderful singing and spectacular scenery do not make a good film. At two and a quarter hours it was far too long, and I was beginning to wonder when it was going to finish after just an hour and a half. It did not make the transition from the stage at all well, and despite gallant attemts from the cast it failed miserably to excite. Jimmy Nial was a nice surprise though.
The Phantom cert.12 (3/10)
This was an absolutely dire film. Treat Williams, as bad guy Drax, was the only vaguely redeeming feature. Kirsty Swanson and Catherine Zeta-Jones added a bit of glamour, but CZJ's conversion from bad to good at the end was even more unbelievable than the rest of the totally unbelievable plot. Jumping from a moving bi-plane onto the back of a horse? Give me a break. And that horse must have been galloping faster than the plane. Continuity left a heck of a lot to be desired. Avoid this one!
Michael cert.12 (8/10)
A highly amusing romantic comedy that for a while turns into a comedy road movie. John Travolta was wonderful as an apparently rather slobbish, but very charming Archangel who attracted the girls like a magnet, and Andie MacDowell showed herself to be quite a good country and western singer. The whole point of the film doesn't make itself obvious until over half way through. Also starring William Hurt and Robert Pastorelli as hack tabloid journalists after a sensational story.
In Love and War cert.15 (7/10)
The story of Earnest Hemmingway's first love during WWI with an American Nurse. I didn't think Sandra Bullock would be right for the role, so I was suprised by just how well she did fit in to give a wonderful performance. Chris O'Donnell wasn't quite as good, and I never quite got to feel for the character as perhaps I should have done, he didn't fill the role as well as he could have. The story line was a little light, given the subject matter, but on the whole that didn't detract from the final film. I guess women will probably enjoy this film more than the men. Recommended.
Shine cert.12 (8½/10)
Another true story, this time of Australian pianist David Helfgott's (played by first Noah Taylor and then Geoffrey Rush) collapse with mental illness, and his climb to recovery. Wonderful performances by all the cast, made for a truly moving picture, with a few highly hillarious moments. Even if you are not into classical music, you will still enjoy the stunning musical interludes. Lynn Redgrave and John Gielgud were the only familiar faces (to me) amongst the excellent cast.
A very well deserved best actor oscar to Geoffrey Rush.
Mars Attacks cert.12 (7/10)
A very funny film that will sometimes have you rolling in the aisles with laughter. Not much of a plot, but then that wasn't the point. The huge cast are wonderful, with just about everybody playing one form of nutter or another. Jack Nicholson had two roles as ditzy president & ditzy business man, Glenn Close as ditzy first lady, Annette Benning as ditzy alcoholic wife of business man, Michael J Fox & Sarah Jessica Parker as ditzy television reporters, Martin Short as ditzy and over sexed presidential aide, Rod Steiger as well OTT army general, Pierce Brosnan as not so clever scientist, Danny DeVito as ditzy gambler. Natalie Leon Portman and Lucas Witness Haas played almost the only two characters that were less than completely loopy, and even then I'm not so sure. Tom Jones on the other hand, should stick to singing. I wont tell you what finally does for the martians, or what its effects are, but they were wonderfully funny. The special effects, as you'd expect of George Lucas' Industrial Light and Magic were excellent.
Bound cert.18 (7½/10)
The gutter press (aka anything owned by Rupert Murdoch) have described this as a lesbian movie. If this is what you go and see it for, you'll be sorely disappointed. Starting with Corkie (Gina Gershon) gagged and bound in a cupboard, there is a series of flashbacks within flashbacks that show what led up to this. This is followed by an increasingly desperate and bloody battle between Violet (Jennifer Tilly) and Cesare (Joe Pantoliano) partly over Corkie, but mostly over money. I did find Tilly's high pitched and slightly breathy speaking voice rather irritating though. Not to be missed.
Blood and Wine cert.15 (7½/10)
With both Jack Nicholson and Michael Caine, this film should have been better than it was. Nicholson as a wine dealer to the rich decides to try and steal from one of his clients. Caine as the broken down London jewel thief he teams up with. When his wife, Judy Davis, and step son, Stephen Dorff, accidentally run off with the jewellery, the scene is set for a lot of violence and murder. With Jennifer Lopez as Nicholson's bit on the side, much to the disgust of Dorff who's chasing her himself. With far more blood than wine, this is a very watchable film that doesn't live up to it's promise.
The Crucible cert.12 (8½/10)
This is a harrowing film, based on a screen play also by Arthur Miller, which in turn is based on a true story. But it's also a story of modern times too, in that it could just as easily represent the McCarthey anti-communism paranoia of the 1950's. How close this is to the true story I don't know exactly, but no matter how close this was a well played and executed film. Paul Scofield was probably the best of the bunch as the judge determined to wipe out all traces of witch craft. With Daniel Day-Lewis and Winona Rider. This film proves beyond any shadow of a doubt just how damaging and dangerous religion and religious fervour is.
The English Patient cert.15 (9½/10)
This film has been nominated for about a dozen oscars, and I think it deserves them. Quite a long film, over two and a half hours, but it goes so quickly you'll hardly notice. Ralph Fiennes plays a badly burned, and amnesiac, patient being cared for by a French/Canadian nurse, Juliette Binoche, in a crumbling and badly damaged Italian monastery. Through a series of flashbacks, which are not in any chronological order, we find out how he came to be this way, and why he no longer wants to live. Kristen Scott Thomas plays the woman with whom he has a passionate love affair, and while we know she is now dead, it is the manner of her death, not revealed until right at the end, that is so unnerving.
Well, look at that. 9 oscars including best picture, best director, and best supporting actress (Binoche)
And almost as many British Academy awards.
Jerry Maguire cert.15 (6½/10)
A simple romantic comedy. Tom Cruise plays Jerry Maguire, a sports agent who looses his job when he gets a conscience. Cuba Gooding Jnr. as his only remaining client, a loud mouthed, self opinionated, American football player; and Renee Zellweger as the company accountant who follows him. A simple story, which while fairly predictable, is still entertaining. 6 year old Jonathan Lipnicki, as Zellweger's son was delightfully funny. After seeing this, I may start to believe that Cruise is learning to act. Gooding and Zellweger look promising newcomers.
And a well deserved Oscar for best supporting actor for Cuba Gooding Jnr.
Star Wars - special edition cert.pg
Most people will have already seen the original before, even if only on TV, so I don't really see any need to review it. This film will always be better seen on the big screen rather than the small. The additional special effects and scenes don't really add to the story, but they do make it larger. Mos Eisley grows from an apparently small place to a much bigger and more bustling place, now there's more ships in the background during the death star battle. The extra scene with Jabba the Hutt didn't work for me though.
Dante's Peak cert.12 (7/10)
An enjoyable, special effects packed, extravaganza along the lines of Twister, but better. A volcano dormant for 7000 years decides to 'clear its throat' alerting the geologists and vulcanologists, but the townspeople don't notice, and when told, the town council don't want to know. Pierce Brosnan is the vulcanologist and Linda Hamilton the town mayor trying to persuade people that just maybe something really is wrong. The special effects of the volcano erupting were stunning, but the picture postcard scenery beforehand looked a little too good to be true. A relatively weak story line with the occasional bit of black humour, but then, the plotline's only there to hold the SFX together so the gaping tunnels (sic) in the plot don't really matter. I enjoyed it as a 'switch brain off sit back and enjoy the nonsense' type film, as I suspect most people will.
Romeo and Juliet cert.12 (8/10)
A very clever film with some wonderful performances by all the cast. There was an excellent supporting cast, including Brian Dennehey and the brilliant Pete Postlethwaite. The language was the original Shakespeare, with some very clever contrivances to make it work in the here and now. E.g. when swords were mentioned the first time, a close up is shown of the pistol being carried by one of the gang members, and you discover that it is a 'sword', the Sycamore grove is now a fun fair etc. In some ways I'm surprised that Hollywood let out a film like this, after all it doesn't have a happy ending, so in some ways I was not surprised to hear a rumour a few weeks before I saw it that someone high up in the production company, presumably Fox as they are the distributors, wanted the ending changed as they thought a happy ending would be more likely to make them lots of money. Mind you, since Fox is part of the News International group, owned by that arch enemy of culture Rupert Murdoch, this does not surprise me in the least. This is a film not to be missed.
Well, now there's a surprise. This film won a number of well deserved British academy awards in April 1998.
The Empire Strikes Back cert.pg
Like the original Star Wars most people will have seen this film on the television by now, but, like that one, this one too is much much better on the big screen. There are not as many extras in the special edition of TESB as there were in SW, basically just the wampa ice creature seen more clearly, and a couple of extra scenes showing Darth Vader leaving Bespin after Luke jumps off the side of the wind tower. Alongside this though, much of the background within cloud city has changed, and where there were walls, there are now windows, or even just balconies, and much more can be seen of the city itself. This was very cleverly done, and looks perfectly natural. One minor fault; the very last scene, a new one, looking in through a window of the medical frigate, and seeing Luke, Leia, and the two droids looking out; is much more contrived than any of the other additions, but that aside, well worth going to see again.
The Saint cert.12 (5/10)
Marginally better than Mission Impossible but not by much, though strangely much more watchable. An essentially British, even English, television series, it definitely lost out when Hollywood tried to turn it into a film. The stunts were okay, the plot laughably weak - just a couple of hours to invent cold fusion? and just a few more to build it? - and the continuity appalling. Val Kilmer would not have been my ideal choice as Simon Templar, (perhaps Hugh Grant?), he didn't appear to be taking it too seriously, and he is too wooden. Mind you, given that Roger Moore was a previous saint, I suppose this was a natural progression. Elisabeth Shue didn't appear to be taking it seriously either, as she was obviously trying hard not to laugh in a couple of places. It was entertaining after a fashion I suppose, but that was about all. It might have done better as a comedy!
Return Of The Jedi cert.PG
This one always was the weakest of the Star Wars trilogy, and to a certain extent there was not a lot that could be done to improve on it. However, they tried, with mixed success. The extra bits in Jabba's palace were amusing, but that was all, the same with the fleeting shot of a herd of banthas. The sand creature, the sarlac?, was ruined though. The extra tentacles were okay, but that odd looking mouth piece was wrong. The space battle over Endor was much improved by all the extra space ships seen; made it what any dogfight should be, extremely confusing. The battle on the planet though was perhaps not really improved by the extra scenes, though it wasn't seriously worsened either. The bit that ruined it for me though, was the complete change of the music right at the very end. This was completely wrong and very out of place. The musicians, the Ewoks, were supposed to be relatively primitive creatures, but the music was very complex. Wrong! The extra scenes showing cheering crowds over Cloud City, Mos Eisley, and presumably Coruscant, the galactic capital, were unnecessary, but it was the music that killed it for me.
The whole of the Star Wars Special Edition trilogy was interesting to see again on the big screen, and if for nothing else, I strongly recommend all three for that alone. The large screen has another effect, particularly in TESB that is just lost when seen on television. When the snow speeder is travelling over the ice trying to find Luke and Han after their night in the blizzard, the effect as it goes over those dips at speed just has to be seen, and felt, to be believed. The sound has also definitely improved over the original in almost all respects. Go see.
Crying Freeman cert.18 (6/10)
Not bad, not brilliant. I had already seen the 'original' manga animated video of this, albeit quite a while ago, so I already knew the basic story. What surprised me was just how faithful to the original animation this was. Even the two main characters Emu (Julie Condra) and Yo (Mark Dacascos) looked surprisingly like their animated originals. The film was full of violence and death, with the body count easily into triple figures by the end. However, entertaining though it was, too much of it just didn't work. Example: Yo, standing on the top of some steps blasting away with an automatic rifle, over a dozen other people blasting back from cover, they all died, he didn't even get touched!
Scream cert.15 (8/10)
Screamingly funny. This is a spoof horror par excellence! All the main characters were excellent, and before the end of the film, many of them are dead!, and while it was a very formulaic film, in the end it didn't actually matter, simply because it was so funny. All through, you're convinced you know who the killer is, then just before the end something happens to make you change your mind, for about ten minutes, and then you realise you were sort of right after all. Skeet Ulrich and Neve Campbell were the two main leads and were quite impressive, but for my mind it was David Arquette, as a somewhat naive policeman who was the funniest character. Courteney Cox plays a very dislikable journalist, and plays her very effectively. As a horror movie it was really rather lacking, apart from a few moments which made the audience jump, but as a comic horror it was brilliant. Recommended.
Space Truckers cert.12 (5/10)
Tongue pushed so far into cheek it was coming out the other side. Quite watchable, perhaps because Debi Mazar spent half the film in just her underwear! Dennis Hopper, this time playing the good guy, is an independent space trucker hired to take something really quite nasty to Earth, picking up Mazar and Stephen Dorff along the way. Charles Dance had in interesting part as the scientific genius who invented the cargo, and then turned part android pirate when he gets betrayed. I can see it as one of those films that becomes a classic because of just how bad it is. This one's so bad it's actually quite good.
Space Jam cert.U (6/10)
For younger kids, this one is okay. My godsons, 8 & 10, enjoyed it, but then, this is only the second time in a year they've been to the cinema. I found it amusing occasionally, but the quality of the animation, and the interaction with the live action was no where near as good as Who Framed Roger Rabbit. The story line was exceedingly weak as well, though if you enjoy basketball, which I have to admit I don't, you'll probably enjoy it if only for the genuine basketball sequences with Michael Jordan et.al. Of the 'live' characters, only Michael Jordan's Minder was in anyway genuinely funny.
Turbulence cert.15 (7/10)
I've seen this described as 'Speed on an Aeroplane' and that just about sums it up, though more predictable than Speed if you can believe it. Ray Liotta makes a wonderfully evil killer who manages to hi-jack an almost empty aircraft that is carrying him to death row. Lauren Holly is the flight attendant who manages to save the day. When both pilots and the four marshals escorting Liotta and one other prisoner are all dead, along with the other prisoner and the senior flight attendant, it is up to Holly to land the aircraft, while trying to prevent Liotta from crashing it on top of Los Angeles. All this and a major storm. Unfortunately, while the aircraft flies right through the storm, that bit seems to be missing from the film. Probably the best bit of dialogue goes something along the lines of: "You are approaching a class six storm" "That's 6 on a scale of 1 to ten, right?" "No, Terri, that's 6 on a scale of 1 to 6." Just about worth going to see, and it does manage to keep you on the edge of your seat for most of the time.
Con Air cert.15 (7/10)
This was a better film than I had expected, though quite silly in places. It managed to be faintly believable, and yet still have a bit of a bite. It also had its moments of high humour. John Malkovitch played a psycopath with vigour and you could really believe he was insane. John Cusack's character as a federal agent on the other hand was somewhat less believable, though still good to watch. My favourite had to be Colm Meaney, Chief Miles O'Brien of Star Trek fame, as a DEA agent somewhat sceptical of Cusack's abilities. Nicolas Cage was the ex-con, ex US army ranger (a watered down version of our own commando's), parolee who had to stop them so that he could get home in time for his daughters seventh birthday. Cage is a good actor, but afterThe Rock it looks like he's trying to become another Sly Stalone or Arnie. He's a far better actor than either of them, and should leave that sort of action role to them.
Absolute Power cert.15 (6½/10)
To be honest I was rather dissapointed with this. Clint Eastwood directed, produced and starred, alongside a line of very well known stars, Gene Hackman, Ed Harris, Scott Glenn, Judy Davis and Laura Linney for starters. The suspense was sadly lacking except for occasional bursts, and the story line was very fitfull, you kept thinking you'd missed something. Just when did Harris decide that Eastwood wasn't the murderer? What was it that led him to Glenn and Davis? That throw away line about checking the 'phones wasn't enough, there was simply a bit missing. It was enjoyable for all that though, but I wouldn't worry too much if you miss it, it'll appear on telly eventually.
The fifth Element cert.15 (8½/10)
This is one strange film, but a very good one for all that. In some ways it has overtones of films like Brazil or Twelve Monkeys, and has many similarities to Blade Runner, but this is a very different film.
Directed by Luc Bresson of Leon and Nikita fame, this has all his over tones. Gary Oldman, who worked with Bresson on Leon, plays his usual evil character, here a weapons dealer, with his usual inimitable, OTT, style. Ian Holm is an almost Ben Kenobi like priest, though without the powers, and supermodel Milla Jovovich as Leeloo, the Fifth Element in person, the supreme being!
There were some surreal moments to this film such as watching traffic move in three dimensions not two or Leeloo kicking the crap out of a large number of huge aliens, and some amazing contrasts such as an alien Diva's operatic aria going on at the same time as a huge fire fight.
The whole story revolves around Leeloo being in the right place, at the right time, and with the right props; and it is down to a 23rd century New York cabbie and ex special forces veteran, played by Bruce Willis, to make sure they are all there. Well worth going to see.
The special effects in this film deserve a mention, and should garner at least a nomination for the oscar awards.
They didn't!
But they did win in the Britsh academy awards!
Shadow Conspiracy cert.15 (6/10)
There was the germ of a good idea in there somewhere, but it got swamped by the action and the convoluted screen play. The basic principle of the story, a shadowy goverment within a government, is always an interesting one, but here it did not do well. The acting was okay, the story line confusing, and the continuity a little lacking. That said, it kept me on the edge of my seat for while, and I did, sort of, quite enjoy it. Donald Sutherland's was probably the best acting, but even he was strained in places. Charlie Sheen was supposed to be the hero of the film, but his character was never as likable as it should have been, and Linda Hamilton was given little chance to show any sort of acting ability. If you don't have to, don't bother with this one.
The Chamber cert.12 (8/10)
This was an excellent film, and in places quite moving. Starring Gene Hackman as a not very repentant KKK bomber who has been locked up for sixteen years for the murder of two young children, Chris O'Donnell as his grandson, now a lawyer trying to prevent a grandfather he doesn't like from going to the gas chamber, and Faye Dunaway as daughter of one and aunt of the other. There was little violence, and not much swearing, the high rating being, I guess, because of the subject matter. In many ways this film is an indictment of the american justice system. First in condemning anyone to death - state sanctioned murder - and then to keep them on death row for sixteen years. There is no justice on either side for this, as O'Donnell is trying to prove all the way through. Dunaway, who I haven't seen in a new film for ages, plays a socialite and alcoholic to perfection, so ashamed of her fathers actions that she and her long dead brother, O'Donnell's father, both changed their names. There is a horrible description of someone dying in the gas chamber that just has to be heard to be believed. If that isn't proof that the death penalty is morally and criminally unjust, then I don't know what is, even despite the horrific and evil nature of the crime. Very well worth going to see.
Batman and Robin cert.PG (2½/10)
The plot line in this film can be told in 11 words. Freeze wants diamonds, Poison Ivy wants the planet, Batman kicks butt. Now you know the whole plot there's nothing else to see. This movie was entirely about special effects, some good most fairly ordinary, a few absolutely dire. Mind you, watching Alicia Silverstone as Barbara, Alfred the butlers niece, zipping herself, albeit very briefly, into that black rubber suit was almost worth waiting for. Uma Thurman over acted to perfection as poison Ivy, and Arnold Shwarzenegger, was back at his poor best as bad guy Mr Freeze. Arnie plays bad guys better than good guys I think, so his conversion to good at the end was as disappointing as it was unreal. Some funny moments, and a few genuinely quite clever special effects, as well as a few witty one liners (well, one actually), from Chris O'Donnell as robin, still didn't make this a very good film, and although better than Val Kilmer from the previous batman film, George Clooney as Batman still isn't as good as Michael Keaton was. Wait until it comes on telly, and then miss it.
One fine day cert.PG (7½/10)
This film showed off George Clooney's acting abilities much better than Batman and Robin. A gentle romantic comedy about two people, Clooney and Michelle Pfieffer, both divorcee's with young children, who manage to cause each other distress and disaster, and yet who manage in the end to fall in love. A very simple plot, but anything more would have ruined it. As it was, the simplicity of the plot allowed two fine acting performances to show through, and enabled the humour of the individual situations each found themselves in to come through easily and vibrantly. Reccomended.
Murder at 1600 cert.15 (7½/10)
This film has major similarities to both Shadow Conspiracy and Absolute Power but is far better than both. The 1600 of the title is 1600 Pennsylvania Ave, better known as the whitehouse. Wesley Snipes is a Homicide cop called to investigate the murder of a young woman at the aforementioned address, Diane Lane is the secret service agent assigned to him as a minder. Although this is quite a predictable film, the script was well written and the plot tight which in the end led to a very watchable and enjoyable film. Alan (Hawkeye Pierce) Alda as the presidential security advisor, and Ronnie Cox as the whitehouse chief of staff, and therefore Lane's boss, both helping and hindering the investigation for their own very different and devious ends. The end of the film was a bit of a let down I felt, but on the whole it didn't detract very much, and Snipes' well delivered one liners added an amusing tone to the whole film.
The Lost World: Jurassic Park cert.PG (7/10)
I quite enjoyed this film, even though it was rather far fetched, even more so than the original, if that's at all possible. Jeff Goldblum stars again, this time alongside Julianne Moore and the ever excellent Pete Postlethwaite. Richard Attenborough makes a couple of brief appearances, more as a link than anything else, but it is Goldblum and Postlethwaite who hold this film together. A darker, less humorous film than the original, and although the script is only average, the screenplay and the SFX are good. A couple of new dino's, a tiny meat eating scavenger and a huge vegetarian, plus the old favorites, the T-Rex, and the altogether more intelligent velociraptor, combine to make a good, watchable, film. My only quibble was a couple of the special effects, in particular watch the trailer go over the edge of the cliff! Whether Moore is a poor actress, or simple had an awful script I don't know, but her paleontologist character - Goldblums lover so we are to believe - was exceedingly one dimensional. Even Vanessa Lee Chester, playing Goldblums stowaway daughter, is better than this, but not by much. Mind you, watching her high kick a 'raptor was exceedingly funny. No matter what reason you go to see this film, you will enjoy it.
The Quest cert.15 (4/10)
This film has little to recommend it unless you are a fan of Jean Claude Van-Damme, and even then only just. I knew nothing about this film before I went in otherwise I would have gone to see a repeat of something else, anything else!, this being the only new film in Cardiff city centre this week. Roger Moore and Van-Damme partner up to steal a rather large golden dragon. Unfortunately this means that Van-Damme has to do a lot of fighting, it's supposed to be the prize in a very select fighting competition. There are a few funny moments, watching a huge sumo wrestler win against a much tinier judo fighter, and then lose against a huge bull of a man were both funny in very different ways. I wouldn't bother with this one unless you seriously enjoy stage fighting.
Men in Black cert.PG (8/10)
Very funny. Tommy Lee Jones and Will Smith, ably supported by Rip Torn and Linda Fiorentino, are agents of a government agency so secret, even the government doesn't know it exists. As immigration men for illegal aliens, of the outer space variety, Smith and Jones deliver high speed, witty and fast talking performances that will have you rolling in the aisles. Much of the humour is visual, look out for Sly Stalone, amongst others, who are aliens in disguise; and some of the aliens themselves are very funny. Smith and Jones discover that there is a plot to destroy the earth, of course, and have just one hour in which to save it. Fiorentino, as a pathologist in the local mortuary, discovers some pretty strange goings on, and ends up helping the two hero's. Smith and Jones worked well together, they had a natural on screen chemistry. Very strongly recommended.
Bean - The Ultimate Disaster movie cert.PG (8/10)
I can see why some people wouldn't have liked this film, it was too superficial and even cringe making in places, but that's just what made it so funny. I haven't seen all the television episodes, so there was probably a joke or two I missed, but there was a surfeit of jokes of all sizes, both visual and spoken. Mr. Bean is a walking disaster area, he does things other people only wish they could do, like waving his first class air ticket at the economy class passengers, or pretending to have a gun in his pocket to wind up the american cops. Sent to america to be present at the unveiling of a painting, about which he knows absolutely nothing, but has to give a speech on, he manages to first damage, then destroy, the painting and his host's marriage before managaing in his own inimitable manner to rescue both. Sort of! Mr. Bean finds solutions no one else could ever imagine to problems only he could possibly get caught up in, and the trail of destruction he leaves behind him has to be seen to be believed. Very funny, even the americans couldn't fail to spot the humour in this film. Strongly recommended.
Speed 2 - Cruise Control cert.pg (6/10)
Speed 2 'Cruise Control' was disappointing, although since I didn't expect much, I wasn't actually all that disappointed. Surprisingly perhaps, some of the camera work was very poor, trying to show the high speed over the water, they mounted the camera on another boat, the consequent shaking and juddering of both camera and target simply made for uncomfortable viewing rather than any sense of speed. Like Keanu Reeves in the first one, Jason Patric, playing another cop in a similar mould to Reeves, was the central character, leaving Sandra Bullock picking up the scraps. Here she had even less to do than in the first, which wasn't much then, but I kept being surprised by just how little she did have to do other than stand there and look pretty, which does not suit her strong, even forceful, good looks. Disappointing overall, though a few amusing moments, and generally slickly well made. Look out for the ubiquitous Scotsman on the bridge, and the coloured speed boat driver at the end - does he look familiar to you?
Event Horizon cert.15 (7/10)
Apart from the fact that it's set around Neptune rather than some distant planet, this has very much the feel of Alien. In that film, a single creature prowls the ship slowly destroying the crew, in this one, it is the ship itself that is malevolent, torturing, and killing, the search and rescue team who find it using their minds and memories against them. Sam Neil plays the slightly disturbed designer of the Event Horizon, a ship which went missing seven years earlier, and by the end of the film he has gone completely insane. The search and rescue crew, led by Laurence Fishbourne and including Joely Richardson and Sean Pertwee, managed very well, despite the occasionally strange dialogue they had to cope with, and were very believable as a bunch of hardnosed salvage and rescue experts. Worth going to see, particularly if you enjoy science fiction, as it probably won't translate to the small screen very well.
Grosse Pointe Blank cert.15 (8½/10)
Starring both John and Joan Cusack, as a hitman and his secretary, along with Minnie Driver, as the girl he walked out on ten years before on Prom night, and Dan Ayckroyd as a rival hitman, this film has everything going for it. Set mainly in the small town of Grosse Pointe Michigan at the time of the ten year reunion of Grosse Pointe High, Martin Blank (John Cusack) has turned up to do both a hit, and to try and renew his romance with Debbi, (Driver), now the towns radio jock, whilst at the same time trying to stay one step ahead of at least four other hitmen of various types, Ayckroyd included,whom for various reasons he has pissed off. Some absolutely hilarious moments, segueing into dark humour, followed by a bit of romance, and a bit of furious, sometimes murderous, sometimes risible, violence, and even a bit of terror. Even the terror has its funny side though, making the whole thing a delight. American's normally don't do this sort of comedy well, but here it's excellent. Strongly Recommended.
Conspiracy theory cert.18 (6/10)
Mel Gibson, Julia Roberts and Patrick Stewart in a long and convoluted story that never seemed to lead anywhere. You never found out for certain exactly what it was that Gibson is supposed to have worked out, and the link between the three main characters has to be one of the most contrived I've ever come across. At nearly two hours and twenty minutes, this film should have had more plot than it did, and it was more than long enough to have explained properly the plot it did have. It just didn't bother. Extremely disappointing, though Stewart played his thoroughly dislikable character with vigour and obvious enjoyment. Neither Gibson nor Roberts characters were in any way believable, it was impossible to empathise with either of them. Mildly amusing in places, and some clever stunts and special effects, but not one I really enjoyed. Avoid, unless you are a particular fan of any of the actors.
The Full Monty cert.15 (9½/10)
Set in Sheffield in south Yorkshire, Robert (Hamish Macbeth) Carlyle, Gaz, and his overweight pal Dave, (Mark Addy), lead a motley group of six unemployed and desperate men who, having spotted the fact that the Chippendales drew a huge crowd, decide to try their hand at a more down to earth version. Apart from a few brief interludes, this film will have you rolling with laughter the entire way through the hour and a half film. Nothing quite happens how you expect it too, and what does happen is always funnier. When you think of the chippendales, you think of young, fit, probably tanned, men, these men however are decidedly not any of the above. Between the six of them, most can't dance; only one, Horse (Paul Barber) has any sense of rhythm but he has creaky hip joints; they are over weight or alternatively pidgeon chested, and most suffer from that simple malady age! Put it all together and what emerges is an extremely funny, and occasionally moving, film that puts even comedies like Men in Black or Mr Bean to shame. This is an absolute gem, and a must see for everybody. As an aside, the television film The Bare Necessities was the original source for this film. Just as funny, and basically the same story line, though a very different film.
A best film oscar nomination was deserved, though perhaps not winning was not much of a surprise.
Four Brit awards, including best actor (Carlyle), best supporting actor, Tom Wilkinson and best film.
Air Force One cert.15 (8/10)
Much better than I had expected, an action/suspense film that really does keep you in suspense for the whole two hours. Of course, you have to suspend your disbelief a bit, there were a few too many holes in the really rather weak plot, and while the acting was generally good, overall it wasn't great. Harrison Ford and the ever brilliant Gary Oldman played their parts well, but an excellent supporting cast in Glenn Close as the vice president, and Dean Stockwell as the chief of defence, plus others, just weren't used to their full potential. Oldman is getting to be an old hand at this type of character, and is getting better and better at it, but I can't help thinking that he's becoming a bit type-cast, I'd love to see him as the good guy some time. A good old fasioned knockabout, the sort that the yanks generally do well. Enjoy.
Austin Powers: International man of Mystery cert.15 (4/10)
Disappointing, predictable, only marginally funny. A spoof of the James Bond, Avengers type films, picks up all the worst jokes and repeats them ad-nauseum. Elizabeth Hurley plays a not very convincing, even for a spoof film, Emma Peel type character, whilst Mike Myers plays both Austin Powers and his arch enemy Dr. Evil. Also Michael York and Robert Wagner both hamming it to the hilt, about the only way to play it in this film. A bit of a turkey this one, but it does have it's moments.
Face cert.18 (8/10)
Not quite what I had expected, but a hard, powerful movie nontheless. 5 Gangsters, led by Robert Carlyle, casually go off to work, in this case robbing a security building, and end up getting less than a quarter of what they had expected. From here, things rapidly go down hill as greed, fear, fury, and envy mix up to produce violence and death amongst each other and others from outside. When one of them turns out to be a bit of a police stoolie, things start to get farcical as the three remaining men break into a police station still arguing and fighting amongst themselves. This one is worth going to see for the powerful performances by all involved. Recommended.
Volcano cert.15 (7½/10)
A typical 'switch brain off, sit back and enjoy' type movie. If you tried to find plot holes you'd soon stop enjoying it as you'd find too many. That said however, some of the basic science is, I understand, correct, it's merely the application that's wrong. It was actually quite enjoyable, with Tommy Lee Jones the only name amongst the cast, but it was loud! Given that we are talking about fundamental forces of nature here, that makes sense, and it works, but it sometimes got so loud you had to plug your ears. The plot is very simple, a volcano erupts underneath San Francisco, and Tommy Lee Jones is the man whose job it is to stop it, or at least, whose job is to control the emergency services and ensure everything that needs to be done, gets done. I thoroughly enjoyed it, probably more than I had expected to, but don't go expecting to see accurate geology. Recommended for all that.
Contact cert.PG (9/10)
This film has it's faults. In places it's a little slow and sugary, with the psuedo romance between Jodie Foster and Matthew McConaughey looking distinctly unreal. That aside, it's a brilliant film, with Ellie Arroway (Foster) finally hearing the sounds she's longed for, the sounds of an alien civilisation attempting to make contact. This is all after her rather slimy and unpleasant boss played with verve by Tom Skerrit try to do her down and tell her to stop looking for little green men. Ellie is almost shunted to one side by the likes of Drummond (Skerrit) and the presidential security advisor, played to brutal perfection by James Woods, before finally coming back to centre stage as the person who finally does make contact. John Hurt is the strange man who initially finances Ellie's SETI search, and then eventually helps her to become the 'astronaught' for want of a better word. Small appearances by Rob Lowe and Angella Bassett as well as some very clever electronic tricks to make Bill Clinton appear in the film round at a wonderful film. There are some special effects, Bill Clinton's appearance for one, but the film is not excessively endowed with them, and the main ones are towards the end. Powerful performances by Woods, and even more so by Foster could (should?) well earn her an oscar nomination for best actress. A brilliant film, despite its flaws. Very strongly recommended.
I was extremely dissapointed about the lack of an oscar nomination for Foster.
Shooting Fish cert.12 (8/10)
What do two orphans, a race horse, a gasometer, and an impoverished peer of the realm student doctor with a downs syndrome brother have in common? The blurb on the posters for this film says it's the funniest British comedy since Four Weddings and a Funeral, well that's not actually very difficult, but it's also wrong. It is funnier, but not anywhere near as funny as The Full Monty. This is a light hearted and amusing comedy, staring Kate Beckinsale, (daughter of the late great Richard), Dan Futterman, and Stuart Townsend, about two conmen trying to make a million and the outsider who gatecrashes their scheme, nearly fouling it up in the process. Recommended.
A Life Less Ordinary cert.15 (6½/10)
This film ought to have been much better given the cast list, but a weak and rather silly story made it somewhat less than it could have been. Ewan McGregor played his part well, and was quite believable as the lowly cleaner given the sack in a large company, and going a bit OTT. Ian Holm made an amusingly unpleasant boss, and hammed it up well when his stuck up daughter, played by Cameron Diaz, was abducted. The two 'angels' however, Holly Hunter and Delroy Lindo, were totally out of place, and belonged in an old black and white movie. Diaz certainly has presence on screen, partly because she is such a stunner, but McGregor, very definately a rising star, easily out acted her. Despite her obvious acting abilities, she relied a little too much on her looks and her wide smile. It was certainly interesting, and amusing, but overall, a little dissapointing.
The Peacemaker Cert.15 (7/10)
George Clooney and Nicole Kidman. A nice twist to a terrorist stealing nuclear weapons story, and some nice inclusions, IFOR, the EU, the Russion mafia and German/Austrian gangsters. The film, and a nuclear warhead, starts in the Ural mountains of Russia, goes via Azerbijhan, Turkey, Bosnia and eventually to New York, with Kidman and Clooney attempting to track them all the way. Kidman plays a senior whitehouse official whose job is to make sure nuclear accidents, and nuclear smuggling, don't happen, while Clooney is the career army officer who has to work with her when some warheads are stolen. Both played their parts well, particularly Kidman, and the film was well made. That all said, it was rather predictable, though with a nice twist as regards Bosnia, and with Kidman being the one to disarm the bomb rather than Clooney made an amusing touch at the end.
Smilla's Feeling For Snow Cert.15 (7½/10)
A strange film, full of odd quirks. I liked it, and enjoyed the film, but it wasn't an easy film to watch. Julia Ormond is Smilla, a half Greenlandic, half American, misfit living in Copenhagen, who befriends a young inuit boy, Isiah. When Isiah dies, she want's to know why, and refuses to accept the platitudes of the police and forensic scientists. There was a huge British cast in this mainly German/Scandinavian film; apart from Ormond there was also Richard Harris, Gabriel Byrne, Vanessa Redgrave, Bob Peck and more. Stunning visually, with huge great expanses of snow and ice in the latter part of the film, the story itself was a bit of a let down, never quite gripping the audience. It was a very cold film, none of the huge cast of characters ever being particularly likable, partly I suspect because there was little true characterisation. There were a few light moments though, and Ms Ormond, on screen for virtually the entire film, carried it well, though not brilliantly.
Face Off Cert.18 (8/10)
A brilliant film starring John Travolta and Nicolas Cage as cop and gangster, or is that gangster and cop! Part way through the film they swap roles, and are just as good in their new roles, though it has to be said that Travolta's good guy role is perhaps not as good as his bad guy role. Cage on the other hand played both parts brilliantly. In fact at one point he's playing a character very similar to the one he played in Con Air. With lot's of fast action and bullets flying around, the action is easily more important than the dialogue. A cop 'borrows' the face of a gangster he believes to be dead to try and get some information out of the gangsters brother, unfortunately the gangster isn't dead after all, and after killing the only people who knew about the swap, the gangster 'becomes' the cop. After that things just spiral out of control as the cop/gangster tries to get his life back and put the gangster/cop back where he should be. Confusing? Well it's harder to explain without giving too much of the plot away than it is to just watch. Very enjoyable, reccomended viewing.
L.A Confidential cert.15 (9/10)
This was a strange film, it took a while to work out what was going on, and it was never quite certain exactly who were the good guys and who were the bad until quite near the end. There were so many twists and turns, so many separate stories and sub-plots, that it was occasionally quite confusing. Set in 1950's Los Angeles, it is a story about three very different cops, and three very different crimes - a multiple shotgun murder a porn ring and a prostitution ring, which turn out to be a little more closely linked than was at first apparent. Throw in a kidnap and rape, dirty cops, a bit of blackmail and extortion and you have one hell of a film. Trying to identify the good cops and the bad cops was difficult, the good cops were all too human which means that the good cops had their bad sides, and the bad cops had their good. With Kevin Spacey, Danny DeVito and Kim Basinger, plus newcomers Russell Crowe and Guy Pearce. The acting was brilliant, the direction impressive and the story and sets excellent. Absolutely one not to be missed.
Best supporting actress oscar winner for Kim Basinger in the March 1998 awards.
And a number of awards in the April 1998 British Academy awards.
This is probably the film that should have won Best Film in both the Oscars, and the Brits for 1998.
Nothing to Lose cert.15 (7/10)
I'm not quite sure what to make of this comedy. It had some highly amusing moments, one in particular that starts off with a spider crawling over Tim Robbin's head and ending with his feet on fire, plus a few other fairly amusing moments, but it never quite lived up to it's promise. There was not enough made of the fact that these two are wanted for holding up a petrol station. Funny in places but disappointing overall as I expected more. Try it though, you'll probably enjoy it nonetheless.
Copland cert.15 (7½/10)
Could have been better. Should have been better with the cast list it had. Ray Liotta, Robert DeNiro, Sylvester Stalone, Jeanne Garafollo, etc.. A clever story about a town built by and for new york cops and their families accross the river in New Jersey. The law in town is not the police, but the sheriff played by Stalone and Garafollo. When something strange starts happening in town, in theory it is up to stallone to sort it out, but he's always longed to be a NYPD cop, deafness in one ear keeping him out, so he's at first reluctant to do anything. When he does finally wake up to what's going on around him, there's suddenly a lot of bloodshed, mayhem and murder. A very slow starting film, but once it get's going it's okay. Stallone wasn't bad in this movie. I've not seen anything that I thought he did well, until this one, playing an overweight, partially deaf, and seemingly not very bright, sheriff. Actually, until today, I didn't know that a sheriff and a cop were totally different things! You'll probably enjoy, but it is rather slow and turgid in places.
I Know What You Did Last Summer cert.18 (7½/10)
Not a bad film, almost, but not quite, amusing in places. Almost a Wes Craven film, just as violent, though not quite as dark. After the fourth of July celebrations in the fishing town of Southport Carolina, four school friends believe they have accidentally knocked down and killed someone after an evening on the beach and a fair amount of alcohol. They are just about to throw him into the sea, to hide the body, when he comes around and gets quite violent. In their attempts to escape, they throw him into the sea anyway and go about their ways, no longer quite such good friends. A year later, and things start to happen when a psycopathic fisherman with a penchent for fish hooks, large ones, come a-calling. Stars Jennifer Love Hewitt as the girl who finally realises what it's all about, but in the mean time sees some of her best friends murdured quite violently. Have you ever noticed that in this type of film, the girls, even supposedly quite young ones, are extremely well built (sic). I was amused when I saw where it was set, because I grew up in a seaside town called Southport, this one in West Lancashire!
Tommorrow Never Dies Cert.12 (8/10)
Typical James Bond film, this one with Pierce Brosnan in the lead, Jonathan Pryce as the baddy intent on taking over the world, with Teri Hatcher and Michelle Yeoh as the bond girls. A little better than Goldeneye, this one has much more action, humour, sex, and gadgets, the things that Bond films are renowned for. Elliot Carver(Pryce) is out to control rather than take over the world, but this time from behind a huge multi national media company from where he deliberately contrives to cause the news to happen rather than just report it. Hatcher plays an old flame, now Carver's wife, who can't resist the old Bond charms, but it is Wai Lin(Yeoh), supposedly part of the New China News Agency, actually Bond's opposite number in the Chinese intelligence service, with whom he eventually gets tied to. A Britsh frigate is sunk in the China seas, the British believe the Chinese did it, the Chinese believe the British shot down one of their aircraft, both are wrong! Look out for the dig at Billy Gates and Microslop's software, and the oblique reference to Robert Maxwell.
Alien Ressurection cert.18 (7/10)
Thanks to the miracles of cloning, Ripley is back from the dead, with an alien queen cloned back with her. Set on a huge space bourne military research station, the inevitable happens and the aliens escape, along with the new Ripley, still intent on wiping out all the last vestiges of the alien. Some nice twists in the story, including the fact that the new alien queen has human DNA in her, so some of her offspring have decidedly human, if rather grotesque, features. Winona Ryder is apparently just a crewman of a space junk freighter, but is in fact a second generation android, and rather more human than many humans. Better than Alien 3, but then, watching paint drying would be better than Alien 3, but still not up to either of the first two. Well worth watching though.
© Dave Stratford 1997.