Awakenings ( 1990 ) and The Hole ( 2009 )

                   A doctor discovers a drug to wake up catatonic patients.

Starring Robin Williams and Robert De Niro.

Written by Oliver Sacks ( Novel) and Steven Zaillian ( Screenplay )

Directed by Penny Marshall.

This is superb!

It ticks all of the boxes as to what a movie should be. To be honest I've had it on my Sky box for a few weeks and never really fancied watching it for some reason. But it really is worthy of as many accolades as it's been given.

The story sucks you in right from the beginning and two two main actors are brilliant. I've seen a few De Niro films now and this is the best I've seen him by far. His portrayal of the first catatonic patient to wake up is worthy of an Oscar. I knew he was a great actor but this performance is top drawer. Robin Williams is brilliantly understated and together they are perfect castings.

Awakenings is tearjerker and the plot won't have you on the edge of your seat, it will have you reaching for the tissues. It's an incredibly moving film. Well acted, well directed and with a great soundtrack. Brilliant!

This could be an early favourite to be my favourite movie watched this year.

10/10

    

               Two brothers discover a mysterious hole in their basement.

Starring Chris Massoglia, Haley Bennett and Nathan Gamble.

Written by Mark L Smith.

Directed by Joe Dante.

I remember watching Gremlins in the cinema as a teenager and hating it. Everybody else in the place was laughing their heads off but I just didn't get it. This is directed by the same guy and I didn't really get this either.

It's not terrible, just very average. Average acting, an average premise ( that's been done many times before on TV and in the movies) and average cinematography. There are a few positives. Haley Bennett in a swimming costume being one of them ( she was 21 when this was made so don't shoot me!) and there were some fun, creepy moments. But this is a movie that tries to be Beetlejuice but ends up coming across as a low budget TV version.

A few fun moments but not that great.

6/10

Eyes Of Laura Mars ( 1978 )

   A renowned photographer can suddenly see through the eyes of a serial killer

Starring Faye Dunaway and Tommy Lee Jones.

Written by John Carpenter (Screenplay) and David Zelag (Screenplay).

Directed by Irvine Kershner.

Everything about this movie is average. From the acting performances to the story itself.

It just about kept my interest and it does build up to a good climatic ending. On a historical note it was interesting to see all the old cars and landmarks and it captures well the feel and atmosphere of the disco scene in the late seventies,

However Faye Dunaway's performance throughout was about as hammy as a tin of spam. This movie really needed a better leading actress or at least a better performance. I wasn't too keen on all the photography and modelling stuff either but maybe that's just personal preference. I'm not interested in that world whatsoever.

An average but easily forgettable film.

6/10

St Elmo's Fire ( 1985 )

A group of friends leave college and walk head first into adulthood.

Starring Rob Lowe, Emilio Estevez,  Demi Moore, Andrew McCarthy, Mare Winningham, Judd Nelson and Ally Sheedy.

Written by Joel Schumacher and Carl Kurlander.

Directed by Joel Schumacher.

If any film epitomizes the fluffy soundtrack movies of the eighties this is it. Grab a handful of gorgeous looking actors and pin a great soundtrack to it and you've got a brilliant marketing plan! The movie will sell the record and the record will sell the movie.




I missed it the first time around, even though I grew up as a teen of the eighties; I don't know how I missed it but at least I can watch it now with fresh eyes. This features a cast of young actors who were part of the rat pack of the time. Good looking actors and actresses who would be on bedroom walls for most of the decade and beyond.

I like it. It's a feel good teen flick that made me nostalgic about my own teenage years and the teenage years of my son. It has a few laughs along the way and it's pretty mindless entertainment.

It's not an Oscar winning movie by any length of the imagination. For a start off there are way to many main characters and you spend most of the movie trying to work out who is who and who is going out with who. There isn't really a plot to grab hold of and there isn't really a significant ending. It just kind of stops. It's full of young (at the time), up an coming actors but none of them really deliver a stand out performance.

But this fluffy movie made me feel a little bit fluffy, even if it's not the best film ever made.

7/10

The Weight Of Water (2000)

A photographer investigates the brutal murder of two women in 1873

Starring Sean Penn, Sarah Polley, Catherine McCormack, Elizabeth Hurley, 

Ciaran Hinds and Josh Lucas.

Written by Alice Arlen ( Screenplay ) , Christopher Kyle ( Screenplay ) and Anita Shreve (Novel).

Directed by Kathryn Bigelow.

I have no problem with any of the acting performances and this isn't a bad movie by any length of rope and it just about kept my interest all the way.

The problem lies in the two so called parallel stories. On the one hand you have a fascinating story set in 1837 based around the controversial murders of two young women. And on the other hand you have a rather bland story of a group of family friends on a boat trip. The former could have well done without the latter.


I don't think the latter story was interesting or strong enough to be used in this way. I'm sure this would have been a much better movie if we had just had the story about the murders on it's own. That story was gripping and wonderfully acted by everyone concerned.

I haven't read the actual novel but I'm guessing it's probably better than the movie.

A generous 7/10.

Repo Men ( 2010 )

If you can't keep up with the payments, your transplant is removed.

Starring Forest Whitaker, Jude law and Alice Braga.

Written by Eric Garcia and Garret Lerner.

Directed by Miguel Sapochnik.

This really wasn't my cup of tea.

It's a good idea wasted. The whole premise was promising but it just turned into another 'shoot them up' action movie when it could have been much more.

On a positive note the performances by Forest Whitaker and Alice Braga were decent. Jude Law, on the contrary, was pretty wooden. But the whole thing was way too far fetched and unrealistic and repetitive. The plot was monotonous and just kept on going around in circles,

And it was too gory for my liking. It made me feel a little bit sick to be honest and I even felt like that a few hours after it finished. And I'm a nurse and blood doesn't bother me!

I was yawning towards the end and that says a lot. If you've seen one movie where a guy spends one and a half hours taking on ( and killing) two dozen armed men single handed, you've pretty much seen them all. 

A wasted opportunity.

6/10

The Crying Game ( 1992 )

An IRA volunteer falls in love with the girlfriend of a dead British soldier.

Starring Stephen Rea and Jaye Davidson.

Written and directed by Neil Jordan.

I really liked this one. It's a great story, full of unexpected twists and surprises and it has two outstanding performances by Stephen Rea and Jaye Davidson. I also love the soundtrack. I'm guessing this was quite a controversial and groundbreaking movie at the time.

My only niggle was the cinematography and the location filming. The first part of the film could have been filmed anywhere, And the street scenes looked like they were stolen from Eastenders! And the scenes set on the building site were similarly uninspiring and very studio looking.

But overall I really enjoyed this. Lots of tension and a few giggles along the way. A good movie.

8/10

The Jazz Singer ( 1980 )

A Jewish cantor follows his dreams against his families wishes.

Starring Neil Diamond and Laurence Olivier.

Written by Samson Raphaelson  (Play), Herbert Baker (Screenplay) 

and Stephen H Foreman (Adaptation).

Directed by Richard Fleischer. 

I can't belief how lowly rated this is on IMDB,




I love this film!

Okay so it's as cheesy as a packet of Wotsits and there are a few movie cliches here and there but I enjoyed every second of this. I love the story. I love the acting. I loved all the cheesy romantic stuff.

There's nothing not to like about The Jazz Singer. It's just good solid escapism. I'm also guessing that it was quite controversial in it's day.

Did I tell you that I love this film? Now I need to go on Spotify to listen to more Neil Diamond!

10/10

Citizen Kane ( 1941 )

The rise and fall of a publishing tycoon and the search for a lost word.





Starring Orson Welles.


Written by Herman J Mankiewicz and Orson Welles.


Directed by Orson Welles.





I'm guessing this was way ahead of it's time. I've seen a few old movies but none like this.


I found it really annoying in the beginning and the constant use of flashbacks and news reels was pretty off-putting. It did get better as the movie progressed and it more or less kept my interest, if only to find out the meaning of Rosebud!

It was well acted and the story is okay. It was quite artistic and stylish and definitely something a little bit different.



Maybe it doesn't stand the test of time as well as a lot of old classics but I enjoyed it.




7/10

The Inbetweeners 2 ( 2014 )

                                  The boys go down under

Starring Simon Beard, James Buckley, Blake Harrison and Joe Thomas.


Written by Damon Beesley and Iain Morris




Directed by Damon Beesley and Iain Morris.








I must admit I have a soft spot for the Inbetweeners.




I'm a bit of a closet fan of the series and the movies and this one was no disappointment. The humour is a bit of an acquired taste and at times it's pretty off the wall stuff. At times it's pretty childish and shouldn't really work but it does. It wasn't really like watching a movie, it was more like watching a feature length episode. There was nothing really movie like about it. But it worked and it is funny.





Watch this if you want to have a good laugh.







10/10