Love Like Poison ( 2010 )

 

A young girl comes home from school to find her father has left.

Starring  Clara Augarde, Lio and Michel Galabru

Written by Mariette Desert and Katell Quillevere

Directed by Katell Quillevere

I am really falling in love with these French subtitled films.


This is a coming of age tale. A battle between religion and lust. It's quirky, dark and funny in places. It starts off slow but slowly creeps in and captivates you. It is well acted and it's one of those movies that makes you think about life and all kinds of stuff. It's packed full of symbolism and meaning.

 

 I love it!



10/10

Awake ( 2007 )

A millionaire finds himself awake during heart surgery

Starring Hayden Christensen, Jessica Alba and Lena Olin

Written and Directed by Joby Harold

 

 

 This is a surprisingly good film although I didn't really fancy it.



It's quirky and different from anything I have seen before and the plot kept me intrigued all the way through. There aren't really any brilliant acting performances but they all did just enough to make it a decent movie. Probably the pick of the bunch was Lena Olin who outshone everybody in the acting department.

Overall not the best movie I've ever seen but worth a watch. But a few twists and turns.

7.5/10

Unknown ( 2011 )

A man wakes from a coma and loses his identity

 

Starring Liam Neeson and Diane Kruger

 

Written by Oliver Butcher and Stephen Cornwell ( Screenplay) 

Based on the novel by Didier Van Cauwelaert


Directed by Jaume Collet-Serra 

 

A man loses his memory and nobody recognizes him, including his wife.


Does this sound familiar? Well the plot isn't new and the premise has been used in many movies. But guess what? I don't care.

I love this film! It has everything that I want in a movie. Great acting, a super plot, some brilliant action scenes and lots of twists. Unlike some movies where the plot twists are difficult to keep up with, I didn't have any difficulty here. The plot is clever but it doesn't try to be too clever. I was with it all the way.

It keeps you guessing all the way and I really think that is the secret to a great movie. A good plot keeps you waiting, to find out what happens next. This film suits Liam Neeson. I can't imagine anybody else playing the main lead. And he is a great actor. Not wooden at all like some people suggest.

Did I tell you that  love this movie?

10/10 for me.

 

 

Remember My Name ( 1978 )

A woman is released from prison and then starts stalking a man. But why?

 

 

Starring Anthony Perkins and Geraldine Chaplin.

 

Written and directed by Alan Rudolph.

 

 

 

This movie has such a promising premise but ultimately it's a frustrating watch.



It did keep my interest and I was fascinated all the way through to know what was going on and why this strange woman was stalking the main protagonist and his wife. The stand out performance was by Geraldine Chaplin, she played a great part. Unfortunately Perkins was quite wooden and I wanted to poke his screen wife (Berry Berenson) with a very long stick to see if she was still alive.

The ending was frustrating. I was hoping that all the loose ends would be tied up or we would at least get a decent twist, but I was left with more questions than answers. I usually don't mind open endings, but this one left me feeling short changed. What the heck actually happened at the end? What the heck happened in their relationship before she was locked up in prison?


 

Too many unanswered questions and I really can't be bothered surfing any movie related message boards to find out. I'll move on to the next old movie.



 

7/10


 

 

Diary Of A Wimpy Kid (2010)

                   It's not a diary, it's a movie

 

 

 

Starring Zachary Gordon, Robert Capron and Devon Bostick

Written by Jackie Filgo, Jeff Filgo, Gabe Sachs and Jeff Judah

 

Based on the book by Jeff Kinney.

 

 

Directed by Thor Freudenthal.

 

 

 

This is a kids movie so it's not exactly aimed at me.

 

Having said that I quite enjoyed it. It's a funny, feel good movie that made me chuckle. I liked it but I'm guessing kids everywhere love it.

 

The acting is brilliant, considering how young they all were!

8/10

Careless (2007)

A guy finds a finger in his kitchen

Starring Colin Hanks, Fran Kranz and Rachel Blanchard

Written by Eric Laster

Directed by Peter Spears

I think this is only the second movie I have ever watched on you tube.


This isn't the best move ever made but it's silly and quirky and offbeat and it genuinely made me laugh in a few places. Even though it is a low budget film and there are no famous movie stars in it, I enjoyed it. It's well written, even if it is pretty stupid in parts.

I thought the main character reminded me of Tom Hanks but I only found out at the end that it was his son.

Crazy. Silly. Daft.

7.5/10

Out Of The Furnace ( 2013)

In a poverty stricken steel town two brothers struggle to survive.

Starring Christian Bale, Casey Affleck and Woody Harrelson

Written by Brad Ingelsby and Scott Cooper



Directed by Scott Cooper.

Never has the term 'dark and gritty' been more suitable for a movie.

It's grim stuff. This one kept my interest all the way and the acting and cinematography is good. It's not a bad film at all but it's also not exactly the most exciting film I've ever seen. I wasn't sitting on the edge of my seat.

It's quite compelling and it's not boring. I enjoyed it. In a dark, gritty, late night kind of way. I think it's the first time I've seen the three main actors in anything and they played good parts. There's also a small bit-part played by Forest Whittaker. I almost didn't recognise him but I don't think I've ever seen him in a bad movie. He's so versatile as an actor.

I give it a 7.5 out of 10.

A.I Artificial Intelligence (2001)

A highly advanced robot child yearns to be a real

 

Starring Haley Joel Osment and Jude Law.

Written by Brian Aldiss ( short story) and Ian Watson ( screen story)

and Steven Spielberg ( Screen Play).

Directed by Steven Spielberg

 

 

Not my cup of tea. Maybe it is more aimed at a younger age group. But not my kind of film.


I found this to be too far fetched and the story was long winded and the plot was all over the place. The special effects are great and the acting was good but the plot let's this one down in my opinion. To use the analogy of a book, there was absolutely nothing to keep me wanting to turn the pages. It lacked a hook or I didn't have any desire to know what happened next. Plus I didn't really like any of the characters whatsoever, apart from the cute bear! Jude Law's character was simply annoying. I don't think I've seen him in anything good yet.

Great effects, shame about the plot.

6.6/10

Les Combattants ( 2014)

Starring Adele Haenel and Kevin Azais


Written by Thomas Cailley and Claude Le Pape


 

Directed by Thomas Cailley

It's a while since I've watched a foreign subtitled movie and this is one of those hidden gems that you sometimes find on the TV listings.


It's a boy meets girl romance with a difference. It's quirky, wonderfully understated and quite mesmerizing to watch. This is a gentle film without any big plots or car chases but I really enjoyed it. It's well written with a nice touch of humour throughout.

Good film.

8/10

The Call Of The Wild: Dog of the Yukon (1997)

The Adventures of a dog called Buck

Starring Rutger Hauer and Richard Dreyfuss ( Narrator).

Written by Jack London ( Novel), Graham Ludlow ( Screenplay.)

Directed by Peter Svatek.

This is a case of a really good book being totally diluted.


Jack London's classic was beautifully written from the dog's perspective and was an incredible read.

Sadly everything that made the book great has been lost in this film adaptation. It just felt like I was watching a trailer for the actual book. The beauty of the book simply didn't come across and we are left with something that is threadbare. The narration was probably an honest attempt to see the movie through the ayes of Buck but it was quite irritating.

Not great.

6/10

Charade (1963)

A man is murdered and the hunt is on for his money.

Starring Audrey Hepburn and Cary Grant

Written by Peter Stone ( Screenplay) and Mark Behm

Directed by Stanley Donen

I recorded this a few months ago but never really fancied watching it. I was expecting it to be a bit boring and old fashioned but it's actually a very good film.

It has a bit of everything. A bit of comedy, a bit of romance, some good action scenes and a great plot. I also really liked all the location filming. It also has a great soundtrack by Henry Mancini.


It keeps you guessing all the way to the end and is full of twists and turns. It's the first time I've watched a Cary Grant movie and he plays a good part and looks a bit like George Clooney. Audrey Hepburn is adorable and also plays a good part in this great film.


I love a movie with a great ending and this is one of them.



9/10

Imaginary Playmate ( 2006)

 

An imaginary friend turns bad.

Starring Dina Meyer, Rick Ravanello and Cassandra Sawsell

Written by Christine Gallagher

Directed by William Fruet.

This is an average low budget movie with a predictable and familiar plot to thousands of other haunted house movies. It's better than I thought it would be but it's still pretty average fair. Dina Meyer plays a good part but the rest of the cast could well have been stolen from any old soft porn movie that's ever been made. It's a bit of fun but also instantly forgettable and the ending was also predictable and could have been foretold after about ten minutes.


Nothing new here but it was okay. A decent story spoiled mainly by a low budget.

6.5/10

The Aviator ( 2004)

 

 

     The Story of Aviator Howard Hughes.

 

 

Starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Cate Blanchett and Kate Beckinsale.

 

Written by John Logan.

Directed by Martin Scorsese.

 

I can see why this movie has won so many oscars. It has all the right ingredients. Great acting, great cinematography, great photography and it is undeniably and unreservedly a Martin Scorsese movie with all of his trademark style and artistry. It's one hell of a production which I'm sure had the Oscar Nominations Board purring and salivating non-stop round the clock.



It is fascinating and it is an interesting watch but for me it's too long and a little bit boring. Just because a movie wins lots of Oscars doesn't necessarily mean it's an exciting movie and this fits into that category. It reminded me of Citizen Kane and I'd go as far as saying that it's basically the same kind of thing produced for a more modern audience. And that movie was pretty boring too.



 

This is a film I can appreciate on many levels but it's lacking a decent hook and a good dollop of excitement.

 

7.5/10 for the acting and production values.

14 Films

Here are 14 films that I've since watched but haven't had time to review them


Trainspotting 10/10 Brilliant


The Adjustment Bureau ( An okay sci fi.)


Source Code


This Boys Life ( Second time I've seen it and it's a great movie.) 10/10


13 Rue Madeline.


Good Luck Chuck.


First Snow.


Abbot & Costello Meet Dr Jeckyll and Mister Hyde.


Abbot and Costello Meet The Keystone Cops


Abbot and Costello Meet The Mummy

Star Trek

Meet The Fockers

NonStop ( Liam Neeson) 7.5. Average action suspense.


Girl Interrupted ( Winona Ryder,Angelina Jolly.) Love this one. 10/10