2007 #32Although not the lead character this time, Judi Dench once again revels in playing an old lady who can say what she likes, in this pleasant adaptation of Joanne Harris’ novel.
It’s a neat little story about acceptance that doesn’t suffer for its occasionally episodic plot or sometimes quaint depiction of French small-town life.
(I was occasionally distracted spotting the sci-fi/fantasy credentials of the cast. But that’s just me.)
This loosely satirical comedy from the director of such diverse fare as American Pie and About a Boy sees Dennis Quaid’s Bush-growing-a-brain President agree to be a guest judge on Hugh Grant’s Simon-Cowell-with-looks TV talent show that features Mandy Moore’s moral-less wannabe and Sam Golzari’s Iraqi potential-suicide-bomber as contestants.
It’s pretty much as loopy as that sounds, though not as clever as it thinks it is. It starts well, the quality dips as it takes too long to get to the actual contest, but the ending manages to redeem things.
Judi Dench is clearly having a whale of a time in this 1930s-set comedy about a 70-year-old widow who starts up a nude revue.
It begins as light comedy with a gently risque edge (rather in-keeping with its subject matter!), but things get a tad serious when the war hits. Luckily the film finds its lightness again in time for the ending, which is much more suited to the general tone.
All told it’s simply a bit of fun, but its overall quality just about nudges it into a four.
Mrs Henderson Presents is on BBC Two tonight, Sunday 14th December 2014, at 10:30pm.
Choose great direction.
Choose iconic images.
Choose a great soundtrack.
Choose a brilliant cast.
Choose a career-making performance from Ewan McGregor.
Choose a witty script.
Choose realism.
Choose drugs.
Choose sex.
Choose a condom, for the first time on screen.
Choose swearing.
Choose violence.
Choose drink.
Choose Scotland.
Choose Trainspotting.
Choose Film4 tonight, Thursday 2nd April 2015, at 10:55pm.
People will tell you this is a comedy, when really it’s a comedy-drama. A TV critic once said, not wrongly, that a comedy-drama is something that isn’t especially funny nor especially dramatic so tries to do both.
Luckily, Little Miss Sunshine is frequently laugh-out-loud hilarious, from the opening dinner scene to the send-up of inherently paedophilic beauty pageants at the climax (so hilarious it almost single-handedly pushed my mark up to a five). There’s also some competent drama threaded through to make that side worthwhile. And I suspect that loveable little Abigail Breslin was more deserving of the Oscar than that irritating Jennifer Hudson.
Empire gave this film one of their five-star reviews, immediately making me want to see it. Shame they overrated it then.
A confused first act (which jumps about in chronology for no discernible reason) gives way to a more linear second two that, while more pleasing, seem to do away with major characters for no reason other than the plot ran out of things for them to do.
The film has its moments, and some pretty views, but five-star it ain’t.
OK, I must confess, this one is something of a cheat — I’ve seen Crash before, and whilst some ‘director’s cuts’ can be vastly different, this one is only around two minutes longer. But I'll take any chance I can get to go on about how this is a much better and more Oscar-deserving piece than a certain overrated film about gay cowboys.
In my opinion this is a film that should be seen, not necessarily for its message, but for its quality in terms of performance, direction, etc.
George Clooney’s directorial debut is part biopic, part comedy, and part spy thriller.
It’s the last part that works best, but perhaps that’s just because I have a predilection for spy thrillers; that said, the filmmakers would seem to agree as, after a late appearance in the plot, it comes to dominate its climax. It’s also nicely shot, especially the excursions to Europe.
I would recommend it (though not quite as heartily as Clooney’s second film, the excellent Good Night, and Good Luck).
Oh dear.
The Other Film About United 93 is just that. With poor acting, pedestrian direction, dreadful effects, and a young child in every single scene involving a relative, this film is infinitely inferior to Paul Greengrass’ United 93. Where that was subtle, realistic and moving, this is over-worked, cheesy and laughable — yes, laughable; we spent half the running time taking the piss out of it! Not good for a film about a tragedy.
Some have called this a worthy companion piece to United 93. It’s not. United 93 is essential; Flight 93 you can take or, preferably, leave.
Flight 93 featured on my list of The Five Worst Films I Saw in 2007, which can be read in full here.
Doom is quite flawed in many ways. I don’t say this because I inherently dislike mindless action films (while I am perfectly aware they are not usually Great Films, I enjoy them as entertainment); I say this because Doom doesn’t really succeed at being one. It takes too long to get anywhere — I think someone thought it was building suspense, when really it’s just nothing happening.
When it does kick off it’s brief and only vaguely entertaining. And the much-discussed first-person sequence is far too much like watching someone play a video game.
100Films.co.uk 