Films watched

The best war movie I have ever seen and yes that includes "Saving Private Ryan"!
A multi faceted film which hits you from many sides, truly a magnificent film which left me very moved.

This wonderful film takes a while to get started while the character development takes place mostly in small vignettes. Although the main thread is concerned with the Romain Duris and Juliette Binoche sibling relationship, with Duris's heart defect, other stories come into play with some well acted scenes which intertwine perfectly cumulating into an excellent climax. This is very much a film which requires some concentration and if you are looking for a typical Hollywood blockbuster with action, guns, nudity and a positive ending then please do not watch it, but if you want believable characters, fantastic scenery, well directed, cracking storyline and an ending which you will be talking about and thinking about for days after then this is your film. personally I was so engrossed in this film that I forgot the time and sad that it finished when it did. Hire it or buy it. Recommended :)

This is the follow up to the highly successful "Pot Luck". It is basically a loved film about various couples and it is filmed in France, England and Russia, in which the actors who come from France, England, Russia, Germany, Africa and Spain. The affairs intertwine and seemingly convoluted but in the end the story becomes complete. Very funny in places and extremely well acted, loads of beautiful women and a good story which never gets boring. Highly recommended.

This film is beautiful, interesting and very moving.

The story of a young girl that gets pregnant by an actor in a travelling theatrical company and is married off to a 40 year old widower to avoid scandal.

The 3 hours grant enough time for the story to unfold itself without hurry. Characters have time to be developed properly. The landscape has time to grow on you.

All the actors really deserve praise for this. Especially Liam Cunningham and Elisabeth Dermot-Walsh. Eleanor Methven should be mentioned too.

Although this film is now sold as a Colin Farrell vehicle, his role is really very small - although certainly one of his best.

I give this movie 10/10 and really cannot understand why it is that underrated here.

Good film which makes you think of how deep the immigration problem is in all countries. Great acting, hard hitting but safe to watch if you are easily frightened as there is very little gore or horror.

The animation and story are really top class. It may be two hours long but the time flew past it was that enjoyable. After watching "Spirited Away", I am now trying to buy more of the Studio Ghibli collection.
I have watched it three times now (Friend want to see it) and it is never boring to watch. Wonderful film.

This is as good as it gets. A humorous look at a dysfunctional Irish family in Dublin and the shenanigans that happen when the oldest daughter finds herself pregnant. Strong on colloquial humour, pathos and all mixed in with Ireland's top actors with the addition of Ireland's top author (Roddy Doyle) thrown in. This is the second in the trilogy, "the commitments" was the first, "the snapper" was the second and the third is a film called "the van". All are must see films.

Based on a true story this is not for the faint of heart. Strong, powerful and emotional tale which will undoubtedly make you wince and squirm in your armchair. If you can take it, it is well recommended. If you have already watched the Magdalene Sisters this is a similar tale but this time involving young boys.

This a good family film, the one where the youngsters can watch at one level and the adults on another level, it is that good. The story will grab most children, and will laugh at the basic humour while mums and dads will be laughing at the (shall we say) darker side and subtle innuendo which is well hidden from enquiring minds!
Top acting from all, but a gold star award to Robert De Niro who positively revels in his role as a pirate leader, with lots of cameo roles by famous actors thrown in. Good enjoyable fun.

Cracking film, excellent fight scenes, good story, good love interest, fantastic entertainment, even has some light moments.....nuff said - forget the so called film critics with their "not as good as Hidden Tiger" etc claptrap, this is one worth watching!

Entertaining enough for when you just want nothing demanding, but I kept feeling so much more could have been made of this franchise. A bit like eating Chinese food, the quantity was there but left wanting to eat a steak and kidney pudding!

Excellent film, set on a stage, totally unique and bizarre, nearly three hours long but compelling story, well narrated by John Hurt with Nicole Kidman and Paul Bettany in top form.

Wow, totally blown away by this fantastic film. Absolutely fantastic right down to the music score. Cannot praise this film enough, if only all films could be this good. 10/10

As with most Hayao Miyizaki films in the Studio Ghibli collection they are made for parents with children, made so both will enjoy them. Porco Rosso is made more towards the parents this time with some lovely defy and sly humour. This is pure Miyizaki though, excellent film which you will want to watch many times. 9/10

Very entertaining fast actioned animated film. Not the best in the Studio Ghibli stables but it is a film in which the whole family can watch with no embarrassing things for parents to explain. Recommended 7.5/10

Ticked all my boxes, made me laugh out loud, which is are for me. Either you like Jim Carey or not, but this is a perfect vehicle for his type of humour. Like any comedy, you are either in the mood for it or you may have well go to bed early, I must have been in the right mood, because I really enjoyed it.

Powerful and frightening film, more so as it is so real in the way it develops the characters and then showing how the way people are so easily sucked in to become fascists. The worse thing is afterwards realising that it could so easily happen again, and indeed is it happening again?
Brilliant film, if you like this then watch or rent "Das Experiment", similar theme but much nastier film, but both make us think about our frailties! 9/10

This is a film about the importance of wit in the court of Louis XVI, having wit either made you rich and without it or if you were ridiculed you would die by it. In this film you have the best of everything, directed by Patrice Le Conte, and the best actors in Jean Rochefort (who can do more with a twitch of his face than most American actors use in body language in a lifetime of acting, and the gorgeous Fanny Ardent amongst others, a wonderful storyline, good camera work this is work of art. It is not a film though for persons who require action and excitement, more for those who require cerebral and visual pleasure.

Wonderful charming film that transports you away to a time and place somewhere in France, totally undemanding and a joy to watch. The acting is top notch by the cream of French actors, and the children who were mostly first timers played there part exceptionally well. It will bring a warm smile watching this minor classic.

This is a rather sad story of the making of Don Quixote, the film that was beset by disasters both by the forces of nature and by human error. Everyone put so much effort into this film, but it seems the film was cursed. I have rated it lower than usual as it depressed me to see the faces of those who fought to keep the film alive only to see it fail at every hurdle. Good film within a film of a film, glad to have seen it only to find out how difficult it must be to make cinema for us all.

Simply the best. This takes the theory that all films are based on no more than twelve basic tales and rips it up. With twists and turns which you do not see coming and wonderful acting, a unique storyline and some stomach churning moments, sheer wonderful cinema. Please USA do NOT make an American version, you cannot better this version. 10/10

Very enjoyable French Farce. Although rather dated by today's standards it still retains its charisma and entertainment value. One to watch on a wet Sunday afternoon when the in-laws visit. 7.5 out of ten.

Interesting cerebral film regarding a knights game of chess with the grim reaper, and dealing with the knight exellently played by Max Von Sydow and the contrasting doubts with faith/atheism, life/death, light/darkness, innocence/corruption, hope/despair, love/lust, comedy/tragedy and crusading piety/clerical hypocrisy. A special mention must go to the Baldrickesque Knights squire played by Gunnar Bjornstrand who played the perfect foil to the doubting Knight, Excellent fare this 9/10.

A poignant and uncompromising film encapsulating all manner of emotions. The first part requires the viewer to remember the vignettes as these will become clearer in the second half, as the story comes to completion the viewer then will then understand all the previous scenes. Very violent, very heart-warming, occasionally funny but always holding your attention. Sadly the transference from VHS to DVD from Momentum pictures was very poor, but at least it was on a better format, so rather a poor quality than no DVD at all.

Ps. This film is sold in the UK as "Hana-Bi".

Wow, this was a film of which I have never seen before!
Where do I start, mix a bit of modern pop video, loads of vivid colour, think of of Ken Russells "Tommy", and also think of Caro and Juenets "City Of Lost Children", some blood, bit of violence, pathos, superb acting, good storyline and then you can imagine how bizarre this DVD is.
If you want something totally different this is it :)

This to me is so much better than the formulaic U.S and European police and murder films. Definitely one to watch for murder buffs, lots of bad language and very little gore, and no real nudity to offend, but very good acting and tense storyline. Recommended 8/10.

Think of French New Wave, and a brilliant romantic story, top camera work by Christopher Doyle, and the stunning Faye Wong who is absolutely stunning and sings some of the music, and Tony Leung the lucky man who she fancies. Great escapist fun. Filmed as two films in one film, but for some reason the Bridget Lin piece seem to end nowhere?
Memo to self..........Must buy a CD of Faye Wongs music, sounds bloody fantastic :)

This film has it all, blood, guts, thunder, intense battle scenes, romance, vivid colour, beautiful landscapes and all in epic proportions. Based on the true story which is legend in China and using the cream of Chinese actors and keeping faithful to the true story (the romantic bit apart of course). Could not fault this film, so much so that the two hours thirty minutes just flew by. Great entertainment and well worth buying, I will watch this again and very soon. The version I watched was the US version which is the shorter, I have also seen the four hour plus version which I recommend as it explains the story in more detail. Although it is subtitled the story is easy to follow and the characters allowed to develop making it a very enjoyable experience. 10/10

This definitive version of the story of Martin Guerre (remade in English with Richard Gere and Jodie Foster as 'Sommersby' is amongst French actor Gérard Depardieu's greatest roles. As the bluff, romantic, sensitive soldier who returns to the village after years away (or does he?) he manages to provoke all sorts of reactions from his other on-screen characters as well as the film's audience.

As Bernadette de Rols, the wife seeking love and companionship, Nathalie Baye is superb; while a large and talented cast give flesh to the remaining characters. I defy anyone to see this adaptation and not be moved by it.

Ki-duk Kim has written and directed an outstanding film about a homeless, but creative individual who breaks into houses for a place to eat, sleep, and clean himself up. While there, he fixes anything that is broken, does the laundry, and makes sure he cleans up after himself.

He breaks into a house that he thinks is empty and finds an abused woman. What transpires is one of the most tender and beautiful films I have ever seen. I would not spoil it by revealing any of the plot as this is one you definitely have to see.

Films like this one only come about rarely, so I implore you to see it, a truly beautiful film, masterfully done 10/10

What a rare and relatively unknown little gem of a film this is. You can read better reviews than mine here http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0107225/ but this made me laugh out loud, and I found the acting honest and true to life. In reality the kids made this film, it is hard to believe that they really said all that foul language, and there is a lot of foul language but do not let that distract you, this is a very charming and touching movie about a teacher who is wrongly assigned to a school in one of the roughest parts of Southern Italy, where the nine year olds are very street wise. Wonderful. 9/10

I am writing this review on the hoof so I will not bleat on about all the awful Baal jokes, fleeced as I was on purchasing this DVD, the owner of the shop pulled the wool over my eyes and sold me some mutton dressed as lamb. I felt really sheepish and returned it the next day.
Very enjoyable film with some cracking one liners. 7/10

Wonderful tongue in cheek humour, great CGI and I enjoyed watching it. Much better than I thought it would be, and IMHO better than most superhero films in this genre, oh yes, and then there is that last frame, now that made me laugh out loud. 7/10.

Great escapist fun, typical well over the top Chinese fantasy film, sometimes it is similar to an early Dr Who with the monsters and sometimes similar to "Monkey". Still very enjoyable watching the action sequences and also has fair amount of humour. Don't ask about the storyline but in fairness it is a fantasy film and it is very energetically done. 7/10

I can honestly say after watching thousands of films that I have never been so moved to tears of sheer and utter boredom than I have endured watching this. True I do also dislike "Extras" of which this is similar, but this is supposed to be a comedy, a comedy in which I could not even raise a faintest movement of my mouth, I could only sit back in wonderment of why so many people rave over this garbage, IMO it must be the Emperors Clothes effect. One of the very few films which I have purchased which will not be added to my library, I am off now to try and get my money back!
1/10 as I cannot give it no points at all!

Too depressing and an insult to humanity.

Really enjoyed this Russian collaboration with Chinese, Mongolian and even Japanese actors and crew. Be warned this is not your typical HK film, no martial arts, wirework or indeed much CGI at all. Very slow but beautifully paced film about the young Ghengis Khan before his rise to ruling most of the then known world. This is also a good love story which threads in and out of the film. Well Recommended to those who enjoy world cinema. 9/10

Really enjoyed this film. The two stars in it I have never heard of before, but given the right breaks should be better known in the future. This is Luc Bessons first film in seven years, and the first romantic one that I know about, a dramatic change from the frenetic to the romantic, but he succeeds and comes up with a classy film. Please note this was filmed in black and white, but don't let this put you off, as my wife was so involved watching this she did not even notice, and imho it does add great affect to the watching experience. 9/10

Arguable one of the most heart-warming and touching films I have ever watched. Good acting, very credible and good cinematography, a really good all rounder, recommended 9/10

Interesting film, more anti war and no martial arts on show.
The story comes alive in the second half but in reality comes nowhere near the excellence of say "Red Cliff" or "Mongol", it has its moments in its two hours plus but lets itself down in continuity and lack of characterisation.
Worth watching if you are a fan of this genre. 7.5/10

Nice entertaining film with some very nice and inventive fighting sequences. It had just the right amount of pathos and humour balance, the stuntwork and wirework sadly was very amateurish and risible, on the other hand the actors put a lot of effort into this film and it showed.
I was about to give this film seven out of ten, but alas I watched one of the trailers which showed "Chocolate" a movie which I have seen and the difference in quality of fighting was far far higher than on show with "House Of Fury"!!
So 6/10, good fo a Sunday afternoon when you do not want anything demanding :)

Corny and well OTT fantasy martial arts film, one for buffs only really as it is great to see the wonderful Michelle Yeoh, Donnie Yen and a very young Tony Leung and Joey Wong.
This one has more gore than usual and is said to have inspired the Kill Bill films, exploding heads, bodies cut to ribbons, severed limbs and even a face removed, plenty of gushing blood but it does have some humour and a love story mixed in. Story is confusing and does end abruptly, it is said that they removed the last five minutes as it was too gory?

Wonderfully daft and slapstick but this is what Jackie Chans fans want to see, and in this film he literally does it non-stop. Operation Condor is a combination of "Indiana Jones" and "Marx Brothers" mixed with some Harold Lloyd. Very enjoyable, very silly, very energetic, cracking stunts, but awful dubbing and sadly no sub titles or extras to watch when the film ends. Hence 7/10.

This is my favourite film in a library of nearly two thousand films, the film that I judge all others by, the storyline is gripping, the acting is amongst the finest I have ever seen and the scenery to die for. Must be watched first before the follow up film "Manon Du Source" as they ae basically parts one and two!
If you have not seen these fantastic films then I implore you to do so, as the IMHO is the best it gets for lovers of real film fans.

This is my favourite film in a library of nearly two thousand films, the film that I judge all others by, the storyline is gripping, the acting is amongst the finest I have ever seen and the scenery to die for. Must be watched after the previous film "Jean De Florette" as they are basically parts one and two!
If you have not seen these two fantastic films then I implore you to do so, as the IMHO is the best it gets for lovers of real film fans.

Or otherwise known as "Welcome To The Sticks" is one of the funniest French films I have ever seen. As usual in French comedy films, the acting is superb, and farcical situations and some great laugh out loud moments, mixed with a touch of pathos, and ends with a good message on how we have preconceived conceptions which are totally misplaced in real life. This is a gem of a film and deserves to be much more widely seen. Please watch if you can, you will not be disappointed!

Everything is perfect, the storyline, the characterisation, the acting and that goes for Sammy Davis Jn Jn the dog as well. IMHO this is a perfect anti war and anti hate film, and for an American based film remarkably foreign in its texture. Somewhat similar to the Italian film "Life Is Beautiful" it starts off with a good comic feel, expanding the main characters and then turns into a story with morals and ideals, it had me rooted to my seat throughout. Probably the thing which surprised me the most is that Elijah Wood can actually act, even though the performance of the blind grand-dad steals every scene he was in. 8.5/10

Better than the average 1973 revenge film, with the added bonus of a strong story amongst all the gushing blood and carnage. Trouble is that while watching it, you tend to be picking out all the parts that have influenced directors Quinten Tarantino obviously stands out, but there are others as well. A very good film which deserves its cult status. 8/10

Its cult film status is fully deserved, an excellent and entertaining film, Ok it is corny in places but the action is some of the best I have ever seen. Michelle Yeoh is stunning in this, proving what a versatile actress she really is. 8.5/10

Thought provoking and very poignant with an original storyline. Some nice twists towards the end of the film with a powerful message in the last shot (the b/w photo), Park Chan Wook just seems to direct all the best films and this is arguably the finest.
The rumour is that the U.S are doing a remake, but centring on their U.S/Mexican border, I beg of you please do not do it, at least "Three Burials" by Tommy Lee Jones which is a similar film can be classed as good enough to stand alongside this masterpiece. 9.5/10

Released in the UK as "Scorpion King" on the Hong Kong Legends label, this is a film deserving of its cult status as it is difficult to better the fight sequences this film offers. Other than that it is typical HK fare, corny music, so-so acting but did I tell you about the fights, just when you think you have seen it all, along comes a gem like this one. 9/10

Standard fare, nothing much to rave about, some good fights, nice eye candy, lots of plot holes, Daniel Wu plays his part well enough but it has the same feel as a Miami Vice TV program. Maggie Q hardly breaks sweat acting wise but she is very athletic. Could have been much better though!

This is probably the fittest that Jackie Chan has ever been. He worked hard on this film, and although rathe dated now, I still pleases.

As thrillers go I found this very entertaining. I have no strict religious beliefs to get in the way, true there were some very convenient coincidences and plot holes scattered around this film, but there are with most American films. Ignore the bashers and critics make up your own mind, just watch it and you may be surprised! 8/10

The first thing that struck me about this film is that the acting was very good, with Dean Shek the one I admired the most. Basically the film is in two unintended parts, with the two directors taking opposing views on where the film should go, in the second half John Woo takes over and suddenly the gun fights (which are superb) and action take over.
IMHO it is better than A Better Tomorrow one, and one I recommend if only to watch the ever impressible Chow Yun Fat.

Well I really enjoyed this film, yes it was corny, yes it was predictable, yes it was Americanised, but for all that it copied the original Gung Fu Movie genre perfectly.
Both Jackie Chan and Jet Li put their heart and soul into this movie and came out with a good family entertainment film.
There are better martial arts films out there, but the Blue Ray treatment on this was fantastic and the ageing superstars showed their martial art, acting and humour skills perfectly.

Well paced story and some great action scenes, wonderful characters with the two stars Shintaro Katsu and the enigmatic Toshiro Mifune both in fine form.
The film has plenty of gore, pathos and wonderful touches of humour mixed together which makes me wonder why if this film came out in the late sixties have we eally progressed at all. This has no CGI, wirework or grossly overpaid actors, and would be difficult to replicate now we have reached the new millennium!

This has the most jaw dropping dangerous stunts I have ever seen, and believe me I have seen many in my 50 years of watching films. The story and action just does not pause for breath, good acting by the lead actors as well, maybe a tad over patriotic but why not, this is a film Thailand should be proud of.
Will the lead star Dan Chupong be as big as Tony Jaa, yes I think he will, he certainly deserves it. One of the finest action films I have ever seen. 10/10

Awesome film, the best martial arts I have ever seen in one film, Thai, Chinese and Japanese all on show here, and all the weapons used as well,and the best fight sequences ever. Jaw dropping stuff throughout the film just over the top incredible.
Forget all the critics, this is not "Gone With The Wind" it is not even "Lawrence Of Arabia", it is what it says on the can, an action film, this is a film which fans of this genre simply must see and own. 10/10.
Ps. Lovely to see Tony Jaa's version of Jackie Chan's drunken kung fu used, I was most impressed with that!
This is a film which could never be remade in America, which is what probably really pisses them off the most, the attitude that if we can't beat them we will trash the film so people will watch Tom Cruse et al.

Totally and utterly fantastic, It combines humour, pathos, Drama and mixed with top acting, top photography and top drama. If you are a patriotic American this film may not be to your taste, a very anti-war and very anti-aggression film which will melt your heart, always mesmerising and compelling to watch.
Basically and without giving the story away, three opposing sides in the Korean war somehow come together in a mountainside village full of happy and content people who do not know what a gun is let alone have any aggression. The rest you will have to find out for yourselves, you really must see this gem of a film, you will not regret it or forget it, I promise!
Ps....This somehow is classed as a comedy, while it is very funny in places, it is not a comedy, class it as a War/Drama/Comedy!

Entertaining romp but not up to the high standards of Kung Fu Hustle or Shaolin Soccer. Stephen Chow is now regarded as one of the elite actors in the East and rightly so, and anyone who is a fan of Chow or of Martial Arts films would already have this in their collection, if you are not then this will not adhere you to this wonderful genre. 6/10

Firstly one thing which I would like to make clear, and that is to forget the Jackie Chan films of the past. The Shinjuku Incident is even darker than "New Police Story", there are no fancy martial arts on display, no wire-work and not even CGI. What we do have is excellent acting all round, a strong story and brutal action . The story centres around the illegal Chinese migrants who enter Japan, they tend to make for Tokyo and the Shinjuku area of the City where they can blend in and fight for there very existence amongst the various other gangs there. The story is akin to "Dirty Pretty Things" insofar that it portrays the dehumanisation of decent people and how unforgiving life can be when you are an unwanted alien is a strange country, and doing your best to survive in a totally different culture.
This really is a must watch film, Jackie Chan and the emerging Daniel Wu excel in this film noire show-piece.

Rarely have I been so entranced by the sheer minimalism of a film, but this little gem took me away to a world I do not know and left me wondering why I have never heard of this director before. From the acting (all amateurs) the scenery, the story and the fantastic music track combined to make a cinematic experience!
The story is better explained elsewhere, all I can do is implore those who do not know of this gem to watch it. 9/10

Wonderful warm film with characters who warm your very soul. Fantastic camerawork but this is not for action fans or high drama as this IMHO is real cinema!

Yet another Hong Kong thriller lined up to have an American remake done. Cracking all round thriller with some wonderful performances from the actors. Johnny To is quite new to me, so I will be digging out his other films now which include the highly rated "Election 1&2). Recommended to lovers of action films!

Top comedy!

The original and by far the best version by far. Slow burner but done with such deep feeling, so much so that I was carried along with the sheer brilliance of it all, the acting, the story, the camera-work and the warm feeling that this is what cinema is all about, and makes it all so enjoyable.
It is about a shy, awkward and overworked man who discovers the joy of ballroom dancing, but do not that put you off, a Japanese gem of a film.

A truly amazing drama about the love of a man for his family and his place as a low-class samurai in feudal Japan. This is a slow paced film with no real violence except in two brief scenes, no gore or nudity, no kissing either but a film for mature adults to immerse themselves in. The whole film comes across as totally believable and running at 130 minutes you will not know where the time went. Slow but never boring. This be warned is NOT a slasher film, no wire work, no CGI, no fancy sword work but as drama and in the world of cinema is concerned this is a masterpiece!
Women may need a box of tissues handy, men will be moved and kids will be bored!

Impressive film, phenomenal body count, loads of action, blood and gore, no nudity, few plot-holes and some interesting twists to the storyline so keep watching for those seemingly incidental bits. Very enjoyable fair with Choi Min Sik of "Oldboy" fame playing his role as only he can. Good for when you have some friends around on a wet evening. 7/10

Heart wrenching, thriller which will grab you by the balls and not let go. Awesome story based on a real event.
Not only one of the best films I have ever seen, but it was even better than Memories Of Murder. This is cinema at its very best! Straight ten out of ten!

Avoid this film like the plague, truly awful in every department. Something similar to a 1970's Dr Who TV series, yes the CGI was that bad, the acting amateurish and with so many plot holes to make you to want to never watch another film again. A DISASTER of a film, 1/10 because RT will not let me give it zero.

This is an odd film really, nothing happens, there is no action, no CGI, no swearing, a brief glimpse of nudity (very harmless), and no gun-play.
What you do get is a very gentle Norwegian film of a 67 year old man who after a life of being a train driver now being forced to retire. Beautifully shot and with all the actors on top form, the story meanders giving us a brief glimpse of Oddl's life and the characters that he meets while trying to come to terms with retirement. Some wonderful touches of comedy mixed with a little pathos bring us very close to the main character of the film, so we actually care about him and his situation. If you are careful and watch carefully the film could have two or more endings, depending on the way you yourself perceived the events as they unfold. It does have a proper ending, it does not leave anything to your imagination but lets say different people see different endings, which to me is very clever and cinema at its most enjoyable level.
I implore those who enjoy true world cinema to watch this film, but on the other hand if you want action or horror please avoid you will be very disappointed!

Sadly this classic Korean film is exceptionally hard to find, but well worth looking for!
Based on a true story, it has the right amount of humour, romance and pathos to entertain you throughout the whole film. Without giving the story away, a chap gets tangled up with a drunken girl and is mistakenly taken for her boyfriend while travelling on the underground in a train, and he takes on responsibility for the girls safety and the story takes off from there. I must say that I am not into romantic films, but this is the best I have seen!
Re-made in the USA some seven years later and keeping the story almost identical, sadly it has non the wonderful acting and situations that the Korean version has.
It is out thee and well worth the extra money to purchase.

Couldn't help but think while watching this film as it reminded me of the old B&W "Ealing School" films, crossed with the film "Keeping Mum".
Thinking more, I could imagine the dad being played by Sir Alec Guinness, Peter Sellers as the Uncle, Irene Handle as the mother and Herbert Lom as the brother.
Perhaps Ji-Woon Kim the director watched old British films when he was young?
Enjoyed the film though, very good!
Recommended

"I'm Not Scared is similar in feel to a combination of Pan's Labyrinth, The Devils Backbone, Butterfly's Tongue and The Boy In The Striped Pyjamas". All of them have naive children who don't understand the mature world in which their cruel parents inhabit, so they create tales to compensate for their naivety.
I must add that this is not a horror movie in the American sense, this film is very subtle and the children play their parts exceptionally well, and everything seems so credible, scary and real, it is very easy on the eye, more of a taut and tense thriller.

It is difficult to know where to start when describing this gem of a movie. Firstly it is definitely not a comedy, well not in the occidental sense anyway, and it never gets boring but not for the squeamish amongst us. The storyline is strong with the reasons why the main character is behaving the way he does is revealed two thirds of the way before the culmination. If you can get your hands on this film you will be well entertained, it does have some very wacky Jean Pierre Jeunet (Delicatessen) and Marc Caro black humour in it, and I should imagine that the director must have used that for inspiration. Sadly the ending is rather rushed and ruins what would have been a top original film. 8/10

This DVD has just been re-issued by popular request and well worth waiting for. Quintessentially English comedy which sadly means that a majority of Americans may miss the humour, and also similar to the Ealing comedies before it.
It has a cast to die for, Sir Ralph Richardson, John Mills, Peter Sellers, Peter Cooke and Dudley Moore, Michael Caine, the beautiful Nanette Newman, Tony Hancock are a few which come off the top of my head. The story involves a "Tontine" (a lottery) in which the last man living receives all the money including interest. Very British low budget comedy but of the highest standards and well worth watching. My particular favourite was "Peacock" the butler played wonderfully well by Wilfred Lawson which had me laughing every time he appeared, sadly he died shortly after the films completion, a sad loss to acting.
Here is a link to the excellent Peter Sellers who played Dr Pratt, hope you enjoy http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j73-5LRVHWM

Before you watch this film it would be wise to do a quick google and find out about pre-war Italian cinema. This film comes under Neo-realism catagory, and before its release Italians were spoon fed pro-Italian propaganda films full of nationalistic glory. A lot of Americans would not understand the period immediately after WWII, where most of Europe was blown to smithereens, and the survivors lived in abject poverty with no hope of employment let alone financial security.
The Bicycle Thieves is based on a father son relationship and the viewer is left in no doubt on the harshness of life that the Ricci family endure, and the theft of his one and only hope of employment, the bicycle and his attempts to retrieve it. I am truly honoured to have this fantastic film in my collection, and even though the film is 62 years old, I believe that people will still be watching it still 62 years hence.
Some viewers will not be touched by it, some will find it (even at 90mins running time) to long. The actors were total amateurs and plucked from normal jobs, but it doesn't show, they are allowed to develop naturally, and most likely view the morals and situation the Ricci could affect the way you see the world.
Be warned the realism depicted is harsh, it is not a film to watch if you are not used to "World Cinema", (as in non-Hollywood fare) and it would be incorrect to class it as "Art House", it is a true masterpiece of cinema. 10/10.

A really entertaining Japanese Sci-Fi/Thriller starring the brilliant Takashi Kaneshiro. Now before we go any further, yes I admit it does knick all the good bits from "The Matrix", "Terminator", "E.T", "Independence Day", "Transformers" and many other American favourites, but it does do it in a glorious Japanese way. This film has made many enemies, especially in the U.S but it is a very enjoyable film to watch, it has some nice story twists, and some fantastic action sequences and it well worth buying as it is fast becoming a cult favourite.
Please ignore the detractors and the critics, sit back and enjoy an excellent sci-fi film with lots of action.

Strange but very enjoyable comedy using Chinese film stars in a Korean location. Nothing special about this film but somehow leaves you with a smile. Action is not in the Jackie Chan, Jet Li class and reminds me of Stephen Chows material, but thee are some good chases and an easy story with a good twist at the end. Something for a wet evening and want an undemanding film with the always excellent Tony Leung and the beautiful Shu Qi. Also worth noting that this is a follow on from Tokyo Raiders some five years earlier, something which is now on order :)

Deeja Yanin is certainly one to watch. After her impressive début with "Chocolate" she has now improved her acting skills and able to show emotions well.
Great film for action fans, and there is a LOT of action, and Deeja Yanin surely suffers for her art, as all actors have to take the blows and do their own falling and stunt-work. I have been impressed with the Thai film industry of late and this their latest is yet another credit to their country.

Late night enjoyable fun, the trouble is some people take it too seriously.....?

Very good Irish film, comedy with lots of pathos. recommended :)

Ok, it does have a lot of nudity, and it may be regarded as a lads film, but it does have a deep and meaningful side to it, and makes a great romantic love story which entwines itself amongst some good comedy moments.
The story evolves around Ben and a disastrous break up with Sue, Ben can't sleep at night, so he takes on a job working nights at the local supermarket while still attending Uni during the day. He realises he has the ability to stop time which leads to some comedic situations, and then falls in love with Sharon.
Nice story, lots of nudity (all harmless and not vulgar) and in the end a wonderful love story, what more could you want?

Rarely has a film affected me so much as this one, 130 minutes just flew by, and even though I am not prone to tears I was shedding them one minute to the humour and next the pathos, and all in a wonderful way.
Winner of the "Best Film In A Foreign language" Oscar (and deservedly so) the acting and storyline combine to make a first class viewing experience.
The story can be far better told here http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1069238/.
I have watched and enjoyed thousands of films but rarely does one come by and touch me as much as "Departed".
I implore you to watch this modern master-piece!

Brilliant family film with a great feel-good factor.
This is one film which you can watch over and over again!

David Kelly and Milo O'Shea have been friends for nearly fifty years and it shows in this wonderful hidden gem of an Irish comedy.They play a couple of Irish con-men in Dublin who somehow fall foul of two rival gangs and the police.
The acting is second to none, and the dog George steals all the scenes he is in.
My only question is how come they cannot make more fantastic films like this, total entertainment from start to finish and a joy to watch!

Absolutely wonderful film set in 1970's Belfast during the the problems. Two children from opposite sides innocently become friends and try to run away to Australia. Knees to chest funny, poignant and with the right amount of pathos, this is a joy to watch.
IMBD reviews http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0388154/

What a wonderful film, and what a wonderful job Pat Shortt does, so much so I know people exactly the same as the people portrayed in this film. It is not a joyous film and the subject matter difficult, the story does not go anywhere for the first three quarters of the film as it goes through the character development stages, but the end was (IMHO) stunning.
It has changed the way I see people around me, and people I meet every day,(and I am a happy well balanced person) but I am a busy man so I do not have the time normally to stop and give people my attention, I see things different now and I hope I will be a better person for it!

When The Last Sword Is Drawn is part of the trilogy the others being The Hidden Blade and The Twilight Samurai, it does not matter in what order you see them in as the most important thing is that you do watch them all.
All the above films have a wonderful magic about them, all have top acting, wonderfully told stories and cinematography to sink into your sofa for, literally this is some of the best Japanese drama you will ever witness, more than that the best drama in the genre World Cinema class.
Unlike the other two mentioned, When The Last Sword Is Drawn is slightly more confusing as the story jumps between time-lines over different generations and is narrated from different perspectives, with all the twists coming at the end.
All three stories involve low class Samurai's, working class Samurai who have families to feed, jobs to keep and involve much social-politics of everyday Samurai life.
If you enjoyed The Last Samurai with Tom Cruise then please stay away from these films as they films and so far removed you would not believe it, this is not your standard Hollywood film, these are very deep, very artistic, very authentic with class acting and seriously lacking in fantastic sword-play CGI backgrounds and cheesy acting!
World cinema at its finest 10/10

Not really an Anime fan, but I really did enjoy this gem!

An under-rated gem of a movie, with so many famous Irish faces to watch. Filmed in Dublin and includes Colm Meaney, Colin Farrell, Cillian Murphy and many more. Eleven different stories and twelve main characters, intertwined to create an somewhat unusual film.
A lot of scenes will shock, and others will amuse as the humour is very dark, and the romance very touching, the language is atrocious and most vulgar.
I cannot find a reason why this did not do well on general release, but makes up for it by being nowadays a cult film which is well sort after.

I can see the reason why there is an army of action fans who have voted
this film down, but in my opinion Thai cinema is trying to come of age
and show western audiences that it can produce character development as
well. True it is not on the scale of Japanese films, Korean or even
Chinese films but it is getting better, it will still take a few years
before Thai films can be compared to them. Ong Bak 3 instead of one
fight scene after the other, Tony Jaa (Tien) now has a love interest
and is keen on showing Thailand itself, Thai religions and Thon a form
of Thai dancing in a good light, and this he does well, there are still
spectacular fight sequences but not so many, the elephant scene towards
the end is a worthy highlight for any Asian Cinema action fan. It would
be foolish to rate this as an action film, as obviously Tony Jaa is now
much older and wishes to progress his acting career and wants to be
taken seriously as an "actor", but as "World Cinema" goes it is
definitely a step up from the usual non stop bone crunching high speed
fighting and more into "Fantasy Adventure" which in the long term no
disgrace to film-making. So in conclusion, it does not have the
fighting that made Ong Bak 1&2 and "Warrior King" so effective and
glorious to watch, but it is now starting competing with other
countries in the acting stakes, it still has some way to go, so expect
some more intense Thai cinema in the future, and personally I wish it
luck.

Chinese drama relating (allegedly) to true events at the turn of the 20th century. This is a very tense film with a cracking soundtrack and the tension builds to an almighty climax at the end, which includes most of the fight-scenes, which are worth the price of admission alone. With its superb acting by all and including most Chinese superstars playing there roles as if their lives depended on it, Donnie Yen, Simon Yam, Eric Tsang, Tony Leung Ka Fai, Nicholas Tse, Bing Bing Fan and with good support by lots of good up and coming actors as well, this is as good as Chinese cinema can get believe me.
I really cannot tell you to much about the film as I would give the plot away to easily, but it involves a group of Chinese democracy revolutionaries protecting Dr Sun their leader from the state funded assassins. Recommended for Asian Cinema fans, thing of Gangs Of New York done Chinese style LOL. Recommended!

Very interesting Spanish starring Max Von Sydow. To start with this must not be treated as a thriller just a very clever film which keeps you guessing. It will be difficult for many to understand as it forces the viewer to think for themselves, nothing is forced on you, it does not moralise or blast your senses, and although it has an ending it will still have you thinking about previous scenes throughout the film to make your mind up.
This film is really aimed at European Cinema fans who enjoy being entertained and have a strong attention span, if you are wanting gore, nudity, explosions, gun play and car chases forget it, go and hire "Crank".
Don't get me wrong, this is not a morbid story with a sad ending, it has strong acting, beautiful scenery and a nice simple story dealing mainly with "luck" and lucky people who see how far they can push their luck to win lots of money, usually also involved are dangerous games, and are the lucky ones really fortuitous or are they somehow unlucky?
Wonderful film which some may have to watch twice but ultimately leave you thinking not only about luck itself but also question about your own personal good fortune, sorry but I am not giving the plot away, just pay attention and all will be revealed. I would love to know your views on this :D

Starring Samlma Hayek, Alfred Molena, Antonio Banderas,Valeria Golino and with a supporting cast of Ashley Judd, Edward Norton, and Geoffrey Rush it is no surprise that this film is so damn good. From the acting, the cinematography, the story content all sublime, this really is a must see film. The story is based on the true life of Frida Kahlo a famous Mexican artist and her marriage to Diego Rivera (a splendid Alfred Molina) in the decadent 1920's to early 1930's Mexico and United States. This film does contain bad language and a fair amount of nudity but in fairness nothing which I regard as offensive or tasteless in any way. I will save this film to library and watch it again as I do love good acting and story and this has both in massive dollops, but not to watch one if you require something thrilling or with action, although it does have some clever humorous moments.

later

Another review I must do asap, fantastic artwork on this!

I am not a native American, I have never been to the USA, and sadly very unlikely to ever go there even on a holiday, so if this offends and friends from the other side of the pond then I sincerely apologise for my following remarks.
It is very rarely that I detest any actor or the role he is playing, but this kid takes the biscuit, he is totally obnoxious, so much so that I could not go beyond twenty minutes before I wanted to throw things at the TV. My wife bless her, tried again the following night when I was out to work, and her comments much the same as I thought in those twenty minutes that I saw. If this is typical of the modern American cinema, very formulaic, and with a nasty child and this is supposed to be the new form of cinema, I enjoy children's films and have a large collection, whether it be Walt Disney, Studio Ghibli, Silvan Chomet,Pixar, Fantasy right through to Anime and WTWTA does not come anywhere near the worst of that genre. We are supposed the empathise with the leading actors, feel the need to follow a good story line, to be entertained and marvel at the CGI characters, but WTWTA, I did not care about the child, the other actors, the mythical creatures, the story line was pathetic and we were left totally empty of all feeling towards the film, so much so, we are mystified how this is rated so highly.
I'm off now to cleanse myself by watching "The Cat Returns" a Studio Ghibli film to try and get my humanity back!

It has taken me ages to find this gem of a comedy, but well worth the wait. The gorgeous Shu Qi replaces Eun-Kyung Shin for the third in the MWIAG trilogy in which our heroine is now Chinese and is sent to Korea for her own safety and has to pretend to be a normal woman being guarded by a gang of over macho but inept men. There are many comedic moments of true quality, my favourite would be the car chase, where she takes over the driving whilst sitting on her guards lap. Shu Qi is not as effective in the action department as the irrepressible Eun-Kyung Shin but makes up with it by her hilarious expressions when things go awry, which happens most of the time.
Sadly this film for whatever reason is now very rare and difficult to come by, and I do not condone downloading but sadly it may be the only way to see this wonderful comedy, as is by the way the first and second parts of the trilogy, all of which I guarantee you will want to watch many times, they are that good!

Style over substance. Lots of fantastic imagery, amazing CGI but sadly lacking in the story and acting departments. Films like "The Fall" and "Stardust" did this but much better, even going back 50 years "Red Shoes" was more superior, the truth is even though this is well rooted in the fantasy genre it still needs good acting with a strong story-line and sadly TIODP has none of these.
This is the film in which the great Heath Ledger died, and was replaced by Johnny Depp (still in his Jack Sparrow role) and Colin Farrel who frankly is truly awful. Even Christopher Plummer is truly out of sorts and Lily Cole's acting is more akin to Dr Who's latest assistant.
Not a bad film though if you like CGI and IMHO the shattered mirror scene was truly brilliant.

Quick review here, very entertaining film, even better that Iron man 1, strong story, lots of action, great CGI effects, great to watch with a few mates around.

If there was a film which personified the futility of war and religion this would be it. With an outstanding cast of international actors using their multi-lingual skills the message comes across akin to being slapped in the face with a wet haddock.
If there is a film to watch this Christmas which will give you a warm glow then I beg you to watch this one, IMHO it is on par with "It's A Wonderful Life" and although based on true events in WW1, there are many scenes which have been added for effect but do not detract from the overall film!
This is a must see film, never dull or boring with a strong emotive story and a powerful ending! 10/10

We both really enjoyed this film which was nothing like we expected. One to watch with all the family, very creative and clever. I can only imagine that the 3D version was even better as the version we watched was in 2D.

Yes I was worried TS3 would not exceed my expectations, after watching the trailers I had high hopes, but it did, it was brilliant and IMHO better than Toy Story one and two!
Fast paced animation which never eases off, glorious and colourful, good story-line, but in places it was a tad scary for toddlers. Totally enjoyable experience and well recommended as good family entertainment.

A very enjoyable French comedy drama. This is France in the 1980's and the film involves a married couple who hate each other but cannot find a way of separating, and both are willing to resort to murder. A wonderful blend of top French actors, a tight script, good comedy and mixed with drama. Most of the good stuff happens from halfway through the film when Jojo meets a famous lawyer who convinces him that he could get away with murder if it was a "crime of passion" and then it is a case of who can who first, and the final scenes in the courtroom left me in stitches.
This is an olden type French comedy more on the lines of "Dinner De Con" (same director) and "The Closet", and sadly on my copy the picture quality was poor, but I will watch it again soon as it was that good!

Stylish Japanese Drama which never bores or overstays its welcome. Nice touches of humour and pathos, a perfect conclusion to Yoji Yamada's samurai trilogy, this is a must see 10/10

My favourite WW2 movie, why I hear you ask when there are so many films to chose from?
Firstly the acting is wonderful and everything to do with the film has been made to be as realistic as possible, right down to using the locations where the events took place.
This is the true story of the Norwegian hero Max Manus and his friends a bunch of saboteurs who risked their lives for the freedom of the Norwegian public. This is not the usual gung-ho Americanised war film, and probably why the US seem to vote this down, but it never outstays its welcome with a combination of action, tension, romance and even a touch of genuine humour.
If you do rent this film, please I implore you to watch the making of, and see the real people involved in the wonderful biographical, and the stories they tell, a tuly wonderful film which deserves a wider audience.

Very impressive animation which begs the question why does not South Korea do more of these?

A 2005 French film currently having the typical American remake and due for release in 2011, it is also akin to Johnnie Depps "The Tourist". I really enjoyed this Hitchcockian thriller, where the story is most important and the acting albeit top notch from the gorgeous Sophie Marceau and Yvan Attal, and the wonderful scenery combine to make an enjoyable film.
I can see why a lot of people have given this a negative vote, as when I say it is Hitchcockian in style, I also mean that it is rather 1950's feel as well, the leading actors use a lot a facial nuances, there is no gore (but the sound effects especially the guns are excellent) and the injuries sustained by the actors seem real enough for me.
The bad news is that you are unlikely to see it anywhere as the film is now very rare on the DVD market on both sides of the Atlantic, but if you can find it online it is well worth a watch!