My Favorite Movies

One of a very few movies that I have ever seen that have really left an impression on me that will never change.

It is a film like no other. It is without a doubt a masterpiece. The message that rings clear for me and that is of most importance is that we must never forget.

I love this film. First time I saw it, I was completely impressed. It is brilliant. May not be accurate but who cares! A superb film about a superb composer.

First time I saw this film was the first time I was introduced to the work of Kubrick. He is the one who made this film what it is: bloody brilliant. Films that throw you and really make you think are the one's that stay with me. So long Kubrick, thank God for your work!

This film pulled at my heart strings. It was so uplifting that I felt like there was such warmth in my soul. I will never forget it.

Brilliant piece of work from a brilliant mind. This film shall always be a classic and with good reason. It is a masterpiece.

Awesome!

Sometimes a film will come along and make you laugh so hard you can't breathe. Then sometimes that film can also make you think about society and whether or not we have really come that far. S.B.C, congratulations!

Loved this movie! Meryl Streep is so cool as the wicked witch of fashion. "Emily" the Assistant was my favourite hands down.

This movie was seriously intense and not at all what I expected. A frightening look into the not-too distant future.

I enjoyed this immensely. Johnny Depp is brilliant and as Jack, he is hysterical.

A great pirates film. Enjoyable for all ages groups. A swashbuckling adventure. What more could you ask for?! (Maybe a sequel).

A bit dissapointed with this. Didn't see it until DVD and wasn't really impressed with the overall fiml at all. There were some good twists and unexpected occurences which I like in a film.

Stranger Than Fiction is truly original. Which is so refreshing considering all the re-makes and adaptations that have flooded the silver screens. Will Ferell puts in a superb performance as Harold Crick who lives a rather mudane and regimental life until he begins to hear a little voice inside his head that drives him to the brink of insanity. The voice(Emma Thompson) is in fact a very real person, an author, who with every word determines his very existence. And more importantly, whether his life shall go on or not. Ferrell always had this role in him as we saw a glimpse of his potential of a dramatic actor trapped inside a comedian body in Melinda & Melinda. Emma Thompson playing the role of Grim Reaper is sublime as she looks like she is close to death's door through most of the film herslef as she in the last desperate and depressed throes of finishing her Great American Novel. Megan Gyllenhaal as Ferell's boho, out-spoken love interest is provocative and sensual and a surprise fit for the uptight and very anal Ferell. Hoffman as the eccentric scholar is a delight in another role a la I Heart Huckabees. The only let down is Queen Latifah as the assistant who is a bit short changed with a role that does not leave her with much to use. Comparisons can be made to the previously mentioned I Heart Huckabees, Adaptation and Being John Malkovich but with Helm as screenwriter he gives to this film the gift of imagination, self-reflexivity and insight into modern melancholy blighting the today's 'every man'. Stranger Than Fiction is perfection and one of the best films for 2007.

I love this movie. Not only because of hottie Jonathan Rhys Meyer but its a great feel-good story!

This movie is TOPS! May not be everyone's cup of tea but I thought it was great.

I love L.O.T.R and Two Towers may not be the best of the three but still watchable and to my liking.

Impressive beginning to the trilogy. Great performances from all cast.

I loved it. Especially when Aragorn and Arwen are reunited. My favourite of the three!!!

Rather dissapointed with this movie. Was starting to question whether I should have asked for a refund on my ticket!

Preferred it to the 1st one. John Woo is a great action director and definitely made his mark on this film.

Very funny. Especially like the part when they are going over the map. Hilarious!

Saw this on my sister's birthday! Jack Black is a legend. I love anything he does and this is no exception.

This movie freaked me out! It really sent a chill down my spine and it wasn't so much the blood and such but just the feel of the film. V. good.

A beautfigul love story in a wild Aotearoa. The music is brilliant and Holly Hunter is fantastic.

This film was quite a pleasant surprise. A beautiful performance from Keisha Castle Hughes and I really enjoyed the ending.

This movie is awesome. So different and original. I loved the look, the gritty feel, the whole movie appealed to me. A great effort by Rodriquez and team.

Am beautiful love story with great comic relief from the dread locked momma: Ms Whoopi Goldberg!

From the first time I watched this film I fell in love with it. Great performances all round particularly Pete Postlethwaite.

First time I saw I was kind of sceptical about Cher's capabilities but she really was worthy of that Oscar. V.good!

I really enjoyed this film. Matt Damon and Ben Affleck really did a good job with this screenplay and their performances are to be commended.

I love this movie. I always love a movie with a great twist and this one is tops! A must-see for everyone.

I really enjoyed this film but maybe they should have considered changing the name because hidden promiscuity does not still classify as virgin material. Josh Hartnett is irresistible.

Robert De Niro is a legend. I could watch him in anything. This is a great flick!

Its a timeless classic and one movie that I will never forget.

I love this film. No matter how many times I've seen it I never get sick of it. An exceptional performance from Tom Hanls!

Al Pacino is great and a pleasure to watch. Especially in a part that is so different to his usual work. He's also a very suave man in this film.

Anthony Hopkins is incomparable and Jodie Foster is the only Clarisse there could ever be.

I would always love this movie and it will always be around. Long, long, long before now.

I LUV GREASE! Can never get sick of it. Can never hate it. Forever a favourite.

Good clean fun.

Ashton Kutcher is so awkward-looking. Maybe he should just stick to "That 70's Show". His "Kelso" character seems to be so natural for him tp play.

What is Ice Cube thinking?! What is with all these lame-ass movies?!! I pity the one-time Compton rapper, I really do.

Yimou Zhang should be incredibly proud of this picture. His work is amazing and the visual aspect of this film is breath taking and will always be the trigger factor when I contemplate the film.

Ziyi Zhang ia an extraordinary actress and stunningly beautiful. Her performance along with her leading men are to be commended.

A spectacular film

A great, fun family movie with a good spin to the usual super hero story.

Catherine and George are great together. This film was a pleasant surprise that I enjoyed very much.

Morgan Freeman is unlike any other. A man with a presence that demands your attention. He is great in this movie and I highly recommend it.

I think JLo gets a bad wrap but I don't think that she is all that bad. I'd much rather her on the big screen than with a mic in her hand.

I think that this film was unfairly condemned and that people really do need to give J.Lo some slack. I would much rather her be in front of the movie camera than behind a microphone. I enjoyed this film immensely.
Without a doubt the stand-out hit was the legendary Jane Fonda who seems to get better and better with age. Her performance was hilarious as the mother-in-law from hell. She carries it off very convincingly. But Lopez has to be commended as well for being able to counter the attacks of a seasoned performer and for putting in a great performance herself. And Vartan is delicious eye candy for any girl, I don't care how old or young or what your tastes are, he is fine!
Perhaps if people didn't go into watching this film with the already formed opinion that Lopez is no good, they just might enjoy it for the light, funny and delicately witty film that it is.

Kathy Bates is exceptional. She is a superb actress and a pleasure to watch.

One of my all time favourites. I could watch this all the time!

This is one of those family feel-good movies that I never get sick of watching.
Jack Black is one of the funniest actors ever and he has so much energy that he practically explodes out of every scene.
The kids are also gems. They really did well to stay with Black and all his A.D.D tendencies.
I absolutely love this movie. It is hilarious and I highly recommend it for anyone who wants to laugh their ass off!

A great movie. Probably the only movie of Kate Hudson's that I have ever seen and would ever seen. She's pretty good.

I have seen this film so many times and I am yet to get sick and tired of it. It is one of my all time favourites and Jamie Bell is fantastic!

Gotta love the singing nuns!

This is probably Brad Pitt's best movie to date. Excellent!

While it was quite a long film it had a lot going for it and it brought out another side to Selma Hayek's acting abilities which we really have not seen to this degree.
She is unapologetic and sublime as the woman she protrays: Frida Kahlo. A woman of great imagination and creativity who is stuck in a body marred by the ravages of an horrific accident. Her fantastic art and incredibly turbulent love with mentor and husband Diego Rivera are captured brilliantly.
Surrounded by an all-star cast of great class and supported all the way by the supreme acting abilities of the incomparable Alfred Molina, Hayek excelled and deserved that Oscar nomination.
This film is most definitely an experience and a thrill for the senses.

4 stars for Walker alone!!

4 stars for Walker alone!!

Like a real punch in the face!

I love a good romantic comedy and I never get sick of watching this one.Even if Hugh Grant has that floppy do!

Two words: JOHNNY DEPP!

Robert De Niro is one of my faves. And Casino brought out great perfromances from all main cast members particularly Sharon Stone. Cudos!

I love this film. Never get sick of watching it.

Jack Nicholson is most definitely one in a million. At times it was frighteneing and at times he was just so funny.

Absolutely loved it! The visuals: amazing. The singing: fantastic. And Robin Williams: Sooooo f****n hilarious!!!

An enjoyable feel-good movie. Good performances all round. The hottie factor with Jude Law was fantastic. Jack Black always cracks me up, even if he's just standing there and his eyebrows are moving! However, a bit long but all in all a good watch.

Not the best film from Ben Stiller. Not a great movie as well. It seems they left all the good parts prertty much in the trailer. I hate it when they do that!!

One of the funniest films ever created...in the history of film. The boys of Monty Python are geniuses and "Life of Brian" displays that very fact to spectacular effect.

'Life of Brian' tells the story of Brian who is born in a stable on the fateful night of the Messiah's birth. He is mistaken for the baby Christ until the error is rectified. And so begins the life of Brian.

I laughed while watching this movie until I cried. It is too hilarious it'll probably kill someone of laughter!

One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest is one of the most profound and tragic movies ever made. Based on the Ken Kesey book of the same name, it is successfully brought up to the screen by Milos Forman who is one of my favourite directors. Set in an insane asylum the film involves the oppression of the singular person and a stirring indictment of how we determine who is insane and who is not. Jack Nicholson is McMurphy in all his wily and warrish fullness. But as good as Nicholson and Fletcher are, the film simply would not work without the brilliant ensemble cast.

Cate Blanchett is one of my favourite actors and she did a fantastic job in telling the story of such a brave woman who would do whatever it took to expose the truth. I never knew about Veronica Guerin until I watched this film and I'm glad that I did. An unforgettable movie that did not get the recognition I think, that it deserved!

A great classic film. I can't say it is Hitchcock's best after seeing Vertigo but it is definitley up there. Cary Grant is so sexy and suave in this one. I can see why they would base Geroge Clooney's look in Intolerable Cruelty on him.

Cate Blanchett is a gem. She has wisdom and class that makes her one of the best actresses that has ever graced the silver screen. Her performance as Elizabeth was so brilliant that she really should have won the Best Actress Award at the Oscars as opposed to the nauseatingly overrated Gwenyth Paltrow.

One of the best prison escape films ever made. Papillon showcases two great talents in Steve McQueen and Dustin Hoffman. Papillon's(Steve McQueen) obsession with freedom is what drives this film as he makes attempt after attempt to flee the hell hole that is Devil's Island. One may mistake McQueen as being type cast with the role of an escapee but he gives a fantastic performance where he throws himself completely into this role. Hoffman is perfect as the brains of the operation. His character's intellect and wealth benefit both as a beautiful friendship blossoms in the most fortuitous of places.

When I finally had the opportunity to view Dreamgirls it did not fail to meet my expectations. And then some. I absolutely adore this film. Everything about Dreamgirls defines the word sensational. Everything. It has it all from the actors to the music to the costumes(I lost count of how many wigs they used), coreography and screenplay. Everything is spectacular. My highest acclamation has to go to Jennifer Hudson. Who would have thought that a former Idol contender could secure such a role, let alone be genuinely good. But she was more than good, she was extraordinary. So much adulation was poured on Hudson but I was quite sceptical about her abilities. She really is worthy of the commendation. When she sang her heart out at that tragic moment when she is ousted by the others, I could not contain my tears and I just wanted to leap out of my seat and applaude but I didn't have the nerve. Her overall performance was like a seasoned actress, not a novice. She presented a character with multiple facets- sassy, confident, sexy(her shimmys would get any man hot under the collar), vulnerable, aggressive, desperate, passionate, loving, courageous and played them to perfection. She really is the star and leading lady of Dreamgirls.
WARNING: Beyonce's character does sport some rather disturbing eyebrows.

The story is quite predictable in its end result but I would not have it any other way. The Pursuit of Happyness is a total tear-jerker. So much so that when the lights came on there was not one dry eye in the theatre. Even grown men were wiping the tears away. A film that can do that to an entire viewing audience is quite a film. Quite a remarkable film. Will Smith gives the performance of his career. And having his real-life son play his son in the movie surely lifted his performance. I thought it was a beautiful concept to have him seem so strong and together through most of the story until up to that point when they seek refuge from the 'dinosaur' in their 'cave' and he ever so quietly breaks down and sobs as he holds his son and blocks the doorway. That was what did it for me. The water works were on and did not cease until the end credits. Such a story of unconditional love and self-determination is incredibly rare and inspiring. A very nice touch to have the real Chris Gardner in the last scenes.

Seven Samurai is the best action movie ever made. While its Director Akira Kurosawa may have been influenced and inspired by Hollywood Westerns, Seven Samurai became one of the biggest influences on Hollywood Westerns to follow. And with good reason.
The score is what first hooked me. It is powerful and stirring and filled with an impending doom. It encapsulates the story of battle and death and as the simple credits appear it makes quite an impact.
Kurosawa employed some superb actors in particular Takashi Shimura and Toshiro Mifune. As the leader of the clan, Shimura's character is strong, courageous and decisive. He is like a general who is not afraid to fight alongside his men. Mifune's character is unforgettable. His sillyness and comedic value add much needed humor amidst a village of dismal people and make him rather endearing. Despite not being a samurai himself, he truly has the heart of a warrior: mighty and fearless.
Seven Samurai is an incredible story of a small town's tenacity to fight their oppressors by any means. And the samurai display what mankind is capable of when considering the plight of others.

Sanjuro is not Kurosawa's finest work but it still reasserts his status as one of the most influential directors of all time. It is very enjoyable thanks to Toshiro Mifune's scruffy scoundrel which is an alomost cartoon like send-up of the established samurai image.

I really enjoyed watching this film. Do not be confused with the film of the same name starring Nicole Kidman and Ewan McGregor. Ths film deals with the life of one of France's most loved painters: Henri de Toulouse Lautrec but has been widely forgotten. It is a vibrant film that captures both the times of Paris when the Mouline Rouge was in its prime as well as its decline in popularity. The use of music made Lautrec's paintings come to life during those scenes when his works served as the description of Paris at the time. I thought Huston did a wonderful job of incorporating Lautrec's paintings in with the story the way that he did. The treatment of Lautrec's disability was also executed successfully. Having him shown only waist up during the first scenes made it an unexpected revelation to see how he really was when upstanding. For those who know nothing of the man, it would serve as quite a surprise. Ferrer'r resemblance to Lautrec was uncanny and his performance was superb as the troubled artist who suffered from not only a physical disability but also a mental fragility which lead to alcohol dependency. His longing for love and being denied it only to lose it by being totally oblivious to it was heart wrenching. I felt so much for him and longed for him to find that happiness that he yurned for.

A very powerful film. It may not be in the same calibre as 'Schindler's List' but its story is just as vital. At times it was hard to watch but then, the truth is always confrontational.

Jack Nicholson is one of the world's most talented actors and any film with Nicholson in it deserves to be considered. While he may not always make the wisest choice when selecting a movie, 'Five Easy Pieces' was not one of those moments. Ol' Jack got it right.
In this film we see Nicholson play Robert Eroica Dupea, a gifted pianist who comes from a well-to-do family of musicians. When we are introduced to Dupea he is working out among oil rigs and 'shacked up' with his dim-witted girlfriend, Rayette Dipesto(Karen Black) who he is hardly faithful to. When he hears of his father's ill-turn he returns to the family home. There he meets his brother's beautiful and sophisticated fiancee and commences an affair with the type of woman he's longed to be with all the while resenting Dipesto girlfriend more and more who attached herself to Dupea on his trip back home.
'Five Easy Pieces' in some ways reflects the story of the 'prodigal son'. The prodigal son leaves his father and family to pursue his own way in the world, the prodigal son lives life how he chooses, the prodigal son comes back to his father and family, the prodigal son apologises and asks for his father's forgiveness. All occurences in 'Five Easy Pieces'.
Nicholson makes a persuasive prodigal son who eventually leaves his family again as well as his girlfriend. Unlike the prodigal son Dupea cannot find his way back to his family as where he should remain and runs from all he knows to start again. In an act of desperation to be emancipated he abandons his girlfriend at a petrol station and flees with a truckie. While it would seem by many to be a cruel and cowardly thing to do, Dupea cannot take the idea of being with Dipesto anymore and feels trapped and possibly claustrophobic and so he does the only thing he can think of at that time. Keeping in mind that Dipesto had money and transportation and was not left for dead.
It is a film that does not centre around a gifted man's talent as most films with gifted men do but it concentrates on how he would long to do and be anything but what he was graced with. This is an example of a film that works being unresolved. We do not know why he does not want to be a musician, what happens to Dupea when he flees, what happens to Dipesto but it works. The unanswered questions are a part of its appeal and the viewer is left to ponder and create their own conclusions.
Two of the most memorable scenes would have to be Nicholson's outburst while ordering a chicken salad sandwich in a diner - symbolic of the 60s generation's rebellion and alienation during the Vietnam War Era and when during traffic gridlock on a California highway, the oil-rigger leaves his vehicle, jumps up on a truck stalled ahead, and plays a concerto on an upright piano.

Truly an epic tale that was quite a surprise to me. Such a surprise because I did not expect to enjoy it as much as I did.
'Gone With The Wind' tells the story of Scarlett O'Hara(Vivien Leigh), an all-American southern belle who is beautiful, spoilt, irresistible and extremely self-absorbed. O'Hara's life is intertwined with the hardships and ordeals of the American Civil War when the north defeated the south in the name of democracy and equality. However, O'Hara and the 'south' did not necessarily see it that way and painted the 'yanks' as mean, miserly miscreants.
Despite having much more than a hint of racial undertones, I could not help but be fascinated. The story was so engrossing that I longed to know what would happen and quite frankly, I did not want the film to end. The finish did seem unresolved to me and eventhough O'Hara was rather aggravating, a part of me hoped she would find true happiness.
In terms of performances, the entire supporting cast must be acknowledged for they were unforgettable. Olivia de Havilland as the angelic Melanie Hamilton, Leslie Howard as Ashley Wilkes, Harry Davenport as Dr. Meade, Thomas Mitchell as Scarlett's father Gerald O'Hara, Hattie McDaniel as Mammy who deserevedly won Best Supporting Actor for this role, Butterfly McQueen as Prissy, and Jane Darwell as Dolly Merriweather. They all made 'Gone With The Wind' the film that it is because without a superb ensemble it really would not have been the film that it is. Vivien Leigh was perfect as O'Hara. She was beautiful, haughty, loud-mouthed and rude and when she was struck down, she was courageous, strong and determined. It was interesting to see her evolve and how when one is so desperate and as low down as one can get just how one may transform and use oneself and those at one's disposal to be on top of the world again. Clark Gable has such an attraction that would make him irresistible to any woman. As Rhett Butler, Gable is the epitome of the cocky southern gentleman. And he is quite a match for Leigh as both lover and scene stealer.
As for Butler and O'Hara's love, it makes for a fair discussion to wonder whether she really loved Butler at all. And if in fact O'Hara was capable of love. It seemed that with all the marriages she entered into, there was no real love at the time as she supposedly pined for only one man, Ashley Wilkes. But even when that one man was finally available she realised it was Butler that she loved. Could it have been that it was only when she could not have something she felt she must have it no matter what and that surely must be love? Perhaps the only person that O'Hara ever really loved was herself.

This film will surely not be for everyone but it was definitely for me!
I am a huge fan of Hitchcock's work and this film is no exception. For anyone who is fiercely frightened of birds, I advise you not see this movie because it will have you reeling and having nightmares for weeks to come. I did not expect it to be as disturbingly horrific as I did. Before watching it I wasn't afraid of birds but afterwards, my heart would skip a beat when a bird flew by or sat on a telegraph pole. Hitchcock is considered the Master of Suspense for a reason. He knows how to pull out a scene to its very peak before unleashing the dreadfully inevitable. There are so many moments where this works beautifully throughout the film but perhaps one of the most memorable is when Tippi Hendren's character is waiting outside the school near the playground and shots switch back and forth from her to the crows gathering on the jungle gym and everytime the number of black birds grows and grows until they practically blanket the playground! Frightening stuff.
There is no explanation for the attacks by the multitude of birds and no real resolution at the end of the film but it works. The birds are seen as just crazed freaks of nature instead of intelligent beings that have evolved into creatures with developed emotions. That would have been rather unbelieveable. The ending leaves room for the mind to wander as to whether or not they make it off the island alive or are victims of the killing frenzy.
Hitchcock is positively unmatched!

At times I was quite intrigued to know Lector's beginnings but it really did fail because most of the story is so badly delivered that it is laughable! This film left a bad taste in my mouth, pardon the pun because it was not at all up to the character that it was named after. Lector couldn't strike fear into the heart of a little school girl.

It's official. I am in love with Gerard Butler! When I first saw him in 'Phantom Of The Opera' I was most intrigued. As Leonidas, he is everything that a man should be. He is everything that I think a man should be. Strong, brave. courageous, fearless, intelligent, handsome, sexy and gorgeous!
'300' has everything that one would want in an action film. Great fight scenes, fantastic efx, colossal odds, great abs for the heroes (even if they do look digitally enhanced) and a simple yet noble story. Nice to see David Wenham (a fine Aussie actor) in another blockbuster film that has had great success.
I would have to say that the only thing about the film that was a bit of a let down was Wenham's speech at the end. A bit too long-winded for my liking.
Apart from that, I could watch this film again and again...and again!

Already being a fan of the original movie and having viewed it a fairly high amount of times, I was rather skeptical of this re-making and quite cautious of Johnny Depp as the lead role of Willy Wonka. I was pleasantly surprised to see that he filled the shoes comfortably if not re-inventing the pair altogether. I always knew that Depp was a fantastic actor and highly versatile but this really did cement that fact for me. He really became Mr. Wonka and gave him eccentricities and personality traits that we never would have dreamed of in Gene Wilder's performance. I take my 'hat' off to you Mr. Depp!

For those who have been living under a rock all their lives or are just now embarking into the realm of films or books I shall now give a slight synopsis of the story at hand. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory was first a brilliant and quite popular children's book written by the genius that was Roald Dahl. He was responsible for giving the world and children of all ages such unique and enthralling reads such as: The BFG, James and the Giant Peach and The Witches just to name a few.

The Charlie from the movie title is Charlie Bucket, a very ordinary young boy from a well, below ordinary class of society but a very warm and loving extended family which consists of his father, mother and four grandparents. They live in an impoverished part of England and have a dreadful and tiny squalor of a home with a bed in the middle of the living room which beds extraordinarily enough, the four grandparents, a room up in what could be called the attic for Charlie and God knows where the parents sleep. But that is not really all that relevant is it. They barely get by on the minute salary that Mr. Bucket makes at the toothpaste factory and as for their diet well, I wouldn't be surprised at the flatulence levels in their home with all the cabbage they seem to consume. As for the Chocolate Factory, it is the invention of Mr. Willy Wonka, the greatest chocolatier the world has ever seen. He is a remarkably strange character who decides one day after having his factory closed 'forever' to re-open it again to 5 very lucky children who are allowed a tour of his magnificent and one of a kind factory after finding a golden ticket in one of his chocolate bars. The entire world, as it should, goes nuts and the hunt is on for the invaluable tickets and one by one they are found by children of the most charming qualities...do you detect the sarcasm? And finally, our not-so-special Charlie fulfils his fate in this plot and gets that final golden ticket and so the fun begins!

This film has many changes from its predecessor and it is to be expected. Particularly with a director such as Tim Burton. You can tell a Burton film anywhere. It has a certain look, a certain air about it and a certain originality that comes from a mind that has its own very distinct way of looking at things. The book is a lot darker than the first movie ever was and Burton was the perfect choice to create this adaptation because he has a flair for things that are dark and kooky, mysterious and spooky. Burton took Charlie and the Chocolate Factory into his universe whilst staying true to the book.

I have already made a mention of the main actor: Johnny Depp who cannot be faulted for his performance. It is a fantastic transformation that he makes and he is practically unrecognisable in this film. But there are also other actors who are worthy of a mention. Of course there is little Charlie himself, played by Freddie Highmore, who has a quiet maturity about acting. He previously starred alongside Depp in the beautiful "Finding Never Land" and his performance in that film secured his position for this one. There were also some uncanny resemblances between characters of the past and present films like that of Verruca Salt, the spoilt little rich girl who got what ever she screeched for and Augustus Gloop, the German overweight forever-ingesting machine. As for the Oompa-Loompas, there cannot be enough said about this one-man band. And I do mean one-man. Deep Roy, was chosen as the single Oompa-Loompa and did an amazing job and also with a little bit of help from CGI experts and the like. He certainly is a huge change from the green-faced, rotund Oompas of the first film but I must admit that I found him to be a bit of a cutie.

I thought it was a clever idea to add a background story into the life of Willy Wonka. His dentist father, played by the legendary Christopher Lee, who put the fear of God into him about everything pertaining to treats, his discovery and forbidden relish of sweets and his finding and adoption of his height-deprived workers. The extended ending was unexpected but did round off things nicely. It tied up all loose ends with a delectable bow.

I thoroughly enjoyed this version of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and it is a film suitable for all types of movie-goers. It really does have something for everybody. It is comedic and endearing, dark and light, original yet still a classic. A terrific effort from all involved and it was an absolute joy to have the golden ticket to this viewing delight.

There is something revelatory in the end of a life. There is something in the ceasing of existence that opens the mind to understanding. There is something in loss that makes a being re-evaluate their own self. Is your life trivial? Are you just ordinary? Are you disappearing? These are insights and fears that encumber the three main characters of this gripping film.

The Hours is about three women from three very different eras who are connected by these very insights and fears. Nicole Kidman plays English writer Virginia Woolf who feels trapped in the little town of Richmond in the early 1920s where she battles insanity, her husband and the town as she begins to write her first notable novel: Mrs. Dalloway. Julianne Moore plays the Stepford-esque wife and mother, Laura Brown in post-WWII Los Angeles who is in the middle of reading Mrs. Dalloway and realising just how relevant it is to her. So much so that she contemplates making a very fatal decision. Meryl Streep plays Clarissa Vaughan, a modern-day type of Mrs. Dalloway living in New York who is desperately in love with her best friend who is dying from AIDS.

It is an extremely complex story that was executed brilliantly. To be able to bring all three stories to the surface and keep it in sync with one another so beautifully would not be an easy task. How could it be? And yet, Daldry accomplished exactly that. He had it right. From the script to the very talented lead actresses, to the supporting cast, to the stirring music, to the costuming and camera work, it all came together perfectly and tells every woman's story equally and fairly and with compassion but without becoming sentimental.

What captivated me first was the score. Phillip Glass is a master of his craft and there quite possibly could not have been anyone else who could do this film justice quite like Glass. This film cannot be categorised. It does not exactly fit into one sort of genre and so the music had to be new, had to be original, had to be unique. Glass' score was like another character in the picture. It was able to tell the story just like the actors and even more than the images. That is the power of music. It has the ability to manipulate a situation and make the listener, the viewer feel exactly what they are meant to feel when they see a certain scene. He describes his piece of music for this film like the feeling you get when you've woken up and your not quite sure if you are still a sleep. You are in the present time but still perhaps in that fantastical world where dreams and nightmares lurk. And so the film is able to switch from every story, each woman more easily because of the beautiful score aswell as link them altogether with the continuance of the same score, in different variations throughout the entire film.

Every great film needs great actors and this film has that in spades. Firstly Ms. Kidman was thoroughly deserving of her Oscar win for Best Actress for this role. She was practically unidentifiable what with the false nose she sported and she just completely immersed (pardon the pun) herself in the character she was given and she was stunning. She was filled with emotion, with a darkness, with a sadness and a love that poured out of her. With a look, a movement, a word, she was engrossing. It helped that she dove right into the part and channeled raw feelings from her own personal situation (her divorce from Tom Cruise) because it helped her become the Virginia Woolf this film was asking for. Julianne Moore is an accomplished actress in her own right and as Laura Brown she is at her best. She is a mysterious actress when she takes on a role. You do not quite know exactly what she is going to do. Where she is going to go with her character but where she does take it is spot on. Meryl Streep is a legend and every film she is in she steals every scene she is in. The scene where she is talking to Richard's ex (played by Jeff Daniels, a surprising inclusion) in her kitchen and she just breaks down is so raw. It feels so real. Apparently they rehearsed that scene for hours and kept going for it and pushing to see where they could take it until she got it to that very pinnacle which was heartbreaking as well as a welcomed outcry. Her experience and ability to empathize with a character and that striking face make her one of the all time greatest actresses this world has ever been blessed with. Her love for her best friend Richard (Ed Harris who is brilliant) is devastating. It is so obviously torturous and all-consuming but she cannot be without him until she has no choice. However, that very lack of choice forces her to look at her own life. Whether she is going to live it or let it go by. Another notable mention would have to be Mr. Woolf played by Stephen Dlianne who is exceptional in this part. He is devoted, loyal, selfless and so in love with Virginia who he cannot fully reach. The scene of the two of them at the train station is shatteringly superb. Their quarrel, their resolution, his break down, their love is all in that moment and was just a pleasure to witness.

Homosexuality is another recurring theme in all the women's stories. Woolf did fancy women and had an affair with a woman whilst married and in the film she kisses her sister Nessa much lengthier than a sister should but it can be argued that it was out of some sort of anguish for normality. To have an intimacy that connected her to someone whom she loved so much as she begs her sister to answer if she was not at all more like herself in that moment. Brown also has a instant where she kisses her friend (Toni Collette) quite intimately as she tries to comfort her. Perhaps she was caught in the moment or that came from a place inside of her where she really did know she wasn't the woman she was trying to be. That is not revisited or resolved. With Clarissa a.k.a Mrs. Dalloway she is in fact a lesbian in a relationship with her partner (Allison Janney) however it is not a very healthy relationship as she continually neglects her partner because of her love for Richard. It did puzzle me though how Vaughan could be so much in love with Richard who is a homosexual himself when she too is a homosexual. I suppose it is a love that overcomes all barriers. Despite sexual preferences, despite death, despite anything and everything - a very dangerous kind of love I would think.

It is also important to mention that this film would not exist without the novel of the very same name in which it was made from. Michael Cunningham was the author of that very successful book and whilst I have not read it I would think, as all good movies should, that it is its own film whilst still staying true to the book and that the author, I should think, would feel an immense sense of pride in the film that he helped create. However, before the book there was the woman who penned the classic novel Mrs. Dalloway. It is true that she was a troubled woman who fought her mind and but still able to be a brilliant writer. It was because of her that the book The Hours was created and subsequently the film.

Her suicide has been heralded as an action of great bravery and love for her husband. That she took perhaps the most agonising way to die by drowning because she was an avid swimmer but that she knew she would not get better and that she spared her husband the torment that he would have to endure if she were to stay alive. The love that she and her husband shared is mirrored beautifully in the love of Clarissa and Richard. And when she left his side, she forced him to see his life and take care of himself.

Wherever you are now Mrs. Woolf, thank you for your writings. Thank you for your talent. Thank you for your story. Your life was not wasted.

I have to say that I am a huge sucker for a musical and this was no exception. Before this updated movie version, all I knew about Hairspray was that Ricki Lake was once the lead way back when. And then I decided that it was a musical based on hair and the big beehive-inspired hair styles of the ?50s to be more precise. I was pleasantly surprised at this film and that I enjoyed it so much.

Hairspray centers on the fabulously rotund Tracy Turnblad (Nicole Blonsky) who lives in 1950s Baltimore and aspires to be a star. More specifically a TV star on her favourite show ?The Corny Collins Show? as a dancer, very much in the same vein as American Bandstand. Because of her size, her ambition is met with much criticism, ridicule and opposition. From the home front, she battles with her mother, who is oddly played by a man (John Travolta who is fabulous but I do not understand the thinking behind it aside from comedic) who does not want her daughter to have anything to do with the wild ways of celebrities and such. From the school front she had the catty and vicious Amber Von Tussle (Brittany Snow) to contend with who is also a dancer on the show and daughter of the supreme queen bitch Velma Von Tussle (Michelle Pfeiffer who is fantastic. She really does play the baddy quite well) who is in charge of the dancers on the show. And yet, amongst all that there is a love interest played by the adorable Zac Efron, some wonderful supporting cast performances from such actors like Christopher Walken, Queen Latifah, James Marsden, Allison Janney and Elijah Kelley. And let?s not forget all the song and dance numbers.

However, behind all the glitz and glam of musical show tunes Hairspray also has a dark side. In the time period that Hairspray is set (late 1950s ? early 1960s) the civil rights movement was simmering and the film deals with the prejudices, segregation and intolerance of the times. And from that spurred the most moving song of the film ?I Know Where I?ve Been?, sung by the mesmerizing, multi-talented Queen Latifah. It quite frankly, moved me to tears. But what a triumph to see the minority stand tall with their heads held high and protest against the ignominies they faced filled with dignity.

Not every film can get a perfect score. With me, very few do. And so Hairspray did fall short in a few areas but what was most of a turn off for me were the songs. Not in the sense that they were bad because they weren?t. They were actually really entertaining for the most part. What was their down fall for me was the fact that they were all major show tunes. They were all big, loud and out there. Even the soft, slow numbers transformed into ballsy ballads and every one of them was just like boom crash opera. There was no subtly, no gentleness, no quiet moments, no light and shade and I really did feel like I was getting a headache about half way through the movie because there was just so much happening. So much so that I barely remember an individual song, particularly with the up beat numbers because they just seemed to all blur into the other.

Despite its flaws there is still a lot to like about Hairspray. Its vibrancy and energy, its humour and seriousness, its issues and romances, its ability to make a dreamer reach a little further for that star they may have felt was just too far away.

All The Pretty Horses tells the story that was beautifully put to pen and paper by the incomparable Cormac McCarthy in the novel of the same name. John Grady Cole, played by Matt Damon, is a cowboy in the 1950s that with his best friend Lacey Rawlins (Henry Thomas) by his side embark on an adventure into a mysterious and dangerous Mexico. There Cole finds peril a plenty, his passion for horses and an inevitably doomed love with the daughter of his employer (Penelope Cruz).

As a Cormac McCarthy fan, I was immensely disappointed by this film adaptation of what could arguably be called a literary masterpiece. Frustration quickly set in as I viewed this debacle that I felt cheated. Cheated because I had fallen in love with the characters that I knew from the book and they were barely existent in this film. Why? Because there was no imagination, no creativity, no unique perspective.

When a person decides to take on a book of such brilliance, they better damn sure know what they are doing. Alas, that was not to be the case here. This film bombed for a reason, because the people that were involved in making it slaughtered every page of genius that was written with every shot they made. Billy Bob Thornton should have stuck to collecting vials of blood and self mutilation instead of getting his hands onto this project. He offered nothing. It was as if he just copied everything from the book word for word. Everything mirrored the novel and came off second best instead of enhancing the novel. It was as if he sat in the Director?s seat and read every page as he went along and said, ?Okay. The book says that you do this and you stand here and you say this. So do it!? I am flabbergasted as to how he has ever had a directing gig. Was Sling Blade just a fluke?!

Then there are the actors. I am a fan of Matt Damon?s. He has done some good stuff but this cannot be added onto ?Finest Film Achievements in an Actor?s Career?. If they were to do a segment on ?This Is Your Life? for Matt Damon 30 years from now, he should have the television program and network sign an iron clad legal document stating that they will not list in his filmography this film, show a clip from this film or even mention this film in any capacity. I don?t know if he read the book at all or researched his role at all before stepping in front of the camera or even made an effort beforehand because he looked like a fish out of water. He was wooden and lifeless at times and I did not believe him in the slightest when he did actually show any emotion. The scene that just re-instates this for me is when he is on the telephone to Alejandra (Cruz) begging her to meet him and he is confessing his love for her. He could very well have been ordering a pizza in that scene and the viewer would have been none the wiser. Damon should have when he was offered the part, taken on the lead role in ?Brokeback Mountain?. Maybe then he would?ve been able to redeem himself.
I did give this film 2.5 stars and so there were some positives, however rare. The location/s in which the film was shot was breathtaking. The cinematography was lavish and exquisite and that is something it had going for it. It?s a relief to know they had somebody on board who knew what they were doing. Some of the actors had a hint of knowing what they were doing as well. Like the timeless Penelope Cruz. She has a poignant quality about her and an innocence in this film that resonates in every scene and smile and tear. I really did feel her anguish, her joy and love and that is a sign of a great actor. One who is able to make you believe whatever they are telling you, showing you. Another thing about Cruz was that she did something that the film needed. She brought something different to her character. She gave Alejandra another dimension. In the book, Alejandra?s character is questionable when she chooses her family over her lover. There is a doubt about her decision. That she possibly made the choice because of her family?s money and the luxuries that that money provides. Cruz takes a stance on how her character is portrayed. She is pure, innocent and deeply in love with no other motives for her choice but family loyalty and honour.

As the end credits rolled up I was left feeling empty and deflated and longed for something more. For an explanation as to why this film was not everything that it was supposed to be. How could someone get it so wrong? I couldn?t understand it and I still don?t. Perhaps Thornton felt he was being true to the book by duplicating it word for word both in script and scenes but all he ended up doing was killing the essence of what the book is really about. He did not even consider the possibility of being an individual with artistic freedom and lost the whole point of All The Pretty Horses.

Fairytales, happy endings and all things romantic have always captivated me. As a child I envisioned myself as being that beautiful princess who awaited her knight in shining armour to sweep her off her feet and take her back to his castle where we lived happily ever after. I was always enamoured by fables of fire-breathing dragons, wicked witches, fairy godmothers and handsome noble princes. I was always enthralled by classic animations like Sleeping Beauty (my favourite of all time), Cinderella and Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. As well as other now classics like The Little Mermaid (I always imagined being Ariel and singing on the rocks as the waves crashed?tragic, I know!). And when Enchanted was made known to me, I knew instantly, instantly, that I must see this film.

What drew me to this film was not only the fact that I am a major fairytale movie buff but the whole concept in which this film was created on. It was different; it was something new and original to add onto the glorious history of fabled films. It wasn?t just a re-telling or a modern-day adaptation but it was both with the lines between fantasy and reality being blurred. And I really, really wanted to know where it could go.
A beautiful young Princess, Giselle (Amy Adams) is dreaming about her prince charming when she is suddenly hurled into harm?s way. She is bravely rescued by that very prince charming, Prince Edward (James Marsden) and it is love at first sight. Before you could say, ?Shouldn?t he seriously consider a pre-nup before marrying this broad?? it is the young lovers? wedding day. Enter the wicked witch Queen Narissa (Susan Sarandon), who will not stand for a happily ever after ending for the pair. For her own personal gain she conspires to be rid of the beauty and sends her into another realm; our present-day earth. Go figure! There she is lost, dazed and confused until being rescued by a passer-by Robert Philip (Patrick Dempsey) who takes her in and tries to assist her as the prince makes his way into our world and launches his own rescue mission for his lady love. As things progress Giselle becomes torn between her prince charming and the world she knows and a man who has awoken something in her and a world she would like to know.

Enchanted was an absolute treat. I was delighted by the whole film and very much impressed by its originality. I loved the humour, the characters, the unexpectedness and the predictability. I loved the sweetness, the musical numbers, the overacting and the straight playing. I did not really like the happy ending but saw it coming and knew that it had to be that way otherwise the entire movie would not make sense and it would have been a complete waste of time to go through all that.

But it really is a gem of a movie with some very commendable performances from Amy Adams who was brilliant as the wide-eyed and naïve leading lady. She acted her role to perfection. I loved it when she did her princess thing and sang as all princesses seem able to do and called upon the powers of Mother Nature to assist her in her domestic responsibilities; it was hilarious. Then there was the time when she breaks into song and dance in the park and the world seems to follow her lead. Just priceless. She was a delight to watch. Then there was James Marsden who was hysterical. He was so spot on with everything he did. Hilarious as he addressed everyone as ?peasants? and anything that he did not understand was evil and ?villainy?. He was outlandish, over the top and it was just what his character needed. I adored him and hoped that he would get the girl in the end. Alas, that was not to be. Let?s not forget the surprise inclusion of one of the greats of acting, the supreme Susan Sarandon. What a pleasure to see her taking the low road and playing a villain; perhaps following the lead of Michelle Pfeiffer or even another acting legend, Meryl Streep. She was devilishly delightful in this part and it is nice to see some more senior actresses having some fun in more iniquitous roles.

It is a film that will enchant any moviegoer whatever the demographic, particularly those who are hopeless romantics (yes I know that hopeless romantics are not a demographic; I moved on from that point). Despite seeing it along with my three year old nephew who was terribly bratty through the beginning of the film and distracted me, eventually he settled down and we both ended up enjoying the film (even though he inevitably ended up falling asleep and preferring to drown my arm in his drool but it was all good because I got to see the remainder of the film in peace and quiet). So I suppose my friendly advice for this review is perhaps it is not best to see with any spoiled brats, no matter how much you love and adore them under the age of 5 and you will not suffer the humiliation of trying to look enchanted while you distressingly want to smother a child for farting on ticketholder's heads.