Films I've Seen In 2010 - Best To Worst

Acted to perfection by every damn cast member. From the second the film started I was hooked, fully engrossed in the story. Marlon Brando is amazing as Terry Malloy, the former boxer, determined to put an end to the bullying and murder at the waterfront and along the way falls in love with Eide (brilliantly portrayed by Eva Marie Saint), a young woman whose brother was killed by the ruthless Johnny Friendly (Lee J. Cobb). The story is absolutely enthralling.
Incredible.

*Possible Spoilers*

Sublime. While it takes a while to get going, once the Macguffin is introduced in the guise of a myesterious ring, I was hooked. While at first I wasn't sure Joseph Cotten (who is an actor I greatly admire), was completely believable as the 'good Uncle Charlie', I came to realise that it doesn't really matter, it was never really the intention for him to start the film as a 'nice guy', that it was more to do with him brainwashing his loving family. I fell in love with Teresea Wright as 'Young Charlie' and could understand how quickly Macdonald Carey's detective did as well. I feel it was unfair that Truffaut, in his Hitchcock book, critisised Carey as a poor casting choice as I think he did a very good job. He wasn't supposed to stand out from Cotten. Cotten himself is excellent playing Uncle Charlie with a cold steeliness and vice. I love the great little touches such as his encounter with the widow at the bank and of course his various outbursts throughout the film. Enjoyed Hume Cronyn and Henry Travers as well. Hell, the whole cast are great. Stand out scene? I personally loved the scene where Cotten walks up the stairs and turns to see young Charlie, who appears heartbroken.
What a wonderful film.

Excellent. For once, a film that lives up to it's hype. A harrowing and yet stirring piece of work, in fact I didn't expect to enjoy it as much as I did - I guess the score adds to the film greatly. It's tale of the Potemkin's crew standing against the Tsarist control, and equally the Odessa steps sequence, is so believable it's as if the film was in fact documentary footage. For a film that's 85 years old, it's amazing that it's still so suspensful, tense and gripping. Whilst the fifth and final act is probably the weakest, it still reaches a more than satisfying conclusion. Without a doubt a masterpiece.

The second film I've seen by Shane Meadows after This Is England and I'm thoroughly impressed. Here, Meadows has crafted an intelligent, scary, gripping, very well written and beautifully shot revenge movie in a three week shoot on a small budget with relatively unknown actors and even some who hadn't acted before. But you wouldn't know it - incredible performances from Paddy Considine, Gary Stretch and especially Toby Kebbell. Considine plays a former soldier who returns to his home town in the Midlands to cause "carnage" to the men who were responsible for the abuse of his mentally challenged brother. A hell of a lot of religious imagery, effective use of music and even humour add to the brilliance of the film. Highly, highly recommended.

An absolutely sensational Hitchcockian black comedy, brilliantly directed by Danny Boyle. Excellent performances from the leads Kerry Fox, Ewan McGregor and particularly Christopher Eccleston as flatmates who find the newest member of the household dead along with a suitcase full of money. The almost psychedelic proceedings as the three debate what to do with the body, whether to spend the money and the eventual aftermath of dismembering the body all play out thrillingly to the final, brilliant twist after each friend is driven mad. There's genuine suspense and unease but also laughter and the witty script and creepy direction push the film along at a nice pace. Outstanding.

Goodness knows why I haven't watched this before. I love the plays of Willy Russell - One For The Road and Blood Brothers being my favourites. And I'm a Michael Caine fan. Anyway, in short, I loved it. Walters' performance is absolutely wonderful, her comic timing is spot on, and her development of her character is utterly convincing, which is terribly hard to do, considering the transformations that occur to Rita. Not mention her accent. A phenomenal debut. Caine's performance is not only hilarious but touching, with real heart. Great score too. And Russell's screenplay is just superb.
Magnificent.

Incredible. Really incredible. Brock Peters is an absolute revolation, Gregory Peck is naturally brilliant, and the young cast is just fantastic. An engaging, gripping and heartbreaking story, accompanied by a score that fits the film so well it was as if the film was written with the score in mind, not the other way round. It's great that music appears throughout the film and then disappears during the trial, it's as if you are sitting in the courthouse yourself, watching the injust manner of the trial in which Peck's lawyer, Atticus Finch, has no power of control other than saying the right thing. I love the scene in which Finch sits outside the room in which Peters' character is contained, and the scenes with 'Boo' Radley, in particular. And the way the film is split into thirds, going from the children to Finch, to the children again is excellently done. One of those films I feel I ought to talk about for hours but find difficult to put into words. A true masterpiece.

My first viewing of the film which is frequently hailed as the greatest ever made. I wasn't disappointed.I didn't expect to enjoy it that much for a first viewing. Stuff like Blade Runner, Once Upon A Time In The West and Chinatown took me several viewings for me to enjoy their brilliance. But not for this film, strangely. Cinematography. Acting. Direction. Herrmann's score (although not his greatest). Engaging story. All perfect as far as I'm concerned. Even the little stuff such as the cut-scene with the parrot all add to the brilliance of this film. My favourite scenes were the ones at Kane's Xanadu - with the atmospheric lighting and sound. And the scenes with Kane as a kid and the snow are superb. And I love the way William Alland's reporter is shot in shadow for the majority of his scenes. Oh and Kane applauding Susan at the opera. Greatest film of all time? I haven't seen enough to say, but I'd take it over Hitchcock's Vertigo.
I can't wait to watch it again.

On the surface it's just a low budget zombie film. The fact that it became the defining film of its genre ,and even a social commentary at a moment of civil-rights unrest in the United States, just goes to show that great films can be made without a lavish production schedule. Sure, the acting isn’t great. Whilst Duane Jones is pretty good, it’s his character that really sets the film alight (quite literally too). He plays an intelligent, brave, resourceful anti-hero who also happens to be black, something completely unheard of at its time. He even breaks all the bigoted rules by slapping white girl, Judith O’Dea (who gives the best performance in the film). I love the whole concept of the characters seeking the house for shelter from the ‘ghouls’ as it adds a familiarity and normality to the fantasy. Great score, plenty of good shocks, gripping plot and well directed all up to the chaotic final scenes (the little zombie girl and the shovel is chilling). A bona-fide classic.

A faithful, if simpler adaption of a great novel - everything comes together and just 'works'. I can watch this over and over. Sean Connery as Bond is just damn cool, alongside a perfect cast. Quarrel is also one of my favourite characters of the Bond series. Quite possibly the greatest adventure film of all time.

Sensational. A tough, tense British gangster thriller with a superb Richard Attenborough who has a hell of a presence playing 'Pinkie' Brown, the leader of a group of mobsters, clearing up a murder racket. Caught up in the mess is the lovely Carol Marsh (who unfortunately died early this year) who falls for Pinkie, unaware that Pinkie is not in love with her. The working class struggle of post war Britain and devout Catholocism are both explored in detail here, along with a great supporting cast including old Bill Hartnell (who would go on to play a gangster again in Hell Drivers), lead up to a thrilling and harrowing climax. The change to the final scene, differing from the novel (albeit, I haven't actually read it), is a welcome addition. Truly unforgettable.

Back To The Future was the film of my childhood. Amazingly, I somehow managed to miss seeing the sequels (I saw most of Part III but I don’t recall it very well). Until now. From almost the very beginning (what? Marty’s girlfriend has changed?), I was transported back in time myself to my childhood as I was taken to one of the most enjoyable two hours I’ve had in a while. What I love most is how imaginative the whole thing is. From Jaws 19, hoverboards to an old Michael Jackson, the filmmakers created a world of fun, just in the first twenty minutes or so. But then the film just gets better and better as the wonderful story begins and twist upon mind-bending twist kept me glued to my seat. Michael J. Fox and Christopher Lloyd are as wonderful as ever and even Lea Thomspson (probably my first celebrity crush) pops up. In fact the whole film is littered with cameos of character’s from the original. It was fun being reunited with them all. It’s a shame Claudia Wells wasn’t able to return but Elisabeth Shue does a decent job. I’m surprised to see that this one isn’t thought of as highly as the original as I think it’s on par, if not better. Pure harmless enjoyment from start to finish.

Absolutely terrific. One of the most gripping, engaging and engrossing films I've seen in a while and it's a great shame that Brando never directed again (I'm not sure how much input Kubrick had on this film however), as he clearly could have had a successful career as a director. Brando is reunited again with Karl Malden as a pair of bandits who, whilst in Mexico, are chased into the wild plains by Mexican Rurales, after robbing a bank. Malden runs out on Brando (who’s character it based on Billy the Kid), and Brando is imprisoned for five long years of manual labor. Thus the revenge story is set up and so continues two hours of sheer awesomeness set five years later, as Brando visits Malden’s home town in California, and we are treated to beautiful shots of the coast. Malden’s now a Sherriff and as his stepdaughter falls in love with Brando, the hate between both men builds up and up. Brando’s on top, brooding form and Malden’s superb as usual. Pina Pellicer is also a pleasant surprise (unfortunately she committed suicide just a few years after the film was made). Brilliant, brilliant film.

One of my favourites. Roger Moore is superb as Harold Pelham, a young businessman with a wife and kids, who, after a mysterious car crash, is claimed to have been seen on numerous occasions, even though Pelham knows he hasn't been there. How can a man be in two places at once? Hildegarde Neil is Pelham's wife, who accuses him of seeing other women and gambling on a regular basis. The film is creepy throughout, with a fantastically atmospheric use of music and lighting. The climax is utterly brilliant too, as Pelham, on the border of insanity, discovers... you'll have to see the film.
Moore's finest performance in an excellent film.

I hadn't watched a Bond film in ages, particularly this one, and a rush of excitement came over me, something that hasn't really happened since I was introduced to the Bond films as a young kid. I'd forgotten how brilliant Sean Connery is in this one. His performance is effortless and there are plenty of oppurtunities to show a lighter, relaxed and in control Bond, spewing out amusing and intelligent lines without becoming silly. Some people argue that this was the film in which Bond became much more of a superhuman relying on gadgets, but I disagree. Even here Bond is much the same man of Doctor No and From Russia With Love. An example of his vulnerablity occurs when he slips on a roof, dropping his gun, at Palmyra. It's just a small moment, but it's brilliant. Then we have the beautiful Claudine Auger as Domino, looking particularly stunning in the pink dress during the Mardi Gras sequence. I think she's a really underappreciated Bond girl. She captures the loneliness of the original character spot on. From her first meal with Bond, we can see she's unloved, looking for a man in her life, only really talking about her friends and her brother. If only her love of the sailor from the Players Navy Cut cigarettes in the novel had been included somewhere. Adolfo Celi as Largo, is an underrated villain in my opinion. He has much more of a presence than probably every villain since. He's really mencaing, what with his striking white hair and eye patch. And then we have Luciana Paluzzi as Fiona, a character so brilliantly sexy. What a minx! I love her exchanges with Bond after they slept together.My favourite sequence in the film is the two of them in the car and, with John Barry's excellent score cranking up the tension, we get another sense of Bond's vulnerability. More favourite scenes of mine include; the hijacking of the plane, the chilling killing and discovery of Paula and the brutal end fight aboard the Disco Volante, all superbly directed by the master of the Bond films, Terence Young. A shout out to Rik Van Nutter too, who is the Felix I imagine when I read the books. Great cinematography, locations, sets and dialogue make this one of the best Bonds.

Magnificent. First off, we have the top British cast of Stanley Baker, Sean Connery, Sid James, Gordon Jackson and David McCallum, (all who happen to be some of my favourite actors), as well as support from such legends as Peggy Cummings, William Hartnell, Herbot Lom, Jill Ireland and Wilfrid Lawson. But none compare to Patrick McGoohan (an upcoming favourite of mine) and his brilliant portrayl of the Irishman, 'Red', who is the driver to beat in a reckless race to see which of the haulage drivers can get the most runs in a day. Accepting the challenge of trying to beat Red, is the ex-con, Stanley Baker, who gives a very heroic and identifiable performance. It's an exciting, tense and brutal film, topped off with emotional scenes, such as the one's with Baker's brother, McCallum, whom Baker feels resposible for an accident involving an armed robbery. The black and white photography is atmospheric, with a great use of British icons, the post box and such.
It's a film which epitomises my love for British filmaking.
Sheer brilliance.

A gritty Texas-set drama containing Paul Newman's allegedly finest performance on film. Whilst he was certainly excellent, I prefer him in roles like Butch Cassidy or Henry Gondorff in The Sting. The rest of the cast are superb, especially Melvyn Douglas and Patricia Neal. Even though the film is named after Newman's character, I feel the main focus of the film is Brandon De Wilde's character, Lon, and his transformation through adolescence to adulthood, his relationships with the people around him (his love for Neal's Alma, his close bond with his grandfather, Douglas) and his ambitions in life, somewhat stilted by his Uncle Hud's own characteristics and desired ownership of the ranch. James Wong Howe's cinematography is nothing short of astonishing, and remains the best aspect of the film in my opinion - God knows why Ritt didn't use him again for The Spy Who Came In From The Cold. Still, this is a beautiful, haunting work.

This wonderful adventure pulls out all the stops in terms of entertainment and Ian Flemingness. I remember as a young lad, pretending to be Bond infiltrating Whittaker’s headquarters. Dalton proved he could play every aspect of the Bond character and nailed them every time. What particularly stands out for me is Dalton’s ability to portray the loneliness of the character. Dalton being fantastic aside, I thought Jeroen Krabbe was excellent. Really slimy and two-faced. Robert Brown gives gis best performance as M, much like the character in the books in my opinion.
Also the film is beautifully shot, particularly when the film reaches Afghanistan. The film is also lifted by John Barry's score (one of his best).
This is the Bond of the novels. A wonderful film.

I don't know where to begin. Perhaps nauseating isn't quite the word, but I felt increasingly sick throughout the film. In a good way I guess, as the film itslef is utterly brilliant, even if I couldn't really understand what the hell was going on. Can anyone? Other than the sexual and maternal subtexts, I was lost. But it didn't matter really. It's compelling, but sickening, the chicken carving scene a particular standout for me. Disgusting. Outstanding.

Without a doubt one of the greatest films Laurel and Hardy ever made. It's timeless and yet it's made exactly for it's time, if that makes sense, what with the depression in the 1930's. I'm sure the shoplifter got a huge laugh back then. He certainly does now. It's essentially one of the duo's slapstic setpieces expanded to make one film but it's done brilliantly well. Regulars Charlie Hall and Mae Busch are at their best here too, out for revenge after the antics of 'Them Thar Hills'(1934).

A Laurel and Hardy classic.
Ollie's broken his leg and is looking for a little peace and quiet. But it doesn't last long as his friend Stan visits him, simply because he "has nothing better to do", and all hell breaks lose. Director James Parrott pulls out all the stops to deliver one the best comedies of all time. From the eccentric doctor, Billy Gilbert, to the climax where Stan falls asleep at the wheel, this is brilliant.

Five years after George Roy Hill's classic buddy-movie western Butch Cassidy And The Sundance Kid, the director and stars Paul Newman and Robert Redford tried to replicate the magic with The Sting. Whilst the film was a major hit, earning seven academy awards, the screen time in which both stars appeared was very limited. With The Early Days, Richard Lester took a different approach to follow on the success of the original film by making this hugely entertaining, perfectly cast prequel. Not only do Tom Berenger and William Katt actually look like Newman and Redford, they share a great chemistry that matches the original duo perfectly. Helped along by a fabulous score, this film is a rollicking ride that also has a great supporting cast that includes Peter Weller, Christopher Lloyd, Brian Dennehy and Vincent Schiavelli in a small part. An exceptionally fun and very worthy progenitor to the original classic.

Quite something really. Reading up, I learnt that this film is one of the earliest films to have a narrative - the opening scene, of the fireman wishing he was with his wife and child, really impressed me with it's use of lighting to disguise the fact that his 'thoughts' were playing out on a stage behind him. Not sure of the original purpose of the film - some kind of morale booster? Or to make the audience feel empathy towards the firemen and the dangerous work they undertake? All I know is that this is a real milestone in filmaking and a fairly entertaining one at that - if only for it's historical meaning. The use of music is also refreshing for a film as old as this as it features a someone singing, rather than just an organist.

Marketed as an uplifting feel-good film at the time of it's release, Slumdog is instead a harrowing but fascinating insight into the lives of children living in the slums of Mumbai. Effectively edited (the terrifying Bombay riots scene was a highlight for me), well acted, compelling and at times beautiful to look at, especially in the second act, I found it easy to see why it was praised so highly back in 2008 and I was left to continuosly guess what would happen next. Not the masterpiece the oscars will tell you, but damn close. Very, very enjoyable.

(Would have given it 4.5, but I don't do half stars. Rounding up will have to do.)

My god, I thoroughly enjoyed this. Just so damn entertaining. Peck is brilliant and it's nice to see that Sir Rog was given his own little story, away from the main action - in full Bond style tuxedo. I've never seen or heard of Barbara Kellerman but she seems a fine actress and a beautiful asset to the film. The end raid on the Nazi ship is tense and exhilarating. It may not be a work of art and it's no masterpiece but it's getting 5 out of 5 from me.
Supremely entertaining.

A wonderful Hitchcockian murder-mystery, essentially Rear Window with a visually impaired Val Johnson replacing Jimmy Stewart and a microphone instead of a camera. Set in London, we have Johnson's dejected playwright trying to sort out his relationship with Vera Miles, whilst trying to come to terms with his blindness. Upon visitng his local pub, he partially overhears a conversation that he is sure will put a young woman's life in danger and what follows is an investigation into kidnapping and murder. Cecil Parker is Johnson's assistant and Goldfinger's Martin Benson has a small but very important part. Some parts are slightly incoherent but the climax is thrilling, the plot keeps you guessing, the leads are fine and it's all in glorious CINEMASCOPE, accompanied by a fantastic score. Fabulous, not to mention some beautiful photography.

What a great film. I can't understand why this doesn't get more appreciation than it does. On the surface, it's a simple sporting tale as a young man progresses in his boxing career to win back his wife from another lover of hers. And yet, there's so much more to this film than that, mainly the astounding and ingenious technical aspects to the film such as the the scene of the notice board changing throughout the seasons as Carl Brisson's "One Round Jack" defeats his opponents until he is left fighting Ian Hunter's Australian champion who stole his wife's love. The visual metaphors such as the snake bangle reresenting the original sin of Adam and Eve as well as every circular object reffering back to the film's title is just brilliant, and it amazes me that Hitchcock uses such metaphors so early on his career. Hithcock's "Pure cinema" ideal is used to perfection here as of course, there is no sound. The only thing that let's the film down is it's ending which I find rather difficult to believe. Other than that, The Ring is excellent.

Superb war drama with Marlon Brando giving an excellent performance as a self described "German patriot" hired, by British colonel Trevor Howard, to infiltrate a Nazi ship carrying rubber essential to the allies. Brando poses as a top ranking officer of the SS to fool Yul Brynner's crew. Whilst Brando is undertstandably brilliant, Martin Benrath stands out as Kruse, a Nazi crewmember who gets increasingly uncomfortable when Janet Margolin's beautiful Jewish aid-worker is taken prisoner aboard the ship. Jerry Golsmith's score is very memorable and the opening theme is reminiscent of Anton Karas's composition for The Third Man. The photography is shadowy and moody, adding a tense atmosphere to the proceedings particularly to the exciting and shocking climax to the film. My only criticism's are that, at first, Brynner is not that convincing and the film seems a tad overlong, even if it is only two hours. Still, this a a riveting piece of cinema.

Another excellent film, with Hitchcock even introducing it. Henry Fonda is superb in this true story about Manny Balestrero, an innocent family-man with debt problems, who is falsely arrested for robbery and assault. The absorbing story aside, Vera Miles is outstanding as Balestrero's wife - and the first scene that she appears to be unwell in is genuinely chilling - aided by Bernard Herrmann's score. Anthony Quale is decent too as the lawyer assigned to help the couple.

Great film that unfortunately starts rather slowly but it soon picks up and I was utterly absorbed in the story. Stellar cast including Marlene Dietrich, Michael Wilding, Richard Todd, Alastair Sim and Sybil Thorndike (who is terrific), along with Joyce Grenfell in a small part. But this is really Jane Wyman's film and she's absolutely lovely. Best scene? For me it's got to be the romance between Wyman and Wilding in the taxi. But the final scenes with Wyman and Todd are also superb. The opening shot of London's St Paul's Cathedral is also stunning. Its refreshing to see a Hitchcock murder mystery that's completely different from his usual formula.
Excellent.

Fantastic. I think I now pretty much enjoy any film set in San Francisco, it's used wonderfully again here (magnificent views) and we get a sense of the everyday lifestyle. Anyway, Valentina Cortese plays a Polish concentration-camp survivor, who takes up the identity of her deceased friend and moves to her Xanadu-esque family home on Telegraph Hill, much to the annoyance of Fay Baker, who was looking after Cortese’s friend’s son and she soon becomes jealous of her and Richard Baseheart’s relationship which, well, hits the rocks as Cortese, filled with guilt of faking her identity, becomes paranoid that her husband is trying to kill her, after several mishaps and ‘accidents’. The cast are pretty good, William Lundigan is the standout probably, and the house is atmospheric thanks largely to the cinematography. And the twist here is better than Suspicion with a deadly glass of orange juice replacing milk used by Cary Grant. Top stuff.

Here's an interesting concept for a film : an Italian-French production about a fictional Portuguese colony in the caribbean starring Marlon Brando as an Englishman. Throw in a haunting score by Ennio Morricone and you've got Queimada, also known as Burn! outside Italy. Brando plays a British agent, very loosley based on American William Walker, who along with first time Columbian actor Evaristo Márquez as José Dolores, a resistance fighter, overthrow the Portuguese rule so the Brits can control the island to "put sugar in their tea". Brando disliked working with Pontecorvo, but his excellent performance is not undermined by this and Pontecorvo crafts scenes of visual power. The ending is slightly bizzare, but this is still a compelling tale. A forgotten classic that deserves to be seen.

Leslie Howard directs, produces and stars as R. J. Mitchell, the inventor of the most influencial piece of engineering, during World War II - the Spitfire! David Niven co-stars as test pilot, Geoffrey Crisp, who undertakes a series of races against German, Italian and American planes, competing for the Schneider Trophy. As the Nazi forces become a larger threat, Mitchell, Crisp and Henry Royce (played by the wonderful George Skillan), work together to design the ultimate fighter plane. Niven is as naturally brilliant as ever, but it's Howard's film through and through.
An often wonderful film overall, with some exciting sequences - I think I may even prefer this to The Dam Busters. It's also notable that Leslie Howard was shot down for real, just after the film was made, during what may have been a top secret mission. A true hero on and off screen, it seems.

Pretty damn good. Only my second Preminger after Laura but my favourite so far. It has a very clever and well-written plot that gets well-respected Gene Tierney caught up in a shoplifting scandal that leads to murder and blackmail. José Ferrer makes an excellent villain, Richard Conte is decent as Tierney’s husband and there is good support from Charles Bickford and Rope’s Constance Collier. Preminger seems almost reliant on long sequences, which is by no means a criticism as the scene with Tierney hiding the recordings is magnificent. However, the confession scene and onwards proves to be the downfall of the film and the proceeding scenes seem overdone, (particularly when Tierney starts to remember everything) and the climax is almost a copy of Laura’s, even if it is tense. Still, there’s plenty to enjoy – the showdown between Ferrer and Conte is terrific.

Very good indeed. Sidney Poitier and Rod Steiger are naturally excellent, and there's a real sense of uneasiness right from the start of the film as the classic title song plays through shots of the train entering Mississippi. Right from the off the audience is throw into a murder case full of mystery, lies and deceit with strong overtones of racial prejudice as you would expect from a film of this era set in the deep south. Poitier plays Virgil Tibbs, a police officer from the North who gets unwillingly caught up in solving the crime, allowing time for plenty of badassery as he fights off the racist locals and deals with the corrupt police. Quincy Jones delivers a moody score that gives the film a raw edge, although nothing is more memorable than what he did with The Italian Job. The plot itself is engaging enough, if rather simple, but when it's made so well, who cares? An effective crime thriller.

A rather different entry to the L&H canon, stepping well away from slapstick comedy and showcasing good acting, particulalry from Mae Busch who for once does not play a villainess. An early appearance from Arthur Housman as the drunk who had previously starred in The Lively Ghost and Scram! and would go on to appear in three more films. Charles Middleton is a jealous husband who challenges Ollie to a duel.

Not quite up to scratch with a lot of Laurel And Hardy's work, this film revolves around the famous "We're going now!" sketch as Stan and Ollie attempt to take the family out for a picnic instead of going to church.

David Niven and Marlon Brando star in this fully swinging-sixties conman caper, full of vibrant colours, dodgy back-projection and phony European locations (although a lot of it was filmed in Cannes). The sort of film I'd love. And I really did. We're first introduced to our unlikely heroes at the French Riviera and in Germany, as both men stalk rich, single women and attempt to con them out of their wealth - Brando's technique is making them think that the money is going his ill grandmother, who changes nationality in accordance with each girl. It takes a while to get going, but once the pair of loveable rogues team up, the film turns into a rollicking ride as both men try to outwit each other and claim the lovely Shirley Jones. Great fun, the only alarming thing is the amount of weight Brando has put on. Still, he's excellent in his comedic role as is Niven as always.

From the terrifying opening of 26 bloodthirsty dogs, this visually stunning animated 'documentary' is like no other. It tells the real-life story of Ari Folman, the director of the film, as he tries to recall his memories of the Israeli invasion of Lebanon in 1982 as well as his whereabouts and activities during the Sabra and Shatila massacre by Christian Phalangists, using the accounts of others including soldiers and reporters. Often harrowing, thrilling and haunting backed up by several outstanding set-pieces this film serves not only as an education but as a great cinematic experience that I'm sure will stay long in the memory of myself at least. Excellent.

Very good. Very good indeed. Not the strongest of debuts for Marlon Brando but certainly a strong debut from him. He plays a paraplegic war veteran who, straight from his opening monologue, has completely given up on leading a normal life. It takes his wife, Teresa Wright, and doctor, Everett Sloane (who gives a teriffic performance) to literally try to get him back on his feet. There are some excellent, very well scripted scenes, notably the one where Sloane checks on the patients of the ward at the beginning of the film, backed by a superb supporting cast including Jack Webb, Richard Erdman and Arthur Jurado (which is criminally his only screen credit). But it's Brando's film through and through and he's brilliant, giving a naturalistic and, in the end, very touching performance. Worth a watch.

After three mediocre films, the film-makers have really pulled it out of the bag with this penultimate entry. The series has really come of age, encapsulating everything that Goblet Of Fire, Order Of The Phoenix and Half-Blood Prince wish they were, in my opinion. Despite being nearly three hours in length, it's a well paced and engaging film that actually uses its superb supporting cast rather than shoving them into the background. The cinematography is astonishing and even better than the previous film with the use of beautiful locations. Only real critique would be the action which is neither exciting nor dull, but rather just 'there', although the chase sequence through the woods is well edited. The acting could also do with a bit of polishing in parts but this is by and large a wonderfully entertaining romp with the trio of Radcliffe, Watson and Grint on top form for the most part - Harry and Hermione's dance added a bit of humanity as well and was refreshing after the persistent violence and death. The Deathly Hallows animated story sequence is nice also.
Apologies for the rambling thoughts but one struggles dissecting a Potter film.

Second Viewing
Second viewing and a much, much, much more enjoyable one. Downey Jr is very believeable (I didn't pay attention to his accent this time round which is a good thing) and has a great chemistry with Law, Rachel McAdams is lovely and I love the Irish theme running throughout the film. Action felt much more engaging this time this time and I actually followed the plot, a clever one at that. Enjoyed the score too. A fun, fresh and entertaining update of the Holmes stories.

4/5

First Viewing
Before, I start, the 3 stars I am giving this film come from my head not my heart, as the cinema was very uncomfortable, not making me enjoy the film as much as I would have liked to.
I saw the film advertised and had no interest in seeing it. Sherlock Holmes bare-knuckle fighting? Robert Downey Jr? I admit I thought it was going to be quite poor. How wrong I was.
Downey Jr was fantastic capturing the eccentricity (and the accent) of Holmes to near perfection. The script is brilliantly intelligent and witty. The action is exciting and doesn't feel unnecessary as I thought it would. Rachel McAdams was decent too, other than looking gorgeous. Plus there was an extra that looked like Billy Connolly.

3/5

A charming little film with John Wayne and the lovely Evalyn Knapp. Wayne plays the son of a multi-millionaire businessman, who is desparate for Wayne to settle down with 'the right girl'. Wayne's exploits lead him into all sorts of trouble until he falls in love with Knapp. A nice film.

Excellent war drama with Viggo Mortensen giving a very mature performance as a German literature professor who writes a book that is praised by Hitler himself. The book itself is about "killing for love" and is undertaken by Nazi medical students who argue that killing people with handicaps is a sign of generosity. He soon begins a relationship with a student of his whilst trying to convince his wife and ill mother that they are at the forefront of his thoughts. Being strongly against Nazi ideals, he devotes himself to advising his Jewish friend (Jason Isaacs) until he is given an honorary position in the SS and everything in his life turns upsidedown.
It's a tough subject matter but the director, writers and actors handle it very well but unfortunately the harrowing final scenes fall emotionally flat. A real shame as this film was probably close to being a masterpiece.
Nice cinematography too - lots of broad greens and yellows.

An old favourite of mine, this is the original Superman cartoon serial with one of those classic fun scores, only used in old animated features. Interestingly, Superman's childhood is said to have taken place at an orphanage, not at the Kent's home. The main plot is simple, for a more child-friendly audience, introducing characters such as the mad scientist's pet bird.
Not the finest of the serials, but a well-animated piece of fun.

A fascinating short I discovered whilst on my trip to Spain. Thought- provoking stuff.

I'd read poor reviews for this film, but I've had a dvd copy of this for ages - thanks to a War Movie giveaway from the Daily Mail about a year ago. (I don't read that attrocious newspaper by the way). Anyway, I found this film thoroughly entertaining. Dirk Bogarde and Denholm Elliott star as SAS commandos who take part in a joint British-Greek mission to blow up air bases on the island of Rhodes, taken over by the Axis troops. Characterisation in abundance, this was a gripping thriller with some interesting scenes - notably a scene where wine is spilt over an important map, hiding from Italian soldiers (whilst being kicked in the face, naturally) and the almost Hitchcockian scene involving a church bell. The sort of film to watch on a lazy Sunday afternoon.
Great stuff.