My Favorite Movies

Brilliant acheivement. Few ofther films capture the feel of Dickensian London so well, and none have dared what this film does - to tell a love story from the view points of both parties. Wrapped in social commentary, the film relates the love between Mr Clennam and Amy Dorrit, in a story arcing two films: the first from Clennam's view and the second from Amy Dorrit's view. Fantastic, riveting, and rewarding.

One of my all time favourites, this is a movie that has not only influenced a lot of people to take an interest in Cambodia, but has been used in parts of the world as a teaching aid to illustrate the aftermath of civil war.

Although I've given it 5 stars here, it does have one fault that still grates on me (one that is quite well known now, I guess): The ever-controversial song at the end. I agree with the producer, David Puttnam, that the film needs something at the end to lift the audience from the weight of the events, and the song (which was #1 around the world at the time of Pran's escape) may have played well amongst preview audiences, but its message is wholly inappropriate. Leaving that aside, the film's understated manner gives one of the greatest visualisations of a dictatorial regime from our recent history. And, even though it's now more than 20 years since I saw this in a theatre, the film still reduces me to tears whenever I see it. Sam Waterson's portrayal of Schanberg is incredible, and the film gains merit for not flinching from showing him in quite a poor light. But how many of us would have emerged cleanly from that situation? That Schanberg was more concerned that the truth be told than that he was seen as a hero (which he certainly wasn't) is a credit to him, because I have to admit, I sympathise a lot with Al Rockoff who believes that a fair amount of responsibility rests on Schanberg's shoulders.

Many people now know that the person playing Dith Pran was a Cambodian refugee who also endured a similar experiences under the Khmer Rouge, and it must have been painful for him to revisit his experiences.

This is a moving story that never descends into hopelessness, and I'd love to see the original edit of this with the footage of the Vietnamese involvement and Schanberg's breakdown. Ah well, maybe sometime it'll happen.

Sublime comedy about a trope of actors struggling to develop a version of Hamlet to save a local church. Much better than Brannagh's own interpretation of hamet, which followed this film.

Near perfect thriller. A tight script that is tense, fast-moving and filled with mixed loyalty. The leads struggle with past ghosts and present fears, and the director dares to leave things unsaid. Characters present for only one scene still manage to speak worlds about the central protagonists. Tony Leung and Andy Lau lead the cast, but who can forget the Eric Tsang as the Triad boss, or Anthony Wong's police chief?

What a great shame that "The Departed" replaced its subtlety with "bad guys", obscenity and gore. It served however to show just how brilliant the acting in this film was.

Okay, so the film is a bit violent in parts, quite stylised, and the opening shots in the basketball court are a bit stagey. But what a great film! "This is my love story" says the lead character... kinda. ... A romance between a Japanese girl and a Korean-Japanese schoolkid, that neatly summarises some of the issues involved in a cool, trainspotting style. I love some of the lines at the end - and the use of lines from Romeo and Juliet.

Who can forget these lines:

I have gradually been coming to feel that the door is no longer shut and bolted. Was it my own frantic need that slammed it in my face? The time when there is nothing at all in your soul except a cry for help may be just the time when God can't give it; you are like the drowning man who can't be helped because he clutches and grabs. Perhaps your own reiterated cries deafen you to the voice you hoped to hear.

It's hard to find, but, gosh, I love this film. From the opening shot of C.S.Lewis's eyes, it looks a lot cheaper than the later, Attenborough, production, but it knocks socks of it for power. Indeed, even today, I never fail to cry when I watch it. The portrayal of Lewis here is far from the buffoon he seem in the later version, but the sharp-minded professor he was in life. The script, honed to perfection, derives a lot of dialogue from C.S. Lewis's own writing to explore his relationship with Joy Davidman/Gresham. At the same time it skillfully negotiates a discussion of theoretical life versus the actual living of it.

Some of the accents may be earbending (The gardener's accent will challenge those not used to hearing British English, and I won't comment on Claire Bloom's accent), but these issues cannot detract from the film.

Challenging, thoughtful and ultimately full of hope, I cannot recommend this highly enough.

Joyous Hong Kong comedy, served with a slice of ham, opera, and good nature. Who, having seen it, can forget the "Romancing Eyes" or "Running on Grass" martial arts. For those who have seen them, it also contains in-joke and parody of a few Wong Kar Wai movies: 2046 and Chungking Express amongst them.

The best in the series - certainly in terms of look and feel.

The DIRECTORS CUT is very good, and I wish this had been the cinema release. The theatrical cut on;y deserves 2 stars, because it is a clumsy film, poorly edited. The longer version is a much more rounded expereince, and gives a good introduction to the Crusade period (though despite the protestations of the writer it is not wholly accurate in the events it depictts).

A great thriller that spawned one of the great lines ("Who is Kaiser Sose?"), that twists and turns through the eyes of it's protagonist.

Although the cinematography does not match his martial-arts fantasies Hero and House of flying daggers this Zhang Yimou film surpasses them all in story and humanity. Beginning with a compulsive gambler losing his house immediately before the communist-nationalist conflict in China, the film charts a couple's life together through the coming decades.

It would be too easy, perhaps, to unfold a simple tale of tragedy given the time and place the couple are set within, and Yimou's film skillfully avoids this trap. Indeed, the film is imbued with tremendous humor, and so much of it that it even pervades the scenes of tragedy within the story, without trivialising the incidents.

It's a film I would recommend to anyone to see at least once.

Cheap animation, yes, but wonderfully spirited adaptation of the novel - and even though it edits out some stuff and changes the name of a character, it comes closer to the spirit of the book than the Disney version. ... Though I have to admit a certain bias: the version with US voice-over really grates (though I think it was done first) - the voices simply don't match the characters.

One of Wong Kar Wai's best. The drama unfolds carefully, with stunning visuals and music.

Words fail me. A wonderful film by Akira Kurosawa. Other people have wriiten about its influences and its influence, so I'll just say that it has everything - a perfect balance of action and drama.

Unrivaled music threads this simple story of Mawgli. Humorous and never patronisiing.

Stylish cops & robber movie, up there with the greats.

Maybe this film has a plot ripped from Hollywood (there are elements of the Sandra Bullock film "While You Were Sleeping" here), but this film is hilarious. Kim Ha Neul is great as the woman who, through a combination of accident and design is mistaken for the fiance of a hapless Kang Dong Won.

Unforgettable opening sequence. It always amazed me that a simple biopic about 2 runners could be so riveting. There's a fair bit of historical inaccuracy in it in the name of drama and politics, but the film certainly carrys you along. Who can forget, "They will run and not grow weary. They will ride with wings of eagles." after seeing this film? [Isaiah 40]. It is notable that not only does the US version lack the cricket scene at the beginning of the film, it also adds an introduction to Cambridge absent in the other version, though it's a Cambridge that frankly scares the pants off me it is so full of mutants (post war injuries and all that).

Unquestionably the best adaptation of Rostand's play of unspoken love. Full of all the necessary panache and humour. Wonderful.

This is a great film, quietly building tension as the world faces destruction from environmental changes brought about my nuclear blasts.

The first hour of the film is as near as perfect as any film can be. Briliant building of tension. The apperance of the adult alien takes the edge off slightly as the film descends into a monster chase, but the film is still capable of scarying the pants off people. The discovery of the egg is so tense you can almost see the drops of sweat.

Fantastic! This is the Batman I'd be hoping for all those yers. Dark and brooding, with a coherent back story. Loved every minute of it - and it finishes with perfect superhero dialogue. For all those who are curious, Arkham Asylum is "The National Institute for Medical Research" in Mill Hill, London.

I killed a man. Worst thing you can do. ... I killed a man and no-one can touch me for it.

Considering the economics of Terrence Malick's movies it's amazing he continues to obtain the funding necessary for them. It's not like they have particularly small budgets. However, I am very glad he does get funding for his endeavours, because we need to see movies like his.

The events of The Thin Red Line are embedded in the battle for Guadalcanal in 1942. But this details of the history are incidental to the film's content. You learn little, if anything about the Pacific conflict per se. Rather the setting provides a focal point for philosophical meanderings on the nature of man. It is a cinematic poem, and we are immersed in images and sounds of exquisite beauty as the story unfolds, and the principle characters speak their inner thoughts on evil, love and loyalty. As a personal note, as I watch the film again the cinematography is so vivid I sink into the warm light of California, like the images draw me home, and the images of soldiers in the morning dew flood me with memories of the British mountains I used to hike in.

If this film has a fault it lies in the preponderance of stars in what amounts to cameo roles - Nick Nolte, John Travolta, Woody Harrelson, John Cusack and George Clooney all make brief appearances. And when they appear you see the star rather than the role they are playing (John Travolta was notably bad, walking around the deck of the ship like he was a catwalk model). It is said a condition of the studio was that Malick had to cast five stars from a list, and perhaps this is why they are seen here. But it's a shame. Also, the depiction of the Japanese in this is a little odd, since they are little more than moving stills on a canvas. For the most part this reflects either the director's understanding of them (I hope not), or simply that the focus of the film does not demand that they are fleshed out better.

I can't guarantee you'll like this film. You might find it self-conscious and overly ponderous. You might be put off by the noble savage images at the beginning (something addressed later in the film), or by the war content. But I can tell you I liked the film, and saw it as one of the best films of 1998.

Wonderful depiction of the events of Christmas 1914, when soldiers from different sides of a conflict shared communion together.

This joyous film, spoken in English, French and German, keeps fairly close to the events of the time (my only quibble really being the character of the Scottish chaplain, but that aside, the film, is truly life-affirming). At the same time it reminds us of the danger of dehumanising (and deindividualising) the enemy - or, indeed, as happened in this instance, of seeing him as an individual.

Without a doubt this is the film, that, for better or worse, brought the Amish people into the world's eye. A superb edge-of-the-seat thriller centred around a cop (played by Harrison Ford when he seemed to be able to do no wrong), who seeks refuge from a corrupt police department amongst the Amish people. Kelly McGiliis may seem a little out of place within the community, but aside from that it's very difficult to think of anything to fault the film.

Grim and very loyal adaptation of the novel. Highly recommended, and a film I believe is a must see film for those who wish to engage in political thought, although it is not a film to watch if you plan to remain cheerful. It's quite depressing viewing.

I have no particular problem with the contribution The Eurythmics made to the soundtrack, but I would certainly like to see the film with the score by Dominic Muldowney intact.

Although this film is not without flaws it still deserves full marks simply for the imagery that is placed before our senses. The film does what is so often lacking in movies - it gives its characters (which here includes the scenery) space to breathe. The composition of shots and the cinematography are second to none, even when the crew were working in temperatures that melted the celluloid. O'Toole almost literally shines in the role of T.E. Lawrence depicted here, with searing, unforgettable expressions that speak a 1000 words.

But, yes, there are flaws. The film is historically questionable: some of the characters (including Lawrence) are fictionalised to various degrees to favour movie story telling. Worse, I can't help feeling that while well intentioned, the Arab casting is flawed (Anthony Quinn, Alec Guiness). Also while Maurice Jarre's score is full of fantastic themes there are a number of occasions where it is too intrusive. Sometimes this give the images a newsreel feeling to them, but other times - such as when it comments comically on a scene, it is like a bad laugh track. There are occasions where it simply needed more subtlety that we are given.

Nevertheless the story remains gripping throughout and as many have said, remains one of the greats in cinema.