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kester_gillard
Reviews
Whiteout (2009)
Great poster, shame about the film
I expected much, but this delivered little. Kate Beckinsale did manage to get down to her underwear totally pointlessly, and there is a fairly action packed opening sequence, but its all downhill from there. The characters are not just poorly drawn, they're not drawn at all. Flashbacks are repeated and not overly exciting. The atmosphere of the Antartic base is ludicrous, being more like a frat house with a host of people who are never developed. As other people have pointed out, the climactic fight is chaotic with people in parkas in the show, & the climax is completely underwhelming.In all, not the biggest waste of time I've spent in the cinema, but not far from it.
Dorian Gray (2009)
Thoroughly enjoyable
I've been puzzled by the negative reviews i've seen for this as i really enjoyed it. It looks superb, with some excellent atmospheric Victorian locations. Ben Barnes is perfect as Dorian, good looking but not bland & still sympathetic throughout the film. The character of Emily which has been invented for the film works very well, and Colin Firth is magnificent in his pivotal role. Dorians gradual deprivation is well shown without heading off into exploitation and he is given real depth. His tragedy is very obvious.I must admit to not having read the original book as yet, but I do intend to now. I really enjoyed it but for its full benefit I recommend seeing it at the cinema.
Hindenburg: Titanic of the Skies (2007)
A mess really.
I was actually really excited about this as i thought it would have a good dose of reality in it as real people who hadn't been portrayed before were being shown (the Doehners, Margaret Mather), but I was wrong. the various conspiracies were barely touched on. The Nazi propaganda and background were not mentioned, neither was the Graf Zeppelin. As for characters, the passengers prtrated were barely cardboard cutouts (& the commentary states that Mather was uninjured, but she states that she was). The Adelts & the worlds first and last zeppelin stewardess were not featured at all, yet some little girl wandered around and there were no little girls on board at all!!. Also, there seemed to be various inaccuracies that contradict previous survivor statements. Sadly, I actually realised that The Hindenburg (1975) had more factual information and was more dramatically involving. The dramatisation of the Lusitania sinking shown earlier this year on the BBC was far better.
Escape from Sobibor (1987)
Stunning & Moving Holcaust Drama
I first saw this on TV when it was first made & was swept away by it. I have seen it several times since & now own it on DVD. I consider it one of the finest Holocaust dramas ever made. I found it deeply moving-especially the escape sequence. The characters-based on real people-draw you in & you emphasise completely with them. It is ultimately a film that show that people can keep their humanity & that some Jews were able to fight back & win. The ending of the film is triumphant, as you cheer those who do make it.I lent this to a friend very recently who hadn't seen it, & it reduced him to tears, as it has already done me. The acting is superb throughout & makes the characters painfully real & this really matters so much in several deeply upsetting sequences-the first train arrivals from which only a few people survive, the shooting of the selected male inmates, the death of the mother who tried to protect her baby, & the escape where only a few of the characters survive. This film humanised the Holocaust for me, made me think of the real people who suffered, far more than a documentary ever could. Although I admire Schindler's List, this film is far more moving & realistic.
The Quatermass Experiment (2005)
Excellent TV
I know the film well, & was intrigued when I heard about this version & how it would compare. I was very happy with it. All the actors were superb-especially Fleming & Gatiss & the atmosphere was excellent, especially the use of music. The special effects were minimal, but that only contributed to the atmospshere-creepy music & good lighting & that can do a whole lot more sometimes than all the special effects in the world!! For a live production it also looked great.Its also a treat to get well acted & scripted sci-fi, & sci-fi aimed at adults. I understand that the ending used in this version is closer in feel to that used in the original TV series. I liked also that characters who were given little to to in the film were fleshed out nicely here-ie. Caroon (sp!!)the doomed astronaut & his wife but without slowing the pace. I really hope that this comes out on DVD as I would buy it.
The Wind (1928)
Silent Masterpiece
An awesome, dark & atmospheric film. Gish is superb as the fragile Letty driven to the brink of madness by the incessant wind whipping up the sand. Her portrayal, with her wide staring eyes & tensing hands as the madness threatens to overwhelm her is stunning. The film takes its time to establish its characters, with a constant backdrop of the menace of the environment & also the danger of violence & the descent into madness, building to a thundering & almost unbearably tense experience with the actual sand storm itself. A true classic of the silent era capturing a performer at the peak of her powers-the image of Letty staring wide eyed through the window as the sand uncovers the body will stay with you.
Marple: The Body in the Library (2004)
Ham City!!!
The costumes looked great, but thats all. McEwen seems totally miscast a Marple-& why is she now seen in some grotty looking room in her cottage when we know form the books & Hickson adaptations she was able to afford a maid? But the more major flaw is that she has none of the depth of character that Joan Hickson bought to the role, or the sense of empathy or feeling. The story had been clipped badly for the running time-Basil Blake hardly appeared, & Sir Henry Clithering vanished all together, as did Insp. Slack (even though he is a recurring character). The lesbian ending was pure soap-opera & added nothing to the story whilst taking out original plot devices. The extra scenes incorporated to back this up were weak, & it would have been better to have had more of the original dialogue & story lines that had been cut. Marple herself actually had very few scenes, & the cast as a whole were hamming it up & treating it as pantomime (Lumley mugging, Callow hamming, Edward Fox completely wasted). I know a few Christie fans, & and all of them hated this. I have taped the second film in this series (Murder at the Vicarage) but am not convinced a yet, & may not bother with any of the others-esp as I have the Hickson Marples on DVD & now appreciate them even more. A totally wasted opportunity.