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Little Women (2019)
Brilliant Film But Difficult To Follow
Thoroughly enjoyable and heartfelt film. The film broadcasts an amazing set of actors including Saoirse Ronan, Emma Watson and of course, many more. The acting is impeccable and the costume and setting also.
My single issue with this film is that it is continuously having flashbacks and it constantly hard to tell if I am watching a flashback or what is happening now in the present time.
Nevertheless I enjoyed it immensely especially the postmodern scene towards the end of the film.
In conclusion, I recommend you watch this film, I hope this review has helped you.
The Hundred-Foot Journey (2014)
Patronising and racist
The story of a young Indian chef who makes good in France.
While the hero here faces the racism of the French, we endure the same from the scriptwriters.
Why does an Indian chef have to join a French restaurant and learn French 'classical' techniques before he can earn a Michelin star? What about Benares, Quilon, Tamarind etc. Is Indian cuisine somehow inferior?
Why in a romantic comedy can the hero and heroine not simply get married (as tradition surely dictates) but have to simply form a business partnership? Is this because he is coloured and she is white? This smacks of racism - either in the scriptwriters or through their fear of their potential audience?
The Wrong Mans (2013)
Puerile
This suffers from a no of issues: ludicrous plot; sloppy scripting; cartoon characterisations; weak punch lines; predictable developments; bad acting; adolescent humour.
I have seen higher calibre school drama productions. It has absolutely no redeeming qualities.
It makes Springtime for Hitler in The Producers look like Citizen Kane.
To what depths can British TV comedy sink? Let's hope this is the ocean floor.
Maybe they could find a use for it in Guantanamo Bay?
Frankly, a little disappointing.
Blue Jasmine (2013)
Outstanding
Great direction - Woody Allen's best for many years.
He has elicited a fantastic performance from Cate Blanchett - Oscar-winning if there is a god.
Her tragedy is made real. We are made to feel the pain of someone who, in lesser hands, could easily have been an unsympathetic character.
For some, art is there to portray truth about the human condition: in this regard, Blue Jasmine is an unalloyed success.
Sally Hawkins also creates a sad but believable character as Blanchett's sister, with Alec Baldwin as the almost pantomime villain husband.
Not to be missed.
Enemy of the State (1998)
Daft but fun - if you can ignore the black stereotyping
Entertaining, if ridiculous plot around someone who inadvertently knows something he shouldn't. This leads to a series of exciting chase scenes featuring some 'lucky escapes' for our hero. Throughout it remains difficult to suspend belief. The characters are at best one-dimensional stereotypes. However, the main difficulty is with the Will Smith role. Again he is a black man, thus ignorant of all the technological gadgetry (similar to Men In Black). Essentially, he is cast once more as a 'dude' surviving on his wits. And of course his family is black. Would a mixed race relationship be possible in an American film? Or would that be too offensive to a US audience? After all such relationships do happen (cf Barack Obama's parents). In summary, fun for all the family (provided they all have a mental age of 10).
The Other Man (2008)
Sensitive study of infidelity. loss and loneliness
Richard Eyre has carefully constructed an intimate tale of a man who discovers his wife's infidelity.
Liam Neeson and Antonio Banderas provide subtle and mature performances, with Romola Garai outstanding as the daughter.
The film is beautifully shot on location in Milan and Lake Como as well as in London and Ely.
The plot twists are effective, leaving one to reflect on how little we can truly know of the people around us.
Nevertheless, the denouement feels a little forced, even if a logical conclusion to the narrative.