john-575 Reviews

Supernova (II) (2020)

Dour, maudlin, pay no attention to the trailer

[1/10 · 18 April 2021]

I knew 5 minutes into this movie, it was not my speed. The moment I saw the English numberplate on the camper van. Yes I know one of the characters is suffering early onset dementia but like an overcast English day, this movie is so grey, dull, dour and maudlin. Don't pay any attention to the trailer is my advice. The aerial shots and some other parts of the trailer give the impression this movie is warm. Nothing in my opinion could be further from the truth.

If you want to see a road movie about camper vans and dementia strongly suggest you seek out the Helen Mirren, Donald Sutherland movie "The Leisure Seeker"

I have no idea why they make movies like Supernova in the first place. Colin Firth is normally reliable. Sorry but if I ever see Stanley Tucci again it will be too soon.

To say I did not enjoy this movie would be a real understatement.

The Son (2017–2019)

Fabulous!

[10/10 · 26 December 2018]

A big fan of previous AMC series like Hell on Wheels so very pleased to find The Son with Pierce Bronson in vintage form AND the promise of a second series. Love a good western series like Godless or Damnation, the Son with its 1915 setting and T model Fords seems almost like a mix of the two. This is going to be a real secret Australian summer (USA winter Jan 2019) pleasure.

The Five-Year Engagement (2012)

Tedious

[2/10 · 6 May 2012]

If I'd known Jude Apatow was involved here or indeed anyone else involved with "Knocked Up" I'd have definitely thought twice. As sadly "The Five Year engagement" is even more tedious than "Knocked Up". He really needs to get the blueprints out for "The 40 year Virgin" and try again. It's about the last funny movie he made.

Positives from the cinema visit was it was a cold day, the seats were comfortable, the coffee was great. Just a few weeks earlier we were in the same upstairs cinemas at Melbourne's art deco Westgarth Cinema seeing "Salmon Fishing in the Yemen" which was entertaining.

Jason Segel you're going to have drop these low self esteem character roles. Loved you in "I love you Bro". Emily you were so fetching in "Dan in Real Life" and "Salmon Fishing in the Yemen". Must admit here I much preferred your hair later in the film when you were involved with your professor.

The only funny characters here were Emily Blunts characters sister and some of Emily Blunts Michigan classmates.

This is certainly no "Bridesmaids". Apart from not being a comedy at all it painted a very bleak picture of Michigan which may or may not be true. I'd save your money on this one.

Little White Lies (2010)

Who cares.... what a waste of time!

[2/10 · 26 June 2011]

Gosh I wished I'd taken the time to read some of these reviews and particularly the one from Grinchkb who was right on the money.

Advertised here in Australia as a comedy we went off to the movies on a winters Sunday afternoon dreaming of a summery French movie with a few laughs. Nothing could be further from the truth. Entering a packed cinema my wife and I were seated about 5 seats apart. The cinema chain has initiated a new plan whereby if you don't like the film in the first 30 mins you can leave the cinema and they will give you passes for another film. I was so tempted yesterday to stand up and shout out "25 mins, whose leaving" Sadly I was in a middle row and good manners held me back.

Faults with this film.. where do you start? A lead actor Max who looks like a French version of Dustin Hoffman, some very strange characters, one guy somehow smitten with the godfather of his child. What a horrible mess this film is. And to make matters worse it runs for close on 3 hours.

Marion Coulthard and the summery setting is the lure here. I couldn't figure out her character nor many of the others. Already at the 30 min mark I'd lost interest. They are simply not characters you can warm to or take an interest in.

Take my advice... avoid this like the plague. It's lame.

Copacabana (2010)

How the other half lives : seeing the world through the eyes of a free spirit

[9/10 · 12 December 2010]

I'd seen a preview of Copocabana and was aware that Huppert and her on screen daughter were mother and daughter in real life... although this is very hard to pick.

Babou (Huppert) is a free spirit, probably once a hippie, arty, restless, a real free spirit. The complete opposite of your middle class reviewer and indeed her on screen daughter and most of the other characters in the film

I wouldn't call Copocabana so much a comedy as a very interesting study of those us married to jobs, relationships and being settled. Versus people like Babou who blow like the wind from place to place.

When her daughter announces she's going to get married and to save her mother the cost of paying for part of the wedding (and to save the daughter the embarrassment of her mother being there), her daughter tells her in laws her mother is in Brazil and won't be back to attend the wedding.

Hearing this Babou is hurt. One of her men friends (plutonic as it turns out) tells her about a job selling timeshares in Ostende, Belgium. So to prove to her daughter she can hold down a job & be responsible, Babou applies for and gets this job.

Arriving at Ostende we find a seafront high rise building in winter, in the off season with Babou and 3 or 4 others recruited to solicit potential buyers on the streets. Being winter and being winter in Belgium it's all a bit bleak and depressing. Aren't most movies set in Belgium slightly bleak? Betty Blue, Rosetta come to mind.

Slowly though we see Babou make one or two friends. A party of people dining out invite Babou to join her at their table and here she meets Bart played by Jurgen Delnaet who has similar red hair to Huppert but must be 10 or 15 years younger. I really liked Bart whose quite keen on Babou. But once again we see the contrast how she lives from day to day, whereas he works on the wharves unloading boats and has more sense of work and routine.

This is a film worth seeing and persevering with. Babou is a kind soul, we see her become a success and then... I won't spoil the ending.

Is it that work, long hours, relationships, living in the one house for many years makes us dull? What are the pluses and minuses compared to being a free spirit like Babou? You'll have to make your own mind up.

One things for sure I left the cinema thinking maybe there is more to life than work and maybe many of us need to be more spontaneous. Or at least have a bucket list of things to do, maybe draw these out of a hat. I've only personally known a few free spirits, restless souls like Babou. One girl who father was in the army and probably moved 25 times in 20 years. Another family of 5 where the father was a captain in the army and moved all the time. And another long lost friend, poet Adrian Rawlins who was an Australian equivalent of Babou, god rest his soul.

A thought provoking and in the end inspirational movie.

Sto vathos kipos (2009)

Very little to laugh about

[2/10 · 29 October 2010]

Synopsis from the Greek Film Festival booklet: Titled for the Australian 2010 Greek Film festival as "The Tell Tale Garden" this is a black comedy based on filmmaker Kleanthis Danopoulos's novel 'Athootites', A Tell-Tale Garden is the year's most underground film, how underground? About 6 feet under!

Fedonas and Anastasia's life together is only just beginning; madly in love with plans for a family they find themselves a big house to start their new life. But when Fedonas decides to plant a palm tree in their backyard the garden gives up a long-buried secret and with it comes some unwanted attention from the police and the local mafia. As the landlord had warned them "Never dig... in someone else's garden!"

Featuring hilarious and dark comedic performances A Tell-Tale Garden is about new life, old crimes and the secrets buried at the bottom of the garden.

Review: I received some free, last minute tickets to this screening @ the 2010 Greek Film Festival earlier this week. My wife who a few days early had picked the best film of the festival 180 Degrees (review here elsewhere) looked at the booklet for this and stayed home. Apart from a nice drive to the cinema on a perfect Melbourne spring night I wish I'd done the same.

Positives on arriving at the theater were that Monday night the tapas and cocktails are half price so with a Strawberry Daquari & a nice plate of cheese, etc I found my seat.

The directors, etc here were in such of a hurry to get to the garden here with all the buried bodies that the meeting and courtship of the leading couple all took place in about 2 mins. We saw their courtship in one shot with a series of Polaroids! So forget about any romantic build up.

The advice from an Indian workmate/fortune teller that the lead man had to dig a hole and plant a big palm tree so he and his wife who'd been trying without success to have their first baby could do so is the basis of the story.

It's all pretty lame. Dead bodies, skeletons and skulls are not my thing. Once again like a lot of bad Greek films this felt more like a play or theater production with most of the film taking place in the back yard.

So unless you can score a free ticket or have a half price cocktail at the cinema I'd give this one a definite miss. For me it had none of the energy a true comedy needs.

I Love Karditsa (2010)

Not fit for export markets, a 2010 film with 1950 values

[2/10 · 29 October 2010]

Synopsis: Weird science, 30 million dollars in missing mob money and a couple of hit men on a mission create a riotous comedy farce from filmmaker Stratos Markidis.

When New Yorker Mike Kanias stops for some cigarettes and loses a truckload of mafia money he knows it's only a matter of time before the mob comes looking for him. But Mike isn't your average guy - he's the world's first human clone, created in the 70s by a group of pioneering scientists. Now to escape his pursuers he's traveling to the small Greek village of Karditsa to trade places with Grigoris Kanias, the man they cloned him from, but lazy womanizer Grigoris is in some trouble of his own.

Review: The other reviewer Yiannis from Greece hit the nail on the head. Unless you are Greek I warn you this is lame and a throw back to Greek movies of the 1950s. In a bad way.

All the male actors are extremely unattractive looking lot with one exception in a minor role. Lead actress is easy on the eye with her short boyish haircut. Whether she can act or is just eye catching I can't tell you. Betsy Malfa is engaging, attractive as the unhappy wife Maria.

After seeing the very stylish Greek comedy 180 Digress (reviewed elsewhere here) a week earlier I thought this one might be the same. Greek island,some scenery, Katerina Papoutsaki eye catching. The reality is this feels more like a play, the production values are out of the 1950s, it rarely gets out of comedy first gear, being clumsy and vulgar rather than funny. If I saw another scene where someone appeared through an open window I'd scream. My wife who does speak Greek told me the sub titles which were fairly colorful were much more colorful than the spoken dialog.

The only worthwhile points of the film maybe, if the portrayals are accurate, are that Greek society is basically matriarchal, the strange dowry system they have to marry off what are portrayed in the film as overweight, unattractive daughters.

The only other positive apart from this being 90 minutes I will never get back was the theater last night was full and the foyer after wards was alive. There were certainly no Greek women needing dowries at the Como last night.

Motto here with these film festivals must be if you find a really good film, like 180 Degrees, be content with that. Go chasing a second one and chances are you'll end up with a dud like this.

180° moires (2010)

A very engaging film with comedy, romance, scenery

[8/10 · 23 October 2010]

We saw this at a 7pm session Sat night session of the 2010 Greek Film Festival in Melbourne, Australia and what an enjoyable 83 minutes this is.

Courtesy of the festival booklet "Art, crime and infidelity take center stage in this hilarious madcap adventure that proves that sometimes changing your life for the better means turning it around 180 degrees.

Trapped in a loveless marriage with a rich workaholic, Anna finds her husband Giannis is more interested in his work, his art collection and his secretary than he is in her. With Giannis away on a business trip she's alone again, that is, until a burglar named Vasilis decides to break in and rob the house. Before she knows it, Anna is on the run with Vasilis, escaping police, escaping her past and escaping Giannis.

Fast-paced, frantic and fun, 180 Degrees is about finding peace where you can and taking the opportunities that come your way, even if it means risking everything"

Review : Although a lot of the audience were Greek speaking, the movie was also subtitled in English. It's an engaging story, well written with some very good visual as well as verbal comedy. Apart from 6 or 7 engaging characters we're also treated to a Greece road trip taking in some very scenic locations in what looks to be Northern Greece.

Panagiota Vlanti who plays the blonde wife Anna is very easy on the eye (for Aussies she looks a lot like Rebecca Maddern who reads the Ch 7 news). Rebecca is 33, Panagioto might be late 30s, early 40s. Likewise Mixalis Marinos plays it just right as the burglar and then developing romantic interest. Vladimiros Kiriakidis playing Anna's husband Yiannis is a very funny guy or blessed with very funny lines that set the tone at the start of the movie.

Chick flick, comedy, date movie, romance, scenery, nice looking women and men, there's a lot to like here and a lot of genres with boxes effortlessly ticked and without being obvious in the process. Certainly we and the rest of audience left the theater with a very good vibe. But just one small tongue in cheek warning (taken in context from the sub titles)... "be very careful of the UN f***ed woman". Having said this the film was a delight. I find it hard to understand how the external critics only managed a 3.5 out of 10. This is easily an 8. Perhaps the Greek critics do not like or cringe at Greek comedies.

This is one Greek comedy they should be proud of and shouting from the rooftops about.

Escape to the Country (2002– )

Our favourite Friday night TV show

[8/10 · 13 October 2010]

Out here in Oz, Escape to the Country is our favourite end of week show, screening @ 8.30pm. My favourite host is Catherine Gee. Once you adjust to a very small percentage of the people on the show actually buying anything it's fine. Generally I watch and tape this as for some strange reason it doesn't look like DVDs are available. Generally have a British atlas next to the TV so pinpoint where they are looking.

Some episodes are better than others. It all comes down mainly to the type of houses and areas the people are looking to move to. That's about 80% of the appeal, 20% the contestants themselves. Whether or not it's because most of the people are yet to sell, the buy rate feels like about 5%.

I can't believe some of the properties these people pass over.

After Escape there's another guilty pleasure, another English show "60 minute makeover" Hosted by Claire Sweeney whose very easy on the eye, warm and charming the challenge is to redecorate a number of rooms in a house in 60 minutes. Generally a team of about 30 contractors descend onto a house under the guidance of a weekly designer, many of whom reappear throughout the series.

Quite like some of the designers and some of the outcomes (done in two thirty minute bursts with a tea break in between) are stunning.

Ten Winters (2009)

Winter by name, wintry, cold and dark by nature

[3/10 · 26 September 2010]

I'd hoped to enjoy this movie, be engaged by it... sadly neither happened.

It was my wedding anniversary and first film for the 2010 Italian Film Festival playing in Australia in Sep/Oct 2010. So I was looking for something romantic. (In the synopsis Ten Winters is described as a romantic drama, it's definitely not a comedy). With the festival you hope your first picks are good ones as this is encouraging to see more. When the first one like this is a bit of downer it cast doubts over going to other screenings.

For me I knew we were in trouble on 2 or 3 fronts. Firstly the leading players, secondly the locations. What I've seen described elsewhere as a quaint cottage on one of the Venice Islands that the story in Venice is largely centred around. I'd hoped they might have been on the Venice Lido somewhere off the main street. But the cottage just off the end of the pier where the ferry docked looked like a fishing shack, cold, unloved, unappealing.

Of the players the lead actress reminded be of Isla Fisher with the personality turned down. I liked the supporting actresses better, especially the ones who played Silvestros other girlfriends. Likewise with the men. the leading character was a bit geeky. I preferred the actor and the character who played Camilla's boyfriend when she went to live in Russia.

Being an Italian/Russian co-production the film moves to and fro Venice and Russia. Sadly I was looking for a romantic film. This was more drama, with a feeling of back and forth and going around in circles. Perhaps with hindsight I should have seen it coming. Ten Winters as the English title name is a clue. I obviously was after 10 Springs or 10 Summers preferring my films to be light and brighter than this one. But 10 Winters we were stuck with and 10 fairly long ones at that.

I guess the purpose of IMDb is to tell it as you see it, so this was that for me.

• - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -- - - - - - - - - - - - - -

From the Italian Film Festival booklet here's their synopsis

"Ten Winters (Dieci inverni) A decade of missed chances beguiles and rewards the quietly unassuming debut from Valerio Mieli who won the David di Donatello (Italian Academy) Award 2010 for Best First Time Director for this moving tale of two friends who secretly have deeper feelings for one another. TEN WINTERS screened in the Venice International Film Festival's Controcampo sidebar.

Winter, 1999. Camilla (Isabella Ragonese, La Nostra Vita IFF10), a student of Slavic literature, leaves home to take up residence in a semi-derelict house in an overcast Venice devoid of tourists. On the last leg of her journey - a ferry to her island - she's spotted by a would-be Romeo, Silvestro (Michele Riondino, The Past Is a Foreign Land, IFF08). Despite getting the brush-off, Silvestro follows Camilla to her home and manages to insinuate himself as a guest for the night but he fails in his gentle efforts to seduce her. Over the next ten years, Silvestro and Camilla develop a strong bond, and the narrative captures a beautifully painful, reflective push and pull between two souls who keep finding their way back to each other.

Charming performances by leads Michele Riondino and Isabella Ragonese combine with a restrained, intelligent atmosphere to create an involving romantic drama which echoes the mantra "Would've, could've, should've" and highlights that, in life, timing is everything"

Animal Kingdom (2010)

Virtually "plagarized"... another dark depressing Aussie movie

[2/10 · 9 July 2010]

If you live in Victoria where this is set I'd say the script here is virtually "plagarized" being so closely based on lowlife real life family the Pettingill's.

Take a look at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pettingill_family and you'll see the blueprint.

With one or two very small changes this was all based on fact. How people here in comments and some interstate national Australia film reviewer can rave about this is beyond me. It's a strange mix of real life and story lines and locations like used in the Australian TV series "Stingers" The fact is if you live in Victoria and particularly Melbourne all these low lifes and their stories are so well known we are sick of them. Australia's greatest or best film?... you have to be kidding!

The older brother Dennis Pettingill was a drug dealer, covered with tattoos just like the actor in the film and a real lowlife. The first brother to be killed in the film in real life was a criminal called Graeme Jensen who was shot by police. He was a best friend of Victor Pierce, Kath Pettingills son and no doubt one of the characters in this film. 13 hours later Pierce and others ambushed and shot dead the 2 police you see in the film as a reprisal.Everything about this in the film is identical including the car being left in the middle of the road. Except in the film the suburb is Hawthorn whereas in real life it was Walsh Street South Yarra. Hawthorn is a similarly leafy green suburb not far away.

With the girlfriend in the film whose given a hotshot not sure about the reality of this. But Victor Pierce who was tied up in Walsh Street killing was shot dead in Port Melbourne a few years later (much like in the film). And Kath Pettingill's grand daughter died of a heroin overdose fairly recently at the age of 24.

Really a bunch of lowlifes and it really irked me to pay money on the premise of seeing something supposedly fictional so close to real life. The fact that guilty people were found not guilty at the Walsh Street killing trial because some of the family members perjured themselves/retracted evidence is a further cause for distaste. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walsh_Street_police_shootings

Victor Pierce got his just desserts as part of a later Melbourne gangland war very well covered in the TV mini series Underbelly. The architect of nearly 30 killings in 10 years, poor old Carl Williams ended up in jail for 35 years in a high security wing. He was killed in custody earlier this year. So crime the ways these guys work is not very glamorous, very successful or the recipe for a long life.

Why do they persist in making these dark, depressing movies. There's plenty in Australia to be upbeat about. P..l...e...a...s....e don't talk about an Animal Kingdom 2. 1 is lame enough.

Je vais te manquer (2009)

Champagne cast, dialogue, script = a romantic gem

[8 March 2010]

As an Australian reviewing a French film with English sub-titles screening at the 21st French Film festival in Australia in Mar 2010 it's apparent my review is going to be vastly different to the first one here. 2nd film of the festival of 43 films think have found my favourite film for this year. My biggest question is where have this body of actors been hiding/been hidden?

Carole Bouquet as Julia the mother, tall, elegant, easy on the eye, shift over Charlotte Rampling. Pierre Arditi as the author.. what a character. Looking back I've seen him earlier in "Private Fears in Public Places" and a real 2004 favourite "The First time I turned 20" But they must have been minor parts with less attractive characters and certainly characters with less to say. Here he dominates the screen, charming one minute, cutting the next (I wonder who played his maid in this film)

Anne Marivin playing the blonde lonely heart 30s unable to have children moving to Canada was also in "Welcome to the Sticks" She looks a bit like a french Kylie Minogue. Her's is the sort of part perhaps a Cameron Diaz would play elsewhere. Patrick Mille who plays Oliver the separated father with the very cute 7 or 8 year old daughter. Look as I might I cannot find the name of the actress who played his daughter. Pictures yes but not a name. His character here reminds me of Alan from Two and Half Men.

The only name I could really recognize here was Cecile Cassel surely the sister of Vincent. She plays Anna the lesbian (or was it the confused) daughter of Julia. I really liked Melanie Thierry the pregnant daughter of Julia, driver of the AUDI and sister of Anna. Then there is Anne Marvins 4 friends in the film.

Rich, colourful settings, a film with a lot of dialogue, great camera work, attractive to the eye, ear and soul. All checked. People taking risks on romance, offers and counter offers, change. We see the author start to write again.. I wonder if his life diary slipped into the little girls backpack on the plane by Julia makes its way back to her editor father in France?

A combination of great writing, smart stylish location, the right theme if you like people and romance and fate entwined make this an extremely enjoyable 95 mins. There's a touch of "Italian for Beginners" and certainly at times "You'll miss me" climbs the Mount Everest of romantic /romantic comedy genre.

For me I'll miss the characters of "You'll miss me" They could happily spin off a few sequels here and I'd be lining up for more. Surely for many of the cast this ensemble piece is their finest hour and writer director Amanda Sthers has made her mark and is one to watch. I wonder how many words there is in this script. It's certainly wordy but for those of us who like romance it's music to the ears.

Year in, year out we see Depardieu, Rampling, Auteuil, Dussollier and way too much Jean Pierr Darroussin (some of whom must be directors favourites). Of course personal favourites like any of the Seigners and the Frots we cannot get enough of. Some years we are flooded by Cecile France, this year it's Vincent Lindon.

It's a real eye opener for an outsider/non resident of France to see "You'll miss me" and to see all these actors who must be otherwise normally engaged in television or earlier minor parts rise to the top. Performance wise and character wise what an engaging lot they are!

For some additional stills from the film http://www.allocine.fr/film/fichefilm_gen_cfilm=126895.html

Mademoiselle Chambon (2009)

Sadly this review is not going to be so sweet

[4/10 · 6 March 2010]

First cab off the rank for us at the 21st Australian French Film Festival was Madamoseille Chambon. Reading the little festival booklet I've enjoyed Vincent Lindon in other films.. and he appears in 2 other films at this years festival "Welcome" and "Anything for her" (Pour Elle) with Diane Kruger.

Here in MC Lindon is his normal manly self quite similar to his other recent film where he was a separated man with a young son living in England. Sadly here the pace is just a tad too slow and for me I wouldn't have given Madamoseille Chambon a second look. Appearance wise and personality wise she had no appeal for me whatsoever.

This film to my mind is more bittersweet than romantic. I was interested to read the earlier two reviews and that Lindon and Kiberlain were once married. Being a romantic I was hoping Madamoseille Chambon would have been more oh la la. Sady she wasn't nor was the film so it bordered on mundane. In the process I may have even overcome my need to see everything with Vincent London in it. Perhaps "Regrets" also playing at this festival and touched upon by one of the other reviews here will be more my speed. Passionate and destructive sounds a bit more interesting that slow, suburban and in the case of Lindon's character uncertain and obviously not that interested. Romantics you need to look elsewhere!

Bran Nue Dae (2009)

Quirky at times... almost Bollywood like!

[7/10 · 7 February 2010]

A 5pm Sunday summer afternoon session for us for Bran Nue Dae. Most of the cast with the exception of the young male lead are very well known in Australia. Jessica Mauboy of course was runner up for Australian Idol a couple of years ago and has gone onto a successful recording career. And lost a little bit of weight since making this film so looks very hot.

Great locations (Broome, Perth and the seminary down near Perth) and a positive upbeat feel about being an aborigine. For me, right or wrong, that's the most positive thing about this movie. Enjoyed Missie Higgins, Deborah Mailman also very well known for TV shows like "A Secret Life" and stage shows is engaging as the sexually free spirit from the Kimberleys.

Possibly the only negative was that the leading younger male part is somewhat reserved by nature and that holds the film's energy back a little. Ernie Dingo is great as Uncle Tadpole and his vocals as the closing credits roll are a standout. Ernie a couple of years ago was on another Aussie TV show "It takes two" where celebrities and TV stars team up with professional singers in a 16 week or so competition.

Geoffrey Rush I wasn't so taken with. Missy Higgins I liked your smile, the character and the singing.

Chuck in plenty of great Aussie scenery, blue water, good locations, a an old 1950s Mercedes, a Kombi van, a HD Holden ute and some toe-tapping musical numbers and it's a enjoyable enough 90 mins.

Julie & Julia (2009)

Disappointing and downbeat - I want my time AND money back

[2/10 · 28 October 2009]

Can I first declare to being a big Meryl Streep fan.. and possibly an even bigger Amy Adams fan... I can't tell you how disappointing this film was. Next to Cheri it will go down as one of my worst movies of the year... just ahead of Tuipan and truly that was dreary.

My wife and I like food themed movies... but for me not this one. I'm not familiar with the real life people Streep and Adams were meant to be portraying here. But having already wasted 2hrs of my life I'll never get back I'm not going to waste any more time looking into physical similarities, whether the apartment above the pizza shop was the actual location of the real person.... certainly it was a drab place.

When the film started in France in 1949 and we see the blue 1946 or thereabouts Buick Woodie station wagon come off the boat and Streep and her on screen husband arrive in Rouen I had high hopes. But apart from the scenes where the Cordon Blue chef showed Streep how to hold a knife and cut onions and the scene where she beat the men doing this... what a dull affair.

Adams friends were awful, yes Streep was made to look tall... did they employ short actors... I'll never know because in this case I don't care.

Give me the German "Mostly Martha" some of the Italian Chocolate movies, Masterchef Australia, some of the European cooking shows. they at least are interesting. Better to have spent some money capturing the life and times of the NZ TV chef "The Galloping Gourmet" Graham Kerr who had a John Steed from the Avengers type of charm. Or perhaps the recently deceased Keith Floyd whose obituary suggests a rather complicated man. Give me 2hrs of Scottish TV chef Nick Nairn catching fish, hunting game and preparing it.

What I'd really like to know is who was responsible for making the enchanting Amy Adams so unattractive to look at... her hair for example. In cooking parlance Streep was soufflé or pavlova... a little bit goes a long way, Adams sadly was plain flour and the whole movie was tripe.

Hands up in you like the look and taste of tripe... if so you might like this. If not go at your own risk.

I had thought of the best way to combine going to this movie with food. Yes we were tempted to go Gold Class where you enjoy a meal and glass of wine with the movie.

After this screening we did adjourn to our holiday apartment, turned on the gas log fire and the 42" plasma TV and prepared to cook a nice steak with a take-way salad with a very nice baslamic vinegar dressing. Some chips from the night before heated up (remember we're on holidays)and a small bottle 2007 Australian shiraz... 2007 was a wonderful year.

The only flaw in my planning on this particular evening was the movie and dinner format. With the value of hindsight we should have just done the food part and been content with whatever was playing on TV. That's a shocking indictment for a movie with these names and this talent.

The Man Who Loves (2008)

Relationships 101 of a Northern Italian man in his 30s

[6/10 · 16 October 2009]

Seen at a encore performance of the 2009 Italian Film Festival in Melbourne, Australia it was a dark wet mid spring night and a 9pm session Fri night for the Man Who loves. As a bit of a follower (not necessarily admirer) of Monica Belluci's work and films the temptation was too much!

Synopsis Courtesy of a quick Google search... "What does a man feel when he is left by the woman he loves? And what about when he discovers he is not in love anymore and decides to put an end to a love story?

The love recounted in the film, Robert's love, is an absolute love, the kind that breaks your heart or fills your life with joy. An adult film about love, talking about passion from a male point of view. The man who abandons and is abandoned, becomes persecutor and then victim"

This has quite a dark, sombre feel at times. The opening credits with a slightly maudlin violin playing in the background and a very interesting arrangement of images ranging from what looks like old handwriting from Leonardo DaVinci, pieces of Dali like work lead us into modern Torino in Piedmonte Italy where our male lead character Roberto is a pharmacist working in a small shuttered pharmacy with an older woman pharmacist whose probably the owner of the shop. Digressing slightly the works of art in the opening titles are in fact from an exhibition put on by Belluci's character who put together a collection of works from a range of people who have spent time in mental institutions... stretching the memory here somewhat!

This is a story of relationships. The pharmacists mum and dad are happily married and retired on the Italian Lakes...it looks a bit like up around Bellagio out of Milan.. and a few trips the 2 sons make there are treats to the eye. The pharmacists brother is gay and in a relationship with Yuri...the relationships here are better balanced as while the two men are in a relationship Yuri has his own place and his boyfriend lives in a communal house.

Looking in of course it's quite easy to pick holes and see faults in other relationships. Lead actor Pierfrancesco Favino as Roberto is very swarthy and here his character seems to be a man of few friends and not too many interests. He has a small bolt-hole apartment, is not a great cook. He's definitely male and macho but perhaps lacking interests and passions outside his work and as a result perhaps you could say he's needy in relationships.

There's a bit of time-shifting at work here I think as the film open with him and Belluci "hard at it" when in fact her character Alba is his 2nd relationship in the film. Must admit it was a definite change for Belluci for me (perhaps I'm underestimating some of her other roles). Here her character is soft, emotional and touches the heartstrings more than normal. Looking back I often think Belluci's characters are hard and somewhat one dimensional. Here her character is normal, she's never looked better and the performance is touching. Withouut going into it too much, any man who wants to leave Belluci and her character here surely needs more than a few pills and an analyst.

There's also a very poignant and insightful scene between Roberto and his pharmacy owner played by Marisa Paredes where she describes the pain of being left by her husband 12 months before more than likely for another woman or the ex husband now has a new partner. In her 60s In some ways I thought Roberto may have been better spending some time in his colleagues bed but that was not in the script.

The Man who loves is a film about a man who loves and leaves. One relationship he pursues to the bitter end and who of us men (and perhaps women) have not been there and as far or not quite so far as here. This relationship he was supposed to be the one more in love than the woman. The second relationship the beautiful Belluci is a more even match and perhaps she's the one more into him than he into her.

Sadly Roberto is a darkish, sombre character at times. Truly he needs to have a good shave, get off his medication or onto some other and to commit and get into life. Perhaps neither of these women were suitable for him? Or is it that he cannot properly commit and build a relationship. THe truth may be somewhere in between.

Being a 9pm session at the end of a working week and perhaps 9.20 by the time some technical problems were worked out this felt like a very long 102 minutes. It had a good pace i thought until 2/3 of the way in and then the story seem to go round in a time-shifting circle.

Nonetheless an honest and insightful look at relationships of a man in his 30s who may love but cannot really commit. For those of us who've been in our 30s perhaps the 20s are more romantic and 40s and 50s are more settled.

If this was a French film I'm sure it would have been more romantic and the male character more rounded. Being Italian and of this genre and having Belluci on board it's a drama and a lot more raw.

Bravo Belluci! You are putting together an impressive range of films and work with many more I'm sure to come. I wonder if there's a romantic comedy out there somewhere for you or a strong, powerful, independent character for you. Perhaps an Italian Volver in which I loved Penelope Cruz? We see a more tender side here with Alba. I continue to follow!

Ex (2009)

Upbeat, feel-good romantic comedy with a cast to die for!

[9/10 · 27 September 2009]

The 2009 10th Italian Film Festival (www.italianfilmfestival.com.au) is playing in Australia in Sep and Oct 2009 and this years range of films looks very impressive. Being a lover of romantic comedies and also being a film my wife shortlisted we headed off to a packed screening of "Many Kisses Later" on a cold wet spring afternoon with the film in Italian with English subtitles.

The film festival synopsis read - "MANY KISSES LATER follows six couples between Christmas and Valentine's Day - episodes that intertwine and revolve around the matters arising from the end of a love affair and the ways former romantic partners can shape our lives. Some relationships have turned into hatred, others into friendships, for others instead the flame of love is still burning… The film begins with many declarations of love and lots of kisses… But then, does love go on? Did they indeed live happily ever after? The stellar cast includes Claudio Bisio, Silvio Orlando, Nancy Brilli, and Claudia Gerini plus French stars César-winner Malik Zidi (Poison Friends) and Cécile Cassel (sister of Vincent). Brizzi mixes clever social observation, entertaining dialogue, comic situations, a sprinkling of drama, a dash of sex and exotic locations to boot – it's handsome viewing"

Handsome? I'd call it very handsome... location wise we have Italy, Paris and Wellington NZ... the scenes perfectly capture each location with localities carefully thread into the plot. Castwise we have a large company of actors and actresses..

Claudio Bisio who plays the university lecturer is a fine looking man.... a better looking version of Bruce Willis if that makes sense. Priest Don Leonardo is played by Flavio Insinna a charming good looking Italian actor who to me looks a lot like Patrick Demsey except with Italian charm. Claudia Gerni was delightful as Elisa... she reminded me of English actress/comedienne Sarah Alexander from the BBC TV series "Coupling" and "The Worst week of my life" Some other familiar faces Nancy Brilli in a supporting role as the wife of a couple who don't like their children, want a divorce and whose children want to divorce their parents.. Nancy last seen here in Italian RAI TV mini-series Commesse and Commesse 2 (aka Shopgirls/Shopgirls 2) Silvio Orlando also playing here in a more animated and slightly more youthful role than his role in "Giovanna's Father" seen last week.

A whole cast of younger (Claudio Bisio's on screen daughters) and older character actors, a great soundtrack, a plot like a jigsaw puzzle where all the pieces fit.

You know a great romantic comedy with some drama thrown in (the course of love is not always smooth and a straight line) by the way it builds and builds to the final release or declaration of all that unresolved tension.

Many Kisses Later will not disappoint on this point. It's an engrossing, delightful 120 minute journey that any lover of romantic comedy should love. And like every good/great romantic comedy MKL will stand a lot of repeat viewings and still delight.

Small wonder it was this years 2009 Italian box office champion. Very much an Italian equivalent of the Danish "Italian For Beginners". As part of the soundtrack which included James Blunt and a whole host of others on a cold spring day "it may have been winter but it was spring in my heart" Especially after Many Kisses Later. Hats off (again) to RAI International... in this genre they are very hard to beat

Postscript... for trailers (video on the menu bar), CD tracks here's a link to the films Italian website http://www.ex-ilfilm.com/..enjoy!

Chéri (2009)

Very, very disappointing

[3/10 · 19 July 2009]

The Classic Cinema in Elsternwick (Melbourne) Australia go to a certain amount of trouble with movie previews. So yesterday with Cheri we had a violinist playing in the cinema before the preview session, a complimentary afternoon tea.. normally a box of cakes and goodies (but only a single one yesterday), a range of teas in yesterday's case (no coffee). In the past a glass of champagne has been offered and sometimes there are lucky seats with prizes under them.

So perhaps no coffee yesterday was a forerunner of what was to come. The list of cons is sadly far greater than the pros

CONS The relationship between Michelle Pfeiffers character and Rupert Friends character is I am sorry to say more like Aunty and nephew. There's a passion missing here. Are they out lunching or enjoying other pleasures? No it's all indoors and not very exciting to watch at all. Ms Pfeiffer has wonderful hair, carries her age well (50 is not old), has perhaps nice back assuming no body doubles. But for me neither she or her character are not warm enough or sensual enough. In fact the lady I sat next to a cinema had more ooh la la. And she was a paying customer like us! And on the plus side of 60. Rupert Friend as someone here alluded to was too Olivia Bloom like, foppish almost gay if you like. His dark hair and pale skin gave him a very unhealthy allure.

Set in pre WW1 Paris and France I was looking forward to a variety of old veteran cars (only 3 in the whole show... perhaps the vehicle budget was limited.. surely there must be more veteran cars in France). The Edwardian style fashions I love but for these give me the Great Race 1965 style. Sadly there was no Mademsoielle Dubois here (Natalie Wood) to carry this off yet the period was the same.

One of the problems with Cheri is it lacked oxygen, location, recreations of pre WW1 France, any sense of movement timewise and romance on any level. In many ways the film was shot like a play. A few different sets mainly indoors but little of interest outdoors. Very tightly framed shots of gravel driveways in stately old homes... full stop.

Regarding the other courtesans with the exception of Cheri's wifes mother these were not a very stunning lot. Kathy Bates as a courtesan? Surely no man would pay serious money for her pleasures unless the supply of other courtesans was very short. Clearly these 19th century, 20th century gentlemen were either too free with their money or not fussy enough?

Perhaps Stephen Frears should have stayed on his side of the English Channel. Mrs Henderson presents was quite enjoyable... it did have Judi Dench, Bob Hoskins and the lovely Kelly Reilly.

Cheri should clearly have been left to the French, done with French actors and actresses in French with English sub-titles. What we have here sadly is about as French as McDonalds and must surely be a lost opportunity. Very disappointing.

My Friends, My Love (2008)

A superior romantic comedy with a great soundtrack

[8/10 · 18 July 2009]

I had hoped to catch this movie during the Mar 2009 French Film festival in Australia... the synopsis at the time appealed but time was against us. So very pleased to see it get a commercial release in Australia and excellent fare for a late Sat afternoon session on a cold winter's day.

Must admit despite glowing advertisement for the movie (how many of those have we all seen!) that my expectations were not very high. So I was very pleasantly surprised.

I like the cut of lead actor Vincent Lindon who in real life is 50. Here he is supposed to be a single father in his 30s and moves to London to be with (a) his life long friend also a single father and his daughter who is about 9 and a lovely looking little girl. Lindon has an ageless appearance... some of his clothes almost look 1970s... dark blue and dark brown velvet jackets... with leather elbow patches for the latter. Red corduroy pants and brown shoes with black pants. Ah the French... I might take a lead from his fashion sense. Lindon's character is manly...a little like a coarser grade of sandpaper perhaps. His friend played by Pascal Elbe is more metro-sexual.. if he were sandpaper he'd be emery paper at worst and possible scented with Eau Sauvage.

We first meet Virginie Ledoyen when she walks into Matthias' french bookshop in Frog Alley in Sth London (the actual address is Formosa St London for those keen on actual film locations). Here we men are given a wonderful long lingering look at Mme Ledoyen's neck which truly is a thing of great beauty. Later on we are given a similar very light tasteful touch as Matthias and her are in bed and he runs his finger across her breast, under her armpit, along her arm finally their two hands end up in quite a lovely clasp.

So here we have a delightful ensemble cast in a small area of London with a great sense of warmth and community. It was quite a sad moment when the owner of the little French restaurant Chez Jeanne passed away. It made me sit and wonder whether more of us should be aiming to be a central/key part of a community.

It's true as others have said here that age wise the younger of our 2 single fathers would have been a better age match for Audrey (Virginiee Ledoyen). They even seemed to have quite a lot in common when she comes to dinner to meet the families. I wonder how the film would have gone with the male leads swapping roles? But make no bones about it, Matthias and Audrey are sandpaper meets the French rose. He's on the front foot, his passion and "equipment" are plainly still in very good working order and despite lifes ups and downs he's still looking for love. Contrast this and Antoine the younger single father has given up on love, his manhood is having a rest period and some of his feminine side may have taken over as regards housekeeping and the like. Audrey.. she's gorgeous and some of the clinches and kisses with Matthias are very deep and passionate with just the right male/female balance.

A delightful soundtrack part English part French completes this warm French treat. As the final titles ran My Lives, My Loves had the same warm finish to it as a small Canandian independent film from the 1990s whose name I cannot find.. the story of a group of amateur musicians who one summer take a contract to play at Catskills hotel.

A very nice story of French family life and love here. And next time in London I look forward to going down to Formosa St Sth Kensington to see if some of the businesses actually exist. Perhaps a street view in Google Maps can give us a quick answer here!

Postscript: If you search 4 Formosa St London on Google Maps for some strange reason Google Street view will open out the front of No 10 Formosa which is the Formosa Laundrette. If you click the arrow for Formosa St on the right hand side of your computer screen this will take you down to the street corner near the French Bookshop. I'd have to see the movie again.. there is a cafe at No 8 which may have been used as Chez Jeanne's with a different awning.

The Hangover (2009)

Unfunny, lame and weak

[1/10 · 28 June 2009]

I'd seen "I Love you man" the previous week and had hoped for something equally funny and enjoyable.

Sadly The Hangover is weak, lame, unfunny, poorly cast and really just a total waste of time. Personally I'd wait until it's a weekly hire DVD and then be suspect.

How it got to be #130 on the IMDb Top 250 really makes me reconsider using IMDb ratings as a guide to movie-going. And question any newspaper critics who give it even faint praise.

The fact we have to write a minimum 10 lines about this here is a further travesty of justice!

Die Entdeckung der Currywurst (2008)

Profoundly delightful, Shawshank like, ticks every box

[10/10 · 29 April 2009]

In the last days of World War II, Lena Brücker (Barbara Sukowa) lives alone in her Hamburg apartment and works for the state-run Food Distribution Agency. At 47, and without any longing for her husband stationed on the eastern front, Lena believes that life and love are passing her by. Her life takes a dramatic turn when she offers shelter to Hermann Bremer (Alexander Khuon), a young sailor on shore leave. Quickly, they become lovers. It is a dangerous game: Hermann is now a deserter and the noise from Lena's apartment is arousing suspicion. Far more threatened by peace than war, Lena attempts to hold on to Hermann by hiding the truth of Germany's imminent defeat.

The 2009 Audi German Film Festival has just finished in Australia being it's 8th season here. Invention of the Curried Sausage was one of 2 films I saw. Before the festival we get a little booklet with a synopsis of the movie (above in this case) and a few still shots. Perhaps it was Barbara's blonde hair and physical bearing that caught my eye initially. And then the synopsis. Hours can be spent working out which of the 30 movies to see! Sausage was my favourite this year by a country mile and probably one of the standouts of the festivals I've been going to for 5 or 6 years..

Fitting across a number of genres, 25% historical background, 20% food, 20% romance, 25% comedy, lead actress Barbara Sukowa in her middle 50s in real life but playing a late 40s woman here is a delight. Her work colleague the chef Holzinger played by Wolfgang Bock was a great comedy foil and I enjoyed the thread of repartee through the movie between them. He's probably very well known in Germany for his TV work.

I should declare that of all foreign films I like a good German movie over a French, Italian or Greek one. A very good Danish or Swedish one as well. My experience with the country film festivals here that Palace Cinemas Australia do each year (Germany in conjunction with the Goethe Institute) is that a selection panel choose the cream of the recent films and also often retrospective screening of older films. This year with the German festival it would have been very easy to see 6 or more very good films. Yet the French Festival this year with a larger number of films you'd be struggling to find 1 or 2.

Watching movies for a genre you are passionate and excited about I'll always wonder if one can get carried away or over estimate the rating. But I was pleased to see here that lead actress Barbara Sukowa won best actress at the 2008 Montreal Film Festival. Bravo Barbara and a special mention should be made of Ulla Wagner who wrote the screenplay an directed the film. She has bought her screenplay to life beautifully. Construction wise "Sausage" has a rhythm and a transition and time line very similar to the Shawshank Redemption when I think about it. Seamless, smooth, very polished. Neither puts a foot wrong as they move from start to finish. Whether or not Ulla (the writer of the screenplay rather than the original novelist) is any relation to Stephen King I cannot be sure but she's certainly very talented.

The stranger I sat next to at Sunday Apr 26 2009 Como Melbourne session turned to me after the film finished and said "wasn't that a great film. It makes you want to go back to Germany" Christopher who introduced himself was right. This film was almost the perfect recipe. And I for one would be keen to visit Hamburg as I also liked the look of the movies locations.

Watch out food based movies.. The Dinner Game, Chocolat, Mostly Martha (the original German version).. Germany has great new entrant! I'm sure those of us fortunate enough to see this movie will think fondly of it for some time after and of the characters and actors playing in this ensemble cast. And keep an eye out for them in the future films. There would have been far worse places to spend the dying days of WW2 in Germany than here. Highly recommended and a wonderful way to spend 106 minutes.

Hilde (2009)

A German La Vie en Rose & a performance to die for

[8/10 · 23 April 2009]

Hildegard Knef (1925–2002) was many things – Broadway star, songstress, screen diva, international icon and bestselling author. In this compelling biography Heike Makatsch gives a knockout performance as Knef, who walked out of the rubble of post-war Berlin and embarked on a career so amazing it could only be true. Infamous for appearing in the first nude scene in German cinema (in "Die Sünderin", 1951) and called 'the best singer without a voice' by Ella Fitzgerald, Knef's adventures in Hollywood, on Broadway and back home in her beloved Germany is the stuff of showbiz legend.

So reads the blurb for the 2009 Audi German Film Festival and about 200 to 300 of us were lucky enough last night to attend 1 of 2 screenings in Melbourne of the "version originale" as the French would say.. original German language with English sub titles. Before the 8.15pm performance the cinema foyer was fairly buzzing and alive with a very good vibe as keen German film fans, some German by birth queued up for the 8:15pm session.

This is a bio pic or is it a bio epic painted with a very broad and polished brush starting out where we find Hilde caught up in WW2 as a budding actress in war torn Berlin. It's here she meets characters like her early directors and the lady from the acting school who are in her life for many years to come. From the early 1940s the film takes us through her life and career, relationships, a time in Hollywood for the next 40 years up until about 1970. At the close of the film other later facets and highlights of Hilde's life are covered by text before the closing credits.

Hers is a very full and interesting life and surely lead actress Heike Makatash was born to play this role. Without the need to physically transform like Marion Cotillard in La Vie en Rose, Heike is truly luminous here. I was going to say initially Heike was a little like Angelina Jolie physically except with a lot more warmth and perhaps a stronger looking body (and one to die in some scenes) But as one comment here in the boards states Heike looks very much like Jeri Ryan http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0005394/ whose around the same age and born in Munich.

Production values and the quality of the screenplay here are first class. It's intelligent, well written and covers a multitude of themes. Too many perhaps to fully absorb in a single viewing. At 136 minutes it's not a short film and perhaps like a lot of modern films (Australia comes to mind) a short intermission would have help. Perhaps the point for such a break would have been at the conclusion of WW2.

But truly we have a top quality performance here and film making, sets and locations and recreations of the period of a very high degree and quality. Not being familiar with the real Hilde it's difficult to say how close Heike got so the question may remain was it the actress who appealed, the character she played or both. At this stage lets stay both. Once again whether Heike did the vocals I'm not sure. Mention should be made of her early male piano/vocal accompanist.. some very nice duo and solo work here.

(Postscript - taking a quick look online after writing this review the resemblance to the real Hilde is remarkable. The real Hildes vocals seem somewhat more husky than in the film. The real Hilde was a stunning beauty in some of the black and white stillshots I found online)

Digressing France have done Piaf (1916-1953), German have done Hilde proud (1925-2002). Can someone in France please do the same for the late great Yvonne Printemps (1894-1977) to complete the trio. To quote the NY (New York) mag "Printemps was one of France's great vocal originals, who flourished in the music hall, operetta, film, and, apparently, the bedroom during the first half of the last century. Her singular voice, seductive presence, piquant style, and sheer joy of performing can still be relished on CD reissues and in several movies—watch Les Trois Valses of 1938 and try to resist her". Hear, hear!

French actress Catherine Frot would be my pick to perhaps play Printemps in her 50s.

Meantime I hope Hilde gets a wide distribution so the good work of Heike, the other actors and the production team can be fully appreciated by a wider audience for this flagship German film production.

Tulpan (2008)

Dusty & sadly quite drab & labored

[2/10 · 20 April 2009]

A double free pass to Tulpan accompanied tickets I'd won to another film. The previews of Tulpan I'd seen weeks before looked interesting enough but sadly the film failed to excite or satisfy. The location is dull, drab and dusty to the extreme. Liked the main characters sister, disliked her Ghenghis Khan like husband. The friend who drove the tractor wore very thin, very quickly. So for me this part film, part documentary labored to make it's point. For me it was like going around in circles and was really 2 hours I'll never see again.

When so many good films of many origins fail to get commercial release I'm at a bit of a loss why this film did. Or why it's won as many awards as it has.

2009 motto "beware of PR agencies bearing unasked for free movie tickets"

Postscript... nearly 2 weeks I'll make an early nomination this will be my worst film of 2009. 2nd worst Easy Virtue also another preview freebie. But back to Tulpan it was a excruciating..excruciatingly laboured and slow.

The Wrestler (2008)

In a word... depressing

[3/10 · 18 January 2009]

I was looking forward to the Wrestler...the week before we tried to see it but the session time was misprinted in the paper so we switched to Slumdog Millionaire. The gods were smiling that day.

Yesterday we meant to see a preview of "Grand Torino" but that was running half an hour late so we opted for the Wrestler which started 3/4 hr earlier. The gods it seems with the value of hindsight were not smiling yesterday.

Honestly I thought I'd enjoy this movie.. true I do prefer happy endings. But the combination of self mutilation, the downward spiral in the Wrestlers life was all a bit too much. I was hoping once he got the job in the supermarket he'd get himself into a regular life and stay retired.. but sadly no.

Mickey Rourke cuts a fine figure of a man in the movie. Marisa Tomei does as well with a very hot bod. But ultimately New Jersey, trailer parks and the Wrestlers depressing life style were not for me.

With the value of hindsight I wished we'd left the theatre after the first 30 mins and gone to the one showing Gran Torino.

I think the comeback of Mickey Rourke and this movie in general have been over-hyped. To see it already well into the top 250 here... what can they be thinking? Basically the story here is just DEPRESSING.

Nights in Rodanthe (2008)

Unromantic, poorly made....this is not a "Notebook"

[3/10 · 16 November 2008]

Here in Australia Nights in Rodanthe is being promoted in the same class as the Notebook. Quite frankly what a lot of rot.

This film is a like a recipe. On paper we have all the right ingredients... Richard Gere normally perfect in this genre, Diane Lane an old favourite from "Under Tuscan Sun" and "Unfaithful", ocean side location, solitude and yet the movie sucks. At the session we went to yesterday afternoon a women next to my wife fell asleep and half way through the movie got up and left! The main problem is there is no build up or credibility to the relationship in the first place. And perhaps there are too many long faces and downbeat if you like histories that Gere and Lane's characters bring to the movie. There's hours of those balanced out with perhaps 5 minutes of what we can to see... romance! There's no warmth from Gere's character, Lane looks dreadful at the start of the movie and all washed out. So as the viewer we cannot really connect to the characters.

Others here say the book is great. Well be it the screenplay, direction or production someone here has made a real mess of this movie. It's like the scenes and the buildup are a deck of cards except instead of being in the correct order they've just been thrown together all over the place.

Very disappointing... save your money for when it hits the video shops and even then wait for a good deal when it goes to the weekly rate.