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Reviews
The Boy in the Striped Pajamas (2008)
More detail and accuracy for the period required.
While I enjoy this film and think the actors all did a good job - there are things about the movie that irritate me and make it difficult to be completely absorbed.
Opening scenes of the movie where Bruno and his friends come home from school, while playing aeroplanes - The people portrayed in the scene all look like they are perfectly turned out with spotless and new out of the shop clothing. It makes it all look rather false and hard to take as real people going about their business.
I know the story is a fable and we have to suspend our imagination to accept the tale and it's final outcome but I would prefer as much detail and accuracy as possible where by it is part of the era and Third Reich of the time.
I would guess that the story is set during the 1941 or 1942 period when gassing of Jewish people was taking place.
During that period Jewish people would have already been deported or had emigrated to other neighbouring countries, that then became swallowed up by the Nazis and so they fell under the control of the murderous regime - The Third Reich. Jews in the German cities would have been non people and would have been few and far between.
Deportation of Jews would have been done under cover of night or very, early in the morning so that ordinary German citizens would not have to see what was done by their government and in their name.
The music played at the party in Bruno's parents home would not have been swing or jazz music. This was much frowned upon and outlawed by good Nazis.
Just a couple of easy things to remedy and should have been executed a little better.
The Lost Daughter (2021)
Hard to ignore or qualify but thought provoking.
A very difficult movie to pigeonhole but interesting and stayed with me long after the viewing.
I loved the pace and the beautiful surroundings and setting of the movie. I felt that I was Leda - a woman of a certain age on holiday alone. Leda was people watching - something a lot of us enjoy doing. Leda was enjoying her solitude but at times was very lonely and I could empathise with that dynamic. Leda was watching a young, beautiful woman and her interactions with her child. This evoked memories and Leda went back in her memories and remembered her own interactions with her own little girls. A lot of reviews are discussing the Mother Child dynamic. My own daughter who has no children said that this movie has put her off Motherhood.
I was thinking, while watching Jessie Buckley who was portraying the young Leda, how children can sense that they are not loved or cherished. The little girls were crying, difficult, sad because they were needing to feel safe and loved and this was not being provided for them. This made me very sad. I felt sorry for the children. My overall takeaway from the movie was - if you decide to have children and are blessed with them understand it will be hard at times but also rewarding and the most important role you will ever play. Children grow up, and as Leda did, you get your time back. You don't want to have regrets about the part you played in raising them and these regrets destroying and eating into the next chapter of your life. All the acting was incredible and very real. Olivia Coleman was outstanding.
A Teacher (2020)
Thought provoking - yet?
I personally know one long, married couple who started out as teacher / student relationship.
This was in the mid 1980s. The relationship was never public during the time the student was in school and only became a public one when the student left school.
The student was a female 18 year old pupil in her final year of school, studying for her A Levels.
The teacher was a young (early 20s) male who was newly qualified and single.
The difference may be that an 18 year old female is more mature than an 18 year old male - as in this particular series.
The teacher I knew was serious about his relationship and it ended in marriage. The couple have been together many years and have grown up children of their own.
Perhaps the only thing that may have affected the student I know was that instead of going to university as she could have - she married young, settled down and became a wife and mother. If she had not have embarked on a relationship with her teacher she may have gone on and experienced student life and a career. But then I followed a similar course as her and I did not marry my teacher so who is to know.
In the story portrayed we could see that Eric was a naive, gauche young man who was blown away by the attentions of this particular, female teacher who was behaving in a reckless and stupid manner. She was not a sympathetic character and more of a pathetic woman. I found it difficult at the beginning of the series to see the grooming aspect of the relationship as it felt like a mutual attraction but as the series expanded to show the aftermath and how it affected the young student it was more enlightening as to how it was grooming and an unequal relationship leading to consequences for all. It was a story that was worth telling and thought provoking.
The Evacuees (1975)
Definitely not "Snowflakes" these wee lads
I remember watching this little gem of a film many years ago. Was delighted to see it pop up today on the Drama channel and even though I was subjected to the usual "save for your funeral adverts" in the interval I really enjoyed it. It occurred to me that my childhood in the 60s was great fun where you made a lot of your own craic without phones, computers and the like spoiling a child's creativity. Also we were still allowed a certain amount of freedom in which to grow, explore and find our boundaries and limits. I grew up in (NI) during the troubles so could see parallels with these children growing up in World War 2 and how it affected their childhood. I would love to see a group of young boys watch this today and I am sure they would enjoy it and feel it was a great adventure as children are so cosseted today and managed they don't get the time to
make their own fun like these lads did.
Rachel Getting Married (2008)
Mixed review for Rachel getting married - but must see movie.
I have just watched Rachel getting married and have found myself wide awake and unable to sleep and so I have decided to review the film on IMDb. What can I say? This film is brilliant, mad and bad and boring and weird in equal measure but it does draw you in and keep you watching. I both liked and disliked the film in equal measure. I am also interested to note the previous reviews of the film and note that the reviewers either love or hate the film and without exception have a very strong reaction to the film either positive or negative. I have both of the same feelings for the film and find myself mystified both in agreeing with the positive reviews and negative reviews. It is a rare film which evokes such an unusual reaction and this for my mind makes the film well worth watching. By the way there are some who find the music throughout the film annoying I for one loved the music. And for previous reviewers who felt that the back story should have been further explained reference the family's love for music I feel that the film explained all this in the multi layered slow burn reveal throughout the weekend. I felt exhausted and stimulated after the film and actually felt as if I as the viewer had been actually involved in the whole process. All of the cast were brilliant in their roles and it was wonderful to see Debra Winger returned to the big screen for her role as the absent mother.
Mad Men (2007)
Mad Men - Mighty Craic!
I just love, love, love this drama. The wonderful sets, costumes, actors, scripts, this program just keeps on delivering and on multiple viewings you seem to just get more from the program. I love the way each episode is a slow burner. I love the way we are allowed to get to know each character just a little and we want to keep watching to learn a little more of what makes them tick . If the 60s were as sophisticated as this I would just have loved to have been there. There are great bits of comedy, attitudes to health and safety, environmental issues, women's acceptance of the status quo and their use of their sexual allure to get where they want to go. Even though I am a female mostly glad to live in this century and although I am glad that women and men are on equal footings in the workplace and in life it is interesting to see men acting like men in a male dominated world. It is almost refreshing as this is a world before men were removed of their goolies and were made to become feminine. Whether that is a good or bad thing is still out with the jury. Interestingly this series is written by mainly female writers and is a credit to all concerned. It is a mystery how these men who behave so badly towards their wives, girlfriends, children etc... seem to still gain our sympathy and wish to understand them. All of the women characters are so interesting and it is fascinating watching them interact with the men in a men's world. Hope this show lasts for several more seasons.
Thanks to all concerned Caroline Ireland.
Doubt (2008)
Wonderful drama - transported me back to my own school days
I really enjoyed this film and it transported me back to my childhood as both my primary and secondary schooling were in convent schools in Northern Ireland between 1967 - 1980. Even though this school was set in the US the nuns seem to be molded from the same cloth and even though some other posters question the portrayal of Sister Aloysius as being a little over the top I would say that in my experience I have met quite a few nuns who were very similar to Sr Aloysius.
I always felt that these sisters had to be silent in a male dominated society and they worked tirelessly to educate us in the all girls schools I went to and especially in the years from 1969 to 1980 when the troubles were at their heights in Northern Ireland.
The headmistress of my secondary school was a very stern lady in a starched habit, with a square shaped veil, with her silver glasses perched on the end of her nose and which through she looked at us pupils with the sternest gaze which seemed to bore right through your soul. This nun also had a very staccato voice and we likened her speaking to us like a daleck (Dr. Who reference). This Sr. was especially frightening to younger school pupils but as the years went by and when myself and my other student friends had reached our senior years this nun showed her self to be dedicated, firm, fair and devoted to the school, the pupils and her convent.
As I have already mentioned this was during the troubles in Northern Ireland and this nun tried to educate us and make us value ourselves and others. Some of my fellow pupils left school and became involved in the struggle and ended up in prison in Armagh Jail. During this time some Irish Republicans would not recognise the court when appearing before a judge particularly when it was a diplock court, this was a trial with only judges and no jury. Sometimes these young women would end up with lengthy sentences because they would turn their backs on the court.
I know for a fact that this sister would visit these women in jail and would try to bring them comfort and pastoral care. This did not mean she approved of their involvement but she was still in a motherly way bringing them familiarity and trying to reach them.
This sister is now deceased and I think of her and her kindness and I feel that our schools are not the same without these dedicated women who gave up their lives and followed their paths and lived their lives out looking after their pupils, schools and parishes.
I also know that there were bad clergy but I have never experienced any negative Sisters or Priests in my life.
Caroline Northern Ireland