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thinkinfairytales
Reviews
Love Actually (2003)
Rather brilliant, actually!
I fell in love with this film as soon as I saw the sneak previews. I love all of Richard Curtis' films and had high hopes for this one. I was not to be dissapointed.
Within the first five minutes I already had tears in my eyes - and lads, don't let that put you off. I was rather overwhelmed by the feel-good factor - not sentiment. The only way to describe the feeling I experienced while watching 'Love Actually', is it's like running to the top of a hill and shouting for joy at the top of your lungs. Or, to quote from another Grant vehicle, 'About a Boy', Love Actually left me with 'a warm, fuzzy feeling'inside.
This isn't a chick-flick, this isn't a tear-jerker, it's a happy, optimistic, festive fun flick which will leave you feeling as satisfied as if you'd just eaten a three course Christmas dinner. Go see, drool over the men or women or both, laugh out loud and I promise you, you'll walk out the cinema with a smile on your face, and the world will seem a better place to be...if only for a while.
Press Gang (1989)
A one-line summary isn't going to do it justice!
Press Gang. Ahhhh, the good old days when children's television wasn't presented by patronising 20-somethings who shouted at you as though you were deaf, when they let the credits roll without talking all over them thus ruining the atmosphere, and most importantly, when children's TV wasn't full of mind-numbing American 's*it-coms' like Sabrina and badly-drawn, badly-voiced cartoons.
Rant over.
I was 10 years old when I became a fan of the show. (I'm now 23) Lynda Day was my hero, and her troubled relationship with Spike - even at such a young age - caused me some anguish. I bought the books (and still have 3 of them, at least one is a first edition though sadly not in perfect condition!)and I used put-downs from the show on kids who bullied me at school - and they worked! It was very empowering.
Series 3 was the one that really cemented my passion for Press Gang: 'The Last Word' parts 1 and 2 where the news team are held hostage by an unknown gunman, is a masterpiece. I watched The Last Word part 2 - the only one I'd recorded at the time - so often I knew the script off by heart and wrote it up in my diary! This was possibly the start of my passion for television writing.
Out of all the programmes I have seen, and I've seen plenty, Press Gang has had the biggest impact on my own work. I now have a degree in scriptwriting for Film and TV and I give Press Gang credit for having the biggest influence. It was much more than simply a well-written kids drama: it was ahead of its time, treated the viewers with intelligence, never dumbed down and never shied away from the brutal realities of life while never being patronising or preaching. The scripts were as sharp and witty as the characters were wonderful, the stories funny, moving and sometimes achingly sad. There are so many fans who want to see this again, but unfortunately it isn't avaliable to buy anywhere.
(If anyone can copy episodes for me PLEASE get in touch! I will pay for postage and packing and you will be my friend for life!!!)
Press Gang: Superb, superb, superb. Can't say anymore then that.
EastEnders (1985)
A national treasure!
EastEnders is described by the BBC as a drama and so it should be. There is a strange snobbery concerning soap operas and though EE is on four times a week it is so well-written and performed that I think of it as a drama and not a soap opera.
A recent episode, featuring three seperate conversations - Laura/Garry, Kat/Zoe and Ant/Patrick - was absolutely outstanding. It was what EastEnders does best, filling a half hour with some of the best acting and dialogue I have seen on TV, and not many shows could pull off half an hour of just talking and keep it interesting. The show is famous for its 'two-handers' such as Dot and Ethel/Matthew and Steve which were all outstanding.
As a scriptwriter I find EastEnders to be consistently excellent and would certainly recommend it as a template for aspiring writers who wish to learn how to write and write it well.
A national treasure.
An Angel for May (2002)
We need more of this on TV
I happened to switch the TV on just as this film was starting and I was immediately intrigued: there are virtually no children's adventure/mystery series on television any more: When I was a kid (I'm 23) we had gems such as 'Press Gang', 'Moondial', 'The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe' and 'Dungeons and Dragons'. Now all we get is ugly, badly-drawn cartoons and terrible US and Japanese imports.
Like the recent UK family drama 'Bootleg', 'An Angel for May' was a breath of fresh air to the television schedules, an original, refreshing, beautifully filmed piece of drama. It captured a kind of wistful innocence so lacking from TV these days. Here's hoping it comes on VHS/DVD very soon.
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)
Bored of the Rings
A recent review stated that LOTR was "One of the most amazing fantasy films of all time." I say it is one of the most over rated films of all time. This includes The Two Towers which has been hyped up to ridiculous proportions. Since I loathed the first film, I had no intention of seeing the sequel but the sycophantic frenzy surrounding The Two Towers would have put me off even if I had enjoyed the first.
I have never read the book of Rings and struggled with The Hobbit but rented the film out anyway as I generally enjoy fantasy films and was looking forward to this. Unfortunately it reduced me to a severe torpid state out of sheer boredom.
Newspapers were falling over themselves to see The Book of the Century become The Film of the Century, and it practically did: instant classics such as Moulin Rouge and Harry Potter were duitifully ignored at the 2001 Oscars allowing Rings to plough on through, knocking aside films far worthier of such accolades.
This film is over long, over rated and over hyped. No wonder that Philosopher's Stone is the 2nd most successful film behind Titanic and Rings 1 is way behind. I rest my case.
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002)
Stop knocking this masterpiece
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets is superb, and don't listen to those narrow-minded critics who claim otherwise. Those who said it is superior to the first film are right: Philosopher's Stone was wonderful but the sequel does for Harry Potter what the Empire Strikes Back did for Star Wars - elevate it to a higher level where it will be regarded as a masterpiece in it's own right.
The plot is tighter and 'cleaner' then the first film, and runs along at a pace brisk enough to sweep the two-hours away with the wave of a wand. The acting from Daniel Radcliffe was criticised by some in the first film and still others are bleating on about him now. Give it a rest, say I. He was excellent.
Hogwarts itself really comes to life, largely due to the camera shots sweeping in through a window or over the castle - it feels a lot more 'rounded' and the Quidditch match benefits from a makeover and improved SFX.
Unlike some other fantasy films the CGI is not over used and doesn't smother the screen.
If you've read other reviews you'll know Kenneth Branagh is wonderful as Lockhart (and you have to stay to the end credits to see what happens to him)Jason Isaacs is great as Lucius Malfoy, and overall the film is scarier and darker then the first film, and there is a very touching moment involving Hermione and Ron which was performed with wonderful understatement by Rupert and Emma.
Throughout the whole 2 hours I don't think I stopped smiling. The Whomping Willow, the flying car, the duel between Draco and Harry - every scene was a joy to behold.
To those critics who keep on comparing Potter to Lord of the Rings and finding the former wanting (one person even laughingly suggested Christopher Columbus was ripping it off)bear in mind that Philospher's Stone is the second biggest film of all time behind Titanic - beating Rings. I use this only to illustrate the popularity and success of Harry Potter, as so many people seem to find it inferior. I for one was left cold by Rings and was thoroughly bored by it - it was the least magical fantasy film I had ever seen. Give me Harry Potter any day.
Anyone who rates this film poorly (comparing it to Rings no doubt as they always do) has no sense of adventure, no sense of humour, and -most importantly - no sense of wonder.
So put that in your cauldron and boil it!