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maryprince
Reviews
A Chorus Line (1985)
A reasonably entertaining film
I do not think that this film is as bad as some of the reviewers on this site would have us believe! Considering that the film is more than thirty years old, the visual quality and choreography has 'held up' well despite the passage of time and I cared about the characters. Considering that most of the action takes place within a single location (the theatre), the director did well at keeping the pace of the film dynamic and the cast was very talented (they could sing, dance and act). I have seen worse, enjoyed the film as a piece of light entertainment and would recommend this movie.
Kidulthood (2006)
Well-directed and timely
Kidulthood is an engrossing movie. It focuses on a group of teenagers who attend a school in West London. When a girl in their class commits suicide as a result of being bullied, the teenagers receive the day off from school. We follow them as they shop, use drugs, commit acts of violence and have casual sex. Any one who reads the paper will be familiar with the themes depicted in the movie, such as 'happy slapping' and therefore the movie is very timely. It was refreshing to see the England that I recognise up there on the big screen- such as sprawling blocks of flats and Oxford Street with its black taxi cabs. When issues of race were dealt with, I thought that they were approached in an intelligent and insightful manner. I found the slang spoken by the teens slightly hard to comprehend although it was very accurate. The acting was also slightly wooden in parts, although Aml Ameen who played Trife was very good. The characters could have been slightly more intelligent and interesting. I would have liked to see what motivated them a bit more and how they came to be the people they were. Be warned- the language is strong and some of the scenes are not for the fainthearted. Over all, I enjoyed watching a well-directed, visually stunning movie that depicted London more realistically than 'Notting Hill' ever could.