PaulW-7 Reviews

Øyenstikker (2001)

Very thoughtful and entertaining

[8/10 · 10 January 2006]

"Dragonfly" is a superbly acted Norwegian film that works at many levels. Ultimately its message is that we can only overcome feelings of anger, resentment, etc., by making changes within ourselves, not by trying to change other people's lives. If however you are not in the mood for introspection it still works well as a simple story. The characters are very real, and I find it hard to believe that they do not exist somewhere in Norway, which is always a sign of a good film.

I cannot however agree with the recommendation "If you like this title, we also recommend. What Lies Beneath", the two films could hardly be more different.

The Weight of Water (2000)

The acting is good, but...

[3/10 · 13 June 2005]

....other than that I found the film pretty dire. The connection between the two stories told in the film is nebulous to say the least. The story of the original murder is told in a very straight forward fashion, but what is going on in the modern story is most unclear. After watching the film, I honestly don't know if it is meant to be the case that the Sean Penn character had an affair with the Elizabeth Hurley Character, whether she was trying to seduce him, whether he and his wife are happy, and many more things that are hard to mention without creating spoilers.

Watch something else!

Year of the Jellyfish (1984)

Not very consistent.

[5/10 · 17 February 2004]

I did not find this film very satisfactory. The main character in the film (Chris) is very inconsistent, and no explanation is given for this; true Romain fancies her mother and not her, but this does not go near explaining things. Also, and I'll try and avoid a "spoiler" here: it is inconceivable that the event that occurs towards the end of the film would go uninvestigated, as apparently it does in the film.

I wouldn't be surprised to find that the film was originally much longer, and that the edited out bits would explain many of the inconsistencies. If any French speakers out there have read the book and can enlighten me, please do. I would like to think that this film was not just an excuse to get a lot of topless women on screen.

The Thin Man (1934)

Amazing combination of qualities.

[9/10 · 12 May 2003]

This is an amazing film. I cannot remember another movie that combines suspense, good plot, great acting and direction and especially humour to such effect. The ending is a bit weak, but I am more than willing to overlook that. If you do not like this film, there is something wrong with you!

The Frightened Man (1952)

Good Thriller

[6/10 · 27 May 2002]

I saw this on the television last night. It is a good 1950's B-movie thriller. Whilst the plot is a bit hackneyed in places, it is well acted and well directed. If you like this sort of film it is well worth a viewing. If you are not a fan of this sort of film, but want to kill 69 minutes, it should do the job.

The Big Sleep (1978)

I have never read the book, or seen the Bogart version.

[8/10 · 6 August 2001]

I have never read the book, nor seen the Bogart version, so I came to this film with no preconceptions, and I found it well scripted, well acted all round, and most entertaining. Probably I will be disappointed by the Bogart version when I get to see it. Well worth watching.

Thomas and the Magic Railroad (2000)

Very Disappointing

[2/10 · 27 November 2000]

I took my two girls to see this yesterday, and I was very disappointed. The trains have little to do with the (confused and disjointed) plot of the film, they give what can best be described as extended cameo appearances, which presumably are meant to prop up the wooded acting performances (of all but Didi Conn). The film seems to have been edited at random, several plot lines just suddenly disappear. The children just about enjoyed it, but not as much as they usually enjoy a childrens' film.

The Flintstones in Viva Rock Vegas (2000)

The actors are truer to the cartoon originals.

[6/10 · 27 November 2000]

I was disappointed with the 1996 film, I felt that the Betty, Wilma and Barney characters were too far away from the cartoon characters. This has largely been put right in "Viva Rock Vegas". Apart from this the prequel is inferior to the 1996 film. The plot is not as good, and you are always aware that what you are watching as a film set, something which I don't remember feeling about the 1996 film.

Chicken Run (2000)

Brilliant

[10/10 · 27 November 2000]

I took my kids to see "Chicken Run" at a cut price Sunday morning screening a few weeks back, and it is simply the best film I have seen in ages, (including American Beauty). The puppets are totally believable, the talking hens are totally believable. I loved it. My (seven and eight year old) kids loved it. Usually I never see a film twice, but I think that I will go back and see this one ( full price if necessary) at the next possible opportunity.

Dream Lover (1993)

A silly film

[3/10 · 17 November 2000]

SPOILER ALERT I saw this film on television last night, and I wasted a couple of hours when I could have been enjoying myself. Previous reviewers have compared this film to Hitchcock. This is a travesty. Hitchcock made his plot twists appear believable, the twists in this film just seem silly. How at the end we are expected to believe that an architect who had displayed no signs of instability at work could be committed to a mental hospital on the basis of one untypical violent outburst buy a woman who had previously displayed, on several occasions, deceitful behaviour in the presence of several witnesses, is beyond me. Also do you think that a man who totally lost it in front of the judge at his hearing, could then fake insanity and sedation over an extended period, in the presence of trained psychiatric nurses. Come off it,