winles Reviews

Wings and the Woman (1942)

Reviewing with Hindsight,not a good thing.

[6 January 2013]

I think that thorwald should bear in mind the circumstances that lead to the making of this film. In 1942 Britain's wartime courage had slipped to it's lowest,and many people were doubting whether we could win the war.The US did not enter WW2 until Dec 1941,and this film was made before that. The main reason that this film was made when it was,is the fact that Amy Johnson died on January 5th 1941,whilst ferrying RAF planes to airfields(her plane crashed in the Thames Estuary).So the filmmakers used this as a tribute,AND a propaganda film. If it HAD been left until after the war the impetus would probably have gone and the film would not have been made at all.There are probably quite a few(US & UK) poor quality films that apart from propaganda would not have been made.It is unwise to judge such film from the distance of 70 years or so,given that the motives for making them might seem dubious to us now.We may criticise old films that are just plain bad,but to judge wartime films purely on their film value(without their historic context) is just stupid and demeans the memory of those that took part in WW2,whether in the forces,or in the filmmaking world. It would be nice to be able to alter history,but we can't.These wartime films (good or bad) are part of WW2 and if we judge them out of context,and we alter the history they are represent.

Shame (2011)

A Wasted Opportunity!

[2/10 · 31 January 2012]

Here we have a good acting cast,and a story that could be great,but isn't. I agree with those who say it lacks substance,it has very little. It is basically one long masturbation video.It obviously started with a good premise and then the director allowed the sex to take over. Yes,it's about a sex addict,but did we need as much graphic sex in such large quantities that it swamped the point of the plot.Any sympathy or hope we had for ANY of the characters was washed away.As soon as we got into the story another "sex video" reared it's head.It wasn't the actual sex that worried me,I am 64 and have seen most things;what annoyed me was the fact that the movie became exactly what is was preaching against,someone or something obsessed by sex.

BTW,if that is Carey Mulligans real singing voice she is great.

Black Pond (2011)

Ignore the IMDb summary,it's not really about a murder!

[8/10 · 13 December 2011]

Please don't let the IMDb summary,and indeed the film's own trailer deceive you. This film is not really about a murder,except that's what they are accused of.It's about a dysfunctional couple(with two away from home daughters) and how their lives are changed,and indeed turned upside down by the entry into their lives of a clinically depressed neighbour called Blake. It's one of those films that will benefit from repeat viewing,as it has many nuances that you just cannot pick up in one time. A good thought provoking,and at times moving film. Do give it a try.I am not sure how this film will go down in the US,as although they have the same family problems there,they also have a different way of looking at things.

The Curse of King Tut's Tomb (2006 TV Movie)

So bad it doesn't qualify for a rating!

[20 November 2011]

I was subjected to watching this at a friend's,who thought I liked Egyptology; Which this certainly isn't! I couldn't believe quite how bad it was.It was rotten at the start and just got worse & worse & worse. As someone else has said Johnathan Hyde & Malcolm McDowell must have REALLY needed the money to make this turkey! Basically it's just a bad rip off from the excellent "The Mummy",oddly enough Hyde was in both of them;maybe he thought the Tut film was more of the same,it certainly isn't. If I could give a Raspberry Award it would go to this movie.As I can't I shall just blow a big raspberry at it. In the words of the great Carol Channing in "Thoroughly Modern Millie" "OH RASPBERRIES"

An Affair to Remember (1957)

A true classic!

[23 September 2011]

I cannot add anything to the other excellent reviews here,except to heartily agree with them. However,I thought you might like a small piece of trivia? Leo McCarey,the director of "An Affair to Remember" made a previous version (called Love Affair) in 1939. It starred Irene Dunne and Charles Boyer.I think it was in black and white,and might explain why he made another version in colour in 1957. Sadly,I have never seen the 1939 version,but would like to.It appears to have the same plot as the 1957 version,it would be very interesting to compare the two.Of course I am so used to the 1957 Grant/Kerr version that I might be biased. It is available on DVD. BTW,did you know that Cathleen Nesbit(The Grandmother) was the fiancé of the poet Rupert Brooke,until he died in WW1?

A Chorus of Disapproval (1989)

How to ruin Alan Ayckbourn

[22 September 2011]

Although this movie has a screenplay by Alan Ayckbourn(AND Michael Winner) it is a sad(and pale) reflection of the stage play. The (hamfisted) direction by Michael Winner has turned what should be witty light comedy,into a slow dreary and turgid drama. It may have the same plot,and basically the same script as the original stage version,but allow Michael Winner to touch it and it becomes boring. What is worse is the misuse and waste of a great cast. I have never (conciously) seen a Michael Winner film before,and going by this never will again. My (newly acquired) DVD is going straight to the charity shop! PS:~ I saw the stage play when it was premiered in 1984.

One Day (2011)

Promises much but in the end fails to deliver.

[13 September 2011]

As this movie is basically a love story between two characters,and they occupy most of the movie we should like and sympathise with them,sadly we do not. Emma is vague and stupid,and Dex is shallow and obnoxious.It is hard to get emotionally involved with them as they have no emotions. The surrounding characters (of whom there are very few) are underused and only sketchily written.One character that is written well(Ian) crops up so randomly that you cannot expect him to have,or emote,any real emotions,he is cardboard,Given that this is played by the excellent Rafe Spall it's a pity.Romola Garai and Ken Stott are allowed such brief parts that they are completely wasted. However,I think where the movie really falls down is,because each scene is set on one day (which then moves on a year or several years)we completely lose track of what,who and why is happening,and as such it can be confusing and annoying at the same time. The ending is totally believable,and one breathes a sigh of relief that it's the end of the movie. But no! We have an unnecessary(and confusing) epilogue. So,it might have worked as a novel, but does not as a movie.

Nicholas Nickleby (2002)

A flawed attempt!

[23 August 2011]

If you remove the wooden and god awful Charlie Hunnam, AND Barry Humphries in drag,then this is not a bad stab at NN. However you can't and so this chocolate box attempt is ruled out for me. Much better watch/buy the Royal Shakespeare Company version,it's well paced out over a long journey and captures Dickens novel exactly. It's obviously aimed at those viewers that need the plot simplifying,prettifying and generally sanitising. There are plenty of equal/better versions out there. You just have to take your pick,mine is as above the RSC version. Dickens novels are not (as some directors think) easy to film,this one just falls short for various reasons.

Mr. Popper's Penguins (2011)

Why don't I like Jim Carrey? Everyone else seems to!

[22 July 2011]

Now don't get me wrong,I DID "quite" like Jim Carrey at the start of his career,in films such as Peggy Sue got Married,Pink Cadillac,Ace Ventura,& The Mask. However,when he progressed into Liar Liar,The Truman Show and Bruce Almighty,I stopped going out of may way to see his movies. I hoped he might change in I Love you Phillip Morris,but sadly he didn't.He alternated between the standard Jim Carrey and quite a serious actor(which both in one movie was confusing and annoying)He was out-acted completely by Ewan McGregor. Now (having seen only the trailer) he has reverted to type with Mr Popper. If you like a manic,out of control, irritating actor(who to me is not even a wee bit funny) the you are welcome to him. As I say is it only me that finds him annoying and over the top?

All Passion Spent (1986)

Any news of a Region 2 DVD of this ?

[10/10 · 22 June 2011]

I can get a Region 1 DVD of "All Passion Spent",but as I am in Region 2 that is not much use to me.I don't want to "hack" my DVD player in case it all goes pear shaped,and I don't want to pay out for a multi region player either. Has anyone heard any rumours if it might come out on a Region 2 disc? It really is annoying that a BBC production like this is only available in Region 1. BTW nobody has been able to explain(logically) to me WHY we NEED so many regions for DVD's. All this is doing is preventing me from seeing a production(and a British one at that). I did ring Acorn Media UK,but they could only tell me what I knew already,namely that it was Region 1 only.They couldn't say WHY it was not available in Region2!

Irma la Douce (1963)

Even Billy Wilder could get it wrong!

[2/10 · 28 May 2011]

So let's try and put things right,shall we? Billy Wilder had intended to film "Irma La Douce" as a musical.He even went so far as to have MacLaine and Lemmon record vocal tracks(which still,presumably,lie is some Hollywood vault?) However,when it came to actually start the filming Wilder found that (strangely) the songs slowed down the action.So what did he do?Tighten up the script,drop an odd song or two? NO! He ditched ALL the songs,thereby negating the movie as a musical. He just used the music(tinkered with by Andre Previn) as a background track. To add insult to injury Previn got the Oscar for best score,when the greatest majority of the music was by Marguerite Monnot,who wrote ALL the original music of the stage musical. It may be a great comedy as it is,but it is a travesty of the musical, and it's a great shame that we will never now see a movie with the songs included. Billy Wilder,hang your head in shame!

Daniel Deronda (2002)

You want to change the ending? you then ruin what George Eliot intended!

[10/10 · 15 May 2011]

We could all find endings to novels that we would like to change,but this is to set us up as a better writer than the author.

Contains possible Spoilers:~

The whole point of Daniel Deronda is to contrast the unloving Grandcourt and Gwendolyn

with the loving Daniel & Mirah.

It is also to show how the upper class society of England at the time was empty corrupt and without feeling. Where the oppressed,poor and faithful Jewish society was the opposite.

To have ended the novel by putting Daniel with Gewndolyn would have completely ruined the whole point of the story. The point being Gwendolyn starts to see her redemption by not having Daniel(or anything she wanted) and Daniel realising just how shallow and selfish Gwendolyn was. As a subplot Daniel finds his Jewish ancestry and realises just why and what feelings he had for Mirah. Change the end to Daniel with Gwendolyn and you completely destroy the whole construction of the plot,and as such there is no novel. We cannot always have happy endings (in a novel as in life) and we try and alter them to our peril. Do we really think we are a greater author than George Eliot? Perhaps we should try changing Dickens,Hardy or Gaskell? If you answer yes then your ego is bigger than your intelligence.

The Tempest (I) (2010)

Sell the studio and then release on DVD/Blu Ray only?

[4/10 · 23 April 2011]

Just a small point,I found the following on Wikipedia. "The Tempest premiered at the Venice Film Festival on September 11, 2010 as the festival's closing film. When Disney sold Miramax Films to Filmyard Holdings,LLC , they took over distribution through its division Touchstone Pictures." add to this that the ONLY Official Website for The Tempest is for the DVD/Blu Ray then I think that says it all? When Touchstone got the movie they obviously decided they didn't like it,and decided to only release it on DVD/Blu Ray? I cannot find anywhere (here in the UK) that it has been released for more than a few days. Very disappointing.

Pandora and the Flying Dutchman (1951)

New & Restored DVD as of Jan 31st 2011(in UK)

[10/10 · 28 February 2011]

Just to point out to anyone in the UK,a new restored DVD version of this movie is available from 31st January 2011. I have purchased this from Amazon,and can assure you that it truly IS restored (colour & sound)to the original Technicolor version. For the completists it also has several extras,but if you want to know what they are you will have to look on Amazon. Make sure the DVD you order is on the Park Circus label, as this is the restored one,any others may not be. I got mine(Feb 2011) for £10.99,as I had been waiting for an "original & restored" version for a long time I was even better value!

PS:~ I presume this also available in the States but I am not sure?

Tamara Drewe (2010)

Tedious overblown rubbish!

[1/10 · 14 September 2010]

I have just sat through this awful film. It consists of a very tedious and unbelievable plot,inhabited by shallow and facile characters.It is really nothing more than a sequence of disconnected and fantastic coincidences stretched together and called a script. It is also a criminal waste of many good actors,who must have cringed at being in a movie with such dire lines and trite situations. I am ashamed that it was seen fit to film it by a British company. Movies such as this had (I hoped) disappeared with the swinging 60's. I could go on and on about it,(but I won't) just don't waste your money on such a "puff of air" type film. Let it die it's own natural death.

Toscanini in His Own Words (2009 TV Movie)

1955 not 1957.

[9/10 · 6 November 2009]

Can I just point out that if you listen at the end of the documentary,they are wishing each other happy 1955! I think you may be getting confused with Toscanini's stroke which happened three years later in 1957. I agree that this film may not give us much more biographical detail than some books already do,but I think there is a directness,given that it was based on Walter's (illicit) tapings. I wonder what the Maestro would have thought if had known that so many of his words were being recorded? It still managed to teach me many things I never knew about Toscanini,and for that I am grateful. It's a shame there aren't more films like this on the dumbed down (UK) TV system.