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arenapuzzles
Reviews
Mamma Mia! (2008)
Should I laugh or cry.................
OK, I have to confess, I am not gay or a big Abba fan, so the chances of me enjoying this film were slender from the start.However since Mama Mia had been hyped so much and had such a promising cast, I gave it a go. I am a fan of Meryl Streep and Julie Walters but even this allegiance was stretched somewhat. The script, such as it was ,was nicked from a French comedy*, I saw recently, on one of the movie channels (anyone know it?) Piers Brosnan, attempting to sing and prancing around in an ill-fitting 'Elvis in Hawaii' outfit, should change his agent and hire someone who cares enough to stop his career nosediving into a sea of embarrassment. The only good comment I can make was that Meryl Streep, Julie Walters and Christine Baranski were good when they did the stage act.
* THe French film was called ,Le parfum de la dame en noir (2005) (The Perfume of the Lady in Black)
Florence Nightingale (2008)
Oh what a lovely nurse
I found this production very entertaining. It's style was not unlike 'Oh, What A Lovely War', interspersing the real life drama ,with music-hall scenes, brilliantly led by Roy Hudd. Laura Fraser was excellent in the role of Florence Nightingale , showing her as a feisty yet tender character. Michael Pennington ,as Wen Nightingale was also well cast and he played his part with great sympathy. A special mention for a fine newcomer, Zoe Street-Howe, who's performance as the young Queen Victoria, I found most believable. I am sure we will see more of her. The switch from comedy, to very realistic hospital scenes,gave the production a lot more edge and underlined the futility of war.
Promise (1986)
Why no DVD?
It beats me how this excellent film has never been made into a video/DVD. The acting by James Garner and James Woods is superb. It is far and away better than 'Rainman' and deserves a wider audience. Woods character is so three dimensional and believable, I am sure he must have studied long and hard to reproduce the handicapped brother so brilliantly. Garners character , who doesn't want to be saddled with a 'cripple' but gradually is taken over by his love for him, is also fine acting. So many films of no significance , with bad acting, bad scripts and nothing much to commend them, are available . Surely the film company must realise what a commercial success this would be. PLEASE let's have a DVD.