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Reviews
Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris (2022)
Exquisite
Like the stitches in a couture gown there is craftmanship in every frame of this film. Before going I had not been aware that it was based on a Paul Gallico book, but like the Snow Goose it is a wonderful story. The cinematographers have managed to make the colour balance look like a film from the 1950s - warm glowing colours but not too bright, the sound is well balanced and I could hear every word of dialogue without it being drowned out by unnecessary background music or sound effects. The actors are all brilliantly cast and the make up is right for the era. Came out of the cinema feeling like I had been given a great hug and that does not often happen with films these days. I hope they can make films of the other three books about Mrs Harris.
Mary Poppins Returns (2018)
Totally perfect in every way.
Mary Poppins Returns exceeded all my expectations when I saw it today. The original film was the first I ever saw in the cinema so I was a bit cautious about spoiling childhood memories but this film brought a tear to my eyes because the people who made it clearly love the original as I do. The songs are in keeping with the original as is the whole style of combined live action and animation. The sets are incredible - virtually no difference from the original film. It matters not that Mary is this is not Julie Andrews because Emily Blunt does a fantastic job. Lin-Manuel Miranda plays Jack the Lamplighter and does an amazing performance replacing Bert the Chimney Sweep. The plot carried the film from start to finish in an intelligent and witty style - the 2 hours 10 minutes flew by. It was lovely to see Dick Van Dyke as the junior banker from the original aged to look like the Mr Dawes Senior character he played in the original film. The spirit of Walt Disney infuses every frame of this film.
Darkest Hour (2017)
Was the blackout really as black as this ?
The director spared no expense on the lighting of this film, in many parts nothing could be seen on the screen because the luminance was so low. Must have save a fortune on dressing the set with period objects, or was it to hide dodgy CGI, such as the little ships bound for Dunkirk ? The film concentrates on a very small period at the start of Churchill's premiership :- The speeches of 13/5/40 Blood Toil Sweat and 4/6/40 Fight them on the beaches. Gary Oldman is no Robert Hardy, even with maximum prosthetics. The film shows Churchill travelling on the underground and speaking to the people but this has not been documented in the history books and as it was only one stop to Westminster the scene was farcical in the length of time it took and how many people he managed to speak to in that time. Overall a film that promised much but delivered little.
Paddington 2 (2017)
You'll believe a bear can fly
From the opening moments to the end credits this film is a fitting epitaph to the author Michael Bond. I can honestly say this is the best "children's" film I have seen since Mary Poppins when I was 6. Like a very good marmalade it is bitter sweet, with moments of comedy that will have tears of laughter running down your cheek and moments of pathos that will do the same - a good thing I was in a darkened cinema. The animators are the star (Paddington) but special mention must be made for Hugh Grant who throws everything at this Oscar worthy role (Don't leave before the end credits or you'll miss one of the best moments) and Brendan Gleeson is suitably menacing and lovable at the same time.
Spoiler Alert :- The film flashbacks to Peru when Paddington was rescued by Aunt Lucy and Uncle Pastuzo from a fast flowing river. When you see the quality of the animation of this scene you know you are seeing movie platinum. The pop up book that Paddington wants to buy and send to Aunt Lucy for her Birthday present comes to life at the Quayside with Paddington welcoming his aunt to London and showing her the sights - these scenes are inspired and worth the admission price alone. When Paddington gets sent to prison for being wrongly accused of stealing the pop up book his transformation of the prison and the chef Nuckles McGinty (Gleeson) is amazing - and it all starts with marmalade. There are too many other excellent scenes to mention but when Paddington has been cleared and released from prison and is back home he goes to the front door to open it and at this point, thanks to first rate animation throughout, you will believe a bear can fly.
Call the Midwife: Christmas Special (2012)
BBC at its best
The Christmas episode is one of the best they have done. It makes you appreciate how far we have come in welfare and the NHS. With a "virgin" birth, nativity play and showing the poverty that was still around at the time this episode is perfect. Sheila Reid's playing of a former workhouse inmate should bring a tear to the eye of anyone with a heart and she should have received an award for her acting. The sets are always impeccably dressed and the costumes and make up add to the overall time travel that this show achieves. This series always feels like a big hug, even when covering the darkest of issues and Sister Monica Joan always has words of wisdom escaping through the dementia. Vanessa Redgrave's voice-over's are perfect
London Has Fallen (2016)
Hugely entertaining action thriller
I don't usually go to see action thriller's and have not been to a James Bond in years but this film had me on the edge of my seat throughout. The plot is highly believable as are the character's. The computer graphics are brilliant a pity that it was not made in 3d. Sheer entertainment from start to finish. I would pay to see this again and that does not happen very often. The actor's are very good. Morgan played the vice president very well. I particularly liked the way the character names were introduced on the bottom of the screen like a documentary, which added to the realism. Would go to a sequel and will look out for Olympus Has Fallen now I know that this was a prequel.
Dad's Army (2016)
Cast in search of a comedy script
Dad's Army was always about comedy, the war came second. Sadly this has been forgotten by the scriptwriters of this turgid film. While special mention should be made for Michael Gambon playing a very good Godfrey (formerly Arnold Ridley), Daniel Mays as Private Walker (formerly James Beck) and Sarah Lancashire as Mrs Pike (formerly Janet Davies) the rest of the cast left a lot to be desired. Tom Courteney as Jones (formerly Clive Dunn) had none of the spark and fight that this old soldier had when played by the late great Dunn, even when hanging off a cliff edge he could rustle up none of the "Don't Panic !" bravado of Dunn and throughout played the role as limp as a lettuce. There was an ideal opportunity for slapstick when the CGI inflatable tanks took off and this would have been an ideal chance for one of the cast to have flown across Southern England holding onto a dirigible as had happened in the TV series to Captain Mainwaring (The Day the Balloon Went Up). Disappointing, would have rather watched a cleaned print of the original cast's film.
Sir Francis Drake (1961)
Splice the mainbrace for Sir Francis Drake & Terence Morgan
This series is loosely based on the story of Sir Francis Drake woven with the characters around at the time- e.g. Sir Thomas Stukely (King of America) and the Irish female pirate Grace O'Malley . It's not historically accurate but poetic licence makes some marvellous viewing all these years since it was made. In parts there is comedy and wit, which I did not pick up on when I watched it as a child. The production values are superb, the picture crisp and the sound good, as are the actors. Queen Elizabeth (Jean Kent) and the Spanish Ambassador (Roger Delgado) deserve a particular mention as thoroughly believable casting. Although there are good sets the shipboard scenes are also filmed at sea. It is also interesting to see a young Michael Crawford in what must be one of his earliest roles.
Cor, Blimey! (2000)
Almost as good as a real Carry On
We know that many of the actors in the long running Carry On series had personal problems - perhaps this is why they were so funny and we laughed with them not at them. This film could have only been made by people with a deep affection for the Carry On films and the actors involved. Don't expect an air brushing of history to pretend all the Carry On actors were perfect. Also this is only an interpretation of the events and characters and does not purport to be autobiographical. It is both very funny and also very sad - the two masks of comedy and tragedy. The impersonations are extremely good. The fact that Barbara Windsor was willing to take part must at least indicate approval from one Carry On cast member.
Tales of the Riverbank (1960)
Children's TV at its best
Only 3 black and white episodes of this superb children's TV programme. Features GP (guinea pig) Roderick Rat and Hammy Hamster. The story is told in Johnny Morris' inimitable style using different voices for each of the animals in a similar way to the Animal Magic BBC TV programme.
The black and white episodes were longer than the colour ones and the photography appears superior. The writing did not talk down to children and so even now as an adult the episodes are intelligent and clever.
This was a gentle beautifully crafted series with no violence made in Canada and bought for the BBC by the great Peggy Miller. Sadly Paul Sutherland died in 1994 aged 73.
Can we have all the early episodes on DVD please ?