pbarnhill Reviews

Van Helsing (2004)

Tongue firmly in cheek....

[8/10 · 7 May 2004]

Van Helsing was not quite as i expected, but then neither was Kate Beckinsale's last monster-duelling exploits in the wasted opportunity that was 'Underworld'. Van Helsing fares much better, largely due to the charisma of Hugh Jackman (X-Men's 'Wolverine' as if you didn't know). The CGI is indeed fantastic, with seamless transitions from man to beast and back again, but what i wasn't expecting was the fact that the writer seems to be working from a checklist of cliches, and not just horror/sc-fi ones. Everything is thrown into the mix here, cheesy lines galore (which Jackman gives a certain tongue in cheek style to, i must admit), and enough movie homages - obvious and obscure - to keep many film fans glued for a second viewing.

Overall, slightly scary, slightly camp, slightly ridiculous, but definitely a good night's entertainment. 7/10.

8 Mile (2002)

Rocky for the rap generation.

[24 January 2003]

An amazingly simple and thin story transformed into something semi-special by an amazingly subtle performance from Eminem. Does this man's talents know no end? Only two negative points to mention - the plot was spread t...h...i...n ! Some might even say the film was too slow. I can see how Curtis Hanson tried to use the images of Detroit almost as a character/plotline though...but didn't quite work in my mind. Also, I found it hard to believe that Eminem's character, Jimmy 'Rabbit' would be attracted to Brittany Murphy's character Alex. Ok, granted she looks hot, but his character was portrayed as someone with a little more depth and ambition to go for a no-class skank like her. 7/10. Good. Not Curtis Hanson's best work, but it'll be interesting to see if Eminem takes more roles.

Gangs of New York (2002)

Flawed....with flashes of brilliance.

[8/10 · 22 January 2003]

If the main events portrayed in this movie are historically accurate, then I'm not surprised it was so controversial. It certainly doesn't provide New Yorkers with much heritage to be proud of. My main gripe with this movie was Leonardo DiCaprio, who's inclusion was obviously a business decision more than anything based on his acting abilities. Lets face it, his mug on the poster will guarantee a teenage audience. Such a pity that most teenagers will be bored stupid. When I was leaving the cinema, I overheard a group of teenage girls complaining that they didn't understand what was going on. Can you imagine if 'The Godfather' was re-made today...we'd probably have the likes of Leo & co cast!!! There's only one person who saves this movie, and no prizes for guessing who...yes...Daniel Day Lewis. He is as good as DiCaprio is bad. His performance is a masterclass in acting, and it is he alone who makes this film a must see.

Grosse Pointe Blank (1997)

The most fun you can have without taking any clothes off !!

[10/10 · 22 January 2003]

Grosse Pointe Blank defines cool. John Cusack was born to play Martin Blank. His neurotic hitman is perfectly captured by Cusack's 'stream of conciousness' style. The quirky combination of violence, black comedy and music is amazing. The characterisations are amazing and fit together perfectly. Joan Cusack's sunny but tough secretary, Minnie Driver's good hearted but spurned ex, Dan Aykroyd's hilarious rival hitman with a union, Alan Arkin's petrified psychologist, and Jeremy Piven's frenetic 'old best friend'. We're spoilt with so many classic lines. My favs include 'I killed the President of Paraguay with a fork. How've you been', and 'Hello Jenny Slater, Hello Jenny Slater, Hello Jenny Slater'. I could go on and on, but I wanna go watch Grosse Pointe Blank again!!!

Untamed Heart (1993)

A movie to melt the hardest heart.

[22 January 2003]

A perfect blend of reality and fantasy in this cynical world we live. Marisa Tomei and Christian Slater gives career best performances as two people who discover that rare thing - true, deep, and mutual love. Everyone should find something here to relate to, the insecurity of life, loves, rejection and the cruel twists of fate that life sometimes serves. I know I did. A genre classic that deserves to be a part of any collection. If you like this, I also recommend 'Say Anything' and 'Before Sunrise' for the perfect romantic trilogy.

Magnolia (1999)

A dark, modern fairytale...

[10/10 · 10 September 2002]

A dark, modern fairytale of love, loss, hope, and redemption. It's marvellous to see a cast of top class character actors content to share the 'limelight' with each other. There is no scene-stealing, no show-boating here, just finely tuned performances which flesh out the nuances of the script. Remarkably (especially that the film is 3 hours long) the most important aspects of the story are unspoken, but 'between the lines' The nervous ticks, the sadness in the eyes, the pain, the suffering, unspoken but clearly obvious to anyone paying attention.

This is one of very few movies I have seen that has the ability to alter the way you look at the world.....and I haven't even mentioned the frogs......

Wild About Harry (2000)

A real pleasure !!

[9/10 · 23 May 2002]

What a pleasure this was. A well written, well crafted piece of black comedy which demonstrates the fact that a fine story and emotive acting can make up for a lack of big budget sets and effects. Filmed on location (with good effect) in Northern Ireland, 'Wild About Harry' tells the tale of Harry McKee, an aging lothario who combines his job as a TV chef with a life of drunken parties and seducing his female fans. As you would imagine, this does not bode well for his marriage to long suffering wife Ruth, who has set divorce proceedings in motion. Before the hearing though, Harry gets attacked by thugs and ends up in a coma.

When he awakes, he has 'lost' 25 years of memory and thinks he is an 18 year old, clean living, boy with his whole life ahead of him. What follows is a keenly observed story of how life can sometimes give you a second chance to repair any mistakes you've made. 'Wild About Harry' is based on a book by superb local author Colin Bateman, and anyone who has read any of his work will know that there are plenty of colourful characters, situations and lines to enjoy. We need more films like this to refresh the soul from the usual Hollywood pap !

The Star Wars Holiday Special (1978 TV Movie)

It really is that bad !!

[1/10 · 21 May 2002]

I was immensely curious about seeing this but still found it hard to believe that any programme could be so banal and dull. It's almost as if the makers deliberately tried to make it as boring as possible. Due to the fact that it features well known actors and characters, you do expect a certain level of quality, but it just shows how much actors really are just pawns, and cannot save a poorly conceived idea.

The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)

Magnificent !

[10/10 · 21 December 2001]

Quite simply, everything you could ever want in a movie ! Wonderful characters, heartfelt acting, wondrous locations, scenery and photography. I strongly recommend everyone to see this film at their earliest opportunity.

Say Anything (1989)

Fond memories of teenage years.

[10/10 · 16 March 2001]

Maybe it's because of the age I am now, remembering when I first saw this fine movie at 17, that it unleashes fond memories of a special time in my, and I'm sure most peoples, life, when the things that now seem complicated were so simple, and the simple things today then seemed do complicated. A movie with a pure soul, Say Anything boasts standout performances from the whole cast, who really seemed to 'get' what the film was about.