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Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004)
Gambon is not Dumbledore
As a huge fan of all the Harry Potter books, I have been somewhat disappointed in all the films, but my biggest complaint is the miscasting of Michael Gambon as Albus Dumbledore!
Richard Harris was wonderful in the part and captured perfectly the combination of gentleness and power that is paramount in the books. Gambon, on the other hand is overly emotive and not at all gentle. He appears inadequate as Dumbledore and every time I see him, I feel like walking away from the film. I would bet that Gambon never read the books, or read them and disliked them.
I've tried to recast Dumbledore and think that Michael Kitchen would have been wonderful in the part. Of course he's much shorter than the character, but this is not as important as his other qualities. His demeanor in Foyle's war seems to match those of Dumbledore very closely. He's smart and authoritative, but also kind. And he appears to be holding onto many secrets which is a true Dumbledore characteristic.
So, I've reduced my score from a 9 to a 7 and this is largely due to my dislike of Gambon as Dumbledore.
Little Bird (2023)
Disappointing
Having seen "The Lost Child", film that I thought was based on the same source, I expected something totally different. That was about a woman who lives an independent life - mainly in the military and is already married with two daughters before she learns about her Native American heritage. Also her husband is a blue collar guy who has worked on a ranch in his past and can fit in (eventually) with his wife's south western roots. So I was hoping for an extended version of the same story.
Instead, we get a poorly written story which is drawn out with long scenes of people driving or riding on buses accompanied by a lot of, to my mind, poor music. This story could have easily been told in a couple of episodes, but has been drawn out tediously into six.
The Love Letter (1998)
Lovely Story with one Flaw
I love time travel stories and this was a nice one.
Campbell Scott was wonderful as the leading man.
He is beautiful looking and in the part, plays a smart,
considerate man. He clearly did not want to hurt his fiancee, but got swept away by an unexpected love.
But....in my opinion, Jennifer Jason Leigh was totally miscast. She never once felt like a 19th century woman. She always had messy hair and an odd coy expression on her face. She also , at times, seemed selfish and spoiled. In fact, the only time I liked her is when she showed up at the end as a modern woman.
As the latter, she loved comfortably in her skin and was suddenly likable.
Ladies in Lavender (2004)
Wonderful Acting- Deficient script.
All the actors were wonderful, especially Judi Dench and Maggie Smith, but there were too many loose ends. How did Andrea end up on their beach? Was Ursula's fantasy of making love with Andrea based on an actual incident: i.e did she have a love affair as a young woman? Also, what was the point of the creepy doctor? The year was not clearly stated, so his suspicions seem like paranoid hopes, not real possibilities. He was clearly jealous of Andrea and felt rejected by Olga, so sour grapes seems like his motivation.
By the way, I wish IMDB a more inclusive rating system as I would have given this film a 7 1/2 if it did.
Dalgliesh (2021)
Good Acting, Mutilated PD James
I've seen all six episodes. And this was the worst version of a wonderful book. The protagonists matched the book in that the victims and killer were the same - but almost everything else was the writer's creation - not Jame's.
When I heard of this series, I thought that an episodic format would allow the books to be more fully explored. I hoped that the productions would each use as many episodes as needed to recreate each book wholly. Clearly this did not happen. Instead we got chopped and simplified versions of intricate, masterful works! Compared to the Roy Marsden versions made while James was still alive, these are pitiful.
Some minor annoyance:
Love to the Rescue (2019)
Different and Delightful!
This is a special Hallmark film. Nikki Deloach and Michael Ready are two of my favorites and a cute pup doesn't hurt. But, what really sets this apart is the wonderful writing! Especially in the fact that none of the adults are backstabbing, or jealous, or silly or stupid, et.al. They're all decent but real human beings.
And although the main plot is a bit "cute", the intelligence and chemistry of Deloach and Rady truly shows and the children are perfect as well.
Carol for Another Christmas (1964)
Nothing like Dicken's
I only watched about 40 minutes of this film and my review reflects this. I've always loved the original tale as it was told by Dickens and this film feels like a betrayal. Calling the son Marley is a feeble attempt to tie this film to the actual story and since the first "ghost" acts nothing like the original Marley, the attempt fails. At this point, I stopped watching.
Now the story seems like an interesting take on the cold war in the sixties, and the acting seems excellent, but this isn't "A Christmas Carol".
Holiday Affair (1949)
Special and Different
This is a gentle and special romance that stands out by being different in one important way. This is that of the two men vying for Janet Leigh's affections, there is no villain, no idiot, no buffoon, no snob...etc. For once, the rivalry is between two decent likeable men and it's sad that one of them has to lose- but it's also realistic. One man is a tota!!y steady, reliable lawyer and the other is a dreamer with an ephemeral, uncertain future. At first, Leigh's character settles for the former out of what appears to be fear but is then drawn towards the latter for the rest of the film. She also has an adorable young son whose presence adds to the difficulty of her choice.
She ends up with the man who is the one us viewers think she'll choose, but the film lets us enjoy the ride.
Impact (1949)
Pretty good with flaws.
First, I really wish that IMDB would have half votes for their numeric ratings. I would have given this and many more films a 7.5. So, this was good B movie with second rung actors and a decent plot. However, I had one big complaint. Brian Donlevy was 48 or 49 when he made this film, probably old enough to be Ella Raine's father and yet the script treats him as if he were a young man. Some actors might have been able to get away with this (i.e. Cary Grant), but not Mr. Donlevy. He truly looks like a 50 year old! He would have been more suited as a !ove interest for the mother of Raine's character than her.
The film also wraps up the "not guilty" verdict in about one minute. In a modern film, this would be ludicrous. Two or three incriminating pieces of evidence would not automatically point the guilt at a different person. Nor would the prosecutor drop the case in a few seconds. But I believe this has to do with a style of film-making. It allows for the suspension of belief in order to come up with a happy ending. This is actually fine with me. It makes for a tighter film.
Me Before You (2016)
Wonderful and Sad
I adore this film. I've watched it several times and enjoy it every time. It's hard to describe why it's so perfect, but I'll try.
I think this is a story that could have been maudlin and sentimental in the wrong hands. Instead it's actually both funny in part and life-affirming. Every character comes to life, even the minor ones and the more we get to know them, the more we like them. Now Emilia Clarke and Sam Claflin have wonderful chemistry and are both excellent actors, but I believe the stars here are the touching script and skilled direction.
It seems like we've seen a whole world in a ninety or so minute film. And the ending is perfect, and amazingly we realize that the film is more about the girl than it is about the man. It's as if the whole point of Will Traynor's life has been to awaken Lou to the possibilities in life. As Will shuts down, Lou becomes more and more alive! And this proves that even though he chooses to die, his life has truly meant somthing.
The Perfect Christmas Present (2017)
Dashed Expectations
I really wanted to love this film and was intrigued by the premise. However the story played out in a mediocre way. Firstly, there were some fairly long boring stretches where nothing interesting happens. Also although, Sam Page is a good actor, somehow he didn't seem quite right for this part. I think someone with a lighter more charming quality would have worked better.
However, I did like the fact that people who might have been truly unlikable, such as the two other potential love interests, were actually decent people who get together in the end.
Christmas in Montana (2019)
O.K. Hallmark with tepid romance.
I watched this whole film (which is why I gave it a six), but found it somwhat tedious. The plot was a typical Hallmark, which I expected, but also, there was no chemistry between the two leads which pretty much sunk the romance. In addition, I'm a huge fan of both Colin Ferguson and Keliie Martin, but here they were both lackluster, as if they were dialing in performances that they had done a hundred times before! Yes the script was commonplace, but actors need to seem fresh and vital in their roles. Here they didn't.
Christmas Tree Lane (2020)
Two great actors in a poor story.
Andrew Walker and Alicia Witt are two of my favorite "Hallmark" actors, but this story is boring. It's too predictable and smarmy. The whole idea of a street rising up in protest is old-fashioned with few areas for originality. We all know that in the long run, the "little" person never wins and the dynamic should be for people to welcome change and find ways to meet it. Is there such a thing as an old-fashioned Christmas where profit is not the main motivator? We'd like to hope so, but how often do we see it.
Anway, this was a disappointing film for me and the only reason it got a 5 was for the two leads.
A Timeless Christmas (2020)
Sweet Time Travel story.
I really liked this story, but I confess that I'm a sucker for time travel plots. Anyway, this was a generally satisfying play on the theme of "a man out of his own time" with Ryan Paevey being a lovely romantic lead. Erin Cahill was fine as well, but being a woman, I'm always more drawn to the attractive male leads.
I do have one caveat. It's not really a criticism, but more a wish. I really thought this would have been more interesting (and believable) if Erin Cahill' s character could have somehow gone back with Charles to his time. Of course, there would have to have been script changes, so it would have been a different film. However, somehow I can't imagine a 19th century man so easily giving up his whole very successful life. Also, a small thing but how can Charles fit into a new life in the 21st century without any documentation (i.e social security number, birth certificate, et.al.)
Time for You to Come Home for Christmas (2019)
Pleasant Hallmark, with cliches.
I enjoyed this film and although I'm not crazy about Alison Sweeney, I really like Lucas Bryant. The fim had a decent love story with a mystery that keeps you involved for most of the film. However, its filled with Hallmark cliches: female lead is a baker; there's a snowball fight; the best friend is African-American; and the winter is phony - nobody ever looks cold, no matter how skimpily dressed. These cliches lower the enjoyment for me as they are like cartoon "POWS" when thy appear and take me away from the story. At least the writers forgot the " angels in the snow" cliche (whew...).
Anyway, I know Hallmark turns these films out in multiples that mean originality is hard to find, but I just wish they would take more care of their product and stop the annoying unoriginal ideas! If this were a little better written, it would have gotten an 8 or 9 from me. A 7 is my way of saying it was ok, but probably not worth watching more than once.
With Love, Christmas (2017)
Enjoyed this, but as usual hated the Hallmark fake winter
I really liked this film. The script was more original than the average Hallmark film and the actors had nice chemistry.
However, I reluctantly gave this an 8 rating, because of the typical phony winter. I would have liked to give it a 7.5, but this is impossible on IMDB. I don't recall one outdoor scene where Emilie Ullerup's character closed her coat, OR wore a hat and gloves OR actually looked cold. The last scene was sweet, but also ridiculous! Her character walks outside in a sleeveless flimsy dress and the male lead places an equally lightweight blanket over her. Do any of these writers actually know what a winter is? I'm picturing some southern California types who've never been cold!
Never Kiss a Man in a Christmas Sweater (2020)
First part soso, ending much better
I really like Niall Matter and enjoyed his work in this film. He's a consistently excellent actor. However, there didn't seem to be much chemistry between the two romantic leads. Also, I was somewhat disappointed by Ashley William's performance. In the past, I've generally enjoyed her work, but in the beginning of this film, her relentless perkiness and big-eyed smiling was really irritating. This undercut any potentially serious moments. Also, if I were Niall Matter's character, in light of his mood at the time, I would have wanted to slug her for her tireless good cheer and intrusive sociability. However, towards the end of the film and especially the last 15 or 20 minutes, when she showed some sadness and disappointment, I was pleasantly surprised by her performance. The contrast was so obvious that I wondered if the problem was in Ms. Williams acting or was it perhaps in the directing.
The Thing Called Love (1993)
Spaced out River Phoenix
This film's premise and cast really appealed to me - until I watched it. All the actors were excellent except River Phoenix. He was clearly so drugged out that he totally wrecked any sympathy or empathy for his character. It was hard to believe that any smart woman would be drawn to him. He should have been fired from the part early on. Dermot Mulroney would have been great as the main lead with another sober actor playing his former part.
Also, I rated the film a 6 only because I watched the whole thing. It's a personal rule.
Gettysburg (1993)
After many viewings: My Say!
I love this film. I am a big fan of "The Kiler Angels" book also and appreciate this telling of the story. I remember when this movie was released and a lot of whinging, negative reviews in the papers. I believe that as a result, the film lost at the box office. It saddened me at the time and I decided that critics of films carried too much power. I hope today that all the social media outlets will prevent this from happening. If discussion of movies is by the viewers and not a few arrogant writers then perhaps this kind of film can succeed.
As for the film itself, I have little to add to most of the favorable notes. To summarize, the acting is universally excellent with standout performances by all the leads, especially Jeff Daniels, Tom Berenger, and Sam Elliot. I'm not sure about Martin Sheen as his spacy, introspective portrait of Lee seemed odd for a successful general. I remember though from history lessons that Lee was torn at first when making a decision about which side to fight for. He was a respected U. S. officer but felt he couldn't fight against his beloved home state of Virginia.
The Bridge at Remagen (1969)
Confusing!
I've watched half this film and all I can figure out is that both sides want to both hold the bricge AND to destroy it. So what am I rooting for?
But the acting is good so I'm giving the film a 6 out of 10.
Persuasion (2007)
Overwrought Austen?
Although the cast is generally excellent, this production has an excessive, overwrought quality which is totally antithetical to Austen's spare and elegant writing. This has the quality of a melodrama and is filled with Sally Perkins over-emoting directly into the camera, often in extreme close-up. It's not clear if this is bad acting, bad directing or a combination of both.
Instead of a regretful but restrained Anne, we have a woman who telegraphs her feelings so obviously that anyone around her would know what they are. Several times, in response to her glum or depressed or over-the-top reactions, the people around her ask her it she's ok and seem to believe her assurances that she is. However, we the viewers can clearly see that she's not ok and have to pretend to accept her lies in order to enjoy the production.
In my opinion, the 1995 film with Amanda Root was much, much better with one big complaint. Ciaran Hinds was too old to play the captain. He was clearly in his forties and his age should have been late twenties or early thirties at most. In this instance, Penry-Jones was a much better choice and I admit to the wistful thought that someone more like him had been cast in the earlier film.
Outlander (2014)
A Note about Sam
I've greatly enjoyed this series with the occasional complaint when something diverges from the books, but...I absolutely love Sam Heughan as Jamie. He's a beautiful man and an excellent actor, but after watching him in several episodes, I was struck by the realization that what I loved most was his voice. Perhaps this most struck me because I was re listening to the audiobook of Outlander and although the female narrator is excellent, Jamie in the book didn't touch my heart the way Sam's performance did. He has a musical truly masculine voice and knows how to use it to express emotion.
So, Thank you Sam.
Oprah with Meghan and Harry: A CBS Primetime Special (2021)
Too many VICIOUS reviews!
I was impressed by both Meghan and Harry's intelligence and charm and give this show an 8 (which would be my highest number for this kind of show). However, the main reason I'm writing this review is to question the provenance of all the vicious one's and two's given by other reviewers. Considering the content of the interviews which included some negative feelings expressed toward the Royal "business", I would bet that these sickening reviews were perpetrated by this institution! With a lot of money, I'd guess it would be easy to obtain reviewers willing to create this type of Insulting garbage!
A Princess for Christmas (2011)
Sam Heughan shines but production filled with some poor casting and cheap touches!
This would have been so much better if it were done as a drama, but it couldn't make up it's mind as to tone. Katie Mcgrath and Sam Heughan were fine and played their parts seriously, but the servants, the titled friends and the Roger Moore character were all caricatures which I found more annoying than entertaining. In addition, the actor who played Milo was clearly a short man, not a teenager and he wasn't good enough to hide this fact!
Also, Katie McGrath has these awful unflattering dreadlock type curls and Roger Moore sports some phony auburn hair. The cheap touches were abundantly present in the so-called ball. For one thing, the supposedly special ball gown was incredibly ugly, didn't flatter Mcgrath at all and looked like something an 80 year-old woman would wear, not a beautiful young woman. In addition several of the other gowns were cheap looking and poorly fitting. And... there was a paucity of guests in the ball pointing out the cheap production.
The 5 rating is for Sam. If a different actor played the part, I probably wouldn't have even finished the film.
Outlander (2014)
A Note about Sam
I've greatly enjoyed this series with the occasional complaint when something diverges from the books, but...I absolutely love Sam Heughan as Jamie. He's a beautiful man and an excellent actor, but after watching him in several episodes, I was struck by the realization that what I loved most was his voice. Perhaps this most struck me because I was re listening to the audiobook of Outlander and although the female narrator is excellent, Jamie in the book didn't touch my heart the way Sam's performance did. He has a musical truly masculine voice and knows how to use it to express emotion.
So, Thank you Sam.