dav7nine Reviews

Arlington Road (1999)

Really good!....

[8/10 · 13 June 2006]

This film is really good..... a great tense, kind of thriller...

I hadn't really heard of it, but liked Robins from Shawshank and Bridges from The Big Lewbowski and definitely wanted to see it. I was not disappointed... although it is one of those films that is never the same once you've seen it.

Bridges is a University lecturer in terrorism and has recently lost his wife in an accident as she is an FBI agent. Robbins moves in to the street with his wife and kids and seems like the everyday neighbour in suburbia.

The tension grows during the film and Bridges grip on reality slips in equal proportion.

An ending never to be forgotten.......

Great film!

Dave

About Schmidt (2002)

Great

[7/10 · 11 June 2006]

This film is really good... I really enjoyed it. I've just been flicking through all the votes/reviews I've done and noticed I haven't done anything for this... and I've done it for films WELL worse! - hahaha.

I really enjoyed this film and it has made me think about my retirement probably more than any other film I've seen! Nicholson's character finally retires from his job and finds himself at a loss for things to do. One thing leads to another and he ends up doing a sort of road-trip across America to attend his daughter's wedding. He is not entirely overjoyed with his daughters choice of partner... but he comes to realize that there's more to life than meets the eye.

A great film well-worth watching...

7/10 Dave

Unbreakable (2000)

Great

[8/10 · 25 February 2005]

I think this film is great. I would go as far as to say even a masterpiece! Story centres around Bruce Willis, a normal guy who turns out to have an enhanced sense of perception in judging evil people, who have done wrong. I seen the trailers for this film and thought 'woah! I need to see this.....' I went to the pictures and was not disappointed at all.

I don't know M Night Shyamalan's history, but this is one seriously talented guy. Take any of his films... they're all great...

I would scoff at anyone who watches this and says it's guff! 8/10 for me! Dave

S.W.A.T. (2003)

Hmmm

[4/10 · 12 February 2005]

Hmmm.... what a load of cr*p. Sorry but this film just didn't do anything for me. I liked Farrel in Phonebooth but he was just too cheesy in this. I kinda thought this film was going to be like this before I watched it... and it was. I'll let Samual L Jackson away with it because I like him so much... but nobody else is getting away with it. = cr*p.

Michelle Rodriguez is very attractive, but cheesy with it... and LL cool J hmmm.....

To be honest I fell asleep it was so bad.

But watch it if you like......

4/10

The Rainmaker (1997)

Great film!

[7/10 · 12 February 2005]

I thought this film was really good...... I like courtroom dramas and this is right up there with the best of them. It's basically about a young lawyer starting out who gets embroiled in what turns out to be a major case.

Matt Damon is really good in it... I'm starting to really like him as an actor. Danny DeVito supports him brilliantly as his wee helper-guy. John Voight is also very good and Danny Glover makes a surprise appearance as the judge.

A good courtroom drama that has you interested all the way to the end.

A 7/10 for me...

Dave

The Object of My Affection (1998)

Alright

[4/10 · 10 February 2005]

I thought this film was alright, a bit weird at times.... you didn't know where it was gonna go next! Seen it and noticed that Jennifer Aniston was in it... and then noticed that Paul Rudd was in it, who's in Friends too and thought it would be alright.

The film centres around Aniston who get's herself into one hell of a situation with a variety of people. There's a gay friend of a friend, there's an ex-boyfriend, a new boyfriend, in-laws the list goes on and on....

There are some funny bits as well... and it's quite a good ending... but I don't know... it just didn't light my fire.

An alright 4/10 from me....

Dave

Parenthood (1989)

Good film

[7/10 · 30 January 2005]

I think this is a really good film... a nice family film. Seen it a few times just lazing about the house, probably the best place! - hahaha.

It centres around a family and it's just about all the different inter-generational relationships that exist between members of the family. Steve Martin is the main character and there's some good moments with all the different people involved.

My favourite moments mainly involve the grandad, he's got his classic car in the garage and comes out with some cracking lines.....

A good film and I'd recommend it to anyone...

7/10

Narc (2002)

Good

[6/10 · 22 January 2005]

I thought this film was quite good. My 'father-in-law' owned it, as he thought it was amazing... so after persistent nagging, I watched it... and have to say it's well worth watching.

It's pretty much what it says on the box, a gritty, fast action-packed feast... not 100% my type of film, but well watchable all the same. A cop is killed undercover... another undercover cop who has been suspended after a botched job is put on the case (Patric) joining the murdered cop's close friend (Liotta). As Patric learns more about the case the plot thickens shall we say... and he starts to doubt Liotta.

It's good stuff, quite artistic and the music's alright (I am a hip-hop fan though...) and there's a nice ending.

A good 6/10 from me..... for what it's worth :-) Dave

The Majestic (2001)

A real feel-good film!

[6/10 · 19 January 2005]

I thought this film was pretty good. I hadn't ever heard of it before and when I looked at where Jim Carrey done it in his career, I was a bit surprised I hadn't heard of it.

It's a real feel-good movie and it's pretty much well-enjoyable if you just want an easy-osy film to watch. Jim Carrey's great in it... I like Liar, Liar and all that face-wrenching stuff, but this was a more realistic character he plays. It really makes you think about how it would be to lose your memory... he's thinking "It's not that I don't believe what you're saying to me... I just can't remember..." I was also really surprised by the supporting cast... I was recognising people left, right and centre and I also thought that 99% of the acting was really realistic with regard to reactions and facial expressions... none of it was over the top.

A good film... 6/10 Dave

Labyrinth (1986)

Hmmmm

[4/10 · 14 January 2005]

Seen this somewhere and I remembered watching it with my sister when I was very small (about 20 years ago...) and I thought I liked it. Managed to find a copy of it and settled down to watch it, thinking it would all flood back to me... all the happy childhood memories...but it just didn't! Maybe I didn't love it after all.

I do believe if you watched this film when you were wee you would like it. It's all good family fun. Girl has to babysit her pest of a little brother... she's into magical fairy tales etc... she rattles off some old saying and the Goblin King (Bowie... which is just too mental!) comes and takes him away to his magical castle in the middle of a maze.

I would recommend this if you've got kids etc.... but not one for an adult to sit and watch, you'll just start pulling at all the plot holes and the whole thing will unravel.

Poor 4/10 for me..... sorry :-) Dave

I Spy (2002)

Quite good

[5/10 · 20 December 2004]

Thought this film was alright..... I think Eddie Murphy is a comic genius! If you disagree... then watch his stand-up film Delirious (circa 1983!!!) and tell me it's cr*p.

Hadn't heard of this film at all however and seeing Owen Wilson was in it - thought I'd watch it.

It was alright, I thought the dialogue was excellent between the two of them. The action sequences were a bit mind-boggling to accept, but I don't think the film was really supposed to contend with the action-blockbuster genre. It's more a spoof/spy/comedy film that all the family can watch.

If you like Murphy or Wilson, then you'll probably think this is OK, sort of watchable once.....

5/10 Dave

K-PAX (2001)

Great

[8/10 · 18 December 2004]

This film IS brilliant...... without a doubt. Watched it a while ago after constant pestering from family members who are right into their sci-fi films (which I am not), and thought it was quite good. But after recently watching a few documentaries on outer-space etc we watched it again... and it IS good.

Kevin Spacey is without doubt one of the greatest actors ever and I really like Jeff Bridges (Big Lewbowski, Blown Away, Arlington Road). The film revolves around a patient in a nursing home who claims he is from another planet. Yeah right, you think... but what if his story is so believable that even his psychiatrist begins to wonder if he is telling the truth.

That is how the story evolves with Bridges going through all kinds of emotions dealing with Prot (as he is known), his own psychiatric colleagues, his wife and family, his brother-in-law and his cosmologist astronomer work colleagues (who after getting some data from Prot, pretty much admit that he might be telling the truth!) A great film... that get's you wondering.....

8/10 Dave

G.I. Jane (1997)

Good

[5/10 · 18 December 2004]

Thought this film was quite good... seen that Ridley Scott directed it and thought: Hey it must be good... Also noticed that Viggo was in it and played quite a mental character and knew that my mother-in-law loved him, so we agreed to go 'halfers' and just bought it (without even seeing a trailer).

It's a pretty gritty story, revolving around the massive question of womens place in the military: what should they do, what shouldn't they do??? I assume this is a very real part of many peoples lives. As a film though, I quite enjoyed it. Moore was good in it. I doubted her ability (I admit) but after watching this, and the extras which describe all the training and hard work that went into it, I have a much larger respect for Demi Moore.

Viggo's character is great as well, the fight scene with Moore, for me, highlights what the whole film is about: At what point would a male soldier give in... if one of his female colleagues is being physically and sexually abused in front of them??? Pretty grim.

5/10 for me.....

Dave

La haine (1995)

Alright

[5/10 · 14 December 2004]

I thought this film was not bad..... I had a few mates who thought it was sh*t-hot.... but it's not really my type of film.

Very gritty down-to-earth film showing the ganglands of inner Paris.

Some good bits but too many bits that seemed to drag on for me though. I'm not saying it's a bad film, with regards to film-making... but I just didn't enjoy it.

A similar film I did enjoy however was City of God... which of course has a more South-American flavour to it.

Alright... but a 5/10 for me....

Dave

Face/Off (1997)

Great

[8/10 · 3 December 2004]

I thought this film was excellent! Love Travolta and love Cage.

Great story... if you brush over the medical procedure and just believe you could do that sort of thing... it's really good. Travolta is the cop and after catching Cage's character he manages to surgically change faces with him so he can infiltrate his gang and catch them all. It's great stuff watching the main characters acting as each other.

I do believe it's one of those films that's never the same after you've seen it, but it's still in my collection

Thumbs-up 8/10

Dave

East Is East (1999)

Alright...

[5/10 · 3 December 2004]

Thought this film was alright. Seen the trailer and thought it looked quite funny... after watching it though it did have some serious points to it.

The story is set in Salford, just outside Manchester (which is where my mum grew up) and follows a rather large Pakistani family. With humour as the main ingredient it shows how these families come from different countries to settle in a new life in Britain have to cope with the differences in their cultures. This is a down to earth working class setting and the story reflects this, especially with the mother of the family being a local lass, and the father the Pakistani.

There are some cracking lines in it though... "How old are you son?" - "Not old enough to get married, so don't ask me!" - hahaha.

Worth a watch, but 5/10 for me.

Dave

Daddy Day Care (2003)

Good film!

[7/10 · 27 November 2004]

I really liked this.... I love Eddie Murphy so thought I'd watch this, but didn't expect to enjoy it as much as I did. The supporting cast is very funny: Steve Zahn in particular - I was crying with laughter at one point... in fact more than one point!

2 dads basically get paid off and over the following weeks while struggling to care for their own kids they have the idea of starting a day-care centre. It's just a barrel of laughs after that.... mind you I am biased towards Murphy...

The highlight is Zahn introducing himself to one of the mums..... I wet myself - hahaha hahaha lol :-)

7/10

Calendar Girls (2003)

Quite good.

[6/10 · 27 November 2004]

I thought this film was alright... quite a good British/English film...

Thought it was interesting that it was based on a true story, the story of a woman's quest to honour the memory of her deceased husband. There seemed to be a spate of this kind of thing Firemen, Normal Nurses/Doctors all posing for nude charity calendars. If it's for charity... it must be good - eh?

Thought all of the cast were quite good Helen Mirren stood out though.. as did the relationship with her son. I thought this was really funny and evolved throughout the film.

Overall an enjoyable 6/10 for me.

Zoolander (2001)

Alright.....

[4/10 · 23 November 2004]

I thought this film was alright.... not much more....

The plot is pretty mental and elaborate: male models are behind all the major assassinations that have taken place! The characters are pretty mental as well, Stiller's and Wilson's in very different ways.

I only watched it 'cause Stiller was in it. I think Something about Mary and Meet are Parents are class, so I thought I'd watch this... and it was alright... could've been worse, coul've been well better.

Not much more to say really... definitely not a classic!

4/10

Dave

About a Boy (2002)

Good stuff

[7/10 · 12 November 2004]

I really liked this film. I didn't think it would be as good as it was, and that's because of a terrible feeling I have about Hugh Grant. There's just something about him... that... I don't know how to describe it. I think it's to do with the fact that he always plays the 'same-ish floppy-haired Englishman'. But when I stop and think about it... Four weddings is alright, and he's actually quite funny. Notting Hill is alright... and this was really good. Maybe I should give him a break!

The story all revolves around the 12 year-old (Marcus), and the fact that he (and his mother) don't have any 'back-up' in life. Will (Hugh Grant) realizes that he doesn't either, although he's got enough money and a comfortable life. So he decides to change this... and the rest is history. Best line in the film is Will explaining to Marcus "Look, I can't help you, leave me alone.... I can help you pick trainers or... music but I can't help you with anything that means anything!" - hahaha - class!

Really good film that left me with something to think about: Do I have any 'back-up'?

7/10

A.I. Artificial Intelligence (2001)

Not good

[2/10 · 9 November 2004]

I watched this film a while ago... but I still know I do not want to watch it again!

It's SAD SAD SAD.

I think the acting was alright, maybe a bit dis-jointed, but then half of them are robots so... it had a futuristic feel to the visuals if I remember but.....

SAD SAD SAD!

2/10

SAD SAD SAD!

Sad

Sad

Sad

101 Dalmatians (1996)

Good clean fun

[6/10 · 9 November 2004]

Watched this curled up in bed with girlfriend, probably the best place...

Good clean family film, good stuff. I always think it's great how actors do these family films... Glenn Close is great as the villain, and I was surprised to see Mark Williams (of Fast Show fame) in it. Hugh Laurie is good as well. As are all the dogs and other animals for that matter.

I haven't seen the Walt Disney version, but I would imagine that's probably more of a classic than this.

One for all the family.

5/10 (for me).

The Yards (2000)

The Yawns

[3/10 · 9 November 2004]

I thought this film was going to be a A lot better than it was. I thought the setting of the story would be good, the organised crime aspect would be good and the cast looked good, it ALL looked good!

I have to say the story was alright... I just thought that... it's like getting told a story by one of your mates, and you go "Aye, that's quite mental - eh?" And then you move on without a pause... The story doesn't grab you (well, it didn't grab me anyway) and make you go "F*ck's sake, what's he gonna do now!?!" and get you on the edge of your seat. Now I really like mafia films and that type of scenario... but this just didn't do it for me.

I thought the acting was fine and truly believable, Phoenix, Wahlberg, Caan and Theron etc but at times I just thought the movie moved too fast. Now I must point out... I don't mean too fast so that you don't follow what's happening, it was just like the mood (mainly of Leo, the main character) changed very quickly so you were like "O-kay... so he's not so bothered about that anymore then...."

Sorry but most disappointed I've been with a film for a long time: 3/10

Van Helsing (2004)

Hmmm

[4/10 · 9 November 2004]

Well I must confess I read some of the reviews of this film before I seen it, and I have to agree with a lot of them. I didn't feel 'offended' watching it, but.....it could of been a lot better.

There seems to be a disagreement though whether the film was supposed to be a family horror romp, or a stylish legend thriller. I hope that the director had 'tongue-in-cheek' in mind when he was creating this... because if he didn't....

I quite like sort of vampires and stuff so that dragged this film up to a 4 for me = just enjoyable and no more. I thought the acting was alright but the story was just too much at times. I think the director just crammed in too many characters; vampires, werewolves, frankensteins and a whole host of other stuff.

The standout aspect for me though, which I believe does deserve to be congratulated is the sets/location-cgi. I thought it really did have a cold east-European feel and that quite probably made it better.

4/10... sorry.

Alien (1979)

Classic

[9/10 · 27 October 2004]

An absolute classic!

I have seen Alien many times, but I just watched AVP at the pictures and it forces you to go back and review one more time the whole Alien World. If you like Alien then you must buy "Alien Quadrilogy", this is the most comprehensive collection of Alien features.

I was born in 1979 so I can't quite fully comprehend what it must have been like for people to see it at the pictures, when nobody really knew much about it. People had just watched Star Wars and would be filled with the romantic notions of space and furry chewbaccas that it portrays.... this is very, very different!

It's just an absolute classic.... I've read the scrrenplay (in paperback format) and that's just mind-blowing as well, it adds a whole different angle to the film.

The acting, art, sets and atmosphere are all great... I'm surprised it's only 63 or whatever it is in the IMDb top 100, it's quite possibly flawless.

You must watch this... 9/10