11 December 2018

Imagine Me and You (starring Piper Perabo)

In general, I read reviews before putting DVDs on my wishlist. There are many which look appealing at first glance, or which Amazon recommends to me, which I realise I would not like at all, once I have read a few reviews. I look at the negative ones primarily; sometimes a poor review can convince me that I would like a film. And in most cases I’ve chosen appropriately.

However, sometimes I browse the DVD shelves of a charity shop or church fair, and pick out a few that look interesting, based on the look of the cover, the actors listed on the front, and the blurb on the back. The results are typically somewhat mixed. Last week we watched the excellent film ‘Doubt’, for instance, which I had bought under these circumstances. It was well worth seeing.

Another DVD I picked up at the same church book stall is ‘Imagine me and you’, billed as ‘the best British rom-com since Notting Hill’. Made in 2005, it does not have any names I recognised on the front. However it features photos two young women and two young men. The blurb tells me that a newly married couple are settling down when the wife meets someone who turns her life upside down. The story, we’re told, is poignant and hilarious (words that don’t usually go together, in my view!).

It starts well. Rachel (Piper Perabo) is about to get married to her best friend and lover Hector (Matthew Goode), whose name is bizarrely abbreviated to ‘Heck’. Heck’s best man Cooper (Darren Boyd) is evidently a promiscuous womaniser, and has no desire to settle down. Cooper is rather attracted to Lucy (Lena Headey) who is employed as the florist for the wedding. She is also, a little confusingly, involved in the wedding party - meeting people, having a drink, even dancing.

Rachel and Heck think Cooper and Lucy would make a nice couple; Rachel feels a strong kinship with Lucy as soon as she meets her and hopes they can be friends. Then they learn something about Lucy that turns everything upside down… that part of the blurb, at least, is correct.

There are some amusing moments in the film. Rachel’s young sister H (Boo Jackson) is full of intelligent questions, albeit rather caricatured ones, and some of the responses or interactions following are quite humorous. Rachel’s parents, too, have an exaggerated love-hate relationship. Her mother Tessa (Celia Imrie - one of the few names I recognised) is excellent. Rachel’s father Ned (Anthony Head) makes a good straight man, clearly fond of his daughters and letting his wife’s constant criticisms go over his head. Tessa and Ned’s relationship provides one of the poignant parts of the film, too.

However, although the film is well made and the actors excellent, on the whole, I really didn’t like the storyline. I found it disturbing - not for what might seem obvious reasons, if you have seen it, but because of the idea that ‘falling in love’ in an instant can - and should - trump years of growing love and closeness. It also suggests that promises and commitments mean nothing, if one partner decides that somebody else is more attractive.

So although it’s a well-made film, I really wouldn’t recommend it. Particularly, for reasons which I won't give as they would be spoilers, I don't recommend it to fundamentalists of any religion. If you want to know why, a quick glance at Amazon reviews (or elsewhere) would tell you.

The rating is 12A in the UK, which I think is about right, though I might have opted for 15; I doubt it would be of much interest to younger teens anyway. There’s some ‘strong’ language, though not a great deal, and plenty of discussion about sex, but nothing shown beyond some kissing. I don’t recall anything remotely violent. However the US censors, perhaps due to the occasional ‘strong’ language,  or possibly the nature of the story, have rated this as R.

I'm pretty sure I won't be watching this again - but at least it only cost me a euro!

Review copyright 2018 Sue's DVD Reviews

05 December 2018

Doubt (starring Meryl Streep)

I had not previously heard of the film ‘Doubt’, which I spotted in a box of second-hand DVDs next to a church book sale. Since it featured Meryl Streep, and indeed three other well-known actors, I thought it was probably well worth the euro it cost me, and a few days later we decided to see it.

I knew from the blurb on the back of the box that there was a disturbing theme to the story, and I began to regret having picked the DVD up at first. But it didn’t take long to get into the story. Meryl Streep is a nun, Sister Aloysius, who is headmistress of a Catholic school in New York in the early 1960s. As in every part I have seen her, Streep is superb, becoming the character in a way that most actors cannot do. Sister Aloysius is rigid in her outlook, quick to pass judgement, stern in her punishments of every infraction amongst the children.

One of the staff, Sister James (Amy Adams), is young and enthusiastic, and wants to inspire the children in her class rather than rule them by coercion. However she is quite concerned about Desmond (Joseph Foster), the only black child in the school, who is also an altar boy at the connected church. Desmond is quite a loner, and it seems that the priest, Father Flynn (Philip Seymour Hoffman), is taking rather too much interest in him…

Sister James reports her concerns to Sister Aloysius. Then much of the film involves verbal battles between her and Father Flynn, who comes across as a caring, gentle person on the whole. We hear parts of some of his sermons, which are quite thought-provoking. Indeed, the contrast between this gentle priest and the rigid nun is quite marked. Their dialogues are extremely well done, the timing perfect, and the on-screen chemistry, albeit of a rather different variety from many movies, works superbly.

There is also an extremely moving scene involving Desmond’s mother, beautifully portrayed by Viola Davis. She and Sister Aloysius have a lengthy dialogue about Desmond; it’s a pivotal scene, and I found myself drawn into it, suddenly realising that the situation being discussed was far less cut-and-dried than it might appear.

As well as these interactions the film covers quite a bit of the life of the school, too. There’s some music sung by choirboys and girls too - the school is a mixed one. A particularly poignant moment includes the singing of ‘Deo Caritas…’ - of which the translated words are, ‘Where there is love and care, there God is’. All in all, we thought it beautifully made, and were totally caught up in the story.

Never at any point is it determined whether or not Sister Aloysius’s convictions about Father Flynn are true or not. In one of the extras, we learned that this story was based on play which involved just the four main characters. As Meryl Streep points out in an interview, live theatre often leaves questions and storylines open for the viewers’ own interpretations. This is less common in films, and this one was quite controversial in following the storyline of the play, and leaving the main plot unresolved.

Made in 2008, allegations such as those in this film were all too common, even though the story was set forty or more years earlier. I found it a very powerful film, leaving open many questions, not just whether or not the priest was innocent of the allegations made.

It’s rated 15 in the UK, which I think is about right given the nature of the story, although there is nothing overt that could cause the censors to give it a strict rating. There is no nudity or anything explicit, almost no bad language, and only mild violence.

Perhaps this is why the US rating, which is often higher than that in the UK, is a milder PG-13. I would not want a young child to see this, but reasonably mature teenagers might find it thought-provoking, and I would recommend it highly to anyone wanting a well-made film with a somewhat unusual storyline.

Review copyright 2018 Sue's DVD Reviews

29 November 2018

Lost in Austen (starring Jemima Rooper)

This is a DVD - or rather a DVD set, as there are two discs in the box - which I think I must have bought on special offer, or even at a charity shop some time ago. It has been in our to-be-watched drawer for some years, but we finally decided to watch it on Monday. We did not realise at first that it was in four episodes originally shown on independent television in the UK; the whole is three hours in length. So we watched the final episode the following evening.

The star of this drama is a young woman called Amanda (Jemima Rooper) who is obsessed with Jane Austen books, and loves ‘Pride and Prejudice’ best of all. So when, one day, she discovers Elizabeth Bennett (Gemma Arterton) in her bathroom, she thinks she must be dreaming…

However, a portal has appeared which enables Amanda to enter the world of the Bennets two hundred years earlier, leaving Lizzie to cope with the 21st century…

On the whole, we thought it very well done. The Bennett sisters are well cast, as are their parents. Hugh Bonneville makes a delightfully acerbic (but kind-hearted) Mr Bennett, and Alex Kingston is wonderful as a rather younger, considerably slimmer and less fluffy Mrs Bennett than I am used to. (It took me until the end of the first episode to realise why she looked so familiar - Mrs Bennett is really nothing like Doctor Who’s ‘River Song’ where I first came across the actress!).

The whole is somewhat surreal; even more so than ‘normal’ time-travel stories, since ‘Pride and Prejudice’ is, of course, entirely fictional. So when Amanda’s appearance starts to mess up the expected relationships and storyline of her favourite book, she tries to put things right. Inevitably things go wrong,

It’s a light-hearted story, somewhat crude in places, but there’s plenty that’s amusing too, and we found ourselves smiling more than once. Amanda begins to realise that things are not as idyllic in the late 18th century as her imagination suggested. And while she attempts to fit in with the period and culture, she makes rather a lot of mistakes, which doesn’t quite fit with her being such a fan of the books.

We had no idea where the story was going to go, and thought the fourth episode particularly well done. There were some excellent scenes when we finally learn how Lizzie has got on in the 21st century, and some romantic tension as Amanda struggles to know what to do for the best.

On the whole we thought it very enjoyable. The rating of 12 seems about right to me. There are plenty of innuendoes, some which are decidedly not Austen, but nothing overt. However this would not make much sense to anyone who has not read (or at least seen the films of) Jane Austen’s books.

Review copyright 2018 Sue's DVD Reviews

12 November 2018

Music and Lyrics (starring Hugh Grant and Drew Barrymore)

We wanted to watch something light, and not too long. Browsing through DVDs we have not watched for about ten years, we decided on ‘Music and Lyrics’. We first saw it in December 2007, and had forgotten almost everything about it. My sole memory was that a girl watering Hugh Grant’s plants ended up writing some lyrics for him…

That is, in fact, the essence of the plot. But there’s a whole lot of characterisation, interaction and storyline that I had entirely forgotten. The film opens with somewhat cheesy 1980s style pop music videos, with Hugh Grant (and others) dressed in the relevant style, made up to look as if they were in their twenties. It’s very impressively done.

The main action, however, takes place in the 21st century. Grant plays Alex Fletcher, a somewhat washed-up musician who used to be part of a successful band. However his songwriting partner went solo, successfully, while Alex found his career drifting downhill. Now he’s limited to a few faithful fans - in their forties - and gigs set in theme parks, or country clubs. He’s considering taking part in a corny TV series about 1980s has-beens…

Then his agent Colin (Scott Porter) tells him there’s a great opportunity for him, as the current teen idol Cora (Haley Bennett) wants Alex to write a new song for her. Cora is into Eastern mysticism, combined with seductive dancing, and Alex tends towards 1980s romantic songs, but he agrees to try, even though he has just three or four days to produce an entire new song.

Unfortunately, Alex can only write music, not lyrics. And Sophie (a very ditzy Drew Barrymore) who has appeared to water his plants, turns out to have a surprising talent for suitable lyrics…

Alex and Sophie don’t work together easily; she needs to be fed regularly, and wants to work on a chair close to the piano. Alex wants to work through the night, and keep his distance. The chemistry between them is excellent, and it’s inevitable that they’re going to fall for each other, but this is kept hanging for quite a while. Indeed,Sophie’s older sister Rhonda (Kristen Johnston) is much more excited about being around Alex, as she is an enormous fan.

There’s a great deal of humour, much of it in one-liners from the straight-faced Alex. He is a character ideally suited to Hugh Grant’s style of acting. The fast-paced dialogue between Alex and Sophie works well, and there are some amusing side scenes, too. Several times we found ourselves chuckling.

We watched some of the extras after seeing the film, and were not surprised to learn that both Grant and Barrymore did all their own vocals; more unexpected was that neither of them considers themselves musical. Hugh Grant had done very little dancing prior to this film, and was in his fifties when it was made. He not only learned to sing and dance, but took some piano lessons for the first time.

All in all, I enjoyed ‘Music and Lyrics’ very much. The overall romance might be predictable, but the way it happens is very well done.

The rating is PG (PG-13 in the US); there’s only minor bad language and one non-gory slightly violent scene. The inevitable ‘bed’ scene is only shown as having taken place, with hints of nudity but nothing explicit. The scenes with Cora are sensuous with young women in revealing clothing. However the film is unlikely to have much appeal to children anyway. But it's excellent one for older teens and adults, particularly for those of us who were young in the 1980s and remember the kinds of music videos that were popular.

Highly recommended, if you want to see something lightweight and amusing.

Review copyright 2018 Sue's DVD Reviews

06 November 2018

Sense and Sensibility (starring Emma Thompson and Kate Winslet)

It’s many years since we acquired and first watched the DVD of ‘Sense and Sensibility’, produced in 1995 with an all-star cast. I remembered it being an excellent adaptation, but not much more. When we decided to watch it on Monday night, I had a good recall of both the story and characters, as I re-read the book ‘Sense and Sensibility’ just a few months ago.

I’m not always a fan of films made on books, but most of those based on Jane Austen’s novels have been excellent. With one or two notable exceptions, admittedly. But ‘Sense and Sensibility’ ranks very highly, in my view. It’s the story of two sisters, Elinor and Marianne, played respectively by Emma Thompson and Kate Winslet. While the latter was only around twenty years old when this film was made, Emma Thompson was in her mid thirties. Yet the two manage to portray, entirely believably, the sisters who were just 17 and 16 in the book.

Margaret, their younger sister, is fifteen in the book and feels mostly extraneous. But in the film, she is nearly twelve. She’s ‘bookish’ and also likes to climb trees. I thought this change an excellent one; Margaret (Emilie François) is lively and provides some light humour in her outspoken innocence.

The story begins with the loss of their father, and thus of the family home. The laws of inheritance ruled that this mansion must be left, along with the bulk of their father’s fortune, to his only son, John Dashwood. John (James Fleet) is half-brother to the three girls, and rather too easily guided by his materialistic and unpleasant wife Fanny (Harriet Walter). The girls and their mother go to a ‘cottage’ owned by her cousin Sir John Middleton (Robert Hardy) who lives with his mother-in-law Mrs Jennings (wonderfully portrayed by the late Elizabeth Spriggs).

The theme of the story is the contrast between the ‘Sensible’ Elinor and the ‘Sensitive’ Marianne. Each falls in love; each suffers betrayal. But the ways they handle their losses are very different. I’m not sure I entirely believed in the late Alan Rickman as Colonel Brandon - Rickman was too often cast as villains, and although he plays Brandon perfectly, it was hard not to see him as Severus Snape. Edward Ferrars is a rather young-looking Hugh Grant (although he would have been 35 at the time the film was produced) - and Grant plays him as his usual slightly bumbling very English man, albeit in 18th century costume. As for Mr Willoughby, played by Greg Wise, I found him somewhat overdone; perhaps deliberately.

While inevitably a film is different from a book, with less introspection and more visuals, I felt that this adaptation was very faithful to the original. My husband hasn’t read the book, but enjoyed the film, vaguely recalling the first time we saw it. There were one or two places where we chuckled, mostly at the wonderfully ironic and brilliantly timed asides from Mr Palmer, perfectly cast as Hugh Laurie.

The rating is U (PG in the US). As befits an upper-class film of this era, there is no violence, no bad language, and no intimate scenes. The prudish might blink at the amount of cleavage shown from time to time, and the story requires mention of illegitimacy and libertines. But if young children were interested in the story (unlikely), these references would go over their heads.

Recommended highly to anyone who likes character-based historical fiction, and to all fans of Jane Austen. It would be well worth watching, too, by anyone studying ‘Sense and Sensibility’ at high school or university.

Other recommended adaptations of Jane Austen books include:

Review copyright 2018 Sue's DVD Reviews

30 October 2018

Chocolat (starring Juliette Brinoche)

In between watching new DVDs we have been given, we are re-watching some of the films we haven’t seen for about ten years. Last night we decided to see ‘Chocolat’ again, which we last saw in the spring of 2007. I liked it then - slightly better than the book on which it is based by Joanne Harris, to my surprise - but we didn’t remember much about it although I recalled the overall storyline.

The setting of the film is a small French town, one which is ruled by a somewhat uptight Mayor (Alfred Molina) who lives his life with rigid morality. Everyone in the town knows their place, and their duty. They dress conservatively, and all attend the Catholic church regularly. The new young priest (Hugh O’Connor) finds himself judged by the mayor and his sermons re-written, with an emphasis on denial and sin. This is the part I liked a great deal more than the book, where it's the priest who is rigidly judgemental.

Then Vianne (Juliette Binoche), a single mother with a daughter Anouk (Victoire Thivisol) arrive, blown in by the wind, arrayed in scarlet cloaks. They rent a shop with lodgings from an elderly lady called Armande (Judi Dench) and turn it into a chocolaterie. The mayor is not pleased, since they have arrived at the beginning of Lent, when everyone is supposed to give up sweets…

There are several storylines which I recalled from the book. Vianne claims to be able to find each person’s favourite brand, using psychology and intuition. Armande is estranged from her grandson Luc (Aurelien Parent Koenig) because her daughter Caroline (Carrie-Anne Moss), the Mayor’s secretary, thinks Armande too wild. Vianne brings them together secretly. There’s an abusive husband whose wife is motivated to do something positive by Vianne. There’s another husband, lazy with a tendency to drink rather than anything worse, whose marriage is transformed by a selection of chocolates.

Then Roux (Johnny Depp) arrives on his boat, a traveller whose lifestyle horrifies the townsfolk, especially the mayor...

It’s a story of transformation, of gradual acceptance of new ideas, of moving forward away from tradition and denial. Chocolate is the catalyst for many changes, and there are several scenes showing, briefly, the complex processes by which Vianne makes her chocolates. It’s not a fluffy film, however; there are scenes of violence, albeit fairly brief, and several of the subplots are quite thought-provoking.

The acting is excellent; Judi Dench's character Armande in particular pulled on my heartstrings more than once. Vianne seemed quite believable too, and the Mayor and priest are both excellent. There's some mildly amusing moments, cleverly done, which add a little lightness to what might otherwise be quite a heavy film.

The rating is 12 (PG-13 in the US) which seems about right. There’s implied sensuality but nothing explicit, and I don’t recall any bad language. However there are a couple of quite intense scenes, and some violence, making it an unsuitable film for small children.

Definitely recommended.

Review copyright 2018 Sue's DVD Reviews

23 October 2018

84 Charing Cross Road (starring Anne Bancroft)

It's nearly twelve years since we watched the film 84 Charing Cross Road, so we decided to see it again. It’s based on the true story of a lengthy correspondence between the American writer and bibliophile Helene Hanff (played brilliantly by Anne Bancroft) and the antiquarian bookseller Frank Doel (Anthony Hopkins).

Apparently there is a play of the same name, with only these two characters involved. But the film also includes some of Helene’s friends in New York, Frank’s wife Nora (Judi Dench) and Frank’s colleagues in the bookshop where he works (at 84 Charing Cross Road).

The film opens with Helene travelling to London for the first time, in the early 1970s, and reaching the empty bookshop. The story then moves back to 1949 and we see her as a much younger woman. Helene is an impoverished writer, living in a single-room apartment, looking for some classic British books. Her local bookshops in New York are unable to source them, so she writes to Marks & co in London, and her letters are dealt with, quite formally at first, by Frank.

It’s not an obvious plot for a film; indeed, there really isn’t much story, although we discover a little background to the lives of some of the characters. We see the years progressing; the main characters deal with this well, but I felt the people who deserved the most recognition are the make-up artists. The film was made in 1987, which is just over thirty years ago when the three main actors were all in their fifties. By the end, they all look as if they’re not far off sixty. But at the start of the film, both Judi Dench as Nora and Anne Bancroft as Helene could easily pass for women in their late twenties or early thirties. Anthony Hopkins as Frank looked older, but then the real Frank Doel was born in 1908, so he would have been forty or so in 1949.

Despite a thin storyline, the film is warm and engaging. There’s some humour in the way the letters are written, and there’s some good cultural contrasts depicting New York and London as they were in the 1950s and 1960s. Rationing was still in place in the UK for some years after the end of World War II, and we see the delight of the bookshop staff on receiving food parcels sent by Helene.

It’s somewhat bittersweet; with a real story, there are not necessarily tidy or happy endings. The first time I saw the film, I kept hoping that Helene and Frank would meet, but was concerned about what it might mean for Frank’s marriage. In a fictional story, that storyline would almost certainly have been explored. But it didn’t happen - as I had remembered - so I was able to relax more and enjoy the film for what it was.

The UK rating is U, the US rating PG, probably because there’s quite a bit of smoking shown, culturally appropriate for the era in both the UK and US. I don’t think there’s anything else that could possibly cause the censors to complain; no bad language, no intimacy, no violence, no hint of anything less than full (and often quite formal) clothing.

It’s hardly likely to be of interest to children or even teenagers, however, unless they, too, love the feel of out-of-print classic books and don't mind a story based around the correspondence of two adults in the middle of last century.

Recommended.

Review copyright 2018 Sue's DVD Reviews

16 October 2018

Groundhog Day (starring Bill Murray)

It’s at least ten years since we watched ‘Groundhog Day’, a 1993 film which is now considered a classic. Indeed, until this film became popular, the concept of ‘Groundhog Day’ was barely known outside the US. It referred (as we discover at the start of the film) to the superstition regarding a groundhog’s shadow on February 2nd foretelling whether or not winter was due to end.

We first saw this film at the cinema, and liked it very much. So, when we began collecting DVDs, around the year 2000 and later, this was one which I bought when it was on special offer at one of the online sites. We probably watched it around that date, but had not seen it again since then.

The film stars Bill Murray as a somewhat cynical TV weather reporter called Phil. Each year he travels to the small town of Punxsutawney where the groundhog - also called Phil - is consulted by the town dignitaries. Phil isn’t particularly keen on covering this story yet again, but sets off with his producer Rita (Andie McDowell) and the camera operator and driver Larry (Chris Elliot). They make their report, and decide to get back to Pittsburgh that night. But they’re stopped by a blizzard and have to return for another night.

When Phil wakes up the following morning, it’s February 2nd again. Nobody else seems to realise, but he goes through the same procedures, meeting the same people, becoming more and more confused and ending up stopped by the blizzard once more…

It’s no real spoiler to say that this state of affairs continues for some time. The phrase ‘Groundhog Day’ has come into common parlance meaning something like ‘ongoing deja vu’, or events repeating themselves, as a result of this film. Phil is at first mystified, then irritated, then decides he is so frustrated that the only way out is to kill himself. Some of the scenes that follow could be considered disturbing, but are done for comic effect… and each time he wakes up again at 6.00 on February 2nd, to the same music and banter on his clock radio.

He then decides to use this mysterious repetition of his days to learn new things about other people, in particular his producer Rita, whom he finds attractive. She is at first inclined to distrust him, but he gradually learns more about her likes and dislikes, and adjusts his own behaviour and conversation to suit her better. He changes in himself, too, becoming slowly less cynical and more humanitarian in his outlook.

The story of course is entirely surreal, and we never learn why this odd repetition of Groundhog Day keeps happening. But it works well as a story of self-discovery; of being forced to take stock, and to discover what really matters. I had forgotten most of the detail, other than the fact that Phil takes piano lessons, going from total beginner to concert pianist level in what appears to be a short time. But the day was supposed to repeat itself thousands of times, even though we don’t see every detail.

It’s a very well-made film, in my view, showing just enough to understand what is happening without overdoing it. There’s plenty of humour, but it’s mostly understated, and the inevitable slapstick in places isn’t repeated too many times. Phil is at first quite manipulative, once he adjusts to his bizarre repetitive lifestyle, but gradually discovers what really matters in life.

The rating is PG in both the US and UK, and I think that’s about right. There’s only the mildest of language, and a couple of passionate scenes go no further than kissing. The suicide attempts aren’t gratuitously violent but could be disturbing to a young child, or anyone who has lost someone in this way. I don’t think a child would find the film interesting anyway, though it might appeal to teenagers.

All in all, we enjoyed ‘Groundhog Day’ very much, and I look forward to seeing it again in another nine or ten years.

Review copyright 2018 Sue's DVD Reviews

09 October 2018

Mrs Henderson Presents (starring Judi Dench)

Judi Dench is one of my favourite actresses, and Amazon regularly recommend her films to me. One of these was ‘Mrs Henderson Presents’, so I put it on my wishlist, and was given it for my birthday six months ago. We decided to watch it last night, with little idea what it was about other than - as was evident from the front cover - something to do with show business.

The DVD claims to be a ‘deliciously charming comedy’ but we’ve learned from experience that films labelled in this way tend to be dramas with some amusing moments, admittedly, but just as much that is poignant or even tragic. That’s certainly the case for ‘Mrs Henderson Presents, which is set in wartime London and is based on a true story.

Judi Dench plays the title role, as Laura Henderson, a recently-widowed society woman with a great deal of wealth. She really has little idea what she’s going to do, now she no longer has a role as wife, so her friend Margot suggests some nice activities for elderly widows. Some of the light and amusing scenes follow, as Laura tries various clubs or hobbies. She then decides to follow her friend’s final suggestion - to buy things. But instead of purchasing clothes or jewellery, she buys a run-down theatre.

Mr Van Damm (Bob Hoskins) is proposed as her new manager, once the Windmill Theatre is ready to be used. Their working relationship begins in a stormy way, but he is hired anyway, as Laura wants someone who is willing to stand up for what he believes to be right. She wants to run musical theatre reviews; he suggests a suitable name, and also running continually through the day, rather than just a matinee and evening performance, as run by other theatres.

This is a success at first, but other theatres decide to copy… and when Van Damm is concerned about closure, with dwindling audiences and low takings, Laura comes up with a radical, shocking idea…

A fair amount of the action takes place on stage or in the theatre itself. Inevitably, set in the 1940s, there’s a wartime background to the story, with inevitable disasters and some tragedies. There are some black-and-white scenes of air raids and the destruction of buildings. I found myself caught up in the story, understanding something of what it might have been like to live through the war as someone working in a theatre, in a way I hadn’t really thought about before.

The acting is excellent, the sparks between Van Damm and Laura Henderson feel real, and the pace is just right. I had not previously heard of The Windmill or the people involved, but I’m not likely to forget them in the future.

Definitely recommended. It’s rated 12A in the UK, which slightly surprised me as there’s a fair amount of nudity, albeit in the context of art. However there’s only one instance of ‘strong’ language, and the only violence is that shown in the historical context, with nothing close up or gory. The stricter US rating is R. I would personally have suggested 15 as a suitable rating, but doubt if anyone under the age of about 18 would be interested in the content.

Review copyright 2018 Sue's DVD Reviews

02 October 2018

Lessons in Love (starring Pierce Brosnan)

Every so often I browse Amazon’s recommendations for DVDs, based on films I have previously liked. About a year ago it suggested ‘Lessons in Love’, and while the reviews were mixed, I thought it could be a pleasant evening’s light viewing, so I added it to my list. I quite like Pierce Brosnan as an actor, which is probably what triggered the recommendation.

I was given it for my birthday a few months ago, and we decided to watch it last night. I found the opening sequences a bit too fast and confusing for my tastes, but it didn’t take long to get the gist. Pierce Brosnan plays a Cambridge University lecturer called Richard, whose speciality is the romantic era of literature. He seems to be quite a good lecturer, appreciated by the students.

However, at night Brosnan’s character changes, as he takes attractive undergraduate students to bed. If this isn’t illegal, it should be; it’s certainly unethical and should have resulted in his being fired. It’s also bizarre, and I had a hard time believing that anyone would have such a split personality.

Richard has an elderly father (Malcolm McDowell), who apparently behaved in similar style when he was a lecturer. He treats his son rudely, and is altogether a dislikable character, apparently on his fourth wife. He doesn’t at all disapprove of Richard being promiscuous, but is highly disapproving of his current girl, an American called Kate (Jessica Alba).

Then Richard meets and is attracted to an older woman called Olivia (Salma Hayek), who turns out to be Kate’s older sister. This, too, is hard to believe as the two have totally different accents; but perhaps they were supposed to be half-sisters. It would be in keeping with the rest of the film, which treats marriage as problematic and temporary.

Much of the action takes place in the United States, with yet more infidelities and promiscuity… it’s so far removed from anything I’ve ever experienced that I felt increasingly bemused. There are some good, even poignant scenes where we see Richard with his young son Jakey (Duncan Joiner). The two have an excellent relationship, and Jakey, of all the cast, was the most believable and likeable. But even these scenes are marred by the regular and unnecessary use of ‘strong’ language.

Other than in the scenes with Jakey, Brosnan’s character is sexist, degrading, and not remotely amusing. Perhaps there is a world where vulnerable women are taken advantage of by older men supposedly in positions of authority. But if so, it shouldn’t be a topic for a (supposedly) humorous film.

On the positive side, the pace is good, some of the scenery attractive, and the ending satisfactory, at least from Jakey’s point of view.

The UK rating is 15, which I suppose is about right; there are some rather direct intimate scenes although they avoid full-frontal nudity and detail. There’s a lot of bad language, too, although almost no violence. The US rating is, unsurprisingly, a more conservative R. Definitely not recommended for anyone under the age of 15 - and although we did watch to the end, mainly because of the excellence of young Jakey, it’s not a film I’d really recommend to anyone.

Note that in the United States, this film is called 'Some Kind of Beautiful', and in Canada 'How to Make Love Like an Englishman'.

Review copyright 2018 Sue's DVD Reviews

25 September 2018

Philomena (starring Judi Dench)

I am pretty sure that Amazon recommended the film ‘Philomena’ to me because I have liked so many films starring or featuring Dame Judi Dench. I was given the DVD for my birthday a few months ago, and last night we decided to watch it.

The advantage of waiting some months before watching new DVDs is that I had entirely forgotten the blurb and reviews which I had read before ordering. I had even forgotten that the movie was based on a real life story, although as it progressed I realised that it almost certainly was. There was realistic film footage that was evidently of a real person.

The main character, Philomena, is brilliantly portrayed by Judi Dench. The actress must have been almost eighty when this was made, but we had no difficulty believing her to be the 68-year-old Irish Philomena, whom we first meet when she lights a candle in the church. Her adult daughter sees her crying, and Philomena shows her a photograph of a small boy, whom, she says, would have been fifty.

Philomena’s daughter had no idea that she had an elder half-brother, Anthony, who was adopted when he was three. She accepts this revelation in a way that seems rather too easy, and asks a former journalist, Martin Sixsmith (Steve Coogan) if he would consider helping her mother find her son. Martin isn’t keen at first but he’s lost his former job, so eventually agrees.

Most of the film follows Philomena and Martin as they travel, first around Ireland and then further afield in the hope of finding some clues to Anthony’s whereabouts. This is interspersed with scenes from Philomena’s life as a teenager, played believably by Sophie Kennedy Clark. We see the young man she met and kissed, without any idea where this might lead. We see, too, the strict convent where she was sent by her family, who disowned her when she was obviously pregnant. There are scenes following the birth, which was traumatic in the extreme, and her years working in the laundry at the convent, seeing her son for only an hour each day. We also, eventually, learn of what happened when Anthony was adopted, and why she didn’t see him again.

Although billed as a comedy, it’s a bittersweet story of discovery, and also of the growing friendship between the unlikely pairing of a hard-nosed political journalist and an elderly woman who sometimes seems naive, yet has seen (and experienced) a lot of suffering. The on-screen chemistry between the two is excellent, with Philomena becoming more confident, and Martin realising that people matter more than stories.

To say much more about the story would be to give spoilers. We were caught up in the film almost from the start, finding it sad yet with some superb one-liners and comic moments to lighten the serious nature of the film. It was very powerful, demonstrating the cruelty that apparently wasn’t uncommon towards unmarried mothers in the 1960s, and also the power of forgiveness.

There’s one ‘extra’ on the DVD, explaining how the real Martin Sixsmith came to meet the real Philomena. Both of them were on the set and somewhat involved in the making of the film, although a book was written first to bring this kind of situation to the public eye. We found the extra, with commentary from most of the main characters and the director, as well as the ‘real’ people, to be almost as moving as the film itself.

The rating is 12, which I would say is about right. There are a few instances of ‘strong’ language, and some traumatic scenes, including that of childbirth; yet there’s no nudity or violence, and nothing explicit.

Very highly recommended.

Review copyright 2018 Sue's DVD Reviews

18 September 2018

Just One Day (starring Andy Garcia and Vera Farmiga) aka At Middleton

As with most of the films we watch for the first time, ‘Just One Day’ was recommended to me by Amazon. I had not previously heard of it, nor - as far as I know - either of the main actors. So I suppose it was recommended based on the genre of other films I had liked, and I was given it for my birthday a few months ago. We decided to watch it last night, after quite a tiring day.

The story takes place during one day at the campus of an American university called Middleton. Indeed, the film is entitled ‘At Middleton’ in the US, which is rather more descriptive as a title. We first meet the somewhat upright banker George (Andy Garcia) driving his son Conrad (Spencer Lofranco) to an open day at the university which George thinks is right for his son. Conrad doesn’t want to wear a smart shirt and tie, and is clearly rather unimpressed with the whole idea of going to Middleton.

We next meet Edith (Vera Farmiga) driving her daughter Audrey (Taissa Farmiga, who is apparently Vera’s much younger sister) to the same open day. However Edith is rather flaky, and really doesn’t want her daughter to go there, while Audrey is very determined and focussed. We soon learn that she has something of a crush on an elderly linguistics professor, whom she has been longing to meet after studying his books.

The two pairs meet when Edith drives into a parking spot which George had been aiming for, and the contrast between her flamboyant, bohemian attitude contrasts nicely with his formal, somewhat uptight personality. They’re caught up in a tour with rather a boring student guide, and the two parents get separated from the group, and join forces.

Initial antipathy makes way for a realisation that in some ways they are kindred spirits, despite very different characters. Edith persuades George to keep away from the tour, inventing an imaginary personal tour and lying without compunction to her daughter. They explore the campus on ‘borrowed’ bicycles, climb a high tower despite George’s terror of heights, join in various classes, and gradually realise they are extremely attracted to each other…

I liked the upside-down idea of the film: that the parents behave in ways that one might expect teenagers to do, while the potential students follow the group and don’t do anything dramatic. Their stories intersperse somewhat with their parents’ escapade. Audrey meets her idolised professor and hears some hard truths from him, while Conrad discovers some things about Middleton that he likes very much.

There’s some humour in the various antics that George and Edith manage during the course of just a few hours; there’s also some poignancy, and more than a hint that neither is particularly happy. The chemistry between them is excellent. The ending is left open, and I found that a bit unsatisfactory, but overall we thought it a well-made light-hearted film.

Rated 15 in the UK, and R in the stricter US. There’s one brief sexual scene (from a distance) and a few instances of strong language. No nudity, no violence, and I’d have probably rated it as 12 or PG-13. However there’s a drug-related scene, which is probably what pushed it higher; nothing disturbing, as it was meant to be humorous, although we thought that scene rather flat. Still, given the subject matter, it’s unlikely that anyone younger than 15 would be interested anyway.

Review copyright 2018 Sue's DVD Reviews

10 September 2018

The Time of their Lives (starring Joan Collins and Pauline Collins)

This is another film which Amazon recommended to me, and which I thought sounded interesting. So I put ‘The Time of their Lives’ on my wishlist, and was given it for my birthday, earlier in the year. After a long trip out of Cyprus, where we didn’t see any DVDs at all, we decided to watch this one. We had no idea what it would be like, but the case proclaimed that it was a ‘hilarious feel-good film’, so it seemed like a good one to watch.

Joan Collins stars as Helen, a former film star, who now walks with a stick and has fallen on hard times. She looks glamorous in an exaggerated style, and is very demanding. A chance meeting with Priscilla (Pauline Collins - who I assume is not related to Joan Collins) leads to the two of them embarking on a journey to France. Helen wants to attend the funeral of someone she used to be close to. She also hopes for the opportunity to find some more work as an actress.

Priscilla is a far more interesting character than Helen, in my view. She’s in a rather depressing marriage, oppressed by her husband and a rather demanding adult daughter. Her decision to accompany Helen on her trip is made spontaneously, with some apprehension. She soon discovers that Helen is just as domineering as her husband - and artificial, too. I didn’t like Helen much, while feeling some sympathy for her as we gradually learn more about her history.

There are some quite poignant scenes once the two arrive in France, and we found the film, on the whole, more depressing than amusing. There are some light-hearted moments in the journey, admittedly, and an unlikely meeting with a millionaire but that leads to something quite shocking, and a dramatic turn in the story.

It’s hard to say much more without giving spoilers. There’s really not much plot, as the film is character-based primarily. It focuses on the contrast between the two women and their gradual realisation that they do have some things in common. I never quite believed in their growing friendship, however; Helen is too self-centred, it seemed to me, ever to be a real friend to anyone.

Having said all that, the film is very well made, with some pleasant scenery, and we could believe in most of the characters. The more amusing scenes were nicely done with good timing, and the poignant ones made a clear contrast. We were quite engrossed in the storyline and a bit surprised when it ended quite abruptly.

Had it been billed as a drama, or a bittersweet story of friendship, we might have appreciated it more. It wasn’t really a feel-good film at all, in our view, and certainly not ‘hilarious’. But it wasn’t a bad film, and we may well watch it again one day.

The rating is 12A and I think that's probably right. There's very little bad language, some non-frontal nudity, and the end of a clearly intimate scene. But since the film features women whom I assume were meant to be in their sixties, it's unlikely to appeal to children or teenagers.

Review copyright 2018 Sue's DVD Reviews

09 July 2018

Did You Hear about the Morgans? (starring Hugh Grant and Sarah Jessica Parker)

We wanted something light, perhaps mildly amusing, and not too long. We picked out several possibilities from our drawer of unwatched DVDs, and decided on ‘Did you hear about the Morgans?’ starring Hugh Grant and Sarah Jessica Parker. I assume Amazon recommended this one to me because I’ve enjoyed other films with these actors; it was given to me for my birthday earlier in the year.

Hugh Grant plays Paul - at least, his character’s name is Paul, although he doesn’t seem any different from most of the other characters Hugh Grant has played. It doesn’t matter - his slightly self-deprecating very English style works extremely well in this, a story which is essentially about a marriage.

Sarah Jessica Parker is Paul’s wife Meryl, who has a high-powered business leading an estate agency in New York. She's a slightly ditzy extravert. Paul is also a business tycoon, and we quickly learn that their marriage has broken up; they have been separated for three months. Paul is much keener than Meryl to get back together, or at least to spend some time together, and during the dinner which they manage to squeeze into their busy schedules, we learn a fair amount about them both, and some of the strains that caused them to separate.

Then they go outside and witness a terrible crime… and the perpetrator sees them both. Their lives are in danger, so they’re sent, by the local police, to a tiny village in Wyoming. It’s about as different from New York City as is possible, and Meryl is at first quite resistant…

There’s an underlying tense thread relating to the criminal who is determined to find them. Interspersed with their attempt to fit into life in small-town Wyoming we see brief scenes of their PAs back in New York attempting to get on without them, and we see just how easy it is for them to be traced after a couple of foolish mistakes are made…

However the majority of the film is about Paul and Meryl’s marriage, as they are forced together in fairly small quarters, united in their culture shock in such a tiny, relaxed environment which is such a contrast to their usual lives. Gradually they learn to adjust, in ways that are sometimes quite amusing in a low-key kind of way. There are some great one-liners, mostly delivered by a straight-faced Paul; Hugh Grant excels at this kind of thing.

‘Did you hear about the Morgans?’ fit our requirements perfectly; it’s not the greatest film, although I’m sure we’ll see it again at some point. But we enjoyed it, and afterwards watched one of the extras which showed the locations of the film and how they were chosen.

The crime thread makes it a bit different from the average rom-com. There’s some violence though no gore, and some quite tense scenes, not just the ones involving the criminal. The UK rating is PG which slightly surprised me, but I suppose that’s because of the lack of bad language and intimate scenes.

I wouldn’t want a sensitive child to see this; some of the tense scenes could lead to nightmares in some young children. I would have rated it 12, and note that the more conservative US censors have given it a PG-13 rating. However, given the subject matter, I can’t imagine anyone under the age of about fourteen or fifteen would have any interest in it anyway.

Recommended.

Review copyright 2018 Sue's DVD Reviews

27 June 2018

Tea with Mussolini (starring Maggie Smith)

Browsing through Amazon and checking my recommendations, as you do, I kept seeing the DVD ‘Tea with Mussolini’. This is probably because both Maggie Smith and Judi Dench are in it, and I have thoroughly enjoyed all their films, particularly when they appear together. I wasn’t too sure about the setting of this one though, or the evident focus on Italian politics as it related to one of the World Wars.

However, eventually I succumbed to curiosity and put it on my wishlist. I was given it for my recent birthday, and we decided to watch it last night. I did not realise until afterwards that it’s not just historical fiction, but a semi-autobiographical film based on the memories of the director, Franco Zeffirelli.

The main focus of the first part of the story is a group of middle-aged women, mostly British, who are well established in the upper class echelons of Italian society. Maggie Smith is brilliant as Lady Hester, the self-defined leader of the group, as she is the widow of a former ambassador. Judi Dench is delightful as a bohemian artist, determined to preserve ancient frescoes. Joan Plowright is also excellent as Mary, secretary to a somewhat promiscuous Italian man. His illegitimate son Luca lost his mother recently but hates living in an orphanage.

Luca, we learn at the end of the film, is the young Zeffirelli, and he is taken to heart by the elderly women. Mary looks after him and the others help with his care and financing, particularly a flamboyant American women called Elsa. She is played (a little surprisingly, to us) by the singer Cher. We had not remembered that she is also a competent actress.

As war looms, the British are advised to leave Italy but this band of women refuses to depart. Lady Hester is convinced that her friend Mussolini will look after them, and manages to get an audience with him. However, it becomes increasingly clear as the film progresses that he has forgotten her entirely.

It’s a bit difficult to work out what the plot is, exactly; it’s a coming-of-age story as far as Luca is concerned, and it’s also a fascinating contrast between the advance of the war and the determination of the band of elderly women to keep their integrity and their traditions. Even when they are taken into custody they want tea at four o’clock…

The pace is good, the settings realistic. The women are exaggerated, but perhaps that’s how a boy like Luca would have seen them. Luca himself - played by Charlie Lucas as a child, and Baird Wallace as a young man - is excellent, his expressions as speaking, sometimes, as his actions and words. While I found some of the action a bit tense, I appreciated the gentle humour in some of the interactions, particularly those involving Lady Hester.

All in all, we thought it an unusual and interesting evening’s viewing. The rating is PG, and I think that’s fair, though the war scenes, and one mild bedroom scene could be disturbing to younger children. I can’t imagine it would be of interest to anyone under the age of about twelve or thirteen anyway.

Recommended.

Review copyright 2018 Sue's DVD Reviews

19 June 2018

Hampstead (starring Diane Keaton)

Every so often I browse my recommendations on Amazon, and come across films I have never heard of. That happened earlier in the year when it suggested I might like ‘Hampstead’. Diane Keaton stars, and I have liked some of her other films. The reviews were mostly positive, so I put it on my wishlist and was given it for my recent birthday.

There seems to have been quite a spate of films about middle-aged or elderly people in recent years. Or perhaps it’s just that I’m seeing them because I have liked or bought others. On the whole we like them, as we’re in that stage of life, and this was quite a positive one on the whole.

Keaton stars as the recently-widowed Emily who lives in a pleasant block of flats in Hampstead in the UK. She’s a bit of a misfit; the only American, in the area, although she has evidently lived there for many years. The other upper-middle class very British women in the building try to involve her in their community meetings and campaigns, but she’s not really all that interested. Nor does she want them to introduce her to suitable gentlemen friends…

Wandering around the neighbourhood she comes across a shack where it’s rumoured an old tramp lives. And indeed, when we first meet Donald (Brendon Gleeson) he’s just received a letter from the council, asking him to leave. He has a flourishing garden and isn’t doing anything wrong… but he looks like a down-and-out.

So the main part of the story is about these two misfits meeting, irritating each other, becoming unlikely friends, and learning surprising things about each other. It’s also about a battle to save Donald’s home, one which catches the imagination of the local people and gets quite out of hand. At a deeper level it’s about pride, and independence, and the importance of accepting help sometimes. It’s also about being free to be oneself, to flout conventions, to move beyond the strict confines of society’s expectations.

Diane Keaton’s role is not very different from other parts I’ve seen her in, but she does it very well and her personality fits that of Emily ideally. I didn’t remember seeing Brendon Gleeson anywhere else; he is wonderful in his role, and there’s quite an onscreen chemistry between the two. Other characters are somewhat caricatured in their enthusiastic snobbery or downright unpleasantness, but that allows for some comic moments; the pace is excellent, I thought, and the whole well scripted and beautifully made.

Sometimes I didn’t catch all the conversation; it wasn’t that Keaton’s accent is hard to understand but there was quite a lot of muttering. Perhaps that was intended, so as to give the impression of conversation rather than any important dialogue. I don’t think I missed anything.

The rating is 12, which we thought about right. There’s a fair amount of bad language, although I don’t recall anything else that would make it unsuitable for children; there's a love story but it involves implications rather than anything explicit. However it’s unlikely to be of much interest to anyone below the age of about thirty. Overall we enjoyed it very much.

Apparently this film is based on a true story, but we decided not to watch the extras so don’t know any details.

Review copyright 2018 Sue's DVD Reviews

28 May 2018

Saving Grace (starring Brenda Blethyn)

We didn’t have much idea what to expect when we decided to watch ‘Saving Grace’ last night. I’m not even sure when we acquired it, although I think it was probably at a recent charity bazaar. We didn’t know of any of the actors, and I don’t think I’ve seen it recommended anywhere.

The film starts rather depressingly with a funeral in a small village. Grace (Brenda Blethyn) is a lively middle-aged woman whose husband has just died in a fall from an aircraft without a parachute. Grace lives in a large and comfortable home with staff, and assumes that she will be reasonably well off. She quickly realises that this is not the case. Her late husband made some poor investments, and mortgaged the house. She has no money, and no way of earning…

Her gardener and caretaker Matthew (Craig Ferguson) is a likeable young man who is determined to keep working for her, even as circumstances become more difficult, and there is no way to pay him. His long-term girlfriend Nicky (Valerie Edmond) is the skipper of a fishing trawler, and there’s quite a side story involving their relationship which is both moving and inspiring. She’s a very strong - and also kind - young woman.

Matthew is involved in something a little shady and asks Grace for some help. At first, she is reluctant to give it. However when she realises that the project he is involved in could earn them both large amounts of money, she decides to take a risk. From this point the story becomes somewhat surreal, with a fair amount of humour. As the plot becomes increasingly unbelievable, the two main actors are so good that it’s easy to be carried along with their ideas, and the story in general. Excellent supporting actors, in addition to Nicky, include the doctor (Martin Clunes) and the vicar (Leslie Phillips).

It’s a genre all on its own; we both agreed afterwards that we had never seen anything similar. The main part of the film relates to a subject I know almost nothing about. There are forays into the London underworld - no doubt somewhat sanitised - as well as the mysteries of complex gardening techniques. The romantic element mainly involves the couple already mentioned, although there’s a slightly contrived ending which resolves all the problems and shows another new relationship.

The rating is 15 (R in the United States), which I assume is because of the subject matter. To say more would be a spoiler - but I think I would have put the rating nearer 12. There’s no violence and no nudity, although there’s the end of one intimate scene, some some rather frank discussion, and some humorous innuendoes. There’s not even a vast amount of bad language, although some ‘strong’ words are used.

All in all, we thoroughly enjoyed it and would recommend it to anyone who doesn’t mind a highly controversial (and illegal) subject matter.

In the extras, here is a short feature about the making of the film, which we watched and thought interesting. There are also staff/crew interviews.

Review copyright 2018 Sue's DVD Reviews

23 May 2018

Two Weeks Notice (starring Sandra Bullock and Hugh Grant)

From time to time I browse Amazon’s recommended books and films, and add a few interesting-looking ones to my wishlist. That was the case for ‘Two Weeks Notice’ which was probably suggested because it features both Hugh Grant and Sandra Bullock. I’ve liked films with both of them in the past, and this looked, from the viewer reviews, like my favourite kind of light but reasonably intelligent romantic comedy.

I was given the DVD for my recent birthday, and we watched it last night. Sandra Bullock is entirely believable as Lucy, a somewhat disorganised lawyer who works for a charity. We meet her in the throes of lying down before bulldozers in the hope of saving her beloved local community centre.

Hugh Grant plays George, a billionaire, arrogant playboy. He does it well, but I could never quite believe in this character - the slightly awkward gentleman persona of other films was always in my mind. George’s firm is involved in knocking down the community centre, but they’re also looking for a bright, proactive lawyer. He bumps into Lucy, and manages to persuade her to take the job, promising a huge salary and also that he will save the community centre.

Lucy quickly discovers that George wants a personal assistant/PA as much as a lawyer and becomes increasingly frustrated that he expects her to answer the phone at any time of day or night, no matter how busy she is, for trivial concerns. Eventually she hands in her notice. Even that isn’t straightforward, until another young and attractive woman applies for the job.

Despite my never entirely believing in Hugh Grant as George, he and Lucy have a very good on-screen chemistry, with quick-fire dialogue and great timing. There’s some humour - we smiled several times, even chuckled once or twice - and the romance element, while inevitable, is mostly subtly done.

I appreciated, too, the contrast between faceless corporations who want to make more and more money, and the caring side of humanity which George had apparently never previously noticed. There's a political element, which I guess might upset some who tend towards capitalism, but it's not overt, nor pushed.

The rating is 12, which seems about right to me; not that it would be of much interest to anyone under the age of about 15 or 16. There are no explicit scenes, only partial nudity in a humorous context, and no violence. There are plenty of innuendoes and sexual references and some ‘strong’ language, however.

All in all, it filled the bill perfectly for a light evening’s relaxation. Don’t expect fast action or passion in this - but if you like good rom-coms, I would recommend this one, in a low-key kind of way.

Review copyright 2018 Sue's DVD Reviews

01 May 2018

Yorkshire Pudding (starring Adrian Plass)

I bought this DVD after seeing Adrian and Bridget Plass speaking in a church in the UK some years ago. I had read all their books - and enjoyed them thoroughly - and it had been a wonderful evening of humour, poignancy and much to ponder.

So, wanting to buy something from their bookstall, I picked up the DVD entitled ‘Yorkshire Pudding’. It claims to be short vignettes, intended for discussion, perhaps in small groups. Some of the items listed were evidently from some of Adrian Plass's books, but I was interested to see them dramatised.

The DVD sat in our to-be-watched drawer for a long time, as it never seemed to be the right time to see it. Then, last night, we began watching the film 'Closer' (starring Julia Roberts and Jude Law, and a couple of other actors we had not heard of) which we had bought inexpensively at a charity event. Rated 15, supposedly about modern relationships, we expected it to be a bit risque. We did not expect it to be laced with innuendoes, ‘strong’ language of the worst kind, and blatant betrayals and immorality. 18 would have been a more appropriate rating. When one character demanded intimate details of what his wife had done with her lover, we stopped watching ‘Closer’. We're throwing away the DVD and I won't even give it a proper review.

I had a bad taste, metaphorically speaking, in my mouth by this stage. We wanted to see half an hour or so of something wholesome in contrast. It was too late to start watching another film, so I pulled out ‘Yorkshire Pudding’. A little ironically the first sketch involved someone talking about a woman tempted into betraying her husband… but all ended happily and entirely satisfactorily, in stark contrast to what we had seen earlier.

There are seventeen vignette interludes on this DVD, all involving Adrian Plass, mostly as himself, with typical self-deprecating humour. There are sketches about boundaries, about decision-making, about guidance, mostly tinged with humour and also with a strong message.

Bridget Plass comes into a few of the sketches too, in a variety of parts. I loved her role as an Anglican minister, discussing an upcoming joint service with the local free church minister (Adrian), getting increasingly heated as they exaggerate their differences and fight about words. The ending falls a little flat, perhaps, but the bulk of it is very well done.

We were determined only to watch five or six of these sketches, but ended up seeing ‘just one more…’ until we had seen them all. We watched the outtakes too. Many of the vignettes were based on (or taken from) sketches in various of Adrian’s books, although I’m not someone who can pinpoint the sources.

On the back, there’s an explanation of the title - it’s not just that the scenes were all set in Yorkshire. The vignettes are intended as a side dish, so to speak, to accompany a longer talk or Bible study. However, we felt they worked well as something to sit and watch straight through, particularly in contrast to what we had started watching earlier.

The scenery is pleasant, green and hilly, and the scripting and acting mostly excellent. Our one gripe was with the way the camera kept zooming in to give close-ups, and then zooming right out again to give a wider view. We found it quite irritating - but it appears to have been deliberate, as it happens in almost every sketch.

The content is Christian, but not churchy; indeed, much of the humour comes from satirising some of the strange ways Christians sometimes behave in church settings. The sketch about bad Bible reading made us laugh out loud, and reminded me somewhat of Mr Bean in church.

Recommended to anyone who wants something a little offbeat for conversation starters, perhaps with youth groups or small house groups.

Review copyright 2018 Sue's DVD Reviews

24 April 2018

All Roads Lead to Rome (starring Sarah Jessica Parker)

This is one of the many DVDs that Amazon recommended to me, and which I added to my wishlist a while ago, based on the blurb and reviews. Inevitably different films appeal to different people, and I thought that ‘All Roads Lead to Rome’ sounded like an interesting storyline, rather different from the typical rom-com. I was given it for my recent birthday, and last night we decided to watch it.

There are four main characters in this film. Sarah Jessica Parker plays Maggie, a somewhat neurotic mother who has brought her teenage daughter Summer (Rosie Day) to Italy for what is supposed to be a relaxing holiday. Summer is upset because she wants to be with her druggie boyfriend, and Maggie is over-enthusiastic about the views and atmosphere, in a way that even I found irritating, and I’m a mother rather than a teenager.

They quickly meet Luca (Raoul Bova) who was romantically attached to Maggie many years previously and his mother Carmen (Claudia Cardinale) who seems, at first, to be a little senile; but we soon discover that this is far from the case. She wants to get to Rome for reasons that later become clear… and when Summer takes the opportunity to escape from her mother, Carmen insists on going too.

A lot of the storyline is far-fetched, with a lengthy car chase around the Italian countryside, various near misses, apparent disasters… and then perfect timing towards the climax. But that doesn’t matter; it’s more comedy than romance, and while we didn’t laugh aloud, there were some quite amusing sections. Summer is excellent in her role as an uncommunicative teenager, and quickly bonds with Carmen despite their distance in age and rather different circumstances.

Meanwhile Maggie and Luca join forces to try to find the runaway pair… and in doing so gradually explore what went wrong in the past, and what changes each of them needs to make to their lives. I didn’t find this nearly so convincing, however. I never really believed in Maggie, who smiles too broadly, too often, and has a streak of viciousness which is most unappealing. Luca looks good as a romantic hero, but his treatment of his mother, and his opinion of women in general make him seem unpleasant - and his eventual capitulation is far too rapid.

Still, as a light-hearted evening’s viewing, it filled the bill nicely. There was no deep thought required, and while there is more action than I usually like in a film, it wasn’t difficult to follow. I’d have liked English subtitles for a couple of significant Italian exchanges; it was easy to get the gist, but I’d have liked to know exactly what was said.

The rating is 12 (PG-13 in the US) which I’d say is about right. The story is unlikely to be of interest to children or younger teens anyway; but there’s very little bad language, no nudity or intimate scenes, and no violence. The brief glimpses of Summer’s boyfriend in his squat are sordid, involving drugs, but they’re not shown in a disturbing way.

Not the greatest film, but pleasant enough.

Review copyright 2018 Sue's DVD Reviews

03 April 2018

Roxanne (starring Steve Martin)

Interspersed with new films, we’re watching some which we haven’t seen for ten years or more. Last night we decided to re-watch ‘Roxanne’, the film starring Steve Martin as Charlie, the fireman with the long nose. It’s is loosely based on the classic Cyrano de Bergerac, although we’ve never managed to watch that.

Charlie is a likeable, popular and intelligent man, but he has a hard time with romantic relationships. His nose isn’t just long, it’s somewhat disturbingly so, and difficult to ignore. So when the beautiful Roxanne (Daryl Hannah) comes to live in his town, he’s pretty sure he has no chance with her, other than as a friend. And, indeed, she asks him to help her get together with Chris (Rick Rosovitch), a good-looking fireman who has recently started working for Charlie.

Roxanne is an astronomer who likes interesting conversation. Chris is not only shy but lacks any kind of culture or interest in anything other than (as he puts it) getting in her pants. So he asks Charlie to write letters… and Charlie pours out his heart.

The outcome is somewhat predictable, but nicely done and there’s a great deal of humour as well as some quite moving scenes. Steve Martin is a master of comic timing, and while slapstick isn’t my preferred style, I liked this film very much. The humour isn’t just physical, either; there’s a wonderful scene in a bar, where he comes up with a list of suitable insults appropriate to his nose, which manages to be both amusing and poignant.

I’d remembered the overall storyline from a decade or two ago, but had entirely forgotten most of the interactions and dialogue. I gather that much of it is taken almost directly from Cyrano de Bergerac, but it’s modern (in a 1980s style) in a way that works extremely well. It’s thought-provoking too, and I hope would encourage viewers to think about the importance of character and personality over appearance.

The rating is PG in both the US and UK, although I feel a 12 (PG-13) would have been more appropriate. While there’s nothing explicit, there are a lot of innuendoes, some non-frontal nudity (in a mostly humorous context), a slightly violent scene, and quite a bit of minor bad language.

It's not something I would want to show children, although young teenagers might appreciate it - and it could make a good starting point for a discussion about the way people can be treated based on physical characteristics such as Charlie’s nose.

This film has become a classic in its own right, and (in my view) deservedly so. Steve Martin is flawless, and the supporting characters are all excellent. The pace is just right, and the ending entirely satisfactory.

Highly recommended.

Review copyright 2018 Sue's DVD Reviews

27 March 2018

Twelfth Night (starring Imogen Stubbs)

We’re trying to work our way through the DVDs we have acquired over the years but have never watched, as well as re-watching some we haven’t seen for ten years or so. Last night my husband decided on the 1996 production of the Shakespeare play ‘Twelfth Night’. I have no idea where we got hold of this; I suspect a charity shop or similar.

We saw an excellent production of this play nearly twenty years ago, and it had not occurred to me that this would be made as a normal film rather than being a stage adaptation. So I was a little startled when it opened with the inside of a ship, in stormy weather. We saw the twins Viola (Imogen Stubbs) and Sebastian (Steven Mackintosh) singing a a double act, shortly followed by the shipwreck which separated them, before any dialogue begins.

This is followed by what I later realised is scene two of the original script. Viola is devastated at (she assumes) the loss of her brother, and decides that it’s safest to dress up as a man. She plans to seek employment at the court of Orsino (Toby Stephens), the Duke who is in love with a lady called Olivia (Helena Bonham Carter) - but Olivia’s father and brother have both died recently, and she has renounced the company of men.

The famous opening line, ‘If music be the food of love, play on…’ then shows Viola, already disguised as the man Cesario, playing for Orsino. After that, the story moves forward (if I recall correctly) in the order of the original play, but with the addition of relevant scenery, interspersed with some songs.

I had assumed at first that the setting was in the 16th century, contemporary with Shakespeare. I was then startled by the use of a bicycle in one of the early scenes, something that was not invented until much later. So I adjusted my time-frame, and realised it was set as if in the late 19th or even early 20th century.

It always takes me a few minutes for me to get into Shakespearean dialogue, but it wasn’t too difficult, and I was soon absorbed in the story. The overall plot is well-known: Orsino loves Olivia, but she falls in love with the supposed Cesario who is really Viola, and Viola herself falls in love with Orsino. There’s a fair bit of comedy inherent in this, but extra comic relief is provided by the drunken Sir Toby (Mel Smith), and the fool Feste (quite unlike any Feste I have previously seen or imagined, brilliantly played by Ben Kingsley). There’s also the pompous Malvolio (Nigel Hawthorne) who has both a comic and a poignant part to play.

I was amazed at how alike Viola and Sebastian looked, and thought they must be close relatives, only to discover later that the two actors are unconnected. Imogen Stubbs is a credible Cesario, with quite a bit of low-key humour in the way she moves, and facial expressions. Helena Bonham Carter is excellent as Olivia, and Nigel Hawthorne as Malvolio was inspired casting, in my view.

It’s not laugh-aloud comedy for the most part, and is quite bawdy in places, but I’ve always liked ‘Twelfth Night’, and thought this an extremely good adaptation. It’s rated U in the UK, PG in the US. Shakespeare’s plays have quite a bit of innuendo and this play has its share, but younger children wouldn’t get them. I doubt if anyone below the age of about eleven or twelve would be particularly interested anyway.

However this would be an excellent version for secondary/high school or university students studying this play, to see realistic backgrounds and scenery, and to see far better the context (albeit a few centuries too late).

Recommended to anyone who would like to see something a bit different.

Review copyright 2018 Sue's DVD Reviews

20 March 2018

A Taste of Honey (starring Rita Tushingham)

Years ago we acquired some DVDs which a relative had collected free with weekend newspapers. ‘A Taste of Honey’ came with a Sunday Telegraph, and has sat in our to-be-watched DVD drawer for five years or more. We knew it was black-and-white, which isn’t necessarily appealing, but last night we finally decided to watch it.

The film, made in 1961, is set in a northern coastal town of the UK, and stars Rita Tushingham as Jo, a young girl of perhaps 15 or 16. She lives with her mother Helen (Dora Bryan) but the two have an acrimonious relationship. Helen likes drinking and dancing, and men… Jo is full of anger at life in general, and her mother in particular.

We see them doing a ‘moonlight flit’ from a rented apartment where they have fallen behind on payments, ending up somewhere worse, though presumably without either means to pay or references. It’s impossible to tell time-frames, as the action moves forward in random jerks; Jo is at school when we first meet her, then employed at a shoe shop, looking after herself.

We thought at first that it might be somewhat amusing, but it’s really all rather depressing. Rita Tushingham’s acting debut is impressive, and apparently she won an award for the role, going on to a lengthy career as an actress. Dora Bryan is also a expressive, if caricatured and rather inconsistent. At one point she seems to care for her daughter, at other points she ignores her or treats her badly. She’s shallow and increasingly dislikeable as the film progresses.

Jo herself is rather blatant; she appears quite shy at first, but makes male friends as easily as her mother clearly has done through the years. There are a lot of issues in this film which were probably very shocking back in 1961. Jo first makes friends with a black sailor, and then with a young man who is gay. Promiscuity is rife, along with casual sex, although it all takes place off set. Indeed, I see that the film was initially rated as X, although there’s no real violence, no bedroom scenes, and no bad language. Our edition is rated 15, but I see that the general UK rating is now 12. That seems about right to me, although I can’t imagine it being of interest to anyone below the age of at least fifteen.

I understand that the genre is that of the ‘kitchen sink drama’ which was popular in the 1950s and early 1960s in contrast to the lavish earlier films that were produced. So we see a slice of what life probably was like for poorer, working class folk of the era. But the conversation is quite stilted in places, the action slow and plodding, the background music irritating. Worst of all, there’s no resolution to any of the storylines.

I was startled to read that the play on which the film was based had quite a run both in the West End and Broadway. I should perhaps have guessed that it began as a play, since there are only five named characters in the play, as far as I recall, although there are a lot of children around as extras. I was even more surprised to learn that this film is highly rated and won several awards.

Perhaps it’s a particularly good example of the kitchen sink genre; maybe caricatured and depressed looking characters are to be expected. But neither of us enjoyed it. It’s only 96 minutes long, but I found myself regularly glancing at the clock. It certainly isn’t the pleasant escapism I look for in watching DVDs.

I really wouldn’t recommend ‘A Taste of Honey’, but don’t necessarily take my word for it. It’s clearly very popular in some circles.

Review copyright 2018 Sue's DVD Reviews

13 March 2018

Winter Solstice (starring Sinéad Cusack)

It’s over eleven years since we watched the made-for-TV film ‘Winter Solstice’, based loosely on a book of the same name written by Rosamunde Pilcher. So it seemed like a good idea to re-watch it last night.

The story opens with Elfrida (Sinéad Cusack) scattering the ashes of her late husband. When I read the book ‘Winter Solstice’, about fourteen years ago, I thought Elfrida was quite elderly. She’s supposed to be sixty-three… and when I was in my early forties that age seemed a long way off. Watching the film last night, it struck me how young and lively she seemed… I would have guessed that she was in her mid-fifties.

Oscar (Jan Niklas) is supposed to be considerably younger than Elfrida, but I’d have put him at around fifty. Not that it mattered. Oscar and Elfrida have a good friendship, and Elfrida becomes very fond of his daughter Francesca. Then disaster strikes… an incident which comes early in the book, and which is dramatic and shocking in the film. I didn't remember Francesca having an older half-brother, the selfish and unpleasant Giles.

Most of the story takes place when several diverse and not entirely compatible people find themselves staying in a remote house in Scotland. There are some unlikely coincidences - two people, connected with the two co- owners of the house, both deciding to stay there at the same time, for instance. More unlikely still is that Sam, a young businessman, happens to arrive at the same time as Carrie, a young woman he sat next to on an aeroplane. I don’t remember if the latter coincidence was in the book; evidently I should re-read it soon.

There are some changed details which didn’t matter too much. Carrie is supposed to be aunt to the teenage Lucy, whose father has remarried in the book. In the film, Carrie is her older half-sister, with a very flaky mother. I don’t remember Lucy being caught up in computer games in the book, but perhaps she was. Nor do I recall anything about a business venture, Sam having to make people redundant, or a whisky distillery. But if those were in the book, I may well have skimmed over them as I prefer the relationship parts of the book.

While the scenery and photography were excellent, in places, I was a tad irritated, as I was the first time I saw the book, that there was so little snow. The book has these unlikely characters snowed up for a few days, not wanting to celebrate Christmas at all. The film has surprisingly balmy weather, where people don’t even need to wrap up particularly warmly, and only a sprinkling of snow after the Christmas Eve midnight communion service.

Overall, I thought it a very enjoyable film. I wasn’t expecting it to be the same as the book this time, so wasn’t disappointed. The characters were well-cast, and I thought the pace about right for a character-driven story of this kind. My husband is happy to watch this kind of film with me, and also enjoyed it although he commented that some of the sound was not quite correct. I hadn’t noticed.

The rating is PG, which I think is probably right. There’s the shocking scene I mentioned earlier, and quite a violent tussle later in the book. There are a couple of ‘morning after’ bedroom scenes, although no explicit nudity or intimacies. There’s not much bad language, although the word ‘God’ is used as an expletive several times, including (rather oddly) at least once by the Vicar.

The story is quite intense in places too, but since it mostly concerns adults and their relationships, the film is unlikely to appeal to anyone below the age of about fifteen.

I would recommend it to anyone who likes this kind of gentle character-driven story, with the proviso that you should not expect it to be closely connected with Rosamunde Pilcher’s novel ‘Winter Solstice’.

Review copyright 2018 Sue's DVD Reviews