Elf (Will Ferrell)

(Amazon UK link)

It’s unusual for me to watch more than one film in a week. Almost unheard of two days in a row, but that’s what we decided to do in this post-Christmas week, when we’re both tired, it’s cold out, and we’re both feeling in need of some light-hearted entertainment.

So, what better than the Christmas movie ‘Elf’? I had seen this recommended many times but had not acquired it until a few weeks ago. We knew little about it, other than that it featured Will Ferrell as an oversized elf… but we don’t mind a bit of surreality and hope it would be fairly undemanding. 

It opens with an introduction by Papa Elf (Bob Newhart), explaining what elves do, and  how they all aspire to work in Santa’s toy factory at the North Pole. Until thirty years ago, he said, no human had ever set foot in the factory. Then the scene shifts back to a baby, put to bed by a nun in an orphanage, when Santa arrives with a sack of presents. The baby manages to climb out of his cot and crawl into the sack of toys, and is thus transported to the factory where Papa Elf offers to raise him. 

The baby is known as Buddy, and never really understands why he’s so much bigger than all his friends, yet slower at making toys. He overhears a worrying conversation, then at last his father tells him the truth. Buddy sets out to the magical city of New York, to find his biological father.

Buddy’s father Walter (James Caan) had no idea that Buddy even existed. He’s a somewhat grumpy workaholic who has little time for his wife or son Michael. And Buddy is not just overly cheerful and somewhat hyperactive, he’s extremely naive. He has no idea how to interact with people… but he does have immense skill at Christmas decorating.

So yes, reality had to be suspended, and we didn’t worry too much about the strange visual effects that looked extremely old-fashioned; the film was made in 2003 and that’s really the only part that dates it. The acting was good, the resulting chaos and confusion quite amusing at times, and in the end it’s a feel-good encouraging story with an exciting climax as Santa’s sleigh stops working due to the lack of Christmas spirit. 

There are places where the story didn’t entirely hold together:  Santa, after all, had been in his workshop, but no mention is made of whether he is human. He appears as more like Buddy than like the elves, but perhaps he’s a race apart. Buddy’s travels from the North Pole to New York are equally glossed over. He wears his elf suit and sits on a bit of floating ice, then somehow ends up in New York looking as fresh as ever. What did he eat? Where does he find money to buy things?  Where does he keep his money, given that he has no baggage…?

I suppose the film is most often seen by families. Having said that, if a child still believes in Father Christmas, and hasn’t raised any questions, it might be best not to see this just yet. While there’s a ‘real’ Santa in the film, many questions are asked about why people don’t believe, and a ‘fake’ Santa, in a shopping mall, is unmasked. And the rating is PG rather than U, as there are one or two minor instances of bad language, and a few subtle innuendoes. I suspect they would go right over a child’s head, but as the rating suggests, parental guidance is recommended.

I thought it a good film overall, one that we’ll most likely see in another two or three years during the festive period, and would recommend it to anyone building up a collection of Christmas movies.

Review copyright 2022 Sue's DVD Reviews

The Town that Cancelled Christmas (Matt McCoy)

(Amazon UK link)

Browsing a while ago for Christmas films, I came across recommendations for ‘The Town that Cancelled Christmas’. It sounded intriguing so I put it on my wishlist, and was given it for Christmas. We decided to watch it last night, with little idea what to expect.

The story starts when a couple called Norbert (Matt McCoy) and Maddie (Jane Sibbett) move into a house in a small town (I would have called it a village) called Greenlaw, in the United States.

They and their young teenage son Kevin (Hunter Gomez) are quickly welcomed by their neighbours, most of whom I had a hard time remembering, but the significant one is Donny (Adam Ferrara) who is very proud of having won a Christmas award, every year, for the best decorated house. 

When Norbert hears this, he says that he has previously won a similar award in other towns - it’s fairly obvious that he’s either making this up or exaggerating, since he and his wife can’t even agree where they last lived; his son later mentions to Donny’s daughter that his father actually hates Christmas and has never decorated anywhere. 

Norbert is a writer, although he doesn’t seem to get much writing done and Maddie is becoming increasingly frustrated with him. His book is about human behaviour, but he tells his new neighbours that it’s about orang-utans, not wanting them to be nervous around him. 

There’s a lot of humour in the film, including a couple of places where we chuckled aloud - it’s ridiculous, of course, as is the increasing bizarreness and tawdriness of Donny’s outside display, as he determines to retain his title and crown. And when nobody can agree whose decorations are best, the story becomes increasingly silly, but still quite amusing as everything to do with Christmas is banned, and a truck drives through slowly removing trees, decorations, and everything else that might be connected.

It’s not the greatest acting; I don't think we had ever previously heard of any of the cast. But as a light evening’s entertainment it served its purpose well. The plot certainly isn’t predictable, and if some of the situations are increasingly unbelievable - including the ending - it doesn’t much matter; it's light-hearted, warm, and amusing.

I’m a bit surprised to realise that the rating is 12 as I don’t recall any bad language, nudity, or violence other than a few minor (and evidently choreographed) incidents. I can’t imagine it would be of any interest to children; other than two teenagers who are probably about fourteen, the cast are all adults. But I would have rated it PG. 

Overall I thought it a good film to add to our Christmas collection, one that we’ll almost certainly watch again in two or three years’ time.  It was apparently made in 2006 but feels older, somehow. I had a hard time tuning into the accents for the first few minutes of the film, but don't think I lost anything before I was able to understand them.

(The film is called ‘A Merry Little Christmas’ in some parts of the world). 

Review copyright 2022 Sue's DVD Reviews

The Christmas Shoes (Rob Lowe)

(Amazon UK link)

Browsing in a charity shop on a brief visit to the UK, I spotted a whole box of Christmas DVDs, priced at one pound each. I didn’t have enough space, so selected just three of them, based on the blurbs on the back. We decided to watch ’The Christmas Shoes’ last night, with no idea whether it would be ultra-fluffy, or a bit magical, or perhaps a little more thought-provoking.

What we didn’t expect was a very poignant film that brought tears to our eyes towards the end. The viewpoint character is a high-powered American lawyer called Robert (Rob Lowe). He is fond of his young teenage daughter Lily (Amber Marshall) and keeps promising that he’ll leave work in time to get to the concerts where she’s singing. But he gets caught up in work, determined to make more and more money, so that they can buy a bigger, more luxurious house. Robert’s wife Kate (Maria del Mar) has been at home with Lily for some years and although she’s considering going back to work, she’s not keen. She would prefer to volunteer at Lily’s school.

Running alongside the scenes involving this little family are scenes from another family, less well-off but much more contented. Maggie (KImberly Williams-Paisley) is happily married to Jack (Hugh Thompson) who is a car mechanic. They have a young son called Nathan (Max Morrow). It’s clear from the start that Maggie isn’t well; she gets out of breath easily, and very tired. She works as a volunteer at Lily’s school, and directs their choir which is currently rehearsing Christmas songs. 

As for the shoes of the title, they’re first seen falling off the back of a truck, and rescued by Robert. He eventually returns them to the store, where they’re seen by young Nathan who wants to buy his mother something special. Maggie, it turns out, has a very serious health condition and there’s probably nothing that can be done to save her. 

The film is beautifully made, with some excellent singing, and we were particularly impressed with the child Nathan, who is entirely believable as a boy who is hoping and praying that his mother will survive, but fearful that she won’t. He’s generous, courageous and full of determination. It was some of his scenes that I found the most moving. 

I thought it was quite clever the way that the two families had a lot of connections, yet never really got to know each other; Maggie and Kate do become friends as Kate starts taking over the choir; in addition, Robert’s mother lives next door to the teacher who works with Maggie, and Robert’s car is repaired by Maggie’s husband Jack. Towards the end Robert has a connection with Nathan, too, but they remain two separate families. Even at the end of the film, in a kind of epilogue, a possible connection doesn’t happen.

The film is twenty years old, and underlying it is a low-key Christian message about the real meaning of Christmas; there’s no mention of Lily’s school being a private or specifically Christian one, but since American state schools don’t do Christmas carols, other than entirely secular seasonal songs, I assume it must have been a private school. 

It made a good film to see in December, one which I’m sure we’ll watch again in a few year’s time. I don't think I'd heard of any of the actors before, but was impressed with them all.

Definitely recommended if you like this kind of slightly schmaltzy film.

Review copyright 2022 Sue's DVD Reviews

Must Love Dogs (Diane Lane)

(Amazon UK link)

We wanted something light and undemanding to watch, so we decided to see ‘Must Love Dogs’. We saw it ten years ago, but had entirely forgotten the storyline. We’re not dog-lovers ourselves but storylines involving dogs are usually good value, often with some canine humour thrown in.

Dogs don’t, in fact, feature all that highly. It’s the story of two people who are single and really don’t have any wish to start dating again. Sarah (Diane Lane) is a preschool teacher of around 40 who has been recently divorced. She’s quite close to her siblings, who are determined to match her up with someone. But their attempts, although mildly amusing, are not at all successful.

Meanwhile Jake (John Cusack) is also recently divorced, but has little interest in starting a new relationship. He loves building boats from scratch, but his best friend tries to match-make and he goes along with it, although without a great deal of enthusiasm. 

One of Sarah’s siblings signs her up for a dating website, giving her an exaggerated description, including the fact that a potential ‘match’ must love dogs. Not that Sarah owns a dog herself, but she’s looking after her brother’s. This is how she comes to meet Jake, in a park, with a borrowed dog. 

The two do not hit it off, and there’s a side story where Sarah is really quite attracted by the father of one of her young students. He’s clearly keen on her but she’s concerned about the ethics of dating a parent of one of the children in her care, even though it’s a child she finds quite appealing.  So for a while it’s not certain which way the story is going to go - neither of us could remember.

I suppose it’s not a particularly memorable film, but it has some good lines, and more humour than some ‘rom-com’ movies. An added bonus is Christopher Plummer as Sarah’s father, who’s quite elderly but also rather a womaniser. It’s probably due to this that the film is rated 12; we didn’t notice any violence or bad language, but there are many references to sexual actvities (though nothing explicit). 

It made a good light evening’s viewing, and no doubt we’ll watch it again in another decade or so, when, once again, we will have completely forgotten the story.

Review copyright 2022 Sue's DVD Reviews

The Blind Side (Quinton Aaron)

(Amazon UK link)

We had been given a few DVDs by a friend-of-a-friend who was leaving the country, but had not heard of any of them. We decided to try ‘The Blind Side’, as it listed Sandra Bullock as one of the main actors, and we’ve always liked her style. The DVD cover told us that it was based on an extraordinary true story, which sounded intriguing. 

The first few minutes were quite off-putting, as they featured American football, with commentary and cheering - and we had no clue what was going on. Was it going to be a sports film, we wondered?  We kept watching, determined to give it a fair chance, and were so glad we did. American football does feature, but it didn’t matter that we don’t like or understand it. 

Michael - ‘Big Mike’ - played by Quinton Aaron is the star of the film. He’s not someone we had heard of before, but we were very impressed. The actor was apparently a decade or so older than the 17-year-old boy he was playing, but was entirely believable. 

Michael has impressive ball skills, which attract the notice of an American college who agree to award him a scholarship. Unfortunately, his academic skills are minimal. He’s spent his life in foster care or on the streets, and his education has been sporadic at best. A perceptive teacher realises that while he has trouble with writing, he has an incredible memory and the ability to understand quite complex concepts and information, so long as he’s able to talk rather than write. 

Sandra Bullock is the feisty, warm-hearted Leigh Anne, and we immediately liked her character. She has a teenage daughter at the same college as Michael, and a young son. She notices that he has nowhere to stay, not much to eat, and no warm clothes as winter sets in. So she invites him to stay overnight. Her husband is a bit uncertain and she wonders if she might have made a mistake… 

It’s an engaging, thought-provoking and ultimately very uplifting film despite the scenes involving American football. There are one or two light moments, but a lot that made us think about white privilege, and the motivation people might have for helping those who are struggling.  The story itself might be somewhat predictable but the character growth and insight was excellent, and was what made it such a very watchable film. 

Rated 12, which I think is probably right; some violence though nothing gory, and a few sexual references. Some quite sordid scenes involving drugs, and some bad language. But nothing gratuitous, and we didn't find any of it disturbing.

Definitely recommended, and I’m sure we’ll watch this again in another five or six years.

Review copyright 2022 Sue's DVD Reviews

Letters to Juliet (Amanda Seyfried)

(Amazon UK link)

I was staying with relatives and we planned to watch something else, but their DVD player didn’t seem to work… so they chose ‘Letters to Juliet’ from films available on one of their subscription services. I had never heard of it, but the brief blurb sounded intriguing. It turned out to be an excellent choice, one which we all liked very much.

The story opens with a young couple going on a pre-wedding honeymoon to Verona, in Italy.  Amanda Seyfried is excellent as the caring, romantic Sophie. She hopes that this short holiday will bring her closer to her fiance Victor (Gael Garcia Bernal). He’s a nice enough young man but rather obsessed with his work as a chef… and instead of relaxing and enjoying the romance of the area, he arranges meetings and has very little time for Sophie. 

So she goes sight-seeing on her own, and discovers ‘Juliet’s Wall’ - a bizarre idea, we thought, since Juliet was a fictional creation by Shakespeare. But apparently many visitors, in reality, write notes to the tragic heroine, hoping for comfort or reassurance. Even if Juliet had existed, she would be long gone, but replies are sent out. I’m not sure how much is based on reality, but in the film Sophie discovers that a team of women work all hours to attempt to keep up with the notes, and answer them wherever possible. 

Sophie gets drawn into this, as they need someone who can write in English, and she discovers a letter that was written fifty years earlier. She has no idea if the person concerned is even alive, but replies anyway… and this is the catalyst for some unexpected meetings and discoveries.

It’s an unusual setting and theme for a fairly traditional story of love, disappointment, mutual dislike and growing attraction. But there's another subplot, the one involving the now elderly Clare, brilliantly portrayed by Vanessa Redgrave. Her screen chemistry is so good, her acting flawless, and we could totally believe in her character who is warm, caring and determined to solve a mystery from the past.

We all found it very watchable, unsure where it was going to go. There are some quite poignant moments but also some gentle humour here and there, and the acting, at least from the main characters, is excellent. The rating is PG, and while I can't imagine it would appeal to children or even teenagers, there's nothing unsuitable other than some mild bad language.

'Letters to Juliet' won’t appeal to those who like fact action and tension, but for a light evening’s viewing with some depth, I would definitely recommend it. 

Review copyright 2022 Sue's DVD Reviews

Hope Springs (Colin Firth)

(Amazon UK link)

A couple of months ago we watched one of our DVDs with the title ‘Hope Springs’, and last night we watched the other one. Both are billed as romantic comedies, both are about relationships and are mildly amusing in places rather than hilarious - but there the similarity ends.

It’s a long time since we first saw the second ‘Hope Springs’, which stars Colin Firth as a young man called, appropriately, Colin. He is a talented artist visiting the United States, and we quickly learn that he’s nursing a broken heart. His fiancee Vera (Minnie Driver) has behaved quite callously, and he wants to forget her.

He stays at a motel managed by Mr and Mrs Fisher (Frank Collison and Mary Steenburgen) who are responsible for much of the humour. Fisher has a most unusual and expressive face, and is one of the first people Colin draws. Mrs Fisher introduces him to Mandy (Heather Graham) who is supposedly a grief therapist. But she is rather a confused person, and she and Colin are quickly attracted to each other…

The story is something of a classic love triangle - inevitably Vera arrives and Colin is caught between her and Mandy, both wanting him, while he isn’t entirely sure what he wants, and tries to hide things from each of them, which naturally enough causes them both to become upset with him.

There are some other interesting characters in the film - the mayor (Oliver Platt) who is smug and entirely self-centered, quite amusingly so when he meets Colin and has his portrait drawn. And there are shopkeepers who take an inordinate interest in Colin…this is small-town America at its best.

There’s nothing deep in the film, and much that is shallow, but the acting is good the chemistry between Colin and both the leading ladies is excellent, and we learned in the ‘making of’ extra that in fact Colin Firth and Minnie Driver had been close friends for years, something that came across well in the film.

Colin’s comic timing is excellent and while in places I winced rather than chuckling, we did smile several times, and I found some of the dialogue quite amusing.

Rated 12A which seems about right, though I might have opted for 15. There’s quite a bit of implied sex, though nothing explicit, and I don’t recall any strong language. It’s certainly not suitable for children; unlikely to be of any interest to younger teenagers either. But for us, it made a good evening’s light viewing.

Recommended.

Review copyright 2022 Sue's DVD Reviews

Sweet Home Alabama (Reese Witherspoon)

(Amazon UK link)

Although we have had the film ‘Sweet Home Alabama’ on our shelves for many years, I had not watched it until we chose it as a light evening’s viewing last night. I had no idea what it was about, but the blurb on the back suggested a light, feel-good kind of story.

Reese Witherspoon stars as Amanda, a talented and ambitious young woman who works in New York as a clothes designer. She is in a relationship with a wealthy businessman called Andrew (Patrick Dempsey) and somewhat startled when he asks her to marry him. His mother Kate (Candice Bergan) is the Mayor, and rather unimpressed that he’s marrying someone she doesn’t approve of.

Amanda, as we quickly learn, is not exactly who she claims to be. There was a brief prologue showing her as a child with her best friend Jake, but it’s not until she returns to Alabama, purportedly to tell her parents face-to-face that she is engaged, that we learn exactly what happened with Jake, and what kind of relationship she has with him now.

There’s not much more I can say about the plot without giving spoilers; suffice it to say it’s really a relationship-based film, contrasting Amanda’s high-powered life in New York with her very different background, growing up in a loving but low-income family whom she hasn’t seen in seven years.

I expect the scenes in the Alabama bars and homes were somewhat caricatured, showing lots of drinking, smoking, playing pool and dancing with drawling farmers and glamorous but unintelligent women. But Amanda’s gradual realisation about what really mattered to her was very well done. Her old friends and acquaintances greet her warmly enough but see her as stuck-up and condescending. As she begins to see the value in her former way of life, her accent becomes more Southern too.

The adult Jake (Josh Lucas) is a likeable person, but then so are most of the cast; there are no ‘bad’ guys, and the conflict is in Amanda’s two selves, as she tries to reconcile them while continuing to tell lies so that her friends in New York don’t realise who she is.

I didn’t know how the film was going to end; I thought it was going one way, then it looked as though I was wrong. Inevitably one of the main characters was going to be disappointed, and I thought it very well done. Of course it’s not a story with much depth; it’s a rom-com that’s above average due to the quality of the acting. We enjoyed it, and will no doubt watch it again in another five or six years.

The DVD back said it contained deleted scenes and other extras, but in fact the only extra we could find was a brief explanation about an alternative ending that was filmed but not used. There were also some trailers for other films.

Recommended if you like lively light romantic films that don’t require much thought. There were a few amusing moments that made us smile, but it wasn’t a comedy as such. The rating is 12A in the UK (PG-13 in the US) which I suppose is about right; there’s no nudity or anything overtly sexual, and only fairly mild bad language. But the storyline is unlikely to be of any interest to children or younger teens.

Review copyright 2022 Sue's DVD Reviews

Morning Glory (Rachel McAdams)

(Amazon UK link)

We first saw the film ‘Morning Glory’ back in 2014, and had no recollection of what it was about. We did recall one or two scenes when we re-watched it last night, but had forgotten all the details.

Rachel McAdams stars as the young, ambitious workaholic Becky. She is an assistant producer at a TV company in the United States, and is considered by all her colleagues to be in line for a promotion. So it comes as a huge shock when she’s told that, sadly, they have to let her go. Someone else is being appointed as senior producer, and they have to make cuts.

Stunned, she starts applying for any job she can find - and is eventually offered one at a low-rated company whose breakfast show is not doing very well. She is convinced she can turn it around, although the staff are not exactly encouraging. Diane Keaton is wonderful as Colleen, one of the newsreaders - but Colleen is pretty fed up of the series of producers that have come and gone, some of them good, some of them not - none of them staying long.

Becky’s first move is to fire the other newsreader - or ‘anchor’ as they call them - due to his rather creepy suggestions. And then she’s stuck, needing someone else to work with Colleen, unable at first to find anybody suitable. But she does her research, and realises that Mike Pomeroy, a former serious journalist and newsreader, is under contract to her TV company, and is currently paid for doing almost nothing.

Harrison Ford is excellent as the grumpy, self-centred Mike who thinks breakfast television is beneath him. He cares about serious news stories, but nobody wants those when they’re having their early morning coffee. And he and Colleen don’t much like each other so their ‘banter’ - when he eventually agrees, reluctantly, to do the job - is decidedly unusual.

There’s much more, of course. All the staff throw their questions and problems at Becky in a way that felt quite overwhelming to me, and I was sitting on a comfortable chair just watching! Her energy is astonishing, her commitment and love of her work admirable, though they make it difficult for her to sustain any kind of relationship. I found her style somewhat exhausting, clearly intended as an exaggeration and effective in the way the story is told, with rapid scene changes, and snippets of Becky in many locations, mostly on her phone.

There isn’t a whole lot of plot, but it’s a different story from the norm; there is unsurprisingly a romantic element but it’s kept very low-key. Adam (Patrick Wilson) is great as the guy who is quite attracted to Becky - and even, somewhat, understands her compulsion to keep thinking about her job.

I wouldn’t class it as one of my favourite films, but it was well-made, with some great acting and superb timing by the principal characters. We loved the grumpy Mike, contrasted with the exaggeratedly bright Colleen, and appreciated some insights into a busy American breakfast TV show. It was also good to see Diane Keaton in a role very different from her more normal roles as a harassed but competent mother.

The rating is 12; I wouldn’t be comfortable showing it to anyone under the age of about 14 or 16, as the romantic thread does become somewhat steamy, though there's nothing explicit. But I can’t imagine younger teens or children would be the slightest bit interested. The only ‘extra’ is a deleted scene that wouldn’t have added anything much to the film.

Recommended for a light evening’s viewing that doesn’t need much thought.

Review copyright 2022 Sue's DVD Reviews

Hope Springs (Meryl Streep)

(Amazon UK link)

We have two films called ‘Hope Springs’, with entirely different storylines. We decided to watch the one featuring Meryl Streep and Tommy Lee Jones as a married couple, which we first saw in August 2014. We couldn’t remember much about it, although I had a vague recollection of the couple sitting on a couch in a therapist’s office.

It turns out that a significant part of the film includes this particular scene - or, rather, scenes - although the therapist is a marriage enrichment expert rather than a therapist as such. But the concept is similar.

Meryl Streep is, as one would expect, superb. Her character is the middle-aged Kay who is going through a bit of a mid-life crisis. That’s not to downplay it in any way. She and her husband Arnold (Tommy Lee Jones) have a daily routine that involves her getting up early, making his breakfast, watching him eat it, then when he’s left for work she tidies up the kitchen and goes to her own work in a boutique.

In the evenings he usually watches TV and drops off to sleep… and then they go up to bed, in separate bedrooms. It’s clear that all intimacy and romance have gone from the marriage, although they coexist amicably enough. Kay decides that something needs to change, and Arnold is persuaded, entirely against his wishes, to attend a marriage enrichment seminar with Dr Feld (Steve Carell). It’s very well done, and the chemistry between the two main characters - both positive and negative - is realistic.

There’s not a great deal of plot, although the ending could have gone various ways: we weren’t sure if the ‘enrichment’ would help Kay and Arnold rekindle some of their earlier feelings, or whether it would drive them apart. Or, indeed, they could have returned home and continued their life as it was previously. But plot doesn’t matter; it’s character-based, exploring emotions and the reasons some marriages grow stale without any serious problems arising. There’s a great deal that’s thought-provoking, and also several humorous moments. Once or twice we even laughed aloud at the clever scripting or timing.

We had not remembered just how explicit some of the conversations are, as Dr Feld probes more deeply into what has gone wrong, and what used to be good about the marriage and the couple’s sex life. It’s well done; it could have felt intrusive but just manages to avoid that, while asking some decidedly pointed questions. There are no bedroom scenes or nudity, and not a great deal of bad language, which is probably why the film is given a 12A rating - but I would not be comfortable with a twelve-year-old seeing this film. We would have rated it at least 15. However, since the main characters are in their fifties, it’s unlikely to appeal to anyone under the age of at least thirty.

We enjoyed watching it again, and would recommend it to any couple who have been together for at least ten years or so, whether or not they are feeling any stress or monotony in their relationship.

There are quite a few 'extras' with our DVD; we watched most of them, including some repeated scenes, some background into the making of the film, and one deleted scene.

Review copyright 2022 Sue's DVD Reviews

Once (Glen Hansard, Markéta Irglová)

(Amazon UK link)

We wanted a reasonably short DVD to watch, and the film ‘Once’ is just 83 minutes. We hadn’t seen it since 2014 and couldn’t remember it at all, but coincidentally had seen a trailer for it on a different DVD that we re-watched recently. So we knew it involved music and a possible romance, but not much more.

It opens with a guitarist busking in a street in Dublin. Glen Hansard plays the main protagonist, although we never learn his name. He’s being approached by someone who looks a tad dodgy, and they have an exchange with such strong Irish accents that we couldn’t understand a single word… other than a repeated strong expletive. There’s a dramatic chase, with yet more incomprehensible dialogue other than swearing.

This turns out to be the prologue for the film, and involves the only conflict of the entire film. The guitarist is singing when a Czech immigrant girl (whose name we also never learn - played by Markéta Irglová) stops to chat. They don’t exactly have any rapport, but when she learns that he’s a vacuum cleaner repairman during the day, she asks if he would look at her broken vacuum cleaner.

The girl is also a musician - a pianist - and agrees to accompany the guy in making an album, which he hopes will make him rich and famous. And that’s basically the whole story. There are moments of mild humour - when she treats her vacuum cleaner as if it were a dog, or when he asks if she composed some Mendelssohn music she was playing - but they are rather outnumbered by tedium.

The film is supposedly a ‘modern’ musical, but the camera work is shaky in the extreme, making me feel seasick in a couple of places. And the musical interludes are far too lengthy - the music is perhaps the best part of the film, although it was hard to tell the difference between some of the songs. But the two main characters are talented musicians. However the dialogue is, for the most part, trite and says very little. Much of it could have been cut. And though the music was well done, I didn’t much like the style, particularly the high notes of some of the songs, and the accompanying images are unoriginal and repetitive.

It’s not often that I keep glancing at the clock during a film; it felt like a very long 83 minutes, and very little actually happens. It wasn’t dreadful - other than the irritating use of the same expletive over and over - but I never could quite believe in either of the two characters when they were together. They went well musically, but although they converse naturally as friends, their personal ‘romantic’ chemistry is non-existent - I had no idea whether or not they would eventually get together.

There are some mildly interesting scenes in their homes - the guy works with his father, the girl has a mother and young daughter - but nothing that really builds character, and nothing unexpected. It’s not that I like conflict, exactly, but with no real story, and no problems occurring (other than in the prologue - and that one is quickly sorted) we didn’t feel particularly interested.

One of the reviews on the back of the DVD says that it’s worth watching ‘twice’.; I suppose that’s meant to be a kind of joke related to the title of the film - but perhaps it’s also prophetic. Having now seen it twice, we have no plans to see it again.

Really not recommended. 

Then again, it’s been very highly rated by others, so maybe we were missing something…

Review copyright 2022 Sue's DVD Reviews

Evening (Vanessa Redgrave, Claire Danes)

(Amazon UK link)

We’re mostly re-watching films that we haven’t seen for eight or nine years, most of which we have almost entirely forgotten. One of the DVDs I moved to our ‘watch soon’ drawer is ‘Evening’. Neither of us had any memory of having seen it before, although we saw it in October 2014. So we decided to watch it last night. During the film some parts did come back to us, including the inevitable final outcome.

Vanessa Redgrave is perfect as Ann, the central character, drifting in and out of consciousness as she lies, dying, in her bedroom. We don’t learn what’s wrong with her, and it doesn’t much matter. She looks suitably old and frail, visited by her adult daughters Constance (Natasha Richardson) and Nina (Toni Collette). It wasn’t until we saw the ‘extras’ that we discovered that Natasha Richardson is Vanessa Redgrave’s daughter in real life.

As Ann thinks about her life, which she feels hasn’t been all that worthwhile, she recalls vividly a weekend about fifty years earlier when she was chief bridesmaid at her friend Lila’s wedding. The young Ann is played by Claire Danes, and Lila by Mamie Gummer. Lila is from a wealthy family, and Ann apparently hasn’t visited their huge house before. She arrives with Lila’s younger brother Buddy (Hugh Dancy) whom she clearly knows well, and who shows her around. Buddy, we quickly learn, is not happy - he drinks far too much and tries to turn everything into a joke.

Then there’s Harris (Patrick Wilson) who grew up as the son of one of the family servants. But Buddy treated him like a brother, and Harris has long left home and is qualified as a doctor. Lila was in love with Harris as a teenager, and Buddy thinks she still is… so he pleads with Ann to stop her getting married to someone whom she likes and respects very much, but isn’t in love with.

I found the storyline a bit confusing at first, switching as it does between the present Ann on her deathbed and the young, vivacious Ann who’s a little awkward as a person, but a beautiful singer. I couldn’t remember whether the wedding went ahead or not, or what happened with Harris, or Buddy, though there are hints quite early in the book suggesting that not everything is going to turn out well during the wedding weekend.

By the time I’d been watching for about ten minutes, I was completely hooked by this film which is beautifully made. It could have been morose or depressing, but instead it’s encouraging and ultimately quite uplifting. There’s a little bit of low-key humour - the elderly Ann, a couple of times, sees her staid night-nurse (Eileen Atkins) as someone angelic - or perhaps a fairy - although even these scenes are laced with poignancy.

The sisters Constance and Nina seem to squabble unpleasantly in a way I found unbelievable when we first saw this. But now, realising that it stemmed partly from their grief, and partly their unusual and sometimes stressful upbringing (as well as quite stark personality differences) it felt realistic, albeit sad; yet even these acrimonious interchanges are alternated with evidence of deep connection between the two.

Meryl Streep makes a brief appearance towards the end, as the adult Lila - and, as I had recalled, Streep is the actual mother of Mamie Gummer who plays young Lila, so that worked exceptionally well.  Lila and Ann share a moving scene that mirrors a similar one from the morning of Lila’s wedding day.

All in all, we thought it a lovely film despite the subject matter, and appreciated the extras - a few deleted scenes that were well worth seeing, and a good ‘making of’ documentary that wasn’t too long.

The rating is 12 (PG-13 in the US) which seems about right; there’s nothing explicit and only one instance of ‘strong’ language, but there are a couple of quite disturbing scenes and the subject matter isn’t appropriate for children.

Highly recommended.

Review copyright 2022 Sue's DVD Reviews

Marley and Me (Jennifer Aniston, Owen Wilson)

We’re enjoying a spate of re-watching DVDs we last saw six or seven years ago, some of which we had entirely forgotten. Last night we decided on the 2008 film ‘Marley and Me’, which promised to be ‘warm, funny and deeply moving’ according to the front of the box. We first saw this in 2014, and while I had a memory of a rather sad ending, neither of us had any recall of the story, or the characters.

The film features a young married couple called John (Owen Wilson) and Jenny Grogan (Jennifer Aniston). The chemistry between them is excellent, starting with a few shots right after their wedding, where we learn that Jenny is an organised, scheduled kind of person who sees her future life in a series of steps. John, by contrast, is quite laid back. Both of them work as writers for different newspapers, although it’s quickly evident that Jenny is being featured rather more than John is. 

But John’s time comes when he’s offered a temporary slot with a personal column, and discovers he has quite a gift for this kind of thing. He’s a bit concerned that Jenny is getting broody… so he decides to buy her a dog for her birthday. Marley is a delightful, loving puppy… but very mischievous. He chews everything he finds, knocks people over, and is generally rambunctious and exhausting. And he keeps growing…

The story follows the Grogan family over the next twelve years or so, with some heartbreak, some major stresses and a great deal of happiness as the longed-for babies arrive and start to grow up. Marley is protective and loving of the children, but continues causing havoc wherever he goes. There are many amusing scenes which made us  laugh aloud: in particular one where he tries to jump out of a car window and almost succeeds…

But although there’s a lot of slapstick, there’s also some poignancy. Marley shows himself to be aware of people being upset, and despite his many faults - his family consider him the worst dog in the world - he’s very loving. We’re not ‘dog people’ but we found some parts quite moving, particularly the end. It’s foreshadowed a few times, and beautifully done, but could be upsetting to sensitive folk.

The rating is PG which is a tad surprising as there are quite a few innuendoes, a dog humping furniture, and a couple of scenes where, while nothing explicit is shown, it’s clear what is going on. There’s also a brief scene describing some violence relating to a neighbour, with a petrified, sobbing teenager; I’m not sure why that scene is in the film as it doesn’t seem to have any significance other than to prod John to consider moving. 

The language is relatively mild although there are some profanities; but the scene at the end could be very upsetting to children with pets. I wouldn’t personally recommend this to anyone below the age of about twelve, and even then it would depend on the teenager in question.

However, from our point of view it was a great film, well made with a clever script and great acting. We very much appreciated the fact that John and Jenny were committed to each other long-term, despite several arguments and stressful periods in their marriage. It’s a positive message, one that is all too often absent in modern films. 

There are a lot of extras on our DVD; we didn’t watch all of them, but were very interested to learn that there were 22 different dogs who played Marley, and to see some of the performances from the perspective of the dog trainers. Some of the deleted scenes added to the story, too and we weren’t entirely sure why they weren’t included, other than to cut the running time.

Definitely recommended for adults and teens if you like a somewhat different kind of character-based film, which was apparently based on a real life reporter and his dog, and if you don’t mind some very poignant scenes as well as the humour.

Review copyright 2022 Sue's DVD Reviews

Gambit (Colin Firth)

We wanted something light-weight to watch, preferably amusing, and without any deep emotional pulling of heartstrings. Too much trauma is going on in the real world at present and we needed a couple of hours of escapism. Looking through our shelves, I pulled out ‘Gambit’, a film we saw back in 2014 but had entirely forgotten. With an all-star cast and a blurb suggesting it was essentially a comedy, it seemed like a good choice.

Colin Firth is the main character in this 2012 film set mostly in the UK. He is superbly cast as Harry Deane, an art curator who works for an arrogant, rude multi-millionaire called Lionel - also perfectly played by Alan Rickman. Harry is friendly with The Major (Tom Courtenay) who is an excellent artist, and who has made copies of some well-known paintings that are almost indistinguishable from the originals. 

So Harry has come up with a cunning plan to fool his boss into paying millions for a copy of a painting he has been looking at. He plots a careful strategy involving a cowgirl called PJ Puznowski (Cameron Diaz) and everything seems to be going as he expected… until we realised that the first part of the film, much of it narrated by The Major, is his imagination. 

The story then moves to reality.  It contrasts rather dramatically with the planned smooth-running heist and is all the more amusing due to knowing what Harry had hoped for. He is punched in the face several times by different people, finds PJ much louder and more outspoken than he had expected, and ends up spending significant amounts of money that he can’t afford. He also has an unpleasant time when he’s locked in a hotel laundry room… 

Stanley Tucci has a part too, as another art curator, and there are some amusing scenes with a group of Japanese men with whom Lionel wants to do business. We very much liked scenes in the Savoy Hotel (the real hotel in London was, apparently used) involving two increasingly bemused but very professional staff on the desk, dealing competently with the most unlikely of circumstances. 

The script and timing are excellent. Colin Firth plays everything straight faced, even when innuendoes abound at times, in his somewhat typical role as a slightly anxious but very intelligent man. Alan Rickman is utterly obnoxious, oozing charm when he wants to, convinced he is attractive to PJ (and perhaps he is…). Cameron Diaz could have been born to the part too - her Texan accent sounds flawless to me, and her chemistry with both the main male roles is entirely believable. 

It’s a ridiculous story, of course, with extra humour from incidents including asides, misunderstandings, the loss of some trousers, and a rather unusual security system for Lionel’s paintings. And the ending - which, along with the rest of the story, we had entirely forgotten - was just perfect.

‘Gambit’ is rated 12A (PG-13 in the US), perhaps because of the number of times poor Harry is punched, and some relatively mild bad language, mostly in the context of name-calling. There’s some flesh displayed too, but nothing explicit, and while there are many innuendoes, there are no bedroom scenes at all. 

There’s an interesting ‘extra’ on our DVD about the making of the film, though it’s mostly about the choice of cast, and why they got involved in the film. 

Definitely recommended if you want a light-hearted but reasonably intelligent comedy with a well-known cast.

Review copyright 2022 Sue's DVD Reviews

Life as we know it (Katherine Heigl, Josh Duhamel)

I don’t remember where ‘Life as we know it’ was recommended to me; perhaps Amazon thought I would like it based on films I have previously enjoyed. Anyway, I had it on my wishlist, and was given it for Christmas last year. We watched with no idea what to expect, although the style of the DVD cover suggested a light rom-com. I don’t usually read the blurb so as not to spoil any surprises.

We found the start of the film a bit confusing, with several young people all speaking very rapidly with strong American accents. Gradually we worked out that there were four main characters: a couple with a baby called Sophie, and their two closest friends who are the baby’s godparents. The only problem is that the godparents - Holly (Katherine Heigl) and Messer (Josh Duhamel) really, really don’t like each other. 

Something unexpected and terrible happens, which results in Holly and Messer having to share looking after Sophie, who is just past her first birthday. They both love her, but have no idea how to look after a baby: there are some mildly amusing scenes as they attempt to feed her, change nappies, and so on. It’s quite cute, mainly because Sophie is an absolute delight. Unfortunately there are no extras to this, other than some deleted scenes, as we would have liked a documentary explaining how this worked so very well. However, according to IMDb, baby Sophie was played by triplet sisters, Alexis, Brooke and Brynn Clagett. 

The plot is somewhat predictable - gradually the two become more adept at looking after Sophie, excited by her reaching various milestones, and gradually they realise that actually they do rather like each other. There are stresses as they try to juggle their careers and private lives, and some quite amusing scenes involving a social worker Janine (Sarah Burns) who tries to figure out whether or not they should have the care of Sophie - and who is clearly rooting for them, reassuring them that many cases are much more difficult, and that her role is to ensure whatever is best for Sophie. 

Overall we thought it well done, made special by the baby. The script works at a good pace, and although there are some irritating parts (from the one-night stands through to trying to feed a year-old toddler blended fruit rather than regular food) it’s mostly a mixture of poignancy and fun. It’s not particularly deep or thought-provoking, and I couldn’t keep track of  everyone’s names (other than Sophie’s) - but it made a good evening’s light viewing. Some of the comic timing was excellent. 

The deleted scenes were worth watching - there are quite a few of them, and while a couple are somewhat gross, others add rather nicely to the film; it’s probably right that they weren’t included, but they rounded it out well after seeing the whole.

I expect we’ll watch this again in another five or six years, by which time we’ll have forgotten pretty much everything about it.

The rating is 12 which I think is about right; the intimacies are implied rather than explicit, and there’s not too much bad language. But the theme wouldn’t be of much interest to anyone below the age of about sixteen.

Recommended in a low key way if you want something light with a touch of poignancy.

Review copyright 2022 Sue's DVD Reviews

The Bucket List (Morgan Freeman and Jack Nicholson)

I’d heard of the film ‘The Bucket List’ about ten years ago, after a friend watched it. She introduced me to the idea of a ‘Bucket List’ - things we hope to do before we ‘kick the bucket’. It’s a phrase that has become so widely used now that it’s hard to remember that it was coined by this film in 2007. We hadn’t seen the film, so when I saw a new DVD - still sealed in cellophane - at a church sale, I didn’t hesitate to pay 50 cents to buy it, and we decided to watch it last night. 

Part of the reason for picking the film up is that one of the main characters is Morgan Freeman, who is one of my favourite actors. The other is Jack Nicholson, who is also well-known. I knew the outline of the story, such as it is: two terminally ill patients decide to make a list of things they have always wanted to do, and then actually do them. But I had no idea how it would all pan out.

The first twenty minutes or so of the film are so depressing that, despite the high quality acting and script, we almost stopped watching. We meet Carter (Morgan Freeman) who works as a mechanic in a garage, and Edward (Jack Nicholson) who is a high-powered millionaire businessman. Carter is clearly a likeable and highly knowledgeable man, while Edward is pushy, arrogant and loud. He owns the hospital where he is subsequently taken, and finds himself in a room with Carter. 

That part is fine, but there was rather a lot of medical talk, unpleasant images of Edward reacting badly to chemotherapy (albeit from behind) and their eventual diagnoses. In the context of what’s supposed to be a light comedy drama, this seemed very heavy - and their rapid apparent recoveries, seeing them setting out to travel the world and fulfil their dreams (funded by Edward) a bit unlikely.  

But of course it’s an unlikely premise anyway; I didn’t find Edward’s character particularly believable, although I liked Carter very much. Edward is the one who pushes them to go, persuading Carter that they might as well enjoy their last few months. Carter’s wife Virginia is not convinced; she’s a nurse, and understands his illness and that she may lose him. She doesn’t want him away, possibly becoming ill again while out of the country. 

The travelling part of the film is a series of short snippets - the two drive racing cars, visit the pyramids and many other landmarks that Carter had only ever dreamed of. We learn that he had wanted to be a history teacher, but took a job as mechanic when his wife learned that she was expecting their first child. He never fulfilled that dream, although his knowledge is so extensive that he is able to explain many artefacts and historical detail to Edward as they travel.

It’s well done, and in places amusing, although there’s always the diagnosis in the background, and I kept wondering when one or other of the men would show signs of becoming ill again. There’s an excellent supporting character in Thomas (Sean Hayes) who is Edward’s PA, treated badly at times but willing to speak his mind too. Gradually Edward does start to think more of Carter and his family than himself, although he remains quite self-centred.

I did appreciate the way that Morgan Freeman’s character is so likeable, with a strong Christian faith which he only mentions when directly asked. There are a few brief conversations about the nature of faith and God, and he isn’t at all pushy. But he’s clearly lived an upright, moral and loving life; and while he’s a bit disillusioned with his marriage and family, an incident happens that puts it all into perspective. 

The ending of the film is perhaps a tad schmaltzy, but that’s fine. Given that it’s (predictably) not a happy ending, I thought it well done, with one of the characters, at least, finding hope for the future. And it’s really the only ‘story’ part. The idea of a ‘bucket list’ was novel when it was introduced; the film made a great impression on my friend ten years ago. But now, with the phrase in common parlance, and the basic plot well known, there wasn’t much that was moving or which we could relate to. If it weren’t for the excellent performances from the two main characters, I wouldn’t recommend it at all.

The rating is 12, which I think is right, given the subject matter of the film. There’s very little bad language, and nothing explicit but unlikely to be of much interest to anyone under the age of about fifty anyway. 

Review copyright 2022 Sue's DVD Reviews