The last of the Blonde Bombshells (Judi Dench)

(Amazon UK link)

It’s nearly 11 years since we last watched ‘The last of the blonde bombshells’. We wanted something fairly light and not too long to watch last night, and this seemed to fit the bill. I vaguely recalled that it starred Judi Dench, and that it referenced her character’s past as a showgirl. But that was all I could remember.

I’d quite forgotten that the opening scenes are rather sombre. Elizabeth (Judi Dench) recounts, off screen, that the story begins after the funeral of her husband. We see her dressed in black, and snippets of the service. We also see her daughter Patricia (Felicity Dean) and son Edward (Nicholas Palliser). They’re evidently a bit more conventional than their mother, and try to persuade her to think about her future.

Patricia has a daughter, Joanna (Millie Findlay) whom Elizabeth often looks after. The two are very close. And when Joanna hears her grandmother play the saxophone, she’s very impressed. We were too, although we later discovered that Judi Dench does not play the sax, but learned some scales for this film. She sees a street busker, Paul (Dom Chapman) and starts to play too. Her son and daughter are horrified.

My dog Skip (Frankie Muniz)

(Amazon UK link)

Just over three years ago, I came across the DVD of ‘My dog Skip’ - and probably some others - in a thrift store, and bought it inexpensively. It looked like a pleasant family film, rated U, but for some reason we didn’t get around to watching it until last night. 

I was slightly concerned that it might be a ‘weepy’, but was relieved that it really wasn’t. The film was made in 2000 but set in the 1940s in Mississippi. It's based on a true story which was written in a book of the same name by Willie Morris. 

There’s an introductory voiceover from an adult, talking about looking back to his childhood. And then we meet young Willie, who is brilliantly played by Frankie Muniz. Willis is only supposed to be eight at the start of the film, and the actor must have been thirteen or fourteen, but he’s totally believable both then, and as he starts to grow up. 

Meet the parents (Ben Stiller)

(Amazon UK link)

About six months ago, we watched the 2004 film ‘Meet the Fockers’, and found it very enjoyable. When I was reviewing it, I learned that it was a sequel to the 2000 film ‘Meet the parents’. I was making an order from the ‘Worldofbooks’ site, to be collected when I was in the UK in the summer. So I decided to add this film, and the third in the trilogy as well, as both were priced very inexpensively. 

I expected used editions of these DVDs, and was surprised and pleased to find that ‘Meet the parents’ was still shrink-wrapped, either new or as-new. We watched it last night. It wasn’t a problem that we had seen these films in the wrong order, although we had some inkling of what the characters were going to be like.

Ben Stiller is excellent in his role as the slightly hapless and unambitious Greg. He works as a nurse, where he is sometimes mistaken for a doctor. But we only see him in this role at the start of each of the films. He then goes to meet his girlfriend Pam (Teri Polo) in his lunch break. We see her finishing her morning’s teaching in a class of young children, perhaps Kindergarten. She’s evidently a good teacher who cares about all her children and their health and emotional side as well as their academic education. 

Greg is about to propose to Pam, using an unusual visual display when she’s interrupted by a phone call. He discovers that he should ask her father first. And then we see them arriving at her parents’ home, a couple of weeks later, for her sister’s wedding after quite a stressful plane ride where his luggage gets lost.

Pam appears to revert to a young child, swung around in her father (Robert De Niro)’s arms, then greeted by her mother (Blythe Danner) as if she were about six. Greg is introduced almost as an afterthought. And while her parents seem to be welcoming, they are full of suspicion. Her father, in particular, doesn’t think anyone is good enough for his older daughter. He is particularly biased against male nurses, though it’s not clear why. 

Most of the film then takes place over the next couple of days. The action includes part of a wedding rehearsal, a meeting with Pam’s ex fiancé (Owen Wilson), a game of pool volleyball where Greg distinguishes himself in negative ways, and a lost cat. Disaster follows disaster as Greg tries, in vain, to impress his future in-laws. It could have been trite or silly, but the choreography is excellent, the script well-written, and the whole really quite amusing. It’s exaggerated and caricatured, of course, but we didn’t find that a problem. 

I suppose part of the appeal of this film is because many people have some apprehension before meeting the parents of a partner or future spouse. We all want to live up to others’ expectations, and all the more so when they are important to the people we love. Ben Stiller is extremely good in this role, which approaches but never quite reaches slapstick. Robert De Niro is superb, too, as the strict father who, nevertheless, has something of a sense of humour. Perhaps the eventual (and inevitable) reconciliation scene is a tad unlikely, but then so are many of the other scenes. 

This is one of the rare films that succeeds in being a true rom-com: the romance is there with some great chemistry between Greg and Pam. But it’s also full of humour, including places where we laughed aloud. It’s not to be taken seriously, although it makes some good points about honesty and being oneself, rather than trying too hard to impress others. It made a very good evening’s light viewing.

The rating is 12, which is probably about right, in my view. There’s nothing explicit, but many innuendoes and some passionate kisses. There’s one short scene of mild (accidental) violence with quite a bit of blood. There’s discussion about both smoking and marijuana. Then there are a few instances of mild bad language. Also, of course, Greg’s surname (‘Focker’) sounds deliberately like a ‘strong’ word. I don’t think any of these things would actually disturb or corrupt a young child, but since all the actors are adults and the story is about adult relationships, it’s unlikely to be of interest to anyone under 12. 

Review copyright 2025 Sue's DVD Reviews

Relative values (Julie Andrews)

(Amazon UK link)

It’s nine years since we watched ‘Relative values’, and we had both entirely forgotten what it was about. That’s possibly because the plot isn’t all that memorable. But we watched it again yesterday evening, and thought it was good light entertainment. Apparently it was based on a Noel Coward play of the same name. 

The opening sequences are quite long and somewhat hectic, with newspaper announcements flashing up, and photos of film stars. It doesn’t make much sense but gives a hint of what’s to come. The story involves an American film star who has been romantically linked to other actors. But she is now engaged to be married to a British peer. 

Julie Andrews is one of the main characters in this 2000 film, which is set fifty or so years earlier. She is perfectly typecast as the widowed marchioness, Felicity Marshwood. We meet her discussing her son’s engagement with her maid and close companion whom she calls Moxie (Sophie Thompson). Neither is happy about him falling in love with someone unknown, who is not in their circles. And the engagement has happened far too rapidly for their tastes.

Julie Andrews is a great actress, but as she grew older she almost always seemed to play exactly the same kind of person. It was impossible to forget who she was, while we were watching the film. And at times Felicity reminded me forcibly of the grandmother in ‘The Princess Diaries’. Not that it mattered at all. 

The other family resident of the stately home is Felicity’s nephew Peter, played to perfection by Colin Firth. Again, the character was very much in keeping with many of the actor’s other roles, and we couldn’t forget who he was. But he and Julie Andrews have excellent screen chemistry in this film, and some of the humour comes from Peter’s rather sarcastic asides, given with excellent timing. 

The other famous actor in a typecast role is Stephen Fry as the butler Crestwell. Although rather older, he’s very similar to Jeeves, in the brilliant TV adaptations of PG Wodehouse’s iconic series. Perhaps he was specifically chosen for the role due to the similarity. 

Felicity’s son Nigel (Edward Atterton) arrives in a sports car with the flashy Miranda (Jeanne Triplehorne) who is welcomed, but rather clearly not popular. She admires the stately home, but isn’t entirely comfortable in it. Her agent - and former boyfriend - Don (William Baldwin) follows her and tries to persuade her to return to the United States with him to continue her career. He’s rather sleazy but although she resists, it’s evident that he’s not going to take ‘no’ for an answer…

There’s one extra subplot which relies on a huge coincidence but works well all the same. Felicity’s maid Moxie doesn’t feel that she can remain in the same household with Miranda visiting. When she eventually explains her reasoning, Felicity, Peter and Crestwell come up with a story to make her look different, and behave like a close family friend. It’s all a bit ridiculous but Moxie does this very well, and there’s a lot of humour in the interactions that take place over dinner. There’s also some poignancy and anger which arise later. 

The story is partly about class consciousness and snobbishness, and partly about some of the differences between American and British culture. It’s dated, as one would expect of a Coward story, set in the 1950s, but the people seem believable for the era, and the story, if somewhat ridiculous, works well as a film. We chuckled at one scene and smiled several times as it’s extremely well made. 

The outcome is somewhat predictable, with a nice little cameo scene at the end as the family go into church on a Sunday morning. We were a bit caught between eye-rolling at the snobbery and amusement at the way it was made. We didn't think it 'outstandingly funny' as the DVD case suggested, nor did we roar with laughter. But overall, I liked it very much.  

Recommended if you like this kind of film. 

The rating is PG which reflects the refreshing lack of bad language, nudity and scenes of intimacy.  But it's unlikely to be of interest to anyone under the age of at least fifteen. 

Review copyright 2024 Sue's DVD Reviews

Keeping the Faith (Jake Stiller, Jenna Elfman, Edward Norton)

(Amazon UK link)

Browsing in a local church charity shop, I spotted several DVDs that looked as if they might be worth watching. At 50 cents apiece, I decided to invest in four of them; if they turned out to be terrible, I knew I could always donate them back. One of the videos I chose was ‘Keeping the Faith’, a film made in 2000 which we had never heard of. We decided to watch it last night.

It’s billed as a romantic comedy, and in our opinion it succeeds in this aim, unlike many films of that genre. There are three main characters: Jake (Ben Stiller), Anna (Jenna Elfman) and Brian (Edward Norton). We quickly learn, via a few flashback sequences, that these three were inseparable close friends from the age of about thirteen, where they met in their high school in New York. Anna was very much the leader; she even defended them from bullies.

But a few years later her family moved away. Jake and Brian remained close buddies, but they haven’t seen Anna in a long time. They know she has gone on to become a highly successful businesswoman, a very different path from theirs. For Jake, who comes from an orthodox Jewish family, has become a Rabbi, while Brian, whose family is Roman Catholic, has become a priest. They remain close, both trying to bring their congregations into the 21st century, and planning a social bar for retired folk, offering karaoke…

In the first half of the film, the three are platonic friends, and when Anna returns to New York, Jake and Brian hope they’ll be able to continue their close relationship, while acknowledging that none of them has a lot of free time. What they’re not expecting is a gorgeous young woman whom they both find immensely attractive…

However, Brian has pledged to be celibate, and - so far - hasn’t had a problem with this. And while Jake would do better in his field if he were married, his wife needs to be Jewish. He’s forever being offered young Jewish women, daughters or granddaughters of his congregation, but none of them really seems right. A lot is made of the importance of family and friends in his culture, with Anne Bancroft excellent in her role as Jake’s mother.

We thought the film was extremely well done, with a good amount of gentle humour (some of it approaching slapstick, but with such good timing that we appreciated it very much). We particularly liked the fact that both the Jewish and Christian faiths were portrayed in positive ways. Both Brian and Jake have to examine what they believe, and consider what is most important to them - and it’s not at all obvious where the story is going.

I was a bit surprised that the film is only rated 12; while there’s almost no violence and not much bad language, there are some obviously sexual scenes, albeit without nudity or anything explicit. I don’t suppose a younger teenager would be interested in the story, but I think I’d have given it a rating of 15.

There are quite a few ‘extras’ to our DVD, including about ten deleted scenes, some of which, we felt, could have been included in the film. Seeing them really did feel like a bonus.

Highly recommended for anyone interested in a very positive film about love and faith, if you don’t mind the scenes of intimacy.

Review copyright 2023 Sue's DVD Reviews

Chocolat (Juliette Brinoche)

(Amazon UK link)

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) arrives. They are 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

Saving Grace (Brenda Blethyn)

(Amazon UK link)

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

Relative Values (Julie Andrews, Sophie Thompson)

(Amazon UK link)

This film was recommended to me by Amazon. It was probably because I have previously enjoyed films with both Colin Firth and Julie Andrews, though not, I think, together. It was also recommended by some family members. So when I saw it inexpensively in a UK charity shop, it was not a difficult decision to buy it.

‘Relative Values’ is based on a play of the same name by Noel Coward, but we didn’t realise that until after we’d watched it. It was made in 2000 though set in the 1950s, based in the stately home of the Marshwood family. The young Earl, Nigel (Edward Atterson), has announced his engagement to an American actress called Miranda (Jeanne Triplehorn) who, until recently, was in a relationship with another movie star (William Baldwin).

His mother (Julie Andrews) is determined to be egalitarian and to accept a commoner, so long as she’s truly in love with Nigel. However she’s worn down by snide comments from friends, and is also disturbed by the increasing anxiety of her personal maid Moxie (Sophie Thompson)....

It’s rather an all-star cast; Stephen Fry is typecast as the butler Crestwell who has to hold together a fluttery star-struck set of housemaids, while attempting to calm down Moxie who feels that she has no choice but to leave. Colin Firth is brilliant, too, as Nigel’s cousin Peter, who keeps his aunt company and provides some wonderfully satirical asides. I was perhaps a little disappointed in Julie Andrews, whose character seemed to be almost identical to the Queen of Genovia in ‘The Princess Diaries’, but she played it admirably.

However, we thought that the most amusing and versatile character was Moxie, who has an unexpected secret, and is then expected to act a part for which she is totally unsuited. I didn’t realise that Emma Thompson had a sister who was also an actress; I shall look out for more with Sophie Thompson in future, as she was excellent in this role. She was transformed into an extremely dowdy maid for most of the film, but also manages to appear as a twittery and very nervous family friend, putting on an upper-class accent and wearing unaccustomed finery.

While we didn’t find it ‘outstandingly funny’, as the front of the DVD describes this, there are some amusing moments, and one brief scene - an American/British language difference, where Colin Firth puts Julie Andrews right - which was delivered with such perfect timing that we laughed out loud and kept chuckling for a while afterwards.

The whole thing is caricatured, of course, as is typical for plays of this era, with a deeper theme exploring the prejudices that were - and maybe still are - held against foreigners and commoners, by even the most enlightened of the upper classes.

Rated PG, it’s free of bad language and anything ‘adult’, although - for those who are concerned about such things - there are plenty of scenes of drinking, including some rather tipsy behaviour, and some cigarettes. However, I don't think it's the kind of film that is likely to appeal to anyone under the age of about 14 or 15 in any case.

Definitely recommended as a light-hearted and amusing satirical film.

Review copyright 2015 Sue's DVD Reviews

The Last of the Blonde Bombshells (Judi Dench)

(Amazon UK link)

This is another movie that was recommended to me on Amazon, probably because I have enjoyed films featuring Dame Judi Dench in the past. I had never heard of it before, perhaps because it was originally made for television, back in 2000. The title wasn’t particularly appealing, but the reviews were good so I put it on my wish-list some time ago and forgot about it; so I was pleased to be given it last Christmas.

The story opens with a funeral. Judi Dench’s character Elizabeth has just lost her husband of many years. She misses him, but is determined that life should continue, and be interesting, despite her rather stuffy adult children who feel that she should move into some kind of care home. She starts playing her saxophone again, something she had abandoned for many years although - as she explains to her granddaughter Joanna - she was once well-known as a musician, in a wartime band called ‘The Blonde Bombshells’.

Elizabeth bumps into Patrick (Ian Holme) who was the drummer for the band, and they decide to contact other past members, to see if they can have a reunion concert. They don’t do very well at first: one member has died, one is suffering from dementia, one has joined the Salvation Army and doesn’t play ‘that kind of music’ any more… but then, gradually, much to Elizabeth’s family’s dismay, the band starts to re-form.

There are flashbacks to the wartime band interspersed with the narrative, and it makes for a compelling and interesting story that’s unusual and quite poignant. Judi Dench is excellent; her acerbic witty style fits the aging but bohemian Elizabeth. She’s not the only well-known actress involved: even I had heard of Olympia Dukakis, Cleo Laine, Joan Sims and June Whitfield, all of whom play different members of the reunion band.

The music is excellent and fits perfectly with the storyline, the pace is good, and we enjoyed this film very much indeed. There are no extras, and it lasts just under an hour and a half.

The rating is 15, which is presumably because of a few instances of ‘strong’ language. I would have thought that 12 would have been more appropriate.

Definitely recommended, although it’s currently showing on DVD in the UK at a vast price; I hope it will be re-released at a rather more reasonable cost. I wouldn't suggest paying more than £10 for it at the most.

Review copyright 2015 Sue's DVD Reviews

Chocolat (Juliette Binoche)

(Amazon UK link)

In recent years, I've realised that while adaptations of book on film are often disappointing, they can nonetheless, if well-cast, offer a depth of understanding that is somehow more rounded than the individual impression one gets from a book alone. In addition, movie versions allow me to introduce my husband to stories I have enjoyed which he is unlikely to read.

I had slightly mixed feelings about the book 'Chocolat' by Joanne Harris, which I read a little over a year ago. But, with the small French village location, I thought it could make a good film. Reviews were good, so it went on my wishlist.

The story is similar to that of the book. Juliette Binoche stars as Vianne, which she does in a believable way. Judi Dench is superb as the elderly Armande, estranged from her uptight - and upright - daughter. Johnny Depp makes a wonderful, passionate Roux. The photography is indeed good, and the scenes were set far better in my mind than they had been while reading the book.

The antagonism of the townfolk to this carefree, sensual chocolate-maker is well done, contrasting their rigid style of traditional Christianity with the freedom and luxury that Vianne tries to introduce. In the book, the priest is the most vehemently outspoken against Vianne, the 'bad guy', whereas in the film it's the mayor who is the most unpleasant character; I have to admit that I preferred that; I don't think the book was meant to be anti-Christian, but against rigidity and refusal to acknowledge the joy of life.

Other than that one change for the better, the film kept pretty close to the book, as far as can be done, and we both enjoyed it. The 12 rating (or PG-13 in the US) is probably about right, since there is some sensuality and violence, though nothing too explicit or gory.

Recommended for adults and older teens.

Review copyright Sue's DVD Reviews