The Decoy Bride (David Tennant, Kelly Macdonald, Alice Eve)

(Amazon UK link)

Browsing on Amazon last year, I spotted this DVD in my ‘recommendations’. I assume it was because David Tennant is in one of the main roles, as I knew nothing about either of the other two co-stars. The blurb made it sound interesting, in the light rom-com genre that we enjoy for a relaxing evening in, so it went on my wishlist. I was given it last Christmas, and we watched it last night with our son and a visiting friend.

The story starts with a society wedding that doesn’t go ahead, due to intrusive journalists and photographers. David Tennant is the hopeful groom: he plays the role of an English writer called James, who is engaged to Lara (Alice Eve). She is one of the world’s most desirable and well-known American movie stars.

Lara is quite hot-tempered and wants their wedding to be private, so the wedding planners decide to move the location to Hegg, a (fictional) little-known island in the Hebrides. James has written a long book, supposedly based on Hegg, which makes it sound a lot more appealing than it really is.

Meanwhile on Hegg, we meet Katie, the one unmarried young woman in a population of 75. She has suffered more than one disappointment in love, and has decided to give up on relationships. She has been living elsewhere but has returned to look after her terminally ill mother whose one wish is to travel the world…

Inevitably there are clashes of culture between the gentle Hebrideans and the wealthy, fast-moving wedding party. There are misunderstandings and mistakes which make this gently amusing in places, surprisingly poignant in others. The location is lovely. It's entirely believable as a cold Northern island, although apparently the filming was mainly done in the Isle of Man.

The plot itself becomes a bit unlikely, as Lara goes into hiding and the wedding planners decide to use a ‘decoy’ bride to fool the journalists. They, inevitably, learn about the wedding and arrive in their droves. However, the sequences that follow, without Lara involved, are thoughtfully done with quite a spark of chemistry becoming apparent.

It’s not deep or thought-provoking, other than, perhaps, the glimpse into the lives of the famous that shows how very intrusive and painful media interest can be. But it’s a good story and made an excellent light evening’s watching which we all enjoyed. The ending is, perhaps, a bit too abrupt, but overall we thought it a pleasant film.

It's rated 12 (12A in the US) which seems about right; there are some minor instances of bad language as well as references to ‘adult’ topics; however, there’s no nudity, only mild violence, and nothing explicit. It’s not a storyline that is likely to appeal to anyone under the age of about 14 or 15 in any case.

Recommended. There are no extras on our DVD at all.

Review copyright 2015 Sue's DVD Reviews

The Love Punch (Pierce Brosnan, Emma Thompson)

(Amazon UK link)

We were wandering round a supermarket in the UK and spotted this - along with several other DVDs - on offer, at less than £3 each. We had never heard of this particular film. But we know of and like the two main stars (Pierce Brosnan and Emma Thompson) and we both like the rom-com genre, on the whole.

Last night we watched it with our mid-twenties son. He also liked the sound of it based on the actors and the blurb on the back. We were all quite tired and wanted something fairly fluffy: a ‘feel-good’ story that didn’t require too much thought. ‘The Love Punch’ delivered on all counts.

The story is about a divorced couple. Richard (Pierce Brosnan) is a wealthy businessman on the point of retirement. He’s starting to feel his age, with various ailments getting worse. Moreover, despite being something of a womaniser, he seems to be losing his touch. There’s more than a nod to his previous role as James Bond in this story, but it’s not necessary to be a fan of 007 or even to have seen his movies.

His ex-wife Kate (Emma Thompson) has also grown older, and is suffering the first pangs of being an empty nester. Their geeky son is already at university, their daughter about to depart for her own studies. I could empathise quite strongly with her mixed feelings of pride and misery as she watches her daughter drive away. Their good friends and neighbours, Jerry and Penelope (Timothy Spall and Celia Imrie) try to encourage Kate to meet someone new. Although she’s not particularly keen, she is determined to make an effort.

Then disaster strikes Richard’s business, and he turns to his ex-wife. From this point the plot starts to become increasingly surreal - at times, very silly - with the kind of slapstick humour that doesn’t usually appeal to me at all. But somehow it works. The script is amusing, the timing perfect, and the little digs at James Bond (even I know he’s the one who generally organises car chases…) add to the enjoyment.

It’s not the greatest film I’ve ever seen, but it was undoubtedly entertaining and kept us interested from the start. Emma Thompson is particularly good. The ending is somewhat predictable but left us with a happy-ever-after feeling that perhaps life isn’t as bad as it’s often portrayed.

I thought that the rating of 12 (PG-13 in the US) was about right. There was some minor bad language, and one or two instances of ‘strong’ language which weren’t too obvious. There were hints of bedroom scenes but nothing explicit, and some brief implied nudity that was oddly amusing.

I think one has to be in the right mood for this kind of film. Don’t expect anything thought-provoking or deep, and accept the silliness for an attempt to entertain.

There are no real extras on the DVD. There are some interviews with the main cast but they were, frankly, rather dull and we gave up watching them after a few minutes.

Recommended if you want something light-hearted and don’t mind silliness and low-key slapstick.

Review copyright 2015 Sue's DVD Reviews

Hope Springs (Colin Firth, Heather Graham, Minnie Driver)

(Amazon UK link)

It doesn’t take much to confuse me. So, I was mystified by finding reviews of a film I had seen - the 2012 ‘Hope Springs’ starring Meryl Streep - and one I had no recollection of, starring Colin Firth, with the same title. I did realise fairly quickly that these were entirely different productions, and put the latter on my wishlist, as it sounded like a good film. We watched it last night with our younger son, who is in his 20s.

Colin Firth’s character is also called Colin. He’s an Englishman who is very talented at charcoal portraits, and arrives in a small town called Hope in the USA. We quickly learn that he’s suffered a painful betrayal, and is running away from his memories of his ex-fiancée, Vera.

He stays at an inn, owned by a friendly couple who send him a therapist, the vibrant Mandy (Heather Graham). There’s a strong attraction between the two, after a slightly shaky start, and Colin is beginning to feel that he can move on, when Vera (Minnie Driver) turns up, determined to woo him back…

The overall plot is fairly predictable, but the detail is unexpected, and beautifully done. Mandy is decidedly quirky with a host of problems of her own, and Vera is not the harpy she first seems. There’s a very good chemistry between Vera and Colin, which is explained in the brief documentary ‘extra’: apparently the two have worked together many times and know each other well.

And it’s a lot of fun. Some ‘rom-com’ films are high on the romance but have little comedy; others rely on slapstick or bawdy humour that appeals to a limited audience only. This one (mostly) gets it just right: the timing is superb, the script cleverly written. There are some obvious cultural misunderstandings that lead to humour, but most of it is understated and all the more amusing as a result. There are some decidedly silly sections too, and it’s not a thought-provoking or even memorable film - but we liked it.

There’s some lovely scenery - the autumn colours are there in full - but the story is character-based, and the settings less relevant. The three main players are excellent, with the minor ones portraying lovable caricatures who add to the whole. The pace is just right, and at around 90 minutes, it felt like a perfect length.

Rated 12 in the UK, PG-13 in the US, I think that’s probably appropriate. Most of the bad language is minor - and not excessive - and we only noticed one incident of so-called ‘strong’ language. There are, unsurprisingly, some bedroom scenes, but they’re tastefully done; people are shown in underwear more than once, but they are not directly shown doing anything ‘adult’. There are plenty of implications; however the storyline is such that I can’t imagine anyone under the age of about fifteen or sixteen being interested anyway.

The only ‘extra’ is a brief documentary featuring most of the main characters, explaining that most of the filming was done in heavy rain.

Recommended, if you want something lightweight and enjoy the romantic comedy genre.

Review copyright 2015 Sue's DVD Reviews

Stuck in Love (Greg Kinnear, Jennifer Connelly, Lily Collins, Nat Wolff)

(Amazon UK link)

This is another DVD which Amazon suggested, based on my previous preferences. It went on my wishlist and I was pleased to be given it for Christmas.

‘Stuck in Love’ is supposedly a romantic comedy, but there’s not much that’s humorous about it. It features a year in the life of an American family, from one Thanksgiving to the next. 

Bill (Greg Kinnear) is the father, a well-known writer who has published several books. He has been unable to write anything new since his wife Erica (Jennifer Connelly) left him for another man, a few years before the story starts. Bill has not remained celibate (far from it) but he is still in love with his ex-wife, in a somewhat obsessional way. He still sets a place for her at family mealtimes, and he snoops around her house in the evenings.

Bill and Erika’s son Rusty (Nat Wolff) is at high school and still lives with his father, while their daughter Samantha (Lily Collins) is away at university. She is determined not to fall in love, after seeing the problems in her parents’ marriage, but is highly promiscuous. Rusty, by contrast, would love to find a girlfriend. He is a bit of a geek, and tends to stay in at his computer. Both Rusty and Samantha are writers, funded by their father to keep journals and write - and Samantha is about to have her first book published.

It’s a character-based story, one that flows nicely with smoothly alternating scenes that allow us to get to know each of the family in turn. Samantha, at the start of the year, is still furious with her mother and refuses to speak to her. Bill is persuaded that he needs to move on and start dating again, but can’t forget his wife. Rusty starts going out with a girl he has liked for a while, only to discover that she has a very troubled lifestyle.

It’s a good story, with a positive message and, I thought, an encouraging ending. The actors are very believable, the situations realistic, and it’s quite thought-provoking.

Unfortunately, it’s plagued with bad language including (according to one website) at least fifty incidents of what the censors call ‘strong’ language. Perhaps a couple of times it would have been acceptable, but after the first half hour it grated. It felt as if the word was put in so that the censors would give it a higher rating. In the UK it’s rated 15; in the more cautious US it has an R rating.

While there’s no explicit nudity, and only a couple of incidents of relatively minor violence, there are various intimate scenes where very little is left to the imagination. There are also scenes - albeit brief - of smoking illegal substances. In the context of the story, these scenes are not out of place, but we were very unimpressed with the coarse and annoying bad language, which, we felt, was out of place and unnecessary.

There are no extras at all on the DVD, which was a slight disappointment as we enjoy documentaries about the making of movies.

Review copyright 2015 Sue's DVD Reviews

Under the Tuscan Sun (Diane Lane)

(Amazon UK link)

Every so often Amazon recommends a film to me which I've never heard of before, based on my previous choices. I assume this was one of those; the reviews sounded good, and I added it to my wishlist. It's based on a true biographical book of the same name, by Frances Mayes.

In the film we first meet Frances - played by Diane Lane - at a large reception. She is an American writer, although she’s struggling a bit with her muse and has mostly been writing book reviews. At the reception she gets her first hint that her husband is being unfaithful…

We’re then fast-forwarded through a traumatic period in Frances’ life where her only support seems to be her two closest friends, a lesbian pair, one of whom is expecting a baby. Patti (Sandra Oh) is very believable as her closest friend. Worried about Francis’ growing depression and lack of inspiration, Patti and her partner send her to Italy on a package holiday.

Through a series of coincidences, Frances spots and then buys an extremely run-down villa. She sets to work on the daunting task of getting it repaired and renewed. It’s evidently a metaphor for her life which also needs a great deal of repair and refurbishment; these both gradually happen through the course of the film.

It’s not a lot as far as plot goes; but Frances’ journey is punctuated by a series of interesting people. Some are undoubted caricatures, included for a bit of humour, others are more realistic. The Italian way of life is parodied in a way that feels warm and only a little overdone - and the positive side is shown more than the stereotyped negatives.

'Under the Tuscan Sun' is billed as a romantic comedy but it's far more a ‘coming of age’ story, even though Frances is probably in her thirties. There are several possible men who appear in her life, one of whom becomes a lover - but gradually she realises that she can be her own person without the need of a special guy, or of anyone to approve of her choices. Her deepest wishes can be fulfilled in ways she does not necessarily foresee, and her eventual happiness arises out of her own personality and inner growth.

It was a good film to watch with my husband when we wanted to relax, and not deal with anything complicated. We both like character-based stories, we appreciated the gentle digs at Italian (and American) culture, and we enjoyed the gorgeous scenery. The humour is understated, but we certainly smiled a few times.

This film is rated 15 in the UK, which I think is about right. There’s one ‘moderate’ intimate scene and occasional ‘strong’ language; the story could have been managed with a less explicit scene and yet it’s quite tastefully done. The subject matter and slow pace isn’t likely to be of any interest to younger teenagers anyway.

This film is not for those who like action or complex story-lines; nor for those who take offence at stereotypes. But if you want a gentle character-based story with an attractive backdrop, a strong female lead and occasional light-hearted moments, I would recommend this.

There aren't many extras on the DVD, but we enjoyed the brief documentary about the film and its making. There were three deleted scenes, one of which we thought well have been included, although the final one was a bit silly.

Review copyright 2015 Sue's DVD Reviews

Solstice: The Night Before Christmas (Mike Kelley)

I picked up the DVD 'Solstice' inexpensively in a charity shop, intrigued both by the title and by the front cover. It claimed to be a Christmas story, rated PG and a double award winner. Sounded ideal...

We thought it would be good to watch at the start of the new year, although we were a little surprised to notice that it was only 47 minutes long. We were even more surprised and a bit disappointed to realise that it was evidently a low budget film, with rather poor sound quality and not the greatest of photography.

Still, the plot seemed promising at first. The main character, Nick (Mike Kelly) is disillusioned by Christmas. He doesn’t want to get in touch with his parents, he hasn’t bought any presents, and he finds carol singers annoying. I didn’t quite understand why his apartment is decorated for Christmas, but it turns out that he recently broke up with his girlfriend. So, as he keeps saying, he’s lost the Christmas spirit.

The story, such as it is, takes place on Christmas Eve and we see Nick through the day, interacting with his colleagues, a few friends and random strangers. He seems a likeable person, who cares about others - and really, that’s the problem. He doesn’t come across as depressed or fed up - just mildly bored.

There’s no real conflict in the film, and nothing much happens. It’s a day-in-the-life cameo of an ordinary guy who eventually finds something that gives him a bit of hope. It’s not schmalzy or exaggerated; nor is it Christian. It doesn't even have anything to do with the Winter Solstice despite the title. 

It’s also not very interesting. It was obvious that something was going to trigger him to feel a bit better about himself, and there’s quite a nice scene towards the end, although it all looks very dated. It was made in 1994 but it looks like something out of the ‘70s.

I didn’t dislike it. But I can’t imagine wanting to see it again. And since it does not seem to be available anywhere I've checked on online UK sites, the only way anyone will find it is second-hand.


Review copyright 2015 Sue's DVD Reviews

Nativity 2: Danger in the Manger (David Tennant)

(Amazon UK link)

We very much enjoyed the film ‘Nativity’ (starring Martin Freeman) about eighteen months ago. It’s schmalzy, and quite silly in places, but it's quite amusing, the children are great, and it has a wonderful feel-good ending. We thought it would make excellent seasonal family viewing.

When I saw that the sequel, ‘Nativity 2: Danger in the Manger’ starred David Tennant, it was the work of a moment to add it to my wishlist, despite a very mixed bunch of reviews on Amazon. I received it for Christmas and we watched it with our adult sons and daughter-in-law...

Unfortunately, it was nowhere near as good as the first film. In the original, the harassed class teacher has to come up with a Christmas concert. The school pulls together, the Head is behind him, and the slapstick is mostly caused by his rivalry with a snooty private school nearby. There's a plot, there's development, there's a happy (if schmalzy) ending.

In this film Tennant plays Mr Peterson, the new class teacher. The plot is much more unlikely - and, at times, decidedly worrying. Mr Poppy (Mark Wootton), the irritatingly juvenile classroom assistant, is still around, and this time has been urging the children to audition for a national singing competition in Wales. The school Head has vetoed it, but this does not stop him from egging the children on, and writing a song for them. However there's no real reason for anything, no tension, no story as such. And far too much of Mr Poppy, who only has his job because he's the Head's nephew.

The story then gets sillier (and more worrying still, from a child protection point of view) when the class, unauthorised by the Head, and unknown to their parents, set off for the competition in an extremely odd bus driven by Mr Poppy. Mr Peterson is kidnapped as he tries to stop them, and panics about his wife, who might give birth at any moment...

We were getting annoyed and irritated by the first hour or so of this film, which was not humorous and made little sense. Then we become rather confused when the scene kept switching from the competition - already getting started, in the evening - to the class, staggering across rough ground, up steep hills, down ropes, accompanied by a baby and a donkey… in broad daylight. Without any food or drink, as far as we could see, wearing their costumes, but not getting dirty.

But we kept watching. I'm not entirely sure why. But finally we were rewarded: the last half hour was a great deal better. We very much enjoyed David Tennant playing a dual role superbly; we also quite liked the other choirs singing and dancing (although some of the implications of lyrics were not 'U' rated in my view). It made no sense that the starring school, despite their traumatic journey, and apparently no real rehearsals, absolutely stole the show. But then, we knew that was going to happen - and they did it very well, on the whole.

We also liked the unexpectedly warm (if schmalzy and clichéd) ending that brought the real meaning of Christmas back into focus, albeit briefly.

But I'd rather have re-watched the original; this one is a poor imitation and I wouldn't really recommend it.

Review copyright 2014 Sue's DVD Reviews