jameswj Reviews

Doctor Zhivago (2002)

Top quality television

[8 December 2002]

I have never seen the original Doctor Zhivago film, so I can't take any prejudged bias. This mini-series is possibly the best UK mini-series I have ever seen and is a sign that perhaps the UK networks are serious about creating some top qualtiy drama television that HBO have been producing for ages!

The acting is top quality, however, Sam Neill on top form steals every scene he's in, and that's saying something with the quality around him on screen. Keira Knightley and Hans Mathieson are great young stars who would easily make the transisition to big films (although Knightley's already done a Star Wars!). Kris Marshall as Pacha is a welcome revelation, worlds away from the tired "My Family" 'comedy'.

The scene always looks great and you can see the time and effort (not to forget money!) has gone into the creation of this great series. The overall look is very convincing and there is some beautiful theatrical-quality cinematography.

The story however is what makes anything work and here the story is truly great. An epic, tragic romance set against the backdrop of a revolting Russia. The story is handled so well it's a rewarding experience and if you're a bit of a weepie, have your tissues ready!

5/5

Insomnia (2002)

Hitchcock for the new millennium?

[9/10 · 31 August 2002]

OK, maybe this may pushing it a wee, teency bit, but I have a funny tingling feeling that Chris Nolan could be on his way to becoming the best British export since the late Alfred Hitchcock. Pushing it a bit? Maybe. However, his Thrillers are growing in stature now and the creation of tension is superb.

Insomnia features a sterling cast performance, obviously with Messrs Pacino and Williams deserving a lot of credit in their part of creating very strong characters. Pacino's performance as the tormented insomniac detective Will Dormer is as magnificent as it is subtle. His haggard face lifeless as he grows into a deeper spiral of sleep deprivation, guilt and despair. This is definatley as good as any work Pacino has done before. Williams is quite a revelation as the twisted Walter Finch and wholly believable. Hilary Swank in the supporting role as the eager young detective is as usual great.

The atmosphere in the film is it's crowning glory, the collision between the claustrophobic interiors of the Police station and Walter Finch's home to the vast and beautiful Alaskan vistas. The lack of action gives way to a superb psychological battle between Dormer and Finch giving a great Hitchcock-esque (there I said it) final sequence. If you like your thrillers psychological, this is your film.

The Fast and the Furious (2001)

Glorified music video

[3/10 · 23 August 2002]

This film is bad, not in the good sense, in the very bad sense. It is a music video, in fact has less depth than music videos and is a filmic fantasy for boy racers. The dialogue is pitiful, boring and clichéd and the characters are little more than pretty cardboard cutouts...including the "A.D.D." sufferer who actually seems to be autistic and not a sufferer of attention deficit disorder.

The Transformers: The Movie (1986)

Bish, Bash, Bosh - Why don't they make em like this any more?

[10/10 · 5 October 2001]

I bought the Special Edition of this film (only an unseen Japanese episode is included) on a pure nostalgia trip and to relieve one of my favourite childhood films.

I was actually surprised to see the film was just as spectacular as I remember it, actually even more spectacular than I ever remember it. Scenes from the Autobot City fight are breathtaking in places because SO much is going on, the animation and artwork is also great. Compared to today's efforts, namely Pokémon, The Transformers is better in every way. It is clearly visible that unlike the Pocket Monsters generation of today, some real effort has been put into animating this film creating some truly wonderful sequences. If only some quality CGI was available then...

Another thing this film has which today's pitiful, lazy animation (except CGI)lacks is pure, good old un adulterated violence. That's right, just as I remember, good old Cold War programming for children made for some insanely violent sequences and the deaths of more than one of the robots is particularly heinous if you consider they represent humans. This only makes the film better though because what can be better than some good Robot Wars?

Ok, so the film is virtually like Star Wars, right from the tongue in cheek references: Unicron (Welles) being the Death Star right to the downright blatant: The opening narrative introduction text which is exactly the same as the Star Wars style! Also the Movie's entire narrative is pretty much based on the whole "young successor" story of Luke Skywalker, in this film Skywalker is clearly Hot Rod.

So no matter what you want - a nostalgic look back on youth, some good ol' robot beatings or to introduce your kids to REAL cartoons...This is your film!