Totally disagree with the negative reviews. If you look for all the technical inconsistencies/unlikely elements of any film of this type, you will find plenty. Skyfall concentrates on the complex relationship between Bond and M and goes back to Bond's family roots in Scotland - there are plenty of action scenes also - but that for me is what makes it so interesting. The final sequence in Glencoe is spectacular but also very moving. Daniel Craig and Judi Dench are outstanding and there is strong support from a great cast including a very menacing Javier Bardem, Ralph Fiennes, Albert Finney and Rory Kinnear plus a great theme song. Naomie Harris may not have the strongest storyline but she is a strong attractive Moneypenny and the femme fatale is extremely beautiful. I believe it is one of the best of the whole series.
Reviews
4 Reviews
Four Weddings and a Funeral
(1994)
Creme de la creme of romantic comedies
23 August 2015
Warning: Spoilers
Four Weddings has achieved iconic status as a British film and for good reasons. It comes under the category of a romantic comedy but I would argue that it is in fact far more than that. It is a film about love in all its myriad and astonishing aspects - love between man and woman, or between 2 men, love between mother and child and longstanding friendship which can be much more important than sexual love. You would need a heart of stone not to cry at the funeral scene. The film is beautiful to look at with the contrasting weddings and gorgeous costumes. It is directed with a very light touch and interweaves the main characters in an ingenious way. The acting is generally superb and without a doubt it is Hugh Grant's greatest role - before he became middle aged and cynical. My only objection is that Andie McDowell was a very odd choice for the role, not very beautiful and not a serious actress. Apart from that, the film is perfect in every respect and I could watch it forever.
El Cid
(1961)
Perfect classic Hollywood epic
26 May 2012
El Cid is definitely one of my favourite films. Visually it is spectacular with superb cinematography: dramatic Spanish landscapes, turbulent battle scenes, towering castles and colourful costumes. Charlton Heston and Sophia Loren are perfectly cast as the heroic warrior Rodrigo (who saves Spain from Moorish occupation) and his passionate strong minded wife Chimene whose love survives a multitude of obstacles. If you are looking for light relief or comedy, you won't find it here. What you will find is a stirring story of courage, self sacrifice and patriotism that can't fail to move you- an old fashioned Hollywood epic on a grand scale and all the better for it.
Dallas
(1978–1991)
Greatest TV soap ever by a long way
21 January 2012
Dallas was and still is a TV phenomenon. It took the model of the tired old American soap and turned it into something fresh, fascinating and compelling watched by millions of people around the world. It used for the first time the device of the cliffhanger at the end of the season to keep people coming back for more. Personally I believe the 1981-1984 central seasons were its high point with the titanic struggle between JR and Bobby for control of Ewing Oil plus other strong story lines.
What was the secret of its success and longevity? I believe this is down to 3 factors.
1. The story lines cleverly combined subjects that would appeal to a mass audience - love and sex, glamour, money and power, family problems, and controversial subjects for the time e.g. Sue Ellen's alcoholism that attracted interest and raised awareness.
2. Excellent writing with top notch scripts.
3. Superb acting from the key cast team. I have to single out Larry Hagman's performance as JR, I have never seen any performance to match it in any TV drama. He completely got under JR's skin and while he showed us what a monster the man was, he also made us aware of his redeeming features (particularly his strong sense of family) so that we never quite lost empathy for him. Patrick Duffy, Linda Gray and Ken Kercheval also gave remarkable performances as Bobby the 'good' brother who was never boring, Sue Ellen the wronged wife who eventually found a life of her own and Cliff, JR's neurotic, bungling rival who rarely managed to best him.
What was the secret of its success and longevity? I believe this is down to 3 factors.
1. The story lines cleverly combined subjects that would appeal to a mass audience - love and sex, glamour, money and power, family problems, and controversial subjects for the time e.g. Sue Ellen's alcoholism that attracted interest and raised awareness.
2. Excellent writing with top notch scripts.
3. Superb acting from the key cast team. I have to single out Larry Hagman's performance as JR, I have never seen any performance to match it in any TV drama. He completely got under JR's skin and while he showed us what a monster the man was, he also made us aware of his redeeming features (particularly his strong sense of family) so that we never quite lost empathy for him. Patrick Duffy, Linda Gray and Ken Kercheval also gave remarkable performances as Bobby the 'good' brother who was never boring, Sue Ellen the wronged wife who eventually found a life of her own and Cliff, JR's neurotic, bungling rival who rarely managed to best him.
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