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clperry
Reviews
Calendar Girls (2003)
Feel-Good Film
Saw this film on a Boeing 777 on the way back to the U.S. from London and actually watched it twice. It is a sweet, warm, feel-good film with gorgeous views of the Yorkshire dales and excellent performances by the extremely competent cast. These lovely ladies show that you don't have to be young to be beautiful!
Billy Elliot (2000)
Feel-Good Movie
I finally saw this film last night and after reading some of the previous comments here, decided to add my own take on the film. Folks, if you can't stand some straight-forward messages, then don't bother watching movies at all. If, on the other hand, you enjoy a feel-good movie with realistic characters, then Billy Elliot is the one for you. The final sequence of the film is spectacular. Someone else mentioned that they couldn't understand how an 11-year-old boy could have angst. Hey, try losing your mother (who sounds like one of the few people who understood Billy) at age 10 or 11 while your father and brother are distant and unsympathetic--and then see if you might not have a little angst, too! I thought that the young boy who plays Billy did a marvelous job in his portrayal--we need to see more of him in the future!
King Ralph (1991)
Better than you think
At first glance, this film might seem to be just another fish-out-of-water, slob-vs-the-snobs story, and the high-brow of the movie world might not consider it high-quality, but "King Ralph" works for several reasons. First, it's good, plain fun. Second, and most importantly, it delves to the very reasons why the British Monarchy is still revered and why it remains important to our our cousins across the sea.
The Blue and the Gray (1982)
Believable characters in the best Civil War movie ever.
I first saw this film when it was televised in 1982. My family taped it at that time and it remains one of our favorite films. Even with its' six-hour length, it flows well and I never find myself becoming bored while watching. The best aspect of the movie is the characters, who seem real to us. It shows how families, North and South, were affected in a profound way by the Civil War. Every time we watch The Blue and the Gray, it is easy to develop feelings for the characters, who could almost be members of our own family. It is this humanistic feature rather than dwelling on the intricacies of the battles themselves which makes this film great viewing, even for those who aren't "into" war movies.