Reviews

This film was better than I'd heard and imagined a film full of intrigue and a great cast all on top form.

Russel Crowe takes the lead as a man whose wife is arrested out of the blew for a murder he refuses to believe she is guilty of. He believe hes knows simply because its his wife and he loves her and that there has been a terrible mistake. He also believes that soon the mistake will be admitted through the courts and soon his wife will be cleared and set free from her imprisonment. Unfortunately the opposite happens and he is forced to accept his wife will remain locked away for murder or will he? So strongly does he believe in his wifes innocence and also by witnessing her suicide attempt showing an inability to cope with life behind bars he decides he must take action and sets about hatching a plan to set her free. This involves an almost impossible plan to break his wife out of prison and a tense thrill ride against all odds with twists and turns galore ensues. Climaxed with a pulsating final act this film edge of your seat stuff.

What I really liked about this movie was that despite a slow burner first hour you are gripped throughout. Russel Crowe is superb as the lead character and I was really impressed with Elizabeth Banks who plays his wife. Banks shows great emotion throughout especially in a scene where Crowe has to tell her there is no hope of her being cleared for the murder charge. Without saying a word her emotion resonates off the screen as you witness in her effect her lifes end. This is just one example of the many scenes she excels in and I was blown away by her performance. There are many great actors with smallish parts including Brian Dennehy,Daniel Stern and Liam Neeson who has only one scene albeit a significant one even Olivia Wilde pops up. All these fantastic actors are brought together and added to a stellar,clever and exciting script make this a truly great movie.

See this if you can a top Russel Crowe movie aide by an excellent Director with a great script and superb supporting cast

By the title itself you should have a fair idea of exactly what this films all about but being a Norwegian film this is not your typical Hollywood fair.

Set on location in Norway the film plays out like a for real documentary. A group of students document an investigation into a series of killings believed to be the result of bear attacks. The investigation however leads them to uncover the life of a Troll hunter who insists the creatures he hunts for a living are very real. He explains that the Trolls are indeed responsible for the mysterious attacks and killings. Astounded and intrigued the students attempt to verify the hunters claims by documenting his hunting of the Trolls.

The effects are very good and very realistic especially if you immerse yourself in the idea that yo are watching a real life documentary. Totally unique in its style and setting the film is very entertaining and all the actors involved give the impression they are really enjoying playing their roles as if they are really documenting a Troll hunt. The director cleverly includes small details that help keep the film feeling as real as plausible.

I really enjoyed this film as I bought into the idea that it is a real documentary. I was pleasantly surprised

Bought this film having read good reviews and have always been an admirer of Jean Reno in the films I have seen him in. I also don't mind watching a film with subtitles.

I wasn't expecting the film to be better than what I thought and was pleasantly surprised. Sometimes when you know a film is supposed to be emotional you subconsciously prepare yourself and don't quite get the emotion but this film did it for me.

The story of thousands of Jews and their families taken from their homes in Paris and placed in war camps where many are later killed is a powerful one. Never before has this particular episode in French history during the war been told. We see the effect through various Jews eyes of being forced from your home because you happen to be Jewish and how families and friends are torn apart. Those that try to escape who succeed and those who don't, those that cant even face their fate and those that bravely believe that one day again they will be free. It is through the children that much of this story centers, the innocent ones which also carries much of the emotion, the very young children too young to understand what is happening and going to happen to them and the slightly older children that show bravery beyond their years. Also through the eyes of a brave nurse(Melanie Laurent) and a dedicated Doctor (Jean Reno) we see a triumph of the human spirit to never give up and to try and stay united. The emotion in the film never lets up from start to finish and their is a constant mixture of cruelty and horror, impending dread yet tinged with hope and belief. Special praise must go to (Melanie Laurent) who plays the part of a nurse, you can really feel the connection she has with the children as if she is mother to them all. (Jean Reno) is not in the film as much as I expected but his presence is still felt and he can convey great emotion with just his face alone. The child actors are all good and (Udo Schenk)who plays Adolf Hitler is also very good. The music in the film is perfect for the story and the film is just the right length to keep you gripped.

A very good retelling of a surprisingly neglected story highly recommended.

What I imagined this film to be like and what I felt watching it were completely different. I have not seen loads of Jason Stathams films but by the ones I have I have often found him very one dimensional but in this film his character seems to fit this acting persona perfectly.

Statham plays a professional assassin who is hired for jobs and is one of the best, efficient and ultra professional. He displays little emotion and always gets the job done even if it means having to kill his friend and mentor played by Donald Sutherland but that is also the start of when things get complicated. Enter Sutherlands Son played excellently by Jon Foster he naturally wants answers and revenge knowing nothing of Stathams involvement in his Fathers murder. Then Statham seeing Fosters violent and clumsy attempts at getting to the truth feels obliged somewhat to train and harness his rage. He then decides to make him his partner but after a close call and finally one assassination goes wrong it seems the company hiring them both is starting to question their partnership. Statham soon finds himself now a target, it seems his idea of some sort of redemption has backfired and when Foster learns that he killed his Father it seems hes right in the middle.

The story had a lot more layers than I imagined as just a brainless actioner there are twists and turns and I think Statham was a perfect choice for the role. His character needs to be mentally tough throughout but also he has the physical look required in the action scenes which I think are well placed within the fairly complex story. I especially like the fact that this film is not just a relentless exercise in violence and like I said before Jason Statham credits from this as the strong silent type showing little emotion it is perfectly suited to his acting style.

A very good film that at around an hour an half is perfectly paced with surprising substance and my favourite Statham performance so far.

Simply put this is one of Al Pacinos very best movies and a real tour-de-force.

Based on the true story of Frank Serpico an honest cop who uncovers and fights to expose corruption in the New York police force this film features a masterful performance from Pacino. It is Pacinos powerhouse performance that really resonates with the viewer and keeps you spellbound. The film itself in parts is quite complex and talky but there are moments where the film explodes into life as does Pacino even the quieter moments though smoulder with tension. Pacinos character appearance changes dramatically, from the start he is a smart and clean cut new recruit to the end a bearded hippy like character brought about by the necessity of his job and the toll of fighting the system and the effect it has had on his life. It is not all in appearance that Pacino shows his acting range his character is also very changeable veering from professional to eccentric, vulnerable yet strong, caring yet cold but he never loses his honesty or his determination to fight corruption. It is his cause that you really root for, you admire his bravery when his colleagues turn against him and above all you want to see him win his fight. It is a very human story of one mans mission to do what is right but the average man would not have the courage to. Frank Serpico did have the courage and Pacino shows you why as he embodies Serpico perfectly. The other characters in this film are all good but it really is all about Pacino it is his film.

Overall an excellent film and a perfect example of why Al Pacino is one of the best actors ever and highly recommended.

Having heard and read rave reviews of this film having watched it for myself I have to say that I am a little disappointed.

I wont go into the storyline as reading this you should already know it, I will just give my overall opinion taking it into context. The good points in this film first are the acting from Ryan Gosling in the lead role, a very understated performance often with little or no dialogue, he certainly handles the role of a Stunt Driver moonlighting as a Getaway Driver with aplomb. The action scenes are violent and shocking at times and inventive enough to keep them fresh. Carey Mulligan gives a decent enough performance in a fairly subdued role and Ron Perlman has real presence as a crooked bad guy. The storyline itself is solid enough and intriguing and Albert Brooks is really menacing in his role however a few things I felt let this film down badly from what I expected. Firstly despite Goslings performance I found the first hour of the film a little slow with long camera shots of driving and long moments of silence becoming a bit tiresome. After the first hour the film improves with more action but is then let down by what I thought was a really flat ending leaving you with more questions than answers. I was left frustrated as I wanted a clearer vision of what happened next. I felt that Carey Mulligans character could have been used more also.

Overall a decent film that could have been better if like me you have high hopes then you may be left disappointed.

Firstly this film is better than the disappointing Clash of the Titans mainly because of the improved quality of actors involved and a genius director at the helm.

Visually the movie is stunning with luscious landscapes and tremendous picturesque detail. The story centres around Theseus(Henry Cavill)destined from a young boy to aid mankind and the gods in the eternal battle against evil. In this film the evil is King Hyperion(Mickey Rourke)who is in search of the ultimate weapon the Epiros Bow in order to set free the titans and wage war on the gods who imprisoned them and thus confine mankind to eternal evil. Only Theseus aided by the good mankind and chosen by the gods can stop Hyperion and his army from unleashing the titans by trying to get the Epiros Bow for themselves. Thus ensues a magnificent struggle between good and evil, titans and gods all masterfully played out in glorious style under the direction of the films director (Tarsem Singh).

This film is epic in every sense and totally unique especially visually but not style over substance. All the actors are on top form Henry Cavill makes a good hero and Mickey Rourke really convinces as the bad guy while John Hurt and Freida Pinto offer solid support. The script although slightly clichéd is helped by the sheer fact that this film is just so different from anything else seen before. The battle scenes are wonderfully gory and brutal but also well enough balanced with quieter moments that help to build tension and suspense.

All in all a great film that I really enjoyed.

All i can say about this classic film is that its a crying shame not more people have seen it.

Mickey Rourke is outstanding as alcholic poet Henry Chinaski in this comedy drama based on the life of controversial poet Charles Bukowski.The film has just the right mixture of black comedy and drama with Rourke producing his best work. There are no special effects or explosive action scenes the film is entirely character based and a complete one off.

The film follows Henry's (Rourke) life as a drunken bum drinking and brawling the night away in seedy bars full of lowlifes and all sorts of fascinating characters. Henry is a barfly and thats all he ever wants to be, he's happy in himself and his life but underneath the boozy exterior Henry has a talent he cant even recognise he has. In his drunken haze he can write poems, poems that come from somewhere in his pickled brain that are the stuff of genius. When a private detective learns of this he is sent to capture Henrys work in an attempt give evidence of his talent. Upon being discovered will Henry join the upper classes or remain Henry the barfly opening and closing the bars he frequents.

Faye Dunaway is excellent too as Henrys companion in this hidden gem.

As far as I know not that many people have seen this underrated epic starring Mickey Rourke but if your a fan of his work you should definitely check this out.

Rourke is cast as the historical figure Francis of Assisi and delivers a tour de force performance. Few actors can match Rourke for showing emotion in their acting but in this film he gives a masterclass. His character starts off rich in a wealthy family only for him to sacrifice all of this in favour of living the life of a beggar, having read in a book details of the life of Jesus Christ. Rourkes character then somewhat mirrors Jesus by spreading his gospel and becoming champion of the poor.

What makes this film so great is the enormous emotion portrayed in the characters and the haunting music of Vangelis added to the beauty in the cinematography and the directors storytelling. There are many memorable scenes but the extraordinary final act from Rourke will live long in the memory long after the film has finished.

A must for Mickey fans and a chance for new fans to witness him in a very different but remarkable film.

Mickey Rourke is great in this film as an Irish hit-man trying to escape his life of violence.

Rourke plays Martin Fallon a respected hit-man whose one mistake was allowing Father DA Costa (played by Bob Hoskins) to see his latest and what was to be his last kill. . Fallon is then ordered to kill off Da Costa by his employer and mob boss Jack Meehan (played by Alan Bates). Fallon refuses, he's had enough of killing and living life on the run he wants to make everything right just doesn't know how to yet. Meehan demands Fallon do the job or be killed himself.

Enter Da Costa's blind niece Anna(Sammi Davis)and a chance meeting with Fallon. To her he's kind,gentle and unknowing of his past she befriends him and falls in love. Fallon having confessed his sins and given the chance of redemption by Da Costa strives for salvation and his own freedom but freedom always comes with a price.

Rourke is great in this film you feel real empathy for his character and there is strong support from Hoskins and Bates. Don't be put off by some reviews and stories of disputes with director and cast this is a great film and a hidden gem for Mickey Rourke fans