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kjbertrand
Reviews
The Sum of All Fears (2002)
This project should have been nuked at birth!
Being an avid reader of the "Jack Ryan" Novels, I thought that this would have been an ideal film to make, showing all of the guile of the book. What we got was a complete and utter misrepresentation of the story. I am surprised that Clancy even let his name be associated with the film as it bears no relation to the book whatsoever. Even allowing for dramatic licence, Jack Ryan seems to have lost about twenty years in age, his children have yet to be born, and, he survives a nuclear explosion at close range. I don't think so somehow. The acting is very lightweight, and not very convincing. Should you be given the choice of watching this film or watching the grass grow, green is a very nice colour. Sorry to be so negative, but I also believe in being honest.
Bless Me, Father (1978)
What a waste!
Why on Earth has this series,(never to my knowledge), been repeated. It would be timeless. I enjoyed every episode when first shown. The rapport between Arthur Lowe and Daniel Abineri was so very believable of that between a Priest and his Curate. The characters are just so believable, and I am sure that the story lines are as appropriate today as they would have been in the 50's when the series was set. Arthur Lowe as Fr Duddleswell shows just what a superb character actor he was, and for all his bluff Fr. Duddleswell comes across as a very compassionate man. (Exactly as Lowe portrayed Captain Mainwaring in Dad's Army). Come on someone please take this up.!!!! (Perhaps UKTV Gold).
The Dam Busters (1955)
A must see
My earliest recollections of this movie are seeing it three times a year on the last day of each school term. It would be shown along with "Kind Hearts and Coronets" (another brilliant film by the way). The Dam Busters really typifies the RAF of the Second World War, and being a true story, it makes the film even more exciting. I know that licences have been taken with some aspects of the events, but we were also privileged to have Dr Barnes Wallis as a guest speaker at a School Prize giving, and his recollections were exactly as depicted in the film (except for the conflict with the authorities), although he said that he did say the immortal words when asked to justify the use of a Wellington bomber for bomb trials- "Do you think it would help if you told them I designed it." This film does not glorify war, but tells a true story of some very brave men.