minerva-11

With "North and South" the BBC has continued its fine tradition of producing great adaptations. Indeed "North and South" is one of the very best the BBC has done, capturing the nuances of the novel perfectly and bringing out the latent eroticism of the book. The only quibble is the way the screenwriter has changed the ending from that of the novel. Although this will irk some, I thought the new ending was in keeping with the story as a whole. The acting throughout is superb, especially from Richard Armitage as the brooding Mr Thornton - he captures exactly the character's pride, brutality, warmth and passion. I think Richard Armitage would be a very good James Bond.

This is, for me, one of the most horrifying films of all time, even by Hitchcock's standards. Tippi Hedren turns in a superb performance, portraying the usual "ice-blonde" as a real woman; not just as a model the camera can ogle. Rod Taylor is also very appealing as the suave action man, with that special twinkle-in-the-eye, which only he can do. There are some particularly scary scenes involving "the birds", which is all down to the terrific Hitchcock direction. This is a mesmeric film which will horrify all who watch it.

This is a sparkling film and the best musical of all time. Gene Kelly and Stanley Donen are masters of musical movies and this is the best of the bunch. The dance numbers are technically perfect and, more importantly, beautiful to watch. Of course it is easy to mention the title routine but no one should forget Donald O'Connor's spectacular "Make 'em Laugh" or the lead trio's "Good Mornin'". The star of the film has to be Jean Hagen, as the high pitched, untalented actress Lina Lamont- but everyone is a stand-out in this gem. The only quibble would be the obligatory Gene Kelly modern ballet number, but over look that, sit back and enjoy the magic.