astrostar-18501's reviews

Honestly, I wish Hollywood made more movies like this. The kind of positive, heart warming movies that showcase the human spirit at it's best. People helping others out of the goodness of their hearts, not because they want something back in return. People banding together and helping out a complete stranger, simply because they needed help. I'm not ashamed to say it, but I teared up quite a few times watching this movie. Hillary Swank was wonderful in this movie, all the cast were really, even the little girl playing the part of the real life girl of whom the movie was all about. Her acting was so natural and unassuming, it didn't seem like acting at all, but she was so endearing in the role and she captured my heart. There were so many wonderful memorable quotes and scenes in this movie, but I won't spoil them for you. Watch the movie and enjoy them for yourself, just keep a box of Kleenex nearby, you'll most likely need them.

There are few movies I recall with fondness, movies that linger in your mind long after you've watched them, Carlito's Way is one such movie for me. It remains to this day one of my favorites. Unlike many "blockbusters" these days, with their massive budgets, special effects etc etc, but pedestrian scripts, what sets Carlito's Way apart is the wonderful story, that for me had me totally invested in Carlito (Al Pacino) as he tries to leave his past behind and "go straight". Here was a man, genuinely trying to turn his life around, to leave his criminal past behind him and make an honest living, but events and circumstances conspire against him, despite his best efforts. A potential threat, that in the past he would have dealt with ruthlessly and violently to neutralize, now he ignores it, he doesn't want to resort to violence to solve, and as a result, it changes the whole trajectory of his future. I won't give the ending away, but it's genuinely moving. Wonderful performances all round, especially Al Pacino and Sean Penn. I tossed up between giving this a nine or ten out of ten, but settled on a nine. A wonderful movie as I said, that will remain in your memory long after you've seen it.

I'll be honest here, I was merely flicking through the channels just looking for something to pass the time when I settled on this movie that was playing. I was only giving the movie cursory consideration, until... I heard Jessie sing, then I was like wow, I mean WOW! A lot of actors merely mime the songs they're "singing", because they can't sing, although they may be good actors or actresses. Jessie on the other hand, not only can act, and act well, but when she opens her mouth and sings, well... my jaw dropped in disbelief. She is THAT good. Just beautiful, brought a tear to my eye in some scenes. It's a good story too, I won't spoil the plot for you by specifics, but it's a girl going after her dreams, despite all the obstacles in her way. It really is not only a sweet story, that makes you reflect on your life a bit, well it did for me anyway, but in those moments when Jessie sings, it's like the world stands still and all you want to listen to is Jessie singing, she's an amazing singer. I really hope to hear more from her, and I'm not even a country fan! That gives you some idea of how impressed I was. This movie is an easy 8 for me. It may not be a big budget Hollywood movie, but it's beautiful and moving to watch nonetheless.

In terms of the scale of this movie, the extras, the production values (very high!), the excellent plot, the quality acting, cinematography, you name it, this movie has it all. This is the kind of larger than life movie Steven Spielberg might have made, if he was Korean, quite extraordinary. I would say though that the CGI, while very good, isn't "quite" as good as the best that Hollywood can do, but it's still extremely well done. It's not a family movie though, there is some extreme violence in this movie, but war is war and war is very violent. The movie does take some liberties with the story, I'm not sure all of it is 100% historically accurate, a lot of it "is" true though, like the fact the island was mined for it's coal, but a lot is included for the sake of making an interesting story. It does cover some aspects of the Japanese army's behavior which is an enduring national shame for that country, such as the use of "comfort women", i.e. Forcing Korean (and other nationalities) female prisoners to be the sex slaves of the Japanese army. I can honestly say, some of the best movies I have ever seen in the past few years have come from South Korea. The quality of the movies coming out of the South Korean film industry are every bit as good as Hollywood makes, and in many cases better. Terrifically entertaining movie. Well worth your time to watch.

The remake 2006 movie of the original 70's cult classic was in my opinion better than the original, but the 2007 movie "The Hills Have Eyes 2" was better still. I found myself really engrossed and captivated by this movie. I'm not the biggest horror movie fan, but I couldn't stop watching it. There were surprises at every turn, no spoilers from me though, best you watch it and enjoy it yourself.

It is hard to watch this movie and not be affected by it. I found myself still thinking about this movie, long afterwards. The fact that this movie was made only 12 short years after the First World War ended, and only two years or so after moving pictures got sound, makes it an even more impressive movie. It is an anti-war movie, without trying to be. It doesn't take a preachy, moralizing tone, it just lets the reality of war speak for itself. The idealistic students, fanaticized by their jingoistic teacher to enlist, to defend their "Fatherland" (how often has that line been used), soon learn the harsh reality of trench warfare. The constant stench of death, the lack of food, friends being mowed down by machine gun fire or blown to pieces by artillery shells, the sheer pointlessness of risking their lives to take a position, only to lose it and having to re-take it again. All that and more soon drives out any idealism they may have had, and it becomes an effort just to survive. You could apply that same template to every major conflict that followed WW1, not much has changed, except the weapons of war have become more efficient. As one WW1 veteran once said, war is nothing more than organized mass murder. The action sequences were remarkable in their accuracy, and brutality. Turn off the sound and you'd think you were watching original newsreels from the war. The mass charges, soldiers cut down by machine gun fire, those that managed to escape the bullets, leaping into the trenches and engaging in violent hand to hand combat with the enemy to the death. Just some amazing cinematography. I had to keep reminding myself, that this was filmed in 1930. And yet, despite the violence, the movie was interspersed with some really touching scenes, such as the soldier coming home on leave, the mother pleading with him to be careful and telling him she packed some extra underwear for him to keep him warm. I sometimes felt that the acting sometimes felt a bit stilted, which is why I didn't give it a ten, but overall it is an extremely impressive movie. I can completely understand why Lew Ayres (the actor who played Paul Baumer in this movie) became a pacifist after this movie, you can't help but be moved after watching it. Every person should see this movie, if only once, to counter the jingoistic rhetoric of those who would drive us all into another world war, one in which none of us might survive.

Having seen the musical My Fair Lady, I was aware of the story, the adaptation of George Bernard Shaw's "Pygmalion", but I had never seen the play or it's adaptation to film, apart for MFL of course, but I absolutely loved this. It really does highlight just what a brilliant playwright George Bernard Shaw was. The dialogue fairly sparkles, but it's the performances that stay in the memory. If the mark of a good movie is one that you think about long after the movie ends, then this one takes the cake. Leslie Howard was excellent as Professor Higgins, but it's Wendy Hiller as Eliza Doolittle that was an utter revelation. Her performance was so natural and effortless, that calling it "acting" would be doing the word a grave injustice. I kept watching her on screen, grinning like a Cheshire cat and shaking my head in disbelief, and asking myself continuously, "Why have I never heard of this woman before? Why?" I, like anyone else who has had the good fortune of having seen this remarkable movie, was utterly captivated and charmed by her performance, and I too found myself searching online for anything else she may have done that I can see her in. Before watching the movie, I had seen the high rating, and thought perhaps it was perhaps a bit on the high side and probably not as good as the rating suggested, but boy, was I ever glad to be so wrong about anything! This is one of the best dramas I have ever seen and definitely one of the (if not the best) adaptations of a screenplay to the movie screen ever made. As you can tell, I absolutely loved it. Highly, highly recommended. This deserves a very solid nine out of ten in my book.

I was so surprised to find out that this was "only" a TV movie. If TV movies can be made to such an incredible standard, then I need to watch more of them. Firstly let me say, the acting was uniformly excellent all around, even without any famous big name actors in the movie. Saving Private Ryan may have had the more spectacular opening scene, but if I'm being honest, I like this story more. So much of this movie rings incredibly true, which is what makes it believable and captivating to watch, from the very beginning, I was hooked and had to watch it to the end. The battle scenes are so very realistic, but more than that, the movie is able to convey the fear, indeed the sheer terror of war, when new, green recruits are thrown into real battle for the first time. When day after day, they see their friends dead or severely wounded and know it may be their turn anytime soon. Some buckle with fear and can't go on, others psych themselves up and steel themselves with the resolve needed to overcome the fear and get the job done. Ron Eldard playing Manning, is excellent as the private, cynical about the top brass who have no idea what they're doing and motivated by self preservation, who finds himself promoted without desiring the position, simply because he survived when everyone else in his platoon died. Some suspect he survived because of cowardice and don't shy from telling him as much, but in the end he shows why he is worthy of the promotion and how his love for his fellow soldiers leads him to risk his own life to give them a fighting chance against a battle hardened, well equipped enemy. I won't spoil the ending, just watch it for yourselves. It rightly deserves all the high praise given to this movie. It's really great. Watch it!

After watching this marvelous movie, one can only wish Kate and Larry had collaborated more when they were younger and had made more movies together, even TV shows. This movie is so sumptuously shot, with such lovely sets and costumes, you'd be forgiven for thinking it was a theatrical release. Oh what a lost opportunity that it wasn't, it would have been in the parlance of Hollywood, a "sweeper", cleaning up for best actress, actor, director, possibly costume design and who knows what else. Special mention must go to the script which is delightful, just a pleasure to listen to. George Cukor shows once again, why he is the venerated director that he is in his marvelous direction of these two legends of the acting world. A youthful love, long suppressed by one, but never forgotten, and the other who carries a torch for the other which, even after decades was never extinguished, has the chance to bloom into full flower once again, and it does. For this story is more than just a courtroom drama of a woman fighting a breach of promise suit by a gold digging suitor, it's also a wonderful love story. I won't give too many spoilers away, because it would deny you the pleasure of discovering this lovely movie for yourself. If you want to enjoy watching two of the finest actors ever, in a wonderful tale of love won, lost and rediscovered all in the backdrop of a great courtroom drama, you could do no better than this. Grab this movie with both hands if you get the chance, it really is that good. My score a 9 out of ten.

Don't believe all the ridiculously low 1 and 2 star reviews, the movie is far better than that. This is a well above average romcom, even if you have to suspend belief a little that two people separated by such a big gap in privilege and status can end up together. It rarely happens in real life, but the romantics among us like to believe that true love ultimately triumphs over all. There are some genuinely smile worthy moments and a few hard hitting truths about issues that I'm sure all those who aspire to high political office will have to grapple with some time during their lives. Do you sacrifice your integrity, the beliefs you hold dear on the alter of ambition in order to get elected, especially when powerful outside forces are working against you, or do you hold firm and risk not getting elected? I'm happy to say, it's all resolved beautifully in the end. Idealistic perhaps, unashamedly so, but you leave the cinema with a smile on your face. I won't give the ending away but it's a nice result. I was a bit surprised at the R rating, sure there is some candid sexual dialogue, but no nudity or simulated sex or the like, a PG rating would have been more appropriate in my opinion. I enjoyed it, give it a shot, I think you'll enjoy it as well.

I have to concur with many of the other reviewers, this movie, sorry to say, had me bored. The one interesting bit, was the cat, or the "flerken". You know when a movie is bad, when the animals are more interesting than most of the actors. If Brie Larson was any more wooden in her acting, she would be office furniture. You can always rely on Samuel L. Jackson to put in a good performance and he doesn't disappoint in this movie either. His wise cracks nearly always elicit a smile out of me. Sadly, he was the exception rather than the rule. When a movie has this kind of budget, you expect the CGI to be good, and it is, but what makes a movie memorable is a great script, and sadly, this movie was lacking that, and frankly, the whole "girl power" agenda being pushed lately in movies is counterproductive. Enough of the agenda pushing already. Whether it's the not so subtle Trump bashing in the abysmal "Homes & Watson" movie, or this "girl power" effort in this movie, it just becomes another reason to switch off. Forget the agendas, just give us a decent script already! When you look at movies from the past, during Hollywood's "Golden Era", and are charmed by the clever, witty dialogue, you have to wonder what the hell happened to talent? Aren't there any decent script writers left in Hollywood? Barely a pass from me, sorry.

Yes, I know it ticks all the boxes, formulaic, tick, overly sentimental, tick, even a bit manipulative, tick, and yet.... You can't help but be charmed by the story, can't help but fall in love with that little blonde angel, coming down to earth to help a couple fall in love again. I honestly wish Hollywood made more movies like this, a beautifully sweet little movie that all the family can enjoy, devoid of profanity, pointless sexual references or violence etc. I fell in love with this movie, with the beautiful story and the sassy little blonde angel. I couldn't help but smile a huge grin at some of the charming dialogue from that little girl. I found myself recollecting it again the following day and smiling all over again. There are very few movies I can say that about. I won't spoil it for you by telling specifics or how it ends, but it's a beautiful ending to a beautiful story. Maybe I'm getting overly sentimental in my old age, but I loved it and I think you will to.

After reading so many positive reviews, many a bit too over the top to be honest, however I thought it was worth a shot, no it wasn't. One reviewer called it "amazing". Amazing? Really? No, what it was was slow, and ponderous and B O R I N G. The movie deals with an important subject to be sure, that of sex trafficking, and with a bit of imagination (including a better script and acting), even on a small budget you could do this important subject justice, but not in this case. You never get the feeling of tension, of adrenaline rushing heart pounding fear that our protagonist would expect to feel if he really was put in the situation you see in this movie. I found myself having to force myself to sit through this movie and I don't say that about a lot of movies. If you want to see a REAL heart wrenching movie on this difficult subject, watch Lilya 4-ever. That movie deserves it's high rating, not so Priceless, it should be rated much lower in my opinion.

** This review may contain spoilers ** This movie is so accurate on so many levels, that anyone who has ever dealt with such petty welfare bureaucrats, will immediately relate to this film. More concerned with following rules (the essence of bureaucracy) than helping people with their problems in a time of need, they drive people to despair and to the point of taking often desperate measures to have their voices heard or just to survive, just like Daniel Blake in this film. This film almost has a cinema vérité feel to it, in the grittiness of it's portrayal of the environment and the people in it. Despite the grimness of it's subject matter, it has moments of humor and heart warming moments of kindness, of one neighbor helping the other and such kindness reciprocated. On the other hand it's a damning indictment of the welfare system in the UK (and elsewhere too, I doubt it is much different) and the impersonal way it treats the often most desperate of society's citizens. The food bank scene was hard to watch, as others have stated. You're left shaking your head and thinking "People shouldn't be reduced to this". The ending isn't the ending you wanted for Daniel Blake (I won't say what it is), because you're rooting for the guy and you want him to finally get the break he deserves, but it does help hit the point home. Ken Loach has produced a wonderful film. It will make you laugh and cry, but it will also make you mad, mad that people are treated the way they are. I wish every politician (and welfare case worker) was forced to watch this film and then maybe they would grow some humanity in their souls. I've watched a lot of movies in the past year, but few have moved me as much as this. Watch it!