Comedy > 12 years and over Comedy > World Cinema Feature Film

On The Road

Advantages: Enjoyable and well-made film
Disadvantages: Might be too self-effacing for some

...always badgering her drunk-looking husband Kikujiro (Beat's part) badgers him into taking the boy to see his mother. Of course the irresponsible guy delays things by a couple of days whilst he gambles away the boy's savings until they finally get going. At this point the film comes into its own and becomes basically a road movie. The point of the mission is sometimes forgotten as Beat takes over and changes from being a useless petty thug of a layabout ...
...turns to protectiveness and a desire to make the boy happy. The journey becomes one long series of episodes where Beat uses his surroundings and the people they meet to this end. Does the boy get to his mother? That is something for you to discover from seeing the film. Suffice to say that there is drama as well as comedy in this movie, although the tone is gently upbeat. The acting is of a uniformly high standard. Kitano is his customary mixture ...

JoePoirot 14.02.2006 · Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
Review of Kikujiro (Subtitled) (DVD)

"Bon Voyage" - a pleasurable journey

Advantages: Entertaining
Disadvantages: None

This is a typically sophisticated product from the French film industry which above all is a highly enjoyable film to view. Directed by Jean-Paul Rappeneau, some of the usual suspects (Isabelle Adjani, Virginie Ledoyen, Gerard Depardieu etc) are there leading to the deja-vu which is experienced in watching continental movies. The film itself is a pleasing cocktail of humour, pathos, espionage and adventure. Based in the troubled period leading ...
...of France, the film uses the personal stories of an actress and her liaisons to paint a picture of the chaos and despair of the time. Although some reviewers have seen its portrait of the escaping middle/upper-classes as affectionate I do not share this view. It is highly critical of those who sold France on order to save it; the humorous tone of the film does not in any way cloud this message. Whilst the French resistance and the many millions ...

JoePoirot 22.06.2004 · Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
Review of Bon Voyage (Subtitled) (DVD)

Great film!

Advantages: Highly amusing, sing along fun!
Disadvantages: None that i can find!

This is a film i can find no faults with! 10 viewings later i would still watch it again! Good plot- best friends who have seperated slightly and then one decides to get married. The female on some kind of wacky mission decided she can't take the way this is going and aims to split them up so she can have the guy that has always been there for herself. The horrendous new bride (who in person you would want to kill!) is hilariously funny and only ...

melanie262 07.10.2006 · Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: somewhat helpful
Review of My Best Friend's Wife (DVD)

Review of the Region 2 DVD of Kamikaze Girls

Advantages: The unique style of the film, with many comic twists and turns.
Disadvantages: The price. I'm sure it will shrink over time, though.

A must for anybody interested in the lolita fashion or Japanese pop culture in general. I also recommend the book. The film is hilarious - from as soon as it starts until the very end, with an interesting storyline and good costumes. However, this is not just a comedy. It also contains some sad and thought-provoking moments - there's something for everyone! The film is subbed, not dubbed which is good for someone like me, who thinks most dubs are ...
...have to squint at the screen - but not so big that they obstruct the action, and they are closer to the actual Japanese than out subtitled films I have had the misfortune to watch. Still, as with any subbed film I would I wouldn't recommend it if you're a slow reader or just prefer to hear the characters speak English. My mum watched this with me and didn't really enjoy it, therefore I'd recommend it perhaps for a young adult/teenage audience. ...

poshmarshmallow 07.02.2009 · Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: somewhat helpful
Review of Kamikaze Girls (DVD)

The wedding of the year 'My Big Fat Greek Wedding'

Advantages: Fun, nice story
Disadvantages: Predictable

I first watched My Big Fat Greek Wedding a few years ago and although it hasn't become one of my favourite films, I do still watch it from time to time. The film first came out in 2002 so has been around for quite a while now. The story of the film is based around a character called Toula Portokalos (Christina Eleusiniotis). Toula is from a greek family, who take the traditions of their culture very seriously. Her family own a resteraunt called 'Dancing ...
...her thirties and yet has never really done anything with her life. She is plain and no-one really notices her as she goes around her everyday life. One day Toula decides to do something about her life and signs up to a college course. It isn't easy for her to persuade her Father Gus (Michael Constantine), but her Mother Maria (Lainie Kazan) manages to help her. Once she has started the course she starts to feel more confident in herself and decides ...

wendz86 28.12.2009 · Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
Review of My Big Fat Greek Wedding (DVD)