Documentaries & Biographies > 2007 Documentaries & Biographies > 5 GBP to 10 GBP

Man on wire - 1360 feet up over downtown Manhattan

Advantages: A compelling tale told with warmth and humour by those who lived it
Disadvantages: Unnecessary "reconstruction" scenes used over voiceovers

...my childhood however, of the man who got on a tightrope and spent 45 minutes walking from the roof of one tower to the other. This was big news back in 1974, when I was ten, and I well recall the iconic images of this man, who I considered to be a clown, walking on a wire 1,368 feet off the ground. Of course in childhood that number means nothing – in fact despite the TV coverage Frenchman Phillipe Petit’s feat received in 1974, it wasn’t until I ...
...became forever known as the man who walked between the World Trade Center twin towers. Petit, rightly, is the star of the show however for me it was the supporting cast who really helped to tell the story of “le coup” and I recommend this wonderful film to all. Finally, I also realised that the man I had considered a clown for so many years was something much, much more – when he was on the wire he was a dancer and what he did was, for me anyway, ...

rosebud2001 03.08.2009 · Read full review
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Review of Man On Wire

Football can be an inspiration to us all

Advantages: More than just a football film - its a journey for body and mind
Disadvantages: I want to see more skills

...world (maybe not as many in England!) and his influence on these 5 guys is immense, so much so that they go in search of Diego so they can shake the hand of the man who has taught them so much by watching his skills, tricks and team play while playing for Argentina, Barcelona, Napoli and many more. Although it sounds like a football road movie, this is so much more and i will even go as far as to say that this documentary bought a tear to my eye. ...
...river to start their journey in the USA, their aim is to make money by performing freestyle tricks on the streets to eventually get across to Argentina to meet Diego, all with nowhere to stay and nothing to eat. Everything would have to be subsidised by their football skills. A good idea if it can be pulled off, however the lads underestimate the varying personality clashes, the distance they need to get to, the organisation and if they do get to ...

Capodon 01.10.2009 · Read full review
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Review of In The Hands Of The Gods (DVD)

Elite Documentary about an Elite unit.

Advantages: makes you think, can be motivating
Disadvantages: none

...faced bunch of Royal Marine Commando recruits all the way through 32 weeks of basic training. With complete access to every part of the training process he follows the good times and the bad of each of the recruits and something that I felt made the documentary that little more exciting was that he also took part in the training himself, Chris Terrill was 55 years old. The Program was originally aired in 2007 for ITV; at the beginning you see the ...
...of becoming a Royal Marine Commando and receiving the coveted Green Beret so that they can become elite soldiers that look a million miles away from the guys that they were 32 weeks earlier. After the 32 weeks training Chris follows a few of the successful soldiers when they are posted to Afghanistan for a tour of duty, as well as a new officer who takes up his post in Afghanistan for his first tour with a mainly rookie company of men. I managed ...

sjp1966 17.12.2009 · Read full review
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Review of Commando - On The Front Line - Series 1 - Complete (DVD)

Eye level is buy level!!

Advantages: Cheap prices
Disadvantages: Cheap labour

With the slave trade debate raging last year during the 200 commerations its always important to note that not only is that particular trade is still alive and well in the third world but its as good as here in its modern form in companies like Wal-Mart. Well meaning and angry people may well protest alongside some vegetarians banging a drum in London about what happened 200 years ago but most of the labeled clothing we are wearing will have been ...
...the products piled high in the huge shopping arenas of Wal-Mart and the like are the products of cheap and exploited labor somewhere around the world and when the documentary explores those sweat shops in South East Asia our arguments of reparation begin to fragment. In one segment you see young Chinese girls living in cramped dorms in a grubby factory, the gates locked at night, weekly rent and utilities deducted from their meager pay packets, whether ...

thedevilinme 16.12.2009 · Read full review
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Review of Wal-Mart: The High Cost Of Low Price (DVD)

In Sickness and in Health

Advantages: Interesting and entertaining, Great interview with Tony Benn
Disadvantages: Some subjects are arguably exploited, Does not consider disadvantages of socialised healthcare

"Sicko" (2007) - FILM ONLY REVIEW Writer: Michael Moore Director: Michael Moore Running Time: 123 minutes Certificate: 12A (UK) / PG (Ireland) / PG13 (USA) It has become something of a cliché to describe Michael Moore as a controversial, polarising character. To some, he is the White Knight of the left whose regular-guy approach to discussing uncomfortable subjects should be applauded, while to others he is a man who has exploited vulnerable interview ...
...picture he wants to make his attention-grabbing documentaries a success. An entire industry has grown up attempting to discredit Moore's work and has given his reputation something of a battering over recent years, but while some of the criticism he has received has I think been justified, this has not prevented him producing his highly entertaining 2007 documentary "Sicko" about the American medical industry. In many ways, this has proved to be ...

Collingwood21 13.12.2009 · Read full review
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Review of Sicko (DVD)