Drama > A Drama > Altman, Robert

Advantages: Agatha Christie-like
Disadvantages: Too many characters

Introduction As soon as I heard about this film, I knew it would be right up my street. Described as a murder mystery, it is set in a stately home in 1930s England. With a large number of famous actors and actresses, including Maggie Smith, Kristin Scott-Thomas, Helen Mirren, Charles Dance, Stephen Fry and Clive Owen, it couldn't really go much wrong. And I wasn't disappointed, well, not too disappointed anyway - it takes a while before any action ...
...it's a must-see for anyone that enjoys crime fiction by writers such as Agatha Christie. The director Robert Altman, who came up with the idea for the story, along with Bob Balaban, was born in Kansas in 1925. He has written, directed and produced a number of films, although the majority of them are not particularly well-known. He is probably best-known for directing Alfred Hitchcock's TV show and writing the script for MASH. The plot Sir William ... Read review

Advantages: Enthralling, simply Enthralling
Disadvantages: Not Much Really

The Joffrey Ballet Company of Chicago is one of the most highly regarded dance schools in the world, build on hundreds of dancers determination, sweat, blood and tears it has managed to stay at the top of its game for over thirty years. The Company is an in-depth and heartfelt look into the lives of those who makes this the establishment that it is, mainly the movie centres around Ry a beautiful, up and coming dancer, who is steadily building her ...
...work as a waitress at the local sleazy nightclub. Whilst at a pub, playing pool she meets a young and handsome chef, Josh and starts a whirlwind romance. Neve Campbell really does deserve a lot of credit for this movie, she (although already a respected dancer) trained for seven months, eight hours a day to get to a stunning level technically, is credited as writer and producer and puts in one of the most compassionate and wonderful performances ... Read review

Advantages: A radical and thoughtful re-imaging of the 40s detective
Disadvantages: A flim that demands attention in order to be enjoyed

...Altman who also made M*A*S*H, The Player and Short Cuts amongst other films. Altman is not an action director, preferring verbal sparring to physical jousting and I'd recommend that anyone sitting down to watch this film be in the mood to pay attention and listen carefully - it's not popcorn entertainment and that isn't a criticism. The Long Goodbye is based on a Raymond Chandler book of the same name and stars Chandler's most famous creation, Philip ...
...of whom projected variations on the same theme of a smart, tough and handsome 1940s detective but no one comes close to portraying the character the way that Elliott Gould does. Marlowe has undergone a radical re-imaging and emerged as a mumbling slob in the 70s. This caused outrage among many Chandler fans upon the film's release but Altman defended his vision, claiming that he had tried to imagine the character as having 40s sensibilities transported ... Read review

Advantages: Good central story. ‘In’ jokes. Cameos.
Disadvantages: Slow, relying heavily on characters.

...now wormed his way into the studio. The word is Griffin is on his way out. To add to this pressure, Griffin has been receiving a number of threatening postcards. He thinks they are from a writer he rudely brushed off some months previously. Deciding to confront him, he pays the writer a visit. The meeting goes very badly and when the writer shows up dead the next day, Griffin is high on the suspect list. The Player is a great send up of the entire ...
...is like. W e see the exterior of Griffin’s Hollywood studio, the camera dips back and forth between numerous key and superfluous characters, of which there are many of each. The camera rolls up to the window of Griffins office to hear movie pitches being made, The Graduate part 2, “it’s Ghost meets The Manchurian Candidate.” There is star name dropping and movie references, such as a nod to Orson Wells Touch of Evil (1958) and how its six-minute ... Read review

Advantages: Uncompromising, Enthralling, Great performances
Disadvantages: Uncomfortable viewing at times

...from her. She in turn promptly goes to buy it back, thus indirectly feeding and maintaining his addiction. Requiem For A Dream is a terrific and traumatic vision that perceptively captures the subconscious minds of people whose dreams are eating away at them. Please note - published elsewhere ... Read review