Drama > O'Toole, Peter Drama

Burns Brightly But Fizzles

Advantages: The combined wit and flair of Fry and Waugh
Disadvantages: Flimsy plot and somewhat insubstantial

...from Evelyn Waugh’s “Vile Bodies”. Bright Young Things is both filled with and satirising the excess and eccentricity of celebrity culture in the early 30s. Aspiring author Adam Symes [Stephen Campbell Moore] is returning to England with the manuscript for his novel, “Bright Young Things”, and has an arrangement with publisher Lord Monomark [Dan Aykroyd] that will provide him with enough money to marry Nina Blout [Emily Mortimer], also from an aristocratic ...
...girl. Fry’s cast of bright young actors show much more talented depth than the characters they portray; Cambell Moore (who interestingly bears a striking resemblance to a young Hugh Laurie) is remarkably accomplished for an actor in his first feature, while Michael Sheen is wonderfully camp and Mortimer manages to tenderly portray a rather unsympathetic character. This is all aided by the Fry’s reworking of Waugh’s material, for where Waugh is clearly ...

PriyanPhoenix 15.05.2007 · Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
Review of Bright Young Things (DVD)

'Humility is hard on the knees...'

Advantages: Great film
Disadvantages: Slim on DVD extras

...Canterbury, not far from where Becket was murdered/martyred. Becket became a folk hero, a canonised saint, and the stuff of myth and legend, as useful in politics as in literature – Chaucer’s famous pilgrims telling their Canterbury tales were on their way to the same location as Henry II paid his penance for the death of Becket. The idea of the separation of church and state is an admittedly modern invention, but even in Becket’s time, the intertwining ...
...up a background rivalry for Becket and Henry II while they are both on the same side (Henry II appointed Thomas Becket as his chancellor, a position not dis-similar to being his first, or prime, minister). When Henry decided to take control of the church by appointing his own man as the Archbishop of Canterbury, Becket then has what some have described as a road-to-Damascus conversion experience – the film follows this interpretation. ‘Honour is ...

frkurt 02.06.2007 · Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
Review of Becket (DVD)

Under Milk Wood

Advantages: A good film well-written and superb;y acted.
Disadvantages: Only one minor flaw.

...Thomas’ 1953 play for voices, Under Milk Wood, directed by Andrew Sinclair. The story centres on the inhabitants of a small Welsh village, whose lives are shown over a period of one day in Spring. “It is difficult to make a film that was essentially written for voices” Andrew Sinclair said in an interview during the making of the film. Difficult it may be, but Sinclair handles the filming with skill, sticking closely to Dylan’s original storyline. ...
...Voice) and Welsh TV star Ryan Davies (the 2nd Voice) stroll into the fictional village of Llareggub, (read it backwards and you will get a hint of the humour of Dylan Thomas), while its occupants are asleep. The only fault that I found with the film was this. Unless you are familiar with the original story, it is not very clear what the two characters are actually doing – the story is supposed to be told through their eyes; but the fault is a minor ...

offthecuff 09.07.2007 · Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
Review of Under Milk Wood (DVD)

Sex and the City

Advantages: funny, great performance
Disadvantages: long

...so many exciting reviews on Sex and the City that I decided I watch it. It is a real chick flick romantic comedy and that evening it was the perfect entertainment for me. The film was written and directed by Michael Patrick King. Actually he was the co-producer of the film as well with Sarah Jessica Parker and Darren Star. Michael Patrick King is an American film director and screenplay writer. Besides Sex and the City he wrote the screenplay of ...
...balance. She and Steve have sex about twice a year and even then she is not so involved. She is hurt and devastated when Steve confesses that he had sex with another woman. Miranda separates immediately from him and sees no chance to forgive him. Charlotte has a happy family since they adopted Lily. She is a beautiful girl. Charlotte soon realises that since they gave up trying to have a baby she is pregnant. Can she carry out the baby? My opinion ...

D_i_a_n_e 29.12.2009 · Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
Review of Sex And The City - The Movie (DVD)

There's final hits and final hits. What kind is this one to be?

Advantages: One Of The Best Films To Come Out Of The UK.
Disadvantages: None!

...I first saw the film Trainspotting after hearing so much controversy about it on television, from reading about it in the newspapers and from everyone talking about it around me at the time. It was all everyone was talking about on it's release in 1996 and of course I just had to see it for myself to see what all the hype was about. Well I went to the pictures to watch this film and was quite shocked by this outrageously, yet brilliant tale of five ...
...ago that my husband purchased Trainspotting to add to our DVD collection as we both really enjoyed watching it over the years at various times on television (in a sick kind of way I guess). He picked it up second-hand for £1 at a car boot sale, so it certainly was a great bargain. This film really will not be suited to everyone though. I think you will either love it like I do, or absolutely hate it. It certainly is worth watching once though just ...

hillhead 28.12.2009 · Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: exceptional
Review of Trainspotting (DVD)