Drama > M Drama > H

Advantages: Wonderful cast, great storyline and so rich in human observation.
Disadvantages: You'll want to watch it again, even if you don't have time!!

Chocolat - A Richly Decadent Film! There are some films which seem to be designed entirely to relax our minds, soften our souls, and allow a little comtemplation on the constant flux of life. This, I am happy to say, is exactly one of those films. So utterly French that you expect it to be subtitled (though it is not) and so gentle and flowing that you feel as though you are submerged in a warm and scented bubble bath for the most part of the film, ...
...be cast over this sumptuous and almost edible film. The story is of a woman (Vianne, played by Juliette Binoche) and her daughter (Anouk, played brilliantly by the young Victoire Thivisol), and her daughter's pet kangaroo (yes, that's right, kangaroo...) The story tells of their way of life, being blown (quite magically) from one place to the next at the grace of the North Wind, to spread the knowledge of the ancient Mayan secrets of cacao. Chocolate ... Read review

Advantages: It's intersting to see Gere playing against type and Molina is as dependable as ever.
Disadvantages: Pedestrian direction and writing and a film without a genre.

...and his publishers are on the brink of dropping him. Then he decides to write a bogus official biography of notorious billionaire recluse Howard Hughes. According to him, Hughes wants a million dollar advance and will only communicate with the publishers through Irving. Surprisingly the company falls for his scam. However, news of the book sparks a media feeding frenzy and Irving has to move fast to stay one step ahead of the pack. Director Lasse ...
...this based-on-fact tale. He lacks the eye for detail and the cynicism required to make this a biting satire of the celebrity-hungry media. Instead it plays out as more of a muted caper where Irving has to go to increasingly ridiculous lengths to stay ahead of the game. Sadly the film doesn't have quite enough gloss or sparkle to excel in this area. Truth be told, the production values make it look like a made-for-TV movie. The film stock is grubby ... Read review

Advantages: great dramatic movie with so much realism.
Disadvantages: none at all

Director: John Singleton Producer: Steven Nicolaides Writer: John Singleton Stars: Ice Cube, Cuba Gooding jr, Morris Chestnut, Laurence Fishburne, Nia Long and Angela Basset Released in the summer of 1991 this brilliant hour and forty minute movie takes a look into the lives of the gangs who struggle to survive in the ghettos of South central Los Angeles… **BRIEF PLOT** When a bright student, Tré Styles, (played by Desi Arnez Hines), moves ...
...until he is reunited with his old friends, Ricky Baker, (played by Donovan McCrary), who is a up and coming American football player, and Darin "doughboy" Baker, (played by Baha Jackson), who is spends his time selling cocaine in the ghettos… Years later, and set in 1991, Darin, (now played by Ice Cube) spends most of his time hanging out in the "hood" after being released from prison with no real hope for the future… Ricky, (now played by Morris ... Read review

Advantages: Enthralling story telling, mixing a very serious story with charming humour
Disadvantages: The movie has dated rather a lot

...some really old fashioned qualities, Don't Talk To Stranger's is actually a far superior offering than the movie it accompanied. The movie offers a very serious message, padded out with a lot of quirky 60's British humour; Jean's younger sister Ann for example is carrying out a single handed campaign against hunting, citing her father as one of the very people she protests against "Mummy do you know how many innocent defensive foxes are slaughtered ...
...over 20 years ago. Don't Talk To Strange Men is a marvellously well crafted piece of low budget film-making directed by Pat Jackson who later went on to make The Prisoner and Enid Blyton's Famous Five TV serial. Despite the dated aspects of the movie, I feel this is an amazingly pertinent story because the link initially is created by a wrong number, and now 46 years on there are more telephone numbers than ever before, and more young people owning ... Read review

Advantages: Wonderfully real and well written
Disadvantages: None

Believe the hype. This is possibly one of the best TV programs ever made. On the face of it The Wire will come across as a Hill Street Blues or St Elsewhere type of well written and realistic piece of programming, but it seems to take that trend one step further which I didn't believe could be possible. Before I wax lyrically about this first series I have to warn you that The Wire isn't for easy watching. It makes 24 seem like watching an episode ...
...but a programme like The Wire shows up other TV shows for being the pure entertainment that they are. The Wire truly makes you think and as I said it doesn't make for easy viewing. Some friends of mine enjoy spending an entire weekend watching 24 in real time (i.e. a whole series in one sitting), but it's difficult to do that with The Wire as you want to sit and contemplate what you are watching. The main theme of the first series is drugs. But ... Read review