Drama > Hackford, Taylor Drama

I'm just an engineer! Let me go!!

Advantages: Great acting and directing
Disadvantages: Imbalance at times. Have to be in the right frame of mind

This 2000 kidnap drama from director Taylor Hackford has a very good all round package. It has some marvellous scenery and some mood-setting lighting which has given this film some praise. It combines the talents of Meg Ryan and Russell Crowe in roles we would not normally associate them with. The Plot Alice and Peter Bowman are in South America with Peter an engineer working on a project. Peter is kidnapped by some anti-government guerillas and ...
...who must first ascertain whether Terry is alive or not. The emotional turmoil of such an experience is almost too much for Alice, and the kindness and intensity shown by Thorne leads her to feel very strongly for him, and he in turn finds the feeling mutual. The Cast and Performances Meg Ryan is outstanding as Alice. The acting involved in such an emtional character is performed with great skill and attention, and she is very convincing as Alice. ...

pmcds 29.03.2008 · Read full review
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Review of Proof Of Life (DVD)

He is a Gentleman but will he make an Officer?

Advantages: Great love story, excellent acting
Disadvantages: None from me

Well I have been eyeing this DVD up for some time but never bought it as hubby tells me I have seen it as I watched it with him but for the life I me I cannot remember ever seeing it. Last night I decided we would watch it as I really liked the look of it, the added bonus being that Richard Gere is in it! The film is about Zack Mayo who has had a rough childhood, his mother killed herself and he went to live with his Dad who is a Navy man so he ...
...finally decides that he is going to try the Navy Officers recruitment course. Zack is accepted on the course and has to give 13 weeks of training which includes some daunting and gruelling tasks. The course is being run by a very strict Drill Instructor, who does start to have a bit of respect for Zack after he is pout through his paces but reuses to give up. Zack and his closest friend go out for a night and spot 2 girls and they start to spend ...

sewbizzie 13.03.2009 · Read full review
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Review of An Officer And A Gentleman (DVD)

Men Like Love Stories Too

Advantages: Compelling multi-layered movie
Disadvantages: The packaging

...admit to I know, but An Officer And A Gentleman has been one of my favourite movies for a good many years. I first saw the movie back in 1983, and although I skip a few years in between viewings it’s a movie I watch again and again! Why do I enjoy the movie, I hear you cry? For me it’s the mix of genre’s; primarily the movie is a romantic movie, but at its heart it’s a movie about Navy trainees preparing to go out and fight for there country. This ...
...of Helen Mirren; claims that An Officer And A Gentleman is a movie aimed more for the male audience. Its themes are close to many a mans heart, the need to be the “alpha male”, the desire to succeed, the love of a good woman, or in some cases the love of a bad woman. Hackford describes the movie as a mans love story. Richard Gere plays the part of Zach Mayo, although he was by this time an established actor his part here spring boarded himself into ...

sghawken 29.04.2007 · Read full review
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Review of An Officer And A Gentleman (Special Edition) (DVD)

Ray DVD - It's a shame about Ray

Advantages: Well acted, great music
Disadvantages: Too long

...knowledge of the life of Ray Charles amounted to sub-"back off a fag packet" levels. He was a blind, American performer who apparently had Georgia on his mind. As a lover of a wide variety of music, this was a situation I set about resolving by renting "Ray", a biopic directed by Taylor Hackford and released in 2005. And do I know much about him after the movie? Well, to be honest, given the length of the film, I feel like I've lived my life with ...
...so little about the real Ray Charles. However, to it's credit, the film did inspire me to do a bit of further reading and research into the life and music of this intriguing character and performer and, from what I've seen since, he does seem to capture his mannerisms and personality with almost eerie precision. Apparently, although Foxx plays the piano himself with impressive style, the majority of the singing is actually lip-synched. For many, ...

stevek181 24.11.2009 · Read full review
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Review of Ray (DVD)

Do The Mess Around

Advantages: True stories do make the best movies
Disadvantages: I can't fault this film

...caught the movie premiere of Ray last night on ITV, the true story following the life of Ray Charles Robinson. The 2004 release saw the man himself heavily involved with the direction of the film, however he sadly passed away a few months before it actually began hitting the screens (Ray was fortunately able to attend a showing of the completed film before it hit the public theatres). When it came to casting, director Taylor Heckford saw fit for ...
...of playing the piano together, Ray stood up and hugged Fox, proclaiming "He's the one... he can do it," obviously referring to playing his character in the film. So as you can see, Ray is no run of the mill film, and this is going to be no run of the mill review. Going into the film I was honestly only watching for reviewing purposes, needing something new to review, but little did I know I was going to be blown away by a film detailing the life ...

Nathan_Innit 16.05.2007 · Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
Review of Ray (HD-DVD)