Drama > Hurt, William Drama

A Mother. A Daughter. A Shattering Choice.

Advantages: An exquisite, moving family drama with three superb performances
Disadvantages: The subject matter is so realistic it may be tough to take for some watchers

****************************************************************** TITLE : One True Thing RATING: ***** CAST: Meryl Streep, Renee Zellweger, William Hurt, Tom Everett Scott, Lauren Graham, Nicky Katt, James Eckhouse, Patrick Breen, Gerrit Graham, David Byron, Stephen Peabody. DIRECTOR: Carl Franklin SCREENWRITER: Karen Croner BASED ON A NOVEL BY: Anna Quindlen STUDIO: Universal Pictures RUNNING TIME: 127 min. RATED: R (US) & 15 (UK); for ...
...lymphoma; I was the only one with her in the hospital when she passed, and it traumatized me, if you could imagine. She was a wonderful lady who enjoyed life as much as she could after my father's death in 2003, and I will always miss her. She loved reading my film reviews every chance she got, and was anxious to see myself actually getting into the film business myself. Ironically, the original screenplay I've been working on is about the relationship ...

eve6kicksass 13.04.2007 · Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
Review of One True Thing (DVD)

Artificiality

Advantages: Good graphics, very involving
Disadvantages: Disturbing, far too long

This film was shown on television a while ago, and although I had heard the name of the film several times, I really had no idea what it was actually about. I was certainly expecting some sort of robot film, but from there my ideas of what the film was about turned out to be dreadfully wrong. There was barely anything on television so after flicking through several channels I spotted this movie and thought 'ah, a movie,' then settled on it with a ...
...much, although to be honest they are not usually my type of film, so my expectations were not that high. Future The film is set in the future, at a time where our current fears of global warming melting ice at the poles and drowning the land have become a reality. This has not stopped the human race and the good old fashioned cuddly toy we know of now is not a thing of the past, but a thing transformed. In fact, this film does feature robots, in ...

Ayesha- 18.07.2009 · Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
Review of A.I. - Artificial Intelligence (DVD)

An unusual, entrancing drama.

Advantages: Wonderful performances, excellent soundtrack, gorgeous scenery.
Disadvantages: Gets rather dark, some may not take to Penn's jumpy directing style.

Sean Penn's movies as a director have always been interested in the loner, so it was an apt choice for him to film an account of the unusual tale of the young Christopher McCandles escape to explore America. Penn's camera captures the beauty of the American landscape in an astute piece of direction that avoids his usual dour heavy hand. At the centre of Penn's professionalism is the charming boyishly handsome Emile Hirsch who has a laidback yet dominant ...
...with the highlights being an Oscar nominated Hal Holbrook who takes a grandfatherly liking to Christopher and a subtle turn from Catherine Keener as a hippie who carries the weight of a lot of sadness under her demeanour. As the film reaches its heartbreaking conclusion, McCandles still comes across as a mystery, his reasoning and actions are still flawed and naive, yet having met many people on his journey and gave them each in a way a jolt of happiness ...

Syklone 15.08.2009 · Read full review
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Review of Into The Wild (DVD)

A History of Violence with a coffeepot

Advantages: Great acting, good plot on the whole
Disadvantages: Confusing at times, could have been better

The role of Aragorn in the Lord of the Rings films seems to have led to full exposure for Viggo Mortenson. The 2005 film 'A History of Violence' directed by David Cronenberg has Mortenson as the lead in an intricately woven gangster film, and features a good cast and some top acting. It is 92 minutes long. The Plot Tom Spall and his wife and two children lead a quiet life in the small town of Millbrook. Tom works in their cafe, and one day foils ...
...who are keen to get the exclusive on some action in a town where nthing ever happens, Tom's face ends up on local and national TV. This leads to a series of events that would have anyone asking questions. Tom is confronted by a mysterious 'stranger', Carl Fogarty, who seems to believe Tom is someone he is not - a former gangster! He is accused of ruining this man's life, and as Tom struggles to return to normalcy and to escape the attentions of ...

pmcds 14.03.2008 · Read full review
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Review of The History Of Violence (DVD)

Were Going To Hell

Advantages: acting, direction, story
Disadvantages: poor ending

...Bernal) receives his discharge from the USS Athena in the U.S Navy. His only belongings are his backpack and his M-1 Garland rifle. His first action is to call upon a willing prostitute to service his carnal desires. His next port of call is to buy a 1969 Mercury Cougar. And then he's off to Corpus Christi, Texas, a small bible-belt town where the popular David Sandow preaches to his trusting congregation at the local evangelical church. David Sandow ...
...is deceased, his father is the only family he has left. Yolanda was a Mexican prostitute Sandow abused before he found god to show him his true calling in life. Elvis tracks Sandow down and approaches him after his weekly sunday sermon. Unfortunately for Elvis, David Sandow doesn't practise what he preaches. He informs Elvis that although the boy maybe one of gods family, he himself has a new family and Elvis isn't part of it. This cruel, heartless ...

WormThatTurned 31.08.2006 · Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
Review of The King (DVD)