As I cant spare the time I'd like, I'm taking an extended leave of absence from CIAO. Hope to return...
As I cant spare the time I'd like, I'm taking an extended leave of absence from CIAO. Hope to return some day. All the best.
Member since:26.09.2000
Reviews:49
Members who trust:33
Minnie Driver is the star of this Thelma&Louise-esque comic tale of big-money bank jobs and blackmail.
Minnie plays Shannon, a honest and hard-working NHS nurse who, along with her best American friend, Frances (Mary McCormack), intercepts a phone call being made by a geezer who is in the process of assisting in a safety-deposit-box robbery.
Having already attempted to report the incident to the police and not being believed on account of the fact that they are two drunk girlies, when they learn that the robbers netted £10m they decide to blackmail them for £300K.
However things don't go quite as smoothly as the girls had hoped and soon their lives are in peril as word of their plan gets to the big boss man of the gang and a couple of inept comedy police-men seem to be just a couple of steps behind them.
And that's it. No Russian doll multi-layered plot of cross and double cross, just a nice simple, easy to follow plot.
And much to my surpirse I quite enjoyed it, not being the "chick-flick" I was expecting..
It does get off to a very shakey start, resembling a very bad sit-com episode a la "Birds of a Feather", however after a while things do start to pick-up considerably and the last half is quite entertaining.
It is a comedy and altho I didn't bust a gut laughing (which was quite lucky for the people next to me as my diet isn't quite going to plan at the mo) it was quite amusing. I had a couple of laugh-out-loud moments but it was mostly little chortles.
Both the main leads do a great job, Minnie Driver being especially excellent as Shannon, who initially is very unsure about getting involved in the whole enterprise, however as events hot up she discovers a thoroughly ruthless streak, altho never forgetting her compassionate nursing side.
I've never heard of Mary McCormack but she was very good as the bf.
The only other big name in the movie is Michael Gambon who play's the gay Mr Big (no he is not a porn star, he is the gang boss), and bears more than a passing physical resemblance to a recently deceased East End gangster, however I'm sure that is just a pure coincidence.
I recognised most of the rest of the cast from their apperances on tv, there was the guy from The Fast Show, that weird looking guy from Big Train, and him from that sit-com with the guy from Minder (was it called Dad?), amongst others.
As much as I enjoyed it, I did have free tickets, and I wouldn't necessarily recommend anybody to go see it at the cinema. There isn't a "must see" vibe about it and apart one superb montage/split screen sequence, there isnt anything particularily cinematic about it, so you might be better waiting until it is on video or tv, when you can watch it with a couple of beers.
The movie is directed by Mel Smith who also directed, Bean: The Ultimate Disaster Movie, so he is keeping up a tradition of working with Minnie Drivers (Mini Drivers,) D'ya geddit? Mr Bean drives a mini!. Ah forget it. I thought it was funny. If you don't like it write to Jonathan Ross c/o BBC, coz it's his joke, I nicked it from Film 2001.
The movie has a "15" certificate. Some bad language, a couple of people get shot, some bare bossoms (not Minnies tho).
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Production Year: 1957 - Drama - Director: Leo McCarey - Original Language: English - Classification: Universal - Starring: Cathleen Nesbitt, Deborah Kerr, Cary Grant, Richard Denning, Neva Patterson, Fortunio Bonanova
Production Year: 2004 - Drama - Director: Nick Cassavetes - Original Language: English - Classification: 15 years and over, 12 years and over - Starring: Rachel McAdams, Ryan Gosling, Gena Rowlands
Great opinion, this is certainly a film that I must see! I've heard many good things about it, well mainly good! Thanks and cheers ~M~
gennymutant 13.07.2001 15:51
Aww... and I was just thinking about going to see this too! Think I'll just wait for video now... Great op - Dione
daveking 13.07.2001 14:56
Ive had quite a few free tickets this year and a few have been dire but I also got free tickets to "Shrek" - best movie of the year- so it doesnt always figure.
With its limp efforts to mix comedy and drama,High Heels and Low Lifesis in many ways a ... more
faltering attempt to combine the most successful aspects of recent British cinema. Directed by Mel Smith (whoseThe Tall Guywas unarguably a fine film), the movie tr...
Postage & Packaging: £1.21 Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days...
Directed by Mel Smith, HIGH HEELS & LOW LIFES follows two best friends, Frances (Mary ... more
McCormack) an aspiring actress still waiting for her big break, and Shannon (Minnie Driver), a nurse, struggling to do good with limited resources, who accidental...
With its limp efforts to mix comedy and drama,High Heels and Low Lifesis in many ways a ... more
faltering attempt to combine the most successful aspects of recent British cinema. Directed by Mel Smith (whoseThe Tall Guywas unarguably a fine film), the movie tr...
Postage & Packaging: Free! Availability: Usually dispatched within 24 hours...
Two best friends Frances (Mary McCormack) an aspiring actress still waiting for her big ... more
break and Sharon (Minnie Driver) a nurse struggling to do good with limited resources accidentally overhear a heist taking place in their neighborhood. Frustrat...
Postage & Packaging: £0.00 Availability: 3-5 working days
Advantages: Would suit a good mix of tastes - comedy, action, adventure... Disadvantages: Suppose you could argue about cinema prices... but nothing else comes to mind!
Advantages: Would suit a good mix of tastes - comedy, action, adventure... Disadvantages: Suppose you could argue about cinema prices... but nothing else comes to mind!
![High Heels And Low Lifes [DVD] [2001]](http://picnicb.ciao.com/uk/76558825.jpg "High Heels And Low Lifes [DVD] [2001]")
Jul 13th, 2001
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