Production Year: 1936 - Thriller - Director: Alfred Hitchcock - Original Language: English - Classification: Parental Guidance - Starring: John Loder, Joyce Barbour, Sylvia Sidney, Desmond Tester more
Production Year: 2002 - Thriller - Director: K.C. Bascombe - Original Language: English - Classification: 15 years and over - Starring: Jesse James, Rachel Skarsten, Charles Powell, Linda Purl, Kevin Zegars
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Thriller - Original Language: English - Classification: 15 years and over - Starring: Timothy West, Neil Morrissey, Tara Fitzgerald, Annette Crosbie, Pauline Quirke, Rob Brydon, Denise Van Outen, John Thomson, Kevin Whately, David Suchet
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Production Year: 2002 - Thriller - Director: Matt Dillon - Original Language: English - Classification: 15 years and over - Starring: Matt Dillon, James Caan, Natascha McElhone, Gerard Depardieu, Sereyvuth Kem, Stellan Skarsgard
Production Year: 1996 - Thriller - Director: Kevin Spacey - Original Language: English - Classification: 18 years and over - Starring: Matt Dillon, Faye Dunaway, Gary Sinise, William Fichtner, Joe Mantegna, Viggo Mortensen, Skeet Ulrich
A review by sunmeilan on Sabotage (DVD) October 10th, 2008
Author's product rating:
Did you enjoy it?
Liked it
Story
Good
Characters / Performances
Good
Special Effects
Standard
How does it compare to similar films?
Good
Advantages:
Creepy, shocking twist
Disadvantages:
Obviously horribly dated
Recommend to potential buyers:
yes
Full review
Mr Verloc owns a cinema in pre-war Britain, but this is just a cover for a gang of men who are planning to sabotage the capital. His wife, Mrs Verloc and her young brother, Stevie, know nothing of his secret, thinking that he is just an ordinary, hard-working man. A detective is sent to work at a nearby fruit stall to keep an eye on Mr Verloc. Known as Ted, he befriends Mrs Verloc, but doesn't manage to keep his cover, forcing Mr Verloc to show his hand. The results are devastating. Will any of the Verlocs ever be the same again?
Much as I enjoy black and white films, this was made a little earlier than I am used to - back in 1936. However, it is a Hitchcock film, something that I always struggle to resist. And although it is seventy years old and is obviously dated in more ways than one, it is still a film that has something to offer for a modern day audience, provided that it is prepared to look beyond the fact that it is in black and white.
Sylvia Sidney plays Mrs Verloc, the central character. Although I'm not that familiar with her background, her acting career was so successful that she was acting right up until her death in 1999. As Sylvia, she is very appealing, all big eyes and cut-glass accent, although of course the way that she dresses and wears her hair is very old-fashioned. A certain amount of artistic licence is needed to fully believe in her character - it is hard to believe that she wasn't aware of her husband's dodgy dealings for a start - but it is necessary to remember that at the time the film was made, women were very much supporters of the head of the household. On the whole, I think she gives a really good performance, particularly bearing in mind the fashion of the time for a stiff upper lip.
Oskar Homolka plays Mr Verloc. Probably in line with the nature of society at the time, being a baddie, he has a foreign accent that could well be German, although I don't think it is ever made clear. He also has a very sinister air about him, and treats his wife and her brother so smarmily that he would have any modern day wife running a mile. It does feel a bit unnatural and staged, but I think that has a lot to do with the style of acting at the time and isn't a fault on the part of Homolka. John Loder is also good as Ted, the very English gentleman who tries to save Mrs Verloc from a fate worse than death.
I've watched this film several times now, yet the unexpected twist in the story towards the end of the film always manages to surprise me and send a chill down my spine. Up until that point, the whole film feels very staged and exactly as it should be, then suddenly everything is thrown into confusion. That isn't to say that the first part of the film isn't good - there is a real sense of Hitchcock intrigue as the story is slowly fed to us bit by bit. We don't find out the whole story - it isn't clear, for example, how Mr Verloc was recruited and by whom - but there is certainly enough to keep the viewer interested.
It obviously isn't very politically correct that someone with a foreign accent is so obviously the bad person in the film. Mr Verloc is also made out to be a bit simple - getting into something that is way above his head. However, it is important to remember that films were used to raise awareness at the time - a warning to the British to turn inward and make sure the home fires were burning safely. And it was certainly very effective at doing that.
The film-making is obviously very amateurish in comparison to Hitchcock's later films, but there are still some very effective moments. The opening shots of a bright light bulb initially seem pointless, but then when the whole city is plunged into darkness, it suddenly makes sense, particularly when followed by a group of men discussing what happened as sabotage. Probably most effective though is when Mrs Verloc, after a tragedy, is filmed watching a cartoon in her own cinema. At first it makes her laugh, but then as the storyline changes, her grief comes to the fore and is really very moving. The way that the camera switches between her face and the cinema screen is really well done and needs to be seen to be really appreciated.
Obviously, this film is in black and white, but for any fans of suspense, it really is worth seeing. The quality of the copy that I have is not as clear as a more modern film, but it is certainly clear enough to be enjoyed. And the parallels with the feelings of society then and now are only too obvious. Definitely recommended.
Advantages: a light hearted feel good flick Disadvantages: becomes predictable in places
...million dollars at stake, and neither of them is going to give up their share without a fight.
When the judge demands they live together as man and wife before getting a penny the movie tells the story of the ups and downs as both try to sabotage each other in the hopes of getting the jackpot.
*+* DVD EXTRAS *+*
The extras on the DVD are 6 deleted scenes
You can get the digital version which allows you to copy the DVD onto your computer, iphone or ipod which is useful if you watch movies on the go
*+* MY OPINIONS *+*
I enjoyed this film it is your classic rom-com. Cameron Diaz and Ashton Kutcher do a great job with the roles and really convince you of their characters. There is plenty of humour even if some of it is quite predictable. This is one of those movies you could watch a couple of times but it isn't a classic. I would...
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Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful
Advantages: Good cast Disadvantages: Very poor story, predictable, not funny
...who happens to be Queen Latifah in a role way outside anything she normally plays, infact she?s one of the best things about this film. If after 6 months they still want to be divorced they will each get $1.5 million. Sounds simple doesn?t it?!
The couple soon realise that it isn?t quite so simple. They are told that if one gives up on the marriage the other will receive all $3,000,000 so both are out to sabotage the other.
I never got round to seeing this at the cinema so when it came out on DVD I went out & bought it as soon as I could as I was looking forward to watching it. As I said earlier I usually enjoy Cameron Diaz?s films so I assumed that this would be no different. I also liked Ashton Kutcher in Dude Where?s My car so I was especially looking forward to seeing the two together. However when I got round to watching this I...
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Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful
Advantages: An incredibly accurate DVD of the Hindenburg & the disaster Disadvantages: May feel like a history lesson to some people
...went down. One interviewee, a historian said there was so much confusion. Some thought it was a bomb, some believed it was sabotage/deliberate and some thought it was just an unavoidable accident.
The main one to come out was the sabotage theory which was thoroughly discussed. I won't go into much detail as i would be sitting here for hours (watch the DVD!) but the idea was that either:
--An anti-nazi (communist?) planted a bomb but because the Hindenburg was late it went off when they were all inside.
--Someone has slashed one of the cells to let the hydrogen out so it would have exploded.
--Hitler himself planned the Hindenburg to go down in retaliation to anti-nazi views.
There are lots of others discussed as well but they were the main subtopics. There are also other therories as well:
--Engine Exhausts accidently sparked...
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Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful
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