War > Mills, John War > by Classification

good film

Advantages: The cast is remarkable
Disadvantages: nothing

...Japanese POW camp in 1965's King Rat, based on a novel by James Clavell. As Corporal King, Segal swaggers and schemes, running his little corner of the black market with help from a ragtag group of soldiers willing to do anything for a few bucks. King befriends Brit officer Peter Marlowe (James Fox), who speaks the local language and can translate for King when he sells off watches and jewelry for other desperate prisoners (for a sizable fee, of ...
...(Tom Courtenay), whose loathing of King borders on the pathological. The prisoners in King Rat aren't plotting to make a run for it, a la The Great Escape - it's established early in the film that such is not an option, as there's literally nowhere for escapees from the Singapore camp to go. The movie instead explores the day-to-day life of these beaten-down men, starving and sick, as they scrape together the best sort of life they can under the ...

kashif123456 23.02.2006 · Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: not helpful
Review of King Rat (DVD)

Colditz Story

Advantages: Family film with limited violence
Disadvantages: None

One of the all time great British war films. Sir John Mills plays Pat Reid and the film is based on Pat Reid's real wartime experiences as noted in a couple of published books from the 1940's/50's. As such the events from the arrival of British POWs at the Colditz prison camp, Mill's character was one of the first of the British to be incarcerated in Colditz Castle. Colditz is the unescapable prison camp for all POWs who have escaped from other Stalags. ...
...the allied nations, how the Poles and French help the British in the early day, and how the friendships develop. As such the film focuses on all nationalities escape attempts be they succesful or unsuccessful, with perhaps the most unusual escape coming from a game of leap frog. The film also unusally manages to show that all German guards and officers were not Nazi tyrants. The Colditz Story is a feel good film intermixed with some sadness but ...

mrtimharry 17.10.2007 · Read full review
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Review of The Colditz Story (DVD)

Classic desert drama and one of the best films MIlls ever made

Advantages: Lots of action, great performances
Disadvantages: Made on a low budget, a little dated

...beer commercial. Fact is that Ice Cold In Alex is one of the best war films ever made. "Ice Cold" is the beer and "Alex" is Alexandria, the Egyptian city where Desert Rats hung out during World War Two. The film was made in 1958 and Mills was 50-odd at the time which is probably why he was cast as an ambulance driver fleeing the batle of Tobruk rather than a young blade. The film caused great controversy at the time as his romantic interest was a ...
...as they say, a ripping yarn with John Mills excellent as usual But it's very much an ensemble piece and deserves its classic status. In an age where special effects and gadgetry take precedence over narrative and emotional depth, Ice Cold In Alex stands the test of time. ...

bookaddict 18.07.2009 · Read full review
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Review of Ice Cold In Alex (DVD)

I Was Monty's Double (DVD)

Advantages: Accurate, quality actors
Disadvantages: Black and White then its an old film

A truly excellent film which depicted the role of a relatively unknown actor, M E Clifton-James in impersonating Field Marshal Montgomery during the Second World War. The usual cast of British wartime actors appear including John Mills, Sid James and Leslie Phillips. Dont be deceived, although humurous in places, it is a serious film and accurate bearing in mind that the actor in the film was the actual actor who impersonated Monty! The tells the ...
...playing Monty on stage, the subsequent forming of the idea in the 'Boffins' heads and the process to for Clifton James to observe Monty at close quarters without attracting suspicion. A wonderful film of a truly amazing wartime ploy by the allies. The perfect film for those wet Sunday afternoons and child friendly too. My kids love it. ...

Senter104 07.06.2007 · Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: somewhat helpful
Review of I Was Monty's Double (DVD)

In which we serve

Advantages: Region 0 - Will play on any player
Disadvantages: Not many special features

...the Torrin from her construction in an English shipyard to her sinking off the coast of Crete during World War 2.The engrossing story is told in a series of flashbacks recounted by the only survivors of the sunken vessel as they fight for survival on a raft in the Mediterranean Sea.Although the transfer to dvd is not the best it hardly takes anything away from the experiece. Starring Noel Coward,John Mills and Richard Attenborough and directed by ...

morgan1878 13.08.2006 · Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: somewhat helpful
Review of In Which We Serve (Special Edition) (DVD)