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No Country For Old Men [2008]

starring: Tommy Lee Jones, Javier Bardem, Josh Brolin, Kelly MacDonald, Stephen Root
directed by: Ethan Coen, Joel Coen

June 02, 2008
Every now and then, you watch a film, you dislike it but you respect it because you know that it's good. Which doesn't seem to make any sense at all, and it doesn't but that's the feeling I felt when I watched No country for old men. It's made by the Coen brothers, so quite obviously you know it's going to be well directed, and well written. As well as that, you know it includes Tommy Lee Jones so it's going to be well acted. But something I didn't expect when I watched this was that Javier Bardem was in fact the big star in this. He's haunting as a psychopathic killer who's after a LOT of money who a hunter has stumbled across in the middle of a desert. Unknown to this hunter, Javier Bardem's character has placed a tracking system on the money ... Read More:

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No Country For Old Men [Blu-ray] [2007]

starring: Kelly MacDonald, Stephen Root, Woody Harrelson, Tommy Lee Jones, Javier Bardem
directed by: Ethan Coen, Joel Coen

September 08, 2008
This film is absolute perfection, the suspence, the confusion and the thrill of the characters brilliant

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Trainspotting: The Definitive Edition [DTS] [1996]

starring: Ewan McGregor, Ewen Bremner, Jonny Lee Miller, Kevin McKidd, Robert Carlyle
directed by: Danny Boyle

June 16, 2003
as someone from Edinburgh who lived and went to plenty of the places mentioned in Trainspotting i have to say read the book the book instead which has the full content and message rather than just a comic short hand for what was happening at the time. It made fashionista fools think that taking hard drugs was a nice activity and gave them kudos and brought in too many people too Edinburgh looking for that lifestyle.
I have never managed it all the way through and think it is just an alternative advert for Britain for the naively trendy or people who misguided enough to think that the pathos and dark humor wasn't there to balance the story...great cast though and on the whole well acted but an overrated footnote to late 90's Britain

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Nanny McPhee [2005]

starring: Emma Thompson, Colin Firth, Kelly MacDonald, Derek Jacobi, Angela Lansbury
directed by: Kirk Jones

February 13, 2006
I bought this movie because it was on the TV. I enjoyed it with Nanny McPhee teaching the kids some manners. Nanny McPhee stands for no foolhardiness and doesn't let the children away with any nonscense. She even tells the cook to make them soup which looks rotten and gives them measle medicine with lumps moving about in it. My favourite part was when she gave Mr Brown the fright of his life each night she kept coming to see him. The part at the begining when Mr Brown meet's Nanny McPhee, he thinks she's strange looking and almost jumps out of his skin but he invites her in reluctantly.
Mr Brown's Aunt is a nasty woman but at least she is paying the rent.
The woman who Mr Brown is forced to marry is a bit over the top and it's clear Mr Brown doesn't fancy ... Read More:

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Trainspotting [1996]

starring: Ewan McGregor, Ewen Bremner, Jonny Lee Miller, Kevin McKidd, Robert Carlyle
directed by: Danny Boyle

February 23, 1996
as someone from Edinburgh who lived and went to plenty of the places mentioned in Trainspotting i have to say read the book the book instead which has the full content and message rather than just a comic short hand for what was happening at the time. It made fashionista fools think that taking hard drugs was a nice activity and gave them kudos and brought in too many people too Edinburgh looking for that lifestyle.
I have never managed it all the way through and think it is just an alternative advert for Britain for the naively trendy or people who misguided enough to think that the pathos and dark humor wasn't there to balance the story...great cast though and on the whole well acted but an overrated footnote to late 90's Britain

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High Noon [1952]

starring: Gary Cooper, Thomas Mitchell, Lloyd Bridges, Katy Jurado, Grace Kelly
directed by: Fred Zinnemann

January 01, 2001
What can be said about the quintessential template for an intruiging plot. Based on a real-time drame, this film is every bit as good as when I saw it 45 years ago.

You could literally take this plot and place the reaction of the various players into any element of life, be it in an office, a sporting event or even a western.

Incredibly gripping, when friends turn against Kane for various reasons, turning reasonable people ino villains, but what about Kane himself? Why should people support his decision when he is potentially leading everyone down a dangerous path.

Absolutely brilliant and one to watch. Forget that it is old, in monochrome and has a poor souldtrack. Examine a pice of film-making at its best, innovative in structure and ... Read More:

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Elizabeth [1998]

starring: Cate Blanchett, Vincent Cassel, John Gielgud, Edward Hardwicke, Terence Rigby
directed by: Shekhar Kapur

May 17, 1999
I am a big fan of historical movies but I have learned in the past never to expect too much of them. They tend to be over dramatised and sensationalised for Hollywood glamour. Thankfully this is not the case with Elizabeth.

This movie is very enjoyable and up to perhaps the final twenty minutes maintains a very engrossing plot and pace. Then it tends to drag a bit but that's no big thing. Yes there are historical inaccuracies (name me a movie now a days that is historically accurate!!!) but unlike so many other historical movies (The Other Boleyan Girl comes straight to mind and I shudder at the memory of it) the misleading facts are not as blatently obvious as they usually are. In fact unless you are quite up on the history of this time you wouldn't notice any of the ... Read More:

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The Girl In The Cafe

starring: Bill Nighy, Kelly MacDonald, Ken Stott, Anton Lesser, Corin Redgrave
directed by: David Yates

July 25, 2005
I'm sure the political message of this film is important, but I missed it because in the end I turned it off. The film starts off quite well, but becomes horrendously tedious that makes you feel guilty rather than inspired to try and change the world.
I was glad I only rented it and didn't buy it. Avoid if possible.

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Intermission [2003]

starring: Colin Farrell, Kerry Condon, Johnny Thompson (III), Emma Bolger, Deirdre Molloy
directed by: John Crowley (III)

July 05, 2004
Intermission is one of those films that you'll probably love or hate.
It's a very funny and heart-warming story, following various intertwined plots creating an enjoyable viewing which has you glued to the screen throughout!

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Lassie [2005]

starring: Peter O'Toole, Kelly MacDonald, Samantha Morton, Gregor Fisher, Ian Hart
directed by: Charles Sturridge

April 10, 2006
I bought this for my daughter and we sat and watched it together and both loved it. It is a surprisingly good family movie with a superb all star (mostly) British/Irish cast, including Peter O'Toole, Samantha Morton, John Lynch, Kelly MacDonald, Nicholas Lyndhurst, Robert Hardy, Edward Fox, Gregor Fisher and Steve Pemberton (The League of Gentlemen) who makes a fantastic bad guy.

It is a traditional heartwarming family story of a boy being seperated from his dog and overcoming exceptional odds and many hurdles to be re-united. It has highs and lows, beautiful scenery and some great performances. Certain to pull on the old heart strings this is one I highly recommend for all family viewing. A surprising little gem, everybody I have loaned this to has loved it but you'll need to buy some tissues as there wont ... Read More: