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Reviewer:
GeorgeyB1203
Reviews:
0
Votes:
2 (0% helpful)

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  1.  A wonderful paean to love, childhood and the quiet life

    Posted: 

    Proving that Studio Ghibli isn't just about the magical and the fantastical, this Isao Takahata-directed effort from the legendary Japanese animation studio showed that it could do human drama just as well as it could do flights of fantasy. Beautifully animated and wonderfully written with a sharply observant eye for the hopes, fears and insecurities of childhood, this film also does a wonderful job of evoking life in Japan in the 1960s and '80s.

    Told between two time periods and focusing on the life of Taeko, a Tokyo girl whose heart resides in the country, this is a lovely story of life, love and memory. Not only does it draw the viewer in with a realistic and relatable main character, the story also tugs the heartstrings as we see Taeko's continuing struggles with her own fears and insecurities. By the time the brilliantly uplifting ending comes around, we're practically cheering her on.

    The only criticism I have of the film is that a couple of the scenes set in the 1980s drag a bit, but this is only in comparison to the 1960s scenes which are wonderfully evocative of the innocence and magic of childhood. Overall, this is a must-watch film, Studio Ghibli fan or otherwise.

  2.  That rarest of things...

    Posted: 

    This film is an American remake that is, surprisingly, better than the British original. The plotline is lifted almost scene-for-scene from the English version, with one actor even reprising the same role. What makes this different from the original, however, is the cast, who attack the script with such verve and gusto that it makes the film funnier and more entertaining. Danny Glover in particular is a scream, while Chris Rock has never been so simply likeable as the man tasked with holding it all together, but the whole cast is uniformly brilliant, and everyone gets their moment to shine. This, coupled with genuine character development and a sense of real closure which is rare from quickfire American comedies of this type means that we have a real winner here.

    The plot is fast-paced and whip-smart, while the humour is deliciously dark and farcical. Overall, a highly entertaining film.

  3.  Emotionally draining, but a must-see

    Posted: 

    I'm not ashamed to admit that I cried a number of times throughout this film; it's a heart-wrenching study of grief that never fails to hit its mark emotionally.

    Clint Eastwood's direction is lean and efficient, which serves the plot very well and serves to keep the tension high; what I was more impressed with is how easily the film shifts gears, going from period drama to whodunnit mystery to courtroom thriller, with a splodge of horror-movie dynamics thrown in. It's also well-written, never afraid to tackle the complexities of the plot but not becoming over-complicated, and never afraid to tug the heartstrings but not becoming melodramatic.

    Angelina Jolie's performance as the grief-stricken mother is absolutely superb, and she is supported ably by a dynamic cast of actors ranging from John Malkovich as her moral guidance/support to a mesmerising turn from Jason Butler Harner, whose character I fear would spoil the plot if revealed.

    Overall, we have a wonderfully emotional drama that chronicles not only one woman's struggle to find her lost child, but also the birth of modern LA. Highly recommended.

  4.  Overrated by audiences, underrated by critics

    Posted: 

    This is a strange one; one of those films that the critics panned but audiences loved. I finally gave in to the temptation of watching this after being recommended by a number of friends, and my honest opinion is that it falls somewhere in between the two.

    Liam Neeson is superb, but the same cannot be said of the rest of the cast; the action sequences are serviceable but certainly not amazing, and the the storyline is bog-standard revenge thriller, nothing we haven't seen before. I felt that some of the emotional beats were too forced, but I guess it plays on every parent's fear of their child being kidnapped, which is probably why it was so successful with audiences.

    Overall, though, while vaguely exciting in parts and driven by a powerful Neeson performance, this is simply a decent film; nothing more, nothing less.

    If you like this, I would recommend 'Man on Fire' or 'Memento', both of which are very different films but do the whole revenge thing much better.