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Notting Hill [1999]

starring: Julia Roberts, Hugh Grant, Richard McCabe, Rhys Ifans, James Dreyfus
directed by: Roger Michell

November 15, 1999
I have a confession to make: I didn't really enjoy Pretty Woman that much, and Four Weddings and a Funeral (not to mention Mickey Blue Eyes, Two Weeks Notice and About a Boy) didn't really do it for me.

However, in Notting Hill, as far as I am concerned, everything comes together for Julia Roberts and Hugh Grant, delivering a landmark in the gentle countryside of romantic comedy.

This is not the only time that Julia Roberts plays a version of herself -- she knowingly sends herself up in Ocean's Twelve. And this is not the only time Hugh Grant has played this particular character -- heck, it's the good-natured but over-witty English fopp he always plays. But the pairing of these two well-honed characters is exactly ... Read More:

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Heroes and Villains

starring: Brian McCardie, Nadia Boussetta, Jamie Foreman, Kevin Eldon, Nicholas Boultan
directed by: Andrew Grieve, Nick Murphy, Nick Green, Tim Dunn, Gareth Edwards

March 24, 2008
Very high production values in a series that was woefully under-publicised. Some unusual choices of historical figure and a treat for the history or costume drama fan. Inexplicable scheduling by the BBC who seem to have turned their back on dramatised documentaries. A treat to see them on DVD.

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Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World (Single Disc Edition) [2003]

starring: Russell Crowe, Paul Bettany, James D'Arcy, Edward Woodall, Chris Larkin
directed by: Peter Weir

April 05, 2004
Wacthing Master and Commander is like being transported back in time to the year 1805, as Britain and France fought for mastery of the Seas. It is one of the most realistic and atmospheric films I have seen in a long time, and part of the film's brilliance comes from Peter Weir's ability to create a detailed and believable world for the characters to occupy.

The film follows a cat and mouse chase between the Royal Navy Man-of-War, The HMS Surprise, and the French Privateer ship, The Acheron, as they stalk each off the coast of South America. At the Surprise's helm is Captain 'lucky' Jack Aubery, a veteran of the Battle of the Nile, and a brave and charismatic man who once served under Admiral Nelson. At his side is his best friend, the ... Read More:

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Master And Commander - The Far Side Of The World [Blu-ray] [2003]

starring: Russell Crowe, Paul Bettany, Richard McCabe, Chris Larkin
directed by: Peter Weir

April 28, 2008
The film is good. I'm not going to review it here as there are loads of reviews for the film elsewhere. All I will say is that as a long time fan of the books, the film is disappointing, especially when they introduce stupid sub plots (suicide) that are not in the books. That aside, it is a good exciting film in of itself.

The Blu Ray transfer is adequate rather than superb. Quite a lot of grain in the picture in a few scenes, though this is the way the film was shot rather than the blu ray transfer. However it is certainly a step up from the DVD which I own (I rented it on Blu Ray), some scenes are really quite breathtaking. Worth getting if you don't have it on DVD already.

The sound on the Blu Ray disc is either 5.1 or 5.1 ... Read More:

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The Field

starring: Richard Harris, Sean Bean, Frances Tomelty, Brenda Fricker, John Hurt
directed by: Jim Sheridan

December 03, 2001
For the first ten minutes or so, I was pretty sure I was going to hate The Field. Every Irish cliché in casting and plotting is present: burly men with short tempers and long memories of the Potato Famine, family secrets, dead sons, weak heirs and overbearing fathers, Brenda Fricker's silent tough-as-nails wife, Francis Tomelty's widow woman scorned for the crime of coming from another village, Jenny Conley's tinker's girl, even the village priest played by an actor out of Father Ted and a score full of fiddles and ondes martinets from Elmer Bernstein. And look, isn't that John Hurt with blacked out teeth playing the village eejit? It is that. There's no evil English landlord, but at times there's the very real threat that it's going to spin off into ... Read More:

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Master & Commander - Definitive Edition [2003]

starring: Russell Crowe, Paul Bettany, Richard McCabe, Chris Larkin
directed by: Peter Weir

March 05, 2007
For the first ten minutes or so, I was pretty sure I was going to hate The Field. Every Irish cliché in casting and plotting is present: burly men with short tempers and long memories of the Potato Famine, family secrets, dead sons, weak heirs and overbearing fathers, Brenda Fricker's silent tough-as-nails wife, Francis Tomelty's widow woman scorned for the crime of coming from another village, Jenny Conley's tinker's girl, even the village priest played by an actor out of Father Ted and a score full of fiddles and ondes martinets from Elmer Bernstein. And look, isn't that John Hurt with blacked out teeth playing the village eejit? It is that. There's no evil English landlord, but at times there's the very real threat that it's going to spin off into ... Read More:

Average Rating:

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Notting Hill [HD DVD] [1999] [US Import]

starring: Julia Roberts, Hugh Grant, Richard McCabe, Rhys Ifans, James Dreyfus
directed by: Roger Michell

August 28, 2007
I have a confession to make: I didn't really enjoy Pretty Woman that much, and Four Weddings and a Funeral (not to mention Mickey Blue Eyes, Two Weeks Notice and About a Boy) didn't really do it for me.

However, in Notting Hill, as far as I am concerned, everything comes together for Julia Roberts and Hugh Grant, delivering a landmark in the gentle countryside of romantic comedy.

This is not the only time that Julia Roberts plays a version of herself -- she knowingly sends herself up in Ocean's Twelve. And this is not the only time Hugh Grant has played this particular character -- heck, it's the good-natured but over-witty English fopp he always plays. But the pairing of these two well-honed characters is exactly right in this movie, and ... Read More:

Average Rating:

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Master And Commander: The Far Side Of The World (Special Edition) [2003]

starring: Russell Crowe, Paul Bettany, Richard McCabe, Chris Larkin
directed by: Peter Weir

March 06, 2006
Albeit set in a totally male-dominated enviroment, "Master and Commander" should not be seen as a man's movie. Yeah, no women, no passion, no romance; but this is not merely a tale of shipful of intrepid swashbucklers in the age of sail. The film favors style and substance at the same time, working either a visual or emotional level which makes it appeal to all audiences. Good character development, subtle nuances and several subplots about "souls" aboard give the film a cerebral depth and dimension.

But, the real treat of the film is the cinematography and set-design. The photography is gorgeous from the first scene to the last. The attention to authentic details is fascinating. Roughness of sea life, ruthless measures of maintaining order & obedience, ... Read More:

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The Field [1990] (REGION 1) (NTSC)

starring: Richard Harris, Sean Bean, Frances Tomelty, Brenda Fricker, John Hurt
directed by: Jim Sheridan

February 26, 2002
For the first ten minutes or so, I was pretty sure I was going to hate The Field. Every Irish cliché in casting and plotting is present: burly men with short tempers and long memories of the Potato Famine, family secrets, dead sons, weak heirs and overbearing fathers, Brenda Fricker's silent tough-as-nails wife, Francis Tomelty's widow woman scorned for the crime of coming from another village, Jenny Conley's tinker's girl, even the village priest played by an actor out of Father Ted and a score full of fiddles and ondes martinets from Elmer Bernstein. And look, isn't that John Hurt with blacked out teeth playing the village eejit? It is that. There's no evil English landlord, but at times there's the very real threat that it's going to spin off into Victorian melodrama, ... Read More:

Average Rating:

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The Field [1990]

starring: Richard Harris, Sean Bean, Frances Tomelty, Brenda Fricker, John Hurt
directed by: Jim Sheridan

August 20, 2001
For the first ten minutes or so, I was pretty sure I was going to hate The Field. Every Irish cliché in casting and plotting is present: burly men with short tempers and long memories of the Potato Famine, family secrets, dead sons, weak heirs and overbearing fathers, Brenda Fricker's silent tough-as-nails wife, Francis Tomelty's widow woman scorned for the crime of coming from another village, Jenny Conley's tinker's girl, even the village priest played by an actor out of Father Ted and a score full of fiddles and ondes martinets from Elmer Bernstein. And look, isn't that John Hurt with blacked out teeth playing the village eejit? It is that. There's no evil English landlord, but at times there's the very real threat that it's going to spin off into Victorian melodrama, especially ... Read More: