NGB Reviews

Father of the Bride (1991)

Life-assuring

[19 June 1999]

I haven't seen the original, so I wasn't watching this movie with critical eyes and comparisons to performances past. But I found this movie would stand very much on its own. It was simply the best wedding-related movie I've ever seen, with the wonderful cast and the pivotal role of Steve Martin as the reluctant father of the bride, who could seemlessly spin off an ever-lasting supply of witty one-liners that fitted in so perfectly to the plot of a middle aged man forced down the rocky road of initial shock when he realises his daughter's imminent plan to gradual acceptance as he attempts to pull together a gigantic wedding which will set him back $250 dollars a head. These efforts are heartwarming and our sympathy is fully behind him as the film goes from high pints to low points as he attempts to deal with the stress. Hugely entertaining , heartwarming, life-assuring comedy that is not only very humorous but very emotional too. The cast were believable too, a bonus today when we so often get fed the usual Hollywood stereotypes in these types of film. Films about family values are more common than the cold, but this is an outstanding comedy about a wedding and the changes and frustrations that it brings to a family. One of the great life-assuring films of the decade.

The Firm (1993)

The far-fetched law firm from hell!

[5 June 1999]

Though not the best of the Grisham adaptations, this is up to the usual high standard in plot and stars that Grisham movies have become associated with. The plot on this one is a little more far-fetched probably on account of the fact that this was one of Grisham's first works, escapism and entertainment seem to be the most prominent here, other Grisham works had begun to develop other traits alongside populism, like being almost topical and seeming to make social comment on issues that Grisham must have had an inside eye on when he was actually involved in the legal business for all those years. The Rainmaker is a great example of this when a young lawyer takes on a pro bono case of a widow's suit against a rogue insurance company that wouldn't pay up on a claim for her son's illness, and who as a result died from it. You will find none of this in the Firm, it is the straightforward story of a young lawyer whose life becomes entangled in the law firm from hell, which has all the usual mafia connections and all the usual FBI hardball characters battling with the caricatures from the Mafia. It does however make great entertainment , you will soon forget how far-fetched and improbable it all is, as you will become instantly fascinated, and stick with 155 minutes of plot twists and turns.

Breakdown (I) (1997)

For a thriller, it doesn't get much better than this!

[3 June 1999]

Kurt Russell is amazing as the average american making a journey across the States, travelling through strange and distant places. The ominous feeling of utter suspense and the overwhelming initial paranoia grabbed me from the onset, as Rusell came head to head with a local redneck when he nearly collided with him. The eerie desert setting of Utah coupled with the nice shiny new car which contrasted against the rough country with its rough redneck cafés and gas stops created an atmosphere of deep vulnerability and foreboding. The couple's quiet and ordinary existence contrasted harshly with the atmosphere of the unfriendly people and surroundings. Kurt Russell was a brilliant depiction of the average man in a situation where his wife has accepted a lift with a trucker when his car breaks down, and she does not appear at the truck stop they arranged to meet at. His reaction as the realisation dawned was brilliantly realistic and this drew you into the movie which despite a plot which some say has become too common, the movie was from then on never predictable. Russell's realism and humanity was so lifelike that it made you deeply fearful when he decided to pursue his wife and the kidnappers and made you cheer whenever things went slightly his way. The suspense built up like a thunderstorm with a climactic ending, with some of the most thrilling sequences of car-chases ever filmed. Ruussell as a hero in this picture, is so much more grabbing because the movie paints a picture of what would happen in the real world in a situation like this, and it is actually feasible too, there may have been the odd scene which slipped on this but this movie is so gripping because for the hero, his fix and his choices certainly aren't cut & dry, things don't always go right, as they do for the likes of Arnold Schwarzenegger and Clint Eastwood. For a thriller in the 90's, it doesn't get much better than this!

Dinosaurs (1991–1994)

Hugely entertaining!

[31 May 1999]

Wonderfully satirical series, it has the atmosphere of the Flintstones but with modern satire comparable to the Simpsons. Hugely entertaining, family values turned on their head sitcom.

That Thing You Do! (1996)

I didn't have a lot of feeling for 60's music until I saw this movie!

[27 May 1999]

It was 5.30 Pm ,Wednesday I was wondering if anything was on the movie channels, so I began watching whatever was on Sky Premier. I have always been into pop music ,but as I was born in the 80's I am grateful to this movie for giving me an insight into the scene of the 60's. The movie, which was wonderfully entertaining and had a few good comic moments at times rolled like a documentary into the scene of the record business, and the lifestyle it provided for its brief stars. The mass hysteria was not so much from the screaming girls but the executives who thought they could send a band down the road of the Beatles ,on just one very catchy tune. Tom Hanks was excellent as the cynical Mr White, into whom he seemed to have put a lot of sincerity. The movie was instantly feelgood and it emanated a lot of energy, with the concert footage and the mass-hysteria of the fans , and the mass-hysteria of the band when they realised they were gonna hit stardom. If you're a fan of 60's music or if you hate it, you should see this movie!