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pineleigh
Reviews
Merlin and the War of the Dragons (2008)
Where's the Colour
I had the misfortune of buying this DVD from Play.com thinking it would be half decent to watch. What a mistake that was, as other reviewers have said this is quite bad, actors who can't act etc. etc., but worst of all there is no COLOUR to the film, no green grass, no flesh tones, nothing actually, I know it is supposed to be the Dark ages but the director Mark Atkins is also a cinematographer but he well and truly "cocked" this film up big time. What Jurgen Prochnow was doing appearing in this film is anybodies guess, the story isn't that bad with better direction and a bigger budget from money saved by hiring totally unknown actors except Jurgen who knows. A POOR EFFORT, not a very good advert for the British film industry.
Death at a Funeral (2007)
The Best British Comedy in Years
My god is this a good film. Perfect casting, great direction a typical British film like they used to make before 'poltical correctness' reared its ugly head. I will not go into the story as other reviewers have already done that, but I will just mention some of the actors I liked in the film. Alan Tudyk the best American actor in my view who can do an English accent(as he did in A Knights Tale) without thinking we are all Cockneys, Andy Nyman as Howard, if you don't laugh at what happens to him later in the film by Uncle Alfie you must have a screw loose, Peter Vaughan as cantankerous disabled Uncle Alfie, harking back to his days as a heavy in British films/television. Ewen Bremner as sleaze Justin, Peter Dinklage as Peter trying to get what he thinks is his. Actually all the actors give cracking turns. Special mention must go to writer Dean Craig for a really funny script and finally director Frank Oz for making a cracking funny film, GO BUY IT. Perhaps they could all come together again for Death at a Wedding or some similar titled film project.
The Baker (2007)
Could Have Been So Much Better
Having just watched this on DVD, I feel this could have been so much better and funnier. Having a comedy writer on board might have made the weird village residents even more funnier and over the top, added a few more funny situations, as it was a lot of the villagers were standing around and doing nothing in the film, in my view a missed opportunity. Also perhaps being a British comedy film there could have been some famous faces doing cameos, perhaps the budget didn't run to this, shame, Micheal Gambons role could have been played by any actor, then they could have brought in some comedy actors/icons instead. Damian Lewis for me isn't a comedy actor, an assassin yes, but a baker no. Would his character have buried his expensive "tools of his trade" in a hole in the ground for anyone to find I don't think so and would he have made a living in a small Welsh village selling such terrible bread and cakes, no. If you want to see a really funny British comedy film try Death at a Funeral, with lots of very funny, British comedy actors, mind you it was directed by Frank Oz(an American born in the UK)who got good performances from the actors, probably had a bigger budget, but a British comedy all the same like they used to produce out of Ealing in the 50's/60's.
The Baker will make you laugh but not as much as it should have done.