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Reviews
Come Back Peter (1952)
Relaxing entertainment.
It's fair to say that this isn't a classic, but aside from a lame misunderstanding routine at the estate agents office early on, this film is perfectly fine. The camerawork is good - theres a nice little opening shot of the village and consistently skilled use of a small interior for most of the film - and everything else is done well; for once, a 'small' house in a film actually looks small.
The whole thing is reasonably amusing and a nice piece of entertainment; you'd have to be a bit grumpy not to appreciate the gentle humour and old-fashioned charm. This certainly deserves a higher rating.
Pressure (2015)
A film about faith and sacrifice
I was very pleased - much more than I anticipated - by this piece of cinema.
The basic premise has been done before, of course, but the idea of applying it to the world of saturation diving teams is a good one. We all depend to some extent on these people but how many of us are aware of the work they do or the intense levels of teamwork required to live their life? This film opens our eyes to something little-known.
The concept is supported by a fine script, realistic development of both situation and character and excellent camerawork. The film creates a genuine feeling of being drawn into a normally closed environment, but with enough use of technical references and the like to remind us that this a life which is alien to most of us.
The actors do a very fine job of portraying a mix of hope and despair, confidence and frailty, friendship and tension. Its an beautiful job all round.
This is a very human and touching piece of filmmaking.
The Bay (2012)
"I think every girl dreams of bring Miss Crustacean"
1.Ignore the (largely hypocritical) prejudice about found footage films.
2. Enjoy the collision of homespun charm and unfolding terror.
3. Thank Mr Levinson for having the balls to turn his back on the mainstream and commit himself to a project such as this.
Cheers.
The Carrier (2015)
A Fine Tale
For the frightened characters this film is a harrowing plane journey away from disease and death, for the viewer it is an enjoyable flight from superstar blockbusters. In a world where computer effects replace stories and superstar names replace actors, this film attempts to tell a story with honesty and consideration. No overuse of cartoonish CGI, no wisecracking superhero, in fact most scenes don't even have loud music pumping through them because there is actually proper dialogue to listen too instead. What music there is is always well-placed and appropriate, especially the gentler compositions. Certainly, some scenes and situations have been done before, but thats because such scenes are realistic and at any rate, that 'criticism' applies to all movies. Indeed, to all art. This absorbing movie does try to take a couple of unexpected decisions that work well. The Carrier also manages to give the impression of being just one story in a whole complex world of other stories. That in itself is a rare and highly commendable thing.
The ending is the perfect consequence of what has gone before. In summary, this a a good take on the pandemic setting; a more than acceptable script is complemented by good performances all round and good use is made of the limited setting.
The fact that Billy Clarke isn't an acting superstar is a sure sign that mainstream cinema is in a deep crisis of quality. I'd take The Carrier over SuperDuperMegaHeroPowerMan6 any day, purely on the basis that it is much, much better.
Beast from Haunted Cave (1959)
Chilly chiller
When budgets are low you have to hope that story, script and/or good camera-work will carry a project. They certainly do here in a slow-moving, scene-setting and altogether superior b-movie.
Lovely scenery, a nice crossover story and gently appropriate music combine well to create a film with genuine qualities.
Half Human: The Story of the Abominable Snowman (1958)
Better than its reputation.
Certainly, the original Japanese filming is masterful, and the conversations between the three Americans could have been less stilted, but the cut-up is fine and the more the story unfolds the more you realize that the narration actually works very well. To enjoy this movie, just try not to be offended on behalf of legendary filmmakers and enjoy a good, atmospheric story told in an interesting way.