DVD Collectors Online

Lions for Lambs, a review by Silence_of_Lambs

Summary:
Three stories told simultaneous in ninety minutes of real time: a Republican Senator (Tom Cruise) gives an hour-long interview to a skeptical television reporter (Meryl Streep), detailing a strategy for victory in Afghanistan; two special forces and Derek Luke) ambushed on an Afghani ridge await rescue as Taliban forces close in; a political-sciences professor (Robert Redford) at a California college invites a promising student (Andrew Garfield) to re-engage. Decisions press upon the reporter, the student, and the soldiers.

My Thoughts:
This is a movie about decisions and their consequences. From the small everyday decisions of individuals to the "big" decisions of whole nations.

Redford did a great job with this movie which sadly isn't as well known as it would have deserved.
The great combination of three (seemingly) independent plot strings works extremely well. The Cast is doing a hell of a job.

It's a slow movie that tells it's story in the pace needed and it makes it's point clear. It is a movie with a mission, but not with an agenda, which is good.
It leaves a bunch of lose ends, but it wouldn't work if they were all solved.
This is one of those very rare movies that need (and easily get) your full attention, and since it's a movie about decisions it leaves the decision to you what you want to take out of this movie.

I simply love it.

My Rating: (out of possible 5)

(From Michael's random reviews on January 2nd, 2011)

Appaloosa, a review by Rich

Appaloosa



When two gunmen, Virgil Cole and Everett Hitch, arrive in Appaloosa they find a small, dusty and lawless town suffering at the hands of renegade rancher Randall Bragg. Bragg has not only taken supplies, horses and women for his own, but also has left the city marshal and a deputy for dead. In Bragg they find an unusually wily adversary who raises the stakes by playing with emotions. It is now up to Cole and Hitch to stand against the actions of the renegade rancher, which have already taken their toll on the town.

Felt like a break from my Oscar marathon and popped in this Western, a buy I had made simply because of Ed Harris being involved as Director and lead actor.
It had all the right ingredients in a currently unpopular genre with filmmakers, but it is not destined to be a classic Western. The storyline is very convincing, and with a very original final act was a satisfying finale. The actual 'two good guys defend a hapless town' premis is rather predictable, but the solid acting and sub-plots move you past this. Zellweger shines in her role as the flirty lady, and Mortensen from Lord of the Rings a surprising plus as '8-gauge' Everett Hitch.
However there are a few things that pull the film down, the direction is rather haphazard and blocky, Ed Harris was a bit too old to be a convincing hard man, the film is unnecessarily long, and Timothy Spall trying to cover his brummie accent and fashion an 'Old West' American accent was laughable, why would they cast him in this??
Overall an okay film, but I wouldn't recommend you break your neck to see it.
 



(From Riches Random Reviews on February 9th, 2009)

My PILOT Marathon, a review by Rich

MARION & GEOFF - SERIES ONE - EP1



"I don`t feel like I`ve lost a wife, I feel like I`ve gained a friend. I would never have met Geoff if Marion hadn`t left me!

Good morning, good morning! It`s a beautiful day and Keith is looking for a fare. With the cab`s radio on the right channel he might even find one...Separated from his wife Marion and missing his `little smashers` Rhys and Alun, the `man with no home` is always optimistic. Marion`s lover Geoff may be something hot in pharmaceuticals, but Keith Barrett is `in cars`, literally. Keith is always popping up to Cardiff to keep an eye on Marion and the kids (through his binoculars). The trouble is, he`s always a bit early and they never want to see him. Still - another day, another dollar! Apart from a little trapped wind and his impending divorce, life for Keith is lovely, smashing and very nice.

After seeing Rob Brydon live, I had high hopes for this series. But if the first episode is anything to judge this by, I was disappointed overall by the lack of originality and humour, in fact I felt quite depressed by the storyline which revolves around a lonely loser who craves everything he has lost, all shot inside his taxi.
I will not rush to finish this series.



(From My PILOT Marathon on May 18th, 2008)