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The Man in the White Suit, a review by Jon

The Man in the White Suit
4 out of 5


Sidney Stratton (Alec Guinness) is a quiet scientist working at Michael Gough's textile mill, but running unauthorised, costly experiments for which he is fired. He gets a menial job at another mill and through a fortunate turn of events gets access to their science lab, where he successfully achieves his dream: a material that is indestructible and never even gets dirty. Stratton's dream though, turns out to be a nightmare for the industry as it could see them shut down.

The Man in the White suit is one of Ealing's finest films and may just turn out to be their most resilient, as its themes are timeless and you will likely always find something about the story to identify with. Alexander MacKendrick's gives elegant direction to his political screenplay which can be interpreted several ways and still packs a punch that gets you thinking. That said, it isn't as fundamentally entertaining as the other comedies, despite some wonderful set-pieces especially during the experiments, but it must have been a difficult narrative to balance and it all pays off in the sobering final act.

Guinness is brilliant, though slightly unlikeable, as the awkward and unintentionally sneaky scientist. It's important to note he has no motive except an innocent desire to pursue his talent, which of course we should all have the right to do. After some farcical and fun problems with the experiments almost destroying the mill, he succeeds and Cecil Parker immediately plans to produce it, first making Stratton the white suit of the title. As the industry starts to implode, he becomes a target for everyone. No-one seems to know what to do with him, even Joan Greenwood as the mill owners daughter, who takes up his cause and fiercely defends him. The problem is, he is absolutely altruistic, so no-one has a hold on him. All he wants is for his invention to exist.

No-one is a villain in this film, yet there is massive conflict. Why shouldn't Stratton develop his skills? The mill owners argue incessantly about how to do handle it, but they're in business to make money, so why shouldn't they try to exploit what will surely be the perfect fabric and so the natural endpoint of their industry? But the workers can't allow it to exist otherwise their jobs will be at risk. The status quo may be boring, but it's about survival. It's Capitalist versus Socialist and the story demonstrates the delicate balance that we all need to live in. Greenwood's role starts off a little pointless (the relationship with Gough seems forced and unresolved, though maybe I've missed something), but she adds another interesting layer when her father and the other owners try to bribe her to exploit her friendship with Guinness and she becomes a passionate thorn in their side.

Because Stratton represents a problem for all the other characters, he has little chemistry with anyone and so is hard to identify with for the viewer and occasionally the plot comes undone because of the awkward way he interacts with the other characters. Still, it is the nature of the beast because he is a fascinating construction. He has no back-story and no arc to follow; in effect he is the unknown variable introduced only to demonstrate how dangerous change can be. From a purely technical point, MacKendrick's narrative is a fascinating example of how to structure a screenplay (following the 'equilibrium' theory, the Stratton character is literally the embodiment of the second stage disruption).

So it's dry and political and is like catnip for film nerds! But at just 85 minutes, it's also concise and the typical Ealing wit and farce is still present, so it's great fun too.

(From A Feeling for Ealing... on April 18th, 2010)

Crash, a review by addicted2dvd

Crash: Widescreen (2005/United States) IMDb |Wikipedia |Trailer | Lions Gate Home Entertainment Director: Paul Haggis Writing: Paul Haggis (Original Material By), Paul Haggis (Screenwriter), Bobby Moresco (Screenwriter) Length: 112 min. Rating: Rated R : Language, Sexual Content and Some Violence Video: Anamorphic Widescreen 2.35:1 Audio: English: Dolby Digital: 5.1, English: Dolby Digital: Dolby Surround, Commentary: Dolby Digital: Dolby Surround Subtitles: English, Spanish

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Stars:
Karina Arroyave as Elizabeth
Dato Bakhtadze as Lucien
Sandra Bullock as Jean
Don Cheadle as Graham
Art Chudabala as Ken Ho
Sean Cory as Motorcycle Cop

Plot:
This compelling urban thriller tracks the volatile intersection of a multiethnic cast of characters struggling to overcome their fears as they careen in and out of one another's lives. In the gray area between black and white, victim and aggressor, during the next 36 hours, they will all collide.

Extras:

• Scene Access
• Audio Commentary
• Bonus Trailers
• Featurettes
• Music Videos
• Closed Captioned
• Introduction by Paul Haggis

This is a movie a friend gave me a couple years ago. It is one I never even heard of before. Matter of fact... I never even saw the trailer for this movie before this morning. After watching it... I really don't know what I think of this one. I didn't hate it... but at the same time it didn't even come close to blowing me away. I found it to be on a bit of the slow side for my taste.... but at the same time I found the storyline to be interesting. I would have liked to see Sandra Bullock's part to be a bit bigger. Over-all I guess I would say it is a pretty good watch... but it isn't something that will be in any favorites lists. I can see myself watching this one again... but not often. Basically just an average film in my opinion.




(From Celebrity of the Week Marathon: Sandra Bullock on July 23rd, 2012)

Tom's Random Reviews, a review by Tom

Glee: Season One (2010/United States) IMDb | Wikipedia Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment (United Kingdom) Director: Writing: Length: 926 min. Video: Widescreen 1.78 Audio: English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 Subtitles: Danish, English, Finnish, French, Norwegian, Portuguese, Spanish, Swedish

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Stars:


Plot:
Join the club and bring home the fun with Glee Karaoke and Glee A talented group of high school misfits transforms into a performing sensation with the help of a dedicated teacher. Through laughter, tears, irreverent humor and unforgettable music, they learn to follow their hearts and chase their dreams.

Awards:
Won:

American Film Institute Awards (2009)		TV Programs of the Year
Golden Globe (2010)		Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Series, Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television (Chris Colfer)
Golden Globe (2010)		Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Series, Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television (Jane Lynch)
Golden Globe (2010)		Best Television Series - Comedy Or Musical
Golden Globe (2009)		Television Series - Musical or Comedy
Primetime Emmy Awards (2010)		Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series ("Dream On": Neil Patrick Harris)
Primetime Emmy Awards (2011)		Outstanding Guest Performance in a Comedy Series - Actress ("The Substitute": Gwyneth Paltrow)
Primetime Emmy Awards (2010)		Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series ("The Power of Madonna": Jane Lynch)

Nominated:

Golden Globe (2009)		Actor - Television Comedy or Musical Series (Matthew Morrison)
Golden Globe (2009)		Actress - in a Supporting Role in a Series, Mini-Series or Motion Picture made for Television (Jane Lynch)
Golden Globe (2009)		Actress - Television Comedy or Musical Series (Lea Michelle)
Golden Globe (2010)		Best Performance by an Actor In A Television Series - Comedy Or Musical (Matthew Morrison)
Golden Globe (2010)		Best Performance by an Actress In A Television Series - Comedy Or Musical (Lea Michele)
Golden Globe (2011)		Best Television Series - Comedy Or Musical
Primetime Emmy Awards (2010)		Outstanding Comedy Series
Primetime Emmy Awards (2011)		Outstanding Comedy Series
Primetime Emmy Awards (2010)		Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series ("Wheels": Mike O'Malley)
Primetime Emmy Awards (2010)		Outstanding Guest Actress In A Comedy Series ("The Rhodes Not Taken": Kristin Chenoweth)
Primetime Emmy Awards (2011)		Outstanding Guest Performance in a Comedy Series - Actress ("Never Been Kissed": Dot Jones)
Primetime Emmy Awards (2011)		Outstanding Guest Performance in a Comedy Series - Actress ("Rumours": Kristin Chenoweth)
Primetime Emmy Awards (2010)		Outstanding Lead Actor In A Comedy Series ("Mash Up": Matthew Morrison)
Primetime Emmy Awards (2010)		Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series ("Sectionals": Lea Michele)
Primetime Emmy Awards (2010)		Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series ("Laryngitis": Chris Colfer)
Primetime Emmy Awards (2011)		Outstanding Supporting Performance in a Comedy Series - Actor ("Grilled Cheesus": Chris Colfer)
Primetime Emmy Awards (2011)		Outstanding Supporting Performance in a Comedy Series - Actress ("Funeral": Jane Lynch)
Primetime Emmy Awards (2010)		Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series ("Pilot - Director's Cut": Ryan Murphy, Brad Fulchuk, Ian Brennan)
Teen Choice Awards (2009)		Choice TV Breakout Show
Teen Choice Awards (2009)		Choice TV Breakout Star - Female (Lea Michele)
Teen Choice Awards (2009)		Choice TV Breakout Star - Male (Cory Monteith)

Extras:

• Commentary
• Featurettes

After the pilot I was not sure if this series will get above an okay series for me. As a matter of fact it took the whole first disc to convince me otherwise. But after the first few episodes I was hooked. I like how they integrate the music into the storylines. And I like the music choices for the most part.
Also Jane Lynch is playing a great nemesis for the glee club as the coach of the chearleading team.
I couldn't resist ordering the second season now, even though I usually wait until the price drops to about half of what it currently is.
It's great that the Blu-ray has on each disc direct access to the songs (even with a play all feature).

#	Episode	Rating
01	Pilot
02	Showmance
03	Acafellas
04	Preggers
05	The Rodes Not Taken
06	Vitamin D
07	Throwdown
08	Mash-Up
09	Wheels
10	Ballad
11	Hairography
12	Mattress
13	Sectionals
14	Hell-O
15	The Power of Madonna
16	Home
17	Bad Reputation
18	Laryngitis
19	Dream On
20	Theatricality
21	Funk
22	Journey to Regionals

(From Tom's Random Reviews on March 11th, 2012)