D_I_Sammi Reviews

The Pursuit of Happyness (2006)

Will Smith's True Heartfelt Outing

[6/10 · 11 May 2024]

Director Gabriele Muccino writes 'The Pursuit of Happyness' straight and to the point and injects a subtle degree of realistic humour and soft charm. This creates a film that is likeable, potent and grounded in humanity.

For Will Smith, I find it to be his best performance on screen ever, and a true testament to what he can do when he takes a role seriously and is given an amazing script. Jaden Smith gets a truly unique role of being both a son in film and son in reality, this rarity giving a beautiful underlying in their combined acting. I also really like Brian Howe who is fair and welcoming.

It's not the most exciting screenplay or cinematography, but it is definitely a 'must watch' due to its very individualised and respectful approach to its non fictional material, and it pulls and pushes the heart in a way that is uncommon and special.

Face/Off (1997)

Highly Improbable in Drama and Action

[5/10 · 11 May 2024]

A difficult film to fathom, 'Face/Off' shouldn't have been made in the way it was and relies too heavily on suspension of disbelief and demanding that its audience plays along.

Nicolas Cage isn't right for the role. He neither has the physical physique nor the acting chops. John Travolta fares better but is ultimately undercut by the stupidity of his scenes and the romantic fakery that he is required to do. The rest of the cast is subjected to the same nonsense and it is hard to really articulate their quality.

There are effectively two movies happening here, both pulling each other apart. The cinematography and screenplay overall is good, but the set designs are over the top and lack believability, and the film is simply not funny in anything it tries to do. That being said, when the action is occurring, it's hard to ignore the tense thrills.

Stargate (1994)

Undercooked and Undelivered

[5/10 · 11 May 2024]

While at no means terrible in any aspect, 'Stargate' is not director Roland Emmerich's best work and lacks a sense of immersion and alien spirit. This is largely due to disappointing world building and some underwhelming desert sets, as well as a genuinely uninteresting villain.

Kurt Russell is a fantastic actor, and his character is setup well, but his talents are largely wasted. James Spader is awesome and highly entertaining with his quirks and questions. Unfortunately the remaining cast fail to leave a memorable impression.

The whole film is the definition of average. It's doesn't do anything particularly good or particularly bad, yet it remains watchable and reasonably satisfactory. However it is easy to articulate how, with a better villain and more interesting aliens, this could have been a masterpiece, and that ultimately is frustrating.

Macbeth (1971)

Competent and Well Versed

[7/10 · 11 May 2024]

Driven into me as part of English exams at school and college, there are reasons why they choose Macbeth for Shakespeare, and one of them was to use this excellent movie as study material.

Director Roman Polanski casts this film brilliantly. Jon Finch is gripping, human, and transcends into madness convincingly (as much as Shakespeare theatrics would allow). Francesca Annis is gorgeous and seductively twisted in her role, a top tier actress. Terence Bayler is amazing and brings huge degree of sadness and raw determination. It's only Martin Shaw who leaves without making a strong impression.

The translation of the dialogue proves that 'Macbeth' is the strongest play, and the use of brilliant and convincing sets convey a sense of the time and grits the film with earthy darkness. The only compliant is the dated screenplay and cinematography, and the lack of a good score.

Ice (2011)

Two Big Slip Ups, but A Feast for the Eyes

[5/10 · 11 May 2024]

Effectively two movies masquerading as two episodes of TV, 'Ice' is not terrible and at times close to being good. It has all the right ingredients - big beautiful and well detailed sets, plenty of CGI of various qualities and a brisk energetic pace. At no point was I offended by its stupidity as the director Nick Copus emits an aura that he understands the purpose behind such entertainment.

What lets it down hugely however is its casting. Richard Roxburgh is terrible, and deliveries his lines like he has just stumbled into the studio after a thirty mile run. Frances O'Connor fares better and shows substantial better acting chops. Sam Neil is pathetic and forgettable. Ben Cross is passable and carries the scenes he is in along with the fantastic Brooke Williams and Claire Forlani.

The dialogue overall is the huge let down - overall it's some of the worst I've seen, largely because it is delivered so poorly. There was no talent in communicating with the actors/actress and the whole performance is compromised because of it. However it is difficult to deny that what remains of this is quite good fun if you focus on the eye candy and the visual splendor.

Red Dragon (2002)

Entertaining, But Not Entirely Gripping

[6/10 · 11 May 2024]

With a script that seems to sweep in front of your eyes, 'Red Dragon' is a thoughtful and well acted crime drama masquerading as psychological horror. The main issue preventing it from working completely is that its unintentionally funny as times, due to both being hammy and over caricatured.

Anthony Hopkins is fine, but he doesn't get enough screen time or enough dialogue to be worthy of being first credit. Edward Norton is fantastic and a great choice, but his serious depressive character clashes with the cheesiness of the antagonists. Ralph Fiennes is almost perfect, but there is an element of comedy to his performance which feels unwelcome for a story so dark and serious. The best performances come from Emily Watson and Philip Seymour Hoffman who bring a rawness that the film desperately needed more of.

Overall the intensity and interest from the script is what carries you from scene to scene. It's overall a competent production and is a fine film to settle down to at night.

The Borrowers (1997)

Mesmerising Sense of Scale with Enthralling Adventure

[8/10 · 11 May 2024]

Genuinely entertaining and even magical, director Peter Hewitt creates a vivid and enthralling masterpiece with courage to commit and the competence to use various field of views to give depth and perspective.

Wonderfully cast throughout, there is not a genuinely bad performance throughout, with real credit to John Goodman as a genuinely funny and attractively over the top villain, and Flora Newbigin for the most screen time of her lovable and theatrical character.

The use of props of all shapes and sizes conjures a huge sense of fantastical immersion. The film has buckets of charm but also raises tensions in a genuine but not unpleasant way. It's a real outing full of content and wonder.

Edge of Darkness (2010)

Ponderous and Unfulfilling

[4/10 · 9 May 2024]

Revenge thrillers have to contain a degree of grit, meat and substance to sustain the audience's attention, but the story in 'Edge of Darkness' is incredibly slow and unrewarding to the point of almost reaching a vegetative state.

The biggest reason for this is the lack of a fully fleshed out and exciting script, and instead it trying hard to be an intimidation drama full of talk and threats but not to make good on them.

Mel Gibson is a highly capable and emotional actor, but he seems to distance off as the film progresses. Ray Winstone is great, but he's all dialogue and no action.

The film is quite repetitive in its exposition, and although I enjoy director Martin Campbell's screenplay and straight forwardness, this movie is far too straight and far too void of adrenaline pumping content to get any blood going.

Braveheart (1995)

Strong Themes, Great World Building, but Long in the Tooth

[5/10 · 8 May 2024]

Largely epic in scale, although a little outdated and occasionally silly by today's standards, 'Braveheart' is a meaty and romantic film, gesturing in political intrigue and nationalism. It harbours a spirit that brings out the strongest elements of the movie and is mostly entertaining despite feeling like everything here has been taken in of itself and executed better.

Mel Gibson is very good, although at times his performance pales in comparison to his later American casting with Roland Emmerich. Patrick McGoohan is fantastically sly and charismatic, and co stars with Peter Hanly who is absolutely terrific. However Sophie Marceau is not a particularly convincing actress and there is no chemistry between her and the cast. Angus Macfadyen is enticing but at no moment does he have a scene that is exciting or interesting.

The film is somewhat is a mixed bag in terms of cinematic quality. There are scenes of beautiful menacing thrills and epic skirmishes, but at times the screenplay makes it feel less weighty and therefore less engaging. In addition there are some long slow and ponderous scenes with characters that aren't very compelling. In many ways the film has too many characters, and the really interesting ones don't get enough of an outing.

The Revenant (I) (2015)

Compelling and Immersive, Shows more than it Tells

[6/10 · 3 May 2024]

With A Tier actors Leonardo DiCaprio and Tom Hardy taking the helm of this striking and mostly well shot cinematic adventure, 'The Revenant' is a fresh and hearty film with a mix of meaty anger and delicate fragility.

Director Alejandro G. Inarritu has the eye for great cinematic flare to create cold sweeping vistas with moments of harrowing desperation and quiet contemplation. It's a certain movie for a certain mood, where the picture slices the story off and stares at itself for each moment before the next page.

What is missing however is sufficient explanation as to the background to additional minor characters, and the overall reason for the main story taking place is badly conceived and lacks believability.

The 6th Day (2000)

Fascinating Sci Fi, but Wobbly Action

[6/10 · 3 May 2024]

With inconsistent thrills, but marvellous ideology, 'The 6th Day' produces an original and sound minded script with fresh elements shown through the shine and steel of good locations and sets.

Arnold Schwarzenegger is a fun actor, and he has some strong emotional moments created from unique situations. Michael Rapaport is forgettable and probably miscast. Tony Goldwyn gets the most worthy screentime and, although I enjoyed his acting, I can't honestly say it's good.

The real star of the movie is the winding of the dialogue combined with a sense of coolness in the face of its intriguing and thought provoking world building.

Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines (2003)

Satisfying and Consistency Riveting, but Badly Acted

[6/10 · 3 May 2024]

Struggling to hold the momentum of its inspired prequel, 'Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines' has to invent its own story that staggers somewhat but remains engaging throughout. This is largely due to director Jonathan Mostow's competent screenplay which translates effortlessly onto screen with a brisk and energetic pace which allows events to serve as exposition.

Poor however is the overall acting. Arnold Schwarzenegger can hold up for the most part, but something about his makeup and performance feels off. Kristanna Loken's antagonist is badly conceived, however she is clearly having a lot of fun with the role and it translates well onto screen. However Nick Stahl is painfully underacting and Claire Danes is horribly overacting. The biggest pleasure is David Andrews who adds a lot of weight and gravitas to the final act.

'Rise of the Machines' gets a lot of flack for existing and not respecting T2, but it actually does a fair job of standing on its own two feet and is a worthy addition overall to the franchise.

Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)

Terminates all Boredom with Immersive and Cinematic Thrills

[8/10 · 3 May 2024]

An absolutely phenomenal sequel, 'Terminator 2: Judgement Day' brings the most competent of cinematography, combined with a masterful score that makes me physical shudder during chase sequences.

Arnold Schwarzenegger is many times better here than in previous, and he has many more lines of hardcore dialogue with demanding physical presence. Edward Furlong is also decent as the young protagonist, with enough cool to avoid being annoying. The big highlight however is Robert Patrick whose performance and character is one the greatest ever to chill thrill the screen.

James Cameron is an amazing director, and he creates a magnificent and hardy film, with real competence and steel.

However it is not perfect - the middle act of the film set in the desert is a little underwhelming, and Joe Morton's character and acting doesn't click with me.

The Terminator (1984)

Emotional Prelude, but Mundane Action

[5/10 · 3 May 2024]

With many one liners and great sense of atmosphere, 'The Terminator' is a straightforward but interesting premise with many layers of depth that are explored in the best scenes in the movie.

Michael Biehn plays a spirited and insightful hero with pain and want. Linda Hamilton is truly human and believable as a young oblivious individual. Arnold Schwarzenegger is okay, but he isn't given enough to do in this first instalment to really make an impression.

For the most part the film is good and watchable, but the screenplay and cinematography isn't as good as it could be. There is a lack of top tier theatrical sense and it feels dated even for its time.

In addition the middle act involving a number of new characters is not interesting, and breaks up the tension and flow. The action is generic and not particularly engaging.

What does work very well is the final act, where director 'James Cameron' sets the film alight and produces the best set designs and music score, leading to a satisfactory conclusion.

Honest Thief (2020)

Very Unlikeable Characters, Far Fetched

[2/10 · 3 May 2024]

Easily one of the poorest and worst thought out scripts imaginable, the whole story for the most parts feels like director Mark Williams took generic ideas, put them through an artificial intelligence story maker, and then cobbled them together with no sense of respect for the audience. The result is an unacceptably distasteful and insultingly stupid thriller with zero believability.

Liam Neeson does very well the material he has, and also credit to Kate Walsh for her emotion and humanity. However main villains Jai Courtney and Anthony Ramos must feel embarrassed and upset at having their acting chops reduced to playing roles so gut wrenchingly awful.

The entire film is very badly conceived. It should have never been made as a simple action movie, as the first ten minutes showed a lot of potential for something more heartfelt and spiritual.

The Day Today (1994)

Bit Basic, but Priceless

[6/10 · 2 May 2024]

Although sometimes cheap looking, 'The Day Today' is a compelling sketch comedy staring the legendary Christopher Morris, whose genius combined with bravery has been key to the broadcasting of more obscure and adult themes in this genre.

Steve Coogan also co presents along with the brilliant Patrick Marber in the funniest moments of the series.

The show playfully mocks politics and uses 'improvised' celebrity endorsements and interviews, some more convincingly than others.

However although the show is well made, it never quite reaches the overwhelming heights of intense laugher, and chooses subject matters which aren't the most complex leading to some overly basic outcomes which aren't random enough.

Memory (I) (2022)

A Subpar Script with Quality Acting

[5/10 · 1 May 2024]

Lacking anything particularly exciting at all, and tangling in depressing elements of old age emotional psychological, leads to 'Memory' being a hard film to like, despite excellent acting, some great dialogue and overall competent screenplay and set designs.

The problem is that the two major themes don't work together. Liam Neeson is playing an emotional distraught worrier and Guy Pearce is playing a confident thriller detective; definitely two different stories happening and the latter is far more interesting.

Martin Campbell is a highly effective and excellent director, but he needed to choose between the conflicting plots to create distinctive focus.

Johnny Mnemonic (1995)

A Mediocre but Still Fun Download

[5/10 · 30 April 2024]

With the mixed results of Keanu Reeves as lead role, the cast of 'Johnny Mnemonic' are not particularly memorable for their performances.

The film certainly looks the part, and indulges in some gorgeous techno set designs (if somewhat too much blue)

However this is one of these films that, at the time watching it, you are reasonably entertained but later find it utterly forgettable.

This is due to the haphazard and non directional story that is stiff and filled with generic characters, many of which have unattractive costumes.

It is however fairly forgiving in the sense department, and it is to its credit that it is relatively safe clean fun.

Annie Hall (1977)

The Key is in the Dialogue

[6/10 · 30 April 2024]

A different kind of film, 'Annie Hall' is steady but steadfast in delivering a genuinely welcoming and engaging romantic comedy.

Woody Allen presents a quirky but controlled character with real human merit and manners that make him likeable. Diane Keaton makes for an acceptable accompaniment with equal measures of grace and charm.

It's quite a hard film to recall because it doesn't really deliver as a cinematic movie, instead feels akin to a play you would enjoy on a practical performing arts theatre.

At times its cheapness and lack of intensity can be boring, but there is something to be said for these types of films - the time when they made good clean, humorous, and thoughtful movies.

War of the Worlds (2005)

A Half Baked Masterpiece

[6/10 · 30 April 2024]

With great guidance and solid directing, 'War of the Worlds' is actually amazing for a good length of time.

Tom Cruise is having a real thrill and is perfectly cast as a terrified but brave father. Dakota Fanning is actually amazing; she gets a of hate for her screaming, but her acting and expressions are perfect. Justin Chatwin performs less well and is somewhat of an enigma; I'm not convinced his character was fully idealised.

The parade of desperation and madness is alarming and the overall screenplay is truly terrific - you are holding onto the edge of your seat with top tier techno ambience, screams and explosions.

However, surprisingly, Steven Spielberg completely blows it in the final act. It's the most lazy and pathetic cop out ever seen in a movie of this genre, and it ruins everything.

Unbroken (I) (2014)

Highly Competent Direction and Focus

[7/10 · 30 April 2024]

Realistic, and churned with the right mix of fear, desperation, spirit and light heartedness, 'Unbroken' is a thorough venture into survival against harrowing odds.

Jack O'Connell and Domhnall Gleeson were competent choices whom bring a professional and dignified approach to their characters.

Miyavi is menacing and slightly over the top, but the direction keeps him grounded and believable.

What helps the film tremendously is the huge variation of sets and locations, all sumptuous yet dirty and unforgiving. However the pace can be too slow, and exposition often repeats itself.

It must be said that it is rare to have female directors and it's a pleasure to have a film made to such a high standard by one.

Blitz (2011)

Generic TV Show Grade Crime Detective Thriller

[5/10 · 30 April 2024]

Feeling a lot like a middling episode of a crime series, 'Blitz' is carried a lot by Jason Statham who is given exceptionally funny one liners and looks to be having a lot of fun. Also enjoying himself is Aidan Gillen, although he struggles to overcome the exceptionally bland and boring script for his character.

The screenplay and pace has a gripping edginess to it which compels interest from scene to scene. However by the second half it becomes clear that there is no real ambition for any serious action and little incentive to even require the amazing talents of Statham.

I'm not entirely sure the director wanted to make anything actually good here, but his competency still carries a lot.

The Mummy (2017)

Atrociously Bad Male Characters, Awesome Female Characters

[3/10 · 30 April 2024]

This is without a doubt the worse role that Tom Cruise has ever had the dishonour of being bestowed with. Even worse is Jake Johnson who looks to be dying inside from the huge cesspit of garbage he is being forced to divulge. Russell Crowe is literally a strain to the heart with his atrocious acting and diabolical character. I cannot comprehend how any director believes that this writing and dialogue is anywhere near acceptable.

Opposite to that is the incredibly beautiful and talented Sofia Boutella who is given exceptional CGI to compliment her incredible poise. Annabelle Wallis is highly acceptable also and just about overcomes her terrible dialogue. They are carrying what they can and should be praised.

But it's hopeless when the plot and story is pathetic and lacking significant cohesion. The set designs are attractive but overdone to the point of almost looking ridiculous.

The screenplay is generally good however, and the pace is excellent. There is a genuine decent amount of quality cinematic content for the eyes to feast on, but your brain and manners are going to struggle to keep in sync due to how angrily you will respond to the terrible masculine jokers.

Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi (1983)

Inconsistently Themed and Paced, but Fun and Immersive

[6/10 · 30 April 2024]

Episode VI is the best looking of the original Star Wars movies. Great detail went into the sets and location work, which combined with excellent lighting, gives a real depth and gravitas to the surroundings.

The cast is also much better and are given more meaningful lines of dialogue. Mark Hamill plays a genuine hero and gives his best performance while credit also due to all the extras in alien costumes. Certainly there a greater sense of the two sides and what the stakes mean to them.

What lets this film down however is the extremely slow and odd pace of the first act followed by the rushed evenness of the remaining acts. The first thirty minutes feel like a completely different film done by a different director, and the transition is unclean and leads into the main story with a rushed and unsatisfying suddenness; breaking the movie into two. In addition there is a sense of creepiness to the first part, and it jars with the spirit of the rest of the film. This makes it hard to watch as a whole, and it's often preferred to skip the first act because of it.

Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980)

Fantastic Worlds, Rushed in Parts

[6/10 · 28 April 2024]

There is a lot for the story to get through in 'The Empire Strikes Back', and for the most part it is entertaining, and the film just flows beautifully.

The first act however isn't particularly memorable. There feels like a disconnect between Episode IV and V, leading to a feeling of confusion. Visually it isn't the best the film has to offer, but it has some fascinating inhabitants.

It isn't until the middle of the film where the emotions really rein in true and character arcs become truly interesting. Plot B however during this time could have been more inventive and imaginative.

It's difficult to pick out a particular performance as the actors/actresses occasionally deliver their scenes with too much ham and over the topness and I would have preferred a more grounded and human approach to their lines.

Overall it's a particular taste in the series, and due to the amount of content it has to get through, it leaves out too much emotional exposition for some characters.