The_Mad_Russian Reviews

Some Mother's Son (1996)

Fantastic movie

[10/10 · 27 April 2006]

Excellent movie, great soundtrack too. I thought that Helen Mirren was fantastic. She does the part of a very confused mother very well.

Apparently there were some location snafus, as mentioned in the discussion group. So the movie isn't 100% accurate. But the basic storyline is accurate enough.

The movie was also very realistic as far as the historical background goes. The British incompetence during the Hunger Strikes was so typical, and the movie makes note of that.

It's nice to see a movie that shows the frustrations of the Irish in a clear light.

Somebody get this movie out on DVD right away!!

Due South: Pilot (1994) Season 1, Episode 0

Best show yet

[10/10 · 12 September 2003]

Despite what some other user wrote, Due South had some amazing episodes. Sometimes dramatic, sometimes touching, always whimsical, Due South took some of the usual Canada/US stereotypes and managed to make quite a number of excellent episodes. Some episodes had more twists and turns than a year of soap operas, but the writing was always amazing.

In a sea of American TV garbage with laugh tracks and FOX network mentality, Due South served to show that you could be both serious and funny and still have a good viewing experience.

It was a shame to see the series is not being produced anymore. Personally, I don't see how the staff could have kept up the high level of quality the show demanded for much longer.

10 out of 10 in my books.

High Spirits (1988)

Great!

[8/10 · 16 February 2003]

If you can forgive the less-than-ideal acting by some of the other cast, Peter O'Toole once again shows why he's one of the greatest actors in the English speaking world. From the scene where he's trying to hang himself while arguing with his mother, to where he meets his ghost-Dad, O'Toole is hilarious as the bumbling, scheming drunk Irish fool who is desperate to keep the family castle in family hands.

A Prayer for the Dying (1987)

Possibly one of the best movies, ever.

[30 January 2003]

Based on the Jack Higgins novel of the same name, A Prayer for the Dying follows an IRA hitman (Rourke) who has seen enough and wants to come clean. Chased the cops and the IRA as well as a notorious gangster, Rourke (as Martin Fallon) has to protect a priest who he has implicated in a murder. While some of the supporting actors aren't the most impressive, I think that this is Rourke's best work. He plays a man with a haunted past who wants desperately to put an end to the cycle of violence that has followed him for years.