katherinekatherine Reviews

Ella Enchanted (2004)

Great, entertaining film. A refreshing change to the 'polished' animated films at the mo'

[8/10 · 28 July 2005]

I thoroughly enjoyed this film, it was clever, original and entertaining. The interesting opening scenes were great as they transported you to the fairytale world. I was very happy to see Eric Idle was the narrator and Anne Hathaway was brilliant and instantly likable as Ella, with Hugh Dancy the perfect handsome prince. The Elf (another familiar face- Dudley Moore in 'Not Only But Always') is wonderful as the sidekick. I also thought the story was very good, it was slightly predictable at first, but then there were some interesting twists, where I think the usual fairytale storyline was changed to great effect. The way the Fairytale land echoed aspects of home were amusing, with wooden escalators, taxi carriages… In a way, I liked it more than Shrek, because of the fact that it was less 'polished' and maybe more British. I would definitely recommend 'Ella Enchanted' to anyone who wants a fun and entertaining film.

Sideways (2004)

Certainly doesn't deserve a 'Highly Recommended' sticker (no major spoilers)

[1/10 · 28 July 2005]

I was shocked to see on the DVD case that 'Sideways' has won 3 major film awards and even has comments saying it is 'The funniest film of the year' and 'Unmissable'. For me, 'Sideways' was a struggle to watch and three quarters of the way through I gave up. (Apologizes to anyone who watched it all the way through, where it apparently picked up, according to my Dad) The 'funniest film of the year' certainly didn't live up to its praise, I hardly laughed at all and when there was any humour, it was hardly side-splitting. For example, Jack chases Miles down a steep hillside with amusing music in the background: award- winning comedy? The boring scenes where we a silent Jack and Miles driving through the vineyard-full countryside are completely pointless, even using split-screens doesn't liven boring snapshots of roadsides and wildlife. There didn't seem any attempt at making wine interesting to anyone who knew nothing about it, which was odd because it became the main feature of the film. Jokes about Pinot wines washed over me completely. Even though the acting seemed to be good, it still couldn't endear me to these two awful characters. Jack is foul-mouthed, arrogant and a cheat, whilst Miles is a slightly creepy, wine lover who spends his time writing rubbish and steals from his mother. If you do decide to watch this film, make sure you have a good book or your I-Pod with you.