Reviews (8)

DVD needed
Yes, this was an excellent show. Sadly, a couple of the takes from the movie we're were replaced on the album. For example, the movie version of "I Burn for You" outshines the album version. Nonetheless, very enjoyable and I'd step-up quickly to buy a DVD version.

Well worth it
This shows the true fusion of music from all genres. Sting takes some of the best artists and blends them to a synergy that is hard to compare. His overall objective was to achieve a concert that would live far past it time. He has accomplished just that. On "I Burn for You" the drum solo by Omar Hakim is worth the purchse price alone. The Piano, sax and bass work along with the accompaning singers is so fabulous it took me back to the days of live concerts by the Police. I truley believe this is a video that after release on DVD will far outsell the original foray into the market.

Everyone wishing to be a pro musician should view this movie
Perhaps the most enjoyable music documentary I've ever watched. Sting's perfectionistic ways and the rigidity of rock mix wonderfully with the loose, exploritory feel of Jazz. Seeing "Dream of the Blue Turtles (perhaps his greatest solo effort) deconstructed is a true music lesson for any person who aspires to be a musician/songwriter/performer.

My favorite scene involves Branford Marsalis pulling out a tabloid and playing off Sting's true name (Gordon Sumner) and comparing his rags to riches upbringing and life, as written in the tabloid, to that of George Jefferson. Hearing Branford calling Sting, perhaps the most pretentious musician out there, "Little Gordie Jefferson" as the band breaks into "Well we're moovin' on up" was a total riot.

DVD! DVD! DVD!
I have no idea why this awesome documentary about Sting is not available on DVD. The music is awesome and the VHS format can't do it justice.

This video answered one main question for me when I first saw it ... will Sting be worth a darn without the Police? The answer was hell yeah!

I believe the jazz roots that Sting hit on with the group of musicians he gathered together for his first solo album was his best. As an artist he's still great, but his musical output is all Sting. I really enjoyed this video because you could tell that his appreciation for jazz and the artists in his band overshadowed his tendancy to control everything. I think eventually that's what lead to guys like Branford leaving, but in the beginning Sting was still like a kid in a candy shop verifying that what he suspected could be done, would be done and he would "help" to orchestrate it. I think the artists had almost as much appreciation for Sting (or maybe just curiousity).

No matter, the video is great and should be available as a DVD.

Retains its allure...
Directed by the renowned British filmmaker, Michael Apted (Enough, Class Action and Extreme Measures) comes this classic behind-the-scenes look at Sting's formation of his first band after the break up of The Police. We actually see and hear the creation of such great songs as, Fortress Around Your Heart, Moon Over Bourbon Street and We Work the Black Seam. As Sting says at a Paris press conference in the film, this is a film about the beginnings of a rock band; where other music films record "Swansongs", the end of a band's era, Sting wanted to document a band's formation, growth and the trials and tribulations of a group of musical strangers, working to put it all together. And that's exactly what we get. Included are all the great songs from his first solo album, 'The Dream of the Blue Turtles'. Each musician in the band, through the course of the film, is interviewed about their thoughts on the music and their feelings about working with Sting. We also get a look into Sting's working habits as a songwriter and musician, and we discover that he's a perfectionist and quite the taskmaster.

Most of the film is shot in a beautiful 18th century mansion, once owned by Napoleon the III. This gives the film an almost otherworldly ambience. The band rehearses for hours on end, from the early hours until late into the night, preparing for their debut concert in Paris. As they work towards this debut, we come to realize that there's a lot on the line in terms of Sting's career. The record execs are nervous but quietly optimistic as this is Sting's first solo endeavour. The pressure is on to produce and perform a few hits after the mammoth success of The Police - the rest is history. To add a little more drama, Sting's wife, Trudy, is also about to have their first child. All the band members have a bet on the exact date of the infant's arrival, and as it turns out, Sting wins the bet. The timing of the child's birth (which we see) couldn't have been any better.

This film provides great insight into Sting the man and the artist. Despite this film being almost twenty years old, it retains its allure and has withstood the test of time. It should be standard issue for any Sting fan. ... Read more

Reviews (181)

Review for GERM 241
Enough, directed by Michael Apted and starring Jennifer Lopez, was advertised as a movie about an abused woman's revenge on her evil husband. One would guess, then, that this movie would be inclined toward feminist principles; however, there is evidence of sexist representations of both men and women, and instances of the objectification of women. Before her husband is proved to be an unfaithful and abusive man, the film unfolds like a fairytale. Mitch, a wealthy contractor, meets Slim at her waitressing job and rescues her from her blue-collar world. They have the perfect wedding, the perfect house, the perfect daughter, and the perfect life. This first section of the film reinforces the stereotype that working-class women need a strong man to save them and give them the life they want.

The first dose of reality hits when Slim discovers Mitch is cheating on her; she protests, he hits her, and she determines to leave him. The fact that Slim is very strong in her decision to not wait for him to hit her again certainly sends a good message to women and girls about abuse. It seems for a moment that the stereotype of the fairytale romance will be subverted and that the woman will triumph. The reality of what happens next is just as questionable as the fairytale beginning to the story; Mitch becomes completely evil, like a villain from a comic book, while Slim becomes the self-sacrificing mother who would do anything for her child.

On the surface, Lopez's character appears to be a strong, independent woman who is capable of taking care of herself. However, throughout the film she proves to be dependent on men. Her adoptive father helps her escape from Mitch's house with her daughter and she turns to her biological father for financial help. She seeks shelter and support from her close friend, Joe, and she finally seeks training in fighting techniques from a man. Ginny, played by Juliette Lewis, is a female friend who does help her a great deal, but most of the people that helped to 'save' her were men. This reinforces the stereotype that women cannot really be strong on their own; they are never really safe without the help of men. Another stereotype of women supported in this film was that of the mother. Slim does absolutely everything for her daughter, Gracie. Never does she speak of leaving Mitch for her own good; Slim always speaks of the safety of her daughter. In other words, the filmmaker is essentially saying that women must remain mothers above all else.

In addition to the female stereotypes we see, the idea of a woman being surveyed by the male surveyor is seen several times in Enough. At the very beginning of the movie, Mitch sees Slim and finds her attractive; he is a wealthy man who observes a beautiful woman and wants her for his own, so he takes her. Later in the film, when Slim has changed her name and moved to the west coast, we see Mitch's henchman staring at her through the window, simply watching her sleep and get dressed. Then, when Mitch arrives to 'take back what is his,' he also observes her like someone watching a movie. He looks at her from afar like a man surveying his land; he clearly sees her as his property rather than an actual person.

ONE TOUGH COOKIE-
I am a fan of JLO , I never miss a new movie of hers, but this one left me wondering (?), after seeing the trailers. I realize now they were quite misleading and I pegged the film as a B rating. I had interpreted them as a typical "Sleeping with the Enemy" type of film. Husband beats wife, wife runs. Well, to a point that's the basic plot of "Enough". On the otherhand, Jennifer Lopez as "Slim" gives us another advantage point. We see her fall and bleed, we see her run for her life, we see her reach her limit. What we also see is the humanity. (And yes, she makes the Julia Robert's character seem terribly useless in "Sleeping with the Enemy")It's not all cat and mouse. The characters in this drama must play by the rules. The law is not really on anybody's side.

Slim leaves her abusive husband with her daughter Gracie in tow and with help from friends old and new, lives a life on the run. It's not her daughter who's in danger, it's her. If she is found her husband (played by Billy Campbell)he will kill her.

So what to do? Go to the police? He'll find her. Go to a friend? He'll find her. She decides to use the rules her own way...she spends one month traing heavily with a martial arts instructor and decides to make the fight fair.

Jennifer Lopez does a fabulous job, as usual, of never playing herself. She is Slim, the once submissive wife who wants to be happy. Be we watch her become much more...a tough cookie who knows how to play a man's game.

I enjoyed this movie very much. Lopez always surprises me with her characters. Some scenes were very difficult to watch. Many times heartfelt moments between Slim and Gracie were real tearjerkers. I am not sure how a movie like this would translate into the real world, but on-screen it seems quite convincing. My only problem with the movie...I wanted more from the ending. It left me a little dry. Otherwise, I would say most would enjoy "Enough" as a great night's rent. Kudos to Juliette Lewis, I haven't seen her in a film for years. She is an outstanding actress (remember "Cape Fear")?

I want a rematch.
Boy howdy, the fems are getting pretty rough these days. I suppose after generations of being dominated by the male sub-species that once the ladies decided to strike back they meant just that: strike back. A perfect example of estrogen TNT in a can is Jennifer Lopez swingin', sweatin', and kickin' in ENOUGH.

Let's face it, we all know where ENOUGH is headed. J-Lo plays a greasy spoon waitress (yeah, like that's believable) who happens to fall for a smooth-talking swell (Bill Campbell) who turns out not to be the nicest guy on the block. Er, the planet. And when J-Lo confronts Hubby about his flagrant infidelity, Hubby responds with some fisticuffs and then refuses to let his wife out of the marriage. Granted, Campbell is ultra-creepy to watch. . .he's so revolting and disgusting that even my dog knew he was going to get the ultimate comeuppance at the end of this flick.

With the help of friends, J-Lo and young daughter flee and relocate thousands of miles away, yet Hubby is relentless in his pursuit. Once it becomes obvious that a custody showdown is inevitable, J-Lo does the only logical thing: She enlists the aid of a martial arts dude and learns how to fight like a tiger. Tigress? Then, it's back to California to sneak into Hubby's new flat and extract a pound of posterior. And, of course, predictability reigns supreme as the film rolls to its conclusion.

I've had the luxury of viewing this film with other ladies, and their reaction has been somewhat universal. Not a one of them would have put up with the guff J-Lo did; in fact, the first time a punch was thrown Hubby would have first been looking at the floor to find his mountain oysters, just before he would feel the piercing pain of buckshot. But, perhaps justice is swifer in my neck of the woods. Anyway, in ENOUGH J-Lo kind of blindsides her husband during their kung fu match. Ain't fair. I demand a best two-out-of-three.
--D. Mikels

Female Empowerment
Jennifer Lopez stars as Slim in this thriller about an abused woman who flees her rich and well-connected husband Mitch (Bill Campbell). At stake is not only Slim's well-being but also the psychological and physical protection of their young daughter Gracie (played adorably by little Tessa Allen). Although this flick has the trappings of a feminist fight-back story with its theme of domestic violence and custody laws, make no mistake: this is a thriller through and through, with twists and violence and personal peril at every turn. Women will delight in the training scenes where J-Lo prepares to fight back, and men will hardly mind the sight of the buff actress learning to defend herself.

Yeah, the premise as it unfolds is a little ridiculous, especially as Mitch seems to have a GPS system to track his fleeing wife, but the escapism is pure adrenaline-rushing fun. Jennifer Lopez is naturally appealing and solid in her performance, although the emotional range of the role seems to demand only fierceness and fright. Still, the chemistry between her and young co-star Allen is unmistakable, even poignant. Noah Wylie does a fantastic turn as Robbie, a character I won't describe for fear of spoiling the plot. Juliette Lewis has her usual on-screen charisma even though she's not given much to work with.

This film was much better than I expected. Viewers hoping for something new or even substantial on the theme of domestic violence will be disappointed since it only serves as a plot device to put Lopez's character in danger. This would make a great date flick since men will appreciate the constant action (not to mention the lead actress) and women will be drawn to the subject matter.

Great Movie
Enough is one of Jennifer Lopez's best movies. The movie is great and the acting is great. This is just one great movie. I would recommend this movie to anyone who likes suspense and Jennifer Lopez. If not rent, you'll still think this is a great movie! ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Michael Apted's moving documentary on kids growing up
My mother was cleaning up again and deciding what to keep, what to throw out, and what to pass along to her kids. Consequently, I ended up with a whole bunch of photographs of me growing up as a kid. I am now at the point where I barely recognize myself and as for what I was thinking at the time any one of those photographs was taken, I have barely a clue (I do remember wanting to be Secretary of State at one point). Well, the 7-year-old boys and girls that director Michael Apted first turned his camera on in 1964 do not really have that problem because every seven years until they turned 28, he returned to record their hopes, dreams and thoughts in a series of revealing interviews. The resulting mosaic is a moving and memorable trip through the times of their lives for these kids, from both wealthy and poor families in England. Originally this was an assignment for British television, for Apted to find a bunch of 7-year-olds from around the country, representing different social classes, races, backgrounds and have them talk about what they thought was important or interesting. However, 7 years later Apted found his subject and interviewed them again, repeating the process after two more seven year intervals before producing this 1984 documentary. Thus we get to check in on Neil, Tony and Symon, Jacquelin, Lynn and Suzanne, as kids, teenagers, young adults and then on the cusp of turning 30. More importantly, we can see how the person they become in any given segment is so obviously linked to the person they were in the previous one. Tony dreams of becoming a jockey, works in a stable as a teenager, and then actually becomes a jockey for a while, yet when we next see him he has become a cabbie. A woman can be an emotional train wreck at 21 and be a happily married mother of happy children at 28. Then again, a boy can be a loner and end up living on the street without any sort of future worth having. These children and the adults they have become seem to be playing out the entire human experience before our eyes.

Extended Final Note: Apted followed this film up with two more, named, obviously enough "35 Up" and "42 Up." My strong recommendation is that you let some time pass between this one and the next one. I really think you want to absorb this one and mull over what you think about what happened to these kids, before you turn to the next chapter. In fact, this documentary was originally shown in four parts ("Seven Up," "Seven Plus Seven," "21" and "28 Up") and if I had my thinking cap on at the time I would have watched them one at a time rather than doing it all in one sitting. In a way (and I do not mean to be facetious) watching Apted's documentaries is like watching "Survivor." You get really involved in what is happening with these people in a nice example of para-social interaction, you root for some of them to win and others to fail, and then you revise your opinions and predictions based on what happens in the next installment. Of course, "28 Up" is a lot more real and ultimately a lot more uplifting. I will be interesting to see what my kids think of this one.

a masterpiece
I ordered this video after reading Roger Ebert's review and recently ordered the sequel. Micheal Apted follows the lives of a number of english children from differnt backgrounds by interviewing them every seven years. Questions regarding their education, politics, religion, marriage and carreer are asked. One sees some very interesting transformations take place; some people change their views, some change their lifestyles and others stay more or less the same. One of the most fascinating characters in the film is a man called Neil who grows up in the suburbs goes to college for one year, drops out then becomes homeless. Although his story seems sad, I believe he (Neil) is more content with his life than some of the others who wound up better economically. I believe Bruce (the math teacher from Oxford) and Peter (History teacher) look more unhappy with their lots in life than Neil. I also think that some of the others learned how to hide their misery very well but the viewer does get the impression that things are not all fine and dandy for everyone. I like the black guy Symon because like Neil, he seems very honest and open.

Enthralling film
I have seen all three of the films (28-, 35-, 42 UP) in this series and recommend them all highly. A compelling film, 28 Up will linger in your mind long afterwards. It is a fascinating study of the British class system. It will also make you think about your own aspirations at the age of seven and whether you are living the kind of life you hoped for as a child.

The first available video in a fascinating series
Director Michael Apted was a youthful writer-researcher in 1962 when British television brought together a dozen 7-year-olds from disparate backgrounds, to examine them separately and take them on outings to the zoo and a playground together. The notion was to follow them through life to the extent of filming them every seven years to see where their lives would lead.

The first show -- filmed in 1962 and released a year or two later -- was called "7 Up." Apted befriended the kids, and became the director of every subsequent segment: "7 Plus 7" and "21 Up" followed in their time.

"28 Up" was the first segment to be placed on video and made available overseas. Several of the individuals refused to be filmed, but 10 or so remained, and the movie shows us clips from the three preceding episodes to show us how they have changed over the years.

There's Symon, a black lad from a single-parent household who by 28 has five children and seems wonderfully unscarred by racism; Jackie, Lynn, and Susan, working class friends; Nick, a farm boy who goes into nuclear fusion engineering and is teaching at the University of Wisconsin; the working class boy who split his childhood in Australia and continues to live there, and the other who tried to be a jockey and ended up driving a cab; Susy, from a much higher class background, who went a bit off the tracks for a time; Paul, a 7-year-old aspiring missionary who ends up being something of the sort teaching "maths" to underprivileged immigrant children; and a trio of upper-class males who go into law and TV production.

Perhaps most fascinating of all is Neil, an absolutely beguiling child from Liverpool (you can hear a bit of the Beatles in his voice), obviously sensitive and intelligent, who by "28 Up" is all but homeless, living on the road, in a trailer, and looking more like a pock-faced Bruce Dern.

Watching these lives unfold, you can't help thinking about the vagaries and chances of time, and how your life might have looked if someone had filmed it at seven-year intervals. "35 Up" is also out on video, and "42 Up," with the same cast of characters, hit American theaters in March of 2000.

28 Up - watch this before you watch 35 Up.
This is a masterful psycho-social drama which you will best be able to relate to if you have some background knowledge of England and the English educational system. Follow the lives of a group of somewhat diverse children through their first 28 years. Be prepared for some post-viewing introspection. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Intriguing but Hollow...
As an Agatha Christie fan, I was very curious when I happened upon this video recently. As Christie always seems so cool, collected and in control as the voice behind her mysteries, I assumed that that was how she was in real life. Thus as I read the video description and learned that she was a painfully shy woman who clung to her husband for support, I was very interested in learning more.

What made this film even more intriguing is that in writing a screenplay about Christie, the minds behind this film did so playfully. They focused on an 11 day period when Christie disappeared, and set the whole thing up as a mystery plot...in classic Agatha style...

Or so they thought. The mystery part of this movie left no real mystery to solve. The "surprise twist" at the end was a minor twist that didn't really fulfill expectations. Otherwise, everything was painstakingly clear.

If you can leave aside the whole mystery story as a bold but ultimately doomed attempt (doomed simply by the confines of reality), the rest of the story did hold its own. The plot moved slowly, dialog was sometimes hard to understand and minor characters were hard to keep track of...all of which are typical of older films. However, the characters were engaging and the plot kept things moving along.

The build-up of the relationship between Christie and Apted is fully believable, except they don't get together in the end. This is not a "Roman Holiday" situation where they can't because of circumstances. Rather, it is because Apted is fictional and therefore not true to Christie's real life story. Thus, you are left emotionally baffled.

All that said, the greatest value I personally received from the film was a MUCH BETTER understanding of Christie herself and also of England in the 1920's. Additionally, I enjoyed Hoffman's character thoroughly. He really shone in his role.

A Movie Sadly Lost Like Agatha Herself..
I want to counter one review here. I had seen this movie when it first came out. It DID NOT do well in the box office, BUT! This movie was beautifully filmed with excellent focus adjustments that mirrored the "mystery" that never took place, but could have. I also want to say that if anyone "falls asleep" at the beautiful music of Johnny Mandel, especially the closing title song "Close Enough for Love" then they think 50 cent is a gospel singer (By the way it has been recorded by more great singers and jazz artists than almost any song of Mandel's since the Shadow of Your Smile). This is first rate fiction and while Hoffman's character is almost plastic in its portrayal, Redgrave's and Dalton's is first rate. This one will disappear into obscurity, evidenced by its lack of DVD availablility.I am afraid, like so many movies that we are now trying to pull from the celluliod graveyard, it will be re-discovered way too late. You need to grab this one and remember the choice is yours a "cigarette or a kiss."

11 days of amnesia
In 1926 acclaimed English mystery writer Agatha Christie disappeared after her car was found in the countryside. She later reappeared at the Harrogate Spa claiming "amnesia" and unable to explain what had taken place. The screenplay by Kathleen Tynan and Arthur Hopcraft constructs a solution to Christie's real life mystery by suggesting that she followed her husband's mistress to Harrogate Spa. What is intriguing about this idea is the way the treatment has Christie use the skills she presumably used to create her novels, to investigate the potentially lethal electrical apparatus used at the Spa as slimming devices. However outweighing the thriller elements of the film is the romantic approach by director Michael Apted, represented by the casting of Vanessa Redgrave as Christie, Dustin Hoffman as an American journalist following her, the lighting by Vittorio Storaro and the production design by Shirley Russell. Redgrave encapsulates the shy genius Christie who hides in her clothes and her partnership with the dandy played by Hoffman is both the coming together of two oddballs, and the excitement of seeing two great actors complement each other. Hoffman is as aware that Redgrave is Christie though she uses a false name as much as Redgrave is as aware of his awareness. Apted uses this double act of voyeurism of Hoffman spying on Redgrave and Redgrave's Christie spying on her husband's mistress as a demonstration of the public's fascination with celebrity, even celebrity as unwilling as Christie is - at a launch of her book at the film's opening, Christie can barely speak to say thank you for the attention. Redgrave and Hoffman have a delicious moment when she stoops to kiss him in profile, and Redgrave's tear as she half sings They Didn't Believe Me is memorable. Also good are Timothy Dalton as Mr Christie - a role drenched in irony given Dalton's then real life relationship with Redgrave - and Australian actress Helen Morse, radiant as someone who befriends Redgrave at the Spa. As Pauline Kael points out in the review in her collection, When the Lights Go Down, there can be no substance to the mystery theory since it is known Christie was found and her days accounted for - therefore she cannot be seen to harm anyone and particularly not herself. The plot then is about a death scheme that is foiled. And though we know Christie will divorce the husband she returns to, giving him what he wanted all along, and we know that she will not rush to Hoffman because his role is fictional, we question Redgrave's final gift to Hoffman because there is no way it can be used other than as a personal rememberance. Perhaps, as Kael, suggested it would make more sense if Hoffman's role were more the yellow journalist or envious writer, but then that would be a different movie. As it is, it appears merely the parting gesture of people that we don't want to see part.

Agatha's portrayal of someone who tastes loss
The title of this English movie refers to one of the world's most famous writer, Agatha Christie, who, in 1926, left her home without warning and created a public speculation about her fate. The director, Michael Apted, gives us a great amount of solemnity, using it to balance with the most trivial of human behaviors. Dustin Hoffman is rather theatrical in his portrayal of a famous journalist that falls in love with the fragile and dependent writer and Vanessa Redgrave captures perfectly the loss and solitude of the character. And suddenly, when the movie itself was imbued in its quietness, becomes something close to a thriller, a race against time, and its cleverness never compensates the unexpected loss. But it is a beautiful film, carefully constructed and with some good dialogue. Victorio Storaro's cinematography is excellent as usual and Timothy Dalton probably gives his finest performance as a rigid and paternal husband who doesn't allow his wife to act as one.

COULD OF BEEN A LITTLE MORE INTERESTING
With an exceptional cast Like Dustin Hoffman, Vannesa Redgrave, Timothy Dalton you would think see a fine film, not so in this case. Hoffman plays a swarmy news reporter(with a slick hairdo that makes him look like Alpaha from the Rascals) who investgates the mystreoius 11 day dissaperence of famed author Agatha Christie. The producers had a good story but loused it up with boring melodrama and phony background music that will either make people laugh or fall asleep. Michael Apted was not

in full swing here, but did a better job directing Sissy`s Spacek in COAL MINER`S DAUGHTER As for AGATHA this film lacks oringality and any decent performances ... Read more

Amazon.com

35 Up continues what surely must be the longest-running sociological documentary in history. It's also extraordinary and engrossing filmmaking on the part of its creator, Michael Apted. In 1963, Apted served as assistant director on the first installment of the British television-funded project, Seven Up, which asked a cross-section of English schoolkids about their outlook on life, and dreams and hopes for the future. Apted vowed afterward that he'd visit the same individuals every seven years and continue the project. Up to this point, only three have found the self-assessment project too painful or tedious to continue (though, numerous subjects voice their displeasure during this film, raising complex moral questions about its voyeuristic drive). The first four installments were compiled into a theatrical release, 28 Up, so that the jarring twists and turns experienced by all of the characters appeared more obvious and made for compelling viewing. Since, now, only seven years have passed, life's changes here are far subtler. What eventually emerges is an overwhelming recognition that youth is dimming, replaced, in the majority of cases, by routine. 35 Up is a much more somber and, at times, more melancholy study. Many speak, disillusioned, about regret and lost dreams, while a few seem content at best, thankful that they achieved some of their original goals. Family problems, like coping with the deaths of parents or raising children, now replace questions and concerns about career direction that dominated much of the earlier entries. Apted plans to continue his poignant work about the passage of time around the millennium. --Dave McCoy ... Read more

Reviews (7)

Neil steals the show
You probably already know what this film is about. I watched "28 Up" and was very impressed, this film is even better. The directer Micheal Apted asks the subjects the same types of questions he asked in "28 Up", but this time the questions seem more unrestricted almost to the point of sounding vicious. Again, we see some interesting changes take place in the people. Some have divorced, some of the marriages are on the rocks, some have relatives die and some have more uncertainty than they had seven years ago regarding their future. Bruce, the Oxford trained math teacher still hasn't married and is living in a third world country. I have a sneeking suspicion that he may have become a muslim; there is a scene of a boy reading the opening muslim prayer but it's not clear whether or not Bruce was praying with him.

Quite a few subjects are brought to tears when discussing family and one has discovered that they have a potentially serious condition which may require surgery.

Neil, an articulate college dropout raised in the suburbs who became homeless has become my favorite subject. The man is a survivor but obviously having a very hard time. He is almost brought to tears with some of the questions and appears worse off than he was at 28. He says some very profound things worth pondering on.

All of the subjects in this film with the exception of Neil and Bruce seem to follow a fairly predictable pattern but are still interesting to listen to see how some of their views have changed over the years.

Fascinating Encouraging Poignant
I first came on the series with "28 Up" which was truly amazing for an American to see. Interspersing clips from "7 Up," "14 Up," & "21 Up" made it incredible to see the changes. In particular, Suzi, a nervous chain-smoking wreck at 21 was a happy calm mother at 28. All, in fact (with one sad exception) seemed incredibly content with their lots--I was reminded of 1984 for some reason. "35 Up" doesn't have quite the contrasts with its predecessors. It's wonderful to see that, for the most part, all have progressed nicely in their lives. (And I've always wondered why no one snapped Bruce up!) One interesting omission from this one is Peter--he's nowhere to be seen (& disappointingly, Symon doesn't participate). The haunting figure, again, is Neil. He's a seriously troubled individual, trying hard to cope with mental illness in an unsympathetic world. The questions coming at him from off camera are almost cruel--& his facial reactions to them are heartbreaking. It's quite a contrast to the contentment of the others.

If you've never seen this series before, it's definitely worth watching!

Fact, Not Fiction
Perhaps the most telling indictment of class struggles in the world, is this installment-plan documentary by Michael ("The World Is Not Enough") Apted that started out in the early 60's as a BBC special in which a group of 7-year-olds from varying socio-economic backgrounds were asked simple-but-telling questions about their plans, dreams, and hopes for their adult futures. Apted has returned every seven years to talk to the kids again, at 14, 21, 28, and by now even 42, but 35 seems to be "The Bitter Years." Promise yet unfulfilled is the order of the day here... at least for the non-rich kids.

A Documentary as Fascinating as Fiction
The premise is simple, and has a sort of 60s naivete about it. Choose a group of British schoolkids from various socio-economic backgrounds, and follow them every seven years. The fifth installment, 35 Up, catches the group as they enter mid-life. The interspersing of the interviews from the earlier ages of the kids' lives (also documented in 7 Up, etc.) is extremely effective. These are genuinely interesting people, and if they do not quite serve as "emblems" of the class-based culture of the UK that might have been originally envisioned, nonetheless Apted is able to drive home a number of interesting points about the effect of background upon one's life. This is a fascinating, sometimes heartwarming, sometimes heartbreaking set of vignettes from the life of a gaggle of people. It's altogether a welcome relief from the MTV "Real Life" or "Survivor" brand of "real life" film-making. The film series has moved on to "42 Up", but 35 Up is a must see nonetheless.

They're back ... and just as compelling
This is the second episode available on video (though actually the fifth in the entire series -- see my review and the other info on "28 Up") of Michael Apted's incredible experiment: to follow a handful of English individuals through life by taking a "video snapshot" of them every 7 years.

Some have divorced. Some have still not married. Symon, who seemed so stable and good-natured in "28 Up," is nowhere to be seen, although he will turn up again in "42 Up." John, one of the upper-class toffs who came off so amusingly haughty at 7, comes back into the game and reveals a side we had not guessed before (although he speaks of the "bitter pellet of poison" the individuals in this series have to take every seven years).

Neil, the homeless (and obviously mentally unstable) man in "28 Up" who was so articulate about the stakes even though he couldn't seem to hold it together enough to sustain a job, apparently came across as some sort of "guru of free thought" and reports getting contacts from all sorts of people who wanted him to give them the answer. He performs in amateur theatricals and manages a semblance of stability while remaining on welfare.

Director Apted quietly poses questions from off-camera, sometimes pushes his "friend-subjects" a little, and they bravely continue to reveal themselves to us, to the world ... to the infinite future. One both envies them for having such a record in hand, and thanks one's stars that no one has turned such bright lights on our lives. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Extreme Measures loses credibility near the climax when it sacrifices its hold on reality, but this entertaining, intelligent thriller effectively applies a formulaic plot to the complicated ethics of medical research. It also gives Hugh Grant an opportunity to break free from lightweight comedy by playing an emergency room surgeon who discovers that a renowned neurologist (Gene Hackman) has been conducting secret experiments on patients. When Grant fails to save a patient whose body later mysteriously disappears from the morgue, his investigation leads to an underground community of healthy homeless people, some of whom have been test subjects in Hackman's revolutionary, but criminal research toward a cure for paralysis. Co-produced by actor-model Elizabeth Hurley and capably directed by Michael Apted, this otherwise conventional thriller rises above its limitations by asking morally complex questions that give its far-fetched plot an extra kick of dramatic impact. --Jeff Shannon ... Read more

Reviews (9)

Entertaining plot sets Hugh Grant in fine serious drama role
We loved the book by Michael Palmer, on which this movie is "officially" based - but except for experimentation on unknowing human subjects, the two stories bear little more similarity than Palmer's name as "author". Nonetheless, Hugh Grant as Dr. Guy Luthran does a quite competent job in a serious part that's a departure from his normal romantic comedies. Gene Hackman also stars as the "evil" doctor who it turns out is doing illegal surgeries on homeless subjects who get "selected" by special ID work at the hospital where our hero works. A missing victim soon sends Luthran on a scary search for homeless people deep in the city's subway bowels, where David Morse ("Hack", et al) is stalking him for some unknown "FBI" reasons. Sara Jessica Parker serves as a supporting mild love interest but shows up later as part of the insidious plot. Some ethical issues near the end of the film raise some interesting points to ponder, and leave us guessing 'til the end which way things might go.

A decent plot, good acting, and sustained suspense, with some credible acting by all the name actors, add up to an entertaining movie. The DVD itself has no extra features and comes in a cheap cardboard "keepbox", with only Dolby Surround Sound, not 5.1 Digital. Aside from these quibbles, an enjoyable hour-and-a-half awaits!

TERRIFYING MEDICAL THRILLER - GREAT TRANSFER
"Extreme Measures" is the story of Dr. Guy Luthran (Hugh Grant), a physician working at Grammercy Hospital, whose personal and professional life seem to be right on track until one of his patients unexpectedly dies of mysterious circumstances. Was it medical malpractise, an accident or something much more sinaster? Not since Michael Crighton's "Coma" have we seen a medical suspense/thriller told with such skill and timely shock value. Sarah Jessica Parker, as Luthran's nurse/friend and Gene Hackman, in a diabolical role, that will have you losing sleep the next time you need to go in for check up, both deliver stellar performances in this edge-of-your-seat thriller.
Originally released under the Castlerock label, which used to belong to Columbia Tristar, this movie is now the property of Warner Brothers Home Entertainment and it looks marvelous on DVD. Colors are well balanced, bold and rich. Flesh tones are infinitely more accurate on the DVD than on the previously released laserdisc or VHS versions from Columbia. Contrast and shadow delineation are superb with great background and fine detail visable, even in the darkest scenes. The disc is 2:35:1 and anamorphically enhanced. The audio is a 5.1 mix and nicely balanced with a very aggressive bass in the subway chase scenes and special effects sounds, like gun shots. No extras.
I could fault Warner for not giving us extras but I won't since their transfer is so good.
BOTTOM LINE: A great suspense movie in a snappy looking transfer. YES! - TODAY, IF POSSIBLE!

Is this the same movie as the book?
First of all, LOVED the book. However, the movie might as well have had a different title. The two plots are so different it isnt even funny. If you're expecting this movie to even look a fraction of what the book was, you'll be sorely misled. However, if you havent read the book, and just watch the movie, you may very well be happy. The movie could stand alone rather well on its own accord, but if you read the book, you're just opening yourself to disappointment. I couldnt wait after I read this book to see the movie. I blinked several times to see if I was hallucinating at this poor copy of the book.

I've never been this harsh in a review before, but I was just so disappointed in this movie I had waited through reading the book and waiting for it to come out on HBO, to get this poor excuse of an interpretation.

Read the Book
After having read the book and waiting in anticipation when it first came out, I was extremely disappointed. The movie very well could be alright on its own merits, but the books plot is very different and much more suspenseful.

This Film is Deffirent
Extreme Measures is a different kind of Hugh`s films ..
It`s a serious role but he act it very well :) ... Read more

Reviews (2)

a quiet classic
Kipperbang is indeed a quiet classic. They don't make movies of this quality anymore, sad to say. It's on my all-time best list. Track it down and rent it. If you were the school boy who didn't get to kiss the girl, this is for you.

THIS FILM IS GREAT
THIS IS A MUST RENT OR BUY IF YOU CAN. ... Read more

Reviews (447)

The best Bond film yet.
The 19th MGM James Bond-007 movie is here. It's probably the best movie yet. It has the best stunts.

Filmed in: England, France, Spain, Turkey, Azerbaijan, and the Bahamas. The name is taken from 1969 On Her Majesty's Secret Service when James takes a look at his coat of arms and is told that the family motto is: The World Is Not Enough.

Of course, Pierce Brosnan returns as the role of 007. Sophie Marceau as the murdered tycoon's daughter, Elektra King. Denise Richards as nuclear expert, Dr. Christmas Jones. Robert Carlyle as the doomed terrorist, Victor Zokas aka Renard. And John Cleese as R, Q's assistant. The movie also sees Robbie Coltrane's return as Valentin Zukovsky and Judi Dench 3rd appearance as M, the boss.

The plot involves Sir Robert King, an oil industrialist. He buys a report about the Soviet's missile department accidentally thinking it contained info about the terrorists attacking his pipeline in the East. Surprised to find out his money was wasted, a Swiss banker retrieves the money. M sends 007 to pick it up. But the banker, Lachaise, is in for a surprise. The report Sir Robert bought was stolen from an MI-6 agent who was killed for it. Knowing Lachaise knows who killed the agent, Bond threatens him. Unfortunately, Bond only escapes with his life and the money. No name. After a spectacular scene, Sir Robert is dead. Days later, his daughter Elektra takes over the construction of the pipeline. But 007 suspects there is something suspicious about terrorist Renard, the King organization, and even Elektra herself. M refuses to listen to 007's crazy instincts. Only Dr. Christmas Jones & Valentin are on Bond's side.

The movie sees Q's retirement. And a good thing too. After all, the DVD isn't dedicated to Desmond Llewelyn for nothing. However, Q has given the Q labs to R. Probably a bad choice. R will talk you through putting a shirt on!

The language features are: Languages-English and French. Subtitles-English, Spanish, and French.

Special Features. Music video performed by Garbage (the band). The Making of The World Is Not Enough. Audio Commentaries. The Secrets of 007-alternate video options. Theatrical Theater.

Well, that's about everything this DVD includes. Hope the review was helpful.

Bigger and Better!
Here's a Bond film that deserves to be ranked among the best in the series. Along with the usual Bond formula of high tech gadgets, one-liners, and of course, the Bond girl(s), this latest installment also provides a story with a different twist. Throw in a combination of mind games, an unusual villain, exotic locales, and amazing stunts and you get an explosive, testosterone driven, eye-candy, action-packed thriller with a dash of high quality performances. One sequence in particular is the high adrenaline boat chase along the Thames River that takes place very early in the movie. Cool stuff!

The story delves much deeper into the psyche of James Bond than previous 007 flicks. Pierce Brosnan plays a much darker and vulnerable 007 in his third run as the British super agent spy James Bond. The World Is Not Enough also showcases the acting talents of Dame Judi Dench (who plays M) and Sophie Marceau as well as many others. John Cleese, of Monty Python fame, also plays a role in the movie as the heir apparent to Q. Every character played a larger role in this movie, in which, there were times when I felt James Bond was a supporting character rather than a leading one. There is definitely no shortage of star power in this movie.

A few things I didn't like about this movie (just my personal opinion mind you) were the opening Bond song, the paraglider-ski sequence, and the miniature scaled models. Yuck! Still though, this latest 007 thriller gives a good ride! Humor, international intrigue, and plenty of action. This is a James Bond of the 21st Century and I hope Pierce Brosnan sticks around to do many more like this one!

Bond is the best of this time......Dry,humorous,and elegant,
Mr.Bond is ranking itself as the highest of his quality,and is back once more,but this time dry as a glass of martini,and elegant as far as he could ever get,making his job as right as Beethoven while composing his 9th.
James bond,her majesty's loyal star,is back in a very different style and story;He is involved in a complex of a villian trying to take over the world with his lover's own oil pipe line. The thing is,you see,he feels no pain.Nothing.Amazing,as it is surprising for the first time to hear it. Elektra,the new bond girl,is to my own taste one of the best bond girls ever in the series,simply because she has many sides to be related with,and sophie marseau,the actress,bringing an excellent performance in the role of Elektea.The other bond girl,christmas,portrayed by denise richards,has a small relation to a bond girl,but still interesting,though.
As well as the deep and dark plot which develops suprisingly,we also discover a more darker side inside the familiar characters,like M,for example,Which makes this movie special and wonderful.
Also,We are introduced to the the next Q(The great,humorous,and giant John Cleese,from the mighty "Fawlty towers" and "Monty Python's flying circus"),Which is,and believe in my own words,the best there is to portray the charcacter of Q.He is doing it very,very well.
You are going to see a different bond,a new bond,a complex and dark story,the best british humor ever brought to a bond film, and,of course,James Bond himself,Pierce Brosnan,is worth all of the bond touches and twists.
You think you can give me the whole world?
Well,the world is not enough,maybe,but the movie,believe me,does.

"I never miss"
This is the best film to date in the series, hands-down. It may not have the classic charm of Goldfinger, but a couple of viewings (something most people aren't willing to credit a Bond film with) reveal a film which is incredibly substantial, in an unprecedented - and unnecesary - way. It could get by on the charm of the locations, one-liners etc., but it still tries to put together a credible and interesting plot, and it succeeds.

The most obvious credit to the writers is Carlyle's brooding, existentialist villain, which reminded me of The Misfit in O'Connor's 'A Good Man is Hard to Find.' Carlyle, in surprising contrast to his turn as the psychotic Begbie in Trainspotting, plays the role with just enough subtley and understatement, making the character's evil much more believable than the cackling megalomania of earlier specimens. What I also like about the screenplay, though, and what isn't immediatley apparent, is that it casts some doubt on the role of Bond in the world. In other movies, he seems to have an absolute moral imperative, able to gun down scores of people without any consequence, simply because his enemies are abosolutley evil. In this film, though, among the ruins of the USSR (a theme already explored in Goldeneye), there's more gray than black and white, and the circumstances don't allow him to get off so blamelessly; ultimately he has to do something which he might might regret. It's far from making him human - if that were to happen, it would undermine the whole promise of the series - but it's an interesting take. Then there's the way the plot works in minor characters, like Judi Dench's M and the Russian gangster Zukovsky, both of whom provide a usually self-reliant Bond with indispensable help, while Zukovsky experiences the closest thing to character _development_ which anyone has probably ever experienced in a Bond film. As for Richards, I don't know what she's doing there, either, and probably it would have been a stronger movie without her, but at least she's hot.

What's The Point of Living If You Can't Feel Alive?
THE WORLD IS NOT ENOUGH (known to Bond fans as TWINE) may be Pierce Brosnan's finest outing as Bond to date. A more complex and nuanced story than most recent Bond films, TWINE recaptures a good part of the exotica and international intrigue of the Bond series as first conceived.

The precredits sequence sets up the story nicely: Sir Robert King, oil magnate and friend of "M" (Judi Dench) is killed by booby trapped money delivered to him by Bond. All roads lead to Rome, the roads being clues, and Rome in this case being represented by Electra King (Sophie Marceau), Sir Robert's beautiful daughter, who was the victim of a recent kidnap plot hatched by the mysterious Renard, a terrorist rendered unable to experience pain by a bullet lodged in his skull. "M" dispatches Bond to protect Electra, who has taken over her father's petroleum empire in central Asia.

From the moment he arrives in Azerbaijan, Bond is a hunted man. Although first enamored of Electra, Bond soon realizes that there is something amiss.

In TWINE, Brosnan resurrects the dark Bond of FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE. His dual nemeses, Electra and Renard, are ably played by Marceau and Robert Carlyle, who both bring some surprising depth to their characters. Electra is particularly sympathetic, being both the brainwashed victim and willing accomplice of Renard. She is by turns sexual and ingenuous, vulnerable and implacable. Marceau is breathtakingly beautiful.

Carlyle's Renard, trapped in a body that can't feel, exudes both pathos and hatred as he plots the destruction of the democracies.

Dench's "M" plays a central role in the film, far larger than any "M" before her. The film is notable for being the last appearance as Desmond Llwellyn as "Q". Llewellyn, who played "Q" in almost every Bond film after 1964, died in a car wreck just days before the theatrical release of the picture, and John Cleese was cleverly edited into the film as his replacement, "R".

Denise Richards has the weakest major role, playing Dr. Christmas Jones, a nuclear physicist. Richards could have been left on the cutting room floor in her entirety. More's the pity, because Richards is a strikingly beautiful woman who is entirely upstaged by the exotic, erotic Marceau. Besides being a rather miscast improbable genius in cargo shorts and a tank top, Richards' character has even more of an "afterthought" feel than "R" does, as if the producers just couldn't tolerate the idea of the film ending with an unredeemed Electra King and no virtuous love interest for Bond.

Two hours and some of intelligent action-adventure, THE WORLD IS NOT ENOUGH fulfills all expectations. ... Read more

Reviews (9)

Entertaining plot sets Hugh Grant in fine serious drama role
We loved the book by Michael Palmer, on which this movie is "officially" based - but except for experimentation on unknowing human subjects, the two stories bear little more similarity than Palmer's name as "author". Nonetheless, Hugh Grant as Dr. Guy Luthran does a quite competent job in a serious part that's a departure from his normal romantic comedies. Gene Hackman also stars as the "evil" doctor who it turns out is doing illegal surgeries on homeless subjects who get "selected" by special ID work at the hospital where our hero works. A missing victim soon sends Luthran on a scary search for homeless people deep in the city's subway bowels, where David Morse ("Hack", et al) is stalking him for some unknown "FBI" reasons. Sara Jessica Parker serves as a supporting mild love interest but shows up later as part of the insidious plot. Some ethical issues near the end of the film raise some interesting points to ponder, and leave us guessing 'til the end which way things might go.

A decent plot, good acting, and sustained suspense, with some credible acting by all the name actors, add up to an entertaining movie. The DVD itself has no extra features and comes in a cheap cardboard "keepbox", with only Dolby Surround Sound, not 5.1 Digital. Aside from these quibbles, an enjoyable hour-and-a-half awaits!

TERRIFYING MEDICAL THRILLER - GREAT TRANSFER
"Extreme Measures" is the story of Dr. Guy Luthran (Hugh Grant), a physician working at Grammercy Hospital, whose personal and professional life seem to be right on track until one of his patients unexpectedly dies of mysterious circumstances. Was it medical malpractise, an accident or something much more sinaster? Not since Michael Crighton's "Coma" have we seen a medical suspense/thriller told with such skill and timely shock value. Sarah Jessica Parker, as Luthran's nurse/friend and Gene Hackman, in a diabolical role, that will have you losing sleep the next time you need to go in for check up, both deliver stellar performances in this edge-of-your-seat thriller.
Originally released under the Castlerock label, which used to belong to Columbia Tristar, this movie is now the property of Warner Brothers Home Entertainment and it looks marvelous on DVD. Colors are well balanced, bold and rich. Flesh tones are infinitely more accurate on the DVD than on the previously released laserdisc or VHS versions from Columbia. Contrast and shadow delineation are superb with great background and fine detail visable, even in the darkest scenes. The disc is 2:35:1 and anamorphically enhanced. The audio is a 5.1 mix and nicely balanced with a very aggressive bass in the subway chase scenes and special effects sounds, like gun shots. No extras.
I could fault Warner for not giving us extras but I won't since their transfer is so good.
BOTTOM LINE: A great suspense movie in a snappy looking transfer. YES! - TODAY, IF POSSIBLE!

Is this the same movie as the book?
First of all, LOVED the book. However, the movie might as well have had a different title. The two plots are so different it isnt even funny. If you're expecting this movie to even look a fraction of what the book was, you'll be sorely misled. However, if you havent read the book, and just watch the movie, you may very well be happy. The movie could stand alone rather well on its own accord, but if you read the book, you're just opening yourself to disappointment. I couldnt wait after I read this book to see the movie. I blinked several times to see if I was hallucinating at this poor copy of the book.

I've never been this harsh in a review before, but I was just so disappointed in this movie I had waited through reading the book and waiting for it to come out on HBO, to get this poor excuse of an interpretation.

Read the Book
After having read the book and waiting in anticipation when it first came out, I was extremely disappointed. The movie very well could be alright on its own merits, but the books plot is very different and much more suspenseful.

This Film is Deffirent
Extreme Measures is a different kind of Hugh`s films ..
It`s a serious role but he act it very well :) ... Read more

Reviews (12)

Sigourney Scores
Exciting true-life story of Dian Fossey, the American woman who fought to save the mountain gorillas of central Africa from extinction. The film makers faced considerable obstacles in reaching the remote area of Rwanda where Fossey worked and was originally planned to be made prior to Fossey's murder in 1985, but the film--directed by Michael Apted--is nonetheless so fluidly told that most of these limitations don't show on screen. Although the excellent on-location photography is essential to Gorillas' success, the film's greatest asset is Sigourney Weaver's bigger-than-life presence as Fossey. Weaver's tremendous physique--used so effectively in making her a match for the creatures of Alien series--allows her to hold her ground with the huge gorillas. Always a charismatic on film, Weaver meets the heroic demands of the film, whether confronting poachers, communicating with gorillas, mourning their loss, or even--in the least interesting aspect of the film--falling in love with Bryan Brown as the National Geographic photographer Bob Campbell. Probably no other American actress in the 1980s could have risen to this challenge as she did. The all-too seldom seen Julie Harris also has a small part as a Rwandan plantation owner and adds her own luminosity to her few scenes. Rick Baker ingeniously handled the film's make-up, mixing both made-up and real gorillas. As suggested above, the film does have a few drawbacks: much like the relationship between Meryl Streep and Robert Redford in 1985's Out of Africa, the romance between Weaver and Brown feels tacked on, and it is less interesting than her relationship to the gorillas. Also, Weaver's descent into seeming madness (which Weaver's unexplained coughing in the last section of the film suggests may have been prompted by her declining health) occurs suddenly in the sequence immediately following the end of her romance with Brown. I wonder how Weaver's character

might have been developed at the end of the film had not Fossey's murder occurred while the film was still being planned: would the end of her romance with Brown have been the end of the film, with a conclusion emphasizing the courage of her decision? And, if so, is that why the final mad sequence occurs so suddenly?

Tragedy Turning To Triumph
"Gorillas In the Mist" is one of the Top 10 films released in 1988. It explores Dian Fossey's life in Africa during her struggle to save the gorilla population, whom were close to extinction. The producers and the writers wonderfully desplict the emotional value of the times: determination, leadership, loneliness, love, friendship, and many more. The movie events are accurate to the actual events. Their research on the gorillas and Dian Fossey proves well thorough. Sigourney Weaver plays Fossey beautifully in her well-deserved Golden Globe winning and Oscar nominated role(Best Actress). Her every drop of heart and soul is poured into the character in every scene. No other actress could perform this role at this level. All other actors also performed their roles wonderfully. "Gorillas In the Mist" is a triumphant movie perfect for all audiences. This film will be a classic in a few years.

Gorillas in the Mist
Anyone passionate about wildlife will identify with this story and with Dian! Anyone who is not, will be transformed.

Gorillas in the Mist
This is the real life story of Dian Fossey, a woman with passion and conviction who dared to live her dreams. Weaver does an exceptional job of bringing the character to life and is very convincing as the gorilla-loving mountain lady. It is wonderful to watch the transition of the character from the beginning of the movie and see how she develops into the obsessed anger-driven person at the end. Right or wrong in her efforts to save the gorillas, this movie is truly an inspiration for anyone with courage and passion.

gorillas in the mist
just wonderful, can't leave the screen, would watch it more then once or twice ... Read more

Description

Inspirations, from award-winning director Michael Apted (Gorillas in the Mist, The World Is Not Enough), is a 100-minute exploration of the creative process that takes off from the essential question, "how do artists get ideas?" and soars into the fascinating worlds inhabited by seven diverse artists--including David Bowie and Roy Lichtenstein--who discuss, sometimes freely, sometimes shyly, just how and why they work the way they do. 100 minutes. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

The art of creation, shared firsthand by artists who create!
I've waited for a long time to purchase this film and I'm so glad it is now available. I saw this documentary at the Santa Barbara Film Festival a few years ago and was deeply moved by the work of the artists profiled as well as by the artists themselves. Some were familiar to me, while others (like sculptor Nora Naranjo-Morse) were a revelation. I think that civilization evolves through individual acts of creation by artists, writers, scientists, and inventors who shape the future with their minds and hearts. Apted's beautiful film lets us inside the minds and hearts of seven remarkable creators, and in doing so he gives all of us new license to explore, rebel, innovate, and grow. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

critical condition/the toy
I ENJOYED ALLOF RICHARD PRYOR MOVIE AND TAPES. IT WAS FUNNY AND ENJOYABLE

Pretty good
i feel this film was Hit&miss.more Hits but the misses are there.Richard does a good job but the material isn't fully developed for his character.like with his Love interest Rachel Ticotin.and what about Garrett Morris? as funny as he is he should have gotten more ad-libs at least.should have been a better film.

Great Comedy
This is one of Pryors best movies ever. As a con artist, he tries to con his way out of trouble, but when the trouble starts he takes charge of the situation and saves the day. ... Read more

Reviews (13)

very good movie
I've read the book and although it, of course, was much better, I enjoyed the movie. I regret that the movie leaves out a large section at the end of the book that I particularly liked. Additionally, the movie misrepresents my favorite character, namely KGB Major Pribluda. On the flip side, William Hurt is very good as Arkady. Lee Marvin well portrays the slimy sable-selling American Jack Osbourne, and Brian Dennerhy does well as a rogue New York City cop who doesn't give a damn about getting killed or killing people, as long as he can avenge his brother. I really enjoyed this film. Oh- the DVD especially is good, because in the movie it is difficult to make out what is happening in some of the darker scenes.

Murderer and Detective fight the coldest of wars
"Gorky Park" is based on the novel of the same name by Martin Cruz Smith. It's a flawed attempt, but otherwise excellent film. William Hurt plays the hero, Arkady "Arkasha" Renko, a righteous detective with the Moscow Militia, the Soviet capitol's local police force. His latest case involves three mutilated corpses discovered under a blanket of fresh snow in the woods of Gorky Park. Renko is barely on the scene when he's joined by KGB Col. Pribluda. "That could be you one day", the smiling killer tells Renko. With little doubt that the case "reeks of KGB" involvement, Renko at first seeks a way to dump the case, thinking it a trap laid against him by the KGB as revenge for Renko's earlier attempts to implicate the grinning KGB colonel in a multiple homicide. A dogged persistance won't let him drop the case, and he pursues leads that have nothing to do with the KGB - including a one-time student dissident (Joanna Pacula) whose name is scratched into the skates worn by one of the corpses, and Jack Osborne (Lee Marvin), a wealthy American tycoon with an interest in genuine Russian Sables. Soon, however, Renko finds himself the prey, when a mysterious American, who turns out to be a NYPD Detective (Brian Dennehy), arrives on the scene, convinced that his younger brother may be one of the victims and Renko one of his executioners. Unclear who he has to fear, especially when his men and his witnesses begin dying, and unsure who to trust, Renko goes practically underground, the American Detective his only real ally.

Flawed by a script that ambitiously tries to comprise all of Smith's multi-layered plot, "Park" makes a great go of it. With the help of the late and great Dennis Potter ("the Singing Detective", "Pennies from Heaven"), Michael Apted's superb cast goes a long way to realizing author Smith's vision. There is the amiably amoral Pribluda and Dennehy as the brutish Detective Kerwill. Joanna Paculla will break your heart while Lee Marvin is cheery as the rich American who smoothly reaffirms the Soviets' faith in the evil that is the United States. Hurt's duel of wits with Marvin (Renko wastes little time making the rich American a prime suspect) provides the most tension of the film. Renko tries to elicit Osbourne's response by comparing the murder of the faceless trio with the American's favorite hobby - a hunt for Sable. Their exchanges are key because they highlight Osbourne's amorality and his mastery over Renko and the systemic rot of the Soviet hierarchy. Even minor charachters like Alexi Sayle as Fedor Golodkin and Ian Mcdiarmid as Prof. Andreev are hard to forget. Golodkin is the cheerily slimy smuggler who informs on Pacula's charachter for the KGB while Andreev, a dry academician with no time for police forensics, reluctantly agrees to reconstruct identities of mutilitated corpses. Mcdarmid, for his screen time is also fun, especially when meeting Renko and the detective's high-mindedness for the first time. "I fear that you are not long for this world, my friend", the dry academician tells Renko, evoking the same foreboding Macdarmid displayed as Darth Vader's boss in "Return of the Jedi". I caught a TV cut of the film and the editing was horrible. Don't settle for the Bravo version - get this tape today.

A great spy flick !!!
Lotsa great performances here - William Hurt, Lee Marvin, etc. It's a gripping mystery that follows the efforts of Hurt as a Russian police detective tracking down vicious murders.

One of my favorite american movies about USSR
A murder mistery . In the middle of Moscow . 3 people are killed . One of them is American . Life smart Russian detective trying to figure it out ... and catch another American ( in Moscow ). But later he found out , that this one - is a COP from New York , looking for killers of his brother . You get everything in here : exellent actors , a plot , a culmination , love story , KGB , Russian militsia , Moscow views , a good guys and the bad ones too . What else do you need ? A good director ? They got that !
Highly recomended .

Not Very Entertaining/Interesting--At Least In the Beginning
This is a cold war crime/spy procedural set in Moscow, Russia, based on the book. Three bodies are found in Gorky Park with their faces and finger tips expertly cut off. Right after the police show up, the KGB arrives. I couldn't finish the movie because everything was so contrary to what I imagined Russian society to be like.
Everything and everybody was too polite, clean and proper, from the streets to the policeman's uniforms and the rivalry between policeman and KGB officer. I felt like it was done as a British, almost PBS style detective story. The actors even sounded British. I did like the very noble Russian detective, an idealist, but he seemed more like a Royal Canadian Mounted Police officer than anything Russian. The bottom line is I was hoping for something that seemed more authentically Russian. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Moving the Mountain dvd
Excellent work.It is just breath taking how people were fighting for their democracy.Hats of to their courage.

The personal lives of the leaders of Tiananmen Square.
Very moving account of the personal lives and struggles of five leaders in this truly grass roots movement. As a documentary it really sparkled because it was not at all dry or melodramatic, and yet there was a lot of interesting detail. Really gives you a lot of food for thought.

Moving the Mountain
This was a wonderful viedo! The documentary is a little long, however, there is such a mixture of commentary from the students who demonstrated at Tiananmen Square and actual footage of the events that took place, that it made you want too watch this viedo all the way through. The viedo has been a useful tool in helping the students in a classroom setting learn about collective behavior; what it takes to make it happen, its possible out-come, as well as the physical and emotional toll it can take upon its participants. I highly recommend this viedo. ... Read more

Reviews (54)

A facinating, literate film!
While most movies that are released during the summer lack sophistication, great acting, and a plot, this film has them all: in spades. Endlessly interesting and complimented by John Barry's haunting score, "Enigma" delivers one cinematic pleasure after another.

The story, set in WWII, and based on real events, centers on Tom Jehrico (Dougray Scott), a brilliant codebreaker at Blenchly Park, who cracked the Nazi Enigma code. But now that code has been changed, and supplies that the British need for the war are in jeopardy. Not to mention the lives of the crews on those ships. Complicating matters is the disappearance of his ex-lover,Claire (Saffron Burrows), which has cast the shadow of suspicion over Tom as the possible traitor. Teaming with Claire's doudy roommate Hester (Kate Winslet), the two race to crack the code and unmask the traitor before hundreds of lives are lost. All the while, the mysterious Wigram (Jeremy Northam) seems to always be following them. . .

My summary of the plot simply doesn't do it justice. This film must be seen to be truly appreciated. Scott is great as the haggard, brilliant mathematician whose heart has been been broken, and Winslet is wonderful as the witty and underappreciated Hester. But the real standout is Jeremy Northam who steals every scene he is in, as the very dapper, and very suspicious Wigram.

The dialogue in the film crackles thanks to a great screenplay by Tom Stoppard which was based on the bestselling novel by Robert Harris. Do yourself a favor and check out this example of smart adult cinema.

A facinating, literate film!
While most movies that are released during the summer lack sophistication, great acting, and a plot, this film has them all: in spades. Endlessly interesting and complimented by John Barry's haunting score, "Enigma" delivers one cinematic pleasure after another.

The story, set in WWII, and based on real events, centers on Tom Jehrico (Dougray Scott), a brilliant codebreaker at Blenchly Park, who cracked the Nazi Enigma code. But now that code has been changed, and supplies that the British need for the war are in jeopardy. Not to mention the lives of the crews on those ships. Complicating matters is the disappearance of his ex-lover,Claire (Saffron Burrows), which has cast the shadow of suspicion over Tom as the possible traitor. Teaming with Claire's doudy roommate Hester (Kate Winslet), the two race to crack the code and unmask the traitor before hundreds of lives are lost. All the while, the mysterious Wigram (Jeremy Northam) seems to always be following them. . .

My summary of the plot simply doesn't do it justice. This film must be seen to be truly appreciated. Scott is great as the haggard, brilliant mathematician whose heart has been been broken, and Winslet is wonderful as the witty and underappreciated Hester. But the real st