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Emma White (253 KP) created a question about in Movie Fun and Trivia
Jul 31, 2018
Question
Name the films these actors have in common: Harry Melling, Warwick Davis, Richard Griffiths, Chris Rankin and Julie Walters.
Bohan Reviews (215 KP) rated Wild Rose (2018) in Movies
Nov 10, 2019
Sue Beynon (7 KP) rated Mary Poppins Returns (2018) in Movies
May 12, 2019
Mary Poppins Returns (with a bang!)
Went with my husband and (nearly 20 year old) daughter, the main draw for her was Lin-Manuel Miranda (she is a big "Hamilton" fan), but the original with Julie Andrews was also a favourite growing up. What can I say? It was lively, engaging, amusing and had clever graphics and spectacular musical numbers in the spirit of the original film. Would definitely watch this again, Emily Blunt was really good. And it had Julie Walters. And Meryl Streep!! What more can you ask for?
Ross (3284 KP) rated Paddington 2 (2017) in Movies
Nov 20, 2017
I haven't seen the first Paddington film so was worried if I'd miss the intricacies of the plot or character development. But like with other superhero origin films, I think that film's purpose was to set up the sequels.
The film has an excellent cast and a strong storyline to make the most of them.
My one main gripe would be that there is a well-known English actor playing a Scottish character (Julie Walters) and yet two well-known Scottish actors playing English characters (Peter Capaldi and Tom Conti) which just struck me as odd but I'm not going all SNP about it.
The film has an excellent cast and a strong storyline to make the most of them.
My one main gripe would be that there is a well-known English actor playing a Scottish character (Julie Walters) and yet two well-known Scottish actors playing English characters (Peter Capaldi and Tom Conti) which just struck me as odd but I'm not going all SNP about it.
Kirk Bage (1775 KP) rated Billy Elliot (2000) in Movies
Mar 3, 2020
“What boys do ballet?” One of my favourite memories of being in a cinema. It was The Filmhouse, Edinburgh, and we had heard this was getting good reviews, but were less than keen. From the first needle drop on T-Rex, through London Calling and The Jam, as Billy explores his passion for dance and expression in the face of Northern English prejudice and fear, I was in rapture! Julie Walters is the cornerstone performance-wise, but the immediate screen presence of Jamie Bell as Billy is undeniable. It reminds me so much of my own story that it will never fail to remain special. The feel good takes a while, and comes with lots of painful moments. But… when dad and brother witness that final moment… goosebumps on goosebumps!
Awix (3310 KP) rated Wild Rose (2018) in Movies
Apr 16, 2019 (Updated Apr 16, 2019)
A Star is Paroled, More Like
Scottish-set take on the same kind of material as A Star is Born features a terrific performance (both acting and musical) from Jessie Buckley, and much less material about people falling in love or weeing themselves on stage. Talented but off-the-rails young woman comes out of prison, tries to reconnect with her mother and children, plans (not very realistically) to go to Nashville and become a country star. (The point is repeatedly made that country music is not the same as country and western music, but this is possibly not the venue to be pedantic in.) Features a cameo by Whispering Bob Harris, who gives an oddly unconvincing performance even though he's playing himself.
Buckley is tremendous, as noted, but Julie Walters is equally good as her disapproving mum (no singing from Walters, though); the film plays engagingly with audience expectations and - to its credit - resists the temptation to suggest there are easy answers to life's questions. It works really hard to earn its moments of triumph and joy: there is some real heartbreak along the way, and the film suggests that while being dedicated to your dreams is all very well, it can also make you a horrible person to be around. Cheats a bit at the very end, but has earned the right to by that point, I would say.
Buckley is tremendous, as noted, but Julie Walters is equally good as her disapproving mum (no singing from Walters, though); the film plays engagingly with audience expectations and - to its credit - resists the temptation to suggest there are easy answers to life's questions. It works really hard to earn its moments of triumph and joy: there is some real heartbreak along the way, and the film suggests that while being dedicated to your dreams is all very well, it can also make you a horrible person to be around. Cheats a bit at the very end, but has earned the right to by that point, I would say.
Awix (3310 KP) rated Personal Services (1987) in Movies
Jan 19, 2020
Not many people get a film based on their life while they're still around: prostitute and brothel madam Cynthia Payne had not one but two released in the same year (this and 'Wish You Were Here') - makes one proud to be British. A typical story of rags to riches, embellished with a vast amount of kinky sex and tawdry etablishment hypocrisy - not entirely surprisingly, the women here are the tough and clever ones, the men who come to them are awkward, fragile creatures.
One of those off-beat comedy-drama films, with a strong sense of the seedier side of life, that the UK film industry went in for quite a lot in the 1980s. This one has a strong performance from Julie Walters, but the comedy often feels strained and it can't seem to quite decide how it's going to handle the more graphic material inevitably involved - straightforwardly, or in nudge-nudge style? Tends towards the latter. Passes the time reasonably well as a slightly odd piece of entertainment; may well also be of interest as an insight into the English psyche (God help us).
One of those off-beat comedy-drama films, with a strong sense of the seedier side of life, that the UK film industry went in for quite a lot in the 1980s. This one has a strong performance from Julie Walters, but the comedy often feels strained and it can't seem to quite decide how it's going to handle the more graphic material inevitably involved - straightforwardly, or in nudge-nudge style? Tends towards the latter. Passes the time reasonably well as a slightly odd piece of entertainment; may well also be of interest as an insight into the English psyche (God help us).
Awix (3310 KP) rated Educating Rita (1983) in Movies
May 18, 2020
Julie Walters makes a memorable movie debut in this surprisingly moving comedy-drama. Caine plays Frank, a boozy lecturer and (he thinks) awful teacher who is slightly baffled by Rita, a bright but uncultured new student who wanders into his office one day. She wants more out of life, and thinks studying literature will help her get it. But is she right? And what can they learn from one another?
Very well written and extremely well-played, the heart of the film is the relationship between the two of them and how it slowly changes over time: not really a romance or a friendship, but something still powerful and very affecting. As well as the shifting dynamic between them, the film is also about many other things: snobbery, both standard and reversed; class; the purpose of education; what it means to be a teacher, and much more. The origins of the piece as a two-handed stage play are fairly obvious, and funding issues mean it is set (distractingly) somewhere in the little-known Liverpool-Oxbridge-Dublin region, but the story and performances are strong enough for these not to be serious issues. A very fine film.
Very well written and extremely well-played, the heart of the film is the relationship between the two of them and how it slowly changes over time: not really a romance or a friendship, but something still powerful and very affecting. As well as the shifting dynamic between them, the film is also about many other things: snobbery, both standard and reversed; class; the purpose of education; what it means to be a teacher, and much more. The origins of the piece as a two-handed stage play are fairly obvious, and funding issues mean it is set (distractingly) somewhere in the little-known Liverpool-Oxbridge-Dublin region, but the story and performances are strong enough for these not to be serious issues. A very fine film.
Blazing Minds (92 KP) rated Wild Rose (2018) in Movies
Nov 1, 2021 (Updated Nov 3, 2021)
Right from the very start of Wild Rose I had the same feeling that I had for the brilliant A Star is Born with Lady GaGa and Bradley Cooper, the opening music for Wild Rose just has you ready for a film that you know is going to be a well made and produced British made movie and it is.
Julie Walters is brilliant as Rose’s mother her Scottish accent is nicely done and you can see from her performance why she is one the best British actresses that we have around at the moment, her on-screen presence with Jessie Buckley certainly brings across the rocky mother and daughter relationship.
Jessie Buckley comes across very well as the down-trodden mother that only wants her dream to come true and head over to Nashville to sing Country, she puts on a great performance as Rose-Lynn, at first you get the feeling that you aren’t going to like the foul-mouthed “Wild Rose“, but as the mother progresses and you see that there is so much more to just wanting to sing.
Julie Walters is brilliant as Rose’s mother her Scottish accent is nicely done and you can see from her performance why she is one the best British actresses that we have around at the moment, her on-screen presence with Jessie Buckley certainly brings across the rocky mother and daughter relationship.
Jessie Buckley comes across very well as the down-trodden mother that only wants her dream to come true and head over to Nashville to sing Country, she puts on a great performance as Rose-Lynn, at first you get the feeling that you aren’t going to like the foul-mouthed “Wild Rose“, but as the mother progresses and you see that there is so much more to just wanting to sing.
Sarah (7798 KP) rated Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again! (2018) in Movies
Aug 8, 2018
An entirely unnecessary sequel
I can't for the life of me fathom why they decided to make this film. It is one of the most depressing musicals I've ever seen (and yes I have seen Les Mis). Whilst the first film wasn't great, at least it was happy feel good sing along. This however is for the most part plain old depressing and miserable. If it wasn't for Julie Walters and the young & old Harry, this would also be entirely devoid of any form of humour.
The problem with this sequel is that it ruins the ending of the original and also tells a story that we didn't need to know. The whole flashbacks about how Donna met the guys isn't massively interesting and doesn't turn out as exciting as the first film made it sound. There's also an issue with the music. I'm not the biggest Abba fan, but I know quite a lot of their well known music, however I must have known less than half of the songs in this. I had thought they must have to use different songs, but in all honesty I wished they hadn't and just kept the more popular ones again.
This has a great cast but I think they're ruined by such a poor plot and overall film. Cher has a great voice still, but her acting skills are marred by the inability to move her face because of all the work she's had done. The whole thing is just a bit of a mess, lacks any form of spark or heart and is really just a bit pointless.
The problem with this sequel is that it ruins the ending of the original and also tells a story that we didn't need to know. The whole flashbacks about how Donna met the guys isn't massively interesting and doesn't turn out as exciting as the first film made it sound. There's also an issue with the music. I'm not the biggest Abba fan, but I know quite a lot of their well known music, however I must have known less than half of the songs in this. I had thought they must have to use different songs, but in all honesty I wished they hadn't and just kept the more popular ones again.
This has a great cast but I think they're ruined by such a poor plot and overall film. Cher has a great voice still, but her acting skills are marred by the inability to move her face because of all the work she's had done. The whole thing is just a bit of a mess, lacks any form of spark or heart and is really just a bit pointless.
Sarah (7798 KP) Jul 31, 2018
Emma White (253 KP) Jul 31, 2018