rowiko

This film has made my day! It's one of those movies where you don't really have any expectations, other than just being entertained for 120 minutes or so - and then they blow you away!

It's a heartwarming story, which I'm sure has been portrayed many times and in many ways, but I don't think ever as brilliantly as in this film. It goes way beyond entertainment. It makes you reflect on your own whole life.

Héctor Alterio's acting is sheer perfection. Hardly ever have I seen an actor so convincing. When he looks at his wife, stricken by Alzheimer's, with his warm smile and his eyes glistening, not for a second did I think he was acting, as I felt he really did mean it. The love being conveyed by him seemed so genuine, and it touched my heart to the very core.

This film is a true gem!

I really loved this movie and don't quite understand why there are no more than 2 reviews to date.

The theme, of someone rising from the dead and turning the lives of the living upside down, has been tried many, many times, in some cases more successfully than in others. I think this film definitely belongs to the former category.

The film often leaves you puzzled as to what is going on, but without leaving you lost and frustrated, as is sometimes the case with such super-natural films. The whole movie felt magical to me, just like the little toy in the story.

Julie Gayet gives a very convincing performance, of a mother of an 8-year old son, left distraught by the untimely death of her husband, but willing - for her own as well as her son's sake - to move on in life, and while doing so, finding unexpected love, but then not able to cope when her late husband suddenly makes a comeback to the world of the living.

Pierre Richard as the quirky old Victor gives a superb performance. He seems eccentric - if not a little crazy - but warms the viewers' hearts at the same time. And he parts with wisdom that I found very touching. The way the plot unfolds can, in my view, only work in a French film, and it is what I like so much about French movies.

Whether this film got so few reviews because it is very little known, or whether nobody who saw it found it worthy of a review, I don't know, but I for myself loved it. And it put my wife and me in a very magical mood for the rest of the evening.

This is one of those French films (and there are many of them!) that had me sitting there with a smile on my face throughout! The topic is certainly not an easy one: A racist white woman whose skin starts turning darker and darker, in the process having to adapt her views - radically.

So to turn this storyline into a movie that is so funny and entertaining (some great musical numbers!), yet at the same time thought-provoking and heart-warming, that is quite a feat. And the director did a marvellous job at bringing that all together and showing us a part of French society that I don't find thematized in many films, or certainly not in such an entertaining manner.

Absolutely loved it from beginning to end. The only thing I don't understand is why the IMDb rating is only a very low 4.7. I believe this movie deserves a lot better.

This is as powerful as a drama can possibly get! It's a story that in real life has probably repeated itself over and over again. The origin of the people may have changed. The location of their treacherous journey may have changed. But essentially, the drama remains the same, be it 20 years ago in the Swiss Alps, or today somewhere in the Mediterranean between Northern Africa and Italy.

Those fleeing from Political turmoil, from war or simply from poverty, will do anything to find a better life, and hope is what is driving them. And along the way they are more than likely to come across scrupulous criminals whose sole interest is to make money out of the misery of those poor souls trying to find "paradise".

I cannot think of a movie that would portray this better than "Journey Of Hope". It's extremely powerful and comes across as very believable all the way. No wonder, as the story repeats itself in reality time and time again. Only the outcome may vary.

I can only recommend this film!

I watched this movie on the plane the other day, trying to find something to keep me awake (as sleep on an airplane never leaves you rested, but merely with a stiff body).

What I saw was, however - to my positive surprise - much more than just something to pass time, as I actually enjoyed it a lot.

I find the plot quite fascinating and very original, and it has, with its unpredictability, more than just a few surprises in store. Granted, there are a few inconsistencies with the storyline, but I didn't see them as a big problem, as the movie, as a whole, works.

All in all, a really good horror thriller, which keeps you guessing till the very end.

I saw this on the plane the other day, and my only regret is that it was on a small screen.

I've come to like Danish films in general (and Ulrich Thomsen in particular) in recent years, although they are usually not very easy to watch. What they all seem to have in common is a certain melancholy, and they can therefore come across as rather depressing.

The same here. Christian's mother's cancer death is quite obviously affecting both the boy and his dad very, very deeply (though in very different ways), and the deep sorrow seem catchy for the viewer as well. It is probably also, however, a sign of the brilliant acting.

The parallel storyline of Elias and his parents, who are in the process of a divorce, affects the viewer equally deeply.

The stories are brilliantly interlinked, and the underlying theme of revenge is constantly there and makes us think. A lot! A deep-going, dramatic and extremely powerful movie, which, I think, a wide audience should see. In my view, it would certainly deserve an Oscar!

I must admit that I wasn't too keen about the storyline, usually not going anywhere near gay-themed movies. However, I'm a great admirer of Colin Firth and therefore decided to give this a shot.

In short: I have absolutely no regrets!

I felt strangely drawn to the film from the very first minute, and that lasted till the very end.

In many ways it reminded me of European cinema. It is clear that the shots were selected very, very carefully. No scene seems unnecessary, even though the viewer doesn't always know where the film is taking him. The soundtrack is simply superb. The whole movie is like a carefully assembled piece of handicraft, and Colin Firth, as the centerpiece, is just divine. He definitely proves that he is one of the great actors of today.

An absolute joy to watch!

I must say that I'm usually not very much into action movies, and movies where there's too much shooting and violence involved. And yet I thoroughly enjoyed this one, even though it's packed with shooting scenes.

Liam Neeson is the best cast I could imagine for this film (apart from Harrison Ford, I suppose), and he's done a brilliant job.

One knows, of course, what ending can be expected, but it's the journey that counts. And what a journey it is! If you want to be captured by 90 minutes of entertaining and unrelentless action against the backdrop of Paris, this is the movie to watch.

In parts it was reminiscent of a Bond movie or the "Spooks" series, but then hey, the main character is an ex spy after all, so you would expect him to know all the tricks of the trade, and carry them out "in style".

Loved it!

The plot sounds interesting enough, and I was looking forward to seeing Eva Longoria Parker outside of her usual "Desperate Housewives" role. The funny thing is that her character is actually not that different from her character in "Desperate Housewives".

I found the first half hour a bit slow, to be honest, and the whole movie a bit flat at times, although there were some good scenes that made me laugh.

It does pick up pace towards the end, and it's probably the last 15 minutes or so that made me rate this higher than I would have earlier on.

I guess it's a nice enough movie and probably what one can expect. It's certainly no award-winning flick, but then I guess it wasn't meant to be.

So, what would YOU do if your spouse is convicted on a murder charge and sentenced to 20 years in jail? The film explores to what lengths someone might go, and it takes the viewer on a journey that is anything but expected. And it does it in convincing style and fashion and has you glued to your seat from beginning to end.

OK, Julien enters a world that makes him do things that we should by rights not find acceptable. And yet, one can do nothing but root for him to succeed, regardless of his methods.

I absolutely loved the power and speed of this film. It's action-packed, but also has a lot of depth.

A superb thriller throughout!

The plot certainly has the makings of a great comedy, but the final product falls pretty much flat on its face.

Not many laughs to be had, as far as I'm concerned, and the whole story just loses its way shortly after the 4 couples arrive at the resort.

Sure, I have seen worse, but they could have - and should have - done so much better with this movie.

The one thing this film has going for itself is the spectacular scenery. So for most of the second half of the movie I found myself fantasizing about spending a 2-week holiday in Bora Bora, which may have distracted me a little bit from the storyline, but I have the feeling I didn't miss all that much...

I must admit that I didn't know much at all about the plot when I put the DVD in the player, although I was, of course, aware that the film had been nominated for 3 Oscars.

So when the story started to unfold, with Christine Collins' son having gone missing, I wasn't sure whether I was going to like the film, simply expecting a drama with a missing boy and a distraught mother looking for him for the next 2 hours or so.

That changed the very moment "her son", who she insists is not her boy, is returned to her. From that moment onwards, I was glued to my seat. A fantastic performance given by Angelina Jolie, and a storyline that any writer would have difficulty to come up with, it's so unbelievable, so chilling, so outrageous. That the script apparently sticks very close to real events definitely works in favour of the film.

This is a very powerful piece of art!

I must admit that I didn't expect too much from this movie, especially after reading some of the reviews. But then I decided to give it a go on a Sunday night, to round off the weekend (usually the time reserved for not very sophisticated stuff).

Well, the two characters, though likable, do a lot of stupid things, I must admit. But they do it in such a way that they extracted some really good laughs out of me, making the whole ride totally enjoyable. I never felt bored throughout the entire film and couldn't wait to see what situation they would get themselves into in the next scene.

As comedies go, I really liked this one, and the acting is spot on!

I'm a big fan of French films, but can't get too excited about war films, mainly because of all the shooting, death and destruction (thinking that there is already too much of that in real life). But this one is certainly different! Granted, the battle scenes are gory, to say the least, and yet I found myself glued to the screen. The thing is that they are so perfectly embedded in excellent storytelling that I didn't mind seeing all that blood and all those soldiers getting slaughtered. The scenes also make it very clear why some soldiers would go to great lengths to mutilate themselves, just to get out of the horrors of war and back to their loved ones.

The movie left me mesmerized throughout, and while the final credits were rolling, I just sat there still, not wanting to disturb the atmosphere the film had created around me.

A masterpiece, no doubt!

If there ever was a movie that perfectly shows the absurdity of war, this is it! It is, of course, inspired by true events that occurred around Christmas in 1914, and although it doesn't show everything exactly as it happened, it's certainly close enough.

The acting is very convincing throughout, and I felt myself absolutely drawn into the film.

I watched it on Christmas Day and was more than glad about my choice, as it could not have been more fitting for the occasion.

Impressive though it is that soldiers in the trenches temporarily laid down their rifles, it's sad that it took a Christmas Holiday to achieve that. Now, almost 100 years on, little has changed, and wars are still being fought. One would wish that those soldiers would also just walk away and give up fighting - not only temporarily, but permanently -, and even more so, that those in power would heed their message. One Christmas wish that I hope will come true someday!

I can watch this movie over and over again and never tire of it. And every time I wake up the next morning, no, not in a "glimpse", but with a good feeling. It's like "It's A Wonderful Life", "A Christmas Carol" and "When Harry Met Sally" all rolled into one.

The story is hugely entertaining, and Nicolas Cage and Téa Leoni are doing an excellent job in their roles. It's also very heart-warming and perfect to watch in the run-up for Christmas, although it's probably perfectly watchable at any time of the year.

But what, in my view, sets this film apart from others in this genre, is the fact that it can actually bee seen as plausible. One can easily think of the "glimpse" as a simple (albeit rather long) dream of what could have been. So, if you look at it this way, it will make the whole story totally believable and realistic, as it can all be explained without any "magic".

For those, however, who prefer it to be "magical", they can take the "glimpse" as what it is presented as in the movie, a several-month long, temporary "excursion" into another life of Jack Campbell. Either way, it totally works, and I cannot think of anyone watching the film who will not reconsider their own values in life and perhaps make some changes, even if they may seem insignificant ones (just trying to take work that little bit less seriously and devoting that little bit more time to the family will go a long way).

When I saw it for the first time, I kind of expected an ending where Jack would, after realising what he had been missing out on in the past 13 years, wake up again in the New Jersey house, surrounded by his wife Kate and the two children, essentially changing 13 years of his past. It's what probably most other directors would have done with the story. Thankfully, however, Brett Ratner resisted the temptation, and I'm grateful for that!

I think this is the biggest of many things that really make the movie work and make it relevant. Not only does it teach us important values in life, but it also shows that however much we would wish to, we cannot go back in time and take another path at a juncture in life where we feel that we made the wrong decision. What's past is past, but it's never too late to change your ways.

So Jack may not live in that suburban house with two kids that he had grown to love in his "glimpse" (or dream?), but he can make himself a better person by putting the important things in life first and start anew together with Kate. He can't re-capture what he had lost (or more accurately, never had), but he can do something about the future. And so can we.

And that's probably the thing I like best about this movie. It's not just some fairytale story, but it's something we can actually learn from and apply in real life.

The film didn't have me rolling on the floor with laughter, but then again, perhaps it's not supposed to.

Daniel Auteuil is brilliant and cast perfectly in the role of the billionaire CEO. He's probably my favourite French actor, and also here he doesn't disappoint.

Overall, I enjoyed watching this film, although I'm not sure I would want a second viewing. It's enjoyable and does have its funny moments, but I wouldn't rank it as one of the best comedies I've seen, as I think there are better ones. But for anyone who wants a relaxing evening on the sofa with a glass of wine and something enjoyable to watch, there's no reason I couldn't recommend this film.

The DVD jacket says "Brilliant", "A stunning thriller" and "The most gripping film of the year", and most of the reviews I've seen on this site seem to back those claims up. The thing is, I simply can't understand why.

I'm very much into French cinema and believe I can recognize a good film when I see one, but this one really puzzles me. Or it's rather the brilliant reviews that puzzle me, because my interest at some point during the film waned, and eventually turned into boredom, to the extent that I didn't really care anymore who actually sent those tapes. All the same then that the director apparently had decided to leave us in the dark about that! I'm a great fan of Daniel Auteuil and Juliette Binoche, and they're the main reason I picked this film up. And there's not much really that I can fault about their performance in this film.

But those long scenes of surveillance video tape, where basically nothing is happening - apart from the odd passing car - were not easy to watch for me. I'm not saying that a thriller has to be action-packed from beginning to end. Far from it. After all, it's the "suspense" element of a psychological thriller that makes it what it is. But I failed to witness much suspense in this film.

OK, to be frank, a lot of the plot may not really make sense, and for the most part, the treasure hunt seems like a bit too smooth a ride for Ben Gates.

Yet, for the whole two hours I found myself extremely well entertained. The story is constantly driven forward, and there are no dead moments in the movie. Certainly not a cinematic masterpiece, but I think it's on the same level as an Indie Jones movie. Its purpose is to entertain with action, wit and "historial facts" that one might wish were true (but of course aren't). And that's what it does. It entertains, and as such, it's definitely fulfilling its promise.

I enjoyed it, and Nicolas Cage is well cast as the treasure hunter, while John Voight's and Helen Mirren's appearance is refreshing and makes the movie all the more fun to watch.

This is a Hollywood remake that certainly does not disappoint. It's a story that will go to every dog lover's heart - and everyone else's!

I don't think I've cried so much during any other movie - ever.

The film is, of course, based on a true story, which happened in the 1920s in Japan. The great thing about this movie is that Lasse Hallström resisted the temptation to make it "more exciting" by adding hard-to-believe scenes. The whole film thus comes across as very believable, and one gets the feeling that the bond between Hachi and his master is absolutely real. Richard Gere does a fine job there indeed.

For me, he is in fact one of those actors that are like expensive wine: They're getting better with age. I was never very fond of him in the 90s, but his performances in "Hachi" or "Shall We Dance", for instance, I find outstanding and extremely believable.

But anyone watching this film is advised to keep a box of tissues handy, as I cannot think of anyone who would not need them!

What a delightful film! I watched it on a recent flight, thinking I'd go for something light that would keep me awake, not expecting too much really, and then I was absolutely delighted by this feel-good movie! Great and very convincing performance by Martin Freeman. And "Mr. Poppy" (Marc Wootton) is an absolute joy to watch. But it's definitely the children that make this film so special. Some of them are absolutely hilarious.

Great soundtrack, too. Songs that stick in ones mind even long after watching the film.

This is truly one of the best, most heartwarming and most enjoyable Christmas films I've ever seen, and it goes to show that a director doesn't need a huge budget to put together a film that is a joy to watch for everyone - children and adults alike!

It says on the DVD that I bought that this is a classic, so I thought it was about time I gave this a try. And boy, it certainly didn't disappoint!

I usually only know this kind of nail biting suspense throughout the entire movie from Hitchcock thrillers, but director Clouzot could not have done a better job!

This is high tension suspense pure! The viewer - although aware, of course, that killing is a bad thing - finds himself cheering the cruel headmaster's wife and his mistress on as they go about killing him. After all, it does seem like a "good cause". And just as one believes to understand what is going on, the rules of the game change, and one anxiously wonders what turn of events is waiting around the next corner till the very end!

An absolute masterpiece, with a brilliant little twist at the end. One cannot do better for a suspense thriller.

But be warned - nothing for weak hearts!

The main thing that attracted me to this movie was the fact that David Kelly stars in it.

Like in "Waking Ned", he plays someone who cons people, although in contrast to the other film, where he was merely taking advantage of an unforeseen situation, here he is making it his daily business.

David Kelly's acting is brilliant. One cannot fail to like his charm and quirkiness.

The plot itself seemed promising to me first, but I felt that it kind of lost much of its momentum after a while. So, much though I liked David Kelly's performance, the story itself I found a bit uninspired and not living up to its promises, which is a shame.

Not very often have I watched a thriller that entertained me as much as this one, throughout its whole duration. I don't think this film made a big splash at the box office or earned much critical acclaim, which is a shame.

In my view, its fascinating scenery, the many twists and turns, a fabulous Sophie Marceau, and not least a clever ending, make this pure entertainment to watch and would have deserved better.

The film does remind me of Hitchcock at his best.

Not all the pieces may fit together all the time, but I don't find this to be an issue with this movie. When the final credits rolled, I was still in a kind of trance smiling to myself about the clever storyline and its convincing presentation.

Sophie Marceau is one of my favourite actresses and is probably the only reason I gave this film a rating of 3.

As far as the plot is concerned, I found it far too confusing and complicated to follow. It starts out promising enough when Jeanne starts seeing things that seem odd, and one is left wondering how the story will develop. But when she herself transforms into a completely different woman, that's when I, quite frankly, "lost the plot". I quite simply don't get it.

I do like films where things don't always seem what they are (and French directors are in my view especially good at this), and where the story can be interpreted in different ways ("Anthony Zimmer", also featuring Sophie Marceau, is a prime example and in my eyes actually a masterpiece in the psychological thriller genre). But here, the story seems flawed and over-complicated, with no satisfactory resolution.