Reviews by Claudia

'When it came to making bad movies, Ed Wood was the best.'

Maybe it was just Johnny Depp doing the striptease in woman's clothing.. but I really, really enjoyed watching this film. Johnny Depp working together with Tim Burton again, nothing can go wrong with this dynamic duo. Johnny Depp; the talented, brilliant, amazing and good looking actor. While Tim Burton is creative, wonderful, different, sometimes strange.. but together they make the most amazing movies. Ed Wood is no different to the others.

Ed Wood is eccentric, strange yet interesting. Each of Johnny Depp's characters are different to each other, all with their strengths and weaknesses.. but I found Ed Wood really enjoyable to see on the screen, somehow Tim Burton created him as sometimes loving and caring, and sometimes fun and exciting. This film is all about Ed Wood the director, his movies and his life.

It's hard to imagine any other actor playing Ed Wood as well as Johnny Depp did, he gave him so much more character and definitely made this movie a whole lot more entertaining. Martin Landau deserves to be mentioned for his brilliant performance, he was pretty much perfect for his role, I couldn't ask for anyone better. I normally can't stand Sarah Jessica Parker.. she's not exactly my favourite actress. But in this I survived watching her, probably only because Johnny Depp was on the screen whenever she was. Jeffrey Jones was a nice addition to the cast, another regular to Tim Burton's films and in this he was great as always. Oh, and Bill Murray was also excellent, another actor who made this movie more enjoyable.

I haven't really seen any other film like this before, so it was nice to see something different. It definitely has Tim Burton's style of directing, this is informative, enjoyable and humorous. I'd recommend anyone to see this for themselves.. I think I'm finally getting over my dislike for black and white films.

"How happy is the blameless vestal's lot, The world forgetting, by the world forgot, Eternal sunshine of the spotless mind, Each prayer accepted, and each wish resigned."

A riveting drama film that really stayed with me long after I finished watching it. There are some amazing performances from the actors and a truly unique and unforgettable story. It's something like this that takes true skill to make into a great movie, it's just like any other film. We are shown the sequences of events in a different order, with the film starting off basically where it finishes, and the past being shown in between. But they really pulled it off. Everyone did - the director, the producer, the actors.. they all made this movie as brilliant as it could possibly be.

The story is of the romance between Joel and Clementine, who have an unusual relationship from the beginning. But after an argument Joel finds out that Clementine has had a procedure done to erase Joel from her memories. When Joel finds out, he goes the goes to get the same treatment done to him.. only he finds it hard to forget about the person he had loved. When seeing all the moments they shared together he comes to realise why he loved her in the first place. It's easy to get twisted in all of the memories, all of the things happening in at story at once.. but I just sat back and took in everything, and realised how wonderful this movie is.

Jim Carrey and Kate Winslet were stunning, they both had characters unlike others they had been before. Normally Jim Carrey is the loud mouth, while Kate Winslet is usually the more shy character. In this they were very much the opposite of each other, but both showing how versatile they can be. Kirsten Dunst was a nice addition, as were Mark Ruffalo and Elijah Wood.

You must be crazy if you haven't already seen this.. it's one of the most unique romance movies I have ever seen, easily entertaining and enjoyable to watch.

It was just called 'Edison' in Australia, and this crime thriller was sure worth seeing. I think this must have been Justin Timberlake's debut film, and it definitely came out in style with an all-star cast and a fast paced story.

This shows the corruption of of a journalist, Josh Pollack, when he becomes suspicious of an elite force, F.R.A.T, after the trial of an innocent man who's friend had just been murdered. At the start we see what happened to him, that is why there is no real mystery to the plot. So Pollack becomes more involved with F.R.A.T than he would want to, putting himself in danger as well as him friends and someone on this inside. This is exciting, fast paced and a real thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat. If you like action thrillers then this movie is for you, lots of explosions and gun fires.

This really was a brilliant cast, in my opinion perfectly picked with their characters. Morgan Freeman was outstanding, as was Kevin Spacey. Justin Timberlake, who I hadn't seen before in any films, has started out great for me. He gave a brilliant performance, I never doubted it for a second. LL Cool J was at his best, he should really be in more flicks like this. Dylan McDermott was brilliant.. his character freaked me out, so he must have aced his role. Others were okay.. nothing spectacular but then again there was no one in this cast that I found irritating.

I just read a lot of bad reviews for this, if I had seen them before I saw this I probably would have passed it. Luckily I did see it, and I disagree with those reviews. Because for me this was a great film so sit down and watch. Sure, it could have been better, but it was definitely better than most action thrillers like this. A good watch.

It's been a while since I've seen the first movie in this series, so it's hard for me to compare the two. I can say from what I remember that I enjoyed seeing the first one more, but this was in no way a disaster like some sequels I have seen in the past. This was still highly entertaining and worth watching.

For me this one was easier to follow than the first, they both have the same basic concept in that the movie is like a 'treasure hunt'. A huge adventure, moving from clue to clue to eventually find something extraordinary.. a place or item. In this case, Ben Gates is on an adventure to clear his family's name by travelling to some of the best destinations in the world.. finding hidden clues and discovering some of the world's most hidden secrets. It's enjoyable watching them find each of the clues, moving from one place to the next with help from some high people in society.. including the president!

Nicholas Cage has obviously mastered the role of Ben Gates, giving an amazing performance. Two thumbs up to him! Justin Bartha made the whole movie a LOT more entertaining, some of his lines were just hilarious. It was cool to see Ed Harris as the 'bad guy', but there was just something about his last scene that was just in no way believable what he was saying. But apart from that he wasn't half bad! Diane Kruger at the beginning I thought she would annoy me throughout the movie, but after this I think I'm beginning to like her more. Jon Voight was great, he's a nice addition to the cast, as were Harvey Keitel and even Bruce Greenwood.

The ending is left open for another movie in this series, and I sure would love to see another one. The great ideas never stop, I'd sure be there on the opening night again for the third if there was one. This starts off dark and mysterious and ends with a satisfying ending and good feeling. Please, if you liked the first one, see this! You won't be disappointed!

Football movies. You either love them or hate them. Me - I don't mind watching them, I don't find them particularly interesting but I can survive watching one. This is one of the better ones that I have seen, probably because of the cast including Billy Bob Thornton. And it was enjoyable to watch.

I can imagine that there's not too many possibilities of what to include in a sports movie like this, but they made it as interesting as it could be. It's not like they just go out and play football and they win or loose. It's much more than that. I really liked the way that each of the key players in the team were explored more with their family life etc. They don't just go out and play football. And we were shown in great extent the relationships of the players to the coach, rather than him just shouting out what was to happen during the game.

I have said it before and I will say it again, Billy Bob Thornton can ace any role. In this case though, there wasn't as much to the coach as some of his other characters, but he still delivered a solid performance. It was nice to see stars like Lucas Black in this film too, another great performance from one of his earlier films. I am a huge fan of Garrett Hedlund so for me he was outstanding, I loved seeing him as one of the players. There were some other great actors in this film, some performances not as good as others. But I can settle with saying the acting in this was well above average, two thumbs up to that!

The rating would be higher for me if I really liked these football movies. It definitely gets 3 stars for the acting, amazing cast and a story more than just any other sport film would have. See it for yourself if it sounds like your kind of movie. Otherwise, if you can't stand football movies, steer clear of this. Enjoy it!

"I read a book that was written in the 11th century. A man said that there was five steps toward making amends. The first involved acknowledging what you did. The second involved remorse. The third involved making right with your neighbor. Like if you stole his chicken, you'd have to go and bring him another. Only then were you able to go to step four, which was making it right with God. But it wasn't until step five that you could really get redeemed. It had to do with being at the same place and the same situation. That as it goes, you'd go and do something different. Only I can't bring Abner Easily back like he was some stolen chicken. Certainly made sure of that 23 years ago. And I don't believe in some God that's gonna open His arms to me even if I did. So there goes steps three and four. And as for step five, time makes sure we're never in the same place twice, no matter how much we wish it. Which is why, for me, I know I'll never be redeemed."

This is yet another amazing Billy Bob Thornton film. I can understand some people don't like movies like this.. maybe it's a bit slow at times for some people, but I enjoy watching drama films like this. And this was very interesting to watch, believable and definitely worth seeing. In this film Billy Bob Thornton is Manuel Jordan, who has just been released from prison for murder. He finds the sister of the boy, seeking forgiveness, but it is harder than he thinks to come out and say it to her. He becomes involved with a preacher and his community house, helping a young girl who Manuel believes is throwing her life away drinking and dancing at the night club across the road. But beneath this unique story is some beautiful feel-good moments, as well as some situations no one would like to be in themselves.

Billy Bob again delivered a stunning performance, I find it hard to imagine anyone else playing his character as well as he did. Morgan Freeman was also part of this outstanding cast, he was great for his role. Holly Hunter was also exceptional, as well as others like Kirsten Dunst. With a cast like this it's hard to imagine things to go wrong.

I recommend everyone to see this and decide for themselves whether or not they enjoyed watching it. It's a brilliant movie, an amazing cast and a strong and memorable story.

I should start by saying that I normally hate black and white films, they really annoy me. I think it's because colours really show emotions and give films more character, I just find it more interesting. But in this case I survived watching this whole film, and came to realise that the black and white made this movie more.. mysterious. It was probably the better choice than making this in colour, it gave me an idea of the film when it had only just started. It's unique, mysterious, strange, humorous and unlike any other film I have seen before.

It's definitely something strange from Billy Bob Thornton, it's nothing at all like any of his other films. Obviously it's not a comedy, though it does have a few jokes, so it's nothing like his new comedy movies. And even some of the drama ones I have seen before of his.. it was like another actor. That, by the way, isn't a bad thing. It's a great thing, I love the way he can go from films like Sling Blade, to this, to Bad Santa. He has a huge range of characters he can play so well, and they're all so different. In this movie Billy Bob is Ed Crane, very mysterious and somehow seemed to be the normal, boring kind of guy. We are shown important parts of his life before and after an incident that would change his whole life.

Apart from Billy Bob Thornton, this movie also had some great stars. Scarlett Johansson was great as her role of a young girl who Ed finds an important part of his life, and is determined to make sure her life isn't as much of a disaster as his. Tony Shalhoub was also quite good in this film, there wasn't much to his character but he mastered him and made the movie a lot more entertaining to watch.

This is definitely worth seeing if you are a Billy Bob Thornton fan, it's complex at times, but definitely a beautifully made film. The movie climax at the end was done exceptionally well and the feeling still stayed with me after the credits. "I don't know what waits for me, beyond the earth and sky. But I'm not afraid to go."

"There's no point to any of this. It's all just a... a random lottery of meaningless tragedy and a series of near escapes. So I take pleasure in the details. You know... a quarter-pounder with cheese, those are good, the sky about ten minutes before it starts to rain, the moment where your laughter become a cackle... and I, I sit back and I smoke my Camel Straights and I ride my own melt."

This movie proves that reality bites. And that's all it's about really.. reality. But it's a comedy, apparently, I got a few chuckles out of this.. but really, it's a drama. All about the life of a girl becoming an adult, all the dramas of being that age and romance. The tag-line really sums it up though, 'A comedy about love in the '90s.'

Winona Ryder was brilliant in this film, as far as I know it isn't really popular, she's good in films like this. It had a lot of great stars in this film, people like Steve Zahn who were probably just starting their acting careers. Ben Stiller was brilliant at directing and acting in this flick, I'm not sure if it's just me but his character wasn't exactly lovable in this. On the other hand, Ethan Hawke's character I loved the whole time. Sure, he wasn't perfect.. but I really think that he pulled it of really well. This movie just wouldn't have been the same, anywhere near as good, with out Ethan Hawke.

Reality Bites is an entertaining film that should satisfy anyone. It has comedy, drama and romance somehow all put together in this amazing film. And hey, it was an awesome soundtrack to go with it. Some parts in this I can admit aren't as good as others, but 90% of the time I was fully interested and intently watching this. I'd recommend this to anyone that hasn't already seen it, definitely worth watching.

Beautiful, memorable, unique, emotional and.. a masterpiece. I have never read the book so I can't compare it to the novel, I think that anyone who has read it would be satisfied with this. It's definitely one of the best movies of 2007, If it doesn't at least get nominated for an Oscar then there's something seriously wrong.

It was nice for Joe Wright and Keira Knightey to get back together in this film after 'Pride and Prejudice'. He is an amazing director and teamed together with some great actors it can't go wrong. I won't go into the plot in depth, it's hard to describe in words it's unique story, it's certainly like no other movie I have seen before. A series of events occur all because of an incident that happens at the beginning of the movie, when a young girl wrongly accuses a man of rape. He is sent off to war and all he can think of is a woman who he fell in love with the night he was taken away. The two have a slightly unusual relationship by sending letters with the hope of one day finally settling and having the rest of their lives together. Atonement is a really emotional film, and one scene in Dunkirk shows how tragic and full of chaos the war really was. That was a breathtaking scene, I was in awe of the directing and how so many things were happening at once. The setting of that scene was eerie and James McAvoy's performance showed the emotions anyone would be feeling at that time.

Keira Knightley was brilliant in this film, I haven't seen her in any other films like this so it was strange to see her in this role. In my opinion this is her best performance. James McAvoy, who I am not so familiar with also showed his amazing acting and made the movie a lot more emotional and memorable. Saoirse Ronan, who played the young Briony was brilliant for such a young age. Her character had a very important part in the story and she cave a great performance to create the atmosphere needed at the beginning of the film.

Overall this is a must see movie, a true drama film that should hold your attention from the opening credits until the very end.

Not ordinary, but a decent movie. Well above average but there were still some things that could have been better. I'm glad I watched it though, it was definitely worth it.

In this film Kevin Spacey is Michael Lynch, supposedly an 'ordinary, decent criminal'. He lives a good life with his two wives and children, making an income by robbing banks and stealing other expensive items. Behind him all the time wanting to convict Lynch is Noel Quigley, soon he becomes obsessed with bringing him down and putting him away for good. But Lynch is clever and can easily survive stuff like that, Quigley only needs evidence.

Kevin Spacey was pretty damn good for his role. I guess some of the cast was the downside, as the story was entertaining enough. But Spacey's performance was dynamite, only a few gaps here and there that could have used something else. Colin Farrell's part was small, I would have liked him to be more of a main character. And heck, I liked Vincent Regan even for his part. Nice cast, but sometimes it just didn't work with them together.

It's a clever movie that is easily entertaining and enjoyable. The ending is great, satisfying yet still left open. The accents started to get to me after a while, but hey, I survived watching the whole thing.