A Few Mini Film Reviews

Not a stellar lineup this time but I thought I'd post the rest in order to encourage you all to see the first.

Rescue Dawn

Christian Bale gets thin again. This time he’s in the jungle and not eating enough rice. Gabby spent two hours waiting vainly for Dawn to turn up and missed an oddly commercial film from Werner Herzog. The last time Bale ‘got thin’ was for 'The Mechanic', one of the great amnesia films. This prisoner of war film, set during the Vietnam War, is an equally good. Okay, I'd say it's even better. I’d recommend it from its fantastic slow motion opening sequence to the end credits that were only ruined by somebody shouting 'I don't get! He was Dawn?'

Flood

Only we Brits could make such an odd thriller about the weather. Heavy storm produces a tidal surge that floods the Thames. Not a bad premise once you stop reminding yourself that Londoners would be saved had they either climbed on top of The Dome, or simply moved upstairs for the duration. However, not a bad film considered the rather low budget and David Suchet's poorly dyed eyebrows. Actually, if you do watch it, there's a really impressive bit in the middle when one of the minor actors has a scene in which they're totally silent. Perhaps it was my imagination but I thought it really great piece of acting that made the whole thing worthwhile.

The Last Legion

Gabby chose this one. Ben Kingsley has a very bad beard in this rather brainless romp which isn’t as bad as you’d think. Lots of sword action to keep Romanian commandos happy in this version of the King Arthur legend told in a very roundabout way. I, myself, was taken with a rather lovely woman from the Indian subcontinent who had a way with the knives that reminded me of somebody who is now snoring not two rooms away from me.

Resident Evil: Extinction

Well, another of Gabby’s choices. Young athletic woman gets to wield large caliber weapons and very sharp knives in the vicinity of zombies. An odd thing to say but I’ll say it anyway: should have been longer. I quite enjoy a good post-apocalyptic scenario but why the producers insist on filling them with mindless action, I don’t know. I, myself, was taken with the rather fine Milla Jovovich who had a way about her that reminded me of... Oh, you get the picture.