A few non horror films i have seen recently.
The Black Windmill
A Michael Caine starring film i had never heard of until buying this. A well made intricately plotted British spy thriller.
Caine's son is kidnapped and held for a ransom of diamonds. As Caines investigations take him to France he realises the heads of MI6 may well be behind the ransom demands.
The film is quite slow in its first third but picks up soon after and becomes an interesting watch. The film was directed by the legendary Don (Dirty Harry) Siegel.
Hero Wanted
A Fight Factory film that i didn't have much hope for that turned out to be a good exciting action packed watch.
Ex fireman Cuba Gooding Junior saves the life of a bank clerk during a robbery and vows to take down the gang. Ray Liotta plays against type as the detective trying to figure it all out.
Fans of Sons of Anarchy will recognise half of the bank heist gang straight away. Tommy Flanagan and Kim Coates have prominent roles throughout.
Really enjoyed this, it galloped along and the plot whilst intricate was never gobbldegook. The action was well filmed, you could actually take in what was happening without suffering from a bout of epilepsy.
At only 1p on Amazon i recommend this to action fans.
Unfortunately i can't recommend The Bounty Hunter.
Whilst just about watchable, this tale of a bail bondsman given the task of bringing his ex wife to justice should have been a lot of fun, sadly it wasn't.
Gerard Butler and Jennifer Aniston as the leads failed to spark up much chemistry together as the film plodded from one set piece to another. The storyline although intricate was never interesting, and the secondary characters also proved a let down.
For an action comedy with romantic twists the film never proved exciting, funny beyond a slight smile occasionally, or especially romantic.
For hardcore fans of Butler and Aniston only.
Dark Passage.
Now here's onscreen chemistry - Bogart and Bacall.
Humphrey Bogart is on the run from San Quentin, out to clear his name for the murder of his wife. Lauren Bacall gives him a lift shortly after his escape and the film escalates from there on as Bogart undertakes desperate measures in his bid to escape the cops and get to the bottom of who killed his wife.
A superb noir thriller, director Delmer Daves pulls off a coup as the viewer never see's Bogarts face for the first hour, most of the action takes place from his view point. As usual Bacall smoulders in everything she does and makes even the simplest of lines seem like a come-on.
This is the fourth time i have watched this dvd and is highly recommended.
Lebanon
Although loved by critics this film about an Israeli tank crew never grabbed me and ultimately bored me.
Its main problem is that the viewer was always in the tank with the rather unlikeable three man crew and never saw an outside view unless it was through the tanks scopes. For all i know the tank could have been painted red white and blue, the viewer had no idea.
Despite some rather gruesome scenes early on this film never engaged me and the crews constant squabbling became tiresome.
Fool's Gold.
A film panned by critics but i quite enjoyed it.
Matthew McConaughey plays a likeable modern day treasure hunter and Kate Hudson his estranged wife who together end up on Donald Sutherland and his celebrity daughter's posh private yacht in a search for sunken Spanish gold.
The film is a lively action comedy with likeable turns from both Hudson and McConaughey who have a sparky screen chemistry. The films supporting cast of Sutherland, Ray Winstone, Ewan Bremner and Alexis Dzenia add to the mix in this fun caper. The scenery is quite stunning and will look out of this world on BD.
I would say if you liked Sahara, then you could do no worse than give this a go especially as you can pick it up brand new on Amazon for around £1.60
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