Pete-Postlethwaite Movie Reviews

There are very few films which I would call exceptional, but this 1999 British gem is without a doubt one of them. It is based on author Deric Longden's story of his relationship with his independent, determined, spunky mother and of his coming to terms with her increasing disability after she suffers a stroke, and it stars two wonderful British actors. Pete Postlethwaite (Sharpe's Obediah, Brassed Off) puts in a first-rate performance as Deric, a caring son trying to do his best by his mum. Mrs. Longden is a real treasure (she's such a character!), and she's portrayed splendidly by the late Dame Thora Hird (Summer Wine's Edie Pegden, In Loving Memory), who tragically passed away in 2003 a few days after suffering a stroke herself. She was 91.

This may sound like the basis for a melodramatic, weepy film (as indeed I feared it was going to be before I saw it). Certainly, the subject is one which could so easily have been maudlin and depressing (as most Hollywood renditions would have been), but it is actually anything but. The Brits are wonderfully adept at handling touchy subjects (like death and disability) and are not afraid to infuse them with humour. The result is an endearing, heart-warming, upbeat film which, despite its subject matter (or perhaps because of it), celebrates a life. You will be wiping away the odd tear, certainly, but that spark of humour manages to be maintained--right to the end. Indeed, it's the juxtaposition of such monumentally serious issues with subtly comical (or at the very least endearing) moments that make those moments all the more humorous (not to mention welcome).

The film is only 75 minutes or so in length, but there is more quality packed into that short time span than most films could even hope to achieve in 2 or 3 hours. Personally, I found it to be so immensely satisfying that, having watched it on television, I immediately sought it out on video. It really is that good a film and one which I recommend extremely highly--indeed unconditionally--to anyone looking for a thoroughly enjoyable, clean film of exceptional quality that is consummately acted. Indeed, what more can one ask!

A nearly flawless, and incredibly moving, depiction of gradual loss. We watch as the wonderful, funny, quirky Mrs. Longden loses her ability to communicate through a series of strokes. Her devoted son is forced to watch his mothers decline, powerless to help, but struggling to make the most of his time left with her. The script is funny and affecting, and never sentimental, much like the performances. Pete Postlethwaite proves he is incredibly talented yet again, conveying more with the simple words, "Oh Mum," than any long tearful speech could do. Thora Hird deservedly won a Bafta for this role of a lifetime. A truly wonderful movie, that is not depressing, but life-affirming.

Dame Thora Hird and Pete Postlethwaite are so completly the Dotty loving mother and loving though bemused son that your heart is stolen within the first moments of the film. Carried along as you are through situations that we like to avoid in our lives, that we hope never to face, words and and then the loss of them. The wrong words bring you to the edge of your seat as you try to catch the idea, the meaning, to open the library of a mind lost in the mist of a stroke. This could all be so sad and depressing but you are kept smiling and laughing through the heart ache. I have rarely been more moved.

There are very few films which I would call exceptional, but this 1999 British gem is without a doubt one of them. It is based on author Deric Longden's story of his relationship with his independent, determined, spunky mother and of his coming to terms with her increasing disability after she suffers a stroke, and it stars two wonderful British actors. Pete Postlethwaite (Sharpe's Obediah, Brassed Off) puts in a first-rate performance as Deric, a caring son trying to do his best by his mum. Mrs. Longden is a real treasure (she's such a character!), and she's portrayed splendidly by the late Dame Thora Hird (Summer Wine's Edie Pegden, In Loving Memory), who tragically passed away in 2003 a few days after suffering a stroke herself. She was 91.

This may sound like the basis for a melodramatic, weepy film (as indeed I feared it was going to be before I saw it). Certainly, the subject is one which could so easily have been maudlin and depressing (as most Hollywood renditions would have been), but it is actually anything but. The Brits are wonderfully adept at handling touchy subjects (like death and disability) and are not afraid to infuse them with humour. The result is an endearing, heart-warming, upbeat film which, despite its subject matter (or perhaps because of it), celebrates a life. You will be wiping away the odd tear, certainly, but that spark of humour manages to be maintained--right to the end. Indeed, it's the juxtaposition of such monumentally serious issues with subtly comical (or at the very least endearing) moments that make those moments all the more humorous (not to mention welcome).

The film is only 75 minutes or so in length, but there is more quality packed into that short time span than most films could even hope to achieve in 2 or 3 hours. Personally, I found it to be so immensely satisfying that, having watched it on television, I immediately sought it out on video. It really is that good a film and one which I recommend extremely highly--indeed unconditionally--to anyone looking for a thoroughly enjoyable, clean film of exceptional quality that is consummately acted. Indeed, what more can one ask!

A nearly flawless, and incredibly moving, depiction of gradual loss. We watch as the wonderful, funny, quirky Mrs. Longden loses her ability to communicate through a series of strokes. Her devoted son is forced to watch his mothers decline, powerless to help, but struggling to make the most of his time left with her. The script is funny and affecting, and never sentimental, much like the performances. Pete Postlethwaite proves he is incredibly talented yet again, conveying more with the simple words, "Oh Mum," than any long tearful speech could do. Thora Hird deservedly won a Bafta for this role of a lifetime. A truly wonderful movie, that is not depressing, but life-affirming.

Dame Thora Hird and Pete Postlethwaite are so completly the Dotty loving mother and loving though bemused son that your heart is stolen within the first moments of the film. Carried along as you are through situations that we like to avoid in our lives, that we hope never to face, words and and then the loss of them. The wrong words bring you to the edge of your seat as you try to catch the idea, the meaning, to open the library of a mind lost in the mist of a stroke. This could all be so sad and depressing but you are kept smiling and laughing through the heart ache. I have rarely been more moved.

A true lost-between-the-cracks comic gem. My friends and I have enjoyed this movie since we first saw it and finding good copies of it were difficult, to put it mildly. Although the DVD is skimpy, it's here, and damn reasonably priced, too.
Even with the DVD remaster, the sound is typically lousy (what IS it with the British...refuse to use German microphones?) and one almost has to turn the subtitles on to understand all the muffled dialog. Miking problems aside, "A Private Function" is a delightful, funny, occasionally crude comedy about class struggle in post-war Britain. A small "who's-who" of England's character actors make up the perfect cast of this film and all turn in splendid, low-key performances. Michael Palin, possibly the best "actor-actor" of the Monty Python troupe, is charming as the chiropodist who unwittingly stumbles unto the upper-middle-class via his female clientele, much to the delight of his social-aspiring, piano teacher wife, Maggie Smith.

Thank George Harrison's Handmade Films, without whom this, and many other films would have never been made, however low-budget and poorly-received they were. "A Private Function" may not grab you on the first viewing, but there's much to go back for on repeated viewings. And it gets funnier each time.
One warning: if you're at all squeamish about the butchering business (or piggie gastro-intestinal business), you may want to skip this one!

What a surprise that this perfect gem is not better known...such a loss. Britain during the early fifties had much to look forward to and much still to do. Everything was still rationed just as in the war years principally because the treasury was sacked to pay for the arms and munitions needed to fight it. The Empire (or what was left of it) was broke too and most that had not already done so went the autonomous route now, taking revenue away from London...though all quite peaceably and with everyone's best wishes. It would be ten years after the war ended (that makes roughly fourteen in all) until rationing would end for these isles, celebrated with the fantastic Festival of Britain in 1955, and people could at last look forward into a new Elizabethan age, rather than back on that darkness. My god Britain paid for that war in every way possible...really. What a period then to set a comedy I suppose...except that this particular story required those lean and austere times for the telling of it. Fresh meat you see...gammon, bacon, joints roasted and slavered with apple sauce...mouth watering! Imagine then the lengths you might go to for some of that after, let's say, eleven years of powdered egg.
Michael Palin as the hen pecked chiropodist, Maggie Smith as the social climbing hen, Liz Smith as the batty scatty mother-in law who'll stuff virtually anything and everything in her gannet gob, Denholm Eliot (as the doctor) who refuses to be impressed and so must be made so...along with everyone else in town who matters....I have never laughed so much. They are all that generation who would have been children (more or less) in this time period and all say how they never felt they went without....how they enjoyed their childhood's and wish it could be the same always...when you watch this you can see their point. This film and everyone's performance in it is superb. Please...for your good health and for your better and more cheerful disposition...buy this movie.

A vivid and comic look at dour Britain in the early 50's, just as Princess Elizabeth (the future Queen) is about to get married. Local celebrations are hampered by food rationing - and a stolen pig becomes the centre of attention. Lizzie Smith as the old mum is brilliant, Richard Griffiths excellent (he is in "Withnail and I" too) and Dame Maggie Smith as Michael Palin's wife is just right.
Denholm Eliot, as a local bigwig, is a revelation. Buy it! Pity it's not on DVD.

This movie is, perhaps, the funniest Irish film ever made. It's surprising to see Dahl is mentioned before KAFKA!! ... eh, the "Metamorphosis" people? Indeed, who is this strange writer invading and capitalizing on this most personal family tragedy? Also, much of the cast are due to appear again in the upcoming "Bl,.m", which is, of course, Joyce's great day-outing...
Rat is sure to be a classic, and it's one of those gems where we'll have to work hard to spread the word ourselves...
Okay, now I'm buying this for my stepfather...

I rented this movie like I've rented many movies - RANDOMLY. I had no idea what to expect. I only knew it had something to do with a Rat (obviously). RAT was a very pleasant surprise (love the accents. especially when the wife says "book" like "buke" haha, maybe I'm just crazy... but so is this movie!!). Hubert Flynn (the rat throughout most of the film) is transformed somehow and goes home to his family. What's weird is the fact that the people in the movie never question that the rat is Hubert. Infact, when we enter into their life, the audience assumes that Huburt the Rat has been there living as a rat for serveral days or even weeks or months! The wife fixes him dinner and talks to him like he's human. They put pillows on his chair at the dinner table so that the rat, um, I mean Hubert, can reach the food. My reasons for liking this movie are simple: It's unique. It's humorous. It's mysterious. You never know what's going to happen next, so it keeps viewers interested! I thought it was very well made and a creative idea for a movie. The ending has a good twist as well. They have an official web site for the movie: rat-themovie dot com. It's a refreshing change compared to all the other movies out today. If you want a few laughs, and want to be in on a "secret" movie that a lot of people probably haven't seen ... 'RAT' is certainly a movie you won't soon forget.

A slyly funny film starring many of the same actors from the beloved Balykissangel television series. Some great camera work and all the makings of a cult film. Some very good extras are included on the DVD disc also. A little known gem.

In the US we have little to compare with the closing of the British coal industry in the 1980s. Millions of miners and their families were left redundant, that is, no job, no hope, no future. Into this dismal situation a small group of men manage to bring an iota of dignity and brilliant music to their lives. Brassed Off is a political comment on Margaret Thatcher's government. It is a film that hides its political cheek in between the sheets of music played by the real Grimelythorpe Colliary Band. Ewan McGregor plays miner Andy Barrow, a small town boy whose nothing life goes nowhere. Tara Fitzgerald is the girl who left for school but returns to try and stave off the closing of the town's mine with her well intentioned but useless report. Veteran character actor Pete Postelwaithe is the band's conductor whose lungs are black, but his head and heart are in the music competition he desperately wants his band to win. The sentimentality in the film peaks as the miners gather to seranade their dying conductor to the strains of "Danny Boy." Kleenex was passing about the theater like popcorn when I saw the film. Brassed Off is a little film with humor and heart, and for those who relish a little political kick with their music.

This excellent movie suffered from some dodgy marketing. Ewan MacGregor was splashed all over the publicity as a result of his role in "Trainspotting", and while he plays a central role in it very well indeed, he's only one of a superb ensemble of actors.

The Yorkshire miners' strike of the mid-80s was, so far, the last great stand of the British working-class against the encroaching forces of capital and "economic efficiency". The mines were the source of not just wealth, but the dignity of entire communities. Coal mining is a back-breaking, filthy, dangerous and ultimately murderous job, and it was the danger and the sweat that gave the communities their pride. One of the things that this pride fostered was the incredible virtuosity of the brass bands. I was never a great fan of brass band music until I saw this movie, but the music in it (played by the Grimethorpe Colliery Band, one of the most distinguished bands in the country) is not dull marching music but fantastically intricate and moving stuff. These guys weren't academy-trained musicians, they were mine workers who learned it in their spare time.

And yet, one of the central points of the film is that we can all sit back and enjoy the music but little was done by anyone but the miners themselves to stop the destruction and demoralisation of the communities that produced it. That's what gives the film its tragic force, despite the resilience and good humour displayed along the way. (This is also a funny film, if a very sad one.)

Much of the weight of the tragedy falls on two characters - Danny, the bandmaster, and his son Phil, a trombone player in the band. Danny is played by Pete Postlethwaite, a stunning actor who seems to able to incarnate an unbelievable range of figures (he was also the sinister Kobayashi in "The Usual Suspects" and the dying father in "In The Name of the Father"). Postlethwaite's character has been a miner all his life, and his frailty is terribly evident, yet he convinces us with his realisation that the music that he has always loved is, in the end, only the swansong of a whole way of life.

Phil is played by Stephen Tompkinson, who had previously been visible as a good light comedy actor. Here, his red-eyed, desperate performance is a revelation. Phil moonlights as a children's entertainer, and the sight of him in clown costume being beaten up by the bailiffs emptying his home is fiercely ironic.

This is a great movie; the point of it is even greater. The pits were closed down, not because they weren't profitable (most of them were), but because they represented a threat to the new economic order. The final irony is that, with the closure of so many pits and the drop in fossil fuel consumption, the UK is going to have to build lots of nuclear power stations over the next twenty years if they want to maintain the national electricity grid at its current level.

Having seen the country of my birth (Britain) being systematically despoiled and demoralised over the course of most of my life by a long Conservative administration, I can only cheer a movie like this, which counts the cost of it all.

This movie features a colliery (coal mine) band that mustn't be missed. It is unbelievably good. In the days of active mining, many mines had their own brass bands and this real band is probably the best ever assembled from among uneducated men who spend their working lives in the dank, dark passages of a coal mine and practice their music at night.

The story centers about the band and the miners who have been laid off because Margaret Thatcher has close hundreds of collieries who could not compete with foreign coal any longer. The government officials pretend that they want the mine left open, but they have already been ordered to close it. The story line is not only correct in what actually happened to mines, but it also contains a budding love affair between Tara Fitzgerald and Ewan McGregor.

Like all movies of this type, this one turns out well, but the road to the ending is tense and very entertaining.

Well worth while video to have.

"Round up the usual suspects." And so they do - and ending up in the lineup are career criminals Michael McManus, Fred Fenster and Todd Hockney (Stephen Baldwin, Benicio del Toro and Kevin Pollack), ex-cop gone bad gone good again Dean Keaton (Gabriel Byrne) and small-time con man Verbal Kint (Kevin Spacey).

Wait a minute ... five criminals in one lineup? There's something wrong here, right? Right ...

In "The Usual Suspects," not only every line but every gesture, every facial expression and every camera cut counts. Even if you distrust the story being told, you can't exactly pin down everything that's wrong with it. The plot unfolds through the tale extracted from Kint, one of two survivors of a massacre and subsequent explosion on a boat docked in San Pedro Harbor, by U.S. Customs agent David Kujan (Chazz Palminteri). And at the same time as Kint is spinning his yarn, in a nearby hospital the other survivor (badly injured and fresh out of a coma) helps a police sketch artist draw a picture of the mastermind behind the scheme - "the devil," Keyser Söze.

You can watch this movie countless times, and you will still discover new subtleties every single time. Not only will you find that it still makes sense after the story line has been unraveled at the end (which therefore is a plot twist, not a non-sequitur). You'll also discover nuance upon nuance in Kevin Spacey's incredible performance. You'll see that tiny apologetic grin on Todd Hockney's face as attorney Kobayashi (Pete Postlethwaite) lists a weapons truck heist - the very act which brought them together in the initial lineup, and which they have all come to believe to have been a trumped-up charge - as Hockney's latest sin against Keyser Söze, now forming part of the debt to be repaid by participating in the suicide mission in San Pedro Harbor. And at some point you'll also have figured out all of Fenster's lines (not being a native English speaker, I am relieved to find that I wasn't the only one struggling with them at first) ... although the mumbling is of course part of his character, and is as excellently delivered as every other aspect of Benicio del Toro's acting, his lines are so funny and to the point you almost wish he'd speak more clearly so you wouldn't miss half his punch lines the first time around.

Among a cast of tremendous actors (to name just two, Gabriel Byrne in one of his best performances and Benicio del Toro, deserving much more than just an "also starring" mentioning in the opening credits), Kevin Spacey's star shines brightest. To this day it is a mystery to me how he came to be awarded the Academy Award for Best *Supporting* Actor - the only things the man supports (in fact carries, almost single-handedly) in this movie are Bryan Singer's directing and Christopher McQuarrie's screenplay, and that alone makes him the movie's lead character. But regardless of its title, the award was more than justified, and so was the one for McQuarrie's screenplay. With infinite trust in the audience's ability to pick up on little gestures, looks and inflections of his voice, Kevin Spacey displays all the many aspects of his character at the same time; and even the tenth time around, his performance still holds as true as the first time you watch the movie. Almost expressionless he tells his tale, always seeming to give away just about as much as he has to, and only raising his voice for a pointed (and exquisitely timed) expletive upon first being confronted with the name Keyser Söze, and for a wailing "Why me??" as agent Kujan tries to convince him that his own archenemy, Keaton, has been behind their failed enterprise all along and purposely let him (Kint) live to tell their story.

This is one of those movies which have you quote their many memorable one-liners forever. (Just look at how many reviewers on this site alone are quoting the one about "the devil's greatest trick.") To the extent that it cites other works, those citations pay homage, they don't merely copy - right down to the name of the movie's production company (Blue Parrot/Bad Hat); like the title containing a reference to "Casablanca," the prototype of all films noir (or those made in Hollywood at least). It is one of the best modern examples of the genre and has long since become a cult classic - it's a must in every decent collection.

The Usual Suspects is one of the finest films I've ever seen. It is peppered with magnificent performances, excellent direction, and a brilliant script(Which incidentally won the Oscar for Best Screenplay). Director Bryan Singer molds a tight and entertaining tale of five men, falsely brought in on charges of a stolen vehicle, then deciding to join forces and commit more crimes. What transgresses is a story of deceit, corruption and murder. Not only is the tale incredibly gripping, it is also downright hilarious at some points, making it such an enjoyable film. Kevin Spacey delivers an amazing performance as Verbal Kint, a scam artist cripple. Gabriel Byrne is great as the tough but compassionate Dean Keaton. Kevin Pollack delivers a strong and razor sharp comic relief role as Todd Hockney. One of the most surprisingly fantastic performances comes from Stephen Baldwin, who really packs a punch in this one. Benicio Del Toro gained rave reviews for his role as Fenster in this film , with due cause. Chazz Palminteri is also very intimidating as the cop trying to bring them down. This film won two Oscars, for original screenplay(Christopher McQuarrie, can you believe this was an original?!) and very deservedly for Kevin Spacey and his awesome performance. There is a surprise ending that will knock you off your seat. Sorry, can't give it away. Go out and see it.

I'm not going to explain the plot or anything like that, I'm just going to tell you to GO SEE THIS MOVIE! The ending(as well as the rest of the movie) is INSANE!!

"Round up the usual suspects." And so they do - and ending up in the lineup are career criminals Michael McManus, Fred Fenster and Todd Hockney (Stephen Baldwin, Benicio del Toro and Kevin Pollack), ex-cop gone bad gone good again Dean Keaton (Gabriel Byrne) and small-time con man Verbal Kint (Kevin Spacey).

Wait a minute ... five criminals in one lineup? There's something wrong here, right? Right ...

In "The Usual Suspects," not only every line but every gesture, every facial expression and every camera cut counts. Even if you distrust the story being told, you can't exactly pin down everything that's wrong with it. The plot unfolds through the tale extracted from Kint, one of two survivors of a massacre and subsequent explosion on a boat docked in San Pedro Harbor, by U.S. Customs agent David Kujan (Chazz Palminteri). And at the same time as Kint is spinning his yarn, in a nearby hospital the other survivor (badly injured and fresh out of a coma) helps a police sketch artist draw a picture of the mastermind behind the scheme - "the devil," Keyser Söze.

You can watch this movie countless times, and you will still discover new subtleties every single time. Not only will you find that it still makes sense after the story line has been unraveled at the end (which therefore is a plot twist, not a non-sequitur). You'll also discover nuance upon nuance in Kevin Spacey's incredible performance. You'll see that tiny apologetic grin on Todd Hockney's face as attorney Kobayashi (Pete Postlethwaite) lists a weapons truck heist - the very act which brought them together in the initial lineup, and which they have all come to believe to have been a trumped-up charge - as Hockney's latest sin against Keyser Söze, now forming part of the debt to be repaid by participating in the suicide mission in San Pedro Harbor. And at some point you'll also have figured out all of Fenster's lines (not being a native English speaker, I am relieved to find that I wasn't the only one struggling with them at first) ... although the mumbling is of course part of his character, and is as excellently delivered as every other aspect of Benicio del Toro's acting, his lines are so funny and to the point you almost wish he'd speak more clearly so you wouldn't miss half his punch lines the first time around.

Among a cast of tremendous actors (to name just two, Gabriel Byrne in one of his best performances and Benicio del Toro, deserving much more than just an "also starring" mentioning in the opening credits), Kevin Spacey's star shines brightest. To this day it is a mystery to me how he came to be awarded the Academy Award for Best *Supporting* Actor - the only things the man supports (in fact carries, almost single-handedly) in this movie are Bryan Singer's directing and Christopher McQuarrie's screenplay, and that alone makes him the movie's lead character. But regardless of its title, the award was more than justified, and so was the one for McQuarrie's screenplay. With infinite trust in the audience's ability to pick up on little gestures, looks and inflections of his voice, Kevin Spacey displays all the many aspects of his character at the same time; and even the tenth time around, his performance still holds as true as the first time you watch the movie. Almost expressionless he tells his tale, always seeming to give away just about as much as he has to, and only raising his voice for a pointed (and exquisitely timed) expletive upon first being confronted with the name Keyser Söze, and for a wailing "Why me??" as agent Kujan tries to convince him that his own archenemy, Keaton, has been behind their failed enterprise all along and purposely let him (Kint) live to tell their story.

This is one of those movies which have you quote their many memorable one-liners forever. (Just look at how many reviewers on this site alone are quoting the one about "the devil's greatest trick.") To the extent that it cites other works, those citations pay homage, they don't merely copy - right down to the name of the movie's production company (Blue Parrot/Bad Hat); like the title containing a reference to "Casablanca," the prototype of all films noir (or those made in Hollywood at least). It is one of the best modern examples of the genre and has long since become a cult classic - it's a must in every decent collection.

The Usual Suspects is one of the finest films I've ever seen. It is peppered with magnificent performances, excellent direction, and a brilliant script(Which incidentally won the Oscar for Best Screenplay). Director Bryan Singer molds a tight and entertaining tale of five men, falsely brought in on charges of a stolen vehicle, then deciding to join forces and commit more crimes. What transgresses is a story of deceit, corruption and murder. Not only is the tale incredibly gripping, it is also downright hilarious at some points, making it such an enjoyable film. Kevin Spacey delivers an amazing performance as Verbal Kint, a scam artist cripple. Gabriel Byrne is great as the tough but compassionate Dean Keaton. Kevin Pollack delivers a strong and razor sharp comic relief role as Todd Hockney. One of the most surprisingly fantastic performances comes from Stephen Baldwin, who really packs a punch in this one. Benicio Del Toro gained rave reviews for his role as Fenster in this film , with due cause. Chazz Palminteri is also very intimidating as the cop trying to bring them down. This film won two Oscars, for original screenplay(Christopher McQuarrie, can you believe this was an original?!) and very deservedly for Kevin Spacey and his awesome performance. There is a surprise ending that will knock you off your seat. Sorry, can't give it away. Go out and see it.

I'm not going to explain the plot or anything like that, I'm just going to tell you to GO SEE THIS MOVIE! The ending(as well as the rest of the movie) is INSANE!!

"Round up the usual suspects." And so they do - and ending up in the lineup are career criminals Michael McManus, Fred Fenster and Todd Hockney (Stephen Baldwin, Benicio del Toro and Kevin Pollack), ex-cop gone bad gone good again Dean Keaton (Gabriel Byrne) and small-time con man Verbal Kint (Kevin Spacey).

Wait a minute ... five criminals in one lineup? There's something wrong here, right? Right ...

In "The Usual Suspects," not only every line but every gesture, every facial expression and every camera cut counts. Even if you distrust the story being told, you can't exactly pin down everything that's wrong with it. The plot unfolds through the tale extracted from Kint, one of two survivors of a massacre and subsequent explosion on a boat docked in San Pedro Harbor, by U.S. Customs agent David Kujan (Chazz Palminteri). And at the same time as Kint is spinning his yarn, in a nearby hospital the other survivor (badly injured and fresh out of a coma) helps a police sketch artist draw a picture of the mastermind behind the scheme - "the devil," Keyser Söze.

You can watch this movie countless times, and you will still discover new subtleties every single time. Not only will you find that it still makes sense after the story line has been unraveled at the end (which therefore is a plot twist, not a non-sequitur). You'll also discover nuance upon nuance in Kevin Spacey's incredible performance. You'll see that tiny apologetic grin on Todd Hockney's face as attorney Kobayashi (Pete Postlethwaite) lists a weapons truck heist - the very act which brought them together in the initial lineup, and which they have all come to believe to have been a trumped-up charge - as Hockney's latest sin against Keyser Söze, now forming part of the debt to be repaid by participating in the suicide mission in San Pedro Harbor. And at some point you'll also have figured out all of Fenster's lines (not being a native English speaker, I am relieved to find that I wasn't the only one struggling with them at first) ... although the mumbling is of course part of his character, and is as excellently delivered as every other aspect of Benicio del Toro's acting, his lines are so funny and to the point you almost wish he'd speak more clearly so you wouldn't miss half his punch lines the first time around.

Among a cast of tremendous actors (to name just two, Gabriel Byrne in one of his best performances and Benicio del Toro, deserving much more than just an "also starring" mentioning in the opening credits), Kevin Spacey's star shines brightest. To this day it is a mystery to me how he came to be awarded the Academy Award for Best *Supporting* Actor - the only things the man supports (in fact carries, almost single-handedly) in this movie are Bryan Singer's directing and Christopher McQuarrie's screenplay, and that alone makes him the movie's lead character. But regardless of its title, the award was more than justified, and so was the one for McQuarrie's screenplay. With infinite trust in the audience's ability to pick up on little gestures, looks and inflections of his voice, Kevin Spacey displays all the many aspects of his character at the same time; and even the tenth time around, his performance still holds as true as the first time you watch the movie. Almost expressionless he tells his tale, always seeming to give away just about as much as he has to, and only raising his voice for a pointed (and exquisitely timed) expletive upon first being confronted with the name Keyser Söze, and for a wailing "Why me??" as agent Kujan tries to convince him that his own archenemy, Keaton, has been behind their failed enterprise all along and purposely let him (Kint) live to tell their story.

This is one of those movies which have you quote their many memorable one-liners forever. (Just look at how many reviewers on this site alone are quoting the one about "the devil's greatest trick.") To the extent that it cites other works, those citations pay homage, they don't merely copy - right down to the name of the movie's production company (Blue Parrot/Bad Hat); like the title containing a reference to "Casablanca," the prototype of all films noir (or those made in Hollywood at least). It is one of the best modern examples of the genre and has long since become a cult classic - it's a must in every decent collection.

The Usual Suspects is one of the finest films I've ever seen. It is peppered with magnificent performances, excellent direction, and a brilliant script(Which incidentally won the Oscar for Best Screenplay). Director Bryan Singer molds a tight and entertaining tale of five men, falsely brought in on charges of a stolen vehicle, then deciding to join forces and commit more crimes. What transgresses is a story of deceit, corruption and murder. Not only is the tale incredibly gripping, it is also downright hilarious at some points, making it such an enjoyable film. Kevin Spacey delivers an amazing performance as Verbal Kint, a scam artist cripple. Gabriel Byrne is great as the tough but compassionate Dean Keaton. Kevin Pollack delivers a strong and razor sharp comic relief role as Todd Hockney. One of the most surprisingly fantastic performances comes from Stephen Baldwin, who really packs a punch in this one. Benicio Del Toro gained rave reviews for his role as Fenster in this film , with due cause. Chazz Palminteri is also very intimidating as the cop trying to bring them down. This film won two Oscars, for original screenplay(Christopher McQuarrie, can you believe this was an original?!) and very deservedly for Kevin Spacey and his awesome performance. There is a surprise ending that will knock you off your seat. Sorry, can't give it away. Go out and see it.

I'm not going to explain the plot or anything like that, I'm just going to tell you to GO SEE THIS MOVIE! The ending(as well as the rest of the movie) is INSANE!!

"Round up the usual suspects." And so they do - and ending up in the lineup are career criminals Michael McManus, Fred Fenster and Todd Hockney (Stephen Baldwin, Benicio del Toro and Kevin Pollack), ex-cop gone bad gone good again Dean Keaton (Gabriel Byrne) and small-time con man Verbal Kint (Kevin Spacey).

Wait a minute ... five criminals in one lineup? There's something wrong here, right? Right ...

In "The Usual Suspects," not only every line but every gesture, every facial expression and every camera cut counts. Even if you distrust the story being told, you can't exactly pin down everything that's wrong with it. The plot unfolds through the tale extracted from Kint, one of two survivors of a massacre and subsequent explosion on a boat docked in San Pedro Harbor, by U.S. Customs agent David Kujan (Chazz Palminteri). And at the same time as Kint is spinning his yarn, in a nearby hospital the other survivor (badly injured and fresh out of a coma) helps a police sketch artist draw a picture of the mastermind behind the scheme - "the devil," Keyser Söze.

You can watch this movie countless times, and you will still discover new subtleties every single time. Not only will you find that it still makes sense after the story line has been unraveled at the end (which therefore is a plot twist, not a non-sequitur). You'll also discover nuance upon nuance in Kevin Spacey's incredible performance. You'll see that tiny apologetic grin on Todd Hockney's face as attorney Kobayashi (Pete Postlethwaite) lists a weapons truck heist - the very act which brought them together in the initial lineup, and which they have all come to believe to have been a trumped-up charge - as Hockney's latest sin against Keyser Söze, now forming part of the debt to be repaid by participating in the suicide mission in San Pedro Harbor. And at some point you'll also have figured out all of Fenster's lines (not being a native English speaker, I am relieved to find that I wasn't the only one struggling with them at first) ... although the mumbling is of course part of his character, and is as excellently delivered as every other aspect of Benicio del Toro's acting, his lines are so funny and to the point you almost wish he'd speak more clearly so you wouldn't miss half his punch lines the first time around.

Among a cast of tremendous actors (to name just two, Gabriel Byrne in one of his best performances and Benicio del Toro, deserving much more than just an "also starring" mentioning in the opening credits), Kevin Spacey's star shines brightest. To this day it is a mystery to me how he came to be awarded the Academy Award for Best *Supporting* Actor - the only things the man supports (in fact carries, almost single-handedly) in this movie are Bryan Singer's directing and Christopher McQuarrie's screenplay, and that alone makes him the movie's lead character. But regardless of its title, the award was more than justified, and so was the one for McQuarrie's screenplay. With infinite trust in the audience's ability to pick up on little gestures, looks and inflections of his voice, Kevin Spacey displays all the many aspects of his character at the same time; and even the tenth time around, his performance still holds as true as the first time you watch the movie. Almost expressionless he tells his tale, always seeming to give away just about as much as he has to, and only raising his voice for a pointed (and exquisitely timed) expletive upon first being confronted with the name Keyser Söze, and for a wailing "Why me??" as agent Kujan tries to convince him that his own archenemy, Keaton, has been behind their failed enterprise all along and purposely let him (Kint) live to tell their story.

This is one of those movies which have you quote their many memorable one-liners forever. (Just look at how many reviewers on this site alone are quoting the one about "the devil's greatest trick.") To the extent that it cites other works, those citations pay homage, they don't merely copy - right down to the name of the movie's production company (Blue Parrot/Bad Hat); like the title containing a reference to "Casablanca," the prototype of all films noir (or those made in Hollywood at least). It is one of the best modern examples of the genre and has long since become a cult classic - it's a must in every decent collection.

The Usual Suspects is one of the finest films I've ever seen. It is peppered with magnificent performances, excellent direction, and a brilliant script(Which incidentally won the Oscar for Best Screenplay). Director Bryan Singer molds a tight and entertaining tale of five men, falsely brought in on charges of a stolen vehicle, then deciding to join forces and commit more crimes. What transgresses is a story of deceit, corruption and murder. Not only is the tale incredibly gripping, it is also downright hilarious at some points, making it such an enjoyable film. Kevin Spacey delivers an amazing performance as Verbal Kint, a scam artist cripple. Gabriel Byrne is great as the tough but compassionate Dean Keaton. Kevin Pollack delivers a strong and razor sharp comic relief role as Todd Hockney. One of the most surprisingly fantastic performances comes from Stephen Baldwin, who really packs a punch in this one. Benicio Del Toro gained rave reviews for his role as Fenster in this film , with due cause. Chazz Palminteri is also very intimidating as the cop trying to bring them down. This film won two Oscars, for original screenplay(Christopher McQuarrie, can you believe this was an original?!) and very deservedly for Kevin Spacey and his awesome performance. There is a surprise ending that will knock you off your seat. Sorry, can't give it away. Go out and see it.

I'm not going to explain the plot or anything like that, I'm just going to tell you to GO SEE THIS MOVIE! The ending(as well as the rest of the movie) is INSANE!!

Directed by Rob Cohen (THE FAST AND THE FURIOUS, XXX) DRAGONHEART is both a solid addition to the fantasy genre amd a heart-warming family adventure that recalls the old-fashioned escapism of the 80s. Furthering the special effects done on JURASSIC PARK, the ancient philisophical dragon Draco (Voiced by Sean Connery) is one of the most amazing and realisatic interactive CG creations of recent years. However Connery's excellent Draco overshadows the rest of the casts' performances, which are mediocre to begin with, except for the always brilliant Pete Postilwaithe as a monk scribe. It's not to say that Dennis Quaid isn't good, he delivers some humerous lines and is a strong character considering he's acting next to nothing, but the dragon effects, like the ones in Jurassic, are the main feature, leaving little in the way for character development. That said, there is a good sense of the fun that runs through the film's story, and David Thewlis makes an excellent villian as the tyrant king Einon, who betrays the trust that Draco swore him to uphold when he saved his life by giving King Einon half his heart. Randy Edelman's memorable flighty score adds a nice layer of fun and Cohen's direction gives both humour and gravitas. While it's not perfect, it's still good fun, and a nice reminder that movies don't need a overly-complex-plot to satisfy the audience, simply a sense of wonder.

In 1996, a fantasy film by the name of "Dragonheart" hit theaters and didn't really garner much at the box-office. Quite a shame, because this movie is quite a good one. "Dragonheart" took place during medieval times in England with a story about a bloodthirsty king's son's (David Thewlis) pact with a dragon to live with the half of the dragon's heart. The dragon, Draco (Sean Connery's voice), later befriends Bowen (Dennis Quaid), Einon's mentor, after they realize Einon has the same treachorous blood of his father's.

The acting is quite good in the film, especially Quaid and Pete Postlethwaite as Gilbert (he's a poet and a monk, and he gets the best lines). Julie Christie plays Einon's mother and she does a decent job. The only one I can detract is Dina Meyer's and considering her character's father is murdered by the evil king, I expected a more angst-filled performance. Unfortunately, she plays the role rather blandly and it's quite a shame; she was excellent in "Starship Troopers" (one year later) and very good in her small role in "Star Trek Nemesis." Oh well, onto the other good stuff...

The dragon effects were VERY WELL DONE and detailed, and it's not surprising that one of the head dragon creators (Phil Tippett) from 1981's "Dragonslayer" is involved. Sean Connery gives the character much personality and I'd place him #2 in the best lines category for this film (as I mentioned above, Gilbert has most of the best). The music was composed by Randy Edelman, a prolific composer of notable films including "Kindergarten Cop," "The Last of the Mohicans," and the brilliant "Gettysburg," among many other films. The music is superb.

On a closing note, I'd say for recent years, this is an awesome film. It may not be academy award winning material, but it's visual grandness for the medieval period and it's overall great sense of fun, it's a winner. It almost feels like those old Indiana Jones/Romancing the Stone/Back to the Future/etc. films in which a movie is content on being fun, whether or not a lot of brainpower is involved. A good film, excellently directed by Rob Cohen ("Fast and the Furious").

I LOVE THIS MOVIE!!! It is one of the best ever!!! It shows dragons the way I think dragons should be shown: as good guys, with feelings and a personality, not the way some movies show dragons as mindless, heartless murdering beasts.

Summary: A knight of the Old Code named Bowen has sworn himself to hunting down and killing every dragon in the world. The reason: his apprentice, Prince Enion, was badly wounded when the villagers revolted against his father, the King. The Queen took the prince to a dragon that lived nearby and the dragon saved him by giving the boy half of his heart. Soon after, the ex-prince became the King and began to forget everything Bowen taught him. Bowen, thinking it was the dragon's heart that corrupted Enion, vows to kill all dragons.

12 years later: Bowen comes across a dragon who claims to be the last dragon. After a endless fight, the knight and dragon form a truce. After their schemeing makes them a lot of $, Bowen and the dragon, who Bowen named Draco, meet a villager named Kara, who wants to lead a revolt against Enion. With the help of Bowen and Draco, she is able to get villagers to join their cause.

As the fight begins, Draco is captured. Now Bowen must find a way to rescue his dragon friend and somehow kill Enion. But... what will the knight of the Old Code do when he finds out that there is a terrible and deadly connection between Draco and Enion? What will Bowen do when he finds out that the only way to end Enion's terrible ways once and for all is to...

I love how the director added in the parts of light humor along with action and slight plot twists which all add up to a slightly surprise ending. The end (which I wont give away) is so sad that I always get teary eyed no matter how many times I watch it. Bring lots of tissues to this movie. If you like dragons, then you will LOVE this movie!!! I can promise you!!!