Sunday, 22 September 2013

Film Review: SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK (2012)

Silver Linings Playbook - poster Director: David O. Russell
Writers: David O. Russell (screenplay), Matthew Quick (novel “The Silver Linings Playbook”)
Running time: 118 mins (approx)
Certification (UK): 15

Genre: Comedy/Drama/Romance
UK Release date: 21st November 2012

Watched on Sky+ Sunday 22nd September 2013.

PLEASE NOTE: THERE MAY BE UNINTENTIONAL SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW.

I wasn’t sure about this one before watching it. I’m quite wary of popular American comedies; I have fallen foul of their evil (and terribly unfunny) ways before. Even as I began to watch I was afraid it was going to be a big mistake, but as it transpired, there was little to worry about. The film actually does have a heart and I found I finally could connect with the characters by the end. I will tell you more after this very brief summary.

Silver Linings Playbook - 2 When Pat (Bradley Cooper) is released from a mental institution he has made several decisions about his life. Not least of which was to do everything he could to patch things up with his wife, Nikki (Brea Bee). But she’s not all that an important character right now, as will be revealed. His parents, Pat Sr. (Robert De Niro) and Dolores (Jacki Weaver) are supportive but have their own troubles. Pat Sr. has lost his pension and has begun taking bets in order to make ends meet. He’s obsessed with the Philadelphia Eagles and sees Pat as some kind of lucky omen. But while out for a meal with friends Pat meets Tiffany (Jennifer Lawrence) who is widowed and also has emotional problems. She can get a message to Nikki, who has a restraining order out on Pat, but she wants something in return. And I think I’ll leave it there; that should be enough to give you a flavour.

Silver Linings Playbook - 4 I found it a little hard to get into at first with Bradley Cooper over-acting in places, which was beginning to put me off. The introduction of Tiffany (Jennifer Lawrence) though changed all that and the narrative began to make more sense. All the performances were excellent with (for me) Jennifer Lawrence standing out. Yes, I know De Niro is there but he’s really not a major character although he does play his part very well. Bradley Cooper was good, but no better really than I have seen him before. The action is littered with an awful lot of music, some I was familiar with and some not so much; all of it fitted the visuals well though and it made for a welcome enhancement to the entertainment. Over all I found it a well rounded romantic comedy (with some drama thrown in for good measure) and just a twist of quirkiness. It even touched me on an emotional level (a rare thing these days) so it gets a pretty high recommendation from me.

SteelMonster’s verdict: HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

My score: 8.3/10.

IMDb Score: 7.9/10 (based on 266,428 votes when this review was written).
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1045658/

MetaScore: 81/100: (Based on 45 critic reviews provided by Metacritic.com at the time of going to press).

THE SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK Rotten Tomatoes ‘Tomatometer’ Score: 92/100: (based on 299 reviews counted at the time of going to press).

Rotten Tomatoes ‘Audience’ Score: 87/100: (based on 233,762 user ratings counted at the time of going to press).
http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/silver_linings_playbook/

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Silver Linings Playbook - 3 LINKS:
(Note: All were working at the time of going to press)
Official Site: http://silverliningsplaybookmovie.com/
Official Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Silver-Linings-Playbook/453807761317648
Trailer:

Saturday, 21 September 2013

Film Review: DOWN TERRACE (2009)

Down Terrace - poster Director: Ben Wheatley
Writers: Robin Hill, Ben Wheatley
Running time: 89 mins (approx)
Certification (UK): 15

Genre: Crime/Drama/Comedy
UK Release date: 30th July 2010

Watched on Terrestrial PVR Saturday 20th September 2013.

PLEASE NOTE: THERE MAY BE UNINTENTIONAL SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW.

I can’t say I’m particularly a fan of Ben Wheatley’s work, but to be fair, I haven’t seen an awful lot of it. I put this partly to rights when one of the film channels here in the UK decided to show a short season of his films to coincide with the release of ‘A Field in England’, (review here). I certainly found this an interesting film with a very interesting style. I will tell you more after this very brief summary.

Down Terrace - 4 When father and son Bill (Robert Hill) and Karl (Robin Hill) get let off drug trafficking charges in court they return home to their terraced house. There waiting for them is Maggie (Julia Deakin), Bill’s wife, and a lad who works for them, Garvy (Tony Way). They want to get to the bottom of who had set them up and their suspicions initially fall on Garvy. Other characters begin to turn up; Eric (David Schaal) and Pringle (Michael Smiley), both of the criminal fraternity and then there’s Valda (Kerry Peacock), an ex-girlfriend of Karl’s who happens to be pregnant with his kid. As I said, there were suspicious of Garvy, but how far will it go before the week is out?

Down Terrace - 1 This film was billed as a comedy but I found it so darkly comic that I could almost take it as a straight-up drama. All the performances were excellent with both Robert and Robin Hill putting in stellar turns. A cross between a kitchen sink drama and a fly-on-the-wall documentary, I found the filming style made for a compelling watch. Unfortunately there were a couple of niggles. They are supposed to be drug dealers but we see no drug dealing going on. Also, the police were very conspicuous by their absence; not one policeman seen al the way through. You’d have thought the police would definitely be watching someone with their track record. Other than that I found it an interesting and compelling watch. Just a word for the squeamish though, Ben Wheatley does not hold back on the violence. There are a couple of quite graphic scenes in there that might have you wincing.

SteelMonster’s verdict: RECOMMENDED

My score: 7.1/10.

IMDb Score: 6.1/10 (based on 1,424 votes when this review was written).
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1489167/

MetaScore: 68/100: (Based on 14 critic reviews provided by Metacritic.com at the time of going to press).

Down Terrace - 2 Rotten Tomatoes ‘Tomatometer’ Score: 85/100: (based on 34 reviews counted at the time of going to press).

Rotten Tomatoes ‘Audience’ Score: 60/100: (based on 1,371 user ratings counted at the time of going to press).
http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/down-terrace/

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Down Terrace - 3 LINKS:
(Note: All were working at the time of going to press)
Official Site: http://www.downterrace.com/
Official Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/downterrace
Trailer:

Sunday, 15 September 2013

Film Review: TROUBLE WITH THE CURVE (2012)

Trouble With The Curve - poster Director: Robert Lorenz
Writer: Randy Brown
Running time: 111 mins (approx)
Certification (UK): 12

Genre: Drama/Sport
UK Release date: 30th November 2012

Watched on Sky+ Sunday 15th September 2013.

PLEASE NOTE: THERE MAY BE UNINTENTIONAL SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW.

Now baseball is not big here in the UK, in fact, other than it’s a bit like rounders and it’s really big in North America and the Far East, I know little about it. So why watch a film about it; well, I have seen a few films centred around the sport before and I’ve always found them quite interesting, so I thought I’d give this one a go. The fact it’s also got Clint Eastwood and Amy Adams in it, two of my favourite actors, is just incidental (honestly). I will give you my thoughts after this very brief summary.

Trouble With The Curve - 7 When ageing scout Gus (Clint Eastwood) discovers his sight is failing him his estranged daughter, Mickey (Amy Adams) decides to go with him on a scouting trip to help him out. Mickey has a high powered job and is up for a promotion and so this trip could not have came at a worst time for her. Gus has issues with her coming along, apart from him being fiercely independent, he still sees her as a little girl sometimes. Whilst on the trip they meet Johnny (Justin Timberlake) who is a washed-up player who it trying out as a scout for another team. Johnny and Mickey eventually hit it off but it’s her relationship with her father that is important. Will it survive this trip or have those bridges already been burned?

TROUBLE WITH THE CURVE Well made with many baseball references that went well over my head but that didn’t matter. The film isn’t about that, it’s about relationships and as such I found it an engaging watch. Both Clint Eastwood and Amy Adams were excellent in this; I admire them both as actors and they didn’t disappoint. Justin Timberlake gets better each time I see him, I just wish he’d stop making those awful records! (It’s a joke folks). Also worthy of note were Matthew Lillard as Phillip Sanderson, Robert Patrick as Vince and John Goodman as Pete Klein. It’s not a tear-jerker or a heart rending tale but I found it did strike an emotional chord with me. If, like me, you admire Eastwood and Adams then it’s well worth a look.

SteelMonster’s verdict: RECOMMENDED

My score: 8.1/10.

IMDb Score: 6.7/10 (based on 28,479 votes when this review was written).
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0087075/

MetaScore: 58/100: (Based on 40 critic reviews provided by Metacritic.com at the time of going to press).

Trouble With The Curve - 5 Rotten Tomatoes ‘Tomatometer’ Score: 52/100: (based on 182 reviews counted at the time of going to press).

Rotten Tomatoes ‘Audience’ Score: 66/100: (based on 41,982 user ratings counted at the time of going to press).
http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/trouble_with_the_curve/

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Trouble With The Curve - 4 LINKS:
(Note: All were working at the time of going to press)
Official Site (US): http://troublewiththecurve.warnerbros.com/dvd/
Trailer:

Film Review: THE WORLD’S END (2013)

The World's End - poster Director: Edgar Wright
Writers: Edgar Wright, Simon Pegg
Running time: 109 mins (approx)
Certification (UK): 15

Genre: Action/Comedy/Sci-Fi
UK Release date: 19th July 2013

Watched at the cinema Sunday 15th September 2013.

PLEASE NOTE: THERE MAY BE UNINTENTIONAL SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW.

Finally managed to catch up with ‘The World’s End’. I had wanted to see it since it was announced although the more I found out about it the more I feared a clone of ‘Shaun of the Dead’. I will tell you whether I thought it was or not at the end. It certainly hits all the right comic notes with Pegg and Frost to the fore (as expected). Here’s a very brief (& spoiler-free) summary before I give you my thoughts.

The World's End Gary King (Simon Pegg), a 40 year old man desperately trying to cling to his youth, is trying to put the old gang back together. His quest, to complete a legendary pub crawl they had failed to complete twenty years ago. The other members of the group are Andy Knightley (Nick Frost), Oliver Chamberlain (Martin Freeman), Steven Prince (Paddy Considine) and Peter Page (Eddie Marsan). They are returning to the town they all grew up in, Newton Haven, for the legendary ‘Golden Mile’ pub crawl; twelve pubs, twelve pints in one night. But when they get there all it not what it seems. There, said it would be brief and I’ve probably told you a lot less than you could get from the trailer.

The World's End - 6 Very well made with all the usual tropes you expect from and Edgar Wright/Simon Pegg script. There are an awful lot of references to their past work and very subtle nods to other films along the way. I guess you’d have to watch it many times to get them all. All the performances were excellent with Frost and Pegg taking centre stage (of course) but with the talent on show, nobody could really put a foot wrong. Oh, and I have to mention Rosamund Pike who plays the female lead, Sam Chamberlain, I thought she was excellent as well. So was it just a clone of ‘Shaun of the Dead’? Well, it has many similarities but the characters are all different and the antagonist is also different. So not a direct clone but you can see where it came from. Over all, I liked it, an entertaining romp well worth a look.

SteelMonster’s verdict: RECOMMENDED

My score: 7.7/10.

IMDb Score: 7.6/10 (based on 26,613 votes when this review was written).
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1213663/

MetaScore: 81/100: (Based on 45 critic reviews provided by Metacritic.com at the time of going to press).

The World's End - 1 Rotten Tomatoes ‘Tomatometer’ Score: 89/100: (based on 184 reviews counted at the time of going to press).

Rotten Tomatoes ‘Audience’ Score: 80/100: (based on 56,125 user ratings counted at the time of going to press).
http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_worlds_end/

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The World's End - 4 LINKS:
(Note: All were working at the time of going to press)
Official Site (UK): http://www.theworldsend-movie.com/uk/
Official Site (Focus Features): http://www.focusfeatures.com/the_worlds_end
Official Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheWorldsEndMovieUK?brand_redir=1
Trailer:

Saturday, 14 September 2013

Film Review: THE COMPANY OF WOLVES (1984)

The Company of Wolves - poster Director: Neil Jordan
Writers: Angela Carter (story “The Company of Wolves”/screenplay), Neil Jordan (screenplay)
Running time: 95 mins (approx)
Certification (UK): 18

Genre: Horror/Fantasy
UK Release date: 21st September 1984

Watched on Sky+ Saturday 14th September 2013.

PLEASE NOTE: THERE MAY BE UNINTENTIONAL SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW.

I first saw this film many years ago and when I noticed it in the listings recently I decided to give it another look. I have to admit I was quite impressed; for its day it stands up pretty well even by today’s standards. Now I’m not particularly big on horror movies; I find the majority of them far too predictable and made for a much younger audience; but I did enjoy this one. I’ll tell you why after this very brief summary.

The Company of Wolves - 1 The story is told through the eyes of the young Rosaleen (Sarah Patterson) who lives in a small village in a forest with her mother (Tusse Silberg) and father (David Warner). Rosaleen is told stories about wolves and men by her granny (Angela Lansbury) but little does she know just how near the truth they might be. There, I said it would be short.

The Company of Wolves - 3 I remember when I first saw this film (many years ago); I found it quite slow and plodding. This time I appreciated much more the measured approach taken by the director. It gives the audience time to take in the story and become familiar with the strange world he has created. Yes, there are a few clichés in there, the medieval village with a 17th century manor house and the fact the snakes (big ones) live in an English forest did seem kind of wrong to me. Also in the ‘dislike’ column came the musical score; sorry but synth's just don’t cut it any more. May have sounded cool at the time but now it’s just too damn cheesy. Okay, so what’s to like; well, first there’s the performance of Sarah Patterson, who I though did a truly excellent job given the talent she was working with. I also liked the special effects; all mechanical with not a hint of CGI (after all, it didn’t really exist back then). I really liked the way the story was structured but it could have done without the ‘modern day’ bits tagged on to either end. Over all I found it an entertaining watch and something every horror fan should have seen at least once.

SteelMonster’s verdict: RECOMMENDED

My score: 7.3/10.

IMDb Score: 6.6/10 (based on 8,905 votes when this review was written).
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0087075/

MetaScore: No data: (Based on 0 critic reviews provided by Metacritic.com at the time of going to press).

The Company of Wolves - 5 Rotten Tomatoes ‘Tomatometer’ Score: 7.7/100: (based on 13 reviews counted at the time of going to press).

Rotten Tomatoes ‘Audience’ Score: 54/100: (based on 8,147 user ratings counted at the time of going to press).
http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/company_of_wolves/

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The Company of Wolves - 6 LINKS:
(Note: All were working at the time of going to press)
Trailer: (Sorry about the quality)

Sunday, 8 September 2013

Film Review: TAKEN 2 (2012)

Taken 2 - poster Director: Olivier Megaton
Writers: Luc Besson, Robert Mark Kamen
Running time: 88 mins (approx)
Certification (UK): 15

Genre: Action/Crime/Thriller
UK Release date: 4th October 2012

Watched on Sky+ Sunday 8th September 2013.

PLEASE NOTE: THERE MAY BE UNINTENTIONAL SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW.

Having seen and enjoyed the first film in this series I was quite looking forward to a second instalment. Sadly it fell flat due to the studio’s insistence on “maximizing the audience” by toning it down to get a lower age certificate. So I was surprised to find the version showing on TV with a 15 Cert. as opposed to the 12 Cert. it was given on release. Now I know certification for TV works differently to that for a cinema release but even so I was actually looking forward to this one. I won’t do a summary this time because it’s basically the same story as the first film but with an element of revenge.

Taken 2 - 2 A well shot film making full use of its surroundings, Istanbul in this case. Well paced with the level action keeping the adrenalin pumping almost from the start. The performances were all very good although I felt nobody was particularly stretched. Liam Neeson was his usual self as Bryan Mills, Maggie Grace was good as daughter Kim, as was Famke Janssen as wife Lenore. Also worthy of note was Rade Serbedzija as major bad guy, Murad Krasniqi. It was ok as a piece of entertainment but I felt it didn’t do anything the first film didn’t. You usually expect a sequel to expand on the story of the first but this one virtually told the same story but with a couple of alterations. It seemed like the studio (Fox) were just out to cash in on the success of the first one. I’m just glad I didn’t go and watch it in a cinema but still, if you want entertainment that won’t stretch the little grey cells to much, then this is the one for you.

SteelMonster’s verdict: RECOMMENDED (Just)

My score: 6.3/10.

IMDb Score: 6.2/10 (based on 124,940 votes when this review was written).
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1397280/

MetaScore: 45/100: (Based on 35 critic reviews provided by Metacritic.com at the time of going to press).

Taken 2 - 1 Rotten Tomatoes ‘Tomatometer’ Score: 21/100: (based on 162 reviews counted at the time of going to press).

Rotten Tomatoes ‘Audience’ Score: 54/100: (based on 197,482 user ratings counted at the time of going to press).
http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/taken_2_2012/

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Taken 2 - 3 LINKS:
(Note: All were working at the time of going to press)
Trailer:

Saturday, 7 September 2013

Film Review: THE MASTER (2012)

The Master - poster Writer/Director: Paul Thomas Anderson
Running time: 131 mins (approx)
Certification (UK): 15

Genre: Drama
UK Release date: 16th November 2012

Watched on Sky+ Saturday 7th September 2013.

PLEASE NOTE: THERE MAY BE UNINTENTIONAL SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW.

This is a film that the critics really liked; however, it’s one that failed to impress the public to a large extent. Of course critics, being the kind of animals they are, can sometimes be a little off the mark when it comes to what will work in theatres. This is precisely why this one ended up on my list; well, to be fair, I loved Paul Thomas Anderson’s ‘Magnolia’ and many of his works prior to this as well. So, to ‘The Master’, well, without wishing to be unkind (I’ll save that for later), it didn’t quite hit the mark for me either. I will tell you why right after this very brief summary.

The Master - 2 At the end of World War II a troubled seaman, Freddie Quell (Joaquin Phoenix) is released into society. He seems to have little purpose and stumbles around from job to job but his drinking always brings him trouble. One night in 1950 he stumbles aboard a yacht and stows away. The man hosting a party on the yacht is the charismatic Lancaster Dodd (The Master) (Philip Seymour Hoffman), who has some pretty strange ideas, and he takes Freddie under his wing. The Master’s wife, Peggy (Amy Adams), accepts him at first but this will change over time. We follow The Master and his group around various parts of the USA and witness as some of his theories are put into practice. We also see how he tries to rehabilitate Freddie, not always with great success. I guess that’s about all I can say without giving too much away.

The Master - 7 The film is beautifully shot, making full use of the various surroundings they find themselves in. The use of music from the period was quite effective also, not always to my taste, but it seemed to fit pretty well. As to performances, well, all the major parts were excellently portrayed with Philip Seymour Hoffman standing out. I found I really paid attention to every scene he was in; without him, meaning no disrespect to the other actors involved, it kind of fell flat. I though Amy Adams was excellent too, although I felt she was underused. There appeared to be an awful lot of improvisation, particularly from Joaquin Phoenix and I found these scenes very hit and miss. I sometimes felt like I was watching an acting class. As far as the narrative goes, well I found it meandering; it was very slow (not that this is always a bad thing) and when we did get to a point it would then go off in a totally different direction. Over all, it didn’t stand out as the particularly outstanding work the critics seem to think it is; but then again, I don’t have to watch all the dross they have to on a day to day basis. Maybe I have to watch a lot of really bad films and then watch this one again, but for now it’s ‘Recommended’, but only just.

SteelMonster’s verdict: RECOMMENDED

My score: 6.1/10.

The Master - 1 IMDb Score: 7.1/10 (based on 55,365 votes when this review was written).
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1560747/

MetaScore: 86/100: (Based on 43 critic reviews provided by Metacritic.com at the time of going to press).

The Master - 5 Rotten Tomatoes ‘Tomatometer’ Score: 85/100: (based on 233 reviews counted at the time of going to press).

Rotten Tomatoes ‘Audience’ Score: 60/100: (based on 43,007 user ratings counted at the time of going to press).
http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_master_2011/

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The Master - 3 LINKS:
(Note: All were working at the time of going to press)
Official Site: http://www.themasterfilm.com/
Official Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheMasterMovie
Trailer:

Sunday, 1 September 2013

Film Review: THE KID WITH A BIKE (2011)

The Kid with a Bike - poster Writer/Directors: Jean-Pierre Dardenne, Luc Dardenne
Running time: 87 mins (approx)
Certification (UK): 12A

Genre: Drama
UK Release date: 23rd March 2012

Watched on Sky+ Sunday 1st September 2013.

PLEASE NOTE: THERE MAY BE UNINTENTIONAL SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW.

I remember this one was very highly acclaimed by the critics on release and so it was duly placed on ‘The List’. So I was surprised to see it appear in the TV listings (on the BBC) just over a year after its UK release. Needless to say it was added to my planner and duly recorded. And so having watched this Belgian film, yes, it’s Belgian, I can honestly say I felt a little let down by the critics. Not that it was bad you understand, more because expectations were a little higher than normal and the film didn’t quite live up to them. I’ll tell you more after this very brief summary.

The Kid with a Bike - 7 A young boy, Cyril Catoul (Thomas Doret), finds himself in a care home after his grandmother dies and his father disappears. All he wants is to find his dad, Guy (Jérémie Renier), and go back living with him. To this end he is constantly going back to the estate where he thinks his father lives. A woman who runs a local hairdresser’s, Samantha (Cécile De France), takes pity on him and agrees to foster him at weekends. Of course Cyril uses this time to search for his father; but having found him, he is not exactly thrilled with the outcome (I won’t tell you what happens – spoilers). This sends him off the rails a bit and one of the local criminal fraternity, Wes (Egon Di Mateo), decides to take advantage. And I will leave it there.

The Kid with a Bike - 6 I found this a bit of a contradictory film; on one had there are some really great performances, on the other; I found it hard to see the motivation behind some of the actions taking place on the screen. Maybe I’m not as good at reading characters as I thought; but then again, it’s a very long time since I was a twelve(ish) year old boy. As to the performances, well, I thought both Thomas Doret and Cécile De France were truly excellent. I can’t say we really got to see the gritty realism of the streets of Belgium because it wasn’t all that gritty, or maybe that’s as gritty as Belgium gets. It was, however, well made but didn’t do anything particularly extraordinary. Worth a look? Definitely, but I don’t think I’ll be giving it a repeat viewing anytime soon.

SteelMonster’s verdict: RECOMMENDED

My score: 7.1/10.

IMDb Score: 7.3/10 (based on 13,150 votes when this review was written).
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1827512/

MetaScore: 87/100: (Based on 33 critic reviews provided by Metacritic.com at the time of going to press).

The Kid with a Bike - 3 Rotten Tomatoes ‘Tomatometer’ Score: 97/100: (based on 116 reviews counted at the time of going to press).

Rotten Tomatoes ‘Audience’ Score: 76/100: (based on 23,356 user ratings counted at the time of going to press).
http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_kid_with_a_bike/

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The Kid with a Bike - 5 LINKS:
(Note: All were working at the time of going to press)
Trailer:

Saturday, 31 August 2013

Film Review: NURSE BETTY (2000)

Nurse Betty - poster Director: Neil LaBute
Writers: John C. Richards (story/screenplay), James Flamberg (screenplay)
Running time: 110 mins (approx)
Certification (UK): 18

Genre: Comedy/Crime/Drama/Romance
UK Release date: 1st September 2000

Watched on Sky+ Saturday 31st August 2013.

PLEASE NOTE: THERE MAY BE UNINTENTIONAL SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW.

I can’t say I knew an awful lot about this movie before viewing. I had seen the title pop up quite a lot since it’s’ release but had never had the chance to see it until now. I found it interesting but not all that engaging; some good performances but it didn’t quite hit the mark. Here’s a very brief summary before I expand on that.

Nurse Betty - 5 When waitress and soap opera fan, Betty Sizemore (Renée Zellweger) witnesses her husband, Del (Aaron Eckhart) being murdered, she goes into shock. This has the effect of making her believe she has left Del and is headed to LA to meet up with her ex-fiancé, Dr. David Ravell (Greg Kinnear) from the hospital-based soap ‘A Reason to Love’. Of course the men who murdered Del, Charlie (Morgan Freeman) and Wesley (Chris Rock), are on her trail as soon as they know she had witnessed the crime. On arrival in LA she is befriended and taken in by Rosa Hernandez (Tia Texada), after she saves Rosa’s brother. They set off to find Dr. David Ravell, but how will Rosa react when she realises he’s totally fictitious.

Nurse Betty - 4 Although I found it an interesting concept, I found it quite hard to engage with any of the characters. Having said that, I did find I had a bit of a soft spot for Betty. It’s pretty well made, although I did feel I was watching a soap half the time. There were far too many coincidental events going on that allowed the plot to progress. The performances were all pretty good with Renée Zellweger easily standing out. Morgan Freeman was, well, Morgan Freeman; he just seems to play every part the same these days. Chris Rock was a bit of a surprise for me, playing the hot headed Wesley with great aplomb and a great degree of swearing. Over all though, I found it a little disappointing despite the decent performances, it never really got going.

SteelMonster’s verdict: RECOMMENDED (Just)

My score: 5.9/10.

IMDb Score: 6.2/10 (based on 25,424 votes when this review was written).
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0171580/

MetaScore: 69/100: (Based on 34 critic reviews provided by Metacritic.com at the time of going to press).

Nurse Betty - 3Rotten Tomatoes ‘Tomatometer’ Score: 84/100: (based on 130 reviews counted at the time of going to press).

Rotten Tomatoes ‘Audience’ Score: 38/100: (based on 34,847 user ratings counted at the time of going to press).
http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/nurse_betty/

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Nurse Betty - 1 LINKS:
(Note: All were working at the time of going to press)
Trailer: