irishbasterd1

This film deserves nothing but praise and when I read the pans that some people got it really stings me. I have seen tis movie twice already and I must say: Bravo! Wonderful. I have never been more moved and happy to watch one of my favorite books brought to life. Maybe yes some minor charaters were changed but the spirit of the book., the flavour, the wonderful air of hope amoungst the rubble of n omcoming darkness are all there. The acting was wonderful. Ian Mckellen, Ian Holm and Sean Beau give wonderful fully rounded performances, but then again EVERYONE in this movie does that.. Every actor had his charcter down brilliantly. The action sequences took my breath away, Christopher Lee sent chills down my spine. It was brilliant. If it doesn't win the Oscar this year I will be really upset. I have never loved a movie this much. Barvo everyone who worked with it! You have made a masterpiece of modern cinema.

Stephen Sondheim is a genius. Now that that's out of the way and everybody relizes that every score he has written is a new and complex work of art I can continue with my reveiw. The show is quite good. The cast handles the various songs with ease and style. Carol Burnette is wonderful in her numbers and really funny. She also manages to make some real moments of pathos and sadness that I didn't think she was able to do. She was great. The real spotlight, however goes to George Hearn. I can see why his part earned him a Tony nomination. He not only stole the show from Carol Burnette without changing a word of the lyrics or book but he created a sense of Broadway style and flare that was not in any of the other performances. He is a master at Sondheim and I beleive one of his better interpreters. His wonderful feeling and stunning phrasing in his numbers make him a delight to watch. The rest of the cast, though good, cannot compare. See this for Hearn's preformance, you won't regret it.

The Merchant of Venice is not my favorite of Shakespeare plays. I don't always enjoy it (save for Shylock who has some great lines). This production however is an exception. Set in Germany during the cabaret era it is both disturbing, delightfl and dramaticly wonderful. It captures the essance of Berlin in the late nineteen thirties (and trust me I know what I am talking about! I have directed Cabaret three times and played the Emcee six. I have also written books on Kurt Weille and The Cabaret Era). The highlight of the production is Henry Goodman as Shylock. The man is stunning. He delivers a wonderfully complex and dark performance. If you can watch this Merchant Of Venice. It is really good.

When I saw this film it was on a freind's tape (He had got it off of T.V. years ago.) i really enjoyed it. It was very stirring, almost as interesting as Ian Holm's King Lear. A very good King Lear with a very strong cast. Brenda Blethyn was wonderful as was the amazing Micheal Horden. Wonderful. See it if you can.

I went to see this film expecting nothing but a bloodlust killing spree. I was very surprised by what I saw. It was very well done (not to mention wonderful to look at) and very well aced (I didn't think Heater Graham had any talent whatsoever but she is alright in this movie.) Johnny Depp was as good as he always is. He is one of the better actors of this time and anything he's in is always good. Ian Holm is delightful and so is Ian Richardson. I really liked Holm's performance. Holm is a brilliant actor and very underatted. He is really very good in this movie. All in all I found the film very good and entertaining.

I have only praise for this film. From start to finish it captured the brilliance of Stephen Sondheim's musical. I am not a big fan of musicals most of them are very overdone. This one however changed my mind. I am an actor myself and have actully played Sweeney and I know how hard this role is. George Hearn gave a stunning, masterful and rounded performance worthy of the highest awards that we can give him (He won an Emmy and that's something.) Everything he does he turns to gold. He is so good it will blow your mind why he's not in films winning oscars. Lansbury is also very good and very funny. Sara Woods is creepy and wonderful as the Beggar Woman. All in all a great video. Pick it up if you can.

Before I begin I should say that I am not a fan of Andrew Lloyd Webber. I find him fake and uninteresting However I love Jesus Christ Superstar. It's a young Webber who had a voice unlike any other. Pity he lost it after this one show. I never cared for the older version of the musical. It lacked a lot to say the least. However this one comes a bit closer to the brilliance of this musical. It's done in a timeless period. Nazis dance side by side with people from the sixties and Herod comes on in a white tux. This was a brilliant idea, reminding me of the film Titus. It was very interesting. It was also perfect for the story of Christ. The film was however far from perfect. This is mostly due to the performance of Glenn Carter as Christ. Glenn Carter is just bad. He is no actor and lacks the power to play Christ. If you want to see a good Jesus watch Willem Dafoe in "The Last Temptation Of Christ." Carter doesn't seem to have any real interest in the part, that or he looks confused. Renee Castle is one of the better Marys. She has a fine voice but her songs seem somehow flat and uninteresting. This is not a fault of Ms. Castle however. The role is just not written well. Ms. Castle does as much as she can with what she's given. Fred Johanason is boring as Pilate, over acting everything. Don't see this film for his performance. Rik Mayall is brilliant as Herod. He makes his three minutes one of the highlights of the film. You spend the next few minutes wanting to see him again. The real award however goes to Jerome Pradon. He is just outstanding as Judas. Yes his voice is not the best but it's interesting. He acts with a brilliance I did not expect from a film like this. He is just stunning. I hope I will see more of him. His performance makes this film worth seeing. He shines in every number he's in. His voice is harsh but he makes up for it brilliantly. The first number is fantastic. It has no strain on Pradon. Then graduly as the part becomes more straining Pradon's voice weakens-just as Judas goes into the depths of his betrayal. It's a brilliant choice for a decent singer. He makes his voice acceptable dramaticly. In short I gave this film three stars all of which were earned on Pradon's performance.

I love Shakespeare. I started reading him when I was only eight back in 42. I am a great lover of his work and if I hear anyone slander him I am likely to respond by punching him hard in the face. So when I heard a new Shakespeare film was opening I rushed to see it.

I went to see this film on opening night in my town in Ireland. And I was disappointed. It has some great performances. Mostly from the supporting cast. Nathan Lane is brilliant as is the actor who plays Boyet and the stunning Timothy Spall, also the actress who played Jaqueneta ... in short I adore the supporting cast. The main actors: Braghnna and the other lovers, lack style and substance. I was disappointed to see that a lot of lines were given to Braghna that aren't actuly given to his character in the play. Seemed a little like a very large ego taking control to me (This is the first Bragnhna film I saw that I was dissapointed by his performace.). As for the songs ... I didn't mind them. They were amuseing and delightful. They were some of the highlights for this film. In short the supporting cast's performances make this film worth seeing. 3 out of 5 stars.