president242007

Having read John Grisham's novel "A Time To Kill and having thoroughly enjoyed it, I was enthusiastically looking forward to viewing the movie adaptation of this movie. Perhaps I shouldn't have had high expectations because not only does it lack the depth and quality of the novel -which is perhaps understandable-but the choice of casting leads a lot to be wanted.

To give credit where its due, Matthew McConaughey is great as Jake Brigance (even though the character in the novel is much more jaded and multi-dimensional than the movie version). And Samuel L Jackson does a great job as Carl Lee Hailey. And Brenda Fricker and Kevin Spacey are both good

But somehow Ashley Judd, great actress though she is, is miscast for the role of Carla Brigance. Perhaps this is not entirely her fault because the character of Carla Brigance is not treated well in this movie and lacks the character development or the liveliness that characterizes her in the novel. And Sandra Bullock as Ellen Roark -what were they thinking? Bullock ultimately succeeds in transforming a very intelligent, genial and pleasant character into an obnoxious, shallow and vacuous character who left me cold and unsympathetic toward her -even during the climax of her character's role.

Gone is a lot of the witty dialogue and humorous banter that characterized the Grisham novel. Lucien's character, although good, doesn't have much of the appeal that is such a strength in the book and the same goes for Harry Rex Vonner. And the issues and perspectives are not really examined in the depth that they should be in the movie -even given that a movie adaptation of a book can't go into the same depth, this one is sadly lacking.

All in all I would advise people to read the novel and give the movie a miss.

"13 Going On Thirty" is one of those movies that could have had the potential to be bad but instead proves to be of high quality due to the excellent acting and a wonderful and comprehensive script

It is true that we have seen several successive movies in which characters switch bodies or are fast forwarded to the future to discover what they have become. In fact this has been reflected as much in literature as it has been on the popular screen -as evidenced by Dickens's 'A Christmas Carol'. So it is exceedingly challenging for scriptwriters working on this kind of plot to come up with a unique script containing strong interaction between the characters, humor and a flowing dialogue that will sustain the viewer's interest in the movie which they can predict from start to finish. Yet '13 Going On 30' does just that and keeps the viewer entertained and engaged until the very end.

Jennifer Garner is excellently cast as Jenna Rink. The amount of spontaneity and depth that she gives to her character ensures that she presents a realistic portrayal of an individual who finds herself in the situation that Jenna Rink does. She conveys the character's naivety and idealism exceedingly well and even her facial expressions and hand movements give new meaning to the role of her character. She makes her character both appealing and attractive in a way that an actress of a lesser caliber would be unable to do.

Mark Ruffalo is also superb in his role as Matt. His acting also gives the portrayal of genuine warmth, kindness and friendship in his character and adds to the strength of this movie. He is also perfectly cast for his role. And the same goes for Judy Greer -who is absolutely outstanding and first class in both personalities she portrays in her role-and for everyone else down from Jenna's wonderfully sardonic and entertaining boss to even Jenna's secretary. And all those people who portrayed the younger versions of their characters are just unbelievably gifted in their acting abilities -I think you have to go back to the child actor in the Sixth Sense to find such wonderful child actors as the ones in this movie. I think this movie goes to show that there is a lot of up and coming talent in Hollywood and I look forward to seeing these actors in many future roles to come.

As mentioned previously, the scriptwriters have avoided the shortcomings of many romance or teen movies at the present time in shunning excessively clichéd and stereotypical dialogue and instead focusing on promoting the level of interaction and exchanges between the characters. They examine very closely some of the issues involved in changing age so rapidly -and the shortcomings as well as the advantages that it brings.

The nostalgia value in this movie is also great. The flashbacks to the '80s' and the wonderful music and hits of that decade took me back memory lane and reminded me of many fond memories.

I think this movie appeals to something in quite a lot of us -to change the past, to undo what has been done and to create a better future for ourselves and for those in our lives. I found this movie thoroughly entertaining, enjoyable and charming. 8/10

As one who considered that `My Big Fat Greek Wedding' was overrated, I did not have high expectations for this movie entering into the cinema. I was therefore pleasantly surprised at how entertaining and enjoyable this movie was and the high quality acting of both the main characters and the supporting cast.

Nia Vardalos and Toni Collette are excellent in their roles as Connie and Carla. They give a wonderful dimension of depth and personality to their two characters and have the style, flair and enthusiasm for their roles that that makes them perfect for the roles that they portray. They are natural performers and this movie allows them to showcase their strong points.

They also benefit from having a strong supporting cast. The actors who portray the other drag queens in the film portray their respective roles very convincingly and with a style and flair that is essential to ensuring the success of their roles. The Mafia henchmen are also excellent in their roles and provide the sinister and yet entertaining element necessary for their characters to succeed

The script and plot flows naturally and the jokes and humor are for the most part hilarious and adds to the appeal of the movie. I agree with the criticisms of this movie –that the characters are clichéd, the whole plot very predictable and the film very stereotypical of those in its genre. And yet the wonderful performances and acting of Collete and Vardalos, the talent of the supporting cast, the enjoyable and entertaining humour and even the serious parts of the movie are so engaging that it helps keep the viewer engrossed and entertained. This is a great movie to see if you want to relax and unwind and want some light hearted fun and entertainment

This movie should have been a disaster. The character development was weak, the script was uninspiring, the jokes were clichéd and the whole sequence of events throughout the whole movie was exceedingly predictable. Even though I haven't read the novel, I'm quite sure that this movie was quite a weak and flawed adaptation of the story contained within the book. You can actually see from watching the movie that the original novel must have had a significant and intriguing depth and dimension that fails to be conveyed in the movie. And I'm quite sure the book had a much more intellectual focus than this movie did. If not for the excellent performances of the main players in the cast, I'm quite sure this movie would have been a flop

But it isn't. And the fact that it isn't can be attributed entirely to the excellent acting provided by Nicole Kidman, Glenn Close, Matthew Broderick and to some extent Bette Midler. They manage to give this movie some life, vitality and enthusiasm that is sadly missing from the whole script and plot of this movie.

Nicole Kidman is outstanding in her portrayal of Joanne Eberhard. She portrays the various dimensions of her character's personality with a radiance and a realistic quality that gives a depth that effectively brings her character to life even with the flaws and defects of her script. Glenn Close also gives a flawless and wonderful performance as Clare Wellington and perfects every aspect and dimension of her character through her facial expressions, her manner of speaking and her strong on-screen persona. Matthew Broderick also performs strongly in his role even though the aspects of his character and his adjustment to Stepford could have been explored much more extensively on the part of the scriptwriters. Midler also portrays her role excellently –although she runs the risk of being typecast in the role of the characters that she has consistently played in various movies. And Roger Bart is absolutely priceless in his role as the `Stepford husband'

This film does suffer from some major flaws but, despite this, it is still relatively pleasant and enjoyable to view. It will never be a classic but is nevertheless harmless fun

I viewed this movie for the first time last night and I enjoyed every aspect of it –the dancing, the acting, the dialogue, the plot, the script and the whole atmosphere that this movie created. I would highly recommend it.

Jennifer Grey gives an absolutely wonderful and first class performance in her role as Frances (Baby) Houseman. She has a natural ability and flair for dancing and she is beautiful and enchanting on the dance floor. But what is wonderful about Baby is that she has such a wonderful depth and dimension to her character. This is not simply a movie about dancing but the scriptwriters have also given us a chance to see Baby deal with the various emotions and feelings that she is experiencing throughout the movie and to allow us an insight into how her interaction with others at the camp changes her life. Grey portrays her character with such realism and poignancy that you end up feeling deeply for Baby as she experiences all she does in this movie.

Patrick Swayze is magnificent in his role as Johnny and truly succeeds in making his character come alive. He gives his character a comprehensive personality, strong appeal and great depth. The chemistry between Swayze and Grey is enchanting and powerful and contributes significantly to the great success of this movie

Cynthia Rhodes is great in her role of Penny and her portrayal of the ordeal that she experiences is truly powerful and contributes a frightening dimension to the film. The other members of the supporting cast –Jerry Orbach and the late Mark Cantor deserve a special mention here-also give wonderful and imaginative performances that gives this movie an additional dimension of high quality acting and believability that is wonderful to experience. The dancing is magnificent and first class on the part of all involved.

The script and interaction between all the major characters is intriguing and engages the viewer in a powerful fashion. The plot, although exceedingly predictable, is given more than enough life and vitality to make this movie successful.

Furthermore the wonderful selection of music contained in this movie creates a truly magical atmosphere and very nostalgic environment that enhances the quality and success of all the various scenes.

`Dirty Dancing' is a truly powerful, magnificent and very appealing movie that leaves you deeply touched and with a wonderful feeling in your heart and soul and an inspiration to dance. I highly recommend it

While I would concede that I am generally not a fan of Adam Sandler movies, I nevertheless found `50 First Dates' to be a thoroughly enjoyable and heartwarming movie with an intriguing plot and excellent acting on the part of the main characters and quite a significant number of the supporting cast.

Adam Sandler provides an excellent portrayal of Henry Roth, somewhat of a playboy who has shunned commitment but finds his one true love, a woman with a very unique mental state of mind. Sandler gives his character a unique dimension of warmth, likeability and strength that ensures that he emerges as one of the strong points of the movie. With the help of an excellent script for his character, Sandler gives his character a dimension of warmth and humanity that is both heartwarming and thoroughly pleasant to watch

Drew Barrymore is also excellent in her portrayal of Lucy Whitmore –a sweet and kind person with a medical condition that plays a significant role in the movie. Barrymore provides her character with a wonderful dimension of warmth, kindness and sweetness that allows you to truly empathize with her and the dilemma she experiences. Barrymore really allows the positive dimensions of her character to shine through and this also contributes significantly to the movie's success.

The script writers have done a wonderful job of examining and portraying Lucy's medical condition with sympathy and humour. They make you have a unique degree of empathy and warmth toward the characters while at the same time not transforming the movie into a series or sad affair. The portrayal of the plot comes across as unique and balanced.

There are some minor flaws in the movie, in my opinion. The character development of Lucy's brother is rather unfortunate and is one of the weak points of the movie –it would probably have been better if he were provided with greater substance and depth and less clichéd and annoying dialogue. Also Rob Schneider's character was given too much air time and became rather annoying as time progressed. He should have been more of a background character than he was. I agree with what another reviewer on this site said about unnecessary over the top humour and accents –it really would have been much better without all that and it does detract somewhat from the high quality of the movie

But these flaws do not undermine the heartwarming and beautiful plot of the movie, the wonderful acting and the flowing interaction between Sandler and Barrymore. I would highly recommend this movie –just fast forward the `yuck' bits

This is a truly wonderful film from the 1980s that brings back fond memories for me and it just becomes even more wonderful every time that I view it. I would consider `Ferris Bueller's Day Off' to be one of the classic movies of the 1980s and probably one of the most profoundly entertaining, enjoyable, hilarious and poignant movies of all time. This movie has everything in it to make it a success –a wonderful storyline, a strong script, a wonderfully talented array of highly qualified main actors and supporting cast and naturally flowing dialogue. If some of the producers of today could learn from movies of the 1980s, this world would be a much better place.

Matthew Broderick delivers high quality, first class and believable acting to his role as Ferris Bueller. Portraying Ferris Bueller seems to be a strong point for him and I would consider it as a defining moment in his acting career. He gives Bueller's character a lot of depth and personality that tends to be missing from the vast majority of movies. Alan Ruck and Mia Sara also provide wonderful portrayals of Ferris's friends Cameron and Sloane. Jeffrey Jones is priceless in his excellent portrayal of constantly beleaguered headmaster Ed Rooney and Jennifer Grey shines as Ferris's disgruntled sister Jeannie Bueller. Even the supporting cast –such as Ferris's parents down to school attendant Florence Sparrow down to the garage mechanic who `looks after' the car-give wonderful performances that make the film even more wonderful than it already is.

The storyline is entertaining, enjoyable and gripping enough to keep you hanging on to the end. It's portrayal of youth, innocence and having a good time is truly a class act. The dialogue is witty, catchy and contains some priceless one liners that are still popular catchphrases today. It had me laughing hysterically even watching it for the tenth time. Everything down to the music and scenery works for this movie.

My advice would be to go and see it. You won't regret it and will come away with a warm, nostalgic, feel good and wonderful feeling. They don't make movies this good anymore

While I usually enjoy romance comedies and would consider movies such as `Sleepless In Seattle' and `You've Got Mail' to be among the best movies that I have seen, I have noticed that they seem to have deteriorated recently in terms of both the acting and the storyline. `How To Lose A Guy in 10 Days' would probably have to rank as the worst movie in any genre that I have seen for a significant period of time.

For a good romance movie/comedy to succeed it needs a good script, a good storyline (which even if predictable still contains enough substance to keep the viewer engaged), chemistry between the main actors, a strong supporting cast and flowing dialogue. It also has to make you laugh and make you feel good. In some cases the presence of one of the above features is so strong that it cancels out the lack of the other characteristics and makes the movie a success regardless. The problem with `How to Lose A Guy In 10 Days' is that it lacks all of the above characteristics.

The storyline contained in this movie is not only exceedingly predictable but contains all the clichéd characters and twists that have been recycled time and time again in romance movies and novels. There is nothing new to keep the viewer engaged –you can predict almost every minute of the movie as it unfolds. You can see the ending from the beginning and there are no surprises.

The script writing is equally bad. The character development is unrealistic and weak, the dialogue clichéd and stilted, the jokes very unfunny and needlessly crude and everything down to the costumes and scenery is out of place in the movie. The only thing going for this movie is the music and even then it is quite often much too high quality for such a weak film.

It is still possible that all this could have been offset by excellent acting by both the main players and the supporting cast. And I'll give Matthew McConaughey credit –he does give a star performance and provides his character with a considerable amount of depth and believability despite the bad script and weak dialogue. The rest of acting, however, is of a poor quality (this most probably is not the fault of the actors but rather of the script) and makes the movie even more painful to watch. It's hard to feel any degree of sympathy or empathy for anyone in the movie –which goes against the whole idea of these types of movies –and quite frankly the acting and the characters in the movie were downright annoying and made me want to turn off within about ten seconds of beginning to watch the movie.

This is a poor attempt at a movie in this genre and is exceedingly boring, weak, predictable and lame. Out of a rating of 10, I would give it a -5 and it's only that high because Matthew McConaughey's acting rescues the film from being a total disaster and nightmare

`Candyman' is a very frightening and yet intriguing and compelling movie that plays upon and cleverly manipulates old urban legends and myths of folklore and brings to life some of your worst nightmares and horrors. As far as scary movies go it falls into a category of its own in terms of its depth and excellence

One of the main strengths of this movie is that the script and the character performances are so powerful and credible that it doesn't feel the need to inject unnecessary horror/graphic/violent scenes into it to sensationalize it. Sure, there is an extensive amount of blood and gore in the movie but it nevertheless fits in with the plot and isn't added in just to give the film an unnecessary `horror' feel. The chilling and terrifying aspects of this movie come from the dialogue, the sequence of events and the emotions and personas revealed in the characters. The plot and the script is enough to leave you mesmerized throughout the whole movie and to remain on the edge of your seat with the anticipation of what is going to happen next. The producers and scriptwriters must receive top marks for the wonderful way in which they enriched the whole movie by relying on the script and the acting instead of adding cheap gimmicks into it to make it more frightening. In addition to that the lighting and the scenery around the whole movie makes it even more frightening

I have always thought Virginia Madsen to be a highly talented, qualified and excellent actress whose wonderful acting and gifted performances have been consistently overlooked when allocating movie roles. For me `Candyman' confirmed this thesis. Her portrayal of Helen Lyle is truly one of the most excellent portrayals of a character I have seen recently. She gives her character so much depth, dimension and genuine emotions. Tony Todd also emerges from this film as a very talented and wonderful actor. The amount of depth, dimension and persona that he gives to the character of the `Candyman' is amazing. Although the Candyman is in many ways a truly evil and frightening character, you also can't help but feel a great deal of sympathy for him at times and this too is a testament to Todd's acting. The supporting cast –particularly Vanessa Williams and even the young kid who Helen interviews while in the neighbourhood-also deserve an honourable mention for giving their characters such a realistic edge.

I would recommend this movie –it is chilling, frightening, intriguing, compelling, sad and wonderful all in one. One of the best movies I have ever seen in this genre

`Trading Places' is one of the best movies and one of the best comedies that I have had the privilege of viewing and almost every aspect of this movie is done to the highest excellence and the highest quality. I have always considered that some of the most entertaining and enjoyable movies came out during the 1980s and `Trading Places' definitely falls within this category.

Everything is a success with this movie –the high quality of acting from both the main actors and the supporting cast, the wonderful humour and engaging dialogue contained within the script, the development of the plot, the music selection provided for the various scenes and even the atmosphere and scenery contained in the movie. Eddie Murphy and Dan Ackroyd are particularly outstanding in their various roles –and keep the excellent performances up in their reversal of roles. Ralph Bellamy, Don Ameche and Denham Elliot also provide their characters with a great amount of depth and dimension and make what would have already been a wonderful comedy success even more entertaining. The only very minor criticism is that Jamie Lee Curtis is meant to portray a prostitute in this movie. Jamie Lee Curtis is much too high quality of an actress for the role of a prostitute and I think if the emphasis had been on her character's profession it would have weakened her contribution to the movie. But thankfully the writers and producers recognized that she shouldn't be portrayed in a one-dimensional role and her truly wonderful and highly excellent acting abilities shone through during the whole movie.

The script flowed naturally and had an edge to it that made it both entertaining and intriguing. Even though the storyline and outcome was slightly predictable, the scriptwriters succeeded in keeping you interested and keeping you entertained as the sequence of events unfolded. The humour contained in the movie is genuinely entertaining and doesn't sound forced or strained in the same way that it does in some other movies. Dan Ackroyd and Eddie Murphy make a thoroughly wonderful team and I hope they someday consider doing another movie together. I think the 1980s marked the high point of Eddie Murphy's career and this was one of the movies that cemented his reputation as a great comedian.

I couldn't recommend this movie highly enough. A truly great comedy masterpiece and classic.

Canadian television usually provides good viewing and I had high expectations for this one. It had a storyline and plot that had the potential to be filled with intrigue and suspense. Unfortunately it was disappointing on almost every level-the character development, the script, the development of the storyline and the acting. I would sum it up as being totally unfulfilling and not living up to the premise and expectation that it created

Geneviève Bujold stars as Suzanne St Laurent, a high flying lawyer with a record of success and a relationship with her daughter that has its problems -although thankfully they have the sense not to overdramatize it in the fashion that so many over TV movies do. As a character Suzanne St Laurent is unconvincing, weak, one-dimensional and not very convincing. This may not have been Bujold's fault -her script and character development details do not give her much to go on in portraying her character -but you don't feel anything for her character as she undergoes the ordeal of being held hostage in her own apartment with her daughter facing the prospect of death. And it shouldn't be like that -a good script makes you able to feel sympathy, emotion and sometimes pain for what the character is going through. This movie made me feel extremely cold toward the main heroine. The supporting cast is a mixture -Nancy Beatty gives a good performance even with a weak script and the actresses who portray Rosa the housekeeper and Suzanne's law associate also do well with a weak script-but as performances go this is pretty much it. Several members of the supporting cast looked like they were dying to give a good performance but were constrained by the limitations of a weak script and not enough character development

The movie goes into detail too rapidly and you have difficulty following the storyline from the very beginning. I am all for movies that don't drag on for ages and ages trying to get to the main plot but this one fails to give you much in the way of background or detail that would be helpful to know as the story progresses. The dialogue is weak and predictable and the unfolding of the story fails to develop the suspense and intrigue that should be evident in a movie with this kind of plot. Instead of being gripping and keeping you on the edge of your seat, this movie made me reach for the fast forward button even during its most climatic moments. And the ending was so predictable that it wasn't even worth waiting for

My advice -there are much better movies with the same genre and plot as this one. Yo would be much more well advised renting out something other than this one

While I would consider that the plot and storyline of this movie may have had potential, the script and the acting essentially fails to deliver and in my view fails to keep the viewer engaged. The plot has been done before and needed some creativity and substance that is unfortunately lacking in this movie. The script is weak and the dialogue seems somewhat strained and forced and none of the characters are inspiring and even the stereotypes of the advisers and those around the President are flat and devoid of any realistic qualities. While the actors may have performed better with improved scripts, the lack of such a concept means that they cannot even do that. Even for a movie targeted toward younger audiences, this one falls flat on its face

I must provide one of the dissenting voices here as an individual who actually enjoyed this movie as relaxing and light entertainment even though the character development had a few flaws, the script could have been improved at times and the plot was essentially one that had been explored in many different contexts. It is infinitely better than the subsequent `Sabrina' movie that was produced and I actually came away quite impressed with the quality of the acting

Indeed I think it was the quality of the acting that turned this movie from what could have been an exceedingly weak teenage movie into one that was entertaining and enjoyable. While usually not a fan of Melissa Joan Hart, she actually provided some high quality acting here and gave her character a real personality and a dimension that was very enjoyable to witness. Michelle Beaudoin also was excellent in her role, as was Ryan Reynolds as Seth and Tobias Mehler as Harvey. And Lalaina Lindbjergh provides an excellent portrayal of quintessential snob Katie Lemore. The only major criticism I have is to do with Seth's character development later on in the movie but I won't give that away because it would be classified as a spoiler.

Yet I think it was Sherry Miller and Charlene Fernetz who really provided the most excellent, comprehensive and in depth portrayals of their respective characters. The two gave the characters of Aunt Hilda and Aunt Zelda so much creativity, depth, imagination and appeal –as well as an elegance and grace that went well beyond what the scriptwriters had in mind. Aunt Hilda and Aunt Zelda completely stole the show and it was a shame we didn't see more of the excellent acting of Miller and Fernetz in this movie –and indeed that we haven't heard more from Miller and Fernetz on the acting scene. They are truly wonderful first class actresses –I can't commend them highly enough.

Sure, the plot was predictable, but the acting made up for it in my view. If you are looking for some light and enjoyable entertainment for younger audiences, this movie quite definitely fits the bill.

A few years ago I would not have hesitated to state that this was beyond the shadow of a doubt the most wonderful and high quality show on television. The realistic and hard hitting nature of the show, the believable dimensions of genuine police work that were incorporated into the script, the strict attention to police procedures and protocol in the show and the wonderful and comprehensive portrayal of the characters all made this show a pleasure to watch. The storylines were, more often then not, very intriguing and interesting and the script was second to none. Characters such as DI Frank Burnside, DS Ted Roach, DCI Jack Meadows, DCI Kim Reid and several others provided the show with an intriguing and very gripping dimension and the acting was superb and also second to none. It stood in a category of its own as a police drama and was far better than the American (and even British) police dramas in the same genre

Unfortunately, in recent years, the show has taken a dramatic turn for the worse and now would have to be categorized as one of the worst shows that is presently on TV. For some reason that I'll never quite understand, the TV executives decided that they had to dumb down the show and all of its characters to a primitive soap level and make a perfectly good show into a sleazy and pathetic joke. Now the scripts are appalling, quite a lot of the acting weak and disjointed (probably because good actors are being provided with pathetic scripts), the storylines thoroughly boring and there is almost no serious police work at all in the show. It is exceedingly painful to watch for the reasons outlined above and it unfortunately cannot even be taken seriously as a TV show. Every aspect of the show has become so juvenile and pathetic and I would now have to concede that the American TV police dramas are now much better than the present format of `The Bill' ever could be. It is a disappointing turnaround for such a wonderful show. Whatever happened to high quality television?

Diane Keaston is absolutely stunningly beautiful in this movie -and her acting is of the highest quality and value. She provides her character with so much life, exuberance and personality and she once again reminds us of why she is regarded as such a wonderful, talented and excellent actress and why her career has flourished through three successive decades. This movie is worth watching for her acting alone -in fact I would even go so far as to say that she is the main reason why this movie is a success.

Jack Nicholson also provides high quality acting and gives his character a complex personality and several qualities that will alternatively cause the viewer to love and hate his character respectively. I would consider that this movie also allows him to display some of his unique and complex personality and the movie is the better for it.

Keanu Reeves also provides one of the best performances that I have seen him give. He has so many admirable qualities as an actor and this definitely comes through in this movie. The quality of acting from these three stars should provide a potential viewer with three good reasons to see this movie.

The supporting cast -with the exception of Rachel Ticotin (who displays a high quality of acting that I have never seen before from her)-is very weak. Frances McDormand is relegated to playing a very stereotypical role that always surfaces in movies of this genre. Amanda Peet -maybe suffering from a weak script-for some reason falls flat in this movie and the character of the daughter is not as good as what it could have been

The script is reasonably well written -but it also has a tendency to become disjointed and confusing at some points. Some sections of the script are not well thought out and the writers have missed several good opportunities when formulating a storyline such as the plot of this movie. Nevertheless there is enough humour, entertainment and warmth in the story to sustain the appeal of this movie despite the script flaws.

This movie, all in all, constitutes worthwhile viewing and I would recommend it. I think, however, that the acting of the three main stars is what keeps a movie that could have been exceedingly mediocre in other circumstances as a high quality and entertaining entity

While the 1990s may well be remembered as a decade of relative peace and prosperity -and as a time when life and culture seemed to flourish-it will also be remembered for shockingly awful movies as `The Opposite of Sex'. The acting in this movie -with the exception of Lisa Kudrow-is appalling, the plot is weak, the script is absolutely devoid of any appeal and the whole movie is totally unnecessary and pointless.

Christina Ricci is, not for the first time, totally annoying in this movie and the whole supporting cast is not much of an improvement (although Lisa Kudrow makes a valiant effort). The script is weak, the dialogue strained and the plot hard to follow. I would recommend giving this movie a miss -it is one of those movies that Hollywood produces to supposedly prove that they are in `tune' with the youth of today. And, as usual, this perception is totally misleading

`Maternal Instincts' is a frightening and chilling movie in many aspects but it is nevertheless enthralling and recommended viewing. A strong cast, a gripping storyline and a comprehensive script combines to make this movie into a first class and high quality event.

Delta Burke provides a frighteningly realistic portrayal of a woman who desperately yearns to have kids and is devastated when circumstances prevent her from doing so -and determined to get revenge on those whom she wrongly considers to have destroyed her life. The high quality of Delta Burke's acting and the complex dimensions that she and the scriptwriters provide to her character make for compelling viewing.

Beth Broderick also provides a first class performance as Dr Eva Warden -a very professional and yet sympathetic doctor who is the target of an organized vendetta just because she performed her duty. Beth Broderick has always been an excellent actress and her qualities shine through in this drama. She manages to make the viewer feel a considerable outpouring of sympathy, concern and even love for her character.

A strong supporting cast also contributes to the success of this movie -especially Sandra Nelson in her capacity of Sabrina Lloyd. The music, the special effects and the melodrama are also well suited to the tone of this movie and it fits in wonderfully with the wider plot.

If you are a fan of this genre of TV drama, I would definitely consider `Maternal Instincts' to be one of the best movies I have seen in a long time and would definitely recommend it to viewers