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HiFi’s Film Reviews

353 Films have been rated or reviewed by HiFi.

Sullivan's TravelsSullivan's Travels (1941)Aro Favourite
5 stars (Exceptional) Anti – 'message' movie with a message? I have trouble decoding all the levels of irony in this, but a marvellous entertainment nonetheless. AND it has Veronica Lake...
Palm Beach Story, ThePalm Beach Story, The (1942)Recommended
4 stars (Very Good) I didn't enjoy this as much as The Lady Eve, it seemed a bit static and wordy, with the comedy tacked on instead of integral. But what words – "It's one of the tragedies of this life that the men most in need of a beating up are always enormous".
FlightFlight (2012)Recommended
3 stars (Good Enough) A bit of a grind, with some elements integrated poorly or handled cursorily. Denzel's great, and the crash is thrillingly (if implausibly) rendered, but Zemeckis' butterfly net isn't quite big enough to scoop up 'message' AND 'entertainment'.
Judge, TheJudge, The (2014)
2 stars (Good Try) Every cliche in the book, a cast that really should know better, and it's very long. What's good? The score (although Thomas Newman could have done it in his sleep) and the cinematography, when it's not marred by overripe CGI.
Confessions of a ShopaholicConfessions of a Shopaholic (2009)
2 stars (Good Try) Wow, what a cast. Lithgow! Kristin Scott Thomas! John Goodman! They even unearthed Julie Hagerty, and the two leads are great...but the script's a steaming pile. Oh well.
Night of the Hunter, TheNight of the Hunter, The (1955)Recommended
5 stars (Exceptional) C'mon people! Five stars for the set design, process photography and Stanley Cortez' camerawork alone. And then there's the unearthly atmosphere, the performances...a wondrously strange masterpiece.
Ride the High CountryRide the High Country (1962)Recommended
4 stars (Very Good) The most startling thing for me was the Coarse Gold sequence, told convincingly (and disturbingly) from Elsa's perspective. Not bad for a purportedly macho director...
Bridge of SpiesBridge of Spies (2015)Recommended
3 stars (Good Enough) Perilously close to made–for–TV–movie storytelling (worthy, plodding, unimaginative) but immaculately mounted. Rylance is great as Abel.
SicarioSicario (2015)Recommended
3 stars (Good Enough) Strangely paced, weakly scripted, and getting a tad James Bond towards the end. Hard to see what this contributes that wasn't already done (better) by Traffic. Blunt's character seemed pointless, ineffectual. Nice score and cinematography.
Martian, TheMartian, The (2015)Recommended
3 stars (Good Enough) OK, but the pacing is all over the place, the supporting characters mere thumbnails and the video diary device overused. For space rescue – Apollo 13. For man alone – Castaway. Sorry, but it's that simple...
DVD $14.95

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