Cruella’s Film Reviews

23 Films have been rated or reviewed by Cruella.

25th Hour (2002): Missing America. A Spike Lee Joint, Irish instead of Dagos. Puerto Rican girl. Honour. Trust. Dope. Post–9/11. Great script. Terse acting. Aced. Only understood by us natives, Sho Nuff.
Goya's Ghosts (2006): Goya: incredibly talented and sadly, very money–hungry. rnNatalie Portman: two different women. What else is new? rnJavier Bardem: darn scary, same as NCFOM. rnVarious Aristocrats: Haughty. Have their heads chopped. rnGood history lesson & costume
Baker, The (2007): Crunchy humour provides satisfying meal.rnSend–up of Hit Men / Small Town Introversion / Romance.rnWould be just Killing to a Kiwi audience – it could have been set here :–)
Goodbye, First Love (2011): I don't remember being this incredibly soppy about my first love. The jeune fille in the lead role runs the gamut of emotions from A to B. But she certainly ain't no Hepburn. Avoid.; DVD $29.95
Things to Come (L'avenir) (2016): Quiet and intelligently competent – incredible lack of clichés. Huppert superb, her character both likable and annoying. Edith Scob devastatingly funny as an aging self–centred model. Family relationships, French politics, both beautifully drawn.
Elles (2011): A subtle film. No diatribe from a militant feminist viewpoint; much style with moments of psychic pain. A professional woman with a deadline, a sexist husband and a demanding son. She sees herself in the whores: they confront what they could have been.; DVD $29.95
Fantastic Fear of Everything, A (2012): Fantastic flop. Even diehard Simon Pegg fans will cringe. Waste of Amara Karan, though she made a brave effort.
Results (2015): Ostensibly a send up of the gym/personal trainer world. The characters were so awful the title should have been 'Repulsive'. Not many moments of hilarity but many of heartfelt self–analysis. In lycra. Cringeworthy. Only for Guy Pearce fans.
One Day (2011): SPOILER Incredibly immature priapic man/soppy unconfident woman know each other for years. Finally get together – heaven – except that as she cycles thru an archway, I thought if she were hit by a truck it would improve the film – guess what.; DVD ~~$15~~ $7.50
Children of Men (2006): Made in 2006, predicts refugee crisis & rise of the fascist state. 2027: Illegal aliens kept in cages by armed soldiers, police everywhere. Disturbing, enthralling: a gripping story, vivid characters – political and social commentary so relevant.

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Cruella’s Film Reviews