RadicalTintin

Jeunet combines wonderfully with Laurant to produce a spectacle worthy of adulation and high regard. This tale of the romantic awakenings of a previously sheltered and inexperienced Amelie includes a visual feast of colour, vitality and sheer entertainment. The excellent and refreshing soundtrack of Yann Tiersen combined with the crisp and vibrant cinematography and sound liven this tale of, well simply put, finding love and happiness in a gloriously 'fairy-tale' Paris. Amelie devotes her life to the assistance of others, by a method untouched by the post-modern cynicism and anti-sentimentality so common in US productions. The film is a feast of colour and charisma, and gushing with style.

Very few things capture a time and spirit as eloquently as this TV series. Germany is the setting for a band of 'brothers' fleeing the mass unemployment and uncertainty of Thatcher's Britain in search of work, money and hope. This TV series contains natural acting, pathos, humour and a gritty realism that manages to combine drama and comedy without an emphasis on sentimentality or bawdy laughs. The series chronicles the debacles of a motley crew of British workers uncertain about Germany, their lives and their futures. Promised a hostel with swimming pool, they end up in a barren hut with no amenities yet friendships are forged and a social life centered on Beck's Beer and brothels ensues. With a memorable soundtrack and performances from relatively unknown actors that inspire, their pursuits become a part of the viewers' lives in a way that very few modern TV series capture. Oz, Dennis, Moxey, Bomber, Barry, Neville and Wayne become personal friends of the viewing public along the way in this story of the working man, ordinary lives and extraordinary situations that although filmed over twenty years ago remain timeless.

Kenneth Branagh tries hard to shift the essence of a theatrical

production onto film, and succeeds in some parts but fails in

others. The film concerns the lives of several dysfunctional luvvies

brought together by unemployed actor Joe, played by Michael

Maloney. Producing a Christmas-time Hamlet seems a labour of

love for Harper, and the pragmatic approach to the broadening of

Shakespeare brings together quite a mixed-bag of personalities.

Briers and Sessions stand out as the unlikely 'bedfellows', with the

emphasis on theatrical camp. Briers has the best lines, and

Sessions overacts with apparent glee, but several of the

supporting characters seem lightweight in comparison. There is

the usual mix of tragedy and comedy, but at times it does all rather

seem cliched. Basically, they are all good at heart, but struggle

with personal issues that somewhat sidetrack from the plot. In

places it is highly amusing, but some of the gags fall flat on film,

better suited to the extravagance of a stage production. There is a

pantomime quality to the production, and the black and white

presentation is perhaps an attempt to tone down the characters

and the unreality of the situation. All in all though, the film is about

sacrifice and the unravelling of egos. It will certainly help brighten

the odd gloomy evening, but realistically the film lacks bite and

credibility.