Movie Review: The Sneakers (**1/2 out of 4 stars)
Year of Release: 1992
Country of Origin: USA
Director: Phil Alden Robinson
Cast: Robert Redford, Sidney Poitier, David Strathairn, Dan Aykroyd, Darren 'Mother' Roskow, River Phoenix, Mary McDonnell
Plot outline: A team of security experts is blackmailed by Government agents into stealing a top secret black box. After they recover the box, they find themselves embroiled in a game of danger and intrigue (IMDb).
The story (**1/2)
How the story unfolds (**1/2 entertaining enough to make it a passable diversion; most audience will finish it painlessly, but will be mildly disappointed in it)
The characters (**)
The acting (**)
Overall rating **1/2 out of 4 stars
Movie Review: The Children's Hour (**1/2 out of 4 stars)
Year of Release: 1961
Country of Origin: USA
Director: William Wyler
Cast: Audrey Hepburn, Shirley MacLaine, James Garner
Plot outline: A private school for young girls is scandalized when one spiteful student accuses the two young women who run the school of having a lesbian relationship (IMDb).
The story (*** forging its way into the mainstream thanks to its famous stars, it was one of the first movies to present a lesbian as an ordinary person who might experience life and love like anyone else)
How the story unfolds (**1/2 though it looks dated in some ways, with its lapses into melodrama problematic in places, it has strong characters whom modern audiences will have no difficulty relating to, and, sadly, its plot remains highly relevant)
The characters **1/2
The acting **1/2
Overall rating **1/2 out of 4 stars
Movie Review: The Ladykillers (***1/2 out of 4 stars)
Year of Release: 1955
Country of Origin: UK
Director: Alexander Mackendrick
Cast: Alec Guinness, Cecil Parker, Herbert Lom, Peter Sellers, Danny Green, Katie Johnson
Plot outline: A gang of five oddball criminals rent a room in an isolated house from an old lady who thinks they are musicians. When they set out to kill her, they run into one problem after another, and they get what they deserve (IMDb).
The story (***1/2)
How the story unfolds (***1/2 the story begins when the deed is seemingly done, but is about to be undone)
The characters (*** distinctive and amusing personalities)
The acting (***)
Overall rating ***1/2 out of 4 stars
Movie Review: The Offence (** out of 4 stars)
Year of Release: 1973
Country of Origin: UK, USA
Director: Sidney Lumet
Cast: Sean Connery, Trevor Howard, Vivien Merchant, Ian Bannen
Plot outline: After 20 years with the police force, after countless murders, rapes and other serious crimes he has had to investigate, Detective Sergeant Johnson's anger and aggression that had been suppressed for so long finally surfaces when interviewing a suspected child molester (IMDb).
The story (***)
How the story unfolds (** an interesting story, but played against cold, dreary backgrounds and with colourless people)
The characters (**)
The production sets (*)
The acting (**)
Overall rating ** out of 4 stars
Movie Review: The Unforgiven (**1/2 out of 4 stars)
Year of Release: 1960
Country of Origin: USA
Director: John Huston
Cast: Burt Lancaster, Audrey Hepburn, Lillian Gish, Joseph Wiseman
Plot outline: A frontier family is suspected that their adopted daughter was actually an Indian, stolen from the local Kiawa tribe (IMDb).
The story (***)
How the story unfolds (**1/2 well-intentioned message movie, but its strong sentiments against racism seem countermanded by portraying the Indians in a stereotypical role)
The characters (**1/2)
The acting (**1/2)
Overall rating **1/2 out of 4 stars
Year of Release: 1992
