Allen establishes his ambitious intentions right from the start with a grandiose montage of the city scored to George Gershwin and photographed in gorgeous black and white by Gordon Willis. This is the Big Apple as seen through Allen’s eyes as he presents rarefied social strata of well-educated, neurotic people entangled in messy relationships with each other. Still stinging from a bitter divorce, Isaac Davis (Allen) is now dating Tracy (Hemingway), a 17-year-old girl (“I’m dating a girl who does homework.”). His best friend Yale (Murphy) is having an affair with a journalist named Mary (Keaton).

Isaac and Yale’s lives are a mess with the former writing for a television show he loathes and the latter trying to finish a book and start up a magazine. The last thing they need is to complicate their romantic lives. Isaac realizes that Tracy is too young for him (“You should think of me as a detour on the highway of life.”) and gets involved with Mary after Yale introduces them. At first, Isaac and Mary can’t stand each other, arguing over an art exhibit and several artists she feels overrated but he thinks are great, however, he likes her unflinching honesty and she’s attracted to his sense of humor.

Woody Allen and Diane Keaton continue their undeniable on-screen chemistry playing so well off each other. She is allowed to tone down the more exaggerated comedic gestures she used in Annie Hall to create a more nuanced character in Manhattan. Mary is torn between her love for Yale, even though she knows its wrong and her attraction to Isaac. Allen is more than a neurotic joke machine as Isaac wrestles with his own moral dilemmas – his love for Tracy, even though he knows she’s too young for him, and his attraction to Mary who is much more compatible.

While Manhattan features an abundance of Allen’s funny one-liners, the screenplay he co-wrote with Marshall Brickman tempers it somewhat with the characters’ messy personal lives, like the resentment Isaac feels towards his ex-wife (Streep) for leaving him for another woman, or Yale cheating on his perfectly lovely wife (Byrne) with Mary. Allen expertly shifts gears from comedy to drama from scene to scene and sometimes even within the same scene.

Allen takes us through a guided tour through the city with key scenes taking place at famous establishments, like Elaine’s and the Russian tearoom, or tourist spots like the Hayden Planetarium, in such a way that New York becomes a character unto itself. It also doesn’t hurt that Willis’ gorgeously textured black and white cinematography makes everything look so good. Sadly, several of the places the characters frequent no longer exist making Manhattan a historical document of sorts. Allen’s film is arguably the best representation of his worldview: highly educated people with very little common sense when it comes to their personal lives, making bad decisions even when they realize it. But like the rest of us, they keep on trying, hoping that the next relationship is the one.

Special Features:

The Blu-Ray presentation of Manhattan is the best Allen’s film has ever looked and sounded, showing off Willis’ incredible cinematography. This is definitely worth upgrading if you own the DVD.

In keeping with Allen’s wishes, there are no extras on this disc except for the requisite theatrical trailer.

Alvy Singer (Allen) is a successful comedian that gets involved with an unsuccessful actress Annie Hall (Keaton). He’s a raging neurotic and she’s incredibly insecure and together they make a great couple because they are willing to put up with each other’s many idiosyncrasies – he obsesses about death and she says inappropriate things. Over the course of the film, we see them fall in love and then break up when she moves to Los Angeles, wooed there by a record producer (Simon) who is attracted to her. Throughout it all, New York City serves as the backdrop to their romantic escapades.

Unlike most romantic comedies, Annie Hall draws attention to itself as a film with Allen addressing the camera or stopping a scene to make a point, like when he and Annie are waiting in line for a film and he complains about some pretentious boob pontificating endlessly nearby. Allen then produces famous academic Marshall McLuhan to refute the man’s incorrect theorizing. Allen also employs split screens and subtitles for ironic effect as well as appearing in flashbacks to comment on his past self. What also sets Annie Hall apart from Allen’s earlier work is his decision to hire legendary cinematographer Gordon Willis to shoot his film. Willis gives it a definite cinematic look occasionally incorporating hand-held camera to create a more intimate feel.

None of these clever techniques would mean anything if Annie Hall wasn’t anchored by the strong performances by Allen and Keaton and the undeniable chemistry they have. Already a seasoned pro, he spouts funny one-liners with excellent comic timing and Keaton matches him beat for beat as his ideal foil. They also both have the chops to handle the semi-serious stuff like when Alvy and Annie’s relationship sours. Of course, they have fantastic material to work with thanks to the well-written screenplay by Allen and Marshall Brickman, which is so much more than a collection of one-liners. It also features all kinds of wonderful observations about love and relationships, like how Alvy is unable to enjoy life and Annie calls him on it, which forces him to examine his own life. Alvy realizes that he still loves Annie and regrets breaking up with her.

Annie Hall was a big breakthrough for Allen, winning four Academy Awards and influencing countless romantic comedies, from When Harry Met Sally… (1989) to Singles (1992) to High Fidelity (2000). Arguably, only Allen has been able to top Annie Hall when, two years later, he released Manhattan (1979), which managed to be an even greater artistic achievement.

Special Features:

I think it’s safe to say that Annie Hall has never looked better with an excellent-looking transfer. It’s time to throw away your DVD and upgrade to this Blu Ray version.

Sadly, in keeping with other Allen home video releases there are no extra features save for a theatrical trailer.

When her husband and daughter are killed in an automobile accident, which she survives, Julie (Binoche) is understandably devastated. She shuts herself off emotionally, never wanting to feel anything again after such a traumatic experience. In the opening scenes of Blue, actress Juliette Binoche displays an incredible range of emotions as her character tries to comprehend her world, which has been shattered. She ends up suppressing raw emotion with detachment.

Over the course of Blue, Julie experiences a series of epiphanies as symbolized by bursts of the color blue and a loud swell of classical music, which acts as an emotional Greek chorus. Music is her voice, channeling the emotion she keeps in check most of the time. As the film progresses, she finds a way to free herself from her past and from the revelations about her husband’s life. She puts herself through a series of exercises to test her feelings – is she ready to face the world without emotion? Julie has shut herself off from the world but eventually learns how to become a part of it again.  Kieslowski draws us into this world so that we become invested in its inhabitants, in particular Julie who endures unimaginable tragedy and must find a way to continue.

If Blue is ostensibly a tragedy, then White is a darkly comic revenge story. Karol Karol (Zamachowski) is a Polish hairdresser who lives with his beautiful young bride Dominique (Delpy) in Paris but she divorces him early on in the film for failing to consummate their marriage. She takes him to court and coldly tells him that she doesn’t love him anymore. Karol soon finds out that his bank account has been frozen and he becomes homeless, which leaves him wondering if he has the strength to go on. Dominique has completely destroyed him and so he goes back to his native Poland where he rebuilds his life and plans an elaborate revenge plot.

Actor Zhigniew Zamachowski has an incredibly expressive face that he uses to make Karol instantly sympathetic but it isn’t too hard after all the horrible things Dominique does to him. Your heart really goes out to Karol just as Julie Delpy’s cold, cruel character really makes you hate her and hope that she gets her well-deserved comeuppance, but as with Kieslowski’s films, it’s never that simple and the ending is surprisingly hopeful.

The first third of White is utterly heartbreaking as poor Karol deals with one soul-crushing injustice after another. In the second third, he rebuilds his life in Warsaw in an inspirational turn of events as he is employed as a bodyguard for a local criminal while cutting hair for his brother on the side. Karol is a quiet, unassuming guy. As a result, people, like his wife and the local crooks, underestimate him. They don’t realize just how clever he is and this is used to his advantage. Finally, the last third of the film is Karol’s payback on those who wronged him. In White, the traditional roles are reversed as Karol is the ingénue while Dominique is led by her sexual drive. Over the course of the film, we see him reassert his own identity while refusing to lose his optimism or romantic nature.

Red concludes the Three Colors trilogy with a moving examination of the notions of fate and chance as a beautiful runway model named Valentine (Jacob) crosses paths with Joseph (Trintignant), a bitter retired judge, when she accidentally hits his dog with her car. She lives in Geneva and maintains a long distance relationship with her irrationally jealous boyfriend over the phone. There is also subplot concerning a young man studying to be a judge and who is also having relationship problems.

Joseph spends his time eavesdropping on his neighbors’ phone calls, an odd hobby for a retired judge. Valentine is struck by his honesty and fascinated with his outlook on life, shaped by years of his profession. Now, he is a voyeur, listening to other people’s conversations while he has no life of his own. She believes that people are basically good while he believes the opposite, which was no doubt cultivated over years of seeing the worst of humanity paraded in front of him. Valentine inspires Joseph to reconnect with humanity while he inspires her to be more independent and proactive in her relationships.

Initially, Valentine comes across as a ditzy model with no common sense (especially in regards to the dog) but Irene Jacob’s soulful performance suggests that there is more to her character and this becomes apparent over the course of the film. Like Julie in Blue, Joseph is emotionally disconnected from others and seems not to care about Valentine hitting his dog with her car. Jean-Louis Trintignant is excellent as the jaded ex-judge and it is fascinating to watch his character go from an indifferent observer to someone that can reconnect with the rest of humanity. Trintignant has wonderful chemistry with Jacob and it is fascinating to see the relationship develop between their characters during the course of the film. With Red, Kieslowski reminds us of the importance of being connected with others and with humanity. By that extension, the entire trilogy is an epic treatise on the strengths and weaknesses of humanity.

Special Features:

Those of you who own the Miramax box set might want to hold onto it as not all of the extras have been carried over to the Criterion Collection edition. For example, the audio commentaries film scholar Annette Insdorf did for each film have not been included. Also omitted are the selected scene commentaries that actresses Julie Delpy and Irene Jacob did for White and Red respectively. While some of Kieslowski’s student films have been included on this new set, Concert of Wishes, Trolley, and The Office have been omitted. Completists will want to hold onto the Miramax edition.

New to this set is “On Blue,” a video essay by film studies professor Annette Insdorf where she gives a brief background to the Three Colors trilogy before examining the themes explored in Blue. She also analyzes the film’s striking style as well as the moving classical score.

“Kieslowski’s Cinema Lesson” sees the filmmaker discussing a specific scene from Blue and the importance of close-ups in the film.

Also included is a selected scenes commentary by actress Juliette Binoche. She talks about meeting Kieslowski for the first time and how they talked about philosophy. She turned down a role in Jurassic Park (1993) to do Blue. The actress gives her impression of the director and what it was like to work with him.

There is a new interview with composer Zbigniew Preisner. He had worked with Kieslowski on several films, including the Three Colors trilogy. By the time they did Blue together the two men had a very familiar shorthand and knew what the wanted. Preisner recalls first working with Kieslowski and talks about his working methods.

“Reflections on Blue” takes a retrospective look at the film with critics and historians talking about the production and offering analysis. They point out that Kieslowski avoided making an overt political statement with these films by focusing on the personal: the tragic life of a woman. The film’s cinematographer, editor and Binoche also offer their thoughts on the film.

Another new extra is “On White,” a video essay by film scholar Tony Rayns. He provides backstory to the film. It was the first film Kieslowski had made since The Decalogue (1989). Rayns also provides details on the socio-political conditions in Poland at the time. In White, Kieslowski confronted the changes to the country since the fall of Communism.

“Kieslowski’s Cinema Lesson” features the director’s views and he talks about the opening scene of the film. He also explains why he included shots of the suitcase and how it ties in with the opening scenes of the other two films.

There are new interviews with actors Zbigniew Zamachowski and Julie Delpy. They talk about how they met Kieslowski and were cast in White. They both talk about working with the director and how he was very exact in his methods with no improvisation.

Another new extra is an interview with co-writer Krzystof Piesiewicz where he talks about working with Kieslowski. They first met in 1982 and Piesiewicz noticed that the director was lost in life having gone through some personal ordeals. They became friends and worked together over 15 years on 17 films.

“The Making of White” features some excellent behind the scenes footage of Kieslowski making the film in Poland. He describes White as a “lyrical comedy” and also a “sad comedy.”

Yet another new extra is “On Red,” a video essay by film critic Dennis Lim. He discusses the film’s themes, chief among them the notion of isolation. He also analyzes Red’s style, in particular, the use of color.

“Kieslowski’s Cinema Lesson” features the director discussing a scene with Valentine and the dog she accidentally hit with her car. He says that it is the film’s first critical moment. The ever eloquent director explains his intentions with this scene and why it was shot the way it was.

There is a new interview with actress Irene Jacob and she talks about her experiences working with Kieslowski on Red. She also discusses her first meeting with him and how that led to her being cast in The Double Life of Veronique (1991). Jacob talks about working with her Red co-star Jean-Louis Trintignant and comes across as a smart and engaging person.

Producer Marin Karmitz talks about the making of Red and tells a story about an elaborate shot that was achieved and the difficult logistics involved. He also recounts a story of how the film received three Academy Award nominations as an American film!

Editor Jacques Witta talks about why certain scenes in Red were cut and his impressions of working with Kieslowski. There are excerpts of this footage which are quite interesting but one can see why they were removed.

“Kieslowski Cannes 1994” is a short documentary about Red’s world premiere at the 1994 Cannes Film Festival where the director famously announced his retirement. There are interviews with the two lead actors who came to the festival to help promote the film. This is a nice snapshot of Red’s debut.

“Kieslowski: The Early Years” takes a look at the director’s early life with interview soundbites from film scholars and collaborators. He moved around a lot as a child and didn’t dream of being a filmmaker but rather fell into it. This featurette provides insight into what motivated Kieslowski to become a filmmaker and how it shaped his later films.

Also included are two student films, The Tram (1966), about a boy flirting with a pretty girl, and The Face (1966), where he played a tormented artist.

There are two short documentaries, Seven Women of Different Ages (1978), which looks at several ballet dancers, each one on a different day of the week, and Talking Heads (1980), a fascinating film where 40 different people of various ages are asked the three same questions.

Also included are trailers for all three films.

“Behind the Scenes of Red” features footage of Kieslowski directing the film juxtaposed with the actual scene as it appeared in the film. This featurette provides some insight into how he worked.

Finally, a new addition to this set is “Krzysztof Kieslowski: I’m So-So,” a 55-minute documentary made in 1995 shortly after he retired from filmmaking. He talks about his life and films. As always, Kieslowski speaks eloquently and thoughtfully about a variety of topics in this fascinating portrait.

Holly Wilson (Staite) takes care of her brother’s son Gabe (Lord) while he’s serving over in Iraq and also juggles a demanding job as a glorified assistant for her boss Lindy Lowe (Holly), a demanding fashion designer. While getting coffee for Lindy, Holly meets Jake Finley (Johnson) who works for his gruff father (Butler) at their family-owned store, which is in trouble. Jake believes in selling old school toys while his grinchy father pushes for boosting sales by stocking the hot new in-demand toy, the Intellytron robot. Both Holly and Jake are nice, good-looking people destined to be together but must overcome their mean-spirited bosses for this to happen. Naturally, Mrs. Miracle will be instrumental in these two crazy kids getting together.

Taking a break from the genre films and T.V. shows she’s known for, Jewel Staite brings her considerable irrepressible charms and charisma to the role along with a dash of neurotic humor, like when she tries to prepare meals for Gabe. We instantly sympathize with her and want to see Holly have a happy ending. It helps that she has good chemistry with Eric Johnson. They have a nice scene together where their characters take a horse-driven carriage ride through the city and reveal things about themselves. Johnson is a good-looking guy and Jake seems nice enough but he lacks depth, which is down to the screenwriting. Lauren Holly has a blast vamping it up as Holly’s vain, blowhard boss. Doris Roberts gets to play the benevolent angel who acts as matchmaker and champion of Christmas spirit with sass and what they used to call gumption.

Much like the underrated Mr. Magorium’s Wonder Emporium (2007), Call Me Mrs. Miracle champions classic toys that spark the imagination, like Slinky’s, train sets and board games, instead of sterile plastic toys that break easily. It is pretty easy to figure out how it will all turn out but the pleasure is watching the characters get there. Director Michael Scott does a nice job of bathing New York in warm, inviting colors and doesn’t rely heavily on emotionally manipulative music. Plus, any Christmas film that champions old school toys, small stores vs. the big chains and the true spirit of Christmas is okay in my book. Call Me Mrs. Miracle is a pleasant enough time waster and fans of Jewel Staite should enjoy it for the amount of screen-time she gets. The film has a certain low-key charm and comfy movie vibe that is a welcome relief amongst all the rampant commercialism of the holiday season.

Special Features:

None.

This 2000 British comedy – directed by Julian Kemp – stars well known names including Bruce Forsyth, Keith Chegwin and Kelly Macdonald. Together, they form the ultimate comedic cast.

We see Welsh-Italian Giovanni Anzani’s bingo hall, La Scala, reaching the end of its hay-day. The bingo hall is ageing and run down, but the staff who work there remain loyal. It is up to them to work as a team to save the bingo hall which their lives seem to revolve around. Linda, (Kelly Macdonald), discovers she has a psychic ability to predict bingo numbers. The team hope they can use this skill to save the bingo hall from being driven out of business by a new huge bingo hall planned to be opened close by.

This review doesn’t give too much away, so if you want to research the film a little more, then there are plenty of trailers and soundtracks you can find online to get a little taster. So while you play Cheeky Bingo to get in the bingo mood, or you’re just browsing the web, you can watch a preview and see if it is your kind of film. Alternatively, reading reviews will give you a brief overview of the plot and some information about the production.

Despite the plot being based around a bingo hall, this dull premise is brought to life with the cleverly written script and the well cast characters. It could be summed up in one mysterious yet entertaining phrase of – The ultimate Welsh Psychic Bingo Movie. It adds a whole new level to this typical OAP game, plus it has a quirky plot which you couldn’t possibly have predicted.

The Tourist has something equally taxing to get your little grey cells around. In The Tourist, Elise (Angelina Jolie looking as radiant and porcelain doll like as ever) is trying to reconnect with her lover, a suave accountant who is on the run after ripping off a cockney gangster for millions. In order to stay hidden from both the vengeance driven gangster and the police, headed up by serial villain in American films Paul Bettany, the never seen accountant has had plastic surgery.

Elise then receives a note to go to a certain train station at a certain time, board the train to Venice and pick a stranger who matches her lover’s height and build in order to throw off the police. She picks Johnny Depp, playing a vacationing maths teacher from America.

Can you spot the twist? If you can’t I won’t spoil it, but you really shouldn’t be watching thrillers.

Anyhow, Angelina gives her usual sultry yet powerful woman performance (the sort that probably convinced Brad Pitt he’d married the wrong woman and should leave her immediately) and Johnny Depp is on top form as the lovesick maths teacher taken in by her spell. He actually saves the film, as the image of a panicked Depp clambering over the rooftops of Venice dressed in his pyjamas more than makes up for the lack of action.

Despite this film being touted as an action movie, there’s only one foot chase and one speed boat chase, which is pretty slow as it’s in Venice and one of the boats is going backwards.

Anyhow, it’s a welcome sight to see former James Bond Timothy Dalton back in Hollywood movies, even if he is, once again, playing a member of the British Secret Service (well, sort of).

Pirates fans will love the final scene of the film where Johnny drops his American accent for a few moments and puts on a British one, making him sound just like Captain Jack Sparrow. This was the laugh out loud moment from the movie.

The Tourist is a bit of a non-entity of a film really. It plods along at a meandering pace, with little in the way of action and an impending plot twist that you would have to be blind not to see coming yet, for some reason (Johnny Depp probably) the film is somewhat watchable.

Now, we have lived through the hype and witnessed the feast for the eyes presented by the glorious pageantry of the global phenomenon that became their wedding day. The segment of their love story portrayed in this movie is their blissful University days and subsequent struggles for their relationship to survive once they left the heady tomfoolery of student life behind them. Much of the movie gives us a rather shallow insight in to the privileged and cosseted world of Hooray Henrys and Henriettas at work and play.

Now that the experience is over and their married life has already begun in real terms, William & Kate: The Movie does somewhat pale in to insignificance compared to the real thing and after the back to back media bombardment. We perhaps all now have our own interpretations about what really happened and don’t really need a schmaltzy film version to re-cover old ground.

The atmosphere that William & Kate: The Movie does evoke well is the claustrophobic media pressure suffered by Kate Middleton and her family after the relationship became public. Their steely determination to stand by their man as they battle to adapt to the intrusion that is anything other than ordinary sharply contrasts with the weary acceptance of Prince William and his father.

The question remains – Does this movie provide satisfying fodder for even the most ardent of royal watchers? When witnessing the final scene against a backdrop of a breathtaking African sunset, the conclusion is that no fresh insights are offered, but it is a very topical and entertaining way for romantics and royalists alike to indulge their beliefs in the enduring power of love and happy endings.

It is the spring of 1866 and the last months of the Austrian occupation of the Veneto. Prussia and the Italian government have made a pact and the war of liberation is at hand. The film begins in an opera house and right away we are immersed in its opulent architecture brought vividly to life in Technicolor. During the intermission, Italian nationalists shower the place with leaflets and proclaim their independence. Amidst the chaos, Countess Livia Serpieri (Valli) witnesses her cousin challenge an Austrian officer by the name of Lieutenant Franz Mahler (Granger) to a duel.

Hoping to save her cousin from the duel, Livia meets with the handsome Mahler and tries to change his mind. He is attracted to the beautiful aristocrat but the married woman spurns his invite to another night at the opera. They soon meet again and she rebuffs his charming flirtation. They walk through the deserted city streets late at night and she finds herself drawn to him the more they talk, both letting down their defenses. They soon begin a secret and very passionate affair.

Livia and Mahler epitomize the kind of doomed lovers that are the hallmarks of historical melodramas. They know that their forbidden love cannot last but they are consumed by their passions anyway. They live in the moment. Alida Valli, who rose to international stardom with The Third Man (1949), is excellent as the headstrong Countess. She carries herself as someone of royalty would but Valli also conveys the passion and vulnerability she feels while in Mahler’s presence. Livia knows that their affair is wrong and fleeting but she does not care because of how he makes her feel.

Senso is a classic historical drama with sweeping romance at its center. The actors are clad in fantastic period outfits and the attention to detail of the time is excellent. It doesn’t hurt that this is all accompanied by melodramatic classical music that swells during dramatic moments. Visconti’s film juxtaposes an intimate affair with the concerns of an entire country – what is one relationship compared to the fate of a nation?

Special Features:

The first disc features “The Making of Senso,” a 33-minute retrospective documentary that traces the film’s origins, from Camillo Boito’s novella to its hostile reaction by Italian film critics. Originally, the screenplay was very faithful to the source material but after going to the opera, Visconti radically changed the script. Surviving crew members tells filming anecdotes in this excellent featurette.

Also included is a visual essay by film scholar Peter Cowie in which he analyzes the film’s themes, the look and the soundtrack. He also provides fascinating biographical details on Visconti. Cowie even reads from the novella with clips from the film to illustrate how it was translated.

The second disc starts off with “The Wanton Countess,” the rarely seen English version of the film with translation by literary giants Tennessee Williams and Paul Bowles.

“Viva Verdi: Visconti and Opera” features film scholars discussing the influence of Visconti’s career as an opera director on his films. Senso starts with an opera and features heightened operatic emotions. He grew up with opera and it was integral part of his life.

“Man of Three Worlds: Luchino Visconti” is a 48-minute BBC documentary on Visconti that explores his careers in film, theater and opera. There is some great vintage footage on the set of a film and clips of him at the Cannes Film Festival. This doc paints an excellent portrait of an intriguing renaissance man.

Much like Good Times, Chastity (1969) is clearly a product of the 1960s with trippy visuals and a we-can-change-the-world idealism. The film begins with Cher running desperately across a beach. Where is she going? Do we care? After the fluff of Good Times, Sonny Bono went behind the camera and wrote and produced Cher in this gritty tale of a rebellious free spirit. This is the first on-screen appearance of the tough-talking Cher that we all know and love. She rebuffs creepy guys hitting on her in trademark blunt fashion, rips off a gas station and smokes a joint. Chastity is your basic counterculture hero, living on the fringes of mainstream society and sticking it to The Man. The film and the accompanying soundtrack did so badly that Cher didn’t act again for over ten years.

Silkwood (1983) is among some of the best socially-conscious films to come out of Hollywood in the early to mid-1980s. The film is based on the real-life Karen Silkwood (played by Streep in the film) who worked at a nuclear power plant and when she found out about their shady dealings and unsafe working conditions tried to blow the whistle only to die in a mysterious car accident. Cher was in the big leagues with this film, acting opposite Meryl Streep and was directed by the legendary Mike Nichols. Cher drops her glamorpuss look and gets real, disappearing into her character. She more than holds her own with the likes of Streep, Kurt Russell, Craig T. Nelson, and Fred Ward. Silkwood was a hit with critics and nominated for five Academy Awards, including Cher for Best Supporting Actress.

Moonstruck (1987) was the My Big Fat Geek Wedding (2002) of its day only infinitely better and about an Italian family as opposed to a Greek one. Watching Norman Jewison’s film again, you realize just how much Nia Vardalos’ film is heavily indebted to it. If Moonstruck is La Boheme than Greek Wedding is Tony and Tina’s Wedding. Loretta (Cher) is engaged to Johnny (Aiello). They act like an old married couple and they haven’t even tied the knot yet! And therein lies the problem – their relationship lacks passion. He is called away suddenly to Italy to see his mother on her deathbed and asks Loretta to invite his estranged brother Ronny (Cage) to their wedding. Ronny works in a bakery and is bitter over having lost his hand in a freak accident, blaming Johnny for what happened. In a classic case of opposites attracting, Loretta and Ronny find themselves irresistibly drawn to each other. Like Greek Wedding, Moonstruck does heighten ethnic stereotypes for comedic effect but the latter film does so sincerely and with class. Moonstruck perpetuates a lot of Italian stereotypes but not in a grating way, rather with affection. The crucial difference between the two films is tone. Where Greek Wedding is all cuddly, feel good sitcom, Moonstruck has some bite to it, an edge as represented by Nicolas Cage’s passionate performance. Best of all it has a wonderful sense of romantic naiveté, a cinematic love letter to New York City.

Hot off her success with Moonstruck, Cher used her clout to have two directors and one actress replaced on her next film, Mermaids (1990). Regardless of the production problems, the end result is a sweet, funny and even poignant coming-of-age story. Set in the early 1960s, Mermaids is narrated by Charlotte (Ryder), a teenage girl who dreams of becoming a nun – quite possibly a reaction to her headstrong mother Mrs. Flax (Cher) who packs up and moves her two children every time a relationship with a man doesn’t work out … which is a lot. Mrs. Flax’s wandering ways are put to the test when she meets Lou (Hoskins) who runs the town shoe store and proceeds to charm the pants of the Flax women. The chemistry between Cher, Christina Ricci and, particularly, Winona Ryder, is excellent as she plays the conservative daughter rebelling against her free-spirited mother. The young Ricci is absolutely adorable as the energetic little sister Kate who is an avid swimmer.

Coming off the commercial flop that was Faithful (1996), Cher laid low for three years before bouncing back with Franco Zeffirelli’s semi-autobiographical film, Tea with Mussolini (1999), that saw her teamed up with an impressive group of veteran British actresses – Joan Plowright, Judi Dench and Maggie Smith. This film is a lavish period piece set before and during World War II and is a leisurely-paced character study set in Italy. Part of the joy in watching this film is seeing the cast breath life into these intriguing characters. The film focuses on three British women living abroad. Their daily routine changes when one of them (Plowright) takes a young boy in and raises him. Her two other friends (Dench and Smith) take turns babysitting the boy and imparting pearls of wisdom. This is something of an underrated film and it is rare that you get to see this many award-winning, critically-acclaimed actresses sharing the same space together.

Special Features:

Most of these films are accompanied by a trailer.

The film starts with the siblings acquiring a taste for elaborate cons. Older brother Stephen is the brains of the outfit, and concocts scenarios, scripts and characters for young Bloom to join him in. At this point, I must confess my ignorance as to why they are known as the brothers Bloom, when it seems to be that it’s the first name of one of them. My brain may have stroked off at the point where it was explained. Maybe his name is Bloom Bloom. Who cares?

Anyhoo, we cut from the curiously attired boys (think of an Amish Charlie Chaplin) and flash forward to them as adults. Bloom (Adrien Brody) is still involved in Stephen’s (Mark Ruffalo) scams, but they’re accompanied by Stephen’s Japanese explosives-expert girlfriend Bang Bang (Rinko Kikuchi). It turns out the Bloom has had a gutfull of being a grifter, and wants to leave the life behind. As is the way of things, he’s tempted into one last job – that of scamming rich, eccentric, beautiful shut-in Penelope (Rachel Weisz).

The world that Johnson has created here is just as fantastical as the film noir, hardboiled high school of Brick’s. Penelope lives in a castle. In New Jersey. She pootles around in a banana yellow Lamborghini, but the only way to travel internationally is by tramp steamer. Their jaunt from the US to Greece takes them past snow topped mountains. In the middle of the ocean. However, where the anachronistic dialogue in Brick seems… right, this seems contrived. Annoying, even.

The acting on offer here is fine. Weisz is radiant as Penelope, Ruffalo wears his role like a pair of comfy old slippers, and Brody passes muster even though it’s obvious that he’s really, really acting. Even Rinko Kikuchi is great, despite never saying a word. The main problem with this film is that it doesn’t know when to stop with the con. When you think you’ve got it figured, you realise that you haven’t. Or maybe you have. No, definitely not… hold on. Yes. Ah. Bugger.

There’s nothing wrong with leading the audience up the garden path before taking them by surprise, but it’s another thing to jerk them around, and this is what happens here. Ultimately, it lacks the substance to back up its style, and it’s just plain annoying.

Whimsical films are hard to pull off, but The Brothers Bloom makes a game effort and will no doubt find an audience. Unfortunately, it’s less Amelie, more The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou.