WeekendBase

The Bridges of Madison County (1995) The Bridges of Madison County is far from being a great movie, but it’s very nearly a perfect movie—in its own way. What it does, it does very well indeed, and it wisely doesn’t try to do any more. Its virtue is its simplicity; this is a film about […]

The Dukes of Hazzard (2005) Jessica Simpson. That, in two words, is why this cracking film never got the credit it deserved. I’d never heard of Jessica Simpson before I went to see it—in fact, I’d barely heard of the Dukes of Hazzard TV series—so it didn’t prejudice me in the slightest, or stop me […]

Trading Places (4/5) Hey, it’s Christmas again! And as we all know, Christmas is a time for… Well, Christmas is a time for everything, isn’t it? It picks up traditions, customs, institutions and insanely catchy songs like a kid’s dropped lollipop picks up fluff. Don’t get me wrong; I love Christmas. Along with steaming mugs […]

Dead of Night (5/5) None of the new releases lured me into the cinema this week, so—since I’m also conscious that I haven’t given full marks to any film yet (and I’m unlikely to do so in the foreseeable future)—I thought I would look at an old classic, 1945’s Dead of Night. I believe that […]

Dinner for Schmucks (4/5) It’s often been said that going to the movies is a religious act. And, for me, there is an element of truth in that. No, I’m not blasphemously suggesting that the cinema should replace church, synagogue or mosque. That’s a horrific thought. But, since I was a kid, the cinema has […]

Grown-Ups (4/5) Confession: I sobbed several times during this movie. Confession: I love Adam Sandler’s brand of big-hearted buffoonery. Chances are, you’ve already decided, based on those two confessions, whether my four-out-of-five rating is worth taking seriously. Most critics pasted this movie. I wonder if they’d already decided to hate it before they took their […]

The Expendables (3/5) The Expendables is a film that will delight twelve-year boys, and anyone who is willing to become a twelve-year-old boy for its running time. It’s the kind of film that isn’t quite complete without a detailed analysis afterwards in the school-yard. But even if that isn’t an option for you, you can […]

Salt (4/5) Don’t you miss the Cold War? The threat of nuclear annihilation might not have been such fun, but at least you knew where you stood, especially when you walked into a movie theatre. It was all so simple. The Americans were the good guys. They were for capitalism, freedom and God. The Russians […]

Cinema Paradiso (3/5) Salvatore is one of those loud, perpetually grinning, mischievous movie kids who are just crying out to be slapped. He lives in a dusty Italian village, the sort where women breastfeed in the cinema, all the men wear cloth caps and all the old women wear headshawls. The village folk like to […]

Maolsheachlann O’Ceallaigh is a work colleague of mine, whose exceptional writing skills I always envied and admired. I promised him this valuable WeekendBase piece of land for his movie review writing, under the condition that “Cinema Paradiso” review comes in first. So, Maol, good luck and I look forward to “work” with you on this […]