What you thought of Loose Cannons-

Excellent:  37

Good:  29

Average:  3

A gorgeous film with gorgeous young men!!!!  mmmm!              Lovely.         Fantastico.
Brilliant, bitter-sweet, beautiful.....                         Lovely fun            Fab!         A great Film.
Ma che bella storia!   Grazie tante!                      Light Italian comedy - wonderful
Subtitle; But what a beautiful story.  Many thanks.
Lovely poignant film.
Loved everything about this film!  Including the music.        Lovely.        Very enjoyable.
Very well acted, good story.
Enjoyed it but hoped for La Cage aux Folles.

Very moving but hardly comedic.  Wonderful camera work.
Pasta-licious. - I liked the old Dad.
I can sympathise with Tommaso's problem with the pasta factory.  I had my fill of it after a week in Italy.                                                            Real Italy.
Stereotype piled on stereotype.  Occasionally very funny but in a guilty sort of way.

A feel good film with serious undertones.
Confused at the end.              Just a little too explicit.           Fun, amazingly funny with a twist.
Enjoyable and funny - if a bit confusing.               Good fun - in spite of the complicated ending!
Nice film.  Clever epilogue device.
The blend of comedy and drama did not always work but the lending of different eras was brilliant.  We probably missed quite a bit by not knowing what the songs were about.   Poor Teresa!
A slow start and an overlong end but some good bits in the middle, once we worked out who was who.

If a film is really good (like last week's) I don't notice how uncomfortable the seats are.  The seats were pretty hard tonight!
It held my attention all through.  A lovely colourful film.
Loved it, although some of the ultimate moralising was too deep for my understanding!
Subtle, beautiful, uplifting!
Very beautiful - lovely music.  Quite poignant too.
It went through the whole range of emotions - sensitive - humorous - thought provoking and such beautiful people.

Good to re-visit Lecce!                        I want to see it again tomorrow
But who got the girl?

The next film will be Of Gods and Men  on Wednesday September 28th beginning at 7.45 p.m.


            

A

Confused

Good to

A gorgeou     

Welcome back to True Grit

What you thought of the film - and of our use of subtitles!

Excellent - 41
Good - 22
Average - 3

Overal approval 89%

A faultless western.                A most unusual western.        A tribute to the old westerns.             Entertaining.

Enjoyed the different approach.         Terrific start to the season.                Exciting and engrossing

A great start to the season.           A rattling good film.        Both of us thought it a brilliant film.

A tale for our times?             Brilliant!  There's no substitute for a first class western.

Better than I expected, I loved the original but was pleasantly surprised.   Enjoyed it more than the original.

Well acted and probably a more realistic interpretation than John Wayne's film.

They showed it like it was!                Great film.  Loved it.  Fantastic filming; great actors; lovely story.

One of the best Coen brothers' film I have seen.  The actress that played Mattie Ross senior wasn't a patch on Hailee Steinfeld.                                 Unusual film with a stunning performance by a 14 year old.  Wonderful start to the season.             Just as good on the second viewing as on the first. 
A great start to what looks like a superb season.              
At last!  A western with no cows but Jeff and Hailee delivered grittily!

Jeff Bridges, legend - The Dude abides.        Excellent - was that really Jeff Bridges?

Violence and jokey dialogue; the first True Grit was a better film.

Come back Clint......all is forgiven.  Snatches of good, bad and ugly ...Too loud.

Enjoyable film but I found the 'Quakerish language' at odds with the western location.

Excellent acting and photography.

And now for the great Subtitles debate............

Pro Subtitles - 24

Subtitles probably essential!                      Subtitles I found helpful.              Quite liked the subtitles.

Subtitles good.        Subtitles were a useful addition.               Subtitles were very useful and effective.

Subtitles definitely useful - please continue with all American films.          Subtitles - useful!

I liked the subtitles.                        Too loud!  Subtitles are useful.              Subtitles are a great idea.

Subtitles most necessary, excellent.                         Necessary to have subtitles - good idea.  Subtitles :-)              

Please keep the subtitles.              Subtitles very useful.                      Subtitles were invaluable but sound too loud.

Enjoyed the subtitles.                    
A great script which would have been spoilt without subtitles.  They are a great idea. Thanks!                  
The subtitles helped.                                                                        Liked the subtitles.      
After a short while the subtitles disappeared.

And yes, it did need the subtitles.                              Subtitles OK

No preference either way - 10

I for one could hear every word.                            Thought subtitles quite helpful - don't mind either way.

Not a good test for subtitles because the 'American' delivery was slow and clear in this particular film.  However, the sound was terribly loud.                                   

The dialogue in this particular film is slow and clear, so this was not a good test.  But I think in many American films that I have seen, subtitles would have been a great help.

On the whole I would prefer without subtitles but in this film they really helped.                          I found the sound track on this film easy to understand but most American films would benefit from subtitles.

Subtitles are useful but would not like them generally.                Though subtitles are quite helpful, I don't mind either way.              Subtitles not necessary this time but will be in future I'm sure!      Subtitles needed at times

Con subtitles - 10

I'm not convinced about the subtitles.            Bit distracted by the subtitles.             Distracted by subtitles.

On balance I'd prefer no subtitles with this film but I can see some benefits.

Good film with diction not as poor as I'd expected.  Subtitles not necessary - Americans should make films with better diction or we shouldn't have to watch them!!                    Subtitles distracting - sorry.

I think I prefer no subtitles.                        No subtitles.                      Subtitles rather distracting and volume too loud

No subtitles.    

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Next film.   Thursday September 15th.      Loose Cannons.   Mine Vaganti     dir Ferzan Ozpetek
A young gay man in a large, loving and eccentric Southern Italian family plans to free himself from the family pasta business by 'coming out'.  His plan misfires and this delightful comedy reveals how his dilemma is resolved.

The AGM

The AGM and 25th anniversary was marked by wine and delicious cakes.  We collected £256  in donations for the Democratic Voice of Burma in response to the many members who, after the screening of Burma VJ, asked if they could contribute to a fund to support the families of the video journalists imprisoned by the current regime.

We welcomed two members to join the committee and discussed the arrangements in our new venue.  Grateful thanks were expressed to Durweston Village Hall for their help and hospitality while the new school hall was being finished.  There are some technical problems yet to be solved in the new hall but we hope to settle comfortably in our new venue for the foreseeable future.

Heartbreaker

What you thought of Heartbreaker: Excellent: 26 Good: 31 Average: 5 Overall response in favour: 84%

Amusing. One of the best this season. Great film. Très amusant


Classy fun! Different! Amusing - Very Good.

How absolutely delightful. Thank you so much. What a way to end the season. Perfect!

Very amusing. A good ending to the year. Great fun. Best of breed!

Well found! Good choice.



Great to hear the audience laugh for a change.

An entertaining end to the season.

Giggle a minute, ending silly but still great.

Ever after happily they lived.

The perfect prototype for my future marriage!



Entertaining! Good end to a lovely season - Merci!

Effervescing experience exemplifying élan!

The French are more witty than I gave them credit for!

A good finish to the season. Graham performed brilliantly!

A good light touch, amusing.

Much better than George! (Clooney? The previous film was Up in the Air)

Romain Duris was fantastic! The film was great fun.

A fun ending to the season - he was very dishy, except when he cried!!

Nice change to have a light hearted film.



A nice comic touch to end the season. A light hearted enjoyable romp.

Rather weak. Good in parts.

Light and frothy and an excellent ending to the season. Thank you Committee for some good films.

A slick, charming, entertaining film. What a good film to end on!

Great fun, slick - funniest film of the season. A lot of fun. Nice to finish on!

Such fun! A good end to a good season!



A lovely film to end the season. Thank you for the delicious refreshments. Have a good summer.

CAN WE HAVE THE FLAPJACK RECIPE?

Can we have lots of jolly films next season?

A good ending to a year's films. Thanks.

Up in the Air

What you thought of Up in the Air

Excellent: 4

Good: 12

Average: 17

Poor: 2

Very Poor: 2

Overall response in favour 60%

American nonsense. Fun Movie. Light entertainment.
Very funny in parts but overlong for the material – slight overall.
A potentially grim subject made into a very quirky and enjoyable film.

It was a nice critique of the corporate life!
Don’t sell your soul to a man. Never believe a woman!
Not great but a comment on individualism – or should I say a warning!

Inconsequential fluff with pretensions. The separate elements did not gel together at all. Nice aerial shots.
Entertaining but not great.
A rather predictable thesis! Still enjoyable.
Trite, predictable, visually uninteresting, even monotonous: one or two amusing lines but overall I wanted to jump off a bridge myself!
Interesting but limited.

Predictable story line – acting OK but nothing special. I actually found it a bit boring – like his life.
George is to acting like wood to a puppet. Come back Michael Caine.
Natalie’s whining voice and the usual American film poor diction spoilt and otherwise passable film.
The dialogue wasn’t very clear; even after all your valiant efforts.
I prefer Clooney’s “Big head-waggling, saucer-eyed comedies”.

Thanks that did me some good!
OK, but I’m glad I didn’t pay for a ticket at the cinema for it.
What a hell of a job.
Makes you appreciate the Job Centre.
Did I miss something?
Give me a morbid film with a sad ending!
PLEASE can people keep mobile phones off.
I have nothing to say.

The next film Heartbreaker is preceded by the AGM on Thursday, April 7th at 7. 00p.m. There will be an opportunity to air comments on the new venue, the refreshments and the absence of shorts this season. We will be celebrating our 25th anniversary and there will be an opportunity to donate towards the expenses of the Democratic Voice of Burma.

Welcome

What you thought of Welcome:

Excellent: 38

Good: 28

Very Poor: 1

Overal Reaction in favour: 86%

Intrinsic. Very good film. Bon Chance. Thought provoking; very sad.
Another good film. Thanks. More like this please. Totally absorbing. Lovely club.
Heartbreaking. Very good but very sad. We must always do our best.

Many complex issues – how sad. Sad at the end: I’m glad I’m English.
So Mona ends up in an arranged marriage, knowing that the person who loved her died trying to get to her….
And they all lived….. Sad but enjoyable.
I almost hoped for a happy ending!
So much in life depends on where you are born. One of the saddest films I have seen.
More like this please. So many issues covered – sensitively done.
I don’t need this: life is sad enough. I want films that make me happy.
Something happier next time please.

Showed the power of an individual story.
Predictable story – nicely acted and photographed.
An affecting tale, well told. Good choice.
Thought provoking – what a difficult world we live in. Very moving. Superb acting and direction.
All the more powerful for being understated. Very well acted indeed.
Brilliant acting – very moving. Loved the music. Very sad but compelling with superb acting.

Well-judged. Cast a light on a nearly invisible (unseen) situation.
Very moving and especially interesting information about detention camps, rules regarding helping illegals, forced marriages in the UK.
The human driftwood of our vile actions overseas – hope some of the others really make it next time.
Heartbreaking. How can kindness be illegal?
We live in a privileged society. I had no idea the French had such wicked laws.
The French did not behave as our media implied.!
Another haunting allegory ( along with Un Prophete) on France and its ills.
Very moving story – a good insight into what goes on across the Channel.
Absorbing and believable – what would I have done? Good choice.
A lesson about compassion and humanity for all.

Utter tosh from the makers of la-la land. Total waste of space. Why did I stay?
Great improvement on the last one.
Simon’s ex-wife must have the same hairdresser as Helena Bonham-Carter. Very poignant.
You don’t very often see French people that scruffy.

The next film will be Up in the Air on Thursday March 24th.

The White Ribbon

What you thought of The White Ribbon

Excellent: 15

Good: 27

Average: 12

Poor: 4

Very Poor: 2

Approval rating: 70%

An enigma! Very haunting and fascinating. Deafening. Utterly dull.
Oppressive, abusive, sick people. Wonderful and very moving. Uncomfortable.
Sheer agony to watch – can’t imagine how it won an award. Too loud also! Interesting!
Absorbing – much better than Black Swan. Hard to watch. Unresolved.

Different but who did it?
The kids did it.
Oh dear, what a depressing film. Probably very good in various ways but I certainly didn’t enjoy it.
Excellent acting but it needed a dénouement.
Much darker than I had envisaged and not a very satisfactory ending.
No glamour, just a damn good film. A beautifully executed tale of mystery and intrigue.
Too long; well- acted but with no outcome it was rather depressing.
Wonderful photography but too deep and meaningful for me. Obscure. Too loud.
Atmospheric film, superb cinematography but not my kind of film.

Well done but infinitely depressing. When do we get episode 2?
An everyday story of country folk!! But glad we stayed to see it – after reading your résumé we nearly went straight home. At least no one fell off a roof….
Where was Miss Marple when you needed her? Vorsprung dürch Hanging Rock (Prefiguring Hanging Rock)
It was like Village of the Damned.
Explosive start! Confusing in parts but strangely compelling. Midwich Cuckoos?
Buddenbrooks meets Hammer House of Horror!
A German Lord of the Flies?

Let’s hope they all died in the Great War. Bloody Germans. A bit Teutonic! (sound was very shrill)
Why was the film made? There didn’t seem to be a reason.
A village with circles of evil percolating to all levels with “proprieties” preventing intervention and preserving the evil intact. The no telling tales culture.
Interesting insight to the period before the First World War.

I thought it would never end! My seat got harder and harder. A nightmare.
Brilliant and terrifying – even more so on this my second time.
Came in happy – went home distressed. Very strange but riveting.
Very strange but strangely compelling. I do see why it was in black and white.
Strange film, someone should write an ending. Not for the first time I wonder why that generation of parents ever had children.
Weird – too long but beautifully photographed and sound excellent.

I would like to see it again.
What the hell was that?
Strange. Can’t categorize.

The next film will be Welcome on March 17th at the School Hall.

BURMA VJ

What you thought of Burma VJ:

Excellent: 40

Good: 4

Total response 98% positive reaction.

Thanks to the committee for a fascinating evening.
Engrossing. Lucky us. What a story. “Gob smacking” Atmospheric.
What an extremely humbling film. We must all hope that things will improve.
Thank you for showing it.

Camera work under world-class stress – highly atmospheric.
A night and a film I shan’t easily forget. A great use of film.
Historic film, for method and content. Fantastic choice - thanks very much.
A remarkable film and indicative of the power of communication.
The scariest film I have ever seen. Thanks.
Astonishing, thought-provoking. What a powerful weapon a camera can be!
Remarkable – the most gripping and moving film I’ve seen. Superb editing to develop understanding and tension.

What an eye – opener! Thank you Joshua.
Excellent more for the courage than the quality.
Far from the usual type of film – but what an evening. I don’t think I would have had that sort of courage.
What a brave man Joshua is. I hope his cause succeeds.
Compelling, powerful and immensely informative. Thank you for showing this film.
Inspiring and humbling – brilliant material. Thank you for choosing this film.
An extraordinary opportunity to understand more about the situation in Burma.

Hoping that this time of tragedy will turn into something great. In time it must.
The film conveyed the reality of the current situation in Burma. It is difficult to see how military power can be overthrown.
After that what can I say? I just feel humble about my own freedom.
Brave film makers. Things have to change in Burma.
Inspirational. Can we do something to support his work?
How can we help them? How lucky we are to be British.
Such a moving documentary. It only highlights the oppression that is existing in Joshua’s country.

Where was Spartacus?

Thank you for putting that on.

Impossible to assess that film but a deeply moving evening.

The next film will be The White Ribbon on Thursday March 3rd. at Blandford School.

A Prophet

What you thought of A Prophet.

Excellent: - 12

Good: - 18

Average: - 1

Poor: - 2

Porridge without the laughs (plus blood –lots!)
But I don’t like such violence. Scary! Very gripping though.
Good technically, boring as entertainment. Bon Chance! Full Marks.
Powerful. Far too long. Excellent and powerful.


Too long but a good tale. Riveting –but far too long for me!
Brilliant acting but tough to watch.
Tahar Rahim was extremely convincing and the story compelling, if shocking.

Crime certainly doesn’t pay in France.
Does prison reform or just refine the criminal? Has Ken Clark seen this?
A bleak allegory of France – as it is or as it might become?
I now see where penalties can land you so I’ll be more sober on holiday!
Makes ordinary law-abiding life seem flat and goody goody.

Provocative, controversial ….a worthy winner of the Grand Prix.
Too long, confusing plot, more than a bit pretentious. Well made and all that , but maybe only French bourgeois guilt can explain all the prizes.
I can understand why it won all the awards. Excellent acting and script. A bit too long though.

Lived up to expectations.

What a nasty film.

I feel as if I’ve done 6 years.

The next film will be Burma VJ on February 17th.at Blandford school's new hall. Please note that we hope to have a speaker to introduce this documentary film and there will be a chance to ask questions after it.

Everlasting Moments

What you thought of Everlasting Moments

Excellent: -49
Good: - 4
Average - 0
Poor: - 1
Very poor - 0

Overall reaction 97%

I wasn’t expecting anything as good as this. Outstanding. Lovely. Deeply moving.
Delightful – a real gem. A very enjoyable film. Beautiful, piff, paff, puff!
A magnificent film throughout ! Beautiful film – lovely music.
A sad story beautifully done.

Wonderful photography. Stunning. Wonderful acting, beautiful photography. It’s what cinema is all about. A very atmospheric, moving film.
Beautiful photography and very subtle characterisation.
Superb – a masterpiece – wonderfully acted and sensitive. A study in nobility.
A beautiful and poignant film yet understated, Beautiful and enigmatic.
A beautiful film – enhanced by a subtle use of colour.
Beautifully told and photographed. Brilliant photography and photographer.

So many layers – superb. (I saw The King’s Speech this week and enjoyed this more!)
Superb acting, very atmospheric and thoroughly enjoyable.
Picture in picture.
Great film and I loved the CD before the film.

Great choice – thanks very much. A Hardy-esque tale of a wronged woman almost broken by forces beyond her control. Beautifully photographed – very reminiscent of those Swedish prints from that era.
A very moving story of love and perseverance.
A film with everything – moral, realism and real loving. Where is the rest of the film world?
An excellent film of love loss and redemption.
A gem of a film with a very light touch. Wonderful story and gorgeous to look at.
Absolutely first rate. Photography superb and the story was very sensitively handled – superb!

More like this please.
If this was on TV, I would have watched 20 minutes and then off. As it was I saw it all in its painful dullness.
I liked it.
Charming. Why not on general release as it could apply to many of today’s families in England. What I came to the club to see.
A lovely film. What I come to the film society for!

The next film will be A Prophet on February 4th at Blandford school hall.

Nowhere Boy

What you thought of Nowhere Boy:

Excellent - 31

Good - 30

Average - 5

Overall rating - 85%

Very enjoyable. Fine acting and interesting story. Destined for tragedy.
Terrific! Thanks for the Greatest Show on Earth. Very enjoyable.
A big improvement on Ian Drury. Great!

Fabulous acting – brilliant set and scene making and what a star Jonny Aaron is. Music of course from my youth! Magic.
An average film raised onto a higher plane by the inimitable Kristin Scott Thomas.
More an older Tom Jones than a young John Lennon.
I loved the storyline. Brilliant acting by the women.
Great film. Great music. Kristin Scott Thomas – wow! Beautifully acted.
An interesting film particularly well-played by the two women!! Good lads!
No wonder he ended up rather weird! Kristin Scott Thomas was superb as usual.

Too many views of him coming out of gates! Miserable backgrounds do seem to breed geniuses.
I felt it lacked tension and relied too heavily on us knowing what he would become.
I was strangely unmoved. Seemed genuine and touching in places.
Quite a good story averagely told.
I agree with The Guardian critic – good but staged in parts. Well done for coping with the problems.

“All you need is Love”. Congratulations on the 1950s style projector problems: - perfectly reproduced!!
Thanks for getting it back together again. Loved the film but I find the screen rather high (sorry).
Well done – a quick recovery with the DVD and a great venue.
Engrossing in spite of the gremlins. Some excellent performances – very enjoyable in spite of the break!
Rather enjoyable, I liked the music. The story was getting more interesting when it went – glad it come back.
What a relief after last week! Thanks for the diversity of films.
Very good – in spite of the jam on the disk. Well done the production team!

A tellingly poignant account of an unusual triangle but did the ending fall into the sentimental.
I am not sure how true to the real story it was. The John Lennon character appeared not to be the main character in the film.
The film answered all the questions about John Lennon’s later life. Super film.
Explains a lot! I will look at Julia with another level of understanding now!
A much better film than I expected, having grown up with the music.
A brilliant film in every way. Thank you for rescuing it!
A gripping and enjoyable trip down memory lane.

Brilliant! Where were the ice creams in the interval?

The next film will be Everlasting Moments on January 27th in Blandford School Hall.

The Hurt Locker

What you thought of The Hurt Locker

Excellent - 40

Good - 16

Average - 2

Very Poor - 1

Overall Reaction 90%

More! WOW Magnificent F***ing Great Very powerful
Astonishingly grim. Visceral, terrifying, yet totally real. Very tense.
Brilliant – brutal but beautiful. Confusion and violence squared – CV2
Bleak, relentless though undeniably powerful. It was another war film.
The sheer power of the USA. Would they be that stupid to go looking for trouble?

Hand held – even the bomb trigger. On the balcony who got the video from the guy up there?
It certainly brings home what the troops have to cope with.
It’s all there, the devastation, the violence and the horror of war. The soldiers’ testosterone and adrenaline keeps them going. Brilliant acting – like a documentary. Superb acting.
Brilliant everything – acting, story, direction – 1st. class.

A powerful film reminding me of the horrors and futility of war.
Full of real feeling and utterly unsentimental. Oh the horrors of war.
The awfulness of it..... the waste of it…..the pity of it…………a brilliant film.
The horror! The horror! The futility of war.
Let’s hope it ends soon!
In substance a good film but oh the hysteria.

The Oscars were deserved – a great filmic team.
Deserves Oscars for gratuitous violence and tacky sentimentality. I am disappointed that the committee could choose such a dreadful film. The sound was also very loud (though not distorted) Ear plugs next week.
Well deserved accolades. (It was so hot in the hall: it added to the feel of the film!)
Powerful. Not my kind of film but I can understand why it won so many awards. What a f***ing world we have!

Fantastic film! I feel as if I’ve been right in the action for the last two hours! I’ve only just survived!
Palpable tension almost throughout – can’t imagine living it!
Glad I saw it but hard to watch.
A very good view of modern warfare but not good for peace of mind.
Draining – but well worth the experience.

A film not to be missed. I don’t think I enjoyed it but I’m glad I saw it.

[ Apologies to all those members who found Kathryn Bigelow’s ‘restless camera pinging frenetically’ nausea inducing. Several people were reluctant to disturb the film by leaving, so writhed silently]


The next film will be Nowhere Boy on January 20th at the new Blandford school hall.