HM (Helen Mirren) The Queen

Advantages: Superb performances from Helen Mirren and Michael Sheen
Disadvantages: The rest of the film not quite as good as it could have been

...After all the Oscar nominations for best costume, score, director, original screenplay and movie and Helen Mirrens's best actress winning performance as Queen Elizabeth II, I really wanted to see The Queen (2006) and having missed it at the cinema it was on our DVD rental list. But to my surprise ITV were showing the Stephen Frears directed film this evening to coincide with the 10th anniversary with the death of Princess Diana so I settled in to watch it. The film focuses on the events, reactions and responses of the Royal Family, the British public and government in the week from the death of Diana to her funeral in 1997. In brief the film starts with the election of the New Labour government and the new Prime Minister Tony Blair (wonderfully portrayed by Michael Sheen) and sets the scene early on of a nation which is changing...

Suzela 03.09.2007 · Read review
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Review of The Queen (DVD)

Superb acting from Helen Mirren

Advantages: Helen Mirren
Disadvantages: Quite hard to follow, not the best episode

...Introduction This is an episode from the fourth series of Prime Suspect, which was created by Lynda La Plante. Surprisingly, although there were four series, there were only 11 episodes made, presumably shown in two parts. I have always been critical of Lynda La Plante as an author - her writing is somewhat wooden - but as the creator of this series, she certainly hit the jackpot. With Helen Mirren in the leading role, the show was an instant hit. The creator Lynda La Plante started her career as an actress with roles in The Sweeney and The Professionals. She became frustrated by the lack of roles for female actors and so began to write her own scripts, beginning with The Widows, shown on the television in the 1980s. Her next project was Prime Suspect, followed by The Governor and Trial and Retribution. She has also written a number...

sunmeilan 16.01.2006 · Read review
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Review of Prime Suspect 4 - Inner Circles (DVD)

Meeting Helen Mirren and adventurous times galore!

Advantages: Alot of things happening so you won't get bored reading this
Disadvantages: Quite a long read as so much happened

...got to the harbour on time to find out that it was running late due to the technical problems the ferry had, and it would not arrive until 11.30pm. We wasn't happy, however glad that at least we knew we would get back to Guernsey even if it was later than planned. The departure lounge here wasn't so nice as there was no area like there was at Guernsey to watch the harbour. However something very interesting happened?..as we were waiting a couple came and sat just to the left of us on the opposite side and my husband whispered to me, 'I think that's Helen Mirren!' I had only seen her in the 'Calendar Girls' film before and because she was very casually dressed and had no make-up on I wasn't sure, but after a few more glances we both decided it was her, and the man sitting next to her we found out later was her bodyguard. Well we...

saraha007 08.04.2007 · Read review
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Review of Guernsey (Channel Islands)

Raising Helen

Advantages: Certificate PG so it's suitable for nearly everyone
Disadvantages: The cinema is expensive and this film is very average

...Mirren is seen as being quite nasty just because she has a successful career and the fact that she's child-free is something held up as not being right. As for the men, with the exception of Pastor Dan - Helen's love interest - they seem to have no part in anything domestic. Hopefully, this film is pure escapism and nobody's life is like that. Part of the problem with this film is the director. The same man directed "Pretty Woman" and that film also has a sanitised, glamourised view of the world, especially regarding prostitution. I would imagine that people who do live in New York who watch "Raising Helen" would hardly recognise what is meant to be representation of them and their world. As for dealing with grief, that's more or less glossed over. "Raising Helen" might raise a smile or two but don't expect a particularly demanding...

Mel27 20.08.2004 · Read review
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Review of Raising Helen (DVD)

Helen of Troy

Advantages: Gives a Slightly Different Version of Events
Disadvantages: Is A Bit Long

...Alexandros takes pity on him and saves him bringing him up as his own son and renaming him Paris. A few years later the now grown up Paris played by Matthew Marsden, chases a stray goat into a cave. Overheated from the run he takes a sip of water and starts to feel dizzy and a vision appears before him of the three goddesses Hera, Athena and Aphrodite. The goddesses are having a debate about who is the fairest among them and they have decided that Paris is to choose the winner. In order to sway his judgement they each offer a prize for picking them. Athena offers great wisdom, Hera offers great Kingdoms and wealth and Aphrodite offers the most beautiful woman in the world and shows Paris a vision of Helen. At the same time that Paris is looking at this vision of Helen, she is also seeing his face through a vision in a pool. When we...

Merced 27.08.2007 · Read review
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Review of Helen Of Troy (DVD)

FREE DVDs

Advantages: Free trial, large choice, post included,new realeases
Disadvantages: see review

...I like movies and I like freebies, so when you get offered both in one swoop you?re bound to accept! I used my two week free trial with this company and remained with them for a couple of monthsbefore moving on to try many other companies free trials (and winning a new DVD player on Tesco DVD rental site on their free trial offer). I then had an email from DVDs 365 asking me to go back, and offering me a free DVD if I did so. I had just left Tesco (with my new DVD player) so I chose to go back with them. ∆◊◊ THE SERVICE THEY OFFER ∆◊◊ Basically it?s like going to a video shop and hiring films on DVD, except you don?t pay for each film you chose ? rather a monthly fee for which you can watch as many movies as you can fit in, for us this is usually around 8 a month (2 a week usually weekends...

dabmim 15.11.2004 · Read review
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Review of dvds365.com

Surprising Picture Quality - Panasonic DVD-S54

Advantages: Incredible picture quality when compared to my old non-upscaling player with a scart lead
Disadvantages: Sometimes disc drive can be really noisy when DVD's initially load.

...At first I wasn't convinced by up-scaling DVD player technology but was persuaded after reading an article in "What Hi-Fi? Sound and Vision" magazine. Unable to afford a Blu-Ray player my sister and I bought the Panasonic DVD-S54 to match our parents brand new Panasonic TX-32LZD80 LCD television as their Christmas 2008 present. Admittedly it was a slightly selfish purchase as we both live at home and wanted to watch DVDs on the big new TV ourselves! We bought the player from the electrical retailer Comet for about £100 just before Christmas so there were no discounts applied. On Christmas day when opened we found a relatively small box tightly packed with the player in polystyrene packaging. All the components such as cables, remote and manuals were well presented in their own protective plastic bags, to keep them protected. The player...

bobbacon985 12.02.2009 · Read review
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Review of Panasonic DVD-S54

Helen Fielding and the Underactive Imagination

Advantages: It can pass the time
Disadvantages: Nothing really original

...As popular as the first two were, there could never have been a third Bridget Jones book. After all, what else was there for her to do? She's caught her man, so perhaps marriage and kids, but it would have been difficult to make that funny. Think about it: "7.02 a.m. Changed baby's nappy. 7.05 a.m. Changed nappy again. How can something so small create so much waste?" It's amusing, but a year of that would have got very boring very quickly. It was time for Helen Fielding and her readers to move on. More accurately, in fact, it was time for her to go full circle. Fielding's debut novel, "Cause Celeb" was written in the standard style, without the diary format, although told largely in the first person by a female lead character. So the same style is used for "Olivia Joules and the Overactive Imagination". Olivia Joules is...

Soho_Black 14.08.2005 · Read review
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Review of Olivia Joules and the Overactive Imagination - Helen Fielding

St Helens Goats Milk

Advantages: Tastes just like dairy milk
Disadvantages: a little more expensive than dairy milk

...ears. Goats milk is essentially the same as cows milk in terms of nutritional value but goats milk has about 20% less cholestrol than cows milk. It also containts less folic acid therefore expectant mums would require folic acid supplements to make up the difference if they made the switch. Other than that they are the same. There is no difference in taste or smell at all and when used as an ingredient in receipies e.g cakes, custard etc it behaves the same as cows milk. St Helens Goats milk comes in both whole and semi-skimmed forms in either 750ml or 1L cartons. I buy the Whole Milk 1L carton from Sainsburys. Unfortunately I can't remember how much it costs. £1.89 rings a bell but it seems rather expensive now that I see it written down :). Next time I'm there I'll take a closer look and update the review if necessary. Anyway...

Soundsexciting 21.12.2005 · Read review
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Review of St Helens Goats Milk

Helen's Dance Workout

Advantages: Easy to learn and easy to follow. A Fun Workout!
Disadvantages: No chapter that just does the full routines

...Helen Adams' Workout DVD. Just after Christmas, I purchased a 3-in-1 DVD collection including Helen Adams Dance Workout. Due to being busy and moving house, I never got around to doing any of them, but with a bit of time on my hands and a few extra inches on my waist and hips, I thought I'd give one of them a go. And I picked Helen first. I can remember her as a favourite from a certain reality TV show however many years ago so thought her DVD might be the most fun of the three. Day One: I took some body measurements ? hips, waist, bust and ?big? (so called as it is the widest part of me and inbetween my hips and waist) and tried out the DVD. I'm not boasting here, but I try to do exercise regularly. I often do a bit of boxing, skipping, cycling and sit-ups and have to admit that I found the aerobic part of the DVD slightly tame...

elisemarie9 20.07.2007 · Read review
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Review of Dance Workout With Helen Adams (DVD)