A Quiet tale of idealism and betrayal

Advantages: Interesting look at Vietnam, complexity of morals and ideals
Disadvantages: Unlikeable characters, a bit slow at times

...with the ending and moves between different periods of time. The protagonist is an English reporter, Fowler, who is world-weary and doesn't seem to believe in anything. He is separated from his religious wife who won't give him a divorce and lives with a young Vietnamese girl, Phuong. Fowler is portrayed as jealous and selfish for most of the novel. Phuong remains an enigma throughout the novel and never seems to have a voice of her own. Both Fowler and Pyle have their own idealized versions of her but we are never sure what her true character is. Most of her decisions are made by her elder sister who wants to marry her off to a foreigner. Phuong accquiesces to the needs and wants of the men who claim to love her. All she appears to want is protection and financial security. Pyle is the "Quiet American" of the title and is young and idealistic. He...

mogdred1 09.07.2009 · Read review
Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful
Review of The Quiet American - Graham Greene

Love triangle

Advantages: Good acting from Michael Caine
Disadvantages: Slow-moving

...on a true story of three aboriginal girls abducted from their homes as part of Australian official policy, has won much recognition. The story Thomas Fowler is a journalist in 1950s Vietnam, where he combines having a young and beautiful mistress, Phuong, with doing as little work as possible. Threatened by his bosses in London, he starts to make a foray into a deeper understanding of Vietnamese politics by going to the most war-torn area of Vietnam at the time. Around the same time, he meets an American journalist, Alden Pyle, who saves Fowler's life at one point. The two men become quite close, until Fowler realises that Pyle is in love with Phuong. Eventually, Phuong realises that Fowler will never be able to divorce his Catholic wife back in the UK, and leaves him to set up home with Pyle. Then one day, Fowler realises that Pyle is not...

sunmeilan 09.02.2006 · Read review
Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful
Review of The Quiet American (DVD)

Texas? Texas? Only steers come from Texas.

Advantages: Thought provoking, great one liners, great acting, good story
Disadvantages: Too short for both parts. Maybe there should have been 2 separate films?

...of characters in this film and in addition to Sergeant Hartman, Joker and Rafterman the main ones include: i) Private ?Cowboy? (Arliss Howard) ii) Private Leonard Lawrence ?Gomar Pyle? (Vincent D?Onofrio iii) Lt ?Touchdown? (Ed O?Ross) iv) Lt ?Lockhart? (John Terry) v) Private ?Snowball? (Peter Edmund) vi) Private ?Eightball? (Dorian Harewood) All the characters are believable and the respective actors do a fantastic job. Whilst Sergeant Hartman and Private Pyle steal the limelight in the training camp the focuses soon switches to Private Joker and Rafteman once in Vietnam. Whilst the foresaid characters have the largest roles they have the backing of a fantastically talented cast of supporting actors. ****My thoughts and opinion**** FMG is clearly in two distinct parts and the producers appear to have made no attempt to move...

yackers1 16.05.2009 · Read review
Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful
Review of Full Metal Jacket (DVD)

Keep on going Polly

Advantages: The odd laugh
Disadvantages: Lightweight and predictable

...his over the top friend Sandy ( Philip Seymour Hoffman) to go to a party and there he meets a former classmate Polly Prince played by Jennifer Aniston who is the exact opposite to Reuben. Cast List Ben Stiller ... Reuben Feffer Jennifer Aniston ... Polly Prince Philip Seymour Hoffman ... Sandy Lyle Debra Messing ... Lisa Kramer Alec Baldwin ... Stan Indursky Hank Azaria ... Claude Bryan Brown ... Leland Van Lew Jsu Garcia ... Javier Michele Lee ... Vivian Feffer Bob Dishy ... Irving Feffer Missi Pyle ... Roxanne The rest of the flm is very predictable as an opposites atracts film with a few laughs along the way but nothing mind blowing. Aniston is rather one dimensional and not very convincing as the kookie caracter, she does just not carry it off, Stiller seems to be very much going through the motions...

fuzzybear967 26.06.2008 · Read review
Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful
Review of Along Came Polly (DVD)

Hmmm I wonder why no Oscar

Advantages: Excellent film with wonderful perfomances
Disadvantages: may require some background knowledge of the Indochinese war

...able to marry her as he already has a wife back in England, who, being catholic, will not grant him a divorce. He meets a young American, Alden Pyle (played by Brendan Fraser). Foweler takes a shine to Pyle as unlike most americans, he is not brash and outspoken. Over time Pyle steals the affections of Phuong as he can offer her much more than Fowler can. This leaves Fowler bitter and alone. Fowler eventually discovers that Pyle is not all that he seems and he is left with a series of diffucult decisions, which, being the dramatic climax to the film, I am not going to spoil here. The story, being by Greene, is of course a classic. The perfomances are outstanding, Caine's being especially worthy of note, his portrayal of a man losing everything will stay with you for a long while; while Fraser gives his character the required depth...

MrWeeble 01.11.2005 · Read review
Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful
Review of The Quiet American (DVD)

Harsh Bleak and Uncompromising

Advantages: see review
Disadvantages: see review

...introduced to Senior Drill Instructor Gunnery Sergeant Hartman(R. Lee Ermey), who's task it will be to pummel his recruits into being mindless drones in his beloved marine corps. Foul-mouthed and sadistic, Ermey's portrayal is unique in its powerfulness and realism. He focuses on one recruit for particular attention, constantly screaming at and humiliating Private Pyle for his ineptitude. We watch Pyle's life drained and then his mind as he slowly decends into madness under the constant assault. The marine corps becomes his life, his assault rifle his bodily extension, his personality drained and all humane thoughts departed...in effect Kubrik portays him as exactly what the corps is striving for. Kubrik assigns none of his players besides Private Joker any more than the weakest characterisation. Joker is portrayed as being liberal, spirirted...

wampyrii 12.05.2001 · Read review
Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful
Review of Full Metal Jacket (DVD)

Dahl would much have preferred this version,I'm sure

Advantages: The collective genius of Tim Burton, Johnny Depp and Roald Dahl .
Disadvantages: None

...for children, full of tongue in cheek justice and just desserts ? pure magic. I didn?t feel that the film was too long at 115 minutes; it kept my attention through out. CAST Helena Bonham Carter - Mrs. Bucket Johnny Depp - Willie Wonka James Fox - Mr. Salt Jordan Fry - Mike Teavee Adam Godley - Mr. Teavee Freddie Highmore - Charlie Bucket David Kelly - Grandpa Joe Christopher Lee - Dr. Wonka Missi Pyle - Mrs. Beauregarde Annasophia Robb - Violet Beauregarde Deep Roy - Oompa Loompa Noah Taylor - Mr. Bucket Franziska Troegner - Mrs. Gloop Philip Wiegratz - Augustus Gloop Julie Winter - Veruca Salt I thought that all the actors are wonderful. Freddie Highmore is perfect as Charlie, his life wasn?t very good, but Charlie kept a good attitude and was happy with what he had t, Freddie played the role naturally...

oldchem 06.09.2009 · Read review
Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful
Review of Charlie And The Chocolate Factory (DVD)

Great Full Metal Jacket

Advantages: Newly Remastered
Disadvantages: Bad if you don't like war films

...Out of all the war films about Vietnam, Platoon and Hamburger Hill being some of the most popular, Full Metal Jacket stands out there as the forerunner. Based on the novel "The Short-Timers" by Gustav Hasford, the film is essentially split into two stories linked by a number of characters. The film follows a new recruit, Joker, with his fellow soldiers through basic training and right into the conflict in Vietnam. The first half of this film is the chilling tale of military brutality mainly at the hands of the drill Sgt Hartman (who was played by ex-marine Lee Ermey). This part of the film mainly centres around Private Pyle, a new-recruit pushed to the edge of his limits. The second half of the film centres around the new-recruits after they have been transported into the combat zone. This part or the film mostly deals with one...

tomok 07.05.2002 · Read review
Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful
Review of Full Metal Jacket (DVD)

Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story

Advantages: Excellent Plot, Acting, Characters, Soundtrack
Disadvantages: Can be a little too silly at times

...Taylor Patches O'Houlihan - Rip Torn Justin Redman - Justin Long Gordon Pibb - Stephen Root Owen - Joel Moore Dwight Baumgarten - Chris Williams Steve the Pirate - Alan Tudyk Fran Stalinovskovichdavidovitchsky - Missi Pyle Me'Shell Jones - Jamal Duff Cotton McKnight - Gary Cole Pepper Brooks - Jason Bateman Young Patches O'Houlihan - Hank Azaria Tournament Referee - Al Kapon Lance Armstrong - Himself Chuck Norris - Himself Dodgeball Chancellor - William Shatner David Hasselhoff - Himself Amber - Julie Gonzalo Derek - Trevor O'Brien Dodgeball is an hilarious film, with excellent characters and a really good plot. Stiller's satiric take on male virility is exceptional and the chemistery between Vince Vaughn and Christine Taylor is very persuasive. The film at times can be too silly, like when Derek falls off...

Loughran 11.11.2008 · Read review
Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful
Review of Dodgeball - A True Underdog Story (DVD)

Born To Kill

Advantages: One of the greatest war films ever made.
Disadvantages: The story is quite fragmented, which to some might help to lose their interest.

..., the first dealing with the training process, showing a group of new recruits dealing with a bitter and sadistic drill sergeant (played by the excellently type cast Lee Ermey). The second deals with the actual war experience itself, following the story of one of the original recruits, Private Joker, and his experience in Vietnam as a military journalist. The cast, as always for Kubrick, is perfect. Matthew Modine is excellent as Private Joker, the 'hero' of the piece, so to speak. Vincent D'Oforio plays Private Pyle, prehaps one of the most unforgettable movie characters of the 1980's. Lee Ermey is also fantastic as the drill sergeant, the character based on Ermey's real life career in the Marines. The film was filmed virtually completly in the UK, save for stock footage of Parris Island, US. This for the most part is unnoticeable, as...

everyplatewebreak 04.02.2001 · Read review
Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful
Review of Full Metal Jacket (DVD)