Steve Male

While generally not a fantasy fan, the idea of an action film with a female lead was intriguing. I also had Ray Winstone, an actor I've enjoyed since "Scum" but was unsure how well he would fit into this genre. As it turned out, not too shabbily. The story revolves around a ruling family whose realm is on the point of collapse. The only way to save it is for the king to marry his daughter to the prince of a neighbouring country and recieve a dowry that will save his own country. What he and his daughter Elodie don't realise is that being a princess of Aurea comes at a heavy price. Millie Brown excels as Elodie, showing bravery, intelligence and wisdom. She also does a mean line in revenge. All in all, quite an enjoyable romp, with (for a fantasy film) some realistic fights and injuries. Oh and a very ticked off dragon.

Ironically, I watched this film after not long having seen "Behind Enemy Lines". The contrast between the two Owen Wilson vehicles couldn't be greater. Sumptuous settings around the most romantic city in the world makes it a treat even without the fantastic cast and dialogue. It superbly illustrates how the majority of us hanker for an idealised past that never truly existed. In this case, Wilson's character, Gil Pender, is a screenwriter desperate to write a novel. While in Paris with his snobbish and very unlikeable fiancée (an out-of-character Rachel McAdams), along with her insufferable parents and friends, he wanders off late at night, bumping into Mr and Mrs F Scott Fitzgerald, Earnest Hemingway, Salvador Dali, Gertrude Stein and many other of his literary heroes. He also falls for with Dali's muse Adriana who, like him, is in love with the past. The films deals really well with the rose-tinted view we seem to have of history. It also deals with human interactions, love, betrayal and class like only Woody Allen can. I particularly enjoyed the brief scene where a private investigator finds himself going even further back in history while trying to track Gil down. Well worth your time with great performances all round.

I don't often do war films but this was engaging from the off, covering the viewpoint of those on the ground, in the thick of it, the crew back on board the aircraft carrier giving what support they can, the mind of a cunning enemy and the political machinations that continue, on both sides behind the scenes. The war in Bosnia is still a relatively recent event for the film to feel relevant and up to date. While some of the story is obviously exaggerated for dramatic effect (the missiles coming back for a second go being an example), the tension is high and maintained that way from the moment of the initial engagement right to the dramatic conclusion. In the quiet moments, the frustration shown by Admiral Reigart, played fantastically by the always excellent Gene Hackman, is palpable. Once we get to the cat and mouse chase as Lieutenant Burnett (Wilson) is pursued across Bosnia, it's all edge-of-the-seat stuff. Burnett is clearly terrified of being caught (and what he knows is likely to happen to him) and has to use all the wits he has to stay alive as long as possible, so he can tell the world what's going on. This is so far away from Owen Wilson's usual light fare and he plays the role of the downed navigator with aplomb, never milking the plot for comic effect. Whatever your views on warfare and Hollywood's interpretation of it, this is a great film.

Such a great movie. To learn that it bombed is a real shame as the storyline is very engaging. As others have pointed out, its movie I've watched a number of times and still it entertains. A great mashup of fantasy and sci-fi with both melding together well, neither genre spoiling the other. I mean; how else would you expect an ancient civilisation to react to a stranger from the sky? The acting is understated, with no cartoonish characters. It really feels that the protagonists interact with one another very well. Go on - give it a go. I really don't think you'll be disappointed.

This drama was engaging, powerful and hugely distressing. It highlights just what the staff and residents of the care homes in the UK (and probably around the world) had to go through at the start of the pandemic. It also highlighted the atrocious way those people were treated in that time. The authorities behaviour was shameless and it was a very dark period for us all. I have an elderly mother and a sister with learning disability. Both were locked away in their homes throughout and both were very frightened. I am only grateful that they both lived though it. Everyone should see this programme to understand just how close we all came and be outraged to understand how many died needlessly.