Stuart Feely

Little known film noir with a great cast, well worth seeing. Lara Flynn Boyle post Twin Peaks was my main reason for watching when it came out. Nicolas Cage and Dennis Hopper are the stars. A unique storyline which just keeps going.

I didn't like the way in which the action switched so frequently from one storyline to another, like being in a kaleidoscope. It felt as though the cast were superior to the material they had to work with. This nuclear submarine should be decommissioned.

I didn't really enjoy the film as I had hoped for a broader view of Tolkein's life and a better understanding of his creativity. I wondered if it was really necessary to have two different actors playing the young Tolkien and the not quite as young Tolkien. The older and more frequently seen version lacked emotional expression. The film repeatedly returned to a battle scene on the Somme so never seemed to move forward enough. Also it is shot in periodically typical hues of brown and black. Basically I felt it could have been more interesting.