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HarrietZ
Reviews
Silent Witness: Shadows: Part 1 (2010)
Gripping. Terrifying. Thought Provoking.
SPOILERS BELOW Having just watched this episode of Silent Witness, it's impact is still very much hanging over me. Unlike other episodes I've seen, this one has minimal forensic analysis, followed by seat-gripping tension suspended throughout the rest of the episode (after a disastrous and turn of events-wrap Harry and Nicki in to the drama much more than usual).
The scenario taps very effectively into a little realised fear for a British audience - a gunman/men in an academic institution. The fear is realised by the characters too, when the dean of the university finds herself struggling to cope with a situation she never expected, and there are a lack of protocols in place to deal with such a situation.
The episode was shot and acted extremely well, the tension and fear the characters were facing easily transferred to the audience, with the warren-like structure of the university buildings creating a sense of the characters being trapped in a maze, the viewer never knowing where or when the danger might occur only intensified the situation.
For me, being so immersed in the story (which I eagerly await the conclusion of tomorrow) made it thought provoking; especially having spent time in an American university where special alarms are set up to warn students. It posed unanswerable questions of how best to react in this horrific situation - whether inside the building trying to get out safely, or outside, desperately trying to take control and keep casualties to a minimum. I have seen a couple of films on a similar genre, but neither were as compelling as this.
When Danger Follows You Home (1997)
Strong cast, weak film
Watching "when danger follows you home", I felt that there was a very strong team of actors, delivering high emotion with their characters emotions and reacting very spontaneously within conversations. (Excepting one part where there seems to be a pause in conversation as JoBeth Williams waits for her pager to bleep.)I was especially impressed by the performance of Gogol (Michael Manasseri) acting a mentally disturbed patient. Apart from the acting though, I felt the storyline was mediocre, and not gripping enough to maintain suspense, especially with the murderer being too obvious from the onset. I felt the music score was not subtle enough, as I was constantly aware of it, and seemed very corny.
All in all, I wouldn't specifically advise people either way on whether to watch the film, but I did get an entertainment value out of it
Haz
Touching the Void (2003)
Chilling yet Entertaining
I don't think that I've ever seen a production before where I have held my hand over my mouth in disbelief. All the way through this documentary I was in wonder at how Joe Simpson would manage to survive his incredible ordeal and come to recall his story so vividly. Having since read the book, I thought the documentary was a brilliant adaptation, not lingering on certain parts for too long, as I have heard criticised in the book. Reproducing the story with actors was an excellent way to break up the interviews with a visual image of the two climbers ordeal, and the idea of not letting it all be the actors on the mountain helped keep the reality of the situation.
I would advise anyone to watch this documentary, whether they were interested in climbing or not. It is a true example of a person's will and strength of mind
As for Simon Yates major criticism, I agree that he did the best thing possible in his position, and would place no blame on him.
Haz
The Lion King (1994)
Original Masterpiece
The Lion King has to be one of the best films i've ever watched. Not only was it an original piece written during the production, but it was one of the first films that dealt with animals as having such human characteristics, making the audience able to relate to it. Watching it for the first time as a young child, I was impressed by the way it dealt with the difficult subjects of death and responsibility. The characters had a lot of depth to them, making it more realistic, There were original jokes and all of the catchy tunes that were made for film were inkeeping with the cultures and country's it was set it
For these reasons and many besides, this is why I have given this film a 10, (something I quite rarely do)
Haz