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National Treasure
****1/2
An excellent entertaining adventure starring Nicholas Cage as an obsessed explorer whose
family have passed down an obscure clue to find a vast treasure. Like his forefathers (but unlike his weary father)
Cage is driven towards finding this fortune. The first clue leads to him needing to "borrow" and examine the original Declaration
of Independence from a museum and the City hopping, relentless adventure carries on from there…
National
Treasure is Indiana Jones with the internet – a modern imaginative adventure where Cage and his cohorts are tracked
by a rival explorer – the film’s baddie played by Sean Bean. Despite the bad reviews often given to it by
others, I think it is a superb, fast-moving and entertaining story which is a serious candidate for my list of Top 20 films
of all time.
Released – 2004
Seen by me: 17.1.05 (with Naomi and Tracy), 6.1.06 (with Naomi)
Neil Young: Heart Of Gold
****1/2
A superb, specially recorded concert
film by Jonathan Demme. Heart Of Gold features Neil Young and the band of old
friends with whom he recorded his recent Prairie Road album as well as a sparingly used gospel choir and small string and
brass sections.
The first half of the concert film features pretty much all
of the recent LP – pleasant, intimate, country-tinged songs, probably not classic NY but the new songs have their moments
and show where the artists is now. Moving into old age, Young seems largely at
peace with himself though there are still flashes of the old anger (his next project after this concert was the ferocious
Living With War LP!).
Clearly grateful to his loving family and supportive
friends, this sentimental, moving performance goes into the second half where Neil plays the classics. Uniformally brilliant, this includes a beautiful Harvest Moon, touching fingerpickin’ Old King and
classic, solo Old Laughing Lady. Other songs featured such as the superb I Am
A Child and Old Man possibly owe their inclusion to the recent death of Neil’s father to whom the film is dedicated.
Recorded
at the legendary Ryman Auditorium at Nashville, Heart Of Gold is a exquisitely-made, intimate concert film by one of elder
statesmen of rock whose singing and playing get better and better. It led to
me playing all my old Neil Young albums again which must surely be the point. A
brilliant, moving performance.
Released: 2006
Seen by me: 29.9.06 (with Anne)
Notting Hill
****
Romantic,
feel-good comedy with good performances by Julia Roberts and Hugh Grant who essentially play themselves - she as an insecure
top actress hounded by the paparazzi and he as a bumbling, very English bookshop owner. Starting slowly but getting better
as the film progresses, there is an excellent supporting cast including Gina McKee, Rhys Ifans and Tim (Captain Darling) McInnerny.
Well worth watching.
Released - 1999
Seen by me: 1.9.02
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