Reviews by David Stanners

Order by: Date, A–Z

• 
  Gimme Gimme Gimme: The Complete Third Series (2002)

  Review preview for Gimme Gimme Gimme: The Complete Third Series

  Every episode features a greedy helping of dark slapstick humour.

  Kathy Burke is a fat sex maniac and James Dreyfus an effeminate luvvy who share a flat.
• 
  Goal! (2005)

  Review preview for Goal!

  A highly watchable movie, with a protagonist to root for.

  Rags to riches story about a talented working-class Hispanic footballer from LA with dreams of making it big in the English Premiership.
• 
  God Save The Queen (2001)

  25th anniversary celebration of The Sex Pistols.
• 
  Gothika (2003)

  Review preview for Gothika

  Berry is watchable, as always, but isn't exerted, while Cruz and Downey are wasted in small bit parts.

  A criminal psychiatrist is suspected of the brutal murder of her husband.
• 
  The Green Hat (2003)

  Review preview for The Green Hat

  Debut director Liu Fendou has done a magnificent job.

  A hard-edged drama about dysfunctional relationships and man’s need for acceptance and love.
• The Harem (1967)

  A seductive woman pushes three men beyond their limits, toying with their sexual desires and male pride.
• 
  Heading South (2005)

  Review preview for Heading South

  Instead of context and plot, Cantet has aimed at a character-based narrative, which falls flat due to lack of characters.

  Three female tourists, looking for fun in Haiti, end up with more than they bargained for.
• 
  Home On The Range (2004)

  Review preview for Home On The Range

  A film like this is great for kids: fun, bright, short (76 minutes) and action packed, with a soft nurturing touch.

  A greedy cattle rustler tries to evict the animals from their land, but the animals have other ideas.
• Highwaymen (2003)

  Review preview for Highwaymen

  Cars, appearing from nowhere to taunt and intimidate nervous men on the road, have been test driven brilliantly by the likes of Spielberg, but are now showing high mileage.

  A vigilante goes on a road rampage to avenge his wife’s death.
• 
  Imagining Argentina (2003)

  Review preview for Imagining Argentina

  Thompson exudes strength from start to finish.

  A theatre director whose wife is kidnapped by the government, taps into psychic powers to try to find her.
• 
  I'm Not Scared (2003)

  A country boy makes a startling discovery, while his family try to hide their secret from him.
• 
  Intermission (2003)

  Review preview for Intermission

  The delivery of the script is highly polished from a large ensemble cast with CVs running off the page.

  Multi-character ensemble comedy action heist.
• 
  Jersey Girl (2004)

  Review preview for Jersey Girl

  Surprisingly good.

  A high-flying Manhattan music publicist is forced to reassess his life.
• 
  Johnny Suede (1991)

  Review preview for Johnny Suede

  With Johnny Suede, the juice is not in the story, but between the lines.

  A teenage troubadour searches for meaning amongst damaged egos and broken dreams.
• 
  Kurt Cobain - About A Son (2006)

  Review preview for Kurt Cobain - About A Son

  Cobain’s story is perfectly juxtaposed with some spectacular photography. 

  A look at the life and music of Kurt Cobain, narrated by the man himself.
• 
  KZ (2006)

  Review preview for KZ

  KZ is well balanced, and thought provoking, if at times a bit dry.

  Exploration of the dark ironies surrounding Austria's Mauthausen concentration camp.
• 
  Lagerfeld Confidential (2007)

  Review preview for Lagerfeld Confidential

  There’s really not a great deal to this documentary - it is flimsy in build. But then so is fashion.

  A peek behind the mysterious shades of Chanel’s iconic front man.
• 
  Lords Of Dogtown (2005)

  Review preview for Lords Of Dogtown

  The narrative pushes along at a reasonable pace... but only really picks up when the boys start becoming famous, which makes and breaks their future careers.

  A group of talented teenagers from California kick start the skateboarding craze.
• Luck (2003)

  Review preview for Luck

  Wellington has orchestrated a little gem here.

  Canadian melodrama about gambling, luck and the nation’s jewel in the crown, ice hockey.
• 
  Maid In Manhattan (2002)

  Review preview for Maid In Manhattan

  As far as the usual diet of formulaic Hollywood romances goes, this isn't so bad. No new ground is made, but then there's very little left to make.

  Ralph Fiennes is a prospective senator who falls for Jennifer Lopez, as a hotel maid.
• 
  Mamay (2003)

  Review preview for Mamay

  Rather than attempting to dissect the story, it is easier to surrender to the lyrical qualities, the poetry, exquisite cinematography and poignant music.

  A mysterious pastiche of Ukrainian mythology and folklore mixed with a Romeo and Juliet style love story.
• 
  Mambo Italiano (2003)

  Review preview for Mambo Italiano

  This is all been done before and in much subtler, funnier ways.

  Gentle comedy about a gay scriptwriter 'coming out' to his family.
• 
  Man Dancin' (2003)

  Review preview for Man Dancin'

  The plot strands are endless and allow for little character development.

  An ex-gang member returns to Glasgow to clean up his neighbourhood.
• 
  A Massacre Foretold (2007)

  Review preview for A Massacre Foretold

  Higgins has done a good job in telling an untold story of political deception of which there are probably hundreds, but far less trendy than Iraq or the middle-east.

  Documentary about the massacre of a group of indigenous Mexicans by government backed paramilitaries.
• 
  Mean Girls (2004)

  Review preview for Mean Girls

  There are some funny moments along the way and Lohan is good.

  Teen comedy, where the new girl on the block tries to fit into an image-obsessed high school.
• 
  Monster (2003)

  Review preview for Monster

  Construed by some as a blatant feminist sympathy trip, Theron's performance is a tour de force, picking up Jenkins's contentious baton with extreme gusto.

  Dramatised version of the life of serial killer Aileen Wuornos.
• 
  My Uncle Silas (2000)

  Review preview for My Uncle Silas

  Good, light-hearted Sunday evening fun.

  Tales of a nephew and his madcap uncle.
• 
  Nada (1974)

  Review preview for Nada

  A tame political farce that fails to ignite.

  A group of French anarchists kidnap the American ambassador to France.
• 
  New Life (2002)

  Review preview for New Life

  The less said about this dishevelled misogynistic piece of detritus the better.

  Exploitative, misogynistic film about men treating women as dogs.
• 
  North Country (2005)

  Review preview for North Country

  There is plenty to admire about North Country. It has a sharp pungent script, superb performances across the board.

  One woman fights sexual harassment in the mines of Northern Minnesota.
• 
  Nowhere in Africa (2001)

  Review preview for Nowhere in Africa

  Directed with supreme confidence, Caroline link explores themes of isolation, the pain of unknowing, and the beauty of cultural diversity.

  A poignant Nazi era lesson in cultural understanding and tolerance.
• No Fly Zone (2003)

  Review preview for No Fly Zone

  It's a bit of a duff note.

  Apocalypse Now in 3 minutes.
• 
  Once In A Lifetime (2006)

  Documentary outlining the rise and fall of the New York Cosmos soccer team.
• 
  One For The Road (2003)

  Drink-drivers gang up on a boozy millionaire and relieve him of his large change.
• 
  One Last Chance (2004)

  Review preview for One Last Chance

  The script is laced with expletives and the comedy weakened by a lack of dialogue support.

  Black comedy, set in the Highlands of Scotland.
• 
  Ocean's 12 (2004)

  Review preview for Ocean's 12

  The twists and turns are in place and, although no real surprises are sprung, the finale is played out with enough cheekiness to keep you in the right mind set after two hours.

  Danny Ocean gets the gang back together to pull of a trio of European heists.
• 
  The Pacifier (2005)

  Review preview for The Pacifier

  The Pacifier is definitely one for the kids. Under 12s should relish bits and pieces of it, but not much more.

  A Navy Seal is hired to protect a family from their recently deceased father, whose top-secret government experiment remains hidden in their house.
• 
  Pale Flower (1964)

  Review preview for Pale Flower

  Artistically the style is restrained and subtle.

  An ex con is seduced by the allure of a thrill-seeking female gambler, while returning to his old gang to settle a score.
• 
  Passages (2004)

  Review preview for Passages

  The pace is slow, and at times lethargic.

  A young couple, disillusioned with student life, take off on a search for special mushrooms that could land them a fortune.
• 
  Peace One Day (2004)

  Review preview for Peace One Day

  An undulating account of one man's spirit and determination to make an impossibly idealistic vision a concrete reality.

  One man goes on a global pilgrimage in search of world peace for a day.
• 
  Pearls And Pigs (2003)

  Review preview for Pearls And Pigs

  What should have been a delicate, bittersweet comedy becomes a long-winded caper that fails to capitalise on its raw materials.

  Comedy featuring four heavy-drinking misfit brothers who find a new meaning in their lives when their half sister moves in with them and discovers a lucrative, hidden talent.
• The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement (2004)

  Review preview for The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement

  There's enough of the tiara thing going on for the young wannabe ballerina types out there and, for the slightly older, the handsome prince still brings fairytale hopes for all.

  Teen princess hunts for her prince.
• The Principles Of Lust (2003)

  Review preview for The Principles Of Lust

  The whole affair is a dishevelled mess, with no linear narrative, no cohesion in the script or characters, and a revolting grimy looking film which drowns in its own cadaverous undercurrents.

  Gritty, hard-nosed drama about a man caught between love, lust and temptation.
• 
  A Promise To The Dead: The Exile Journey Of Ariel Dorfman (2007)

  Review preview for A Promise To The Dead: The Exile Journey Of Ariel Dorfman

  There’s a lot of meandering in this documentary but this does not detract from the overall impact.

  An exploration of the exiled life of writer Ariel Dorfman.
• 
  The Rage In Placid Lake (2003)

  Review preview for The Rage In Placid Lake

  It's hard to know exactly where the humour is heading, which is refreshing, but when it hits the high notes, it's both quirky and delivered with razor precision.

  Subversive comedy about an oddball making his way in a bland world.
• 
  Rosencrantz And Guildenstern Are Dead (1990)

  Review preview for Rosencrantz And Guildenstern Are Dead

  Every theatrical device in the book is here and everything that makes a film interesting is not.

  Tom Stoppard directs his first play about minor characters from Hamlet.
• 
  Romance & Cigarettes (2005)

  Review preview for Romance & Cigarettes

  John Turturro's script cuts right to the bone in this adult-themed tale of love, infidelity and redemption.

  Blue Collar musical comedy about infidelity, redemption, romance and cigarettes.
• 
  ScaredSacred (2004)

  A pilgrimage to the world's disaster zones.
• 
  Scary Movie 3 (2003)

  Review preview for Scary Movie 3

  The gags are at death's door.

  Third instalment in the comedy horror spoof.
• Shaolin Soccer (2001)

  Review preview for Shaolin Soccer

  The rhythm is the harmony and the feelgood factor the juice.

  Light-hearted comedy featuring a group of social misfits coming together under a football legend and kung-fu expert to challenge for the championship.