Michael Crichton writes and directs The Great Train Robbery and invites Sean Connery, Donald Sutherland and Lesley-Anne Down along for the ride. Not quite a romp, the film is definitely an entertaining heist film, resting easily on Connery’s charm, and Sutherland turning in a wonderfully goofy performance. It’s England, in the 1850s. Connery plays Pierce,…
Tag: charm
Magnetosphere (2024) – Nicola Rose
Magnetosphere is a delightfully charming family-friendly feature that celebrates the pangs of first loves, the acceptance of one’s self, and living with a beautiful, but sometimes troubling condition, synesthesia, which causes her to see sounds, hear colours, and more. Maggie (Shayelin Martin) is thirteen, and she and her family are settling into Sault Ste. Marie….
Gotcha! (1985) – Jeff Kanew
I remember greatly enjoying Gotcha! when I rented it on video back in the day. And though it’s always been floating round in the back of my mind, I haven’t watched it since… until now. And let me tell you, this one stands up. There’s a couple of things that don’t stand the test of…
The Hound of the Baskervilles (1939) – Sidney Lanfield
I’ll be honest, I had never seen one of Basil Rathbone’s Sherlock Holmes before. So I figured why not go back to the beginning and check out his first film, and perhaps explore more of his turn as Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s iconic character – he did fourteen films. And joining him as Watson, who…
The King’s Man (2021) – Matthew Vaughn
The third entry in the KingsMan series, all of which have been directed by Matthew Vaughn, is a prequel to the rest of the series. It shows how the KingsMan agency came to be, what caused it, and how it grew its network of information and agents. Sounds great. Then you throw in Ralph Fiennes,…
Northern Exposure (1994) – Up River, and Sons of the Tundra
Up River was written by Diane Frolov and Andrew Schneider, and it first aired on 14 November, 1994. Maurice (Barry Corbin) sends Ed (Darren E. Burrows) up river to find Joel (Rob Morrow) after Maggie (Janine Turner) asked him to move out. And that’s sad, because they seemed on the edge of some serious potential…
The Hobby: Tales from the Tabletop (2024) – Simon Ennis
The Hobby rolls a D20 for charm! Filmmaker Simon Ennis shows us the connections, the obsessions, and the passions that have sprung up around modern board games, and the people who play them. Traveling across Canada and the United States The Hobby introduces a cross-section of society and the way they can be their best…
Hit Man (2023) – Richard Linklater
Glen Powell headlines in Hit Man, a film by Richard Linklater that is based loosely on a true story. It allows Powell to lean both into his dramatic and comedic talents, and be charming the entire way through. Powell plays Gary Johnson, an almost nebbish philosophy professor who also does some work with the local…
Northern Exposure (1993) – The Mystery of the Old Curio Shop, and Jaws of Life
Written by Rogers Turrentine, The Mystery of the Old Curio Shop first aired on 27 September, 1993. Maurice (Barry Corbin) works himself into a state, bringing on a minor heart attack, over his age. He and Ed (Darren E. Burrows) are spending an evening together, seeing a movie and sharing a dinner as thanks for…
Support Your Local Gunfighter (1971) – Burt Kennedy
Following the success of Support Your Local Sheriff! James Garner paired up again with director Burt Kennedy and a lot of the cast from the first film to shoot Support Your Local Gunfighter. It is not a true sequel, but more a spiritual one, this one showcases Garner’s charm and charisma once again. This time…
The Mind Reels 