Owen Hughes

They're coming to get you, Barbara!, 5 May 2013

Customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Programme (What's this?)

Whilst at times Barbara was a fascinating insight into life under a socialist East German regime, with one of the finest acting performances of 2012 in Nina Hoss, I did find it just a little bit too slow moving.

That's not to say I found it boring or tedious, because it wasn't. Instead I mean that it occasionally gave the impression that more was going on in relation to the story than was actually the case. For example, discussions between Barbara and Andre (Ronald Zehrfeld) were sometimes like balancing on a knife edge, and yet other times seemed bloated, distinguishing any tension that there could have been by being so mundane.

However, there is plenty of drama… Read more

Good. Could've been better., 24 April 2013

Customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Programme (What's this?)

Having heard a lot of good things about Ruse and Bone from fellow film bloggers, I was expecting an awful lot from this. I know it caused mild discontent in some quarters after France put Intouchables forward as its nomination for an Oscar over R&B.

However, personally speaking, I'm finding it very difficult to muster up any strong emotion towards it whatsoever. From a critical eye, it was good. Probably even very good. The acting is of a relatively high standard; I don't think I can fault anyone, really. Sure, the characters were very "euro-drama". You have the cold, distanced, wilful, sexy alpha-male and the tough, also sexy, confident but vulnerable female. They're nicely… Read more

Great bit of kit, 23 April 2013

Customer review from the Amazon Vine™ Programme (What's this?)

It took me a little longer than I'd hoped to test the software after I acquired it. It seems obvious now, but I did not check my portable TV/VHS combo to see whether there was an "out" port. There wasn't! Which meant I had to purchase an entirely new VHS player. Most people I assume would check this beforehand, but I felt it worth mentioning first to help prevent anybody else from making the same mistake as I did. I repeat, the software will not work on a standard TV with a VHS player built in! It's not a criticism of the product itself, more like a warning :-)

Once I had the hardware set up, I followed the very easy and simple instructions for the software installation and it… Read more