A truly epic epic and winner of 7 Academy Awards. Lawrence serves British colonial interests during the First World War by uniting the Arabs against the fast collapsing Ottoman Empire. Stupendous cinemascope drama with a cast of thousands and some of cinema's most famous shots; Sheik Ali's emergence from the desert haze and the storming of Aquaba for example. This is the director's cut, a more coherent version than the original cinema release.
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LINCOLN (2012)
Certification12 Our Rating unrated
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MARIE ANTOINETTE (2006)
Certification12 Our Rating
Sofia Coppola brings to the screen an undeniably sympathetic addressing of the short life and times of France's last queen, creating a ravishing picture of Marie's life. This visual feast is an entertaining slice of historical re-jigging, telling the tale of a naive and opulent monarch in a time of revolution, one who breathed in full the last gasp of a dying age of decadence. But historical accuracy or analysis - forget it.
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MICHAEL COLLINS (1996)
Certification15 Our Rating
Liam Neeson surpasses himself with his portrayal of the legendary Irish folk hero in this stirring historical drama. The controversial patriot's life, from his advent after the Easter Rising to his untimely death, is vividly depicted by a sterling cast in this passion-packed biopic. Excellent.
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NAPOLEON (DISC 1): PART 1 A RISING FORCE / PART 2 AN ALL CONQUERING EMPEROR (2002)
Certification15 Our Rating
The first half of an exhaustive and lush dramatisation of Napoleon Bonaparte, from ambitious Corsican soldier at the end of the 18th Century, to his imprisonment on the Island of St Helena by the British, less than twenty years later. If anything "Napoleon" is almost overly dramatic, but it's still an enthralling look at the great man, both publicly and privately, his military achievements, and the turning of a divided France into the most powerful nation in the Western world.
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NAPOLEON (DISC 2): PART 3 A TIME OF CONFLICT / PART 4 A FALL FROM GRACE (2002)
Certification15 Our Rating
The second half of an exhaustive and lush dramatisation of Napoleon Bonaparte, from ambitious Corsican soldier at the end of the 18th Century, to his imprisonment on the Island of St Helena by the British, less than twenty years later. If anything "Napoleon" is almost overly dramatic, but it's still an enthralling look at the great man, both publicly and privately, his military achievements, and the turning of a divided France into the most powerful nation in the Western world.
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PATTON (2007)
Certification15 Our Rating
A biopic of one of the greatest military geniuses of the 20th Century, Patton, a man who believed he was a warrior in many past lives, but the only Allied general truly feared by the Nazis. The film lays bare the roots of Patton's lust for power in his willingess to sacrifice everything to his vaunting ego, a trait which is mirrored in George C Scott's superb performance.
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THE AGONY AND THE ECSTASY (1965)
CertificationU Our Rating
Supposedly a biography of Michelangelo, it is much more that of Pope Julius II, who, when not on the battlefield uniting Italy, nags Michelangelo, in an engaging and witty script, to speed up his painful work painting the Sistine Chapel, and wonders when he will finsh. The transformation of the chapel ceiling, which was originally dotted with stars, to an opulent statement of high renaissance is engrossing.
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THE DESERT FOX (1951)
CertificationPG Our Rating
A thoughtful and sympathetic portrait of legendary German tactician Field Marshal Rommel's final years, as his disillusionment with the Third Reich led to conspiracy and ultimately his undoing. A sensitive and impassioned performance from James Mason in the title role.
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THE EDGE OF LOVE (2008)
Certification15 Our Rating
Not so much a film about Dylan Thomas and more about the two major female influences in his adult life; his wife Caitlan, his now married childhood sweet heart, Vera, and the unconventional almost beatnik ménage a trios that they created for themselves. Playing out during the height of WWII 'The Edge of Love' is a beautifully rendered film but there is little depth to the characters, in particular the two central protagonists, a fault as much of the actors as it is of the script. Ultimately this
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