https://www.stevedrice.net/ 2026-04-14T17:03:14+00:00 https://www.stevedrice.net/ https://www.stevedrice.net/_media/wiki/dokuwiki.svg text/html 2023-04-30T18:21:54+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) https://www.stevedrice.net/reviews/film/melodrama/10 Review of 'Eyes Wide Shut' The last film ever made by Stanley Kubrick and boy is it weird! Billed as “erotic tension” I don't know if that was any feeling that came over me when I watched this but rather a calm sense of confusion. Everything seems normal then the main character witnesses something a bit unusual which calls into question his morals and his understanding of reality. VERY well filmed and quite a leisurely paced movie, I found this very watchable (if not a bit disturbing).… text/html 2023-04-30T18:21:54+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) https://www.stevedrice.net/reviews/film/melodrama/11 Review of 'Gandhi' The classic. Ben Kingsley puts in a masterful performance as Gandhi as he comes to grip with what exactly he was placed on this earth to do. The tragedy that seems to follow him through his life is brought dramatically to life as he strives to free his people from british rule. The cinematography is incredible and the acting superb. A classic. text/html 2023-04-30T18:21:55+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) https://www.stevedrice.net/reviews/film/melodrama/60 Review of 'All or Nothing' A touching story about a dysfunctional family living on a housing estate in London. The father is a quiet, gentle man who drives a taxi cab while his son is overweight and continually abusive to his mother who works in a grocery store. The daughter works as a cleaner in an old age home. Their lives are intertwined with others living in the housing complex (who have increasingly dramatic problems as well). Their purpose in life is called into question when they … text/html 2023-04-30T18:21:54+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) https://www.stevedrice.net/reviews/film/melodrama/144 Review of 'Slumdog Millionaire' Jamal K. Malik (played by Dev Patel) is a “slumdog” - born and raised in the slums of Mumbai who defies the odds to appear on the Indian version of “Who Wants to be a Millionaire?” The movie follows his progress through each question and we learn, through a brutal interrogation session with the police who suspect him of cheating, that he knows the answers not through education but rather through hard-earned experience. It is particularly poignant to watch th… text/html 2023-04-30T18:21:54+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) https://www.stevedrice.net/reviews/film/melodrama/161 Review of 'The Help' Eugenia 'Skeeter' Phelan, an aspiring writer living in 1960s Jackson, Mississippi sees the hypocrisy of her contemporaries with their sheltered lives and their black “help” as an opportunity to further her career (so far limited to writing a self-help column for a local newspaper) by telling their story. In doing so she comes to understand these people that have been around her and her community over many decades. It is not without risk that Aibileen Clark and Minny Ja… text/html 2023-04-30T18:21:54+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) https://www.stevedrice.net/reviews/film/melodrama/165 Review of 'The Last King of Scotland' Nicholas Garrigan (James McAvoy) is a young doctor fresh out of school who randomly picks Uganda for a bit of adventure. He arrives as general Idi Amin (played convincingly by Forrest Whitaker) overthrows the government to become president. Garrigan finds his way to a small village where he helps with the local clinic when Amin visits and charms the young man to serve as his personal physician in the capital. Garrigan very quickly gets sucked into the… text/html 2023-04-30T18:21:54+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) https://www.stevedrice.net/reviews/film/melodrama/168 Review of 'The Artist' Note: I watched this on a tiny screen in the back of a 777 on the way from London to Abu Dhabi...Not exactly a fantastic viewing platform, it has to be said, but this is not exactly a film that is big on effects or spectacle. It is an homage to films of the 20s, certainly, but it is also a character study. text/html 2023-04-30T18:21:54+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) https://www.stevedrice.net/reviews/film/melodrama/169 Review of 'Hugo' Hugo Cabret (Asa Butterfield) is a young orphan who, through a series of unfortunate events, is left taking care of the clocks in a Paris train station in the early 20th century. It is there he works in secret on a “mechanical man text/html 2023-04-30T18:21:54+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) https://www.stevedrice.net/reviews/film/melodrama/182 Review of 'The Great Gatsby' The story begins with Nick Carraway (played in a slightly under-whelming way by Tobey Maguire) in a Sanatorium telling the story of his moving to New York next door to the mysterious Jay Gatsby (played in a very mature and emotional way by Leonardo DiCaprio who has moved a long way from Titanic) who throws massive weekly parties in his massive mansion. No one knows where the money is coming from or where Gatsby has come from though rumours abound. Carraway slow… text/html 2025-10-26T15:04:53+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) https://www.stevedrice.net/reviews/film/melodrama/186 Review of 'Rush' Set in the 1970s Rush tells the story of two Formula One drivers: The playboy James Hunt (Chris Hemsworth) and the technical Nicky Lauda (Daniel Brühl). Their conflicting personalities and understanding of what it takes to succeed is what forms the cornerstone of this movie - Hunt refusing to give up his womanizing and drinking - The honest rogue that endeared himself to the world. Lauda - The serious technician that begins his career by advising racing teams on car setup … text/html 2025-08-09T15:18:21+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) https://www.stevedrice.net/reviews/film/melodrama/206 Review of 'The Grand Budapest Hotel' The Grand Budapest Hotel from the fictional Republic of Zubrowka is in a bit of a decline when a journalist visits. The opulent hotel is no longer as popular as it once was with the once magnificent interiors now fading along with the staff. The journalist learns that the owner is present and get him to tell the story of how the hotel came into his hands. Going back to the heyday of the hotel before the advent of the second world war M. Gustave (Ralph … text/html 2023-04-30T18:21:55+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) https://www.stevedrice.net/reviews/film/melodrama/211 Review of 'The Imitation Game' In World War II, Alan Turing (Benedict Cumberbatch), a brilliant mathematician works at Bletchley Park in England to help decrypt German communications encrypted using the “Enigma” device. Turing is a recluse as he works on his own to design a computing device capable of decrypting the daily communications. Here Turning is depicted as what we might know as Autistic - preferring to work with numbers and figures than with people. An unlikely friendship is stru… text/html 2023-04-30T18:21:55+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) https://www.stevedrice.net/reviews/film/melodrama/214 Review of 'Gone Girl' Based on the book of the same name, Gone Girl tells the story of Nick Dunne (Ben Affleck) who one day wakes up to find his wife, Amy Dunne (Rosamund Pike) missing. Nick immediately goes to the police and finds that they treat him with more than a little suspicion. As the days go on and he goes public with his pleas for information on his wife's disappearance he becomes subject to intense scrutiny which exposes that not only was his marriage in tough times after moving… text/html 2023-04-30T18:21:55+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) https://www.stevedrice.net/reviews/film/melodrama/215 Review of 'The Theory of Everything' Based on the biography by his first wife, The Theory of Everything tells the story of the physicist Stephen Hawking (Eddie Redmayne) beginning from when he first meets his first wife, Jane (Felicity Jones), at a party then shortly later finds out he has text/html 2023-04-30T18:21:55+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) https://www.stevedrice.net/reviews/film/melodrama/222 Review of 'Timbuktu' Timbuktu, a town in the Malian Sahara that was under occupation by Jihadists only a few years ago. The populace are continually reminded to refrain from music, for woman to dress “respectfully”, and whatever else they can think of. For the most part these diktats seem arbitrary, childish and ridiculous with people grudgingly following them or even challenging them. The local text/html 2023-04-30T18:21:55+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) https://www.stevedrice.net/reviews/film/melodrama/232 Review of 'Che: Part One' Ernesto 'Che' Guevara (played by Benicio Del Toro) travels from his home in Argentina in 1956 to join a group of rebels in Cuba headed up by Fidel Castro in seeking to overthrow the government of dictator Fulgencio Batista. Initially he is provides services as a doctor but very quickly with his skills as a tactician and as a great communicator he is leading directing the rebels in effective attacks against the military as they make their way across the country to t… text/html 2023-04-30T18:21:55+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) https://www.stevedrice.net/reviews/film/melodrama/239 Review of 'Steve Jobs' This is the story of Steve Jobs (Ashton Kutcher) and his involvement in the creation and rise of Apple Computers from it's humble beginnings in his parent's garage where he and Steve Wozniak (Josh Gad) along with a small team of engineers build for the first Apple computer up until the release of the iPod. We see his life presented here at the release of three key products: Apple MacIntosh in 1984 (having been removed by the board from working on the Apple Lisa), the … text/html 2023-04-30T18:21:55+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) https://www.stevedrice.net/reviews/film/melodrama/253 Review of 'Steve Jobs' One would think that with my recent review of the Steve Jobs movie from 2013 and my more recent review of the Steve Jobs biography I would be “Steve Jobs”-out, well, yes, this might be true but actually this adds yet more insight into a truly astonishing figure of the modern age. This film tells Jobs' (played passionately here by Michael Fassbender) story via the hours leading to three of his most famous speeches: The launch of the MacIntosh in 1984, the launch of the… text/html 2023-04-30T18:21:55+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) https://www.stevedrice.net/reviews/film/melodrama/255 Review of 'Che: Part Two' The second part of the epic Che film (see also my Review of 'Che: Part One') that sees Ernesto Che Guevara (played convincingly by Benicio Del Toro) in the final chapter of his life attempting to foster a guerilla war in Bolivia in 1966 but failing to find any real support with the local people. The troubles do not end there with a seeming lack of conviction from his fellow fighters, a lack of control of the media and the overwhelming might of the Bolivian army wit… text/html 2023-04-30T18:21:55+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) https://www.stevedrice.net/reviews/film/melodrama/271 Review of 'Snowden' 'Snowden' is a Hollywood version of the Edward Snowden story - The US security contractor that revealed details of mass surveillance of American civilians in 2013 by passing over details to the Guardian newspaper. The documentary of this story has been previously told in text/html 2023-04-30T18:21:55+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) https://www.stevedrice.net/reviews/film/melodrama/283 Review of 'The Lady in the Van' Miss Shepherd (Maggie Smith) is a somewhat reclusive homeless lady living in a van parked on the street in a wealthy London suburb. With her harsh manner she is not particularly interested in making friends though there is something about her spirit that local resident playwright Alan Bennett (Alex Jennings) takes to heart. When an, until now, sympathetic council decides to tow her vehicle she appeals to Bennett's goodwill to park the van in his driveway for… text/html 2023-04-30T18:21:55+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) https://www.stevedrice.net/reviews/film/melodrama/287 Review of 'Eddie the Eagle' Based on a true story, Michael “Eddie” Edwards (played by Tom Costello at 10 years old, Jack Costello at 15 and Taron Egerton as an adult) is a precocious young boy who dreams of one day being in the Olympics despite having no aptitude at sports. His father Terry (Keith Allen) sees Eddie's dreams as nonsense instead encouraging his son to pick up a paying job in construction. Janette (Jo Hartley), his mother, is easier going and encourages her son as much as she… text/html 2023-04-30T18:21:55+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) https://www.stevedrice.net/reviews/film/melodrama/310 Review of 'Quo Vadis' Set in the last four years of Nero's (an interesting role for Peter Ustinov) reign (AD 64-68) the victorious Marcus Vinicius (Robert Taylor) returns to Rome to great pomp and circumstance. Marcus falls for Lygia (Deborah Kerr) who he soon learns belongs to a new sect called text/html 2023-04-30T18:21:55+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) https://www.stevedrice.net/reviews/film/melodrama/314 Review of 'The Founder' Ray Kroc (Michael Keaton) is dissatisfied salesman selling milkshake mixers who comes across the McDonald brothers, Dick (Nick Offerman) and Mac (John Carroll Lynch), who are running a very popular hamburger restaurant in San Bernardino, California. The brothers have improved on the drive-in experience by providing a fast service delivering quality food in disposable packaging. Previously drive-ins provided very slow and bad service, often attracting the text/html 2023-04-30T18:21:55+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) https://www.stevedrice.net/reviews/film/melodrama/339 Review of 'Room' Ma (Brie Larson) is a loving and caring mother for her five-year old son Jack (Jacob Tremblay) as they spend their lives together locked in a 11 by 11 foot room. Ma has been in “room” for seven years. The only natural light comes into text/html 2023-04-30T18:21:55+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) https://www.stevedrice.net/reviews/film/melodrama/358 Review of 'Oshin' A 7-year old girl Oshin (Kokone Hamada) is sent to work by her peasant family in the early 20th century in exchange for rice. She works long and hard for a cruel and merciless house mistress in the cold winter of the mountains. When she is falsely accused of stealing she runs away and rescued by a deserter from the army in hiding and living off the land. Oshin is much loved as the deserter teaches her to read and write, however, this arrangement is not to last and as the… text/html 2023-04-30T18:21:55+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) https://www.stevedrice.net/reviews/film/melodrama/361 Review of 'Miss Potter' This pleasant film tells the story of British author Beatrix Potter (Renée Zellweger) in the early 20th century. The daughter of wealthy parents living in London Beatrix strives to achieve personal independence by publishing her children stories of text/html 2023-04-30T18:21:55+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) https://www.stevedrice.net/reviews/film/melodrama/366 Review of 'First Man' A very human retelling of the story of Neil Armstrong, first man on the moon. First Man begins with a young test pilot, Neil Armstrong (Ryan Gosling), grounded after being deemed reckless having nearly killed himself while flying a X-15 rocket plane. He throws himself into finding a way to save his young daughter from a brain tumour but is ultimately unsuccessful. Neil takes the death of his daughter very hard but finds solace in burying himself in work applying and … text/html 2023-04-30T18:21:55+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) https://www.stevedrice.net/reviews/film/melodrama/367 Review of 'Bohemian Rhapsody' This film has received a lot of hype here in the UK but is it as good as they say it is? Yes, it is. It does not always make for comfortable viewing but it ends on such a high it will leave you humming the music. text/html 2023-04-30T18:21:55+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) https://www.stevedrice.net/reviews/film/melodrama/375 Review of 'Swallows and Amazons' In the summer of 1935 Mrs Walker (Kelly Macdonald) and her five children travel from their home in Portsmouth to the Lake District for a holiday away from the city. On the train a man enters their cabin as he runs away from two mysterious assailants and promptly jumps off. When they arrive in the Lake District the four older children (John, Susan, Tatty and Roger) are bored but eventually manage to convince their mother to let them take a boat, the text/html 2023-04-30T18:21:55+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) https://www.stevedrice.net/reviews/film/melodrama/376 Review of 'Saving Mr. Banks' “Saving Mr. Banks” follows the story of Walt Disney (Tom Hanks) attempting to secure the rights to film “Mary Poppins” from it's rather difficult author P.L. Travers (Emma Thompson). The British Travers is taken aback by the brash, bold American Disney though eventually she agrees to the film but insists on editorial control that causes no ends of problems for Disney from the very beginning when she talks about no animation and no songs (she also did not approve… text/html 2023-04-30T18:21:55+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) https://www.stevedrice.net/reviews/film/melodrama/380 Review of 'Stan & Ollie' Stan Laurel (Steve Coogan) and Oliver Hardy (John C. Reilly) or simply “Laurel and Hardy” are considered to be one of the greatest comedy duos of all time. “Stan & Ollie” tells the true story of the pair's ultimately successful tour of post-war Britain long after their hay-day. We see the two strung along by a smooth talking agent who books them into small out-of-the-way venues and cheap hotels where, initially, the reception is lukewarm but with their hard work at… text/html 2023-04-30T18:21:55+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) https://www.stevedrice.net/reviews/film/melodrama/387 Review of 'The Ballad of Buster Scruggs' “The Ballad of Buster Scruggs” is an anthology of life and violence in the old west. The first story “The Ballad of Buster Scruggs” features a slick, singing cowboy dressed in white with a fast gun, but, perhaps, not fast enough. text/html 2023-04-30T18:21:55+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) https://www.stevedrice.net/reviews/film/melodrama/389 Review of 'Ben Hur' Judah Ben Hur (Charlton Heston) is a member of the young arrogant elite in Jerusalem at the beginning of the first century. Meeting a childhood friend Messala (Stephen Boyd) who is now a commanding officer of the Roman legions now occupying the city Judah quickly realizes Messala is no longer his friend with now vastly different political and ethical beliefs. Judah, his sister Tirzah (Cathy O'Donnell) and mother Miriam (Martha Scott) are seized by the Romans when a tile… text/html 2023-04-30T18:21:55+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) https://www.stevedrice.net/reviews/film/melodrama/390 Review of 'Green Book' It is 1962 and Tony Lip (Viggo Mortensen) is a New York City wise-guy from the Italian community. Though a bit prejudiced, as others were at the time, he has an innate sense of honor working at the Copacabana night club. When the club is closed for renovations he eventually finds a job driving for Dr. Donald Shirley (Mahershala Ali) a wealthy educated pianist text/html 2023-04-30T18:21:55+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) https://www.stevedrice.net/reviews/film/melodrama/417 Review of 'Operation Finale' In the years following the second world war Mossad, the intelligence agency of Israel, learn that one of the architects of the Holocaust Adolf Eichmann (stunningly portrayed by Ben Kingsley) is living under an assumed name in Argentina where members of the government actively engage in pro-Nazi rhetoric. Mossad devise a plan to capture Eichmann and return him to Israel for a trial so they can have closure for their country as previous war criminals had been trie… text/html 2023-04-30T18:21:55+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) https://www.stevedrice.net/reviews/film/melodrama/419 Review of 'Wild at Heart' At a party Sailor Ripley (Nicolas Cage) is attacked by a man hired by his girlfriend Lula's (Laura Dern) domineering mother Marietta Fortune (Diane Ladd). When Sailor kills the man he is sent to prison. On his release despite Marietta's displeasure Sailor and Lula continue to see each other so she hires a hit-man to kill Sailor. Breaking bail, Sailor and Lula flee North Carolina but the money is running out and Lula finds out she is pregnant text/html 2023-04-30T18:21:55+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) https://www.stevedrice.net/reviews/film/melodrama/423 Review of 'Once Upon a Time in Hollywood' The latest block buster from Tarantino, “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” is a masterclass of Trantino-ness. It is 1969 Hollywood and the successful star of a western television series Rick Dalton (Leonardo DiCaprio) feels as if he is a has-been. Dalton's friend and former stunt double the cool Cliff Booth (Brad Pitt) drives Dalton around and takes care of him in his Hollywood house next door to the famous director of Rosemary's Baby (Rafal Zawieru… text/html 2023-04-30T18:21:55+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) https://www.stevedrice.net/reviews/film/melodrama/428 Review of 'The Bucket List' Wealthy corporate billionaire Edward Cole (Jack Nicholson) finds himself diagnosed with cancer and in one of his own hospitals where he shares a room with car mechanic Carter Chambers (Morgan Freeman) who faces a similar diagnosis. Each given a year to live they decide to work their way through a text/html 2023-04-30T18:21:55+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) https://www.stevedrice.net/reviews/film/melodrama/440 Review of 'The Green Mile' Based on the story by Stephen King, “The Green Mile” is based on the recollection of a Louisiana State Prison death row guard Paul Edgecomb (Tom Hanks) who in the 1930s met John Coffey (Michael Clarke Duncan), an inmate with not only a child-like innocence character but also the remarkable gift. At the time Paul suffers from a painful bladder infection but when Coffey manages to touch him he is completely healed. As time passes Paul is more and more convinced of … text/html 2023-04-30T18:21:55+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) https://www.stevedrice.net/reviews/film/melodrama/460 Review of 'Citizen Kane' Citizen Kane opens with the death of multi-millionaire Charles Foster Kane (Orson Welles) whose life is told in a brief newsreel. The editor watching the film realises that while it talks about the details of Kane's life it does not provide any details of the man's character such as the meaning of his final words: text/html 2023-04-30T18:21:55+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) https://www.stevedrice.net/reviews/film/melodrama/474 Review of 'Yesterday' Yesterday (Leleti Khumalo) is a young Zulu woman living in rural South Africa bringing up her daughter Beauty (Lihle Mvelase). Suffering from coughing fits she makes the long trek to the health clinic where she is eventually diagnosed as being HIV positive. Supported by the new teacher (Harriet Lenabe) Yesterday travels to Johannesburg where she brings the sad news to her husband John (Kenneth Khambula) who does not take the news well. Despondent, Yesterday returns t… text/html 2023-04-30T18:21:55+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) https://www.stevedrice.net/reviews/film/melodrama/477 Review of 'A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood' “A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood” begins with an episode of “Mister Rogers' Neighborhood” where child television entertainer Fred Rogers (Tom Hanks) reveals a board containing pictures of people important to him. Revealing a picture of the bloodied face of Lloyd Vogel (Matthew Rhys) we are told his story. Lloyd is a cynical magazine writer tasked with writing a short text/html 2025-02-02T16:12:19+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) https://www.stevedrice.net/reviews/film/melodrama/478 Review of 'Le Mans '66 (Ford vs Ferrari)' It is the 1960s and at Ford Motors headed by Henry Ford II (Tracy Letts) sales are down. Executive Lee Iacocca (Jon Bernthal) pitches the idea that if Ford were to win at the prestigious Le Mans 24 hour racing event they would attract the attention of car buyers. After an attempt to purchase Ferrari ends in failure, Iacocca approaches Carroll Shelby (Matt Damon), a former car racer who makes and sells cars, to see if he can help. Shelby realises h… text/html 2023-04-30T18:21:55+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) https://www.stevedrice.net/reviews/film/melodrama/482 Review of 'The Fabulous Baker Boys' Two pianists known as the “Fabulous Baker Boys”, Jack (Jeff Bridges) and Frank (Beau Bridges, yes the two are really brothers) are just managing to through a living playing in bars and lounges. Deciding they need to spice up their act they take on a singer, Susie Diamond (Michelle Pfeiffer) a former escort who is an immediate hit for the group as they play more are more lucrative gigs. The introspective and quiet, Jack has an immediate attraction to the … text/html 2023-04-30T18:21:55+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) https://www.stevedrice.net/reviews/film/melodrama/483 Review of 'Casablanca ' It is the second world war and in Casablanca, Morroco, an French outpost where those fleeing the Nazis can escape Europe to find refuge in the Americas, cool customer Rick Blaine (Humphrey Bogart) runs the popular “Rick's Café Américain text/html 2023-04-30T18:21:55+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) https://www.stevedrice.net/reviews/film/melodrama/489 Review of 'The African Queen' It is 1914, prim Rose Sayer (Katharine Hepburn) and her husband Rev. Samuel Sayer (Robert Morley) are missionaries in German East Africa when their village is raided by the German army. Her husband is attacked and eventually dies so, now alone in the devastated village, Rose is forced to leave with the grumpy, dishevelled Charlie Allnutt (Humphrey Bogart) on his dilapidated river steamer, text/html 2023-04-30T18:21:55+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) https://www.stevedrice.net/reviews/film/melodrama/490 Review of 'Where Angels Fear to Tread' I can't say I am a big fan of period drama. Shows like “Downton Abbey” and Jane Austen adaptations do not really grab me, I find them, for the most part (there are ALWAYS exceptions), boring and not at all interesting. I suppose this is part of my general disinterest in fashion, soap operas, celebrity, etc. - text/html 2023-04-30T18:21:55+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) https://www.stevedrice.net/reviews/film/melodrama/493 Review of 'Spellbound' Dr. Constance Petersen (Ingrid Bergman) works as a psychologist at Green Manors mental hospital. The head of the hospital Dr. Murchison (Leo G. Carroll) is retiring due to exhaustion. When his replacement Dr. Edwardes (Gregory Peck) arrives there is obvious chemistry between Constance and Edwardes. The two fall in love though it is obvious that text/html 2023-04-30T18:21:55+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) https://www.stevedrice.net/reviews/film/melodrama/494 Review of 'Notorious' Alicia Huberman's (Ingrid Bergman) German father has been convicted of treason when she is recruited by U.S. government agent T.R. Devlin (Cary Grant) to infiltrate a German industrial syndicate in Rio de Janeiro. Despite her drinking and hard-living Devlin is convinced Alicia is a true patriot. During their time together the two become romantically involved with Alicia professing her love. In Rio Alicia meets one of her father's German acquaintances Alexander Sebast… text/html 2023-04-30T18:21:55+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) https://www.stevedrice.net/reviews/film/melodrama/500 Review of 'Rebecca' A young woman (Joan Fontaine) is the companion of Edythe Van Hopper (Florence Bates), an overbearing wealthy American aristrocrat. While on holiday in Monte Carlo the young woman falls in love with the wealthy Maximilian (Maxim) de Winter (Laurence Olivier) who seems quite serious and perpetually distracted. After they are married, the couple return to Maxim's house Manderley in Cornwall (England). The naive Mrs. de Winter is thrust into a life as head of the estate a… text/html 2023-04-30T18:21:55+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) https://www.stevedrice.net/reviews/film/melodrama/501 Review of 'Moby Dick' Ishmael (Richard Basehart) is a young seaman looking to experience a different world so signs on with, “Pequod” a whaling ship out of Massachusetts accompanied by his friend, a heavily tattooed Polynesian harpooner named Queequeg (Friedrich von Ledebur). The mysterious Pequod captain Ahab (Gregory Peck) is obsessed with finding a mysterious text/html 2023-04-30T18:21:55+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) https://www.stevedrice.net/reviews/film/melodrama/503 Review of 'The Last Emperor' “The Last Emperor” tells the real story of Pu Yi (John Lone as an adult), the last emperor of China. As an adult “confessing” to the new communist regime Pu Yi recalls his life as emperor which began as a young child before the revolution struggling to understand his great privilege and that it does not extend to his personal freedom. Under the tutelage of Reginald 'R. J.' Johnston (Peter O'Toole) the young emperor learns not only how to speak English but also … text/html 2023-04-30T18:21:55+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) https://www.stevedrice.net/reviews/film/melodrama/508 Review of 'Cinema Paradiso (Nuovo Cinema Paradiso)' A mother calls her famous film-maker son, Salvatore 'Totò' Di Vita (Jacques Perrin) to inform him that his childhood friend Alfredo (Philippe Noiret) is dead and will be buried the next day. Salvatore reminisces of his boyhood home in Southern Italy in the years following World War 2. As a boy (Salvatore Cascio) he befriends Alfredo, the projectionist at the local cinema, captivated by not only the magic of film but also the handling the… text/html 2023-04-30T18:21:55+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) https://www.stevedrice.net/reviews/film/melodrama/513 Review of 'The Snows of Kilimanjaro' Harry Street (Gregory Peck) lies dying from a hunting accident while on safari at the base of Kilimanjaro in Africa taking time to reflect on his life and the many woman he has known. He considers Cynthia Green (Ava Gardner) the love of his life though he lost her due to his obsession in travelling the world to seek out material for his novels. His concerned wife Helen (Susan Hayward) tends his wounds and encourages him to keep living while listening to… text/html 2023-04-30T18:21:55+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) https://www.stevedrice.net/reviews/film/melodrama/514 Review of 'The Killing Fields' Sydney Schanberg (Sam Waterston) is a New York Times reporter based in Cambodia covering the political and social turmoil covering the civil war in the early 1970s. Aided by Dith Pran (Haing S. Ngor), a local guide and journalist Scanberg attempts to document the accidental bombing of a local village by the American military. Two years later in the Cambodian capital Phnom Penh the embassies are being evacuated on the news that the Khmer Rouge are set to invad… text/html 2023-04-30T18:21:55+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) https://www.stevedrice.net/reviews/film/melodrama/516 Review of 'In the Mood for Love' In 1960s Hong Kong, two couples move into neighbouring apartments. Mrs. Chan (Maggie Cheung) lives with her husband and works as a secretary while their neighbour Mr. Chow (Tony Chiu-Wai Leung) lives with his wife and works as a newspaper editor who would prefer to write martial arts serials. Their respective spouses spend a great deal of time away so their lives are lonely until they strike up a friendly relationship. They begin to suspect that their spou… text/html 2023-04-30T18:21:55+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) https://www.stevedrice.net/reviews/film/melodrama/518 Review of 'Selma' Selma recreates the events surrounding the town of Selma, Alabama in 1965 where it became the focus of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s (David Oyelowo) black rights peaceful protest against the local government's institutional racism in specifically denying the local black people the right to vote despite it being their legal right to do so. When a sit in results in violence King and the local black community agree that a peaceful march from Selma to the Alabama capital Montgo… text/html 2026-01-01T16:39:55+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) https://www.stevedrice.net/reviews/film/melodrama/533 Review of 'Knives Out' When wealthy crime novelist Harlan Thrombey (Christopher Plummer) is found dead in the study of his enormous mansion the morning after his 85th birthday party. Police suspicion immediately falls on the members of his immediate family: Richard (Don Johnson), Harlan's son-in-law, is discovered to have cheated on his wife Linda (Jamie Lee Curtis), Harlan's daughter and snobbish bore. We learn their rebellious son Ransom (Chris Evans) has been thrown out of the will com… text/html 2025-03-15T15:41:06+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) https://www.stevedrice.net/reviews/film/melodrama/535 Review of 'Parasite' You could be forgiven for thinking that this film might be a horror flick, perhaps featuring a hideous creature, a la, Alien, bursting from various parts of human bodies. You could be forgiven but you would be wrong. This is a slightly calmer picture about text/html 2023-04-30T18:21:55+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) https://www.stevedrice.net/reviews/film/melodrama/538 Review of 'The Fountain' A film that takes place over the span of centuries, in the modern day, “The Fountain” is a story of Tomas (Hugh Jackman) struggling to come to terms with death and the terminal illness of his wife Isabel (Rachel Weisz) but this is echoed in the past with a conquistador in Mayan country attempting to find the tree of life to win the heart of his queen and in the future with the same man floating in a bubble through space towards a dying star with only a tree and his m… text/html 2023-04-30T18:21:55+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) https://www.stevedrice.net/reviews/film/melodrama/539 Review of 'Sin City: A Dame to Kill For' 2nd film in the 'Sin City' series The original “Sin City” film from 2005 was an incredibly atmospheric and faithful adaption of the graphic novel by Frank Miller. The harsh black and white images with the occasional splash of colour was unique and the incredibly violent stories were, at least, imaginative and, shall we say, interesting? Gratuitous violence - both physical and sexual - was the name of the day in a modern retelling of the classic text/html 2023-04-30T18:21:55+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) https://www.stevedrice.net/reviews/film/melodrama/540 Review of 'Contagion' The world is still under siege of COVID-19 so it is doubtless there will be resurgent interest in films that talk about global pandemics such as Outbreak and this film, “Contagion” which covers much of the same ground but is no where near as compelling as text/html 2023-04-30T18:21:55+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) https://www.stevedrice.net/reviews/film/melodrama/547 Review of 'The Man Who Invented Christmas' Charles Dickens (Dan Stevens) is facing every more serious financial difficulties following a string of successful books including Oliver Twist. He realizes he will need to come up with a new, successful book which he decides will be a text/html 2023-04-30T18:21:55+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) https://www.stevedrice.net/reviews/film/melodrama/553 Review of 'The Death of Stalin' After having heard so much about this dark film I was looking forward to finally seeing it but, in the end, I was left disappointed. It is early 1953 in Moscow with Joseph Stalin (Adrian McLoughlin) leading the country with an iron fist. When he unexpectedly dies the members of the Soviet council, long out of touch with anything but politics, show an incredible inability to govern as they engage in petty squabbles over what to do next. Deputy General Secret… text/html 2023-04-30T18:21:55+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) https://www.stevedrice.net/reviews/film/melodrama/556 Review of 'The Men Who Stare at Goats' With such a great title and premise you think this would be hilarious wouldn't you? Shame. Reporter Bob Wilton (Ewan McGregor) interviews a local man Gus Lacey (Stephen Root) who claims to be part of “ text/html 2023-04-30T18:21:55+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) https://www.stevedrice.net/reviews/film/melodrama/558 Review of 'The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society' Following the horrors of the second world war successful author Juliet Ashton (Lily James) becomes enthralled by the story of a group of people from Guernsey who formed the “Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society text/html 2023-04-30T18:21:55+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) https://www.stevedrice.net/reviews/film/melodrama/563 Review of 'Black Narcissus' Nun Sister Clodagh (Deborah Kerr) is posted as Sister Superior in the St. Faith convent at the Palace of Mopu perched high in the Himalayas. General Todo Rai of Mopu (Esmond Knight) - “The Old General” - wishes to see the old palace used by the nuns to provide education and healthcare to the largely ambivalent locals. Clodagh is accompanied by Sister Briony (Judith Furse) for her strength, gardener Sister Phillipa (Flora Robson), Sister text/html 2023-04-30T18:21:55+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) https://www.stevedrice.net/reviews/film/melodrama/569 Review of 'Bridge of Spies' It is 1957 and the height of the cold war between the United States and the Soviet Union. Rudolf Abel (Mark Rylance) has been arrested in New York for being a spy. Insurance lawyer James B. Donovan (Tom Hanks) is hired as legal council for Abel and soon shows his integral belief in fair play and justice. With the judge having decided Abel's guilt before the trial starts the court decision at the end is a forgone conclusion despite there being significant gaps … text/html 2023-04-30T18:21:55+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) https://www.stevedrice.net/reviews/film/melodrama/573 Review of 'Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri' Mildred Hayes (Frances McDormand) is increasingly upset at the lack of progress in the police department over the tragic death of her daughter a year earlier so hires three billboards on a side-road outside of town to be papered with her message to the police: text/html 2023-04-30T18:21:55+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) https://www.stevedrice.net/reviews/film/melodrama/577 Review of 'Enola Holmes' I was thinking about what category this film falls into. I was thinking action but there is not really a lot of that, I was thinking fantasy given that it is set in the world of Sherlock Holmes but ultimately I settled on text/html 2023-04-30T18:21:55+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) https://www.stevedrice.net/reviews/film/melodrama/579 Review of 'King of Thieves' A true crime drama telling the story of a group of retired crooks who get together to pull off one last job: A heist of a diamond repository in Hatton Garden, London. Brian Reader (Sir Michael Caine) is the self-styled leader of the group who is somewhat dissatisfied with his life after the recent passing of his wife. Brian becomes interested when technical wizard Basil (Charlie Cox) proposes the heist having come into possession of a key to the depository. On … text/html 2023-04-30T18:21:55+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) https://www.stevedrice.net/reviews/film/melodrama/613 Review of 'Yesterday' Jack Malik (Himesh Patel) is an unsuccessful, though earnest young musician struggling to make a living. His songs do not resonate with anyone and he is going no where fast. One night there is a world-wide blackout and Malik is at the same time hit by a bus. Recovering from the accident Malik quickly realizes that the world has changed around him: There is no Coca-Cola and, to his benefit, the Beatles never existed. Seeking the success that has long denied him he pu… text/html 2023-04-30T18:21:55+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) https://www.stevedrice.net/reviews/film/melodrama/621 Review of 'Sully' In January 2009 Captain Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger (Tom Hanks) was the pilot of plane that suffered a “bird strike” shortly after take-off from New York's La Guardia airport. Captain Sully managed to land the plane in the Hudson River with no loss of life. text/html 2025-09-07T15:24:18+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) https://www.stevedrice.net/reviews/film/melodrama/625 Review of 'Gosford Park' In the 1930s a group of wealthy people meet at Gosford Park, a manor house, for a shooting weekend hosted by Sir William McCordle (Sir Michael Gambon) and his wife Sylvia (Kristin Scott Thomas). The guests include: Sylvia's sisters Louisa (Geraldine Somerville) and Lavinia ( Natasha Wightman), and their husbands Lord (Raymond) Stockbridge (Charles Dance) and Commander Anthony Meredith ( Tom Hollander); Sylvia's aunt Constance, Countess of Trentham (the wonderful Magg… text/html 2023-04-30T18:21:55+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) https://www.stevedrice.net/reviews/film/melodrama/639 Review of 'Mr. Holmes' A retired Sherlock Holmes (Ian McKellen) now lives in the countryside with his housekeeper Mrs. Munro (Laura Linney) and her son Roger (Milo Parker). Holmes is suffering from dementia, struggling to remember the details of the last case he worked on which he is attempting to put on paper even resorting to a trip to Japan in order to seek out a substance he believes will help him remember. Holmes teaches the eager Roger how to take care of the bee hives on the propert… text/html 2023-04-30T18:21:55+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) https://www.stevedrice.net/reviews/film/melodrama/641 Review of 'Love Actually' A wonderful series of interwoven stories taking place in London in the weeks leading up to Christmas featuring an all-star cast of Hollywood A-listers: * Aging rock-star Billy Mack's (Bill Nighy's) has released a Christmas version of one of his famous songs that he knows is rubbish and shares this with the world much to the consternation of his manager Joe (Gregor Fisher's). text/html 2023-04-30T18:21:55+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) https://www.stevedrice.net/reviews/film/melodrama/642 Review of 'Tea with Mussolini' In 1935 a group of British wealthy woman, known locally as the “Scorpioni”, are enjoying living the lives of ex-pats in Florence, Italy. Despite the warnings the group are fans of Mussolini (Claudio Spadaro) who, when visited, assures the group they are valued and will be protected. Mary Walsh (Dame Joan Plowright), works as the secretary for the stern Paolo Innocente (Massimo Ghini) who turns his back on his illegitimate son Luca (Baird Wallace) living in an… text/html 2023-04-30T18:21:55+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) https://www.stevedrice.net/reviews/film/melodrama/644 Review of 'Goodbye Christopher Robin' This biopic tells the story of Christopher Robin who was the inspiration for the Winnie-the-Pooh stories. His father, Alan Alexander Milne (Domhnall Gleeson) - nick-named “Blue” - returns from fighting in World War I to his rather insensitive wife Daphne (Margot Robbie) in London. She gives birth to a son they call text/html 2025-08-02T13:24:34+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) https://www.stevedrice.net/reviews/film/melodrama/665 Review of 'Spiderhead' On a remote island the modern “Spiderhead” drug experimentation facility offers convicts relative freedom and a reduction in their sentence for participating. The facility is run by the likeable but slightly mysterious Steve Abnesti (Chris Hemsworth) along with his assistant Mark (Mark Paguio). Each inmate has a text/html 2023-04-30T18:21:55+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) https://www.stevedrice.net/reviews/film/melodrama/672 Review of 'Being the Ricardos' “Being the Ricardos” tells the story of a traumatic week for comedian Lucille “Lucy” Ball (Nicole Kidman) and her musical partner Desi Arnaz (Javier Bardem) as they film an episode of the classic “I Love Lucy text/html 2023-04-30T18:21:55+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) https://www.stevedrice.net/reviews/film/melodrama/677 Review of 'Tolkien' “Tolkien” tells the story of the early years of the famous Lord of the Rings author, J.R.R. Tolkien (Nicholas Hoult as an adult, Harry Gilby as a child). In the horrors of the first world war Tolkien sees images from the novels he would go onto write all around him and he thinks back to his early days. Orphaned as a child, he and his brother are put under the care of Father Francis who finds a home for them with a kindly, rich woman. Here Tolkien becomes close friends … text/html 2023-04-30T18:21:55+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) https://www.stevedrice.net/reviews/film/melodrama/679 Review of 'Elvis' When Baz Luhnmann turns his hand to any film you know you are going to see a full-on explosion of riotous colour and sound on the screen. “Elvis” is no exception with the trademark (tacky) “Elvis” glitz applied even to the familiar film studio logos shown in the opening seconds. The frenetic pace of Luhnmann never really lets up though the screen trickery dies down towards the end text/html 2023-04-30T18:21:55+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) https://www.stevedrice.net/reviews/film/melodrama/681 Review of 'Don't Worry Darling' Alice (Florence Pugh) and Jack Chambers (Harry Styles) are a young, happy couple living in a 1950s-style community in the middle of the desert as part of something called the “Victory Experiment” lead by the creepy text/html 2023-04-30T18:21:55+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) https://www.stevedrice.net/reviews/film/melodrama/685 Review of 'Amsterdam' In the first world war, two soldiers, Burt Berendsen (Christian Bale) and Harold Woodsman (John David Washington) become friends. After sustaining injuries in battle they are nursed to health by eccentric nurse Valerie Voze (Margot Robbie). The three move to Amsterdam where they live happily together until Burt leaves to join his wife in New York City. Fifteen years later Burt has opened his own, money losing, medical practice catering to veterans while Harold has be… text/html 2023-11-27T19:47:09+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) https://www.stevedrice.net/reviews/film/melodrama/686 Review of 'Death on the Nile' Following on from Kenneth Branagh's first adaption of Agatha Christie's Hercule Poirot story “Murder on the Orient Express” in 2017, “Death on the Nile” features another ensemble cast including Branagh reprising his role as the titular detective with the outlandish moustache. text/html 2023-04-30T18:21:55+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) https://www.stevedrice.net/reviews/film/melodrama/688 Review of 'Enola Holmes 2' We quite enjoyed the first outing of Enola Holmes and hoped for more of the same. Though 2 had some aspects of the first film this was a bit more, dare I say it, serious than the first. Enola (Millie Bobby Brown of “Stranger Things text/html 2023-04-30T18:21:55+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) https://www.stevedrice.net/reviews/film/melodrama/689 Review of 'Pleasantville' Introvert David (Tobey Maguire) is obsessed with the black and white 50s television sitcom “Pleasantville”. Determined to win a trivia contest during a television marathon of the show David fights with his outgoing sister Jennifer (Reese Witherspoon) who wants to watch a MTV concert. In the scuffle the remote control is broken and immediately a mysterious TV repairman (Don Knots) shows up at the door. After some quizzing of David's knowledge of Pleasantville the … text/html 2023-04-30T18:21:55+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) https://www.stevedrice.net/reviews/film/melodrama/712 Review of 'Luther: The Fallen Sun' Luther has been an on-again, off-again television series for a number of years with it's gritty, slightly seedy, run-down, put-upon but well meaning and effective cop played by Idris Elba. Things never go terribly well for Luther but he always manages to come good in the end. It was a pleasant surprise to see it brought to the text/html 2023-07-23T18:12:48+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) https://www.stevedrice.net/reviews/film/melodrama/731 Review of 'Oppenheimer' Brilliant and passionate physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer (Cillian Murphy) works his way through university, completing his Ph. D. Teaching at the University of California, Berkeley he becomes involved with politics and the communist party. Despite this he is recruited by U.S. Army General Leslie Groves (Matt Damon) to head up the Manhattan Project to develop the atomic bomb. Oppenheimer builds a town in Los Alamos, New Mexico and assembles a team of talented, and … text/html 2023-08-06T14:30:17+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) https://www.stevedrice.net/reviews/film/melodrama/732 Review of 'A Star is Born' After a concert musician Jackson Maine (Bradley Cooper) visits a local drag bar where he finds himself spellbound at the natural talent of singer Ally (Lady Gaga). He coaxes her into singing on stage with him at his next concert where she puts on an incredible performance, showing she has what it takes. Her career takes off, signing to produce an album and multiple concerts. Ally and text/html 2025-08-09T15:18:21+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) https://www.stevedrice.net/reviews/film/melodrama/739 Review of 'The Wonderful World of Henry Sugar' Henry Sugar (Benedict Cumberbatch), not his real name, has a gambling habit that discovers a book, ZZ Chatterjee's (Dev Patel) 1935 report telling the story of Imdad Khan (Ben Kingsley), a man who can see perfectly even if his eyes or covered. Sugar realizes he can use this skill to cheat in gambling so follows the instructions conveyed by Khan to Chatterjee. text/html 2023-11-19T12:49:28+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) https://www.stevedrice.net/reviews/film/melodrama/741 Review of 'Call Me Chihuro' Chihiro (Kasumi Arimura) is a former sex worker now working in a bento shop in a small village. Chiro is charmingly outspoken and honest but loved by the community as she goes out of her way to be friends with many who have no friends such as a troubled young boy or a homeless man who she takes home to bathe. Despite this we can she is lonely finding fulfilment in bringing joy to others rather than herself. text/html 2023-11-27T19:47:09+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) https://www.stevedrice.net/reviews/film/melodrama/742 Review of 'A Haunting in Venice' I must have blinked and missed this in the cinema so I have watched it on Disney+... The famous detective Hercule Poirot (Kenneth Branagh) has put aside detective work, living a quiet life of solitude in Venice. Fate will not leave him alone as old friend and author Ariadne Oliver (Tina Fey) convinces him that she has found a medium she believes to be the text/html 2023-12-26T16:06:11+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) https://www.stevedrice.net/reviews/film/melodrama/746 Review of 'Pokémon: Detective Pikachu' In the alternative Pokémon universe Tim Goodman (Justice Smith) has given up on being a Pokémon trainer following the death of his mother and moving away from his father, Harry. He is told his detective father has been killed in a car accident so travels to Ryme City, a peaceful city run by both humans and Pokémon, to sort out his father's apartment. Ryme City was founded by the wheelchair-bound Howard Clifford (Bill Nighy) who created the utopian cit… text/html 2024-01-14T16:52:12+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) https://www.stevedrice.net/reviews/film/melodrama/748 Review of 'Haunted Mansion' Based on the Disney theme park ride of the same name, “Haunted Mansion” sees widowed doctor Gabbie (Rosario Dawson) and her son Travis (Chase Dillon) move from New York in an attempt to convert an abandoned house into a B&B only to learn it is haunted by a variety of ghosts. Disgraced astrophysicist Ben Matthias (LaKeith Stanfield) has come up with a camera that priest, and would-be exorcist, Father Kent (Owen Wilson) believes will be able to take pictures of the… text/html 2024-01-28T17:51:59+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) https://www.stevedrice.net/reviews/film/melodrama/749 Review of 'The Electrical Life of Louis Wain' In Victorian England, Louis Wain (Benedict Cumberbatch) is an eccentric and erratic sole son of a family of sisters who has tried his hands unsuccessfully at many things including composing music and playwrighting but finds a natural talent in drawing. Finding it difficult to provide an income for his family he reluctantly becomes the staff artist of The Illustrated London News under editor Sir William Ingram (Toby Jones). His life is turned up… text/html 2024-06-30T09:07:41+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) https://www.stevedrice.net/reviews/film/melodrama/767 Review of 'Cruella' Telling the back story of “Cruella de Vil” the villain from “101 Dalmatians” we learn that teenage Estella had a dream of becoming a fashion designer. Her mother Catherine (Emily Beecham) supports her daughter but when attending a party hosted by Baroness von Hellman (Emma Thompson) the Baroness' Dalmatians run Catherine over the cliff. Feeling that she has some how contributed to her mother's death, Estella flees to London where she becomes a petty thief with the help … text/html 2024-06-30T11:36:16+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) https://www.stevedrice.net/reviews/film/melodrama/771 Review of 'Ferrari' Ten years after forming Ferrari the famous, stylish Italian entrepreneur Enzo Ferrari's (Adam Driver) marriage is facing collapse as he spends more and more time with mistress Lina Lardi (Shailene Woodley) who, in turn, is pressuring him to recognize their illegitimate son Piero (Giuseppe Festinese) as his confirmation nears. His wife Laura (Penelope Cruz) grieves for the loss of their son a year earlier while suspecting her husband of infidelity. At work, Ferrari faces… text/html 2025-01-26T17:49:32+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) https://www.stevedrice.net/reviews/film/melodrama/794 Review of 'Evil Under the Sun' When the master detective Hercule Poirot (Peter Ustinov) is hired by an insurance company to determine why millionaire Sir Horace Blatt (Colin Blakely) would ask that a fake diamond be insured he learns the real original was purchased by Sir Horace for his mistress actress, Arlena Marshall (Diana Rigg). Poirot is convinced to travel to a hotel on a sun-soaked island in the Mediterranean to investigate the mystery but, as you might expect there will be text/html 2025-02-02T16:12:19+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) https://www.stevedrice.net/reviews/film/melodrama/796 Review of 'Walk the Line' “Walk the Line” explains the backing story of the man in black: The legendary singer “Johnny Cash” (Joaquin Phoenix). Brought up in an abusive and unsupportive household afraid of his violent father (Robert Patrick) who partly blames John for the death of his brother Jack (Lucas Till), John struggles to find happiness in his life. Married to a demanding and selfish wife Vivian (Ginnifer Goodwin) and working as a door salesman in a job he is not interested in, John… text/html 2025-05-04T15:26:30+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) https://www.stevedrice.net/reviews/film/melodrama/808 Review of 'Conclave' With the recent death of Pope Francis the Vatican has to now find another pope in a process known as “Conclave”. This critically acclaimed film is based on Robert Harris' novel of the same name and describes how the (male) cardinals all come together at the Vatican where there are isolated from the public, meeting daily in the Sistine Chapel to vote over and over again for the new pope until a majority vote is achieved. In the film the loss of the pope triggers the con… text/html 2025-08-09T15:18:21+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) https://www.stevedrice.net/reviews/film/melodrama/815 Review of 'The French Dispatch' Editor Arthur Howitzer Jr. (Bill Murray) of “The French Dispatch” magazine has died, demanding that publication immediately be suspended. We are shown the development of four articles from different sections of the magazine: text/html 2025-08-09T15:18:21+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) https://www.stevedrice.net/reviews/film/melodrama/825 Review of 'Asteroid City' As is typical for Wes Anderson films, summarizing the plot of “Asteroid City” is, shall we say, a bit complicated. Set in a retro-futuristic 1955 the film starts with a television presenter introducing the filming of a play. text/html 2025-12-31T12:02:12+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) https://www.stevedrice.net/reviews/film/melodrama/829 Review of 'The Thursday Murder Club' At retirement village Coopers Chase, a group of residents - Psychiatrist Ibrahim (Ben Kingsley), former trade union leader Ron (Pierce Brosnan), and ex-spy (perhaps?) Elizabeth (Helen Mirren) - meet weekly to discuss text/html 2026-02-24T19:51:55+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) https://www.stevedrice.net/reviews/film/melodrama/837 Review of 'Maria' Telling the story of opera singer Maria Callas' (Angelina Jolie) last days in 1970s Paris this film opens with the obstructed view of a figure laying on the floor as police and others walk around the body. This sets the tone for what is a rather dark, sad ending to Callas' life as the clock is rewound to show the months leading up to her death as she struggles with her vocal coach Jeffrey Tate (Stephen Ashfield) in a bid to return to the stage. This is contrasted with sce… text/html 2026-01-01T16:39:55+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) https://www.stevedrice.net/reviews/film/melodrama/846 Review of 'Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery' Father Jud Duplenticy (Josh O'Connor), a former boxer with a dark past turned Catholic priest in upstate New York, is assigned to be assistant pastor after punching a rude deacon. His posting is for the rural parish Our Lady of Perpetual Fortitude led by Monsignor Jefferson Wicks (Josh Brolin), an opinionated and terrifying priest who deliberately chooses to provoke and often verbally attack the members of his community. When Wicks is kille… text/html 2026-02-22T15:50:58+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) https://www.stevedrice.net/reviews/film/melodrama/859 Review of 'Train Dreams' In the Pacific northwest of early 20th century United States Robert Grainier (Joel Edgerton) works as a labourer logging and working on building the railways. A gentle sole he is haunted by the casual murder of a Chinese worker though he finds solace in the marriage to a devoted wife Gladys (Felicity Jones) with their small child in a house they built beside a river. He spends much of the year away working but enjoys returning to his young family. His life is turn… text/html 2026-02-22T15:50:58+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) https://www.stevedrice.net/reviews/film/melodrama/introduction Melodrama Not really a big fan but sometimes I can be surprised. Highest Rated The following melodramas I have found to be a 5 out of 5... 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