Life - 1999 **

For a film with such a well known and rich cast, it's a pity that this didn't do much for me. Lawrence is a hardworking man about to start the job of a lifetime, and Murphy is a fast-talking con man. Circumstances under their control lead them to being arrested for a murder they didn't commit, and sentenced to 60+ years in jail. This they serve together, becoming firm friends, as well as bonding closely with other members of the farm where they are working. So many good actors here, but I only found myself raising a smile here and there. It just wasn't for me.

Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigolo - 1999 ****

This is a funny film. Rob Schneider is great. He always makes me laugh, and this story, about a pool cleaner who gets mistaken for a male gigolo whilst house-sitting is classic. It's completely stupid and uterly ridiculous but that's why it's pretty much a laugh a minute as you watch him take strange woman after crazy woman out on dates with various levels of success. Got 'The Animal' all lined up to watch as well. Should be equally as good I would imagine.

Teaching Mrs Tingle - 1999 *

Not a black comedy, as comedy implies that it's supposed to be funny. But it's not, and none of these people can act. Even sweet little Katie Holmes is ridiculously overcast in this bizarre film about revenge on a teacher by 3 students who all despise her. Helen Mirren shouldn't have lent herself to this shocker. It's hideously bad.

Topsy-Turvy 1999 ****

It was really just pure chance that brought this movie to the front of my DVD rental service, especially when I am going to see 'The Mikado' in a couple of months time and had no idea beforehand of the storyline. This is a delightful little film about the making, production and rehearsals that went into Gilbert and Sullivan's masterpiece. Jim Broadbent is excellent and actually Timothy Spall is very dry and sarcastic with a touch of campness that really goes with his character. We hear many of the popular songs, see all the gorgeous costumes, and enjoy all the humour that goes along with the play in what was probably a very painstaking process (director Mike Leigh spent hundreds of hours on research trying to find exact replicas of clothes, decor, make-up, places etc and it really paid off). It's lovely to be able to watch it this way. Lovely night in.

Varsity Blues - 1999 **

Another stupid 'American Jock' type movie where the whole film and it seems the whole world revolves around football and nothing else, oh, except talking about football. I'm not actually sure why I forced myself to see it all the way through, as it barely went anywhere, but it was probably because I wanted to see whether the off-screen tension between James van der Beek and Paul Walker was evident on screen. Considering they only had about 2 minutes together on the whole film, it wasn't. Waste of time.