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Shallow Grave

Shallow Grave

List Price: $29.95
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Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Ewan, as usual, is the attraction.
Review: Similar to other reviews here, I bought the dvd for the chance to stare at Ewan McGregor a little bit more (I can't seem to get enough of him these days). I wasn't concerned with the movie, really, at all, when I bought it, but it was one of the most suspenseful movies I have seen in a long time. Talk about heart-pounding, I sat on the edge of my couch from beginning til ending. I am usually very adept at predicting the endings of movies but couldn't see this movie's ending coming at all. What a great surprise! I highly recommend renting this movie. It's great fun, and for those who aren't familiar with Ewan's work, he's really amazing to watch. Completely addictive.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: "How to Cash In on an Empty Room......."
Review: Suppose you and your mates had a spare room to rent and found just the right guy [or gal for that matter]to move in. THEN later, the new roomie turns up dead - plus a suitcase stashed in said room with body filled to the brim with 'quite alot of cash' ----- what to do??

NOW that's just where the fun starts in this one - and boy, do we learn quite a lot about 'close friendship' [err 'trust?'] in this one!

Quite a few nasty moments, including rendering the 'roomie' faceless shall we say?

Along the lines of "The Infernal Trio" [somewhat] and "Single White Female".

Excellent performances - but quite a different view of "Friends".

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Tale of a trusty trio
Review: The setting for this film might be a small apartment in Quebec, but it's a big apartment in Scotland, though old. Probably Edinburgh. The flatmates are young, relatively sophisticated and have promising careers and employment. There is nothing at all reminiscent of Kubrick's tedium in the direction. On the other hand it's a little like Polanski's Repulsion, and Pinter's The Caretaker. Paranoia and Menace. It's quite a lot like certain films by the Coens: Blood Simple and Fargo. There's even a touch of The Big Lebowski with the two policemen sitting on the sofa. The premise is original, the lines are sharp and pointed, the acting is lived in; the direction, the story development and the denouement are totally gripping, all the way. Still, something seems missing. Perhaps there's a flaw in the motivation; or, if not, then something lacking in the rationale behind the fatal decision to take the money. These yuppies may not be nice people, but they have professional jobs; they're well-educated and not stupid. There would just have to be some greater anticipation of what the consequences of their greedy grab is likely to be, as well as some greater and more intelligent deliberation of how to go about concealing their actions. It would be natural for them to face the business of how to split the cache, but this problem is just ignored. In fact, the whole plot hangs on this basic omission. If there is a satire here, on the short-termism of the yuppie morality of seize it when you get the chance, it needs to be just a little more thoroughly justified. After the event, the psychological interaction between the three is surrealistically intriguing; even the descent into periodic total lunacy of the up-tight accountant. Perhaps it might be argued that after their thoughtless decision, they simply couldn't think of what to do next. The ending is very neat --- but did the journalist survive, and pick up the loot later? Unlike his friends, he didn't actually kill anybody, after all. One star has to come off: the plot ends weren't knitted up quite as tidily and satisfyingly as they were in Blood Simple.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: What are you waiting for!!
Review: The story of three roommates whos lives are thrown into the situation we all dread. What would it take for a human to kill. This movie proves that greed is an overwhelming force in today's society. Buy this movie and be prepared to see how far three people will go to see who comes out on top. Fantastic plot with characters one can truly loath and love at the same time. I highly recommend this movie!!!

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Scifi Shallow Grave
Review: They sould put this on scifi and let a grow-up watch it with you I did't. I went O, my god no away he did that. In the movie a guy die's in the bed and three roomates fine him in the room dead. I am not going to tell you what happen's next go and get the movie yourself OK. I think (the night of the living dead) is like this moive but you don't fine dead people runing around with there head's gone. The cast play a good part in the moive that what I think do you? If you seen the (children of the corn) you got to see shallow grave. when I saw it once and I could not eat when the movie was on but now I can because I seen it already.

PS. Get to know your roomate you never know.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: one of my favorites
Review: This is an excellent movie. I thought it was hilarious, and the plot twists keep you guessing until the end. The gore caught me off guard, but once you watch it a few times (which you'll want to do), you can see past it. (which sounds like a BAD thing, but you know what i mean)

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: If you can't trust your friends, well what then?
Review: This is an excellent movie. If you liked The Usual Suspects,then you'll love this movie. I've had a copy of it on DVD for atleast 2 years (the cover is different though). In any event, this is a GRADE "A" movie well worth the price. END

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: You have to cover the trail!
Review: This little Scottish gem is worth watching more than once! I'll not bother recanting what it's about, you can read that above. This is a delightful example of how greed and peer pressure can twist and stain the human soul with ugliness. Most of the movie takes place in the three roommates' flat in Scotland so it has a real claustrophobic feel to it. The plot is simple, watch the three characters crumble as they're affected by their decision to keep the money and dispose of the body. Strongest scene: when David comments about the dinner after having to hack up the dead body "It tastes different." Possibly meaning both the dinner and everything else about his life. This film has a nice ending, not a phoney one just to keep everyone happy. Technically, the digital transfer is mediocre. The sound is quite low. I have to turn my TV up pretty high to hear it, but this could be due to poor production on the set. There are no extras included on this DVD.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: The best of all Danny Boyle films
Review: This movie has a dark witty tone and is in my opinion, the best of Danny Boyles movies, and one which is often overlooked. The vivid characters, rich in sinful traits of greed and envy, are easy to like and Boyle plays on the humour of that, as well as the visible downward spiral of their psychological wellbeing, climaxing to an unforgettable conclusion.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Pretty Good
Review: This movie was really dark and intense, and very well done. It had an interesting premise.

The only problems I had with it was that I didn't get the whole 'roomate-in-the-attic' deal, and although the end had a plot twist, I knew it would.


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