MovieChat Forums > The Lives of the Saints (2007) Discussion > One of the most original films ever made...

One of the most original films ever made!


I saw this Film at the Edinburgh film festival, It is one of the best films I have seen. It has rich characters, brilliant performances and proves British films do not have to be period drama's or ganster rip off's.

Toni Grisoni's script is challenging and it takes a while to fully tune in. Those with no imagination should stay well clear. But If you want to be taken on a journey and see something different to anything you've seen before, leave your cynicism at the door and enjoy the ride! Top Class.

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Thanks for the review. I'm looking forward to seeing this now!
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MARC WARREN FORUM : http://s7.invisionfree.com/Marc_Warren_Online/index.php?

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[deleted]

Mate, how dour are you, you seem to hate everything. You need to get a life and stop typing so many amateur reviews on websites. Toni Grisoni is a legend as a screenwriter - fact, you clearly would be better off at the John Tucker must Die screening two doors down as proper films obviously aren't your thing!

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rich characters? brilliant performances?? i think you saw a different film. the one i saw had flat, 2-dimensional characters, and cliched performances. this film has no redeeming qualities what-so-ever...

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If you have no imagination and you take films too seriously your life must be really dull. This is a british film at its best. Get yourself down Green Lanes. (you'll understand)

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Well if Toni Grisoni is one of the best screenwriters ever, then he must of been having a mid life crisis writing this bollox.
Its the most stupidest, blandest load of arse ever made.
Im not fond of brittish gangster films, and the last thing I needed to see was a brittish ganster film gone religious and fantasy. Whats stupid about this film is if you really found a child that could predict the future you would be freaking out. You wouldnt be going, "wow, we could make a *beep* load of money out of this chap".
It also has some very bland, over used camera work, like that shot of the church with the clouds floating really fast over it, trying to symbolise christianity, blah blah blah!... that type of shot has been used way too many times in films.
The mob boss was funny thoe, he was like a cross between Santa Clause and that russian wrestler guy from the Street Fighter computer game.

Apart from that its a terrible film. God knows how much time and money was wasted in making this garbage.
if I could metaphor this as anything, I would call it a Science Experiment gone wrong.

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You’re entitled to your opinion, however I do not feel it is fair to refer to this breath-taking movie as "the most stupidest, blandest load of arse ever made..." your movie going horizons clearly need to be broadened. It is all very well you trying to impose your own decisions onto a fictional story by saying “you would just freak out”, however by your ideals a movie where the characters merely “freak out” leaves a rather less specific plot, the whole point of a movie is to leave you immersed in a story line, whether its believable or not. The very fact you have accepted that there could be a boy with the power to grant wishes, should surely allow you to accept decision of a fictional character. I feel trying to incorporate a religious aspect into the film really worked, giving a wonderful contrast far removed from stereotypical gangster films. Your attempt to belittle the magnificent “James Cosmo”, who acts superbly throughout the movie as a cross between a computer game character and Father Christmas, is merely childish.

The movie itself is astonishing, taking you on a journey of identity, finding out who you really are, right from the get go. By the end of the movie you feel emotionally involved, becoming speechless at various plot twists, leaving you quietly astounded.

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[deleted]

WOW! I can't wait to see this. It says it is released in 'key cities' on a site i found. I'm not sure exactly what that means :( (I bet that sounded stupid) If you know can you please inform me? Thanks :D

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key cities?
as far as i can tell, at the moment it's only showing in 3 places in england - seems a shame it has such a small showing - it's a cool film, a shame more people won't get to see it

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I'm from the bloody States. I doubt I'll be able to see this film at all. Damnit! >_<

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Awwwww poor you... I know it's coming out on dvd. You'll probably beable to see it then.

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Hopefully I shall. Have you any idea when?

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I think I read somewhere that it was mid march in the UK but I'm not entirely sure.

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I much appreciate the information.

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no worries

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I cant agree that this film is original as there is ONE other film looks like it is been acted by a six form college doing the nativity... and that is the gawd aweful Kidulthood. Wow Rankin directed, so friggin what he's a photographer.... (wait a minute not even a hint of his awe inspiring portraiture or cinematography here...so why did he do it... ihow bored he must have got before he had this great idea, i wonder) He couldn't even explore the possibilities of what we in the industry call a second take. The bland child like acting brought on a headache that was only enraged more by the fact that the script by ol' Tony G would have been fantasically warming in many other directors' hands.

Tips to be learned... don't let Rankin direct....don't cast actors who struggle putting on accents... don't aim to waste a rather substantial budget on a film that will look like a educational TV movie when it is shown in two months on BBC.

'Relax what's a million here and a million there going to hurt apart from investors faith in British cinema" by Poss 2007

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i turned this off after halfway through. over the top unpersuasive acting, thin and diluted storyline, just *beep* awful...i rarely turn any film off but this almost bored me to tears. i was well up for it aswel.

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I found the DVD of this in a charity shop for 99p. What a waste of money. The dialogue and acting are reminiscent of a poor quality soap opera. To be fair to the cast - maybe with a script and plot this poor, it would have been impossible to do any better. I rarely switch off a film bfore it's over, but I doubt I even got half way through before having to give up on this.

Absolutely dire. Excruciating.

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