CD-Charts Position 1
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The Ultimate Bourne Collection Steel box set [2007]

starring: Matt Damon, Albert Finney, Clive Owen, Franka Potente, Brian Cox
directed by: Doug Liman, Paul Greengrass

Release Date October 20, 2008
I bought this because it would save me space. It's the size of a normal DVD box, feels great and looks slick.

The DVD's in themselve are great as everyone knows. A fourth? It might be in the pipeline but wasn't written by the guy who wrote the original books.

The story as it goes in brief if you haven't already discovered. Bourne is an agent for the US government. Sent to do a job which goes array. He losses his memory and from the beginning of the first film, Bourne tries to recall who he is and tries to work out his memories.

The plot starts in the Med. and takes us on a rollercoaster of a ride. Visiting all the big hitters in Europe. France, Germany, England to the USA for a grand finale.
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CD-Charts Position 2
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The Kingdom [2007]

starring: Jamie Foxx, Jennifer Garner, Chris Cooper, Jason Bateman, Jeremy Piven
directed by: Peter Berg

Release Date January 28, 2008
the film starts off well showing the political ties between the countries over the years , then comes the terrorist bombing and again its well done then its over to the fbi headquarters and i found this stage of the film up until they start investigating the bomb site in saudi arabia a bit boring and jumping from scene to scene following the different characters is always confusing {i found it far easier reading the subtitles }.
i found the way this is filmed very similar to black hawk down and if you liked that film you will love this one , once the fbi and saudi police start tracking the terrorist it gets very tense and exciting and i won't spoil anything but the last 30 minutes of this film is utterly fantastic and some of the action sequences are ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 3
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American Beauty [2000]

starring: Kevin Spacey, Annette Bening, Thora Birch, Wes Bentley, Mena Suvari
directed by: Sam Mendes

Release Date November 27, 2000
Lester Burnham's (Spacey) life is reawaken when he meets Angela Hayes (Suvari).

This 1999 Oscar winning picture is regarded as Mendes' finest and with a fine realistic styled direction it is easy to see why.

Dramas can often be ruined when a can of clichés is opened but Mendes keeps a grounded direction all the way through and uses a variety of techniques to achieve the ultimate shocking effect. From a simple but effective sweeping shot of the suburban residency to the artistic and now infamous fantasy sequences, Mendes maintains the realism in the film's context.

Alan Ball's Oscar winning script is superb. The conciseness of the character's lives is easy and relaxing to watch which, given the complexity of the situations, ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 4
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The Bourne Identity [2002]

starring: Gabriel Mann, Matt Damon, Clive Owen, Franka Potente, Brian Cox
directed by: Doug Liman

Release Date July 30, 2007
My aim was to watch all 3 Bourne movies in quick succession. Which I did! This movie sets the pace as a fast, slick action thriller that immerses the viewer straight into the characters world of confusion and intrigue.

The story sees Jason Bourne (Damon) waking up with short-term memory loss with fragments of memories being triggered throughout the movie. He sets upon a mission to find out all he can, why his skills are so enhanced to kill, infiltrate and out smart his enemy - whilst trying to come to terms with his memory loss he's being targeted by his employers and law enforcement.

The plot is excellent, the acting and fight sequences are first rate, and backed by an complementative score and soundtrack that elevates the tension and excitement. ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 5
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Breach [2007]

starring: Chris Cooper, Ryan Phillippe, Kathleen Quinlan, Gary Cole, Laura Linney
directed by: Billy Ray

Release Date March 31, 2008
What do you do with an FBI traitor who for 20 years was feeding serious secrets to the Soviets and then to Russia? If you're the FBI, you don't follow up on tips about the guy, you don't get curious that his expensive life style doesn't match his FBI salary, you ignore his extensive, private hetero kinkiness even though a murmur about homosexuality would get another person booted out the door, and you sure don't want to look too hard and then find a scandal on your hands like the CIA's Aldrich Ames.

It was in 1979, three years after he joined the FBI, that Robert Hanssen started his career as a spy. It wasn't until 1999 that it occurred to the FBI to look closely at Hanssen. At one point, concerned about the possibility of a mole in their midst, the FBI actually had Hanssen ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 6
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Seabiscuit [2003]

starring: Tobey Maguire, Jeff Bridges, Chris Cooper, William H. Macy, Elizabeth Banks
directed by: Gary Ross

Release Date February 23, 2004
Seabiscuit is a beautiful and heartwarming film if ever there was one- and uplifting at the same time. A true story, Seabiscuit rose to fame during the Great American Depression, along with 3 extraordinary men- the "too-tall" jockey Red (Johnny) Pollard, owner Charles Howard and gifted horse-trainer Tom Smith. Seabiscuit was an unimpressive horse, with legs that didn't run straight all the way down. Beaten and broken, and with only 1 win from his first 17 runs, he was bought by C. S Howard for the rock-bottom price of $8000. Howard was looking for a distraction following the death of his young son, and the subsequent divorce from his wife. Tom Smith, an obscure and little heard of trainer, was to train the horse, and Red Pollard to be jockey.

The film follows the eventful years following ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 7
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My House In Umbria [2003]

starring: Maggie Smith, Chris Cooper, Timothy Spall, Ronnie Barker
directed by: Richard Loncraine

Release Date March 21, 2005
I'm not usually fond of films I regard as claustrophobic - limited number of characters cooped up together in an unchanging location - however, this started on TV, I was too lazy to change channels and as the story moved along I got hooked and watched it right through. To my surprise I thoroughly enjoyed it. It's a gentle, unobtrusive film which was relaxing to watch after a hectic day's work. The only thing that put my teeth on edge was Timothy Spall's would-be Irish accent. The reviewer who thought it was OK should have the old ears seen to! As an Irish person I sometimes wish that they wouldn't bother with Irish characters in films at all if non-Irish actors are playing them. It can be too cringe-making. However, that didn't stop me from buying the DVD.

CD-Charts Position 8
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The Patriot [2000]

starring: Mel Gibson, Rene Auberjonois, Joely Richardson, Heath Ledger, Jason Isaacs
directed by: Roland Emmerich

Release Date April 17, 2006
...Wherein a German filmmaker by the name of Roland Emerich makes a film where evil British Redcoats commit a vile atrocity against American freedom fighters... an atrocity that in reality was perpetrated by German troops against French villagers in WWII. Nice one Roland. What are you going to do next - make a film where the British gas 12 million people in Auschwitz before the plucky German freedom fighters come to the rescue?

CD-Charts Position 9
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Me, Myself and Irene [2000]

starring: Jim Carrey, Renée Zellweger, Anthony Anderson, Mongo Brownlee, Kate Forster
directed by: Bobby Farrelly, Peter Farrelly

Release Date June 18, 2001
It's filthy, and it has a lot of laughs at the expense of political correctness.

As a Brit, I'm just sorry that a film like that probably couldn't be made here.

OK, there were a few annoying things about the film, but really barely worth mentioning.

Some of the gags, sight and spoken, were just brilliant.

CD-Charts Position 10
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Jarhead [2005]

starring: Jake Gyllenhaal, Wade Williams, Matthew Atherton, Jamie Foxx, Peter Sarsgaard
directed by: Sam Mendes

Release Date May 15, 2006
Jarhead starts out in boot camp with new recruits and a sadistic drill instructor - and you think you know what is coming next. Bonding, heroism and death in the heat of battle. But that is not how Jarhead goes.

Instead what we get is a realistic(ish) view of the experience a youg marine in the period leading up to and including the first gulf war. We see young men driven half crazy with boredom and frustration as they wait for the war to start. It is an unjudgemental film that is uncomfortable viewing at times.

I lags a bit a points - difficult to make boredom interesting - and while I haven't read the autobiography this is based on it is clear some events have have been changed to increase the drama.

Not a brilliant film - but one well worth your time