jdhb-768-61234 'Mermaids' is a great reminder that films don't have to be full of cgi, blood and guts, nudity or any of the other 'attractions' that so often feature. Instead, it's a gently humorous story that combines the pains of growing up with older romance, all of which is handled tastefully and with much skill by the cast and director.Cher is, as always, magnificent, endowing her character of 'Mrs Flax' with sensitivity and vulnerability as well as with occasional cruelty and sheer bloody-mindedness. Winona Ryder makes a perfectly lovely Jewish girl who longs to be a nun and Christina Ricci bounces, and swims, around with great aplomb for one then so young. Aided by Bob Hoskins as Mrs Flax's rather unlikely romantic interest, the whole blends together rather well.It's not all plain sailing and there are dramatic moments, not least when Kate (Christina Ricci) ends up in hospital, her life hanging in the balance, but also the spats between Mrs Flax and Charlotte (Winona Ryder) and Mrs Flax and Lou (Bob Hoskins) but you always feel that all will end well.There are some great one-liners in the script and the musical accompaniment is exactly right. Altogether a film that won't disappoint those who like good, honest entertainment and a worthy 8/10.

SnoopyStyle It's 1963. Charlotte Flax (Winona Ryder) is a teen obsessed with Catholicism despite being Jewish. Her sister Kate (Christina Ricci) swims like a fish. She calls her mother Mrs. Flax (Cher). After yet another failed relationship with her married boss, Mrs. Flax randomly chooses coastal Eastport, Massachusetts and leaves Oklahoma. Charlotte falls for local handyman 26 year old Joe and overjoyed with the local convent. Meanwhile Mrs. Flax is courted by shoe store owner Lou Landsky (Bob Hoskins).It is a fine coming-of-age movie that concentrates heavily on the interior monologue of Charlotte. Her imaginative confused teenage mind lends itself to some comedy. It does need more and funnier jokes. It's more like a slice of quirky teenage observations. The movie needs some kind of end point or goal. Even if the goal is something fanciful like Charlotte wanting to be a saint or maybe simply wanting to be a nun.

TheAnimalMother I've seen this film a number of times, and I always enjoy it. What stands out most about this film is the acting, and the overall feel of the film. It feels tremendously authentic to its time and subjects. The acting is very good throughout, and the movie is just a very fun, and very human story. One that is easy for almost anyone to relate to in some way.There are a number of great performances in this film. Winona Ryder plays one of her most interesting characters, and she pulls it off very well. Bob Hoskins is very strong and enjoyable as usual. Personally I have always loved Cher's acting. I can't say I'm a huge fan of her music, but I've always had some respect for her there too. However her acting has always been very strong in my opinion. I know she has been nominated for multiple Oscars and even won one for Moonstruck. However I still think her acting is somewhat underrated by most people. (And she also gave Nick Cage his first huge break after demanding that the studios cast Cage opposite her in Moonstruck. Cage was thought to be somewhat of a risky bet back in those days, and Cher basically made the major studios take the chance with him. Which I find somewhat funny, and also very Cher like.). Cher also had the original director of this film, and the girl who was originally cast in Winona's part fired. So Winona fans also have Cher to thank for her even being in this film. It's hard to criticize Cher for getting rid of these originals either, seeing as how well the film turned out with the people she approved. She is a very strong minded and hearted woman in my view, and if you take a look at Silkwood, Mask, Moonstruck, and this nice little film. You will undoubtedly also see that this woman can flat out act. She has some other decent films as well.Anyway, all in all, I highly recommend Mermaids to anyone that likes character driven film. And basically to any teen, male or female. It is basically a coming of age story in terms of Winona's character, and even for Cher and Hoskins characters to some degree too. :) And there is a lot to relate to in terms of the parent/child relationship, especially the single parent. Those with Attention Deficit Disorder , or those who get bored easy may not get into it however. :) I gave this film a 7, but I'm a pretty strict rater, and this film is a very solid 7 in my opinion. In fact, I'd give it a 7.5 if I could.7.5/10

Derek Carpet I walked into the cinema expecting this to be a film. I was right, but I thought it was going to be about women with tails swimming about the ocean, perhaps a sequel to The Little Mermaid. I was wrong. This is a film about a woman and her two daughters riding from town to town trying to get a break. Who cares. Who writes these things? Who watches these things? Seriously. Do you want to watch a film about a mummy shouting at her daughters and flirting with Bob Hopkins? No. Then they burst into a rendition of the Cheep Cheep song written by Dusky Springfield. It wasn't long before I fell asleep and dreamed a dream.I dreamt that I was a mermaid, or in this case a merman like in He-Man. I had a big 3-pronged fork which I used to catch my dinner- giant shrimp, octopussies, sea burgers etc. I wasn't the King or anything, but I was pretty well off as far as ocean dwellers go. I had a few concubines who would answer my every sordid whim. The main one looked like Winorda Rider so the film had some impact on me. One day I was relaxing on the ocean floor when a little lost boy swam round the rock shouting 'Kali Ma! Kali Maaa!' This disturbed me greatly so I gathered a group of my mates and went off to investigate. The source of the trouble was a giant dragon which had erupted from the ocean floor. We started to beat it with sticks and throw crabs at it but it laughed and turned into Les from Coronation Street. I was quite taken by surprise, and even more so when I looked down and saw that I was no longer a merman but a cup of tea sitting on a table on the set of Britain's most beloved soap. Vera had a suck of me, then Rita, then the ginger one, and Les dipped a digestive in me. Even now I feel his crumbs floating around my insides. All of a sudden Chair came running in singing the Woop Woop song, her and Bob Hostile dancing together, faster and faster. The youngest daughter from Mermaids (Lionel Ricci) came bounding in, tripped and banged into me. I tipped over the edge of the table and fell towards the carpet. Just before I hit the ground I woke up. The cinema was empty and the screen was blank. I realised I had slept over so decided to get up and go home for some sausages and whiskey.I noticed my watch (a Timex) had stopped. I walked out and found that no-one was around so I thought they were all in other screens, watching better movies. My footsteps seemed louder than usual, and there was an eerie quiet. An empty bag of minstrels rustled on the floor. Eager to put the whole episode behind me I made my way down the stairs and out they door. What greeted me I can only describe as silent carnage. Cars lay upturned on the streets, bikes and clothes lay strewn in the highest branches of the trees and on top of the lamp posts. Fires were burning all around, but in their dying stages. There was no wind. No sound. Everything seemed stale and artificial like a reality TV show commissioned by Channel 4. I had a feeling in my groin like some unknown force from centuries ago had taken residence there with no intention of leaving. The air had no taste but seemed like Polystyrene. Worse, there were no people. Shell shocked I stumbled across the street, still looking left and right for traffic even though the nearest car sat half in half out of the third storey of an office block behind me. I entered the corner shop looking for some fellow humans; not were to be found. Wait! Maybe some took shelter in the pub next door from whatever had happened here. What had happened? Terrorist? Aliens? Bomb? Earthquake? Act of God? I couldn't be sure, and my thoughts were not following logically anyway. Words bounced spontaneously about my head. Like. Unfocused. Wasps. Chasing. Jigsaw. Lullaby of descent into something something hell don't can't know no this isn't me here, why, why not whine aught? The pub was no less empty than the shop before. No-one anywhere. This was 4 days ago. I am home. I am alone. It's getting dark and I mostly get scared at night. Mostly. I haven't met another living soul in days. TV and radio are gone. Is there anybody out there? Let me know. I'll be at the town hall at midday everyday for an hour. I won't stay around for long though. I'm taking my bike down south to see if every town is the same. Head for the coast. Get a boat or swim if I must. Leave this place and find another way. Surely this can't be the only place. Please God.Best Bit: Taking all the DVDs from HMV now that everyone's gone.