45 out of 47 people found the following review helpful:

SCOUSE AND BARM FOR THE SOUL

hunkydomste from from Liverpool, 11th November, 2008

Let's face it: If you're not a fan of Liverpool or have no affinity with it this will probably leave you as cold as the Merseyside waterfront at Albert Dock on any but a sunny day. This Belgium born, German raised, Britain travelled reviewer however has found a bit of a resting place in Liverpool- and as someone who loves the rough, caught between cosmopolitan and time old charme of the Mersey metropol, I thoroughly enjoyed Terence Davies' latest offering. Of Time And The City is not a documentary as such. It uses images old and new, mixes nostalgia with sneer, hope with defeatism and is both a loveletter as well as a eulogy to Liverpool. Davies' narration starts off solemnly, but don't despair. The tone lightens up, often subtly, occasionally straightforwardly brazen, the themes ranging from first young male lust (over other males) to family values, royalty, decay and destruction to the here and now, future and faith. The soundtrack choices are sublime, Davies utilizes the Hollies comfortably next to Handel and beat club scenes ironically are not backed up by the Beatles but mainly Bruckner. An arthouse delight that on the surface seems to be a non-crowd pleaser, yet received heaps of praise at Cannes. The city is Liverpool, but the message is more global- there is no place like home, and its heart stays the same, no matter how many layers of skin it sheds. A HEART-WARMING, BITTERSWEET DELIGHT.

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11 out of 13 people found the following review helpful:

Watch on mute!

TheJim from , 8th May, 2009

He grew up catholic and he grew up not liking The Queen.He grew up a self obsessed imbecile that somehow obtained funding for a self indulgent project that piggy backs on Livepool achieving cultural capital recognition from Europe.The old archive footage is interesting but sadly spoiled by the egotistical narration.I hoped for an interesting and educational documentary on the history of Liverpool and received some moving wallpaper and boorish ramblings.

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10 out of 10 people found the following review helpful:

So Disappointed!!

Chaddonay from , 25th May, 2009

I had heard so many wonderful things about this movie, I have enjoyed both Distant Voices Still Lives and felt the sadness of the Long Day Closes but oh the disappointment!! Coming from Liverpool and being one of the many children seen and heard in the sequence taken from Denis Mitchells wonderful documentary Morning in the Streets I felt that that this was self indulgent and repetetive. How many times must we see the same black and white footage of the docks, the ferries how often must we hear of his feelings of rejection for both his homosexuality and his disdain for religion. Where was the humour, the love for a city from which he ran. It is dark and hankering after a time long gone, yes those days were good, for some, childhood often is, but many people didnt live within a warm family taken to the cinema by their sisters they lived with outside lavatories and cockeroaches!! Those High rise flats did look dreadful but they were, to start with, like palaces to the people who lived there. LIfe then wasnt better than now...... it was just different. The filming of Liverpool today was impressive but that didnt change my overall opinion of the film Terence Davis I appreciate was commissioned to do this film from a personal point of view and he certainly allowed himself more self indulgence than I would have expected from a director of his calibre

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8 out of 9 people found the following review helpful:

Charming and touching

Dougie54 from , 3rd April, 2009

This is a wonderful film that is funny, charming, touching, heart-warming and sad all in one go. I do not come from Liverpool, but I believe the film speaks for all cities and how they, and we, have changed through the years - a joy!

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Good pictures shame about the sound track

David Austin from England, 14th December, 2009

Like other reviewers I liked the pictures, and the film of life being lived was quite extraordinary. However the audio description was dire, showing both contempt for those living ordinary lives and a choice of dire music which prevented us hearing either Merseybeat or the children's songs in the playground. After all the good reviews I had heard this was a major disappointment.

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Liverpool remembered

Leni from , 14th November, 2009

This very short film has all the charateristics of a classic television documentary e.g. Betjeman's Metroland. The camera trails around almost like an eye but through time as well as space. The commentary is mordant and very funny. I was sorry when it came to an end, which doesn't happen often.

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1 out of 1 people found the following review helpful:

of time and the city

A Customer from Epping,Essex, 2nd October, 2009

did this one some weeks ago!!...where is it?

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imagine it without the narration

A Customer from Eastbourne, 2nd October, 2009

This collage of evocative films is a treat to watch and anyone growing up in Liverpool in the 50's will especially like it. It left me with two impressions though. Firstly, Davies' slury narration and often embittered dialogue grates. For example, If you've got a problem with religion, why keep going on about it? Move on mate. Secondly, millions with the right research and a basic ability to do a docufilm could do this. It's not unique. Davies gets the opportunity through effectively one succesful and somewhat dreary film. I know some of you will hate seeing this, but the best thing is to watch, listen to some great music and enjoy, and block out Davies voice.

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