Just Cause (1995)

[Movie 225 / Day 238]


Sean Connery is a lawyer that hasn't tried a case in years, now spending his time as a college professor. Until he is coaxed out of retirement by the case of a young black man that is thrown onto death row after confessing (under duress) to brutally murdering a young girl.

It's clear what the twist is going to be two thirds of the way through the movie, but it's very watchable nonetheless.

Ed Harris is brilliant as another death row inmate, Blair Sullivan.

My rating: 6.0 / 10
IMDB rating: 6.1 / 10
Running time: 102 mins
IMDB link

Goldfinger (1964)

[Movie 72 / Day 43]


This is another of my favourite Bond movies. Sean Connery has relaxed into the role and is looking ultra-cool. It introduces THE Bond car, the Aston Martin DB5, along with its gadgets and tricks. It shows us the inside of Q's workshop for the first time, and reveals some of the tests undertaken there. Auric Goldfinger is an excellent baddie with one of the best lines ever ("Do you expect me to talk?" "No, Mr Bond, I expect you to die!") and Oddjob is probably the best sidekick ever - I mean, the guy throws a hat. All of this and Honor Blackman's husky voiced Pussy Galore?

It's ace.

My rating: 7.2 / 10
IMDB rating: 7.9 / 10
Running time: 110 mins
IMDB link

Diamonds are Forever (1971)

[Movie 66 / Day 39]


Sean Connery's last (proper) Bond movie is also his worst (apart from the truly terrible Never Say Never Again, which isn't a proper Bond movie). By this time, Connery is looking a bit old and bored with the role, plus they'd started camping it up - and Connery is rubbish at delivering the double entendres that littered the movies during Roger Moore's tenure (and which suited him perfectly). Ernst Blofeld, the quintessential Bond baddie, even appears in drag at one point, for no obvious reason.

It's still enjoyable, but it seems to lack some of the things that are associated with a Bond movie. The pre-credit sequence is boring too. Apparently some of this was due to Connery's astronomically high fee eating into the budget of the movie.

Still, it brings back memories of childhood Christmases though!

My rating: 5.8 / 10
IMDB rating: 6.7 / 10
Running time: 120 mins
IMDB link