Boring...boring...bori ng (Groundhog Day (DVD))

Member Name: MI9to5

Product:	Groundhog Day (DVD)
Date:	29/01/09 (143 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: It's not longer

Disadvantages: Everything about it

Groundhog Day is a film I have meaning to watch for quite some time, as it is one of those films that is often referred too in other works and I just felt like I should have seen it. Finding it at a bargain price the other day then I snapped it up quickly. To be perfectly honest when I placed it in my DVD player I wasn't expecting that much, as my dad had already warned me that it was bad but I didn't quite expect it to be as bad as it was.

Phil Connors, played by Bill Murray, is a TV weatherman that every year is sent to Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania to cover the annual Groundhog Day festivities. On this day every year crowds gather to see a small groundhog, also called Phil, supposedly tell it's masters when Spring will arrive. The locals and most other people for that matter love these festivities but Phil Connors is less than amused, in fact he dreads the very prospect of travelling to Punxsutawney every year.

This year however things are about to get much worse than he could ever have imagined. A surprise blizzard sees him trapped in the small town, he fondly thinks of as hell and that is only the start of his nightmare because when Phil awakens the next morning the people on the radio seem to be repeating exactly what they said the day before. In fact everything is like it was the day before. It is the day before. It's Groundhog Day again... and again... and again.

Now the film itself has a pretty good premise and could have been an excellent film. The storyline is different and could have been rather interesting making for a very watchable and enjoyable film. Unfortunately this is not what the audience receive at all and I found my self excruciatingly bored after a mere 20 minutes over the 97 minute film.

The scripting therefore is the first problem that this film faces, as it simply isn't entertaining enough. The comedy elements within the film just don't work, in fact I'm not too sure where the elements where actually meant to be. In my opinion the film skims days over too quickly, which can make for slightly confused viewing and the events it does go into detail about just really don't grab your attention.

The acting is the second problem with the film. Bill Murray just simply isn't funny in this film. The DVD box boasts that Murray is at his wry, wisecracking best. Well if this is his best I'd to see his worse because I just didn't find him or his character amusing. Andie MacDowell as Phil's producer and Chris Elliott as his smart-alec cameraman fare slightly better but unfortunately cannot pull the acting on a whole up to a standard I could comfortably watch.

Nothing else about this film particularly sticks out when I think about it. The soundtrack was pretty average and did nothing to help the film along but neither did it do anything to hinder it, everything else did that. The camera work is pretty basic and doesn't excite either meaning that the film as a whole somewhat seems to drag along.

The DVD also contains a directors commentary and 'The Weight of Time' documentary and filmographies. Utterly disappointed by the film however I didn't even venture near these and don't think I will do in the near future. Subtitles are also available although at times they seem to miss out chunks of the on-screen speech.

I personally would not recommend this film at all but if you do for some strange reason feel the urge, like me I suppose, to watch this then it can be purchased rather cheaply online, around the £3 - £6 mark.

Summary: A film that wastes 97 minutes of your life