Tube Tales Reviews

A good collection of short, mysterious and funny stories complimented by a medley of British actors and directors

I really enjoyed this. It?s a collection of short stories set on the London Underground that were inspired by a Time Out competition which asked people to write about what they saw/experienced on the tube. The result is unsurprisingly for anyone who has ever witnessed the ?weird and wonderful? oddness that goes on when you put a whole bunch of people, with all the peculiar difficulties and oddities of there own personalities and life?s, together for a short period of time in a confined space.

The stories are often odd, funny, magical, cheeky (Denise Van Outen in ?horny? especially!) and interesting and they also provide an eclectic mix of new and establishing British actors and directors. Actors include: Kelly Macdonald, Jason Flemyng, Dexter Fletcher, Ray Winstone, Rachel Weisz, Hans Matheson, Denise Van Outen and directors: Bob Hoskins, Stephen Hopkins, Charles McDougall, Ewan McGregor, Jude Law and Amy Jenkins.

Admittedly, it?s not a film, nor is a straightforward sit back and watch whilst eating potato chips and pizza (although actually it?s fairly good for that too!). It?s a great collection of stories which exaggerate and play upon the familiar themes and emotions we all often experience on the London Underground: - the closeness of strangers, the hustle, the odd people, the beautiful, so many lives trapped together in the same space, being alone in a crowd, being out of control and perhaps under some kind of influence!, the moment of calm it gives to a crazy day (after all, you have to remain still for at least one stop, in a metal tube there is no way to get off!), the crush, the ?heat?, the bewilderment and loss of direction, trying to ignore what?s going on around you etc. etc.

Some of these Tube Tales are remarkable ? like ?A bird in the hand?, some are not, but all are both entertaining on the surface level and quite moving and memorable at the heart.

Disjointed

This DVD appealed to me as I am originally from London and the idea of stories constructed around a place where I have spent so much time (e.g. the tube).

The problem that I found with this is that the stores on the disc are too short and too choppy for you to really identify with the central characters or for the film to develop any real sense of identification.

I also found that the direction and writing of the stories varies wildly so that you have a gritty drug/gangster thriller next to a semi love story with no dialogue. This makes this very hard to watch and unsettles the viewer quite a bit. This DVD is good in parts but not as a whole.

[Highly rated reviewer]

Exactly what it say on the tin

A collection of short films by aspiring directors and accomplished actors who just fancied a go at directing.

Tube tales, is exactly what it say on the tin a tales about the tube. The London Underground. I felt the actors in some cases directorial debuts from Jude Law, Ewan McGregor and in particular Bob Hoskins were inspired pieces of beautiful film making.

Hoskins’s story 'My Dad The Liar' featuring Ray Winston and one of the best performances I’ve ever seen from a child actor definitely worth a watch.

Going Underground !

A fairly good film, especially for those who live & work in London and regularly experience the 'delights' of the underground network .. A collection of (very) short stories, which can be a bit 'hit & miss' .. some bettter, than others .. I especially liked the last story, which brought a tear to my eye !

Great stories, great cast

That member was right, the last story was quite sad.

I think this was an excellent example of London life and managed to capture all this is good and bad about the tubes.

The storeis were intresting, quirky and real which made them enjoyable.

Some are uncomfortable to watch, like Horny with Denise VO, but only becuase it feels like you are on the tube with her watching this take place.

I think it works becuase people always wonder what stories the other people on the tube have, where they come from and who they are.

of course this is a much grittier london than we are used to seeing, but at the same time its really great to see some refressing stories, british stories being told through the eyes of everyday people.

Not all of the stories are really intresting and some are almost fantassy like, but all in all a good watch.

Not bad

These compilations of short stories are hard to get right on film, but this makes a decent attempt. Entertaining enough and nice to see the tube on film, even though they only appear to have one decommissioned Northern line train to work with, but that's not their fault!

Self indulgent

I'm afraid although I liked the idea of this film, it was self indulgent on the part of the directors, gave a little of the atmosphere of traveling by tube, especially the drunken party goers! The stories were too disjointed - it would have been nice to link them in some way, so maybe the characters had all been linked in some way. Not my favourite film.

75% Rubbish

I hate to say it but it was. Some of the shorts made me wonder about the thought process of the people who put together the DVD: artsy rubbish that obviously appeals to people who DO read broadsheets on the tube (just like in one of the shorts).

However, Ray Winston's short was exceptional. Great acting, scene stealing realism and funny yet tragic at the same time. Also, the smash and grab theives one was thought provocking.

All in all don't get it as a first choice and fast forward through Denise V'O's one as it's trash (oh, dear, red hair does not suit her) but RW's real does save the day.

FAB!!!

I really enjoyed this and laughed out loud-especially at the mouth story. Acting was fab and i disagree with earlier comments- denise van loks great with red hair and her saucy short story was really funny. a five star rental x p.s. winstone rocks

mmmmm OK

As I say in the title of this review it was 'OK' and that's about it. If it's on the tele on a cold Sunday night and it's just starting then give it a watch but I wouldn't say this was worthy of a Saturday night stay-in film. It's a shame considering all the really good stars that were involved. Perhaps that was the problem - too many to give any reasonable screen time to.

Final say, shame.