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Poor Things (2023)
Poor things:A free spirit
An enjoyable picaresque movie directed by idiosyncratic Greek director Yorgos Lanthimos.
With philosophical nods to Shelley's Frankenstein and Voltaire's Candide with peephole/fisheye cinematography from a hall of mirrors playbook.
A darkly comic journey round the world in eighty days in pursuit of a land of Oz ,underpinned by a discourse on what it means to be human.
The fairy tale opens in gothic Adams Family shades but once the journey begins morphs into luxuriant psychedelia as it speeds along ,propelled by rapier sharp sardonic dialogue delivered in the main by an oustanding Emma Stone.
While celebrating the spontaneity of the free spirited individual,at times the tension shows between the cerebral philosophysing and the bawdy entertainment .
A little long perhaps,and a little less "furious jumping" would not have reduced its effect.
Enjoyed it twice.
The Zone of Interest (2023)
MAN'S INHUMANITY TO MAN
ZONE OF INTEREST
A DEEPLY MOVING AND SKILFULLY CRAFTED FILM ABOUT THE HOLOCAUST BY DIRECTOR JONATHAN GLAZER WHO MAKES VERY FEW MOVIES.
AS WITH ALL FILMS ON THIS SUBJECT THE CHALLENGE LIES IN HOW TO RELATE THE HORROR WITHOUT MAKING IT IMPOSSIBLE FOR THE VIEWER TO TOLERATE : HUMANKIND CANNOT BEAR VERY MUCH REALITY.
AS EARLY AS 1961 JUDGEMENT AT NUREMBERG TOLD THE STORY THROUGH THE TRIAL OF SOME OF THE PRINCIPAL GERMAN COLLABORATIVE JUDICIARY WHILST LEANING HEAVILY ON THE TESTIMONY OF DEEPLY TRAUMATISED WITNESSES.
VISUALLY IT CONFINED ITSELF TO SOME NEWSREEL FOOTAGE TAKEN INSIDE THE CAMPS.
THE PAWNBROKER SOME THREE YEARS LATER USED DISTANCING FLASHBACKS OF THE TIME THE PROTAGONIST SPENT IN THE CAMPS.
SON OF SAUL IN 2015 REDUCED THE SCREEN FRAME SIZE SO THAT MUCH OF THE HORROR TOOK PLACE OUTSIDE THE AUDIENCE'S VISUAL ORBIT AND REINFORCED THE EFFECT WITH NOISES OFF.
LIKEWISE ZONE OF INTEREST DRAWS ITS POWER FROM WHAT IT DOESN'T SHOW, BUT IMPLIES BY VISUAL AND AUDIAL SYNECHDOCHE.
IT IS LEFT TO THE VIEWER TO IMAGINE THE UNIMAGINABLE THROUGH ELLIPTICAL VISUAL REFERENCES OF THE BILLOWING SMOKE FROM THE CHIMNEYS ,DRAWINGS OF THE CREMATORIA,THE PLUNDERING OF THE BELONGINGS OF THE MURDERED INCLUDING THEIR TEETH AND THE SUGGESTION OF THE RECYCLING OF THEIR ASHES.
THE TITLE APPARENTLY IS HOW THE NAZIS REFERRED TO AUSCHWITZ BUT IT COULD ALSO BE SEEN TO REFER TO THE CALLOUS SELF ABSORPTION OF THE PROTAGONISTS,THE CAMP COMMANDANT AND HIS WIFE .
THE MATTER OF FACTNESS OF THEIR DEMEANOUR ,THE PERFUNCTORY,CASUAL CONVERSATION ABOUT THE MECHANICS OF DESIGNING THE OPTIMAL LY EFFICIENT SLAUGHTERHOUSE,THE REFERENCES TO THE DEAD AS "PIECES "SITS ALONGSIDE THE MUNDANE ASPECTS OF DAY TO DAY FAMILY LIFE.
AT TIMES THE JUXTAPOSITION IS STARK WITH THE PARTYING ON ONE SIDE OF THE FENCE TO THE ACCOMPANYING BACKGROUND FROM THE CAMP OF VIOLENT SCUFFLES,SHOUTING,GUNSHOTS,MUFFLED SCREAMS , AND IN THE EVENING THE READING OF BEDTIME STORIES WHILE THE OVENS CONTINUE TO RUN AND THE CHIMNEYS COUGH .
A DUN COLOURED PALETTE SUPPORTS THE SOMBRE THEME AND SUGGESTS THE DARKNESS WITHIN THE HEART OF MAN, A SUBTERRANEA ,LIKE THE TUNNEL LEADING TO THE COMMANDANT'S PRIVATE WASHROOM :THE OVERALL EFFECT FURTHER AMPLIFIED BY POWERFULLY ATMOSPHERIC HARSHLY DISCORDANT MUSIC.
The Killer (2023)
Huge let down
For me this was a surprisingly underwhelming offering from the usually impressive David Fincher
This is already a thoroughly overworked genre and this particular take on the assasin/hitman/mechanic theme was in turn irritating,gimmicky,over elaborate,
pretentious, and even at times downright daft .
Ultimately it failed to bring anything new to the concept.
I found the voice over jarring throughout, but particularly at the sart when we are treated to a fifteen minute zen like lecture on
how meticulous,disciplined,dedicated and downright brilliant our Killer is ,to be followed by a further hour and a half showing him to be anything but.
The scene with Tilda Swinton was particularly boring ,like one of Tarantino's worst longueurs.
Still maybe I got it wrong and it was a black comedy.
If so I didn't find it funny.
Jak zostalem gangsterem. Historia prawdziwa (2019)
Derivative drivel
The principal actor certainly has a a strong Macho appeal but apart from that this movie offers very little,veering as it does from soft porn antics to cartoonist violence whilst ripping off every known gangster film in existence:the overarching "goodfellas" aspirational statement of wanting to be a gangster the introductory music to "mean streets",the slow motion gang walk of "reservoir dogs" etc. ,etc.
The script ranges from the banal to the over pretentious and even the so called plot is a shambles.
I don't understand where the market lies for films like this when even terrestrial television shows can produce better.
Oh and of course about an hour too long.
The Gray Man (2022)
Bad Choice Ryan
I guess the synopsis on Netflix should have warned me off but I decided to give it a go because Ryan Gosling was involved.
His presence offers the possibility to illuminate even the weakest of narratives.
Sadly not on this occasion,just two hours plus of pointless violence and chaotic eardrum assault with cartoon level credibility.
Why these films are made in such numbers I fail to understand.
How Gosling chose this one is baffling.
Difficult to say much more about a film that itself has absolutely nothing meaningful to say,and even if it did ,any meaning would be drowned out by the cacophonous exploding buildings and crashing cars.
Pure Drivel.
Nightride (2021)
Mobile phone technology at its best
Entertaining movie with some interesting device deployment but large degree of suspended disbelief required.
If you're prepared to go along for the drive then you'll have fun.
Blood Red Sky (2021)
You cannot be serious?!
First 15 minutes interesting,then the actual story began to be revealed as what it was:
ludicrous in the extreme.
Acting nil,script nil,believability nil,enjoyability nil ;and to add insult to injury far too long.
Basically trash.
BAC Nord (2020)
Style and no little substance.
I enjoyed this movie and although I accept that alot of what it says has been said before it is a film that can be enjoyed on different levels.
Yes it's a cop procedural,yes it's a buddy movie, yes it explores corruption.
But it does do with some style and some good acting.
What for me was new and most interesting was the light it shone on the level of personal endangerment suffered by these policemen on a daily basis ,and all for we are told was
24k per annum!
Dark Places, Deadly Illusions (2021)
Dire Dire Dire
Really hard to believe that grown up sentient beings created this so called film. Can't think of a single positive thing to say about it. Was pretty obvious from the start how bad it was going to be. Should have known better and chucked it ten minutes in. DONT WATCH!
A Man Apart (2003)
Why bother?
I cannot understand why anyone could think this worth making .A simple yet incoherent plot,a lifeless script,a total absence of character,and despite the peripheral involvement of Timothy Olyphant ,no acting.
A Hidden Life (2019)
He put a spell on you
Terence Malick's "A Hidden Life" 8/10
Echoes of Scorsese's" Silence" and Von Trier's "Melancholia" (even Elvira Madigan?) but stylistically owes most to Bergman("Shame") and Malick of course.
The stunning beauty of the natural world for those with eyes to see it,set against the perfidy of the wrecking ball that is Mankind,with the emphasis on "man".
Strong performances all round particularly by the female leads.
Wonderful cinematography and emotive music substitute for more substantial dialogue and a little too long,as is Malick's way,but an impressive piece of work and a moving experience nonetheless.
Ends on a note of hope in offering us the opportunity/duty to try to make the world a better place but sadly the spell is broken when exiting the theatre to the realisation that Trump is still in the White House and Johnson in number 10.
The Irishman (2019)
The Irishman (2019): The End of a Saga
In as much as it closes the circle begun with "Mean Streets "The Irishman "is much less the typical stylistic bloodfest gangster movie and more a somewhat nostalgic and sobering look at what it means to be human, exploring ,as it does, some universal themes of loyalty ,friendship,weakness,power,love ,and most of all mortality. All within the construct of the gangster idiom.
Is frank's soldier mentality a weakness or a strength ,especially since it leads to the deaths of others.? Does his love of his family and loyalty to his friends make him any less of a psychopath,who feels no remorse for his crimes but can nevertheless tear up at the assasination of his boss's enemy Jack Kennedy.
There are of course many references to earlier chapters in the saga. The opening tracking shot introducing us to the care room reminds us of the dolly shot in "Mean Streets" where Harvey Keitel seems to float through the air in his entry to the night club to the music of the Stones. The racist slurs from Hoffa echo Keitel's concern about being seen dating a black woman in" Mean Streets."
Whilst there are several reminders of"Goodfellas"-Frank's stomping on the grocer,his excessive reaction to his daughter being pushed,reminding us of Liotta's pistol whipping the guy who makes a pass at Karen ,and the near kicking to death of Billy Batts. Hoffa's comment on everyone being called Tony reminds us of Karen's "everyone's called Paulie or Maria "in "Goodfellas". There's a garotting in a car in both films and various shots to the head.
But the difference is that these fellas are not outsiders/outlaws ,but part of the very fabric of power and all the more sinister and chilling for that.
It is a typically grandiose production from the master with all the usual suspects doing what they do best with Pesci for me the standout in one of his most understated performances as Mephistopheles to Frank's Faust,the brains behind so many thrones. De Niro by contrast comes over as a bit one paced at times. Pacino climbs to the top on several occasions, threatening to go over as usual but only just restraining himself. Several excellent cameos from supporting characters Tony Pro,Salerno, Joey Gallo,contribute greatly to the real life feel of the whole enterprise:as does the blackest of humour,much of it of a racist hue. Sepia tones and ambient lighting ,together with the usual trademark effective use of contemporaneous music helps ground the action in the time periods covered ,whilst Robbie Robertson's original soundtrack contributes atmosphere.
Much has been made of the lack of an intermission but it would have been hard to locate a suitable juncture.
The slow protracted build up to the Hoffa assasination was very effective in heightening what was for Frank his most difficult and tense moment,but perhaps some trimming could have been done thereafter as we proceeded to follow the rest of the cast to the exit door.
A great watch.
Official Secrets (2019)
The Only Actor in town.
Official Secrets 6/10
What on earth was Ralph Fiennes doing in this movie.
It looks like a made for TV drama and a pretty poor one at that.
Might suggest thematic links with "Spotlight", "The Post" and "All The Presidents Men" but not on the same planet in terms of quality.
Characters are almost universally one dimensional,script uninspired,and the acting generally poor, especially all the staff of "The Observer".
Keira Knightly is OK I guess but her emotional range seems limited to angst ridden or lovestruck.
The best part of the film for me is when the predictable threat to her husband finally emerges but that is not sustained..
When Fiennes make his entrance things threaten to improve as he does his best to inject some gravitas and get us to invest in proceedings, but his limited screen time prevent him from carrying out a full rescue.
Could and should have been better.
Liked the closing scene on the beach.
Joker (2019)
Good film,great performance
Scorsese homage,post Trumpian universe critique,comic hero prequel?
Why not all three?
Clear references to Taxi Driver and King of Comedy,emphasised by de Niro's own role reversal appearance in the movie.
Many other themes being channeled on child abuse,disability discrimination,marginalization of the poor, the disenfranchised,the powerless,some of which are a little forced or contrived.
Towering over it all however is another virtuoso performance from Joaquin Phoenix which ensures the Joker's rampant personal psychosis remains centre stage throughout,thus preventing exposure of the fragility of some of those subtexts.
Cinematography and sound are excellent and great use of music.
Enjoyed it a lot-but please no sequel.
The Snowman (2017)
Not the fault of the players
I see some reviewers are puzzled as to why this movie doesn't work.
For me it's obvious:the source material.
I'm a great Scandi noir fan but Nesbo(and strangely I have read all his books),is one of the poorest practitioners.His plots are over complicated to the point sometimes if being just daft,his characters one dimensional and his style largely prosaic.Basically I read them for the "darkness" --the atmosphere.
I think Alfredson,in my view a very good director,delivers on the atmosphere aspect.
Despite the efforts of Charlotte et Al they don't have enough good stuff to work with.
Manchester by the Sea (2016)
Understated Triumph
At last -a film for grown ups with a real story, characters to care about and dialogue. Not a machine-gun,rocket launcher,or flame thrower in sight-will it ever catch on?.
We open with a young extrovert Lee Chandler teasing his young nephew on board the family boat with his brother then cut some years on to the same man seemingly transformed as an introverted handyman /janitor, living alone in spartan accommodation carrying out any menial task required by the residents in an efficient but perfunctory manner and with the minimum of personal interaction.
A character who we later discover at one point would have welcomed incarceration or death has now settled for this penitential hermetic lifestyle with his only temporary relief found in solitary drinking. He can no longer handle relationships and his emotional range is restricted to silence or rage .
The cause of this personality transformation and his chance at self reclamation forms the movie's core.
This humdrum insular existence is interrupted by his brother's sudden death and a will that leaves him an unwelcome legacy which threatens to throw him back into the social maelstrom. The snowy New England landscape reflects the cold relations between many of the principals until the breaking of the ground for the burial suggests the thawing of Lee's many estrangements . The rest of the film charts his gradual social rehabilitation through the enforced responsibility of caring for his teenage nephew. But ultimately can he go all the way-can he beat his past?
Serious,thoughtful,sad, but not sentimental ,even at times bitterly funny. "Manchester by the Sea "is brilliantly acted and beautifully shot,with effectively emotive use of music, and terrific dialogue.
Rarely can a non linear narrative have been better deployed and unlike a lot of longer than average films these days it ends exactly when it should and on the perfect note.
Casey Affleck is superb.
What's not to like-go see
Silence (2016)
A Painful Silence
Set amongst the Christian persecutions of 17th century Japan "Silence" is Scorsese's most cerebral film and ,one senses ,his very personal exploration of humankind's apparent need to believe in some kind of ultimate being and the mental and physical anguish that can often attend that belief.
The cruelly sadistic scenes of torture/martyrdom are juxtaposed with the priest's own doubts about the existence and the nature of God and whether he and this God are in someway complicit in the suffering of these poor people .In many cases he has to suffer vicariously by being forced to watch the torments of others.
Father Rodrigues' dark night of the soul often references/imitates Christ's own passion, with the crucifixion of the three hostages,his entry into town on a donkey ,the mirror image in the river, his betrayal by his guide Kichjiro on at least three occasions,and the Caiaphus style examination by the Inquisitor. This scene for me was reminiscent of The Bridge on the River Kwai's debate between Colonels Nicholson and Saito on their differing codes of honour ,illustrative of the parallel theme of an additional cultural /political clash, suggestive of western arrogance and colonialist aspirations:this continues to resonate powerfully in today's conflicted world. The Inquisitor's performance for me was impressive-the rest of the acting good but not great.
The dialogue is of varied quality-the priest's verbal jousts with the Inquisitor excellent and revealing- but other episodes less so.
There is also a fair bit of repetition with the priest's self examinations and the many apostatical ceremonies.
The cinematography is stunning, with the various miasmas,(mists from the mountains/ haar from the sea/vapours from the hot springs), mimicking the fog of doubt enfolding father Rodrigues.
At 2 hrs 40 it is also a bit too long, but ultimately it is a moving experience and an intense and complex work that should keep you thinking long after the credits roll .
I will go see it again.
Medici (2016)
Italian Dienasty
I have discovered a new problem with binge watching.
The best shows suck you in and you can't stop watching because of the quality ,but once you've invested some time in what looks like being absolute drivel then you have a problem like MacBeth of whether it be more tedious to wade o'er or return-i.e. chuck it and accepted you've wasted three hours you'll never get back or chance it in the forlorn hope of some improvement. By episode one/two it was clear to me that this was a very poor production,but sadly I so love Florence and its history and particularly the Medicis that I ploughed on ,fuelled by the phobia I seem to have of never giving up on a book once I've started.
Historically it had little to offer which I don't understand since when you have so rich a tapestry why wouldn't you lend it more credence and depth with historical accuracy. The women are unrealistically influential,the plot(s) weakly outlined,the acting is terrible,the script non existent,the music strives to provide am overpowering substitute for emotional resonance, and it's repetitive and far too long. The cinematography is no more than you would expect-point a smartphone at anything in Florence and you're on a winner!
I DIDN'T CARE ABOUT ANY OF THE CHARACTERS - with the possible exceptions of Marco Bello and Cosimo's mistress.
Brian Cox looks positively embarrassed at being involved so I hope he got paid loads.
Am flabbergasted at the ratings received.
On the plus side I had a brief attempt at following up with "The Borgias"and gave up after ten minutes-so have learned a lesson.
Oh and I did manage get shot of that load of ironing that I'd let pile up.
The Girl on the Train (2016)
enjoyable thriller
Found the voice overs at times irritating but ultimately a well made thriller I felt.
With a slightly misandrist bent?, a word first used in 1870 apparently, which I confess I had to look up
The Sisterhood's answer to" Gone Girl" perhaps which it seemed to closely resemble thematically.
I didn't like Emily Blunt much in Sicario and think she is a bit over rated as an actor but she does OK in this and is well supported by the rest of the female cast particularly Haley Bennet as Megan. Effective use of mood music too. Enjoyed it.
Hypnotisören (2012)
poor book/poor film
The book in my view is very poorly written-chapter a day formulaic stuff (obviously written by two people) . However the plot, or backstory, as they say these days, is quite interesting.
So to make a film of a poor book with a good plot and ignore the plot to the extent that you have no idea why anybody does anything is frankly ludicrous.
I love Scandinavian noir so could still enjoy the atmospherics,the cinematography and some of the acting but as a coherent whole forget it.
Despite the film having more style than the book I wouldn't recommend this to anyone .