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Reviews
This Town (2024)
Mis-sold, unrealistic, cliched twaddle.
I was so looking forward to this show. It was billed as being focused around the birth of a ska/2tone band in early 80s. This was a teeny tiny part of what the show was actually about. If you put the programme's themes in order of priority then the IRA story is at the top, then we have substance abuse, neurodiversity, family, multiculturalism and down near the bottom comes the music.
The dialogue was very unrealistic with characters often making speeches rather than simply talking. Up until episode 5 the band still had no bassist and no drummer but they had written songs, recorded demos and had decided who was driving the van for gigs they didn't have.
In episode 6 the writer threw in self harm, child abuse and homosexuality to make sure that we covering all bases.
Just 23 minutes before the end of the series we get to see the band rehearse together for the first time. By now we have the lead guitarist's mum on backing vocals and the songwriter's dad driving the van and his brother picking up the manager role.
So this band who have never played live or released and records get themselves a big gig (3 days after the rehearsal) where they play one song which ends with the audience joining in the song and invading the stage.
This whole thing was mis-represented but worse than that, it was as slow as treacle and very unbelievable.
If you want a drama about a band from the midlands making it big then watch Slade in Flame.
Passenger (2024)
So annoyed at the waste of my time
This program sets up lots and lots of questions and doesn't adequately address any of them.
I feel cheated. I kept going, looking to see how it would all tie up but nothing tied up. I am so annoyed with myself because I kept going when I had read reviews that said this thing was rubbish.
It's as though the writer decided to take a bit of Lost, a bit of Twin Peaks and mash them up with Emmerdale to get an open ended pile of tripe.
I have seen talk about a second series. Don't waste your money. Read the reviews and do the right thing.
This was a waste a of a good cast. Some of the dialogue is so bad it completely pulls you out of the drama and the acting, at times, is very shaky.
Sorry for all the negatives but this really annoyed me. If you are going to write a 6 part drama with no intention of answering the questions you raise then you should be transparent about that from the beginning.
Season 2: Not for me. Not a chance.
Obliterated (2023)
It had no right to be so good
I never expected to like this but we absolutely loved it. It has no right to be so good. It contains every cliche in the book. It should be cheesy but it's made with care and skill that results in a hugely entertaining end result, an explosive series with laughs and top level thrills. It's a teenage boy's wet dream of a series, Die Hard with titties and willies.
I sincerely hope that they make another season. The cast were all brilliant and I expect to see them turn up a lot more movies and shows over the coming years. The production value was as high as it gets.
Sex, drugs, guns, bombs and beautiful people.
Black Mirror: Mazey Day (2023)
You made me miss my dart!
Charlie Booker made fans wail by doing the unexpected when he avoided malevolent technology and instead turned to folklore for his twist in this episode. It would appear that many commentators didn't like the surprise misdirection but I thought it was really well done. He showed the paparazzi to be the awful parasitic, life changing vultures that they are.
The big reveal, the twist, when it came had me smiling with joyous recognition as they recreated the transformation from American Werewolf in London. They used very similar sequences starting with the shot of the feet stretching and ending with the famous scene of the snout pushing out. I hope they got Rick Baker's permission. It was a lovely homage.
Overall, a fun, well made episode.
You & Me (2023)
Engaging, tragic and heartwarming
Loved it. It's a beautifully written drama that manages to really draw the user into the lives of the central characters. We had no idea what to expect we just let it wash over us and we were gripped by the plight of the central characters.
The cast turn in really strong performances and the settings are nicely captured. The whole thing was skilfully directed but a huge nod has to go to the writer for the sensitive handling of a tragic story. Also, we enjoyed the twists. I hope the writer does more.
I heard that the script was picked up by Russel T. Davis and that was enough of a recommendation to make me want to watch it.
The Pebble and the Boy (2021)
Pretty bad
I am sorry to have to say that this is a pretty bad film on so many levels.
I was curious about the film as I am on old mod. I even donated to the crowd funding project to help it get made. This has nothing to do with my criticism of the film. Its just not a good piece of cinema. I was very disappointed with the outcome. To be honest I am not even sure how I managed to watch to the end.
The writing is the main problem, the story is awful and it!s very cheesy. There are lots of unfeasible plot turns and the tale becomes less and less feasible as the film unwinds. To say that the acting is not great being kind and the continuity is shot through with holes. It's clear that certain labels paid to have their brands featured and the product placement stands out like a sore thumb.
I have no idea how some people have given this a 10/10. Let's be honest, even Quadrophenia is not a 10 out of 10 film and this is no Quadrophenia.
Nice Lambretta though.
Sadly this was probably someone's passion project. We'll done fo getting it made. Making a film is not easy. Unfortunately this one didn't hit the target (pun intended).
Life & Beth (2022)
Give me more
This was a wonderful surprise.
A great cast and wonderfully written characters. This was unique. I loved every moment. I don't think it could get better and then Phil Wang turned up in Ep 9. Hilarious.
Please bring us season 2.
The Lazarus Project (2022)
So irritating!
It's not all bad news. There are some good things about this. In general the cast is good and it's well filmed and appears to have quite a big budget behind it but there are so many things wrong with this.
One of the biggest problems is the ending, there isn't one. The series starts well but after a couple of episodes starts to become unbelievable. We have a mild mannered, almost shy, app developer who suddenly turns into James Bond.
At times the dialogue is excruciating and the plot becomes very thinly stretched.
After the halfway mark I was wishing that I could watch this on fast forward. If only there was such a thing as time travel. If only there was a way to reset back to before I began watching this!
Landscapers (2021)
Wow! What an unusual treatment.
This dramatisation of a true crime was unlike any I have ever seen before. The acting was superb and just what we have come to expect from the 2 leads. The writing and direction took this to new heights.
It was a visual treat from start to finish. Even the credits were special.
Superb.
His Dark Materials: The Scholar (2020)
Torturous and laboured
In general the acting is great and the production design superb but they are really starting to stretch credibility with some of the scenes.
Some things seemed enormously drawn out like Mrs Coulter choosing an outfit to go to the University or the attempt to retrieve the compass (beyond irritating).
It's really testing my ability to stay tuned now.
Perry Mason (2020)
This show should win awards
This is a great show. Everything was on point from story to photography. The cast is great, the costumes spot on and the direction maintains momentum.
This show should win awards, all the awards.
Greed (2019)
A superb reflection of modern times
I expected, and got, a funny satire. Lots of great performances and brilliant lines. There needs to be a mention for the incredible production design of the dated high street stores.
What I didn't expect was the superb reflection of of the capitalist mess we live in now. It's a good film that can stay enjoyable when you really hate the central character and Greed does just that. The film made laugh a lot but it also made me really angry and really sad.
Strangely, I think that emotionaly this film it me as hard as 1917 which is odd but true.
Upright (2019)
Fantastic
Tim Michin has far too much talent. I didn't know anything about this other than the fact that he wrote it.
It was incredible. A beautifully written story that made me laugh and wrenched my heart out. Milly Alcott turned in an amazing performance. I have never seen her before but on the strength of this she has a great future ahead of her.
This is a must see.
Dracula (2020)
Couldn't get through the first episode.
Why even call it Dracula if you are going to take so many liberties with the story? Just change all the character names and say it's based upon the original novel.
I couldn't make it to the end of the first episode. There were so many tortured jokes in the script it could have been a spoof.
The character of Dracula was fairly laughable and they kept on creating new lore.
On social media people were saying how scary it was. The only thing shocking was the fact that the script ever got made.
Very sad.
The Kominsky Method (2018)
Classy
Classy
Elegant
Mature
Funny
Sophisticated
Sweet
Too short.
Homecoming (2018)
Waste of a good podcast
We binged the podcast series and really loved it. The characterisations were much stronger and the twist in the tale delivered better.
The TV series was very slow and I have to say it had the worst background music of anything I've seen.
A sad waste of a good plot.
The End of the F***ing World (2017)
Fantastic
We binged this one. We just couldn't stop watching. There is so much that is wonderful about this drama. Excellent writing and acting. The locations and sets are uniquely fabulous. It doesn't feel like a British TV drama, more like an American road movie. Great pacing. A wonderful mix of humour, darkness and pathos. Truly fantastic.
Interstellar (2014)
If time travel were possible I would go back and not watch this film
I came out of the film thinking it wasn't bad but it just wasn't good either. After 24 hours of mulling it over it's dropped further in my estimation. Initially I just thought that if he had presented the same stuff in 1hr 49mins instead of 2hrs 49mins it would have been good but having had time to reflect, even that would not save it.
I know that there is no sound in space but those moments of silence were really odd especially during explosions. It dulled all the excitement. The film was hugely lacking in suspense or tension.
There are so many things wrong with the film and they are all topped off with the cheese-ball ending.
Spoilers! Here are some of the irksome plot holes.
Her dad is the "ghost" in the bookshelf who leaves her a message. The message that he doesn't leave is "It's me, your Dad"
If our future selves can transport Cooper through time and space why not put him in the bedroom and not in the book case. Why leave a message in binary or morse, why not just write it in the dust with the gravity?
Why did Cooper take notice of the co-ordinates but not the message that said "Stay"?
Matt Damon was trying to describe how desperate he was to see fellow humans but no one gave a thought for the astronaut still on the main ship for 23 years.
If you had secretly built a rocket that was mankind's last hope why would you ask a farmer, an ex-pilot to fly it at a few days notice?
What the hell was Michael Caine rambling about in his death scene? What was he lying about and why the hell didn't our future selves communicate with him instead of a teenage girl?
Blackboard mathematics? Really? Do mathematicians still write on blackboards? I suspect they have something slightly more sophisticated. I have seen the Big Bang Theory and even Sheldon Cooper uses a whiteboard and dry wipe pens.
When Cooper disengages his craft and falls into the black hole so Brand can follow her heart it was so reminiscent of Bruce Willis staying behind in Armageddon that I wanted to barf. Not really a plot whole, just a reminder of more space hero cheese.
The biggest goof of all for me was the ending. His aged daughter tells him to go after Brand. Now, hang on a minute, didn't he set Brand on her way to find her lover Edmund? Did I miss something? Did people find out that Edmund was a gonner? I don't think so. That means Cooper is potentially on his way to be the biggest gooseberry in history (or in the future) ever? Imagine that, Brand and her lover Edmund all set to be the new Adam and Eve when Cooper flies in all ready to procreate.
I must have missed a key plot point. Had they fallen in love on the mission but there hadn't been time to cover it in 2hrs 49 mins?
My final comment: I liked the robots.
The Babadook (2014)
Not what I expected but very good indeed
As a Halloween treat I went to see The Babadook. I've waited a long time for the film to get here from Australia and I really enjoyed it. Not a traditional horror movie. No big shocks to make you jump and no slasher gore either. A darkly claustrophobic film with 2 brilliant central performances.
It's the story of a woman and her son who are terrorised by a ghoul from a bedtime book. The book is wonderfully horrible. I found it especially odd how the Babadook in the book seems to resemble the boy in some ways.
It triggered memories of horror films I saw in the 70s and 80s, films that left a lingering unease in the back of my mind as the lights went out at night. The electrical buzzing reminded me of the intense soundscapes from Eraserhead. The TV montages as she flicks channels increase the sense of psychological breakdown.
Spoiler alert: the whole nightmarish situation is very clearly the mother's anger at her child who she blames for the death of his father. Her mental anguish fuels the whole psychodrama.
I don't think everyone in the theatre felt the same as me. If you go expecting a traditional horror film you could be disappointed. If you are open to a dark, psychological drama with nightmarish overtones then you might feel like I did.
Northern Soul (2014)
Bloody brilliant
So I saw Northern Soul the film tonight for the 2nd time. The first time I saw it was at the premier and it wasn't in a proper cinema and the sound was so bad that you couldn't pick out the dialogue.
I am so glad I went back. I realise that I am biased but it's a bloody good film. I happen to have been lucky enough to be an extra in the dance scenes and have waited 2 years to see this film make it to the big screen. Many times along the way I thought it would never come.
Elaine Constantine, the director, captures 2 things really well: the 70s and the passion for northern soul.
She paints a great picture of growing up working class in the 70s and doesn't give in to the more comedic ideas of 70s fashion. This is all very real and there's not one Chopper or Space Hopper in sight.
The film is dark and gritty but the soundtrack is amazing and her dancers are spot on. Elaine's experience as a photographer is very evident throughout as is her passion for the subject matter.
She brilliantly captures the look on a dancer's face when they are lost in the music, when it's just you, the music and the dance floor.
There are several cameos in the film and all are played down and the young leads really shine. All the cast do a superb job. I love the fact that James Lance is a great soul dancer and he picked up the moves to better understand his role but you never see him dance in the film. You can feel that love, that dedication throughout from all involved. This was a labour of love and it worked.
Although the film sinks into a very dark place she really lifts it with the final scenes.
A great British picture and I was proud to be allowed to be part of it.
Gone Girl (2014)
Utter Tripe
Just seen the film Gone Girl.
I really struggled with the book and found it incredulous so never finished it but the film was getting good reviews so I thought I'd give it a go.
What a pile of crap!
Two and a half hours of my life wasted. The story is just unbelievable. Neither character makes you like them or hate them. They are just bland and, well, unbelievable.
By the end I just wanted someone to firebomb the house and kill the pair of them. I would have stood up and cheered. As it happened it has a really lame ending.
A waste of my life. Utter tripe!
Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (2014)
Such a huge disappointment
I have been a fan of Planet of the Apes since I was a kid in the 70s. I was instantly in love. I read the books of the films when I could get them (you couldn't just pick up a movie back then. There was no video available). I avidly watched the TV show and I bought merchandise. I was besotted and have remained so. Maybe this has something to do with why nothing since has quite come close.
Let's get the good stuff out of the way. The animation /CGI of the apes is phenomenal. They look real. The idea that humans had almost been annihilated by a deadly flu is a great plot device and better than the reason given in the original films (a plague killed cats and dogs so we brought apes in to replace them as pets and then to be servants). That's it. After that it's all down hill.
The story is riddled with holes and left me asking why, why, why throughout the film and long after it had ended. Forgive me but I have to get them off my chest.
This is 10 years since Rise and no humans have been seen for 2 years but there is a huge city just over the bridge. It's so close you can see it when the generator turns on the power and the lights come on. Hang on, they already had power anyway so the lights would already have been visible.
The humans come to find the dam because they only have 2 weeks power left. Hey, great forward planning people.
The man they bring who is the only person who knows about water power is a dick, such a badly drawn character but they need him. Then they dump him and get the power station working. Err how? Why do apes hunt stag? Why do they kill a bear after the way they have been treated? Don't they appreciate letting wild animals live in the wild? Why do the apes ride horses? Are these the naturally wild horses normally found in forests? Why does Caesar's son, Blue Eyes, side with Kobo the bonobo? When Kobo and his mates get the guns they have no problem in loading them and shooting them. Kobo is such a good shot he hits Caesar easily.
When Blue Eye's goes to Caesar's house they all speak to him in English. When did he learn this? Caesar plops out the odd word now and again but surely he normally talks ape talk and sign language.
After 10 years the camcorder still has battery life and works. It wasn't looted or smashed.
Gary Oldman's character has no motivation for wanting a war.
The humans have a "Tower" that strangely seems to be all scaffolding. Ideal if you're a bunch of monkeys and want a fight.
Oldman set C4 around the tower - just above his own head. Erm that might just kill you when you detonate it. It did but it didn't kill our boring human hero who was standing there at the time.
Caesar's other half, Cornelia, is very ill and needs antibiotics. She gets them and feels as right as rain by the end of the same day.
Caesar after being shot is really weak from blood loss. Never mind. Give him 2 days and he will fight like he's on meth against Kobo Bonobo.
There was more. So much more.
On top of that it's too dark and too long.
Frank (2014)
Just lovely
So Frank is a great film. Let's be clear, this is not a bio-pic. It was inspired by Frank Sidebottom in so much as the story is about a band whose front man wears a big papier-mâché head.
It's a really lovely story of an odd group of musicians and their new keyboard player Jon. The musicians are all a bit barking and the beautiful Maggie Gyllenhaal is the craziest. The whole cast are superb and Michael Fassbender is excellent under the head as well as showing that he is a great vocalist too.
The film is engaging, funny and moving.It also made me jump more than any horror movie ever has. It has some wonderful scenes that made me laugh out loud and the direction is just beautiful with some truly clever touches.
It starts with a very unusual aural soundscape that draws you in immediately and finishes with the band's songs playing over the credits that guarantee you won't leave until the final note of "Lone Standing Tuft".
Incidentally a documentary about Frank Sidebottom is in production right now and Being Frank: The Chris Sievey Story will be out soon.
The Book Thief (2013)
Lovely book. Lovely film. 1 odd niggle
Today I saw The Book Thief. I really liked the book so I was hoping for good things from the film. It's nice to be able to report that it was a good adaptation. If my memory of the book serves me correctly then it was a fairly faithful translation to the screen. The cast were really good and the sets were excellent. I guess that the little village was a set and not real but it looked wonderful. The cast was fabulous. Who wouldn't want Geoffrey Rush putting reading them a book at bedtime? The younger players were great too. It did sag a little in the middle and could have been trimmed a touch but overall I enjoyed it.
I have one odd niggle with the film - It is set in Germany and all the characters are German so why did they need to speak English with German accents? It wasn't a problem but it just strikes me as odd. Also, they would occasionally use common German references like "Dummkopf" but this wasn't consistent as Geoffrey Rush uses the phrase "God in Heaven" at one point and not "Gott in Himmel". There is a lot of writing in the film, on advertisements, books and newspapers and it's all in German, all apart from the girl's dictionary on the cellar walls which she writes in English. This inconsistency with the language does not spoil the film for me but I do find it puzzling.
Overall - good movie
Her (2013)
Intimate, warm and a film that raises questions.
Her is a very unusual film. The concept of a man falling in love with his computer's operating system is not an obvious crowd puller but it's well written, fantastically well acted and beautifully directed.
I was really impressed. Scarlet Johansson brings her character to life with just her voice and Joaquin Phoenix is splendid as the emotionally challenged central character. Amy Adams and Chris Pratt add great support too.
The story opens up so many questions about love, personality, sentience and much more. The story plays out very simply but there are very deep threads woven through the film. I was very impressed.
I am not sure I have seen a film that felt quite as intimate. There are so many close up shots of the actors, more I think, than I have seen in any other film. The production design needs a big nod too. They somehow managed to make it look like it was set in the future but not too far in the future. The use of locations was spot on. They all managed to look slightly skewed form the norm. (The male character's all wore trousers with high waists and huge flies.) If you like this then you need to check out Robot and Frank which has some similarities in it's subject matter.
I thoroughly enjoyed it. It will be in my head for some time and I will definitely give it another watch.
Where do I sign up for my OS1?