SlinkyC Reviews

An Irish Goodbye (I) (2022)

Falls flat

[5/10 · 13 March 2023]

An okay film, with an average script.

Unoriginal, and not overly well shot (dinner table scene did not flow).

Predictable story. We have seen many bucket list films before.

Dialogue was sketchy and weird timing... felt unintentionally awkward and it didn't flow.

The acting was fine, but certainly it did have a stand out performance by James Martin as brother Lorcan, who was very, very good.

We watched all the nominated shorts (short list), and couldn't work out why this was on the list, it felt the weakest by far. That's not to say it's a bad film. But there was nothing original about it, and it felt overly sentimental.

For this to rise to the top is a surprise, and for it to win an Oscar is bizarre. Guess it goes to show that anything is possible! So regardless of my thoughts, congratulation to the team.

Nattrikken (2020)

Top acting, magical film

[7/10 · 12 March 2023]

Watching this is the southern hemisphere, I felt completely transported while watching this film.

The snow.... The train.... I was so jealous that members of this city has that cute train to travel around in for public transport, we have nothing like that.

Sigrid Kandal Husjord was brilliant. Kind of in line with the vibe of Frances McDormand.

The film overall became a bit heavy handed and overdone.... but I liked the unexpected character moments (closing the curtain) and the film was still endearing, and the setting and performances were engaging from start to finish, and has stuck with me.

The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse (2022)

Was this film written by chat gbt?

[1/10 · 10 March 2023]

I would not show this film to any child, for fear they became as contrived as this animation.

It felt like chat gbt had written it by bottom trawling all the actually original work that had gone before it.

How many with cheesy, superfluous sayings can you cram into one animation?! After a few minutes of watching I was ready for the film to end, but it just KEPT GOING for another dang 30 minutes.

Maybe turn this film into a drinking game, and you'll have more fun.

The boy came across like a spoilt little rich kid, who'd simply got lost on the grounds of his giant estate.

I'd never heard of the book it was based on. And after this film, I'll stay well clear of it.

The characters are all male. Why?

Suddenly the horse had wings, sorry what?

(FYI that's not a spoiler, as sadly there was not enough to spoil. Ouch, I know. But that's the depth of how irritating this film was).

And then we're treated to even MORE overly sentimental, yawn inducing, contrived, increasingly meaningless proverbs.

By this stage we were actively groaning in our seats. And we love films. But what the heck was this doing in a best Oscar Line up?

It gets 2 stars instead of 1, cos the mole is so dang cute.

But then minus a star for all those comments (jokes?) that mole says about cake... that fell so, so flat.

Don't F**k with Cats: Hunting an Internet Killer (2019)

Shouldn't have shown the kittens

[6/10 · 6 November 2022]

A riveting doco, but it was completely inappropriate and cruel when you showed close-ups of kittens in terror before being killed.

That was completely unnecessary and very traumatic.

Also, it must be extremely hard for the victim's family to have the video of Jun Lin's death so widely broadcast on a mainstream platform.

The filmmaker needed to be a bit more respectful to the audience, and the victims - feline, puppy or human.

Other than that, it's very well edited and well paced, you can't quite believe what you're seeing. It's incredibly unsettling. He's obviously a seriously sick individual.

Only Murders in the Building: Hello, Darkness (2022) Season 2, Episode 8

Almost insultingly bad

[3/10 · 13 August 2022]

OMITB is usually one of my favourite shows, but this episode was like the writers / director stopped caring.

+ Why did Lucy not at least try to close the secret bathroom door behind her? She just left it open for the killer to chase her.

.+ The delays on the stairs became pathetic.

+ The trio were sooo loud in the secret corridor, despite a murderer nearby.

+ Could art department not put anything in the bag of dips, to make it look like a bag of dips? (Oliver was on the stairs waving around a pretty much empty bag).

+ When the power came back on at the end, why did Oliver not check his paternity results.

So many loose ends which are dragging:

Whatever happened to:

• the painting
• amy shumer
• Daisy the artist.

• Charles's dad storyline.

The writers needed a bit harder on this episode. If OMITB continues like this, it'll loose a lot of viewers.

Stars at Noon (2022)

Unlikeable

[5/10 · 5 August 2022]

Unlikeable characters and cast.

Possibly would have been better with different lead actors?

Script seemed poor, and situations unbelievable.

But hey, you may like it? But it wasn't for me.

Landscapers (2021)

Almost brilliant

[8/10 · 8 March 2022]

The performances ripped my heart out. Some extremely fine acting. Loved the cop / young lawyer / and both leads.

I'd recommend this to anyone.

Stylistically - it almost had a "heavenly creatures" vibe. However across the board the tonal choices didn't always seem coherent, and they were a bit mish mash.

Final episode has a long and expensive western sequence that was not necessary.

But overall it was a complex character piece and it provoked a lot of discussion in our household.

Fantastic tv.

The Batman (2022)

Definitely got my money's worth

[8/10 · 7 March 2022]

I was solidly entertained for all 3 hours.

Clever, gritty, character fillled... it's not quite as sophisticated as the Dark Knight / Rises, but it's enthralling all the same.

Top quality acting from an absolutely fantastic cast.

I hope we see more of The Riddler. Paul Dano is something special.

The mystery / detective element was very enjoyable.

I'm not a super hero movie fan, but the recent Batman's and Spider-Man's are just all round fabulous films.

Negatives: Last minutes were pretty "blah", and prior to that it was getting a bit over sentimental.

The old fashioned "Batman knows best" dynamic btw Batman and Catwoman is pretty dated, and actually just a bit creepy.

Batman seems vverrryyyy good at solving riddles!

Verdict - How lucky to pay for a ticket and get 3 hours of super filmmaking. A rare thing.

No Exit (I) (2022)

Good popcorn movie

[8/10 · 26 February 2022]

I enjoyed No Exit! It's solid. Strong cast. Some good twists. And I was entertained the whole time.

Is it Shawshank Redemption or Silence of the Lambs? No. But it's not trying to be.

Main complaint - Ed delivered many of his lines like "one liners". Not really his fault, as his character was written pretty one dimensional.

Sometimes a bit unrealistic, but hey! I wasn't expecting perfection. And I enjoyed the ride.

The Tourist (2022–2024)

Giant plot holes... we stopped after episode 2

[4/10 · 11 January 2022]

Lazy writing and directing.

So far... the junior police officer only has ONE clue to go off. One precious clue... The piece of paper.... And she never follows it up. Seriously? Come on. No phone call to the cafe... . No visiting the cafe? No following up her one clue?

Are you seriously trying to tell us that no one saw the giant truck tracks, next to the wrecked vehicle?

Then there's the explosion. But when the junior officer calls in the evening, she never mentions the explosion. Seriously? Are we supposed to believe that the police haven't heard about the explosion, which is just a few towns away, and is the exact town where he was going?

And then, once the police do know about the explosion... which was in the exact place where he was going... wouldn't they bring him in for questioning?

It's implausible, and sloppy. It's a tonal shambles full of charicatures. I was hopeful, but will not keep watching.

Only Murders in the Building (2021– )

I don't know why I love it - but I do

[8/10 · 28 September 2021]

I love it. I long for it every week. Once a week?! Cruelty in its most brutal form.

I have no idea why i love it so much. But it's like delicious macaroni cheese - not the best meal every created, but one that's full of flavour and makes you feel comfy, cosy and full.

Thanks team.

Cousins (III) (2021)

Lots of heart

[6/10 · 18 April 2021]

A film with a lot of heart (and a lot of plot holes).

Worth seeing.

Perhaps it needed a bit more time / budget.

The Gulf (2019–2021)

Brilliant. Best Nz tv since Top of the Lake

[9/10 · 26 March 2021]

Very good series. Kate Elliot is exceptional. Excellent writing. No cringe in this show (except for the flashbacks, there are soooo many!!!!). Well done to the creators, really enjoying it.

The Bad Seed (2018–2019)

Exceptional. FINALLY some good tv in NZ!

[9/10 · 16 April 2019]

Gripping, beautifully shot. Exceptional direction, writing and acting. This is the first NZ drama that I have been excited about in maybe a decade. I am totally enthralled and don't want it to end.

At the time of writing this I am dumbfounded as to who could have given it such poor IMDB rating, competitors maybe? Because this is world class and I hope it travels well overseas. The final episode was a little weaker than the rest, and interestingly was directed by someone else other than the two main directors. I think that was a mistake, as it wasn't as good as the other 4 eps, and not as well wrapped up, with things playing out too conveniently and easily.

Overall, highly recommended binge watching with lots of twists and turns.

Sex Education: Episode 5 (2019) Season 1, Episode 5

A missed opportunity to be awesome.

[2/10 · 2 February 2019]

I like the series overall. But I found this episode really missed an opportunity and in fact reinforced body-shaming - having it seem normal for a whole school to burst out laughing at a normal, young woman's body. Sad for all the teens out there watching.

Making an ep about mocking a young woman's v*lva because it has hair - and I'm talking massively mocking it (whole school ridicule) - is really disappointing, and makes it seem like a normal body is a reason for ridicule.

Awesome to see a minge on screen - SO rare! But then to ridicule it as if it was something so horrific, comparing it to a guinea pig and chewbacca? Um, what? :(

And come on - for a show called "Sex Education" you'd think they'd know to call the photo a V*lva, not a V*gina?

Meanwhile, the Eric storyline was really beautifully done and heartbreaking.

Bridesmaids (I) (2011)

I'm laughing just thinking about it

[9/10 · 2 February 2019]

Probably the funniest thing I've ever seen.

It totally gets deep into the ins and out of friendship, social competitiveness and also it is just completely beyond funny.

The whole movie is quoteable. It is really relatable, dramatic, romantic and genuinely hilarious.

It is nuanced, observant and so so so hilarious. I genuinely do not know how anyone could not find it funny. Maybe these people haven't an insight into what the characters are going through. But if you have basic human insight then surely you will find it funny? Maybe the hype killed it for people, but honestly, me and my friends just need to quote one bit from this movie and we'll start laughing.

Highly recommended

The Breaker Upperers (2018)

A bit unnecessary

[5/10 · 2 February 2019]

I was enjoying the film until they started to mock woman who can't have kids. Why do that? It isn't actually funny to have a condition which makes it hard to conceive. I thought this was in bad taste from female filmmakers. I found it hard to enjoy the rest of the film. I'm not saying that everything has to be PC, but just making fun of a chronic disease for some laughs is totally unnecessary.