moonlitlady1982 Reviews

Whistler (2006–2007)

An overlooked gem!

[8/10 · 10 October 2020]

I am very surprised and disappointed that this series didn't get as much exposure and higher ratings and reviews than in my opinion it very much deserves. From most of the reviews and the synopses I've read it seems like people who wrote them never even watched the first season! What I saw was a gripping, well-written, excellently performed (quite literally the whole cast absolutely nails it - how often do you find that?) and beautifully produced murder mystery/relationship drama, not a "grim piece about teenage issues" as I saw it presented in reviews. It has very strong, multi-faceted - and for the most part flawed and tragic - characters, who you can relate to and feel for very strongly at times. I don't think I've ever felt as strongly for a TV character as I did for Lisa the barmaid - an excellent performance by Kandyce McClure, an actress I had never heard of before and now am a bit of a fan of! But really, everyone on the cast impressed me greatly. Nicole Miller (by Holly Elissa) is one of the strongest female characters I've seen on TV - a real air punch of a lady! And Brendan Penny's performance as AJ is nothing short of stellar! Besides, visually the show is real eye-candy both in terms of the stunning Canadian scenery, excellent production design and an all round very good-looking cast (including Nick Lea, on whose account I actually watched this in the first place, his character turning out to be one of the most flawed in my opinion). I also found very successful and impressive the way music was used in the series. I hear that it is only available now on Prime UK (included with subscription) - lucky for me I guess! If you have access to Prime UK, I urge you - watch it! This is quality.

Dead Man's Letters (1986)

Requires an effort to watch....but you will never regret it.

[10/10 · 20 January 2006]

This is quite an obscure picture, even by Russian standards... It is dark (literally), morbid, disturbing at times... It requires quite an effort to watch. But it is one of those quite numerous Russian films that leave a deepest impression on the viewers by making them THINK. It is one of those brilliant "what if.." ponderings, never really giving you a final answer, or even if suggesting anything, leaving it open for the viewers to make their own conclusions. Perfectly cast (faces DO match the setting!), perfectly performed, and even the "special effects" - something Russian film-makers never have money or enthusiasm for - look quite convincing for their time. It IS hard to watch, and one probably has to be in a certain mood to watch it (I'd recommend watching it alone), but it is worthwhile experience and you will never regret it.