TweetyonIMDB Reviews

Bless This Mess (2019–2020)

A slow burner that grows on you.

[6/10 · 4 June 2019]

There are very few comedies I enjoy, and most of them are British. This is no Fawlty Towers but an enjoyable watch, so stick with it for a few episodes. I very much agree with the review by plasticanimalz.

Being a mystery buff, I'll not keep this in my collection, but will definitely watch Series 2.

Last Passenger (2013)

Ignore the poor rating and sour-grape reviewers

[8/10 · 14 November 2018]

It's a FILM folks, not a documentary. It doesn't need to be factual. Some reviewers here seem to believe it does, pointing to all the "errors" such as the mechanics of the train coupling. Seriously? I think had a big name starred, it would have attracted far better score. Certainly this film is on a par with Liam Neeson's "The Commuter (2018)". I enjoyed it and even watched it again with a friend. A film for the whole family - definitely worth a watch if you appreciate a good story without all the Hollywood frills.

Glorious 39 (2009)

Glorious it is not.

[6/10 · 16 May 2018]

I struggled with finding a reason that this film is so flat - and now believe it is Stephen Poliakoff. Replace his script and direction, then this film should triumph, because I couldn't fault the cast, the scenery, the musical score or the concept. Read the reviews by zombequin and Burgess-Hulme, and you have the detailed analyses with which I concur. I can only imagine the film in the hands of Hitchcock or Spielberg; what a difference that would have made. It's worth a watch, if only to see your favourite actors, but definitely no encore!

Ingobernable (2017– )

Ignore the super low ratings!

[9/10 · 25 September 2017]

I upped the rating to counter the 1 or 2 star voters. The show is genuinely not bad at all. Yes, it's full of holes but then it's a Mexican production; it doesn't have the big budget and experience of more popular series.

I binge-watched the entire 15 episodes of series 1 and enjoyed it. If I have any real criticism at all, it's that E15 didn't "end" / tie up the series. The whole thing left you feeling like it had been cut mid-stream, without an appropriate resolution to the series. That is poor writing/production and, hopefully, S02 won't leave one feeling the same way at the end. It's worth a 6 or 7 out of 10.

Bordertown (2016–2020)

Top marks to the Finns for this show; more please!

[9/10 · 15 September 2017]

Firstly, I don't write reviews unless I've watched the whole show or series. I watch a lot of foreign content and loved this series. Whilst I agree with one reviewer who criticised the show for wrapping up episodes a little too quickly, thus making the conclusion a tad hard to understand, this really affected only 1 or 2 episodes. Overall, the stories are well thought out, the acting is good and the scenery superb.

I liked the way the characters were developed and found myself invested in their personalities and lives. It's not just a cop show - you experience both the professional and private relationships of Kari, his family members and his work alliances. And whilst the stories do stand alone, it's best to watch the series in sequence to fully appreciate and understand the interrelationships that develop.

I believe a lot of thought went into the casting of the series. Ville Virtanen as the lead character Kari Sorjonen is superb - as well as being a nice bit of eye candy for we ladies. Matleena Kuusniemi, who plays Kari's wife Paulina, is just delightful and I cannot imagine anyone better for that role. Olivia Ainali, who plays their daughter Janina, looks like she could be their offspring and plays her role as a young adolescent, coping with all the complexities of that age group and peer pressures, very convincingly.

I'm hoping for a second series. Nine out of ten from me.

The Confession (2011)

Spellbinding!

[9/10 · 9 February 2015]

Why was this film overlooked? I had thought everyone in Hollywood was asleep until I learnt that the film had originally been released as a webisode series and then went straight to DVD. What a shame!

This is one of the most powerful films I've watched in decades. It provokes, it challenges, it stirs the emotions -- and 95% of the film is held together with dialogue by two men sitting in a confessional. I watched it twice in one day. The script - the acting - the way the plot is developed - they are flawless, in my opinion, and worthy of any award.

Kiefer Sutherland is perfectly cast as the assassin - reaching out for answers. And it's hard not to empathise with him, once you learn of his background and his obvious pain. John Hurt is brilliantly cast as the embattled priest. He has that weather-beaten face that tells a thousand stories.

Another thing that puzzles me is why the two lead stars of this movie are not given top billing credit - which went to 3 bit- part roles? Something's crook in Tobruk, as they say in my country!!

Much credit to all the actors - this is a film I cannot fault, and writer-director Brad Mirman is one name I'll be following with interest in future.

Devil's Dust (2012)

One heck of an eye-opener!

[9/10 · 18 October 2013]

I don't believe I fully understood the appalling conditions confronting asbestos workers until I viewed this film. The scenes in the factory . . . the workers covered from top to toe in asbestos dust . . . laughing it off in typical Aussie style "she'll be right, mate!", made my blood run cold. And the poor aboriginals working the mines - doesn't bear thinking of. The poor innocents! Shame James Hardie! No wonder it hasn't been repeated on Australian television like so many other series.

Similar to Erin Brockovich, this is a story of courage and determination- depicting how a handful of people CAN expose and win against a corrupt giant. A good, solid script, good direction and good performances all round, particularly by Anthony Hayes who won Best Actor for his role as Bernie Banton.

Behind the Candelabra (2013)

Great film - and why is Michael Douglas not mentioned prominently in the credits?

[8/10 · 25 July 2013]

Who decides what actors are credited with "Stars"? I'm appalled to see Michael Douglas' name mentioned 7th down the list - he plays the leading role, for goodness sake - and very well at that!

I didn't know whether I would enjoy this film but was pleasantly surprised. Given the subject matter, the film was honest without being smutty and was an unbiased and balanced portrayal of the characters.

I remember reading about Scott in the '80s and much of the press painted him as being quite greedy and nasty. This film shows that life with the super rich and glamorous is not all one imagines it to be and that there is a down side to everything. It left me feeling sympathy towards Liberace and Scott - and yes, I shed a tear at the end.

Alien Mysteries (2013)

Loved it.

[2 June 2013]

I began watching the series with a somewhat sceptical eye but was soon drawn in. I enjoyed each episode and couldn't wait to see the next one. I think for reviewers to be too picky about green screens and lighting is a little harsh. This is not a big budget production and I found the production more than acceptable.

It also reminded me of an account that was related to me some 40 years ago by a friend from South Africa. He told me about a craft that had crash landed and how army personnel came onto the scene (in a very similar way to what was portrayed in Episode 6) and took away all evidence of the crash - including alien bodies.

I'd love someone to hack into NASA's files and get to the truth.

I'm looking forward to the next series.

Proof of Life (2000)

Deserves a better rating than it received.

[9/10 · 22 February 2013]

I was pleasantly surprised with this film. I wasn't expecting much based on the IMDb rating but I love Russell Crowe so thought I'd give it a run. I was also interested to watch it as it is the film that initiated the affair between Meg Ryan and Russell Crowe. Meg Ryan plays the role of the distraught wife well. The film illustrates the disparity between the lives of the poor in South America and the wealthy westerners - and the perils of venturing into such hostile lands.

I found the movie engaging throughout. I dislike all the gratuitous violence in movies these days and I found this did not have too much violence, nor too much mush. It wasn't too wordy either, so you could pop out to the kitchen to get a quick drink and come back and pick up again. And it had a nice, happy ending, which I also like. A good Saturday night flick.