fiona_r_lamb Reviews

Wonka (2023)

High expectations were dashed

[5/10 · 20 February 2024]

I watched Wonka with my 6 and 7 yr old niece and nephew. None of us loved it. And I was really expecting to be WOWED. But it lacked magic for me. I thought Timothy Chalamet was insipid and weak, also he couldn't really sing; lacked the charisma Johnny Depp and Gene Wilder both had in spades.

The only character that really entertained me was Hugh Grant's Oompa Loompa and he wasn't on screen enough, alas. The Cartel trio fell flat altho' it was cool to see three of the cast members of Ghosts in this. The young girl Noodle - I really didn't believe her character tbh.

The set also reminded me of Lisbon, Portugal, strangely. Just not enough pizazz and the music was not very memorable at all. My nephew complained about the singing.

It was just meh for me and I'm sad about that.

One Day (2024)

Emotional rollercoaster - need a bucket to cry in by the end

[9/10 · 19 February 2024]

I just spent three days watching this mini series. I had never heard of either the book or the film so it was ALL NEW! I made the mistake of reading the spoilers on here before I was finished so I knew what was coming but even so I was totally devastated.

Anyway, excellent cast, lovely locations, great chemistry - I don't care what anyone says I love who they cast as the leads, they were perfect - great script and all round WELL DONE!

It had me gripped from the start because I, too, was a student in Edinburgh back in 1988. And I loved how, despite moving around the country and Europe, it also ended in Edinburgh even tho' it was bitter sweet.

Great to see Essie Davis back on our screens after playing the wonderful feisty Phryne Fisher. Her English accent was a a wee bit dodgy but she lit up the screen for me.

Two days later I am still thinking and even dreaming about it. Going to take me a long time to get over this one.

Locked In (V) (2023)

Absolute garbage

[1/10 · 6 February 2024]

So I finished the final series of the Crown and a trailer pops up for this travesty. It looked promising so I bit. What was I thinking? After five minutes I knew I'd made a colossal mistake.

I don't know where to start. The acting, script, everything was just so bad it made me wince throughout. I remembered Rose Williams from Sanditon - why she signed up for this I will never know. Famke I knew from playing one of the Bond girls in Golden Eye way back when. What was SHE thinking??!! And as for Anna Friel, did someone blackmail her to appear in this? I thought she'd have a much bigger role but she's in it for five seconds and basically does very little. Why she didn't get Famke's character to blink out the name of the murderer I will never understand.

There is literally NOTHING I can recommend about this. Total waste of time and money. None of it made any sense.

Chicago (2002)

So much better than the theatre production

[10/10 · 16 January 2024]

So I just went to see the theatre show of Chicago in Toronto over Christmas (2023) for the first and probably only time, and I was disappointed. Totally spoiled by the movie. I have the movie on DVD and I watch it at least once a year and I never get bored. I found the theatre show so drab and the set minimalist. Perhaps I should have seen the show first before the movie but too late now!

I was working for HarperCollins Publishers in mid town Toronto when this was being filmed in Toronto. And one lunchtime me and a co-worker passed by Richard Gere strolling through the Hazelton Lanes area. My co-worker knew he was famous but couldn't put a name to him until we'd passed him then she turned round and he did too with the words "Yes I am". Big smile. Loved it!

I love the music, dancing, pretty much everything. Catherine Zeta-Jones deserved her Oscar. It is a GREAT film and thoroughly deserved Best Picture Oscar.

Van der Valk: Magic in Amsterdam (2023) Season 3, Episode 3

Consistently disappointed by pretentious tv shows like this

[5/10 · 30 October 2023]

I've watched all three series and I have to say I am still waiting for something really meaty and truly interesting. I find it all very pretentious and affected - the storylines, dialogues, the acting of the regular cast and the guest actors.

I don't get absorbed into any of the stories because I find them so far fetched. And there's always a bunch of young inexperienced actors PLAYING around with whatever story is that week. Not convincing.

I loved Marc Warren in Hustle. And I've seen him in a bunch of other things. But this is beneath his talent. He comes across so wooden. What's with him and his on off girlfriend - he keeps telling her to bog off yet she keeps coming back - even interrupting a meeting - it just would not happen. How would the "bad guy" know where he lived??? The whole thing is simply ridiculous.

I want to like the cast, I really do but I just don't. The two young newbies are - sorry I keep using this word but they are so unbelievable. And Mamie McCoy acts all tough and dare I say it arrogant - and her hair is always perfectly tousled. Just stop it! All style and no substance. She acted like this in the Musketeers too altho' there it didn't rub me up the wrong way.

Also what is with them using the cafe for their debriefs where the dodgy customers can look at what they're doing and throw in their quips at how to solve the crimes??? And there's barely anyone ever in this cafe so how does it stay open??? Again, PRETENTIOUS!

Obsession (2023)

Yes this is a remake of Damage. Why are people surprised?

[6/10 · 3 September 2023]

Not sure where to start. The sex scenes - OK so as in Bridgerton the male gets to show his junk not the female - hurrah! I'm Ok with that. But sex on a hardwood floor - NO THANK YOU! And then the sex standing up is so unrealistic I just laughed. And the adulterers did just that several times.

It held my interest but really because I was comparing it to Damage. And I have to say that the female lead was good but didn't hold a candle to Juliette Binoche. Mind you the French do pretty much everything so much better than the Brits.

I was a bit disappointed at how underused his wife was. The ending was a damp quib. I wanted much more fallout and repercussions between the Dr and his family. And we basically got very little.

It was OK, not terrible.

Wham! (2023)

Fascinating but I wanted more!

[8/10 · 21 July 2023]

I was a teen in the 80s and my favourite pop band was Duran Duran - a rival of Wham! I only started to like Wham late 1985 with their single I'm Your Man. Then I became a HUGE George Michael fan - still am.

Even tho' I didn't really pay close attention to their music at the time when I watched this docu I found myself knowing ALL the lyrics to ALL the songs featured - even the really early ones. I have a vivid memory of the summer of 1984 sitting on the windowsill of my older sister's bedroom looking out into the garden on a hot day with Careless Whisper playing on the radio. I didn't like the song at the time but it's a memory I cherish nevertheless.

I enjoyed hearing from both band members and I get the way they structured this film to be around the two men narrating the story of their band BUT I was really disappointed that we never heard from the two backing singers Pepsi and Shirley; we only heard from George's Dad even tho' Andrew's mother collated 40+ scrap books. We also only heard from Elton John - again, I get it, George was a huge fan of his but I was still wanting more. To hear what their peers thought of them - Duran Duran, Culture Club, Spandau Ballet etc. I suppose they only had a limited amount of time in this movie but they could have done more. I could have watched five hours at least!

It's hard to believe Wham! Was only really around for four successful years. Hats off to them for achieving massive pop stardom. I am still so devastated that George Michael died but when I look back his popularity only really lasted till the early '90s. He peaked so young and so soon. But his music and voice will live on.

The Diplomat (II) (2023– )

Unbelievable tripe on all levels

[1/10 · 11 June 2023]

I could only stomach three episodes and when I found myself looking at my watch and wondering what I could do instead of watching this tripe, I knew it was time to pull the plug.

People on here saying this is a comedy or satire of sorts? No, I did not once think it was comical. Tragic in every way and not in any good way!

The F bombs and blasphemy were so ridiculous and OTT along with everything else. Such lazy writing and character development. I found myself loathing all of them.

Americans don't know how to make decent political drama, they just don't. Maybe I've been spoiled by British productions - yes, I have been spoiled. This was just awful and I felt embarrassed for everyone involved.

I usually love Rufus Sewell but not in this. The only semi-decent thing about him was he looked natty in a suit unlike his wife who looked disheveled in every scene, and it was boring how they kept referring to it.

Truly unbelievable and excruciating to watch. I actually cannot think of ONE good thing to say about it.

Marie Antoinette (2022– )

So few costumes it was distracting

[6/10 · 10 June 2023]

Did no one notice they wore the same costumes over and over again? Josephine and the King's brother both wore green outfits all the time, just different shades. I wonder if that was intentional but if so why? It was very distracting indeed.

Also there were very few food scenes - in fact I only recall the oysters when MA was pregnant. It just was not believable at all.

And when MA gave birth would there really have been so many people standing in her bedchamber gawping at her???

Maybe it's because I'm English and used to British Royal shows and maybe it's because the French are just peculiar but maybe not. I found it all rather confusing and silly.

Entertaining yes, but rather silly.

Karen Pirie (2022– )

Love Val McDermid and it's great to see her books on telly

[9/10 · 21 May 2023]

I am two thirds of the way through, watching on VisionTV a non-HD channel on Canadian tv. The sound is TERRIBLE. I can hear the loud background noise when I really shouldn't and this makes the dialogue hard to hear. I went to uni in Edinburgh so I am used to Scottish accents but even I wanted to put subtitles on. The first scene in the pub almost put me off from watching any further.

However, I did watch further and I really like the show. I think I know who did it tho' but I won't divulge. I like the actors, the story and the way it's filmed. Just the sound is off.

It's good to see new blood and I don't think I recognize ANY of the actors in this - which is a first for me.

Hope it has a satisfactory ending and that I'm surprised by the killer's ID but I have a feeling I know who it is...

Trigger Point (2022– )

Enjoyable suspense thriller with plot holes

[7/10 · 2 April 2023]

So many negative reviews on here which is too bad because I thought it was enjoyable. There were some elements that I thought didn't work or were glaringly wrong but otherwise it was entertaining.

Seeing not one but THREE actors from Bad Move, a comedy series set in Yorkshire, in this show distracted me a bit, not going to lie. And the Indian actress wasn't believable in her role as one of the head honchos.

A couple of things bothered me: when the brother was trapped in the car with the fake timer, instead of running away to her equipment making him think she was abandoning her, WHY did she not just stay with him until the timer went off and he knew he was safe???

Also, in the last episode as soon as Karl came to the crime scene to plead with her to continue with their relationship I knew it was him and that he was mentally unhinged. Who would do something like this otherwise??? And that she didn't see it for what it clearly was. Yeah, that didn't work.

But otherwise I was gripped and totally enthralled.

The Banshees of Inisherin (2022)

So disappointing and dreary

[2/10 · 17 March 2023]

When I was watching the Oscars last Sunday I wondered why this movie had been nominated and yet not won any awards. Flying back to Toronto from Vancouver a couple of days later I watched the film on the plane and I could not figure out WHY it was nominated for anything. And I was glad it didn't win anything too. Because I thought it was awful.

I honestly don't think - apart from the animals - there was anything I liked about this film. DREARY. And none of it made sense except the sister wanting to escape. I don't blame her as I wanted to escape it too.

The only scene that touched me was between the sister and the policeman's abused son. When he asked her out and she gently told him no. I felt for him. That was a beautifully acted scene.

The rest of the movie was just awful. The music was OK tho'. So there's a point for the score.

The Good Nurse (2022)

Held my attention well

[7/10 · 20 February 2023]

I was reluctant to watch this movie for some reason but I got caught up in it and I thought it was well done except for one issue that bothered me.

Jessica Chastain was EXCELLENT. And the movie seemed to focus on her. Eddie's character of the bad nurse was almost peripheral. Not central. We didn't really get a good fix of him. Yes, he liked Amy and her family, seemed to really care for them, but we didn't see anything from his perspective, which was probably the point but frustrating for the viewer nevertheless.

We never find out WHY he did what he did. We never get into his head. We see everything from the views of the police and Amy. I wish that had been more balanced.

But overall, good job.

Jimmy Savile: A British Horror Story (2022)

Could be so much better

[5/10 · 20 February 2023]

OK where to start? I just watched this on Netflix. I grew up in the UK and was a kid in the 70s/80s and JS was a HUGE British tv celeb. I avidly watched Jim'll Fix It and Top of the Pops. But I never thought of him as anything but a DJ, tv host. Yes, he was eccentric but his colourful outfits and wacky humour appealed to young kids. I remember being sad when he died too.

Then all the bad stuff came out about him and - like Cosby - things changed seemingly overnight. He became a pariah. Everything he didn't want to be known as, he became, but of course he was dead so it didn't really matter.

But this documentary is flawed and only goes so far. As many others have mentioned, the pacing is way off. Too much focus on his "good" side and very little on his "bad". There are vague hints along the way but I didn't feel it represented the so-called "horror" aspect very well at all. I kept wishing something would happen. Too much repetition - him walking into hospitals, him jogging etc. Yes, they were setting us up by showing the side he wanted people to see, but it was unbalanced and I found it frustrating.

One thing that puzzled me: he mentioned several times that he was alone and had no one to give Christmas presents to, etc., BUT he was one of 7 children so surely he had an extended family comprising nieces and nephews? We didn't hear ANYTHING about that side of his life. During the clips of This is Your Life we saw him sitting with what must have been his siblings and family, yet NO mention? We only got to see his parents briefly and a short interview with his Mum. HIs family background should have been further explored. Maybe his family refused to allow their input?

Also, there was other stuff he did that was not mentioned - the messing about with dead bodies at Leeds Infirmary etc. Why?

Incomplete and frustrating to watch.

Bad Move (2017–2018)

Could have been so much better

[5/10 · 4 February 2023]

OK where to start. I noticed all the yellow straight away. Not sure if that was intentional but the kitchen was mostly yellow, the yellow no brand items in the corner shop, etc. So I just kept looking for all the yellow things - distracting but there you are.

So I'm watching this show on PBS in Canada in 2023 - I'd never heard of it before, but I recognized the female lead from Ricky Gervais' Afterlife and I also kinda know who Jack Dee is too. I also love Yorkshire and the countryside in general and then there's the Cliff Richard theme song. What's not to love, right???

Except the indoor scenes are obviously set in a studio somewhere. And I found myself being ever so irritated by the other characters - the too perfect neighbours, the awful woman in the corner shop, repetition. I see what they were trying to do but it just didn't quite work for me. And I don't think Jack Dee can act either. But the female lead is great and she's what keeps me watching. Hannah Waddingham's guest appearance was just bizarre as well. I prefer her in Ted Lasso.

But it's OK, not great, but better than some other sitcoms I could mention. And there's no crappy laugh track which is a huge bonus.

Pressure Cooker (2023– )

MORE ACTUAL COOKING POR FAVOR!!!

[3/10 · 4 February 2023]

OK, I get what the producers were attempting to do, shaking the whole cooking show concept up, but in doing so they failed miserably - imho. I enjoyed the actual cooking segments except they were too brief and therefore too shallow. The rest was SO BORING! I actually ended up fast-forwarding through all those segments which comprised in reality more than half of each episode.

I love Survivor, never watched Big Brother, but this melding of reality shows just did not work - for me and, from what I've been reading, 90% of the reviewers here. Fake drama and so uninteresting.

I did not mind there being no actual host or judges but I wish there had been more cook offs between the losing contestants instead of people standing around debating who to vote off. Dire.

As for the contestants themselves I think this show did them a huge disservice. It was disappointing to see good chefs get tossed out before their time.

I won't waste my time in watching another series if there is one.

Wild Mountain Thyme (2020)

Truly one of the worst movies I've ever seen. 0/10

[20 November 2022]

So, today we had a snow day in Niagara. Which meant being stuck indoors watching a lot of tv besides shoveling the driveway. I watched a rather enjoyable cooking series called Easy Bake on Netflix, then picked this movie mainly because the cast looked appealing. Honestly, after seeing this movie, I'd have gladly shoveled the driveways of everyone in my street instead. It would have been way more entertaining AND made me feel like I'd done something worthwhile, instead of wasting almost two hours of my life.

This movie - how did it get made? With such a potentially great cast? Emily Blunt, Jamie Dornan, Christopher Walken and Jon Hamm? How did it go so wrong? It was terrible from the get go and it did not improve. I don't know where to start. None of it made sense. It was billed as a rom com but there was neither comedy nor romance. There was a scene at the end where it appeared to rain heavily on the two main characters yet the sun was shining all around them. So bad.

Many reviewers have commented that the Irish accents were bad - yes they were and totally distracting but also the Irish stereotypes were cringeworthy. I am so shocked that these actors said yes to this project. Esp. Jamie Dornan who is from Belfast.

Terrible.

Ghosts: Dumb Deaths (2022) Season 2, Episode 7

Double take!

[10/10 · 11 November 2022]

So great to see the British actor who plays Thomas in the English version of Ghosts reappear here from across the pond playing Pete in a tv documentary taking place at the house. And he didn't miss a single beat. He is soooo talented. And the writers gave him plenty to work with. I would really love to see the other English actors play cameos in future episodes, that would be so much fun.

Just as an aside, if Flower had been mauled to death by a bear she'd have way more gore on her body other than one measly scratch on her face - just sayin'.

I truly look forward to this show every week. Keep 'em coming!

Mr. Malcolm's List (2022)

Ugh blatant ripoff of Bridgerton and didn't work at all

[2/10 · 15 October 2022]

I watched this movie on a plane trip from Madrid to Toronto yesterday and I was BORED. Kept looking at my watch hoping it would end soon.

The acting was appalling as was the script. Every actor was bad. I could tell straight away it was a rip-off of Bridgerton but the production values were much less and it showed.

But more than that, the time period mannerisms of the cast just did not ring true. At all. When I watch Bridgerton (and yes I know people of colour were not admitted to high society back then) but somehow the mixed cast works with that series. Not so with this - they stood out awkwardly and it was painful.

The Phantom of the Open (2021)

Enjoyable and funny

[7/10 · 15 October 2022]

Watched this film on a flight from Toronto to Barcelona. I'd never heard of this "true" story before despite growing up in the UK in the 70s and 80s and I was a tad sceptical about the whole film. But I so enjoyed it.

Mark Rylance was awesome even if he was a wee bit too old to play this character. I'm not even a fan of golf. The names he used as players made me LOL on the plane! Arnold Palmtree - too good!

It did remind me of Eddie the Eagle. Glad to see I am not the only one.

I wish we could have seen more of the twins disco dancing. And the dream sequences were a bit strange. But overall very well done!

The Lost City (2022)

Harmless fun movie to watch on an airplane flight

[8/10 · 15 October 2022]

I watched this yesterday on a flight from Madrid to Toronto. And of all the movies I watched this was the one I enjoyed the most. Fun and funny. Yes, we've seen this kind of thing before but I don't care.

What did surprise me was Channing Tatum playing someone against type and boy was he good. All I could think of was him on Bear Grylls' National Geographic show where he took part in every rock climbing/diving/outdoor adventure Bear threw at him with gusto and relish. And aplomb! Channing was excited about it all, not even remotely scared like most of Bear's other guests. So seeing him play someone so inept and inexperienced at outdoor adventure was very funny.

And the leech scene - so good to see a man being naked in a movie for once and not the woman.

Where the Crawdads Sing (2022)

Loved the book and the movie was faithful

[7/10 · 27 July 2022]

I always laugh when I see reviews and they start off I didn't read the book but... Well, I DID read - and love - the book. I am happy the movie was faithful to the book but as always it just wasn't quite as good. The poetry was sorely lacking, alas. And I can't believe they didn't actually film it in Carolina - what??? But when I was reading the book I had it all visualised in my head and the movie did come close.

I totally agree with many of the reviewers who've complained that Kya looks impossibly clean and neat with lovely clothes as a young woman - before she started out making money as a published author. Also, the bugs would have been intense and I just find it laughable we never saw ANY!!!

I also was really disappointed the bird scenes were CGI-ed. You could really tell. As a bird lover that really bothered me. Also, because Kya was a naturalist as well as Tate you'd have thought the producers would have made extra efforts in that department.

Also, the HOTEL sign would have been MOTEL. And I wish there were more scenes in town or outside of the marsh. Maybe that was done intentionally.

I'm also glad they did not change the ending because in my book club we had vehement disagreements about the ending and I loved the way it ended.

Overall me and my 21 yr old daughter enjoyed it and the two hours went by fast.

Military Wives (2019)

Too predictable, alas.

[5/10 · 11 June 2022]

I was really looking forward to this film but it was just OK. Mainly, because we knew what was going to happen - way too predictable. The usual trials and emotional wringing of hands before the triumphant climax singing scene at Albert Hall. But then it would be an awfully short movie if there wasn't any other storyline.

The acting was fine as was the singing. It just felt flat to me. But I'm glad I watched it.

Toscana (II) (2022)

So boring - and I usually love Danish films

[3/10 · 11 June 2022]

This was an utter bore-fest from beginning to end. No chemistry between the Danish Chef and the Italian waitress. Also, that plate of olives, parmesan cheese and deli meats turned my stomach. Who eats parm cheese like that? Not me. However, I digress, mainly because the culinary aspects were literally the ONLY interesting parts of the snoozefest of a movie. I did like how the Italian woman took all the flowers off the food plate - hahaha!

Also the comparison between icy Denmark and warm and colourful Italy really stood out.

The Danish actors were also cold and icy. I did not enjoy them at all particularly the lead actor. Very dull and grumpy. I could not see what the Italian woman saw in him at all.

I kept looking to see how much time was left to watch, that's how bad it got. I can't believe I made it to the end. Terrible script and awful acting. Super disappointing.

Falling for Figaro (2020)

A surprisingly good film about something I don't like: opera.

[7/10 · 11 June 2022]

OK where to start? Firstly, I don't like rom coms and secondly I don't like opera.

Yet, I actually did enjoy this movie which begs the question: why?

I've never seen the lead actress before but I did like her. I also liked how a plus size woman had a romantic lead with not one but two men crazy about her.

The actor playing Max I immediately recognized from Mamma Mia II. And he sang in that not terribly well but passable so I actually did wonder if he was singing the opera - but apparently he and the lead actress were both dubbed by professional Australian opera singers. Fair enough. It didn't bother me.

The production values were higher than most of these rom coms so that was impressive. Loved the Scottish setting - those chickens were stars of their own accord.

What I didn't get was Joanna Lumley. Firstly, she's supposed to be this great Diva of Opera and yet we NEVER hear her sing, not once. Hmmm. Secondly, why was she such a bad-tempered and cruel potty mouth? Then she softens halfway through inexplicably. Her character did not work that well for me. And she seemed to have this strange kinda creepy relationship with Max which I never understood.

Loved the bar manager at the Filthy Pig - GREAT name! He injected just the right about of cynical humour that kept this rom com from getting sacchariney and icky.

Also the F bombs were totally unnecessary.

Loved all the actual opera performances which REALLY took me by surprise.

So, yes, it was rather predictable but still interesting enough to keep my attention till the end. And it wasn't schmaltzy at all.