Film critics' opinions are often hailed as gospel, but in reality, they are merely subjective perspectives that should be taken with a grain of salt. The distinction between a film and a documentary is crucial; while the former is an artistic interpretation of real events, the latter aims for factual accuracy. Despite its narrative roots in reality, critics often relish tearing down such films, claiming poor storytelling, acting, and production. However, this particular film stands as a testament to exquisite craftsmanship, stellar performances, and a narrative richness akin to literary giants like Thomas Hardy or Daphne du Maurier. The rampant trend of bashing films of this nature has become all too common, with many joining the chorus of negativity simply because it's fashionable to do so. It's imperative to form one's own opinion by experiencing the film firsthand rather than blindly following the detractors. The critics' expectations may have skewed their judgment, but their critiques hold little merit in the face of the film's undeniable quality.
Reviews
18 Reviews
Capturing Mary
(2007 TV Movie)
Boring.
11 September 2022
I'm surprised to find myself headlining a Poliakoff film as "boring" but I can't find any other way of describing this drag of a sagging saga.
Maggie Smith can do no wrong of course, and it would be sacrilege to criticise - she is truly a very skilled actor and is the reason I gave the film 5 stars . . .
However, David Walliams felt like he was all his Little Britain characters in one. In LB he's in his element, but outside that zone of easy comfort, he is, well, merely Walliams being given something other than comedy to try out, and I'm afraid he didn't cut it for me.
Everything seemed to go only so far. The posh accent, the gesticulations, thr facial expressions - all conspired to leave me unconvinced. And it always felt like Matt Lucas was about to suddenly appear from the scullery.
There are others here better qualified than I who can tell you what they think the "plot" was all about. To my mind it was just a slow windy spiral staircase through the mind of a now older woman trying to exorcise some past demons.
I can't review anymore because I fell asleep. I'm sure those kept awake by wondering how it all ends will stay the course, but frankly, there wasn't much in this film to make me care about the ending.
Maggie Smith can do no wrong of course, and it would be sacrilege to criticise - she is truly a very skilled actor and is the reason I gave the film 5 stars . . .
However, David Walliams felt like he was all his Little Britain characters in one. In LB he's in his element, but outside that zone of easy comfort, he is, well, merely Walliams being given something other than comedy to try out, and I'm afraid he didn't cut it for me.
Everything seemed to go only so far. The posh accent, the gesticulations, thr facial expressions - all conspired to leave me unconvinced. And it always felt like Matt Lucas was about to suddenly appear from the scullery.
There are others here better qualified than I who can tell you what they think the "plot" was all about. To my mind it was just a slow windy spiral staircase through the mind of a now older woman trying to exorcise some past demons.
I can't review anymore because I fell asleep. I'm sure those kept awake by wondering how it all ends will stay the course, but frankly, there wasn't much in this film to make me care about the ending.
The best MM so far
30 June 2022
Saddle sore rubbish
15 April 2022
A tedious script, riddled with cliches; ham acting that makes even the worst am-dram production look good; historically inaccurate confederate flag waving; cliched comments about, and stereotyped characterisation of, "gypos and diddycoys"; sexist attitudes regarding violence against women; out of place, over exaggerated bar room brawls in quiet English pubs (and beer tents); and a weird sepia sequence featuring Barnaby & Jones dressed as characters from the "Wild West" . . .
The episode was muddled, badly acted and lazy. It felt like it was signed off on a Friday afternoon when the production team was in a hurry to get home for the weekend.
"Blood On The Saddle" serves only to reveal the producers' own "dead man's hand" where it seems they've literally lost the plot.
Despite two stars for the countryside and horses, I suggest you give this MM a wide berth and ride swiftly onto the next episode, as this particular blood stained saddle only promises to give you a sore backside.
The episode was muddled, badly acted and lazy. It felt like it was signed off on a Friday afternoon when the production team was in a hurry to get home for the weekend.
"Blood On The Saddle" serves only to reveal the producers' own "dead man's hand" where it seems they've literally lost the plot.
Despite two stars for the countryside and horses, I suggest you give this MM a wide berth and ride swiftly onto the next episode, as this particular blood stained saddle only promises to give you a sore backside.
Kiri
(2018)
Lazy ending
17 May 2021
There was much to like about this four-part series, but I'm afraid the last episode left me thinking the whole thing had run out of steam.
Brilliant performances by Sarah Lancashire as you might expect, and Stephen Mackintosh also showing his skill as a mature actor (I'm old enough to remember him when he was a schoolboy alongside Adrian Mole). The supporting cast also added weight to this tough drama.
I also loved the photography - in fact the atmosphere of the series was beautifully stylish, without it disappearing up its own backside.
However, I'll be honest and say I like my crime dramas to have decent endings, where the loose threads are neatly tied together and nothing is left in doubt. Everybody likes to see the culprit meet their comeuppance but this left one feeling the writer wasn't being clever in the way they drew the series to a conclusion, they were just being lazy.
The art of storytelling is really simple. A solid beginning, an exciting middle, with twists and turns along the way, and a brilliant ending, perhaps with some surprises. Certainly 9 out of 10 for the first two, but a disappointing 5 out of 10 for the finale.
Brilliant performances by Sarah Lancashire as you might expect, and Stephen Mackintosh also showing his skill as a mature actor (I'm old enough to remember him when he was a schoolboy alongside Adrian Mole). The supporting cast also added weight to this tough drama.
I also loved the photography - in fact the atmosphere of the series was beautifully stylish, without it disappearing up its own backside.
However, I'll be honest and say I like my crime dramas to have decent endings, where the loose threads are neatly tied together and nothing is left in doubt. Everybody likes to see the culprit meet their comeuppance but this left one feeling the writer wasn't being clever in the way they drew the series to a conclusion, they were just being lazy.
The art of storytelling is really simple. A solid beginning, an exciting middle, with twists and turns along the way, and a brilliant ending, perhaps with some surprises. Certainly 9 out of 10 for the first two, but a disappointing 5 out of 10 for the finale.
Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat
(1999 Video)
Not a patch on Donovan
28 April 2021
This version isn't a patch on the one starring Jason Donovan.
It comes across like a school production: cheap orchestration, average singing, and lots of poor acting.
And technically, the sound levels are all over the place.
And why do the lead performers feel the need to speak/shout their way through their numbers? It's meant to be a musical.
Very average.
It comes across like a school production: cheap orchestration, average singing, and lots of poor acting.
And technically, the sound levels are all over the place.
And why do the lead performers feel the need to speak/shout their way through their numbers? It's meant to be a musical.
Very average.
Widow's Walk
(2019)
Well, I enjoyed it
15 April 2021
Those giving this film <5 stars I swear are trolling IMDB. Compared to most of the dross being vomited out by filmmakers of late, Widow's Walk was enigmatic, poignant, and beautifully filmed.
While it isn't in the same league as The Others, the story is elegantly developed over time, giving chance to reflect on the themes, the characters, and the part they play in telling the story.
This is not a wham-bam-thank-you-mam movie - if you want endless ghouls jumping out of cupboards every five minutes, or characters played by Hollywood's tinsel town fraternity, then you'd better look elsewhere.
This is a film for intelligent audiences who are capable of making up their own minds; who want space to consider the themes being explored - whether it's the psychological impact of losing a partner, or questioning the very notion of the paranormal.
Not everything needs to be spelt out - sometimes it's good to show things in a way that encourages the audience to reflect on what's being revealed.
For example, one reviewer here didn't like the way Eve seemed nonplussed by her interactions with the house's past residents. Given she has just lost her husband in a horrific and bloody modern war, perhaps she's numb to all that's going on around her. Only her son provides something tangible on which to cling. Everything else is just noise. Perhaps she believes it's her state of mind producing these ghost-like apparitions and nothing more.
(After all, anyone who's been overly tired will have experienced fleeting glimpses of figures disappearing into the shadows . . .)
I would certainly recommend this film - just watch with an open mind, and decide for yourself.
While it isn't in the same league as The Others, the story is elegantly developed over time, giving chance to reflect on the themes, the characters, and the part they play in telling the story.
This is not a wham-bam-thank-you-mam movie - if you want endless ghouls jumping out of cupboards every five minutes, or characters played by Hollywood's tinsel town fraternity, then you'd better look elsewhere.
This is a film for intelligent audiences who are capable of making up their own minds; who want space to consider the themes being explored - whether it's the psychological impact of losing a partner, or questioning the very notion of the paranormal.
Not everything needs to be spelt out - sometimes it's good to show things in a way that encourages the audience to reflect on what's being revealed.
For example, one reviewer here didn't like the way Eve seemed nonplussed by her interactions with the house's past residents. Given she has just lost her husband in a horrific and bloody modern war, perhaps she's numb to all that's going on around her. Only her son provides something tangible on which to cling. Everything else is just noise. Perhaps she believes it's her state of mind producing these ghost-like apparitions and nothing more.
(After all, anyone who's been overly tired will have experienced fleeting glimpses of figures disappearing into the shadows . . .)
I would certainly recommend this film - just watch with an open mind, and decide for yourself.
Peninsula
(2020)
It is what it is
3 April 2021
In the same vein as Train to Busan this continuation of the story makes for a good sequel. If you're looking for high art, you'll be disappointed, unless dodgy CGI is an acceptable form of high art. That's Peninsula's downfall, but despite its over reliance on computers to paint the pictures, it's a throughly enjoyable zombie romp for a Saturday night. One other criticism, the vehicles involved seem to have tyres of steel, either that, or those in pursuit are just inept. But then, if they were anything but, the film would be over in half an hour.
Homefront
(I) (2013)
Levels and Lame
26 March 2021
What is it with modern day movie making?
The best digital mics and audio post production facilities but nobody seems to know how to operate them.
Not everyone has access to the best audio monitors in their home TV set up, so any bad audio (i.e. Too quiet or too loud) will end up either inaudible or distorted.
This film had the worst of both worlds - stupidly loud bits and ridiculously mumbled quiet bits, so much so I was having to ride the levels until I couldn't be bothered any longer.
Then there's the predictable nature of Stallone's screenplay. I'll just leave that there. Talk about boringly derivative.
Such is the demand for films from services such as Amazon Prime and Netflix, it's now ok to produce any old garbage because clearly quantity is better than quality to attract subscribers.
Homefront is another example of today's lame storytelling, and technically poor filmmaking that's now been the staple of American studios in more recent years.
Go read a book instead.
The best digital mics and audio post production facilities but nobody seems to know how to operate them.
Not everyone has access to the best audio monitors in their home TV set up, so any bad audio (i.e. Too quiet or too loud) will end up either inaudible or distorted.
This film had the worst of both worlds - stupidly loud bits and ridiculously mumbled quiet bits, so much so I was having to ride the levels until I couldn't be bothered any longer.
Then there's the predictable nature of Stallone's screenplay. I'll just leave that there. Talk about boringly derivative.
Such is the demand for films from services such as Amazon Prime and Netflix, it's now ok to produce any old garbage because clearly quantity is better than quality to attract subscribers.
Homefront is another example of today's lame storytelling, and technically poor filmmaking that's now been the staple of American studios in more recent years.
Go read a book instead.
Ashes in the Snow
(2018)
Ok, if you've never seen this type of film before
18 March 2021
Warning: Spoilers
If you're over 55, I'd probably not bother watching this one, (the book sounds better), since you'll have seen it all before (only better portrayed):
1. Persecuted people get rounded up 2. Trains are crammed with the oppressed 3. Grim conditions at camps run by sadists 4. Young love blooms in the sordidness of it all
However, if you're younger than 55 and know nothing about Stalin's Russia under and its Sovietisation of the Baltic states, then you perhaps should give the film a go (although it fails pretty much at the outset to explain the actual history to any real extent).
It's clear that there's a young generation of directors to whom these stories are new - and of course they should be telling them. These are things we should never forget. But they ought to think harder about the brutal rawness of these atrocities and the impact they had on ordinary people. Roughen the edges a bit, choose actors for their understanding not their audience pulling power, and get under the skin of the people who lived through this wretched time in our relatively recent past.
There were a couple of real annoyances that bugged me:
1. Bel Powley seems to have only one mournful expression that she uses for everything. Also, why are lead actors always impossibly beautiful even when they're covered in filth? Casting, it seems, still picks actors for their looks (even if it is only one look throughout) rather than their ability to portray characters with some sense of empathy and understanding.
2. The supposedly harrowing scene with the dead baby was dealt with as if its death was a mere inconvenience to those travelling on the train. When the mother attempts to then look for the dead infant once the train reaches its destination, you know that she's going to end up with a bullet in her back as she ignores the order to stop. Just another of those predictable moments.
(This sequence might be shocking to audiences who've never seen such brutality portrayed before, but to those of us who have, the impact was totally lost, especially since we weren't able to invest time in the doomed character.)
So... my suggestion is us oldies should go and read the book and not bother with the film, and the youngsters amongst us should give Ashes in the Snow a look, then go and read the book (as well find out what actually happened in Lithuania and Altai in 1941).
1. Persecuted people get rounded up 2. Trains are crammed with the oppressed 3. Grim conditions at camps run by sadists 4. Young love blooms in the sordidness of it all
However, if you're younger than 55 and know nothing about Stalin's Russia under and its Sovietisation of the Baltic states, then you perhaps should give the film a go (although it fails pretty much at the outset to explain the actual history to any real extent).
It's clear that there's a young generation of directors to whom these stories are new - and of course they should be telling them. These are things we should never forget. But they ought to think harder about the brutal rawness of these atrocities and the impact they had on ordinary people. Roughen the edges a bit, choose actors for their understanding not their audience pulling power, and get under the skin of the people who lived through this wretched time in our relatively recent past.
There were a couple of real annoyances that bugged me:
1. Bel Powley seems to have only one mournful expression that she uses for everything. Also, why are lead actors always impossibly beautiful even when they're covered in filth? Casting, it seems, still picks actors for their looks (even if it is only one look throughout) rather than their ability to portray characters with some sense of empathy and understanding.
2. The supposedly harrowing scene with the dead baby was dealt with as if its death was a mere inconvenience to those travelling on the train. When the mother attempts to then look for the dead infant once the train reaches its destination, you know that she's going to end up with a bullet in her back as she ignores the order to stop. Just another of those predictable moments.
(This sequence might be shocking to audiences who've never seen such brutality portrayed before, but to those of us who have, the impact was totally lost, especially since we weren't able to invest time in the doomed character.)
So... my suggestion is us oldies should go and read the book and not bother with the film, and the youngsters amongst us should give Ashes in the Snow a look, then go and read the book (as well find out what actually happened in Lithuania and Altai in 1941).
Tunnelen
(2019)
I lasted 50'53" before I had to get out
12 March 2021
What a dreadful film. I gave it three stars for the scenery. Might I suggest Norwegians leave disaster movies to Hollywood? Having said that, I have seen a couple of excellent Norwegian disaster films based on killer tsunamis attacking innocent fjords, but given that most people have driven through a tunnel, you expect a film like this to somehow be more intense because any of us could be caught up in such a disaster. I didn't like any of the characters, the dialogue was really poor, and there there was nothing much to engage me inside or outside the tunnel. I think even the person doing the subtitles got bored because they were liberally sprinkled with typos. I wish Amazon Prime would remove its star ratings for films as they never bear any resemblance to reality. 57 people bizarrely gave The Tunnel 4.5/5. I guess they were watching a different film.
Greenland
(2020)
Another lame film from the USA
5 March 2021
If you've never seen an end of the world film you'll probably like this but for those who have, Greenland is a been-there-done-that movie that is so entirely predictable. Lazy story. Cliched characters. Improbable science. I don't know why I fall for this kind of nonsense.
A Lonely Place to Die
(2011)
Oh dear.
4 August 2020
Locations 10/10
Cinematography 9/10
Editing 8/0
Stunts 7/10
Tension 6/10
Storyline 5/10
Acting 4/10
Dialogue 3/10
Plausibility 2/10
Memorable moments 1/10
Horribly disappointing messy movie where the only decent performances come from the mountains.
Horribly disappointing messy movie where the only decent performances come from the mountains.
Murder on the Cape
(2017)
Dreadful
6 October 2018
Everyone else has said it all.
In addition, technically the film is all over the place.
Camera focus, composition, post production grading, sound, and editing all atrocious. Worse than anything that comes out of film school.
And yes, as for the acting, truly dreadful.
And the score? What was that all about? Either you have music or you don't. If you do it's meant to add to the atmosphere not destroy it. And if your film is to include a soundtrack, get the levels right - match it with the dialogue/action.
I feel embarrassed for the actors who were hired to do the job. I have no idea who they are but they should get back in their Mickey Mouse costumes and return to Disneyland.
Utterly bizarre.
In addition, technically the film is all over the place.
Camera focus, composition, post production grading, sound, and editing all atrocious. Worse than anything that comes out of film school.
And yes, as for the acting, truly dreadful.
And the score? What was that all about? Either you have music or you don't. If you do it's meant to add to the atmosphere not destroy it. And if your film is to include a soundtrack, get the levels right - match it with the dialogue/action.
I feel embarrassed for the actors who were hired to do the job. I have no idea who they are but they should get back in their Mickey Mouse costumes and return to Disneyland.
Utterly bizarre.
The Impossible
(2012)
Nothing but the truth?
12 August 2018
Apart from the special effects, this film was just plain ignorant. Another disaster story told through the eyes and endless shouting of a typically cliche ridden family coping with too many first world problems like what's best to drink and whether or not to go back to work.
I can't remember when it was I started checking my phone for messages and emails. I think it was when we'd finished telling mum's story and then started telling dad's. You could have easily put in a commercial break and I wouldn't have noticed. Having said that, the doubt started creeping in when Coke got its product placement in with a mini sub plot all of its own.
I think I must be getting tired in my old age of predictable filmmaking with long, tedious storylines, delivered by these tiresome, stereotypically impossibly perfect families - maybe that's why it's called The Impossible.
I can't remember when it was I started checking my phone for messages and emails. I think it was when we'd finished telling mum's story and then started telling dad's. You could have easily put in a commercial break and I wouldn't have noticed. Having said that, the doubt started creeping in when Coke got its product placement in with a mini sub plot all of its own.
I think I must be getting tired in my old age of predictable filmmaking with long, tedious storylines, delivered by these tiresome, stereotypically impossibly perfect families - maybe that's why it's called The Impossible.
London Has Fallen
(2016)
Suspend your disbelief - it's only a movie
13 January 2017
I enjoyed this film for what it is - yes, none of it's really that plausible, and yes, it's riddled with as many holes in the plot as there are bullet holes the President's Land Rover. Oh, and yes, it's one sided and terribly patriotic - if you're an American - but remember, it's only a film, and a Hollywood Tinsel Town film at that.
Significantly perhaps, as I watched The President face up to the plot against him, I kept wondering... "what would Donald do in such circumstances?" Let's hope he's not taking notes.
The naysayer membership here at IMDb who gave this film 1/10 are missing the point entirely. Like most of what is spewed out by Hollywood, it's all fiction and fantasy held together by as much implausibility as the producers can get away with, and I think most intelligent audiences will get that.
Ah, but "what about the less intelligent movie goer?" you might ask. Well, dress it up as much as you like and these people will never get the irony of such a picture. They've also probably made up their minds as to who's side they're on anyway - and no liberal, limp-wristed Hollywood alternative will convince them they're backing the wrong team.
So I encourage you to watch "London Has Fallen" if you get the chance, and if you can, enjoy your place in the Free World to make up your own mind...
Significantly perhaps, as I watched The President face up to the plot against him, I kept wondering... "what would Donald do in such circumstances?" Let's hope he's not taking notes.
The naysayer membership here at IMDb who gave this film 1/10 are missing the point entirely. Like most of what is spewed out by Hollywood, it's all fiction and fantasy held together by as much implausibility as the producers can get away with, and I think most intelligent audiences will get that.
Ah, but "what about the less intelligent movie goer?" you might ask. Well, dress it up as much as you like and these people will never get the irony of such a picture. They've also probably made up their minds as to who's side they're on anyway - and no liberal, limp-wristed Hollywood alternative will convince them they're backing the wrong team.
So I encourage you to watch "London Has Fallen" if you get the chance, and if you can, enjoy your place in the Free World to make up your own mind...
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