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Reviews
Nothing Like the Sun (2018)
total amateurville
I felt so sorry for the lead actresses in this amateur attempt at film making and storytelling. The cast somehow dealt with the stultifyingly awful dialogue and ludicrous script. From the failed attempts at recreating period costumes to the textureless cinematography and the droning soundtrack, everything about this film is abysmal. The lead actress courageously held it together through the most far-fetched plot twists and absurd character developments. Somehow in a 1950s Christian community, all the women with the exception of her totally bonkers mother, turn out to be lesbians. Probably the worst movie I've ever seen.
After the Flood (2024)
Episodes 5 & 6 will blow you away!
Just watched Episodes 5 & 6 and they blew me away. Sophie Rundle turns in a great performance in these last 2 episodes because everything was high stakes and she's so outstanding at intense drama. The scene with Matt Stokoe where he tells her he's a bent cop and that her father was too, exploded off the screen AND her scenes with the terrific actress playing Tasha were superb. But the final scene with the actor playing Lee immediately after the crash through the birthing sequence has me tearing up just writing about it. These last 2 episodes redeem this series! Doesn't seem like it was written for a 2nd season but I hope I'm wrong. I'd love to see all the characters battling against the corruption Jo uncovered.
The White Princess (2017)
Henry VIII's mom and dad
Mediocre script, a few good scenes, not many surprises, predictable character flaws and storylines. Mostly standard historical drama fare. Too long by at least two episodes. Because the writing was so mediocre, the actors didn't have much to work with in creating compelling characters. Jodie Comer is always good in whatever role she assays, but was really miscast here. Consequently, her performance was a bit flat and brittle. The role calls for a type of vulnerability she doesn't seem to be able to access believably. Another actress like Sophie Rundle could have filled this role with a very different energy that would have enhanced the character's dimensionality. In any case, the series is worth a look.
Elizabeth Is Missing (2019)
Cannot go wrong with this cast
The great Glenda Jackson delivers an unforgettable performance in this her penultimate role. The level of commitment and detail in her storytelling is simply extraordinary. She receives outstanding support from Sophie Rundle as her lost sister who haunts her final lucid moments and Helen Behan as her faithful loving daughter. Glenda Jackson's scenes with Sophie Rundle are particularly heartbreaking and haunting as she is slowly drowning in memory driven by her still tangible love for her sister. Once again, Aisling Walsh creates stunning visual moments which underpin the actors superb performances eliciting vulnerability and specificity --- no false notes from this ensemble.
The Night Agent (2023)
Rips off Bodyguard
Gabriel Basso is a strong lead in an extremely weak acting ensemble. The writing is simply lacklustre with no memorable lines that shows like Peaky Blinders and Bodyguard serve up to their audiences on a consistent basis. In fact, several lines of dialogue seemed to be lifted directly from Bodyguard. Richard Madden and Sophie Rundle are a much better pairing in a much more believable relationship in Bodyguard than the main characters here. For the most part with the exception of Basso, the actors are bland and have little nuance. In addition, the writers, in order to stretch the series to a ridiculous 10 episodes, expects the audience to have an interest in 2 brutal murderers who have absolutely no redeeming features. Skip this and watch BODYGUARD on Netflix instead.
An Inspector Calls (2015)
Aisling Walsh & Sophie Rundle
Brilliant adaptation of Priestley's stage play. Sophie Rundle steals the acting honors here. Her portrayal of Eva, the poor orphaned working girl, is utterly heartbreaking. Rundle's ability to convey deep emotion specifically and with intense vulnerability makes her one of the most outstanding acting talents of her generation. The director, Aisling Walsh, brings great attention to detail especially in the opening factory scenes creating a truly accurate depiction of a 1910s factory environment. Priestley exposes the underbelly of the moneyed English class and how so few choices are available to a woman like Eva. An A-1 production.
The Diplomat (2023)
Brilliantly acted anthology format series with a recurring main storyline
THE DIPLOMAT puts a satisfying twist on the standard anthology format by serving up a fascinating quartet of characters who work at the British Consulate in Barcelona in an ongoing narrative. Led by Sophie Rundle who delivers an expert and enchanting performance and many unforgettable scenes in her role as chief Consul, Laura Simmonds. Her side-kick Serena Manteghi is also outstanding with terrific comedic instincts adding lots of spice to the office dialogue exchanges. Strong story lines involving the Dutch and Spanish crime syndicates and the UK's spy network plus a sharply written romantic subplot. This is a superbly written series that takes on important topics with great sensitivity and balance. Binge it or watch it over and over. So good you will fall in love with these characters and their stories. *To correct a comment made in one of these reviews, the series was not written by a woman but by the creator, Ben Richards.
Unforgiven (2009)
Suranne Jones & Sally Wainwright/a winning combination
Next to Anne Lister in Gentleman Jack, the role of Ruth Slater in UNFORGIVEN is Suranne Jones' most brilliant, emotionally honest and affecting performance of her career. Exceptional character creation and storylines by Sally Wainwright do not disappoint. A triangle of 3 sisters drives the core drama which unfolds over 3 episodes. In counterpoint is the story of two brothers left fatherless by a tragic event that remains a secret for fifteen years. The repercussions of violence and how its aftermath spreads through the lives of the principal characters is presented with great skill by Wainwright. Suranne's performance is not to be missed!
My Summer of Love (2004)
Mean Girls in a Male Director's Fantasy Scenario
Pretentious, perverse and highly overrated. So sick of these lesbian teenager movies that are really just the male directors' fantasies. What was the point of this film? To make 2 young women who might be lesbians, although that's questionable in the extreme, seem as unhinged and mentally ill as possible while consuming mouthfuls of mushrooms? A ridiculous scene ensues that does nothing to reveal the characters' motivations or inner longings. It's all so predictable: the upper class girl turns out to be rotten to the core, the religious Christian brother turns out to be a violent salacious hypocrite, the lower class girl resorts to psychopathic revenge. Throw in some faked moments of satanic possession and you've got a summer of nonsense! Mean girls reign supreme in this pseudo art film. Don't waste your time.
Rose (2020)
An Off-the-Grid Love Story with a Twist
Emotionally provocative performances from Sophie Rundle and Matt Stokoe raise the bar on this love story. The direction and cinematography are top-notch with beautifully composed shots in the landscapes of Wales.
However, in contrast, the main action takes place in a dark claustrophic interior which underscores the couple's complete isolation from civilization.
I'm not a horror flick fan so reserving most of the gore for the final revelation scene was fine with me. This film straddles three genres, psychological thriller, love story and horror which is not easy to pull off but the filmmakers here did just that, brilliantly.
Blonde (2022)
Marilyn as a "daddy" obsessed masochist
Hollywood strikes again. Another attack on an American icon. Dominik's sick revisionist history about Marilyn Monroe is often untrue, disgusting and demeaning. The more I think about this travesty, I just get increasingly angry. There are only two reasons to see this film: Ana de Armas' performance and the cinematography. Dominik takes every opportunity to strip Marilyn/de Armas of any dignity the character/actress might have had. Blonde is a bleak, unrelentingly dark film with an ugly agenda, mainly to smear Marilyn as a "daddy" obsessed masochist who was utterly self-destructive. Just remember, if you choose to see this disaster, many events depicted are untrue! Skip it and maybe Netflix will stop producing such salacious garbage.
More Beautiful for Having Been Broken (2019)
Challenging Themes Explored with heartfelt emotion
So many of the permutations of love explored: mother & child, mother/daughter, daughter/father, man & woman, woman & woman. Kayla Radomski's dance choreography and execution of that choreography is technically expert and emotionally resonant. Cale Ferrin gives a remarkable performance as Freddie as he overcomes the resistance of these two alienated and injured women and brings them all together as a family. The climax of the film is a tad too melodramatic and overacted. Some scenes seem off tonally and several subplots distract from the central storyline. On repeated viewings these problems become more apparent.