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gregoryrobbie
Reviews
Great Expectations (2023)
I was knackered after watching this
This was pretty exhausting viewing. I like dark stuff but it seemed like the people behind this were trying a bit too hard to make this as bleak as possible. I'm not a Dickens expert so have no idea how faithful it was to the novel but I get the impression they drove a bus through it. It looks great of course, it's the BBC after all, and the actors can't be faulted. I'm just not sure what was trying to be achieved. I must admit I mainly watched it because of Hayley Squires, I'll watch her in anything. Even then she didn't appear that much so maybe I got my just desserts for my flimsy reasons for tuning in :)
Interview with a Murderer (2016)
Very biased
As other reviewers have pointed out, this documentary is very biased against Bert Spencer. David Wilson hangs on every word uttered by the mother of one of the Bridgewater Four, as well as Spencer's ex-wife, both of whom obviously have an agenda. There are errors in terms of evidence which are passed off as fact. Towards the end it seems as if David Wilson resorts to trying to goad Bert Spencer into showing some response that will confirm his suspicions that he's a psycho. It's almost satisfying that this completely fails. The only positive is that the programme made me more interested in the case and wanting to explore further.
Black Narcissus (2020)
Well worth your time
Beautifully shot, superbly acted, with a tangible sense of dread and repression slowly but surely building towards the climax. Gemma Arterton and Aisling Francioisi are excellent - the latter in particular has an air of unease from the first moment she appears onscreen. 8/10.
The Ripper (2020)
Good to a point but...
Overall a good documentary series but it gets hijacked towards the end by a couple of contributors peddling their political agendas. Yes the police made horrible blunders and judgements but the idea it was all some male conspiracy is over the top. The contributions by the people at the centre of the story - the victims' families, the survivors and the police officers are fascinating and often heartbreaking. The emphasis on the women who died rather than the murderer is welcome too.