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Reviews
Living (2022)
So true to life, or true to end-of-life
You may not understand this film if you are (i) not English (ii) not old and (iii) haven't suffered a life threatening illness. As I can tick all three boxes I can say that this was a deeply moving and very true-to-life film. Bill Nighy is probably the only actor who could carry off this part with such verisimilitude, and watching him as his persona changes as the events of the film unfold is a hugely satisfying experience. The complete antithesis of 'in-your-face' acting, his understated portrayal of an emotionally isolated Englishman is perfect, as is his gentle and totally believable metamorphosis into a warmer version of that man.
Aimee Lou Wood was wonderful in the 'Chirpy, down to earth English girl' role , but again it was not overdone, and she was the perfect counterfoil to Nighy.
I found watching this film to be a quietly emotional experience and without ramming them down your throat it carried so many sensible messages. It's the sort of film you watch again and again even though you know the whole plot, because you just want to relish the quiet perfection of the acting.
The Fallout (2021)
So real: so very, very real
As someone who has suffered from trauma of a different type I can say that this movie was just so realistic in it's portrayal: the flip-flopping between "I'm OK", complete denial, tears and "Where the hell am I?!?" is phenomenally acted out by Ms. Ortega. I actually found it very cathartic to watch this. It doesn't try to ram a political message down your throat, but instead it invites you to consider the consequences of this all-too-common-in-America tragedy. A very moving film which I will watch many more times and which I would thoroughly recommend as an antidote to the banality ad shallowness of most films today. If you want a film that explores and portrays true emotions, this is the one for you.
Black Narcissus (2020)
Real Acting
One can only assume that the majority of people who have reviewed this are hooked on visuals and instant drama. What is great about this mini-series is the acting, which is so superior to the vast majority of what one sees today. The acting is subtle rather than in-your-face, the characters are real rather than stereotypes, and pretty well ever actor displays this rare characteristic. The plot development is slowly-unfolding so that (if you do not know the story, which I did not) it leaves you pondering which way it will unfold rather than being a blindingly obvious from the outset. Overall, a very engaging and intriguing series which is a refreshing antidote to the formulaic stuff churned out on so many screens.
The Place of No Words (2019)
Moving
Very unusual film that at first I thought might be too 'New Age' but turned out to be a moving, gentle and philosophical representation of a loving family (as it happens, played by a real-life mother, father and child) coping with impending death. 5-year-old Bhodi (character name and real name) is an entrancing actor, and I just found the whole film to be very calming. It deals with impending death without become maudlin or self-pitying and is a great antidote to the wham-bam trash that pass themselves off as films nowadays.
His Dark Materials (2019)
Another wasted opportunity
I'm very confused that people are saying it's a great adaptation. It's not!! By the end of episode 2 it had gone so far from the first book!! Firstly, I cannot understand why BBC take a book where every character is described in such detail and then put in actors who are - with the sole exception of the Lyra character - absolutely nothing like their description. Then the BBC blows the entire mystery of the book by continuously showing people slipping between the two worlds! As a result, instead of the mystery of the story slowly unfolding the BBC throw into our face a jumpy, back-and-forth journey. Episode 2 shows completely fictional scenes of Mrs Coulter ransacking Jordon College. But the worst thing is that the ethereal, slightly magical, feel of the book is totally lacking, especially with regard to the Gyptians. Such a disappointment.
Don't Go (2018)
Beautiful
Such an antidote to today's sex, violence, bad language and CGI. If you like all of those things, don't bother with this movie. However, if you want a mysterious and emotionally-moving story, cleverly told and portrayed by actors with a convincing range of real emotions, treat yourself to this. A slowly unfolding story of tragedy, with clever metaphors interwoven into the storyline. A moving film which leaves you with a feeling of emotional involvement. Worth watching twice, as at the end of the first viewing you realise that there were a host of references and clues that you missed first time round. Thank you, Ireland, for spurning the 'popular' genre of films and giving us something thoughtful.
The Lady Vanishes (2013)
Intriguing
First of all, when a second bunch of people make a film based on a book that doesn't make it a 'remake'. It's a different take on the book so PLEASE stop comparing this to Hitchcock's and calling this a remake: it ain't. As it happens I've never seen the Hitchcock version so I watched this film on its own merits. At first I got annoyed by the Iris character and then realised of course that that's the point: she IS an annoying character - a spoiled brat used to getting her own way who for the first time in her life runs into a situation in which she can't. Middleton's portrayal of Iris going from blase to annoyed to near-hysterical when she can't get her own way was finely done. Stephanie Cook and Gemma Jones are priceless and portray that particular type of Englishwomen so accurately. (At one time I lived in my grandfather's guest house in the 1950s and it was inhabited by just those sort of eccentric but witty ladies born on the Victorian era, so I know them well). The film builds up the tension nicely and although you suspect what's going on you are never quite sure who is on whose side until right at the end. Overall, an enjoyable evening's entertainment with some very good character acting. Oh yes: and no CGI, no sex, no swearing; just a clever story well executed.
Suspiria (2018)
Barmy!
Started pretentiously with a lot of "deeply meaningful" (not!) shots. Then actually became quite interesting as you got drawn into the mystery of what creepy things were happening at the dance school. Sadly, the mystery was soon replaced by the sort of barmy, bonkers scenes that good old Ken Russell used to show us in the later stages of his mad film directing career. Ended up with loads of disconnected threads not being drawn together and an all-pervading whiff of pretentiousness. It actually could have been a good film if the director had concentrated on the unravelling of mystery, but I ended up only watching the last hour because I wanted to see how bonkers the film could get. Answer: very!
Halloween (2018)
No tension, so predictable
Let me be upfront and say I never saw the original and so I am reviewing this as a stand-alone film and not as some sort of 'homage to a past masterpiece'. Such a disappointment. The cast was strong, Jamie Lee's granite-like character was excellent and the cinematography was great but the storyline......was soooo hackneyed and obvious, and so full of daft inconsistencies and devoid of tension. You could see everything coming. The British podcasters (let loose in an ultra-high-security mental institution with no credentials or letter of introduction? Oh sure!) were marked for death right from the start, so zero surprise when it came shortly afterwards. Transporting a lethal homicidal maniac in a bus with one elderly prison guard? C'mon: we've all seen Fugitive so you just KNOW he's going to escape from the bus. The granny-mother-daughter thing? My wife, after sighing at the obviousness of the whole film, casually said about a third of the way through "The daughter's going to kill him" , and so it came to pass. The cops come across the unresponsive car of their colleagues. Oh gosh, I wonder what's going to happen No!! They all die! Wow: didn't see that coming! The final scenes on the house: three competent shooters with an arsenal of weapons, and yet the constantly fail even to have a gun in their hand, let alone put up a concentrated barrage, so that the 'tension' (not!) can be spun out. So I'm sorry; this is not being pernickety about small detail, this is saying that this is a shallow film where the vast majority of the plotline is blindingly obvious and thoroughly contrived, thus robbing the film of any build-up or tension. It could have been a great film, but the director robbed the cast of that opportunity.
The Devil Inside (2012)
Surprisingly good
When I realised that this was a 'mock-umentary' I nearly turned it off, but what kept me watching was the acting, or rather the lack of acting. If that sounds bonkers, what I mean is that the actors for the most part pulled off a rare achievement: appearing NOT to be actors, but seeming to be real people. I can only assume that those reviewers who rated the acting as awful spend too much of their time in movieworld and have forgotten how real people sound, i.e. unprepared, off-the-cuff and uncertain rather than speaking as if they obviously know their lines. In this respect, this film was remarkably realistic. On the whole 'exorcism' issue, this film also contained one of the most intelligent debates on the 'Possession versus mental illness' arguments that I've seen. So in conclusion, if you want a formulaic, shock-horror fright-fest, don't watch this. If, however, you want an intelligent film with 'real life' dialogue instead of smoothie-polished Hollywood glitz, and a different take on the 'religion versus science' question of exorcism then watch this with an open mind and enjoy a non-mainstream film.
Taboo (2017)
Good idea spoiled by wooden lead actor
Interesting how tastes can differ. I found Taboo to be a series trying desperately hard – and failing – to be a brilliant dark portrayal of early 19th century skulduggery. Why did it fail? Well, Tom Hardy obviously thinks that loping around like a truculent bear, and quietly growling every single line that he has, is superb character acting: it's not. He comes across as completely two-dimensional with no depth of character and ends up being a caricature of the ultra-macho alpha male with zero emotional range. For something like 90% of the time he is on-screen he portrays exactly the same growling, brooding expression and voice and yet somehow fails to convince us that he is a real person. If you compare his 'acting' with the brilliance of Timothy Dalton in the similarly-themed 'Penny Dreadful' who showed such wide emotional range, you'll see what I'm talking about. The BBC also has a juvenile obsession with the 'F' word, and makes sure that in every episode there is a totally irrelevant and unnecessary use of it ("Ooo, aren't we daring! We've made Jonathan Pryce say the 'F' word!!"). So overall, is it terrible? Not really: it has an interesting set of intertwined themes, but it's a series that COULD have been great, had the producers (Tom Hardy and his dad) not allowed the lead actor (Tom Hardy) to indulge in such cardboard cut-out 'Look-at-me-I'm-a-dark-and-brooding-character' acting
Just Henry (2011)
Genuine complex emotions
It's sad that reviewers love to say 'Nothing like the book!'. If you want to read the book, then read it and don't write a movie review! If you want to watch a film that portrays complex emotional conflict at many different levels in a sensitive and realistic way, and if you are tired of formulaic and over-acted Hollywood trash, find an opportunity to watch this fine TV movie. This film deals with emotions and emotional conflicts - in adults and in children - in a very real-life (as opposed to synthetic Hollywood) manner. An ageing mother's wistful love for a departed son and hatred for the man who is taking his place in her daughter-in-law's life, the son with a misty and idealised memory of a father he can hardly remember,and the whole post-war era of trying to put bad memories behind and start afresh. There is moving and believable acting from the young (such as Charlie May-Clark as the uneducated but very savvy schoolgirl) and the old (the inimitable Sheila Hancock as the awful old gran). Ultimately, it is film of hope: of the losers finding their way to win and of the thoroughly bad getting their come uppance. If you want a film that engages you emotionally and leaves you feeling positive and optimistic, give this a try.
Freej (2006)
A wonderful education for non Arabs
You don't have to be an Arab or a citizen of the United Arab Emirates to love Freej: it is the wonderful and eternal story of old folk, steeped in their traditional ways, trying to make head or tail of the modern world. Set in Dubai - which has to be the craziest, fastest-growing city in the world - Freej shows the escapades of four old Arab Ladies whose life is split between bickering, plotting, coming up with hare-brained schemes and eventually learning how to deal with the ultra-modern world in which they find themselves. You don't know whether to pity them, tut-tut at their often dishonest plots or just love their zaniness. If you are someone who knows little of the Arabian Gulf region or have been misled by what is often written about it, just sit back and watch the ladies of Freej and while you are laughing, pause to learn a little bit about their history and rich culture