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Bodies (2023)
I kept thinking i was watching Doctors.
For those who dont live in the UK, there's a daytime soap called Doctors over here that epitomises bad acting. Whilst watching the first episode of this on a Thursday night, I suddenly kept thinking i'd somehow inexplicably time-slipped to a Monday afternoon and had been made to watch Doctors instead. Some of the acting is astonishingly atrocious. Honestly, i've never seen anything like it. What the hell were you thinking of Stephen Graham? You might be a national treasure old
son, but you'll never get that knighthood if you keep agreeing to this kind of drivel. Just awful TV, although every single diversity box ticked, so it'll no doubt win awards. Trust me, go and paint grass green instead.
Boiling Point (2023)
The only thing the BBC should do now is drama.
This is quite simply the best thing the BBC have ever done. This is all they should do now. They should leave the news well alone. An absolute masterclass of acting and directing. This really is next level stuff, it draws you in and just doesn't let you go. No spoilers but half way through episode 2 I suddenly realised I wasn't breathing. Just stunning in every department. It's not confirmed yet, but there will be a second series, it's too good for that not to happen. Yeah 'The Bear' is good, but this makes it looks like a very poor mans copy. British drama used to be the envy of the world, keep this up and it will be again. SUPERB!!!
Aftersun (2022)
Boring, tedious and self indulgent pretension.
Ill say it again. Boring, tedious and self indulgent pretension. When writers and directors have limited talent, they seem to think that pretension will somehow invoke a feeling that their work is bordering on genius. This film is dreary, one dimensional, and only fit for middle class dinner party conversation. The young girl has a certain charisma, that's the kindest thing i can say about it. I kept watching, thinking 'soon, soon this thing has to either spring into life OR have something to say.... nope, not a thing. There are even unexplained red herrings, that's the level its pretentiousness sinks to. Unless you're a film student... please... don't bother.
A Spy Among Friends (2022)
I say old bean.
I was expecting so, so much more of this, what with all the talent involved what. But after only three episodes, i'm afraid to say i've actually taken umbridge with the drearyness. I suppose it's good and all that, you know, commendable and worthy and all that good stuff, but i'm frightfully sorry to say, it's all very, very tedious. A bit like staring at a Turner for too long, you suddenly start asking yourself why. I suppose there's some depth in the morose greyness of it all, but for the life of me, i couldn't be bothered digging. Having said all that, some of you might like it, jolly well hope you do, top ho.
The Gray Man (2022)
Bourne and Bond and Bauer.... Brilliant
Gosling's got this. Tongue-in-cheeky (he's proper cheeky), but he delivers like Cruise. Most action movies now are bang bang blah blah, but this is tight as AC/DC in the 80's, with a story that demands a full watch. Some of the camera work's inspired too. With the dilution of talent now due to the 'platforms', this is a breath of fresh air.
Bosch (2014)
Only watch this if you can't read.
I read The Lincoln Lawyer years ago and was half-aware that the character Matthew McCaughey plays in that was loosely related to the protagonist in Bosch. Connelly is a really decent novelist, dark and compelling and it is for that reason alone I finished the first season of Bosch.
The first problem with Bosch is the casting. Titus Welliver plays the alpha male maverick 'anything but by the rules' cop, but it just doesn't work. There's no consistency in either his body language or his facial expressions and whilst he holds a gun well enough (nearly always with a torch in the other), he lacks both the stature and physical presence to command any real intimidatory threat.
Then there's his daughter, played by Madison Lintz. What on earth were the producers thinking here? She actually makes Titus Welliver look good. She's just dreadful, eyes darting to find lines whilst constantly aware of the camera.
There are smaller roles played by ex-24 actors, namely Sarah Clarke and Annie Wersching who play Bosch's ex-wife and his 'hard-bitten cop buddy love interest' respectively. They were both good in 24, especially Clarke who played the now eponymous Nina Myers, so I can only fathom that their awful turns in this are down to the director/s.
Another character/actor deserves (if that's the right word) a mention here, the token 'fat but jolly' detective Johnson played by Troy Evans. He's atrociously bad! He spends the entire series just looking happy to be involved, which I'm sure he was.
The only character I was really interested in, in any way, was Raynard Waits, played excellently and with just the right amount of intrigue by Jason Gedrick, and without him, or indeed the screenplay derived cleverly enough from Connelly's novel, I wouldn't have got past episode 4.
Watch this if you can't read, otherwise read the books...please!
This Is Us (2016)
It just doesn't get better than this!
Ten years ago, I stumbled upon a T.V. series whose title I initially had no idea as to what it was about. Breaking Bad? I thought....what the hell does that even mean? About 3 shows in however, I was hooked...totally hooked, and it has remained the greatest T.V. show I have ever seen, flawless in every aspect, from the acting, to the direction, but mostly, the story itself, the narrative and the way that that narrative juggled both our expectations and our realisations. It was as close to perfect as any show could be, and although I've watched a hell of a lot of T.V. shows since over the last ten years, nothing has ever really come close...until now!
I haven't written a review for IMDB in years, but I feel compelled to now. This show is just....it's just...well, it's as perfect as any show can be. The cast are simply wonderful in their roles, and bond together so organically that it's hard to imagine them leaving each other at the end of a days filming. The acting is sublime, the direction faultless, but the real star of this show for me isn't the writing, (which is in itself, simply incredible) but the structure. The way it takes us back and forth, in and out of each character's life, whilst simultaneously remaining linear in its narrative progression, is simply astounding.
No other show has EVER made me FEEL like this one does. It is the most emotive experience you could possibly wish for. I'm laughing hard one minute, and almost sobbing the next. It's constantly surprising, almost shocking in places, nearly every episode has a twist that although you almost saw coming, you're just too invested in their lives at this point to think about until it happens. If this was any other show, I would say that it's a case of patience being rewarded, but with this it's different; the little twists and turns, the signposts that you look at but don't see, appear as little bonuses, rather than any kind of fully-fledged significant events in the story. The way that the writing sometimes misleads us and our expectations is absolutely superb, I have finished many an episode shaking my head in disbelief and saying 'wow'.
The soundtrack too, accompanies the storyline with a relevancy that astonishes. I'm half way through the second season and I've had to start pacing myself, rationing the episodes almost, so as to not finish it too quickly. It is quite simply the most emotive, heart-warming and emotionally intelligent show I've ever seen. It's perfection....almost genius!
The Kid (2010)
Film of the year!
Don't know where i was when the book came out, can't remember any hype or fuss about it, but apparently there was, but no matter, i've seen the film now, and it's quite simply brilliant! I didn't even know it was a true story till the end, and what a story. Some of the early scenes depicting Kevin's abuse are painfully breathtaking, so uncomfortable to watch, and this is partly due to Natasha McElhone, almost unrecognisable as his bitter, angry and repressed black-toothed mother. The story chugs along in a way that never lets up, you're always interested in whats coming next, and when finally the credits rolled, along with a feeling that i wished i was just starting it all over again, to see Nick Morans (Lock, stock and 2 smoking barrels fame) name as director, didn't shock me as much as excite me, if he can even come close to this again, it'll be worth watching. Summing up, great acting throughout, great direction and with a nostalgic 80's soundtrack, if ya like your films gritty, edgy and ultimately 'hard to watch' in places, then this is for you! My film of the year so far!
Felon (2008)
Brutal prison film
I've always been a fan of Stephen Dorff,just don't seem to see a lot of him, not enough anyway. This starts like so many American movies,you just want to jump through the screen and become him,perfect wife, cute kid, business doing well, hell, they're even getting married and he agrees to an extra $650 for the dress. Then, one night they hear an intruder and Dorff ends up killing him with the aid of his baseball bat which of course he keeps under the bed, well, this is America!He's then arrested for murder, and you're left (as he is) thinking, hang on, this ain't right. Sentenced to 3 years, he finds himself in a max. security sort of 'escape from new york' type hell-hole, where all the prisoners do is fight each other for the amusement of the guards, one of which has serious issues with one of the inmates. Enter Val Kilmer, a sort of Charlie Manson( the English prison variety, not the American cult leader) character, a legend in the penal system for his brutality and quotes about philosophy.
Sharing a cell, they make inroads to becoming as close as either man ever could in the circumstances and they do end up mutually respecting each other through the hardships they endure. When Dorffs wife sends him a 'dear John', Kilmer understands his pain and we are left wondering if he is actually as bad as all that. The yard scenes are depicted in a kind of gladiatorial way, extremely brutal and we've long past the point where we want to jump back through the screen into the safety and comfort of out own living rooms.
This is primarily a hard, brutal ,prison drama, but underneath all that, its also a story about hope, faith and the need to put right a lot of what is wrong with present day society, as Kilmers character declares' i would have wiped out the whole goddamn planet just to have them back'. Brutal, yes,and un-compromising at times but there's also a message here regarding what is happening to certain elements of our society, all in all though, a cracking and well told film.
Emotional Arithmetic (2007)
Poignant and affecting
I watched this film last night and its been with me on and off all day. First off, don't expect Entertainment in the purest form of the word here, this is a very adult, cerebral and slow-burning experience. Ultimately, its about pain and the memory of it and how that can affect life and relationships afterwards. To say the acting in this film is good is a serious under-statement, but Susan Sarandon is absolutely sublime, it honestly cant get much better than this.
The relationship between her and Christopher Plummer is at best dubious, and when Gabriel Byrne is introduced, we are left guessing as to whats the story here.Through some very subtle changes of tone, as the story progresses, you do wonder if Von Sydow and Byrnes presence, are finally filling some need in Plummer, through jealousy or a sense of competition , which, it has to be said, he feels he's losing desperately.
There's one scene in particular which shows just how sad memories can be when not shared with others and its only when it rains and the words are washed from the diary that you feel Sarandon has finally let go of the past as is symbolised by the rain making clean for the future.
Von Sydow realises he's been at fault by making her suffer through remembrance and declares 'She should have lived'. Great writing, direction and SUPERB acting, all add up to a very worth-while and deeply poignant movie.
Birthrite (2008)
worst film of all time
I've seen a LOT o bad movies in my time, but THIS? Quite easily THE worst film I've ever seen. I tend to read the comment given by IMDb and then decide whether or not to d/load, and its very rare i'm disappointed, but what is rfiles on? Not to be missed? The end certainly isn't, just to be sure its finally over. I watched it all out of a fascinated curiosity, i honestly couldn't believe what i was seeing. Whoever made this film were serious, thats the worst part, if it was meant to be tongue in cheek or a bit slap dash on purpose you could give em a bit of license, you can tell though, they thought people would like it. Its honestly like a couple of in-bred day release stoners have made it in a day, its EASILY the worst acting I've ever seen. PLEASE someone else watch this film and leave a comment so i can prove to myself im not going mad.