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daryltinworth
Reviews
Midsomer Murders: The Maid in Splendour (2004)
Sociopathic
I was home sick one day and this ep repeat was on, so for nostalgia sakes I settled in with a cup of tea. It must be rose tinted glasses, as I don't remember the plots being this bad. It's laughable. Cheered me up, that's how bad it was. I had to rewind and fast forward a few times during one scene. Tom and Dan arrive at the village garage, get out of the car, and there's snow & frost on the village green. Their breath is visible. Background extras rugged up. Middle of winter. They disappear inside for ~ 30mins tops, and head outside again to a different season. For now it's sunny, warm, people in t shirts, no snow, it's summer time baby!
But this isn't the main issue. The plot and ending is so 'spit your tea out' that it's scarcely believable. Sorry for spoilers - but for the old man to declare his love for Bella is just plain odd. At no point has there ever been chemistry or anything to suggest to the viewer this could be a reality. And for the old man to unload his 12 gauge into his SON from point blank range is just pure sociopathic! I mean, think about that! A quiet village. An ex publican who is mourning his lost wife who died 2 years ago (the opening scene shows him staring adoringly at a photo of his wife) shoots his only son with a shotgun just because he is going to sell the pub, and who is having an affair with Bella. This is all after the old codger has mistakingly shot one of his young employees (and he's able to act completely like nothing happened).
Of all the nefarious characters I've ever seen across all sizes of screens, none have come close to the sociopathic evil this old bloke shows! Its worth a watch just for that.
Cinderella (2021)
Don't sweat the details ...
Look, it's not meant to win best picture, it's a bit of fun, an interesting take on a classic which is revamped for modern times. Who needs 'original songs' when you can have mash ups of the white stripes and Beyoncé? Some genuine laughs as well. If you want you daughters and sons to be inspired by a twist on a classic that shows not all ambitions should be limited to being a princess, then you'll love it.
Seven Types of Ambiguity (2017)
Don't waste your time
I cannot quite fathom how this has such a decent rating. The plot and script have more holes than a tea bag. The acting redeems the show, especially Hugo, which is why it gets a 1 and not a 0 if that were possible to score here. 7 types? There are 6 episodes! The first two, possibly three episodes are great, after which, I don't know if they ran out of money, ideas, if the director changed or they lost the script, but something happens. The show loses all sense and reason for being. None of what you have learned about the characters carries forward into anything that might be deemed semi-realistic. It's absurd. The editor cannot even be bothered to check simple things like when Anna receives a text msg and we see that it was actually sent 3 hours ago (on May 7). A few days later she receives another text msg, sent 'now' but the date is May 5. If they cannot be bothered why should the viewer be bothered to watch.
It isn't worth my time carrying on, but if you're a glutton for punishment, then by all means, watch it, if only for the solid Hugo performance and the wonderful cinematography of Melbourne.