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Reviews
Man Down (2013)
Surprisingly disappointing
I had high hopes for this one, given my appreciation for Greg Davies's humour and my own love for British comedy. All such dreams were dashed soon, couldn't go past the first 4 episodes. The length of episode is too short for any sort of plot development, and the underlying themes are too few and weakly held. Avoid.
The Queen's Gambit (2020)
Wonderfully shot period piece
Cinematic feast, especially if you enjoy period dramas. This mini series also brings a good helping of side stories to add a bit of variety to proceedings, and keeps the chess to introductory level. I particularly enjoyed the Cold War themes, the stereotypical Soviet attitudes, and the recurring cast, as if they were conscious of closing all threads properly.
CONS: unfortunately commits the cardinal sin of being preachy, and that too of flawed dogmas. Not only does it show everything going swimmingly despite poor decisions by the protagonist, it also repeats vapid generalizations through the prism of her mothers voice. I've taken off 2 stars for these.
Californication (2007)
Irreverent, offbeat dramedy
This series captures the darkly comedic life of a struggling writer. There are some truly memorable characters who deliver some priceless moments throughout, Hank, his agent Charlie and wife Marcy, and Charlies boss Sue.
I breezed through the first few seasons, but the plot seems to get repetitive quite soon. The whole thing starts to unravel, and the 'surprises' thrown in to keep the series going cease to have the effect after a while.
The basic pretense of the relationship and constant gaslighting by an emotionally manipulative spouse is played out more than a few dozen times past the point of no return. Somehow, the whole thing is a wishful construct of a nihilistic, hedonistic life where luck will find you when you need it most.
A good bit of witty mindless fun.
Strictly Sexual (2008)
Exceeds all expectations!
This one was an unexpected little gem. The actors playing the four protagonists have true chemistry, and that is key to what makes this work shine. What this film does is it shines a massive, industrial scale floodlight on how differently men and women see relationships, and the nuances and politics within.
My favorite scene was the guys chatting on the roof. Priceless.
An Inspector Calls (2015)
Underwhelming experience
I had high hopes for this one. Despite the good camera work, excellent actors (in particular Finn and Rundle for these roles) and interesting plotline, it all manages to fall apart in the final 30 mins. The thread of the story unravel, logical errors appear and the role of the Inspector becomes more and more forced and ill-fitting.
TL;DR: Comes up decidedly short
Then Came You (2018)
Touching poignant story
Asa Butterfield and Maisie Williams deliver great performances, with superb chemistry and a poetic touch. The scenario isn't new by any means, but this is a fresh take on it, and the film positively thrums along on an upbeat note.
Made me emotional in some scenes, so deserves credit for being emotionally engaging. The soundtracks are quite well chosen and put together, and are heavily used to build the 'atmosphere' of key scenes.
Definitely a must watch if you're a fan of Asa or Maisie!
Ford v Ferrari (2019)
Wonderful, moving portrayal of a true story
I'll be honest, I'm rarely emotional watching movies. Somehow this proved to be an excellent, worthwhile exception. You can almost smell the gasoline and burning tire in the race sequences. Matt Damon and Bale outdo themselves bringing the characters to life. The cinematography is marvellous, and low cameras, zoomed in faces and out of focus long shots bring depth and perspective to scenes.
A visual tour de force well worth enjoying.
Qu'est-ce qu'on a fait au bon Dieu? (2014)
Poignant film with a comedic twist
This film has an air of authenticity throughout. It brings forward so many of the situations together where we have experienced or seen casual racism, into the spotlight, and leads the viewer gently towards a solution.
The chemistry between the brother-in-laws, and between the fathers is almost over the top in a immensely enjoyable way. The way life is lived, with a serene rhythm, and concerns other than monetary, stand out in contrast to popular cinema.
What this film does best is shine as work of art. Nuances of culture, religion, race are captured, and sensitively. The storyline builds gradually working out the kinks until the viewer is enthusiastically rooting for a conclusion which seems more and more unlikely. The twist at the end is just a cherry on top.
A truly great film with a great cast.
Sex Education (2019)
Used to be wonderful, S2 is basic propaganda
When it came out, SE was a breath of crisp mountain air. It was a fresh angle on the growing up story, set at high school level. Some of the scenes were gratitious and at the same time fit the scene so well, that it simply flowed.
Season 2 is another story. They have basically thrust the propaganda (left, pride, LGBT, fluid, asexual) so in the face of the viewer, that it has BECOME the main thread in the story. I resent that viewers are simply treated to agenda items, contentious themselves, as obvious moral points one after another as fact.
Indeed, it would seem a MF relationship is the one which is rare should one watch this season as representative of real life. A sorry end for a promising series.
The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (2017)
Huge potential...wasted
This show had the potential to be a great, timeless one, but its let down by some key issues. Firstly, this is a very jewish show, for better or worse. Unfamiliar hebrew words, rabbis, temple scenes, stories from the war, etc. A lot of the jokes would be called anti sem tropes if if wasn't by a jewish creator/writer. The more problematic issue is the feminist agenda it seeks to push. Throughout the entire first season Midge is shown to be almost flawless, modern lady while "men are trash" is sometimes said and at others implied. Takes the shine from an overall good show.
Dear White People (2014)
Well-made, well-shot. Poor storyline!
This is one of those films which raises a lot of questions. If it was intended to incite outrage and response, it succeeds in that. There are a lot of cheap shots taken at both races, starting from typical stereotyping, provoking and then some completely over the top stuff.
Had it not been so intent on ruffling feathers and providing SHOCK value, this could've been an excellent topic to film.
On the plus side, the acting is pretty good on average, the score/soundtracks are apt and the cinematography is swell.
Avoid if possible.
5/10
Dogma (1999)
Funny, but with a darker side
AN excellent film, brash and over the top as expected, but with a few plot holes as well.
My chief gripe is the way it attempts to mess with my belief system. I do my best to avoid propaganda films, no matter what the rating, and although this is not as bad as some others it doesn't take a genius to see what its going for.
The scene in the parking with Loki and Bartleby in the parking lot when the Affleck character flips and rants on with some pretty weighty questions on Christianity and organized religion made me think some. I mean alright, fair enough, they invite one to think. And I did. Paused, and talked it out with my cynic side out loud.
But I definitely do not appreciate it, not when I'm watching a film for entertainment. Debates and diatribes are for other times.
7/10