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Reviews
Granite Harbour (2022)
Disappointing - but great views of Aberdeen!
As others have said, not great! On the minus side : pretty amateur acting, hackneyed plot, terrible dialogue, forgettable or exchangeable characters. The most diverse police team in Scotland although clearly no local recruitment? Not an Aberdonian accent to be found (maybe the budget didn't stretch to subtitles for the local Aberdeen/Doric accents?). Some interesting geography around the town, time travel almost required to get from point A to point B.
Half my stars are for the fabulous views of my hometown Aberdeen. Lovely to see the beach, and the land up by the Torry Battery. No dolphins in the background though......
After Life (2019)
Laugh, cry, cringe .... and cry again
I'm not the biggest Gervais fan, but damn - some of his writing in this series is beyond fantastic. Not everything 'lands' fully for me (e.g. Brian, or the psychotherapist in series 1/2), but when it does it is magnificent! I'm binge-watching series 3, and have done everything in my review title many times and not yet halfway through! He can switch from the blackest comedy to heartrending drama in an instant. Compelling TV.
After Life: Episode #1.5 (2019)
OMG - takes a lot to make me cry with laughter....
Sitting here howling with laughter at the woman making rice pudding and bread with 'natural ingredients'. OMG!
Death in Paradise (2011)
Enjoyable escapism
I was looking for something lightweight for lockdown binge-watching, and this fit the bill perfectly. Have now watched seasons 1-9, and interested to see the remainder of new season 10 in 'real time'.
Watching all episodes in such a short space of time does show that there is a fair amount of repetition in the plots - understandably..... just how many ways to murder someone can you think of!! 70+ and counting, so kudos to the writers for keeping it mostly interesting. Yes, there are some episodes where you pay attention for the first 10mins and then re-focus for the last 10mins. The showdowns are always the most entertaining part as the DI shares his lightbulb moments on whodunnit!
What a parade of acting talent has passed through this series - almost every episode has me reaching for IMDb to find out who I have recognised from another program. I can imagine that it must be fun for actors to have a couple of weeks in the sunshine of Guadeloupe!
Of the main characters, I've grown to like all the DIs. Ben Miller was the best IMO, and made me stay watching initially. I was apprehensive with all the new DIs, but Humph, Jack and now Neville have settled in nicely and bring their own warmth and humanity (well..... Neville finally showing signs of humanity in Ep 10:3)! DSs Florence and Camille are both strong characters, although don't show many signs of developing independent investigative skills, relying too much on their DI. But they are a good stable foil for the quirky DIs. JP and Fidel make the best of their roles, although Dwayne was definitely palling in his later series - too much a caricature. Even Ruby grew on me, as her more flamboyant gestures toned down over time - really liked her last episode where you saw under the skin a bit more. And Commissioner Patterson is hilarious - his shady looks / evil eyes to the various DIs crack me up. Great that he's getting more screen time each series.
Thoroughly enjoyable lighthearted escapist fare - just what we need. And I am adding beautiful Guadeloupe to the future post-pandemic holiday list!
Jojo Rabbit (2019)
Laugh and cry in equal measure
I just rewatched this, having seen it on an airplane originally. It is outrageously awesome - I can remember people on the plane turning to try and work out why I was laughing out loud, but I can also remember sobbing quietly at other moments. Second watch is just as brilliant, with as many guffaws/sobs as the first watch.
The two boys playing Jojo and Yorki are amazing and adorable (and I generally don't like kids!). They bring such a warmth to their roles, and such comedic touches. Both have great acting futures.
Waititi deserves huge praise as director and actor in this movie. His portrayal of Hitler is hilarious. I also really liked Sam Rockwell's character, moving from buffoonery to empathy over the course of the tale. Only Rebel Wilson's characterisation jarred a little (for me). Everyone else - awesome.
Highly recommended movie - watch it, laugh, cry, admire.
The Queen's Gambit (2020)
AWESOME adaptation of a favourite novel
I first read TQG about 35y ago, just after it was published, and have kept my dog-eared 2nd-hand paperback all this time, re-reading it every few years. The story is amazing, and I always loved Beth, and the insights into the weird world of chess.
Netflix's adaptation is just awesome. It is so faithful to the book, with huge chunks of dialog instantly recognisable. The casting of Anya Taylor-Joy is inspired, and she is mesmerising throughout (also Isla Johnston playing the younger character). ATJ was born to play the complex character of Beth Harmon, showing a desperate vulnerability, yet with a core of steel running through her. Her doll's face can present a mask, but with her eyes alone she conveys exactly what Beth is thinking.
I was prepared to dislike Benny (Thomas Brodie-Sangster) in the larger-than-life role, but grew to appreciate his characterisation when the story moved to the smaller scenes - in his apartment, in his one-on-ones with Beth. Harry Melling was excellent as Beltik, and Jacob Fortune-Lloyd did well with Townes (role somewhat expanded compared to the book). Marielle Heller brought a touching vulnerability to the role as Alma Wheatley, Beth's adoptive mother, with her heartbreaking storyline.
The production values are also amazing - the costumes and the set-designs transport you to the late 60s. The cinematography is also fabulous (I'm running out of superlatives) - the focus on ATJ's eyes whether she is thinking through a move, or contemplating falling into her addictions...... just draws you into her world. The external locations were so well chosen, you could believe you were in Russia in the Cold War for example.
I wholeheartedly recommend this series to anyone. In a super-compliment, when I re-read TQG (which I will!), I will visualise the actors' faces onto the characters. And that is not something I willingly do for most screen adaptations of loved books!
Awakenings (1990)
Cried my eyes out - again!
I watched this in a cinema when originally released - and the majority of the audience literally wept aloud through the second half of the film. Watched at home tonight - still as powerful, and sob-inducing. Both Williams and de Niro at the top of their respective acting games. And a very moving retelling of a true story. Awesome movie.
Amy (2015)
Tears Don't Dry...
I just re-watched this and was so moved that I upgraded my original 8 rating to a 10. This documentary is both uplifting in seeing her original joy in music, and heartbreaking in watching her struggles and slide towards such a tragically early death. It is so distressing to watch those who fed her demons - from her husband to her father, encouraged on by the paparazzi scum. She clearly had an addictive personality, so was hard to help. So we have this tragedy, the loss of an amazing songbird way too young. I warn you that you will be likely to spend half the duration in tears, watching the car-crash of her life as her fame increased.
The documentary relies on spoken word from friends, colleagues and family to accompany video footage and still photography. I like that Asif Kapadia included contributions from those who could be perceived to have let her down, or had their own interests at heart. Whether you believe those perspectives is up to you.
Favourite moment: her duet with Tony Bennett. You can see the awe in her eyes, recording with an idol of hers.
Context: I am a huge Amy fan, one of the few 'modern' artists (post-1990) that I actively like, so yes I am a biased viewer. However this is essential watching for fans and non-fans alike to see the dark side of fame.
Game of Thrones (2011)
Just awesome
I came late to GOT on TV - finally starting to watch around the time S8 was launched. So I pretty much knew of the characters and storylines as I watched the whole series. This meant no (major) surprises, and limited emotional impact re how good/bad the series became over the years. In my view, the whole series rates as a 10/10. Some episodes better/worse than others, of course. But as an engaging and gripping series it blew me away.
*High points*
The Purple Wedding (Joff is SO evil, got his just desserts indeed). Tyrion's trial - I absolutely loved Peter Dinklage throughout, but he was awesome here, at his peak performance. I was prepared not to like the various battle episodes (normally multitask during that type of scene), but these were also awesome - particularly Hardhome, Battle of the Bastards, Spoils of War.
For individual characters - Ned's demise, Jaime/Brienne (all their scenes), Arya/The Hound scenes, also her later scenes with Gendry. The look of unrequited love in Jorah's eyes. Hodor & the door. Bronn's avarice (although beginning to pall in S8). Littlefinger's dawning realisation that he'd been rumbled by the Stark ladies. The genuine warmth of the Nights Watch relationships with each other. So many other great performances, even if not main cast.
*Low points*
OK - agree with the haters that the Long Night battle was a strategy fiasco. Was never that keen on Bran & the 3-eyed raven stuff. Dorne storylines seemed superfluous after Oberyn's death (which was awesome!). Euron - ridiculously OTT character. The increasingly unbelievable time-shifts allowing characters to travel across Westeros in unfeasible times.
I've never binge-watched anything before and was completely obsessed with GOT. Spent half the last season in tears. Watched so many episodes through my fingers, such was the gore/shock factor. Hard to see what is going to replace it for my evening binge-viewing from now. Kudos to all the cast and crew for a completely amazing show.
Game of Thrones: The Laws of Gods and Men (2014)
I b****y love Peter Dinklage
His performance as Tyrion has been awesome throughout GOT, but in this episode he just blows everyone out of the water. And it gets better with repeat watching.
Moulin Rouge! (2001)
Still brilliant, 10 years on!
I saw this when it first came out, although didn't particularly want to at the time (not keen on Nicole Kidman). However, I was blown away by it especially as a big-screen experience, it was AWESOME. Never before or since have I seen a British cinema audience stand up and applaud a movie during the closing credits. For a visual and audio experience beyond all expectations, watch this movie. McGregor and Kidman have well-matched voices, and who would have thought either could sing so well. Jim Broadbent is, as always, OTT and immensely watchable. All the other characters are well-cast. The use of existing music tracks is genius, they are chosen well. Sets and costumes fantastic. I've just seen this again, and its as fresh and exciting as originally. Compulsive viewing - watch it please. Baz Luhrman rocks!