alangsco's Reviews

The Haunting of Bly Manor (2020)

1/10

24 November 2020

Like lots of people, I started Bly Manor because I really like Hill House. It was a terrible decision.

From episode 1 the accents were all over the place and really distracting. The storyline was predictable and uninteresting. When there's a narrator that has to explain so much along the way it's never a good sign. Nothing scary about it and it was drawn out for far too long. Could have been better as a four parter, which would have helped to cut out the increasingly self-indulgent monologues.

37 out of 63 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink

Red Lights (2012)

7/10

Lights at the end of tunnel.

19 June 2012

Firstly, apologies for the review title. I've seen too many tabloid headlines.

Red Lights was reasonably original, well-written and well-acted. Any movie that can tick these three boxes is worth a look. Although the build up to the introduction of De Niro's character (Simon Silver) represented a slightly excessive portion of the movie it was, nevertheless, interesting. I gather the ending has divided opinion quite a lot, and I admit that it could have been done much better. I've said before when reviewing movies that it's never a good sign when you have to have a character explicitly explain just what has happened in the film. It might have been a better idea to leave it without the explanation and let the audience decide. That might have stoked up debate in a good way and generated some more interest in the film.

Acting-wise i'm sorry to say i'm always skeptical when Robert De Niro appears in a movie nowadays. The man was a terrific actor in his day, but he's been in a lot of recent turkeys. He doesn't have a lot of screen-time here but his performance was fine. If he keeps choosing credible films like this one his reputation will start to repair itself. Sigourney Weaver performs with credit as usual and I always rate Cillian Murphy highly.

Definitely worth going to see this. It's above average, if only slightly.

62 out of 89 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink

The Pact (II) (2012)

4/10

What Pact?

12 June 2012

Now it is possible I missed exactly what the said pact of the title was as I drifted in an out of sleep during this movie, but I don't think so.

Once again, i've been conned by the contents of a trailer. The movie trailer made 'The Pact' look edgy, interesting, and scary. For the most part it was none of these. The tension was built up quite well in the beginning without anything really happening. Initially I was thinking the director was doing a clever thing by not using any big scares early in the picture, and thus not numbing the audience to the later frights that were in store for them. It turned out there just weren't any real scares in the whole film. I will give credit for an interesting twist in the story, even if it wasn't used to good enough effect.

Acting-wise I was surprised to see Caspar Van Dien. I hadn't seen him since the original Starship Troopers movie. From the look of things he's banking on Viggo Mortensen retiring soon with him to fill in the gap. He performed the moody, unshaven, gruff, kind-hearted role adequately. Other than that the rest of the cast were pretty much horror-by-numbers. Not bad and nothing special.

Overall, 'The Pact' is just another average horror movie. If you particularly like this genre then give it a go. If you only like above- average horrors then stay clear.

12 out of 28 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink

A Fantastic Fear of Everything (2012)

6/10

Amusing in places.

8 June 2012

I went to see A Fantastic Fear of Everything with no expectations as I hadn't read any reviews and had been underwhelmed by a couple of Simon Pegg's recent efforts. To use a crude rating system i'd say that this was marginally better than Paul and a lot better than Burke & Hare.

I liked the originality of the story and the journey the character took through the movie. It was frequently amusing without ever getting to real laugh-out-loud comedy levels. Silly humour mixed in with quite clever stuff. I'm not sure how it'll go down outside of the U.K. and indeed I felt that it was more suited to a television rather than big- screen format. It's the sort of film I think you could really appreciate if you put it on after coming home completely inebriated from the pub, although you'd probably have to shave 10-15 minutes off the running time in order to stay awake till the end.

46 out of 66 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink

Prometheus (I) (2012)

4/10

Pointless answers to pointless questions.

1 June 2012

The cast was impressively fashionable, the movie trailers looked amazing, and Ridley Scott was again at the helm. What could go so wrong?

The most overblown and disappointing film of the year so far starts off OK, with the scene set nicely and the tension beginning to build. Unfortunately, the story goes nowhere fast or particularly interesting. To get the audience invested in the fate of the characters they have to care about the characters, and I couldn't help myself wanting most of them dead halfway into this movie. I will say that Michael Fassbender definitely did display a sufficient emotional range for his part, however.

I thought Prometheus was a separate movie from Alien (albeit with significant overlap) and tried to judge it so, but all it seemed to be doing was to try and answer questions that tied up the unknown elements of the Alien plot. In addition to that it puts together such a confusing sequence of events that one of the minor characters actually has to spell out in plain English what those answers are! Really, if you want to tidy up some little plot sidelines (which didn't need cleared up in the first place) you could maybe go down the Star Wars route and make a cartoon version instead for the especially avid fan who cares enough about it.

I will say that it is always visually impressive (although I didn't think 3D was used to any great effect), but that's simply not enough any more. I sincerely hope there won't be another addition to this franchise. They've squeezed enough out of it.

9 out of 25 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink

The Angels' Share (2012)

7/10

A Film with Heart.

30 May 2012

My main conclusion after watching The Angel's Share is that I haven't seen enough Ken Loach films.

Obviously I was interested to see The Angel's Share given the Scottish setting and the little bit of hype that the film has received here through its appearance at the Cannes Film Festival. I wasn't disappointed by any aspect of the movie and would recommend it to anyone.

The characters are real and the acting is hard to fault. The film strikes a great balance between highlighting the mistakes the main character, Robbie, made in the past and not being overly sympathetic, and at the same time recognising that he deserves a chance to build a better future and put it all behind him. The inclusion of the scene where Robbie is confronted by one of his former victims and the victim's family was inspired.

All of the performances given are believable, but i'd reserve a special mention for John Henshaw, who plays Harry. There's an almost intangible sadness to the character where you know he's also trying to make up for earlier mistakes in his life, although the film never goes into details. Very understated and poignant in parts.

Above all, this is a film with heart and has something for everyone.

51 out of 61 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink

Dark Shadows (2012)

4/10

This darkness is getting old.

22 May 2012

Warning: Spoilers

I'd made a conscious decision to avoid previous Tim Burton films Alice in Wonderland, Sweeney Todd, Corpse Bride, and Charlie & the Chocolate Factory because, quite simply, I was fed up with the same actors playing the same dark, quirky, disturbed characters. Why did I give in and go see Dark Shadows? I'm asking myself the same question.

I rate Jonny Depp highly and love some of his movies, but this is clearly a pet project of his and an excuse to share his nostalgia for some old TV programme no-one's heard of (ok, so i'm speaking from a UK point of view). Stars cashing in on their fame and fortune to make something close to their heart is fine when the end product is worthwhile. That's not the case here.

The plot is a total mess with the minor characters flitting in and out of the story to facilitate the contrived journey of Barnabus (Jonny Depp). I found it annoying how some of the minor characters were used for the convenience of the plot without explaining the backgrounds to their stories. Bella Heathcote's character is set up in the beginning as the star-crossed lover who is seemingly a major part of the plot and then hardly used subsequently. Okay, okay, we know this is a Jonny Depp vehicle and no-one else matters, but is there any chance of it making some sense?

Incidentally, two of the four stars are for Eva Green.

3 out of 7 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink

Jeff, Who Lives at Home (2011)

6/10

See it for Segel's performance.

21 May 2012

Firstly Jeff, Who Lives at Home is a pretty uninspiring title. Perhaps because of the title I was not expecting a lot from this film. I liked it more than I thought it would (i'd give it 6.5/10 if I could).

My main reasons for watching were the fact it's described as an offbeat comedy and that Jason Segel is the lead. I enjoyed Segel's performances in I Love You, Man and Bad Teacher regardless of how good those films were and he didn't disappoint me here either. He plays the title character, who is a bit of a likable loser who pursues this idea that everything happens for a reason and that his destiny is out there waiting for him somewhere. His performance is engaging and never resorts to the cheap over the top physical comedy that some of his peers are guilty of producing.

Quite often, films where the characters are chasing their destiny end up overblown, exaggerated and totally unrealistic, which isn't the case here. Jeff gets taken on a fairly simple journey where he deals with the real issues affecting his life, such as the relationship with his brother and mother. I did find Ed Helms quite annoying as the brother, but I guess that's just the character he was playing.

If you're looking for laugh-out-loud comedy then this isn't for you, but there are lots of amusing little sequences as well as nicely handled emotional moments. It's not going to win any awards, but I found Jeff, Who Lives at Home to be oddly uplifting.

2 out of 6 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink

The Woman in Black (2012)

7/10

Decent atmospheric chiller

10 February 2012

Having first read the novel and watched a TV adaptation in my English class as a 14 year-old, I had pretty high expectations of this big- screen version. And overall I wasn't disappointed.

I felt the film capitalised well on the seclusion and isolation of the town and, more importantly, Eel Marsh House. You really do feel that there's no way out once Arthur Kipps (Daniel Radcliffe) is at the house. The house itself is suitably eerie and has you on edge for as long as Kipps is there.

There are plenty of little frights throughout the movie, but I didn't feel this ever became cheap and pointless like so many other films in the horror genre. Indeed, i'd classify this as an honest old-fashioned ghost story more than anything else. Daniel Radcliffe is clearly going to struggle to break away from his earlier role, but I thought this was a step in the right direction. I did actually care about what happened to the character, which is more than can be said for so many lead characters.

Where I felt the movie fell down was showing the dreaded Woman a little too much. It's that old thing where sometimes the more that's left to the audiences imagination the better. The setting was definitely creepy enough that they could have left her out of a few more scenes. I also didn't like the very end scene simply because it's not how I would have ended it. You'll have to decide for yourself though.

All in all I recommend this as a very worthwhile way of spending a couple of hours.

1 out of 3 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink

Shame (2011)

6/10

Not worth the hype.

24 January 2012

I was really looking forward to seeing 'Shame' because one, i'd seen a lot of critics headlines lauding it as the film of the year, and two, because I like a lot of Michael Fassbender's work. I was expecting something explosive and original and unfortunately left feeling disappointed.

Sure, the acting is good and Fassbender is believable in the role, but I didn't find the story interesting or particularly thought-provoking. Sex addiction seems to be the latest celebrity or sports-star fad and to take it seriously as a real problem or illness is impossible for me to imagine. Obviously there are hints at a rough childhood for Brandon and his sister but, if anything, Sissy's life and character could have been explored a lot more as she seems so much more interesting.

To sum up the acting was fine and the movie looks good, but the weakness of the story was a major weakness. Some of Fassbender's previous movies such as Fish Tank or Eden Lake make far more interesting social commentaries.

10 out of 16 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink

50/50 (2011)

8/10

Perfectly Pitched

12 December 2011

As has no doubt been mentioned in every other review here, a young man's fight against cancer is not obvious comic material. To call this movie merely a comedy, however, doesn't give enough credit to the touching and sensitive handling of the subject matter.

It would be so easy to veer into areas of dubious taste with the humour or to go overboard with the sentimentality of it all, but this film does neither. When watching in the cinema I could clearly hear the same people both laughing and crying.

I can also do nothing but applaud the acting and the script. Seth Rogen does what you expect him to do and does it well. Anna Kendrick is so likable in all of the movies i've seen her in and this is no exception. Sooner or later that'll probably become annoying, but not yet. Joseph Gordon-Levitt is outstanding and Anjelica Huston adds some gravitas.

One of the most worthwhile movies of the year without a doubt.

0 out of 0 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink

Take Shelter (2011)

6/10

Challenging subject handled well.

28 November 2011

Seeing the trailer for the first time this is a movie that appealed to me as something a bit different, and it didn't disappoint.

I found it to be a thought-provoking and sympathetic (without being condescending) look at the effects of mental illness on the person affected and the people closest to them. I felt Michael Shannon did a great job conveying how much people are almost embarrassed to go and seek help because of the stigma associated with mental illness. The character is aware that things aren't like they should be, but he's supposed to be the strong family guy who doesn't talk about feelings and deals with his problems by himself. Jessica Chastain was excellent as the wife trying to stand by her troubled man.

The only negatives for me were that things move really slowly for the first hour and I thought the ending wasn't where the story should have ended up. Almost like it was trying to answer the viewers questions when it didn't have to. Sometimes you can't wrap a story or topic up neatly in a little box and I wish directors and producers would remember that more often.

6 out of 13 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink

Anonymous (I) (2011)

7/10

Anonymous = Entertainment

9 November 2011

First thing to point out. When going to watch this movie I had no intention whatsoever to judge it on its historical accuracy. I simply did not and do not care. If you want a documentary on Elizabethan times then clearly you shouldn't be watching this particular film.

If, on the other hand, you want a perfectly entertaining and interesting way to spend a couple of hours then you should go and see it. I thought the story was engaging and original (if, like myself, you're not a pretentious academic). The acting was, on the whole, very accomplished. In particular, I thought Rhys Ifans gave a brilliant performance as De Vere and was perfect for the role. I did find Rafe Spall pretty annoying as Shakespeare, but perhaps I should give him the benefit of the doubt as this was probably the aim of the character.

With regards to the historical rewrite then surely if people are interested in what 'Anonymous' suggests they'll try to find out more about the subject in order to make their own mind up. Nothing wrong with that. And those taking Hollywood's version of history at face value are pretty much beyond help anyway.

Certainly one of the most memorable movies i've seen (for the right reasons) this year.

122 out of 165 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink

Contagion (2011)

4/10

Predictably disappointing.

7 November 2011

Warning: Spoilers

An exciting storyline involving the topical and scary premise of an unknown virus sweeping the world and a large cast of Hollywood A-listers (and B-listers) employed to bring it to life. What can go wrong? Quite a lot, as it happens...

Firstly, you've got the killing-off of Gwyneth Paltrow's character 10 minutes into the movie. Now, i'm no great fan of Gwyneth Paltrow, but surely the obvious shock-tactic of killing a recognisable face at the start of the feature has become a boring cliché? Then there's Jude Law's appearance. Off the top of my head i'm struggling to think of any movie where Jude Law stood out as a good actor. I don't particularly dislike him. I just don't rate him. One surefire way to make him unlikeable, however, is to give him an accent that he patently can't pull off. Maybe it's childish of me, but incredibly bad accents put me off whatever else is happening on camera. Oh, and if his accent isn't bad enough you've also got the distraction of his dodgy teeth. Perhaps these gimmicks were thought necessary to deflect away from his unconvincing performance.

Apart from that the cast is fine. Not exactly challenging roles for the likes of Matt Damon or Marion Cottillard, but they do OK. Kate Winslet probably fares best as she is the one person who seems capable of conveying real emotion (and I didn't think her American accent was too bad).

As for the plot, it's predictable. Virus breaks out, scientists baffled, no-one knows what to do, public panic and breakdown of society and then a cure appears from nowhere with no real explanation and everything's fine again. I felt like watching this movie was a waste of time. And yes, I realise i've now wasted some more of it writing about it.

If you want a virus movie with more substance go see Perfect Sense starring Ewan McGregor and Eva Green. Much more worthwhile way to spend a couple of hours.

2 out of 8 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink

The Ides of March (2011)

6/10

Seemed unfinished...

7 November 2011

By unfinished what I mean is that it felt more like half a movie. The Ides of March is competently scripted and acted but really doesn't tell you anything you didn't know about the ruthless nature of political life. With a cast this great you're expecting quite a lot, and the acting is fine. It has to be said, though, that most of these actors could play these roles in their sleep and only the ever-watchable Paul Giamatti really stands out. Philip Seymour Hoffman and Marisa Tomei especially are badly underused. Unfortunately, the story builds to an interesting place and then it's over. Not a bad movie, but i'd rather watch my old DVD's of The West Wing for my fictional political entertainment...

3 out of 7 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink

alangsco

Reviews

Tell Your Friends

Recently Viewed