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Cunk on Earth (2022)
Oh this is good!
Having been hitherto unaware of Philomena Cunk and her insightful documentaries, this was a fresh experience. Witty and yet insightful, cringeworthy yet funny. A very watchable and entertaining series.
Diane Morgan as the titular "Cunk" pulls off the "lost" and out-of-her-depth interviewer superbly. How she kept a straight face in some of these interviews I don't know, how some of the interviewees remained in their seats and took Cunk's questions is even more of a mystery.
Philomena goes off track and produces rambling stories somehow related to her topic and questions. Much to the bemusement of those to whom she is addressing her monologue.
What we end up with is an enjoyable and at times even educational little gem of a series.
Well worth watching.
Sherlock: A Scandal in Belgravia (2012)
Best of the best
I've seen this episode several times over the years and it still never fails to impress and make me smile.
Gatiss and Moffat have done a great job with this story, they really have. They built this story layer by layer and you as the viewer are drawn in and taken on this roller coaster ride of an episode without realising it. From the simple start of the palace/royal scandal, the homage to the original, to the tantalising glimpses of Moriarty in the background and the threads of something else in the background and on to the chase after Irene Adler, and the sucking in of Holmes to the real story and plot, all so well structured.
And enacted! Cumberbatch is amazing and i don't say that lightly. So many moment when he brings across just what this Sherlock is like and then turns it on its head - the "don't have a hero" to the Molly apology (and watch everyone else in the shadows) and lets not overlook the extraction of "payment" on those who harmed Mrs Hudson! The look on Sherlock at the bottom of the stairs as he pieces together what has happened is astounding - the final stare even more so, the range of emotion on that face!
And then bringing it all so cleverly together at he end with Sherlock going from rock bottom embarrassment to triumphant victor and tge ultimate redemption moment at the execution really brings the story home and a smile to one's face.
This is a well crafted story with great character portrayal across the board. All the supporting characters and their actors are fantastic as well and contribute so much. Mycroft's agony at the dilemma of the plane, Waton's fierce protection of his friend and his admonishment of him too, Mrs Hudson in general.
A real 10/10 moment this one for taking the viewer through a range of emotions and making them care about everything that happens.
Doctor Who: Eve of the Daleks (2022)
Oh dear.
It would be easy to just give this a 1 because it seems to be disappointment after disappointment when it comes to Doctor Who these days. However for once this episode was not quite that bad.
There were some good moments of humour in this episode, just sadly none of it generated through the so-called stars of the show.
I can't recall any meaningful dialogue from Yasmin and the storyline of her being in love with the doctor is tired and badly played out. The Doctor's equally tortured reciprocation or lack thereof is so wooden and forced it seems quite insulting to what it tries to stand for. The chemistry does not exist and relies on statements by other characters in order to become established at all.
And the whole concept sadly lacks any originality. We've been here before haven't we? With a passion through Rose and the 9th and especially 10th Doctors, then unrequited Martha and the 10th, and Amy with the 11th! So forgive me yawning loudly when the current incarnation, 13, tries - and fails - to capitalise on recreating previous love tensions and grab some ratings but thus time around attempts by trying to inject some lgbtq aspect into it.
Ashling Bea (Sarah) and Adjani Salmon (Nick) carried the acting part of the story and John Bishop (Dan) filled in his part well to the limit that the writing allowed. There could be a good character there and Bishop does well but there is so little opportunity for him to do anything to widen his scope.
Too many characters has been a constant criticism of the Chris Chibnall era. Trying to play down the Doctor and equalise with the companions has left little room for developing so many different characters however. Too little time per episode and too few episodes to allow this approach.
The storyline itself was okay, one of the better ones of this Doctor. Poor dialogue and direction, a lack of room for the actors to develop their roles and social politics underlying the storylines have undermined the Doctor what it has stood for.
Wherever it goes from here I trust at least the new Doctor will not dress like a clown or run like Phoebe Buffay.
Two episodes to go and then i wish Chris Chibnall and Jodie Whittaker good fortune in their future endeavours but their stint with the Doctor will only be remembered with cringing.
As an aside i watched two Christmas specials (as opposed to new year specials) of the 12th Doctor which were available on ABC iview - Last Christmas and Twice upon a time. Good comparisons as the 12th was not without detractors.
The result was night and day compared to 13 however. Last Christmas was fun, jaunty and witty with its dialogue and delivery. It carried a story, not just in this episode but from prior ones and capably set up ones to follow.
Twice upon a time however reduced me to tears such were some of the moments that it produced. Mark Gatiss as a writer and actor is extremely talented and the lethbridge-stewart family connection in the story was a nice touch despite the slightly contrived nature to it.
Bring on the new start and new opportunities to claim back what has been lost.
Foundation (2021)
Foundationless?
So, there are a few things you need to understand about Foundation.
The first, this is NOT Foundation.
Second, once you get past the first point via the whole denial, anger, bargaining, depression stages then you do get to acceptance.
The acceptance thar this is a completely different story being told and the names in this case have not been changed to protect the innocent. Preferably they should have been and then those names would not have been such a distraction for many viewers.
Sadly there may now never be an accurate representation of Isaac Asimov's Foundation, or at least not for many years to come as this story will have taken the series name and will leave a negative mark.
Ironically a similar stage has been set for the Dune saga with yet another attempt at portraying this is about to hit the air/streaming channels and has to overcome many historical stigmas from past failures.
Give the past Dune attempts a credit however that this Foundation cannot claim, they at least tried to remain faithful to the storyline.
For those familiar with both the books and animated films of the How to train your dragon franchise, you will know that the only relationship that the Dreamworks films have to the books is the name of the book and some of the characters.
Both however are worthy of their reputations and are a great read and view respectively.
These are apt comparisons in my opinion to this series calling itself Foundation.
As I said as point two, get past the issue that this is another story being told and you can actually enjoy it in as much as you might be able to when taking it on its own merits.
The stand out actor is by far is Lee Pace who portrays Brother Day/Empire. I quite like the approach and backstory to the emperor and how that is used to intertwine with other aspects of the galactic culture. Pace brings a gravitas to his performance that nails the power and surety of the Emperial legacy of the Cleons. It is a powerful portrayal and this gives a validity and believability to this story arc. Personally this is the most interesting story line, it seems - for want of a better phrase - a far more "human" approach to the tale.
Elsewhere in the action we see the power of major religion, having waned over time now waxing and reviving its sway with the masses amidst growing uncertainties that face the Empire's populace.
Terrorism, our own modern curse, has also made its galactic appearance with devastating and lasting results.
With both of these the series seems to be throwing up a mirror on our own modern issues of power, government, religious influences, terrorism. No doubt more that I have not realised.
It is therefore thought provoking but it is messy. It is made so by taking what could have been a standalone story in its own right and try to shoehorn it into a shape into which it clearly cannot fit, that being under the guise of Asimov's Foundation, a mantle that ill fits this offering.
Watch and enjoy but move past any expectations quickly!
Lucifer: Off the Record (2017)
One of the best by far
An episode with a difference.
Seeing the world through someone else's eyes to create the story was an interesting angle. It gave a very different feel to the episode.
This aspect of the episode and the storyline itself would be enough to rate this one high but the twist in the tale, only revealed come the final scene was excellent and built on many aspects of the Lucifer-world lore that other episodes have alluded to.
Very much a "must watch" episode.
Doctor Who: The Timeless Children (2020)
Oh good grief!!!
Seriously?!
Speachless!
It was all going so well and then it just all.... fell apart.
Great example of why the ratings have fallen off the cliff in the last two seasons.
Doctor Who: Praxeus (2020)
I'm sorry, really I am.... but remember the Star Wars prequel trilogy? Yup, that's now Doctor Who!
Oh it hurts, it really does.
You want to like it.
You want to keep finding something good in it, something worthwhile that justifies hanging on for another episode....
But that's all this is becoming.
Just like the Star Wars prequel trilogy, promising so much but ultimately failing to satisfy.
And so here we are with Doctor Who.
It hasn't just been Chris Chibnal or Jodie Whitaker. It hasn't just been the inconsistency of the writing in series 11 and 12. It's not the forced over the top political correctness within the plot lines. It's not even the transformation from class drama to British soap opera nor the dumbed down role of the Doctor herself.
No, many of these elements were already raising their heads in previous series. Remember the opportunities that opened up with Bill on series 10? Didn't that (tragically along-with Bill herself) die a sad death! And before that we had Clara. What an origin story, mystery, heart, humour, sadness.... and running. But again "sadly" the running headed down a dead end where no-one seemed to know what to do with the character.
The decline Is probably all of the above but the reality is that we are where we are and the current show runners are not only compounding but exacerbating the issues facing the Doctor.
It's not yet too late BBC but don't wait much longer!
Doctor Who: Resolution (2019)
More Eastenders than Doctor Who
I feel like I'm watching this just for the sake of watching! The show itself is feeling more forced by the episode. The storyline is moves forward by deliberate dialogue telling you what to think, no room for wonder or thinking. That key ingredient, imagination, is absent and made irrelevant by the dumbing down of the writing and direction. The plot isn't able to move forward naturally, it is pushed and forced and jumps around.
Jodie doesn't get the chance to act and the overall effect is to reduce the role of The Doctor to the background performing a fill in role there only to look confused and then to utter dramatic and oft intelligble sentences in order to fill in the blanks for the watcher. Sadly she just is not believable as a person let alone as The Dictor.
Half the time it feels like the show has become akin to a soap opera as we focus on the life and times of The Doctor's new best friends or mates as she calls them (obviously companions is a defunct term).
The other half it decends to the level of a kids show and draws on what has gone before rather than creating new and origjnal themes.
Can it be rescued? Yes, but not with ease. The BBC and Chibnall have a year to think about it before coming back im 2020. Hopefully they think wisely on their way forward.
Doctor Who: Heaven Sent (2015)
Awww! That was good!
Can't help smiling every time I get to the end of this one even now I know the ending. That's how good it is.
This was some of the finest writing of Doctor in the new era. I had to come back and watch this one following the disappointment of the next doctor. Dare I suggest that Chris Chibnall who produces the Jodie Whitaker Doctors come back and watch this too if he's looking to improve from the low standard to which Series 11 fell.
There was an element of "who dunnit" to this. A mystery that was hinted at the first time the Doctor made his way around and which was revealed bit by bit as the episode progressed. Time after time the Doctor died and came back again, leaving almost indiscernible clues for himself the next time around.
This one hits just about every emotional chord as it progresses. Wonder, sadness, amazement, joy! So good!
Powerful acting, great direction, a well written and developed story, well worked with the scenery and musical score.
One of the best Doctor Who stories, up there with the Vashna Nerada stories and Blink.
Doctor Who: Demons of the Punjab (2018)
And here it is, finally the real Doctor
At last. A Doctor story worthy both of the Doctor and the talents of Ms Whitaker. Time travel, aliens, depth of characters, hate, passion, sadness, redemption, love. At the core though, good story telling. At last.
Doctor Who: The Woman Who Fell to Earth (2018)
Huh... so that was it?
Well after much hype, the new Doctor Who landed... quite literally landed through the roof of a train! So, after watching it a couple of times, I can honestly say that it's really.... well sort of.... actually a bit more.... kind of.... can't actually put my finger on it. Very "BBC-ish" maybe?
Was it enjoyable? Yes... sort of. It wasn't bad and it was better than just okay.
Lots of staged monologues and set-up situations to move the story along and allow the Doctor to say various Doctor-like sayings that somehow all seem to have been said by previous Doctors. Perhaps with a woman playing the role, the new producers and directors thought we might need reminded of who/what the Doctor is. Hmmm, perhaps a bit more credit should be given to the watching public?!
Staged, yes that's a good word for it. Not a great bit of story telling or script.
After seeing it for a second time the worry comes across that the BBC is grasping a bit. Throwing lots of elements together and hoping that something greater than the sum of the individual parts will come out the other end.
Perhaps it will eventually come together as the series progresses but Episode One wasn't the best crucible.
Fingers crossed that we aren't seeing the beginning of the end of Doctor Who for the second time.
Sunshine on Leith (2013)
The feel good movie of the decade - forget the bubblegum pop of other musicals this is the real deal
I'd like to find something negative to write about this film but the truth is that from those dramatic opening moments of the atmospheric crescendo that is Sky Takes the Soul, you just know that this is going to be a good movie.
Scratch that, it's going to be great movie!
Now I have to declare a vested interest here in being an ex-pat Scot, however being a Glaswegian watching a movie set in Edinburgh you have to go a long way to impress me, but if I say - and if you quote me I'll deny it - that even I found myself falling in love with the majesty of Auld Reekie, then it certainly is impressive. As a vehicle for the Scottish tourism industry this is a great advert, from the Edinburgh Acropolis, to the castle itself, to the beautiful views of the water of the Firth of Forth to Princes Park and to night time shots of the illuminated Athens of the North, this is the Scottish Capital at its majestic best. After 19 years abroad, I finally found something to make me homesick.
And at heart, that is what Sunshine on Leith really is, a love story set to the euphoric lyrical poetry of The Proclaimers, full of the joys and pains of life. Centring on the return home of two Scottish soldiers, best pals, from the war in Afghanistan, Sunshine on Leith deals with their challenges in making new lives and loves, its about their families, the challenges of growing older and maintaining excitement in life or at the younger spectrum, of deciding on who you are, who you want to be and finding out that the grass is not always greener but that often you have to find that out for yourself.
For most people, there are two alternating states you will find yourself in at all times while watching this movie - laughing or crying. There is very little in between as you accompany Davy (George MacKay) and Ally (Kevin Guthrie) on their return home and the varying highs and lows of day to day life out of the rigid routine of the army, all of which is out of their control.
The musical score defies you not to get up in the middle of the theatre and sing or clap along, such is the power of The Proclaimers' catchy tunes and clever insightful lyrics that capture the fears of young and unknown love, the blossoming joys of new relationships, the hurts of rejection and breaking hearts, the challenges of dealing with life in general and so much more. If you're not a fan of The Proclaimers going in, you will be when you come out. It's challenging to remember that the movie was written to the music and not the other way around as the two dovetail so well together.
What makes it even harder to resist the toe tapping and humming, the laughing and the crying is that throughout the movie you are left with the sense that the actors themselves were having a great time making it, such is their own passion coming through in their roles. There are no big names to sell this movie as we've seen in other recent big budget musicals, just good solid acting, and perhaps it is the absence of any big names and egos helps along the chemistry on screen between the characters (not all of whom are Scottish it must be pointed out, not that one would know from their excellent accents).
There are some great dance scenes throughout and watching Scotsmen dancing away with pint glasses in hand is a real representation of the local life and knowing that makes it all the more fun to watch. Resist if you can, the spirited rendition of "Over and Done With" or the mocking fun of the boys singing "Let's Get Married" in the middle of the pub while watching the football, let alone the progressive dancing through the National Art Gallery to the accompanying "Should Have Been Loved".
There are some great moments throughout the movie that if unprepared for can be missed so brush up on what Charlie and Craig Reid (the twin brothers who are The Proclaimers) look like now, otherwise you may miss their cameo appearance early on in the movie which is funny indeed. Tribute is paid of course to Hibs, the Reid brothers' favourite football team and Leith local side. There are the in-jokes of the Scots between the civilised east of Edinburgh and the wild wests of Glasgow, just as much as there are the jibes about the Scottish rivalries with the English and England in general.
Stand out moments must include the spectacular backdrop view from the windows while protagonists Davy and love interest Yvonne ardently sing the heartfelt "Then I Met You" quite literally at each other. Equally so, it is moving to finally see "I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles)" returned to it's rightful place as an eloquent love song rather than a novelty of oh so many Friday night pub scenes and karaoke bars. And watch out for the charms of "wee" John Spence playing Ally's young nephew "Brendan" who steals the spotlight in his few scenes with his cheek and charms.
Sunshine on Leith is the feel good movie you will want, nay "need" to see over and over again and each and every time you will laugh and cry just as much as the first time!
Chef (2014)
Very Palatable! Simple, unpretentious, feel good movie.
What can you say about Chef other than "such a good movie". Leave aside everything else, this is an entertaining, clever, feel good movie that draws you in from the start and takes you along for an enjoyable ride of redemption. Chef Carl Casper (Jon Favreau) is, or rather was, the next big thing in the kitchen, an exciting up and coming young chef, an unknown Miami chef able to be creative and daring in his own demesne. 10 years on and commercialism has taken its toll. Tied to an upmarket LA restaurant, as an employee of Riva (Dustin Hoffman), an erratic and unimaginative owner, Carl is not the man he once was with Riva continually putting him down in front of his staff and usurping control of the creativity (or lack thereof) on the menu that clearly hasn't changed in years. Unhappy, unfulfilled in his job, divorced from glamorous well to do wife Inez (Sofia Vergara, Modern Family), we see Carl struggling to both pour his heart into his work, proving to himself he still has what it takes to be "Chef" while trying, and failing, to be a dad to his 10 year old son Percy (Emjay Anthony) whom he clearly loves but guiltily feels he has let down by failing to be the husband and father he wanted to be and so avoids time with. Savaged by a critical food review at the hands of Ramsey Michel (the ever talented Oliver Platt), Carl retaliates via Twitter and social media but what he thought was private was anything but and amidst a war of words with his critic, Carl loses the plot and storms out of his job with his parting rant videoed and sent viral, condemning him as too hot to handle for any future employers. Favreau does well to establish his character - we like Carl, we feel for him, we empathise with his plight of juggling career and fatherhood roles. There is a strong group of equally likable characters around him in the restaurant all of whom attest to a better Carl that existed before the weight of the world upon his shoulders brought him down. Not least of all in this mix is the pot smoking, food junkie restaurant hostess Molly (Scarlett Johannson) with whom Carl seems to share more than just the odd smoke on occasion. Forced to look at new ways to pursue his career and maneuvered by ex wife Inez, Carl takes up a food-truck while visiting Miami and taking help from Inez' ex-ex-husband, Robert Downey Jr. who plays his small part wonderfully erratically. And now the passion begins to return. Joined by his former kitchen hand Martin (John Leguizamo) and his son Percy, Carl and Co take the food truck cross-country back to LA. Percy hits Twitter (who must have sponsored the movie!) with their journey, playing on his father's earlier notoriety and suddenly the El Jefe food van is a coast-to-coast sensation with their Cuban sandwiches, sliders et al. En route to LA, Carl is reinvigorated both as "Chef" and as a father sharing life and times with his son and clearly returns to the man he once was, as can be seen through the returning chemistry with Inez. The movie has a great cast, all appearing with small but pivotal roles, playing their part in the rebirth of our protagonist and you just can't help but will it along. On the way there are shots are how harsh, if not selfish, some critics can be, sometimes dismissing the fact that those they set their sights upon are really just hard working men and women who take those reviews to heart and suffer from them. There was almost an expectation that things must go wrong somewhere towards the end, that there must be a doom still to come but clearly this was never the plot's intent as it races through to the 'happily ever afters' back in LA, all the while accompanied by a funky Cuban/Latino beat score that just adds to the vigour and power and life being restored back into Carl. Don't think this is a schmaltzy life is all roses type of affair as it's not. The script is intelligent and so is the acting. The relationships built up are convincing and realistic, swinging through a range of emotions, mistakes and apologies and attempts to do better clearly showing none of us are perfect but when we live out our passions we are all the better for it. The other side effect of this movie – other than the feel good factor – HUNGER! Gastronomical delights abound throughout the movie so maybe one to catch on an earlier showing and then hit the restaurant afterwards! Enjoy.
Noah (2014)
Well....that was different?
So, think you know the several thousand year old story of Noah do you?! Think again. Apparently there were more than a few details missing in the original tale and even things that the big guy upstairs must have got wrong. The first 30 seconds or so were doing pretty good and then along came the big rock guys, kind of like Lego Bionicles on steroids, who were there to help and nurture Cain and mankind. Noah seems to be trying to get a modern day message across as well, references to how badly Cain's decedents have looked after their world paralleling perhaps to todays ecological issues, but all this really achieved was over complicating the storyline and creating story arcs that seemed to go nowhere and never really made a point. Even the type of filmography changed at these times with soft music perhaps intended to usher in for the cinema goer a change of attitude. Epic fail. Perhaps there was an assumption that in today's non-religious world the Biblical version is little known, and maybe there is a point to that which allowed Aronofsky, the director, to take a direction that was at best 'off centre' but I beg to differ. For many, the continual changes and misdirections, that Noah's family suddenly diminished in numbers, that suddenly Noah and his family were not as righteous as God had indicated, that Noah was now to sacrifice his grandchildren, and more......all became a bit much and as hard as I tried to take this movie seriously, it became harder and harder as it went on. Can I have my two hours back please?