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Reviews
Get Shorty (2017)
Found by Chance, GEM I Never Knew Existed.
I'd never heard of this and I literally stumbled across by accident but WHAT A LUCKY ACCIDENT because it's one of the best shows I've seen in years. IMO Better than Fargo, even pushing Better Call Saul for top spot. It's fantastic and I'd like to spread the word as far as possible.
PEOPLE, YOU NEED TO WATCH THIS. They've managed to keep the gallows humour of Elmore Leonard whilst updating the background features. And it made me realise just how much old Elmore Leonard influenced the Coen Brothers. That lovable lowlife amongst a crowd of deeply unlovable lowlifes is a recurring theme for both. Fantastic. 10/10.
Live by Night (2016)
Live By Night, Sleep During the Film.
This film tried to be a classic. It had the huge budget. The mythic landscape of prohibition era America. The grittiness of an urban north-east immigrant melting pot and the exotic juxtapose of tropical Florida - then owned as much by the yokels who'd been pushed to the edges of civilisation, over generations of incompetence and ostracism. Now a deluge of new money, arriving with the gangsters who are attracted by the sunshine, the proximity to international shipping ports and the deeply corrupt local law enforcement and political establishment. IT HAD IT ALL but, sadly, this film ended up being worth far less than the sum of its parts. Affleck seems unable to recognise when a 'less is more' opportunity occurs. He can't tone things down and be subtle, ever. It shows a disrespect to his audience. A worry that they need everything explaining, twice.
I love gangster movies, particularly prohibition era gangster movies. Al Capone, Lucky Luciano, Meyer Lansky, The St Valentine's Day Massacre, The Untouchables.
So this film is more than a disappointment. I'd seen the potential and I knew that it could have been one of a very few truly great movies. Unfortunately, what could have been and what is are different things and this films potential never becomes realised. A great shame.
Remember Me (2014)
Really Bad
I'm a huge fan of Michael Palin so I was very disappointed that he agreed to involve himself with this amateur nonsense.
It's incredibly poor viewing.