cpouras-17071's Reviews

On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969)

7/10

4 March 2021

Warning: Spoilers

I have been a Bond fan since the early 80's as a young teen, and had seen every movie. But incredibly, I had not seen OHMSS until today.

First of all, the OHMSS theme is by far the best Bond theme of them all. I loved the background music to the infamous ski scene in The Spy Who Loved Me (Bond '77) but that wasn't the theme music.

George Lazenby put in an acceptable performance. It's hard to believe he was only 29, he looks much older. There was something lacking in his performance though, I just couldn't quite put my finger on it.

The middle of the film is a little slow (the whole Sir Hilary thing), but it picks up momentum eventually.

I thought OHMSS was a decent Bond film overall. Not the finest, but definitely not the worst....that one would surely go to Moonraker. I'd watch it again just for the opening sequence and the theme song.

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The Fabulous Baker Boys (1989)

8/10

One of the coolest films you'll ever see

3 October 2020

Have seen this film at least 25 times and it never gets boring. Just for the jazz score alone, it's well worth a viewing, especially if you are into jazz music. If you are into the classic romantic image of dark nightclubs, smoky atmospheres, and cool jazz, this is absolutely the film to watch.

The opening sequence is one of the best ever to be caught on film. The scenes of Jeff Bridges leaving a one night stand's apartment and walking through the streets of Seattle at dusk, whilst dilapidated neon signs light up as night falls, all set to a jazzy sax tune, are unforgettable.

This is not a masterpiece film but definitely up there in my top 50.

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Chinatown (1974)

10/10

Sublime on every level

17 February 2020

Very, very difficult to find any faults in this landmark film. The script is captivating; the soundtrack haunting; the cinematography and photography perfectly captures the hazy atmosphere of LA, especially at dusk; and the production values are first class. "Chinatown" is well deserving of its status as a 20th century classic in film.

Through its story of a civic department run by greedy officials, "Chinatown" captures moral decay in 1930's LA so well. This is the key theme of the film. There is romance, but its secondary to the plot.

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Miami Vice (1984–1989)

8/10

Absolutely epitomises the 1980's

12 January 2020

If anyone ever wanted a summary of 1980's pop culture - it's fashion, music, culture, values, and attitudes - they would have to look no further than watch this iconic show.

Wow, what a time it was. And what a show - the production values are first class, the location shoots around various Miami sites, the soundtrack of 80's music, instead of standardised TV muzak - everything about this show made it the legendary series it was.

Best scene? There are many, but the opening scene of the pilot episode, with Sonny and Jimmy Smits standing out the front of The Carlyle on Ocean Dr, smoking a cigarette, wearing Carrera sunglasses and a white suit whilst watching a group of kids breakdancing - in all honesty, is there a more iconic 1980's scene than that?

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Margin Call (2011)

7/10

Accurately encapsulates the psychology of the GFC

26 December 2019

I was a stockbroker in '08/09 and will never forget the panicked feeling on the trading desk on a daily basis. Unfortunately, nothing has changed. Greed still drives the market, inexorably towards the next GFC. Lessons were given out but none learnt.

And Demi Moore....wow.

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The Irishman (2019)

8/10

Love the crime history captions

25 December 2019

Much anticipation on this film and it delivered - mostly. It was at least 45min too long but that didn't bother me. I've seen it 3 times already - that's a staggering 10.5 hours of my life devoted to one film. But it's one of those movies you pick up subtle nuances with each additional viewing. The attention to details, and the production values, are absolute first in class. I didn't care too much for the CGI de-aging but it wasn't a dealbreaker for me. Overall a solid 8. And yes..I loved the captions over various characters who subsequently died.

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The Jackal (1997)

6/10

Roles should have been reversed

19 December 2019

Richard Gere and Bruce Willis were cast the wrong way around. Gere should have been the Jackal, and Willis the prisoner. Other than that, it's not too bad a movie. The various disguises Willis uses are often laughable, literally. And he has a constant smirk on his face, as if he knows how ridiculous his disguises are, but he's having a laugh anyway.

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Bullitt (1968)

9/10

Late 60's style at its peak

28 September 2019

This film epitomises the style, feel, and vibe of late 1960's West Coast. The score, scenery, and dialogue are uniquely of that era. "Cool" doesn't fully describe this film. A landmark film.

"But seal it, Barney".

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Sons of Anarchy: Suits of Woe (2014)

Season 7, Episode 11

9/10

Great episode

9 July 2019

Superbly acted, written and directed. My only small nitpick - I noticed that Hunnam's American accent slips back into his native English one quite a bit in this episode.

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