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Reviews
Peur sur le lac (2020)
Drama - non, mais comedie...,
The first series showed a lot of promise, the second developed the characters and relationships, this third, whilst creditably ambitious has proven to be a bridge too far with a veneer-thin plot with more holes than the most Swiss of cheese, and this dairy product reference is highly apt in this case. The writers must have taken a course in cliches as I am pretty sure that all bases were covered. The actors must have been using a combination of Eastenders and Neighbours as their role models, and I half expected Alf to appear and say "Now look here Commander, mate, or whatever yer name is". And this is a key point because it actually is highly comical and made me laugh out loud at several points - notably when the illegal immigrants were led out of the wilderness and all transpired to be fully qualified medics !!
The plot is so ludicrous I actually don't want to expound it and spoil your enjoyment, but suffice to say the siege of Barnard Castle was more effective than that mounted by the entire French authorities, Bringing in batty Boris as strategic consultant would have yielded more effective results than these bungling buffoons.
So if you want a good belly laugh this would be good to watch, but if you expecting to see quality foreign language drama don't engage with this tripe.
Bloodlands (2021)
aka the James Nesbitt eyebrow show
I really hoped Series 2 was going to be more believable, but if anything, apart from the femme fatale played wonderfully by the smoking Victoria Smurfit (the only reason I gave this as much as 2/10), it was even more ludicrous. With more plot holes than a Derbyshire fracking site, the entire programme hinges on the "meaningful" looks of the awful James Nesbitt, and his eyebrows easily out-act his own hamminess, but sadly, even this entertaining spectacle cannot save this, and the same treatment as the Marie Celeste should be accorded to this nonsense. You would not trust the custody of a lollipop to these so called Top Detectives, as they conspire to make the identity of the "mysterious" Goliath into a mystery that even Scooby Doo could have uncovered in episode 1. This really is truly awful fare, and only for what I presume are the James Nesbitt fan club. Avoid this like the proverbial.
Astrid et Raphaëlle (2019)
Best French series since Spiral
Now 5 episodes into the first series, I am utterly hooked, and cannot wait for 9 o'clock Fridays on More4 ! This series has everything from pathos to outright laugh out loud moments, and everything in between. We are introduced to Astrid when her literal autism makes an absolute fool of a teenager in a gang who was seeking to do the same to her, but then is laughed at by his own gang members as Astrid walks off leaving him completely flummoxed. Sara Mortensen must have studied the differences between autistic and "neurotypicals" very carefully, and her attention to the smallest details is an absolute joy to behold as her almost photographic recall of all the details in the Criminal records files leads her to team up with her polar opposite, Raphaelle (played by the wonderfully ebullient and accident prone. Lola Deweare). The way in which these two learn from each other, and use this friendship to solve cases which Raphaelle has been instructed by her nervous and fractuous boss (played by Jean-Louis Garcon) to "put to bed quickly as a suicide". Astrid has other ideas and quickly puts the lackadaisical Police Pathologist Fournier in his place, but not in a deliberate way. Fournier soon smartens his act up, but Astrid is always one step ahead. Raphaelle takes it upon herself to learn more about Astrid's seemingly lonely existence, and starts to attend the weekly meeting of like-minded individuals. This also opens a new world to the viewers, and it is really fascinating how we are introduced to their views and opinions of us neurotypicals. There are insufficient words to describe the brilliance of this series, and I am hoping that More 4 Walter Presents are going to broadcast all 3 series. I would have given 11/10 if it were possible, this is quite simply televisual genius.
Eve (2015)
Not just for Children
I have just finished watching this excellent series, and exhilarating is how I would describe it, The series covers not just adolescent issues such as love and maturity, it also delves deeply into social and political issues, and you will be left to reflect on the parallels between how humans are on a path to self-destruction, and whether the so called bad guys are in fact the good guys. The transformation through the learning protocol is outstanding, and Poppy Lee Friar brings her own acting skills to produce a very believable sentient being. The adults also play key parts, and.their constant subterfuge reminds one of House of Cards. There are plenty of subplots, and the interplay between. Will Clarke (Oliver Woolford) and. Lily (Eubha Akilade) and her entrepreneurial younger brother Abe (the excellent Elijah. Ayite), never misses a beat. It is to be hoped that that Eve's parting words are realized in a fourth series.
Fisk (2021)
Absolutely brilliant, laugh out loud
The only other time I have found myself unable to stop laughing out loud was watching Robin Williams on stage. Although Fisk doesn't fire off jokes at that velocity, the interplay between the characters, and the comic timing of the main character (Helen Tudor-Fisk) is a rare thing indeed in today's world of alternative comedy.
The situation revolves around a disenfranchised (personally and job-wise) lady, who blags her way into a job as a solicitor in a company which specialize in "squabbles" over inheritances. This is after moving from Sydney to Melbourne.
From here we are introduced to the other characters both in her family life, and new work life.
How you can extract such a level of comedy from this is beyond me, so suffice to say, it just works.
I defy anyone with any kind of sense of humour to go an episode without breaking into laughter.
The best medicine - yes please gimme more !