Change Your Image
james-34735
Reviews
House of Gucci (2021)
Lazzzzzy production design
The production designer thought that peppering a few classic mopeds would be enough to set the first 20 minutes in 1978.
It's really annoying when productions like this are lazy or don't commit to making sure only things around at the time are in shot.
The opening scene has a mid 2000s Mercedes, he was assassinated in 95.
Back to '1978'...
The lorry yard has modern motorway lighting poles and modern floodlights outside their office.
The yard workers all have modern hair styles
The big disco scene is all modern clothing trying to look retro.
Led disco lights weren't invented until late 2000s, there isn't a single 70s disco lighting effect.
Both Donna summer tracks weren't released until late 79. Yes promo records are given to DJs ahead of time but not a year in advance back then.
Apart from the two lead characters no one in the disco has 70s hair.
The disco bar is kitted out with modern pvc cocktail mixing equipment.
Modern day Lavazza coffee cups at the outdoor restaurant.
The book shop is all with modern paperback legal books, I'm surprised there wasn't someone on a mobile phone in the background.
A supposedly not very well off lady ga ga somehow has a Walkman a full year before they are released.
And that's just the first 10 minutes.
If it was a low budget movie I'd understand.
If you're going to set a period piece, hire production designers who know the period - what was around then and what wasn't.
The disco scene kills me though.
It's worst I've seen in a movie where it's trying to be another period.
I can't carry on watching.
Without Remorse (2021)
Just another Amazon 'diversity' movie
The US navy seals are the best of the best (along with the SBS), and there aren't any women who have ever qualified simply because of how utterly physically gruelling the standards are.
So Amazon decide to cast a 30 something light framed woman as not only a navy seal, but also a decorated navy seal unit commander... which I believe would otherwise require someone to be mid 40s at least.
Realism? Not with this movie, casting people based on their skin colour and sex takes precedence.
I couldn't finish watching it.
Relentless (2020)
Solid indie movie
The cast and crew all deserve props for producing a solid indie film.
If you watch Fast & Furious movies all the time then it's totally not a fair comparison.
Producing a film like this with a fraction of the budget takes financial ingenuity and creative flair.
But the film holds its own.
And it's refreshingly different to most indie gangster films which are all filmed in east London.
That alone was refreshing.
The lead characters hold their own weight and carry the plot really well.
If you're up for watching something a little different which is not the usual CGI heavy, big budget predictable Hollywood stuff... this is definitely worth a watch.
I hope the DOP gets suitable recognition for his work too.
And finally... I did laugh at the shout-out in the credits for Boscombe railway station staff chasing them off.
Yes, you're supposed to get permission and pay location fees for that kind of thing. But if you're up against it, you've got to get creative.
Love that they pulled it off.