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Reviews
Agatha and the Midnight Murders (2020)
Pretty Good (maybe great) for TV Movie
I'm surprised by the negative reviews here. We found the story, setting, characters, and dialogue interesting and entertaining. Is it world class? No. But, it holds its own with many of the mysteries on TV (new or rerun). Sure, it's not Agatha, but it's not supposed to be. It is an imagination of Agatha living during the Blitz and trying to get by like everyone else. It is fun trying to guess whodunnit, but the movie is more of a comedy/thriller than any highbrow drama. Perhaps that is where it goes off for many? We're decidedly fans of the mystery genre, but not so much the 40min-1hr trope that appears nightly on whatever station you care to name (and have no time for the police procedural). You'll like this if you like the new Agathas or the old ones and go into it with a desire to simply go along for the ride!
A Call to Spy (2019)
Disappointing - weak script and trying to act
This is a difficult watch. The underlying plot is certainly incredible, but this movie flubs it. Unfortunately it cannot decide what it is and the script suffers for it. Is it a feel-good, dramedy? A dark, suspenseful spy story? Perhaps a docudrama? And then there is the acting - everyone in every line must be so sincere and serious. Sarah Megan Thomas should really spend some time focusing on tighter scenes (take a page out of the 30s and 40s) and acting without trying to act.
It is altogether possible that there was too much plot to try to collapse into one move - truly the story of any of these leads could have filled a movie (or even a miniseries if so inclined). And the "normal" war scenes and atmosphere were all the worse for the overreach. Even as the movie hurried from "important, serious, acting here" scene to "build the character" scene, I couldn't help fast-forward a bit in the hopes that it would finally end (and that is something a almost never do!).
I'll close with an odd after-thought, what was the movie trying to do with the references to the horrible treatment of the Jewish people? It seemed to want to paint the actions as bad and the most important thing, but then swing around show how bad the Allies were to Jewish people. Such nuance is possible, but the way this movie does it is ham-fisted.
Kampen om Narvik (2022)
Disjointed and maddeningly misleading
Overall, this was a fine movie in parts.
However, as a whole, it was lacking. It needed to either be much longer (a 4 part soap) or much narrower in scope and tighter in plot. Instead, we got a movie that painted with broad, sloppy brush strokes - perhaps a student copy of Guernica put on film - and cut with dull scissors - think trying to express emotion through length rather than quality. Perhaps the budget was too big for the producers so the director got greedy with time or perhaps the script was simply too long. The end result is too much but too little of everything - from battle, to character development, to scenery, to acting, to emotion, to historical accuracy, to story. Not exactly a curate's egg, but close (and probably depends on your mood at the time of watching). Not a bad showing, but see the Heavy Water War for a much better format and movie/show.
A quick note on the historical accuracy part, the whole narrative arc seemed quite unfair to our British friends - almost painting them as the bad guys due to their failure to perform in the movie (and when they do assist, people die because the English cannot make naval bombardment perfectly hit only the Germans). Much is said about the English not coming to our aid and "why don't the British come" or "why don't they protect us". This continues to the final throwaway end pre-credits crawl where Norway is abandoned by the British and French and, wait for it,... without being told. While there is a slim nugget of truth in this, it vastly ignores, well, the stark reality of the whole campaign (see, if nothing else, the death rolls). I'm all for telling one side of the story, but why so vicious in criticism of our brothers? And why call it "true"? The purpose of all this inaccuracy is lost on this viewer.
Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace (1999)
Poorly directed, poorly shot, poorly acted
Sadly, this edition in the Star Wars saga is probably the worst. Leaving aside the nostalgic and also the controversial parts of the movie, one left with a very uninteresting plot, directed in a ham fisted manner, and executed entirely in front of a green screen. That green screen and the weak graphics it displays is probably the worst part of the movie... until, that is, you stumble on to some of the dialogue and acting. The movie drags from the start and portions of the action seem less designed for the on-screen interest than for the potential later ride/video game. I suppose one must see it to understand the rest of Star Wars, but perhaps finding a Lego version or a much edited copy is the way to go.
Jeszcze przed swietami (2022)
Pleasant Christmas Compilation
This is really a movie made up of small stories tied together by a delivery truck and deliverywoman. Each one is touched off because of (intentionally and drunkenly) mislabeled packages.
With that small premise, a number of well-acted, funny (not over the top), and sentimental stories are told. People, places, themes, and emotions that will be familiar to all viewers, but seem a bit exotic due to the Polish setting of the film. It's really a joy to watch - like seeing someone you know someplace completely different. Also, unlike many movies or shows today, it's not possible to predict the outcome of any of the stories and, not sure about you dear viewer, but we enjoy that!
Not sure if it's one to re-watch but it's certainly worth one view during the Christmas season. You are sure to find some outright laughs and some moments of sentiment and connection to the characters. Great work Polish cinema! Both this and Dawid and the Elves were excellent additions to our Christmas viewing.
Dawid i Elfy (2021)
Surprisingly Good!
We didn't expect much from this comedy cum drama cum fantasy cum children's movie... but somehow it paid off! Perhaps our joy in it came from reveling in another culture's traditions or avoiding the sappy dialogue and voices by listening to it in its native Polish and reading the subtitles? (Aside: We did that for Megan Markle's banal narration of Disney's nature documentaries and it made them actually watchable - French audio, English subtitles.) Whoever wrote those subtitles really knew how to make them meaningful and funny - even just the "Ho ho ho" while the audio only had "Ho ho" was a cute one.
Even in English though, I imagine this still was a good movie. The casting was terrific, the pacing was perfect, the sets were cut down but well done, and there was just enough holiday cheer. No overblown FX here or celebrity casting for no reason whatsoever. The little side gags were really well timed and without any of that excess acting/dialogue/stupidity that often ruins them in these Netflix/Hallmark Christmas tropes. And, for the main plot itself, well, there's not much too it and it is definitely not what the tag says it is ("overworked elf..." ah, no), but it still works in an odd sort of way.
Overall, this was a tough review to write as it's a very tough movie to describe... but we loved it! Wesolych Swiat Bozego Narodzenia!
Why Didn't They Ask Evans? (2022)
Sharp, Stunning, and Grand
Wonderful dialogue and directing. I'm not sure what the naysayers saw, but from my view this is one of the best mystery adaptations ever made. It has the wit of Green is for Danger without relying on only one actor to bring it. Side plots are nearly as fun to dive into as the main plot. Does it keep you guessing? Sure, like all of Agatha's books. If you need to know the ending, maybe those terrible true crime series are more for you. (One wonders who in their right mind likes reading/watching a mystery when they know the ending...)
Directing (and acting to support) is really the sparkler though. Scenes crackle. Cuts are perfect. Only wish it were longer....
Fortune Is a Woman (1957)
Brit Noir Fun
Quite an enjoyable romp that feels inspired by all that is loveable in post-war Britain. A touch of modern, a pinch of the house party, a dash of Dame Agatha, a teaspoon of the pukka sahib returning to Blighty, and a dose of hidden passion. Always a fan of a great narration, this one has quite possibly the best narrator out there in Hawkins. Don't come looking for a deep thinker, but come ready to be entertained - nostalgia for an era that you never saw combined with a bit of mystery that we all enjoy!
The Fugitive (1947)
Should have been better
When John Ford and Henry Fonda are involved in a film, it is difficult not to expect greatness. While this film is interesting, it is not great. It's an art house film that doesn't have the depth of feeling one would expect from such a piece. It's a character-study without enough character development. It's cinematography first without the sparkle and contrast needed to draw the viewer in. The plot and story and cast could have yielded so much that one is left with only one thought....