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Reviews
Happy Valley (2014)
Amazing
I have just revisited Happy Valley in the wake of a new series.
I binge watched both series 1 & 2, they were as good this time around as they were the last couple of times I watched them
Sarah Lancashire is amazing, she lives and breathes Catherine Cawood, and absolutely deserved her BAFTA for the role in 2017.
The rest of the cast are incredible as well.
The storylines are gritty, unpleasant and for the most part realistic, allowing for a little poetic licence.
Sally Wainwright is always a fantastic writer, but she has excelled herself here.
This is British television at its best and we should be so proud of our wonderful writers and actors who bring productions like this to the screen
I'm so looking forward to series 3, especially seeing how the storyline will play out with Catherine's grandson being around 16, and the trials and tribulations that will no doubt bring.
If you haven't watched Happy Valley, do so, you will not be disappointed.
The Good Nurse (2022)
Chilling true life drama
I had not heard of this American serial killer before watching the film and was shocked to learn of how many people he murdered. Also how easily he did it and continued to do it at various hospitals where staff were suspicious but nothing was ever done to stop him.
Eddie Redmayne is sublime as usual, I later watched an interview with the real life Nurse who finally helped to catch him, played very well by Jessica Chastain, and she said it was just like being in the room with Charles Cullen.
The lighting was a little dark, but I guess that was done for a reason, and it made it more atmospheric for me.
There were a few jumpy moments, but it wasn't really meant to be a thriller, it was a drama which showed how easy it was for a man like this to do what he did for so long unchecked.
Definitely recommend this film.
The House Across the Street (2022)
Don't waste your time
This started well, seemed like a good story, if a little predictable, local child goes missing.
It went wrong for me when I realised that Moaning Myrtle really was going to talk in that strange baby voice all the way through the 4 episodes.
Her character was totally unbelievable, as was the police involvement, the fact that the Mother of the child went back to work days after the child was found dead, and the weird neighbours.
Most of the acting was wooden, not helped by the fact that there was no character development. Craig Parkinson tried ever so hard, but he apparently gave up after 3 episodes and just disappeared.
The ending was just diabolical and such a damp squib, I only stuck with it as it was a rainy day and I had nothing much else to do. I really hoped it would be a good ending, it wasn't.
And, what on earth was the underpants thing all about ???
Don't make the mistake I did, find something else to do, anything, just do it and don't watch this dross.
Mr. Harrigan's Phone (2022)
Passed an afternoon.
I watched the trailer for this film, and thought it would be a ghost story. Big old spooky house, old man who dies, all the ingredients were there.
What it actually was trying to be, I'm not sure, it was part coming of age, part teen drama, definitely not a horror, and not really a ghost story.
I think I expected more from a Stephen King story, and as is often the case, the trailer was the best bit. It's obviously a made for tv film, but it felt like one from 20 odd years ago.
The acting from Donald Sutherland was great, everyone else was ok.
Worth a watch, but ultimately a bit of a let down for me.
Inside Man (2022)
One star for David Tennant and Stanley Tucci showing up.
I had high hopes that this would be a really well written crime drama. It wasn't.
There was no character introduction, except to say that Tennant's vicar appeared to be a popular person in the parish.
Suddenly, he turned into gullible fool, committing the most unbelievably far fetched acts of stupidity and violence, even then I still believed it would be a good story, until the oddly cast wife went along with it.
Tucci's character had no build up whatsoever, and seemed to only be there because he was available.
Was it a dark comedy ?? Wasn't funny in the least.
I stuck it out to the bitter end, but my advice to others is just don't waste your time.
It's even more annoying that we pay a TV tax to watch this banal rubbish.
Ridley (2022)
The singing was the best part, and that was bad.
So we now that Adrian Dunbar can sing a little bit, no doubt there will be a CD out in time for Christmas.
Actually, he would probably better sticking to the slightly underwhelming singing as opposed to making another series of Ridley.
Every cop show cliche is there.
The cop with the troubled past, the lesbian mixed race couple, who don't have time for their son. The black boss etc, etc, yawn, yawn.
The story itself came with a "plot twist" so obvious , I felt like I'd written the story myself.
After the big denouement, which surely most people had worked out after we were told the story of the missing girl, the whole thing just sort of fizzled out.
We never did find out if the man who was seriously injured in a one punch incident, lived or died, and therefore the fate of another character.
Maybe, we were told but I'd lost the will myself to live by that point, and I probably missed that bit.
Jesus, Mary and Joseph and the Wee Donkey themselves couldn't save this moribund drivel.
Marriage (2022)
Brilliant
I can't rate this series highly enough.
Amazing writing and so well acted, they really do seem like real people, albeit ordinary people, but that's its beauty.
Sean Bean plays Ian, struggling with the realisation he's getting older, he's lost his job and his Mother in quick succession. He's didn't get on well with his Mum, and is feeling guilty. He's lonely and makes conversation anywhere he can, sometimes awkwardly and embarrassingly.
Nicola Walkers Emma is trying to impress her very unpleasant boss.
James Bolam is manipulating Emma, his daughter.
There are lots of story threads, it's just not big action and not many dramatic scenes.
It's real life, the scene in the graveyard is one of the most moving I've seen in a long time.
I'm not surprised it's not a hit with viewers, but to my mind it really is quite a Masterpiece.
Stick with it until the end, it's well worth it.
Hope we get a second series.