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Shakespeare in Love (1998)
Unforgettable.
It's almost a quarter of a millennium since Shakespeare In Love pipped Saving Private Ryan to the post for best film. But no-one cares or remembers any more, nor should they.
For those who went to see both, there was ne'er a twixt between them.
I write this having just seen this beautiful movie again in 2024.
If you haven't yet, you should.
It's a timeless, most wonderful piece of art; an eternal story, cast with inspiration and acted out by an ensemble in their prime.
Gwyneth Paltrow in her utmost serene beauty, Joseph Fiennes in his elementary, most burning-eyed energetic best. If there was ever true chemistry between two players, it's here in spades.
This film will make you laugh and cry, at the same time.
It will make you wish, it will make you despair.
It's a glorious rollercoaster of the best of all that's in us.
How many movies have ever done that to you?
A handful, I'd wager 50 pounds.
A fabulous tale, with a fabulous ending, that no-one has ever regretted watching and most would say they are all the richer for doing so.
Mag. Nificent.
Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre (2023)
Definitely worth a watch
I came to this movie with no expectations and left thinking "well actually, that was a lot of fun all-round". And by all-round I mean that I felt the cast clearly had some fun making this movie.
Hugh Grant is a scene-stealer as the thinly amiable arms dealer with a soft spot for Harkness who also carried his part pretty well as the spolit screen star. Statham was.. well, Staham, delivering commands and repartee with equal tone. And it was a delight to see Cary Elwes again - a guy I confess I haven't seen in a movie since the awesome Princess Bride.
Aubrey Plaza, though, was the real star and seemed to have more lines and quips than anyone else. Is there anything that actress cannot do..
It's a tight script, the characters aren't given much depth but I got the impression this is the first in perhaps a trilogy, given the "Ruse de Guerre" title suffix.
Ritchie's trademark touches are everywhere in the costume, locations and wit. Snatch this ain't, nor Mission Impossible, but it's still worth a watch. It's a well-crafted piece of entertainment timed to keep the cinemas ticking over as the blockbuster season begins to peek over the horizon.
It's a solid 7.5/10 for me.
The Newsroom (2012)
Pretty Much Perfect.
In a tv world where most concepts end up incomplete because of ratings failure, here - ironically - is one that rides the waves on both counts.
The Newsroom is a complete story. Start to finish, it has everything.
Strong actors, great script, chemistry, absorbing camera work, and the all-important X Factor.
Yes, It's very "American" in background (the national election episodes are pretty alien to everyone else) but the story, and characters, are riveting. You simply don't need to understand the silly politics to get the overriding story..
I urge you to give one hour of your life to the first episode..
It will not be wasted. This is an beautifully brilliant piece of art.
She-Hulk: Attorney at Law (2022)
One Potato.. Two Potatoes
Sitting back after the first episode, I really wasn't sure..
But after watching the second, I'm already convinced: this is not a Marvel series.
Sure, it has the signature intro, and visually it's expensive.
But that is absolutely all there is.
Out of 28 minutes total length (excluding adverts), only 21 minutes are actual new 'story'. A full 25% of the episode comprises the ever-boring recap, and then end credits including the even more tired obligatory brief "extra" scene that adds nothing to nothing.
I'd go with that, maybe, if the story was worth it. But there isn't a story! It's a collapsed mess of a possibly worthy and interesting idea, utterly ballsed up and so compacted it may as well be a series of Tik Toks.
I realise this is an early review based on only two episodes but.. First impressions, people.
This is definitely not shaping up to be worth anyone's time.
Line of Duty (2012)
First Class Drama
This is one of the finest -and just as important *complete* - drama series ever made in the UK.
And by the BBC, of course.
Three main characters form the crux of a story of police corruption which will draw you in, and have you smashing the Next Episode button. Cliff hangers abound, but they're absolutely spot on .
Every series is a story in itself, but leaves you wondering.. and the finale does the whole series true Justice.
You will not be disappointed.
This series is not to be missed, folks.
Seriously, watch it.
Obi-Wan Kenobi (2022)
So Far So.. Pretty Good!
Yes this is an incomplete review, dated after the release of the second episode. Take this then with a pinch of salt, but with edits to come!
The plot is simple but effective - It's ten years since Obi-Wan promised at the end of Star Wars III 'Revenge of The Sith' to watch over Luke Skywalker. Disillusioned and resigned after the temple slaughter of the Jedi, and believing he killed Anakin, Ben has thrown off all semblance of his powers, keeps a low profile and stays distant while keeping tabs on Luke. But he's called upon for a rescue mission which, for reasons which you'll soon understand, he cannot decline..
Ewan McGregor reprises his role with great consistency, as the fine Scottish actor he is. Jimmy Smits is back, slightly more portly (bless him) but just as charismatic. The scenery, camera work, and music are all spot on. The magic of Lucasfilms, and the feeling you're back there, in the Star Wars Universe.. it's all delivered in spades.
There are some silly moments of course - particularly a scene where grown men are chasing a ten-year-old which is clumsy, unrealistic and cringing. It dropped my involvement in the episode by a fair few points.
But overall, so far, I'm enchanted :)
The Puppet Master: Hunting the Ultimate Conman (2022)
Suspend your Disbelief
A number of reviews have suggested this documentary is "suspect" without explaining why. Probably because this is indeed an accurate real-life account that so beggars belief it almost sounds UNreal.
In my opinion the makers of this documentary have created a 2-hour masterpiece of fascinating and memorable viewing. At times I literally gasped in shock, in surprise, in genuine incredulity that such downright evil people actually do exist and that seemingly intelligent victims could be convinced into such extreme situations.
But the documentary treats all the people involved - victims, their siblings, their parents - with the lightest of touches. There's no third party narrative, every word comes from someone affected by this despicable man or from the security forces who finally caught him. It's perfectly paced, and while the timeline is somewhat jumpy it does add dramatic effect because the viewer becomes involved in the puzzle and you yourself start to piece together the story.
I won't say I enjoyed this, because that sounds.. almost trite. I'm hugely glad I did watch it, is a more true statement. I can't remember feeling such growing affinity and sympathy for true-life victims who have had the courage, the fortitude to bare their souls and re-live YEARS of horrendous abuse and utter helplessness to the rest of the world, and for their families who suffered such heartache yet never gave up. Nor can I recall feeling such antipathy, such despisal for Robert Hendy-Freegard, this arrogant, contemptible sociopath who remains at large in the world.
Delicately and empathetically executed, properly-paced, and will leave you with mixed feelings. Completely worth two hours of your time.
The Silent Sea (2021)
Nice CGI and.. Nothing else
Painfully _painfully_ slow, badly written and nothing to add to the genre.
It really does suck. I put myself through six episodes but after the first two I was jumping whole scenes at a time to find anything resembling action or interest, and lost none of the plot at all doing so..
Even then it wasn't enough for me to bear watching any more.
Just.. don't bother!
Rogue (2020)
Don't..
Just, don't.
Don't even vaguely encourage the talentless twits who somehow persuaded some equally gullible idiots to fund this floating turd of a life-wasting exercise in futility.
The trailer should be enough of a pointer.
I had to watch it because I lost a bet. I'm more peeved about the tiny percentage of my life wasted having to sit in front of this, than the $1 I lost.
Pleugh.
The Sand (2015)
Don't Waste Your Time..
Well for some unfathomable reason Amazon has added this floating turd of an excuse for a "movie" to its collection recently, so it's entirely probable some potential viewers will look up the reviews here..
Don't get me wrong - I get the culture of B movies. Even the odd C-grade.
What I don't get, is why utterly amateur trash like this gets distributed further than the beach it was made on.
But for Prime to pick it up and actually *promote* it on my Home page? WTAF is the world coming to?
Don't. Just.. don't waste your a minute on this.
The Expanse (2015)
A Slow-burning Ride into Thrills and Fabulous Sci-Fi.
I'll go with a lot of previous reviews - The Expanse isn't easy to get into.
It's the slow, sometimes seemingly irrelevant stuff on Ceres in the early episodes which might turn a viewer off.
But for the love of all good stories - PLEASE keep going, because the paced development of characters, places and plots in Series 2 and onward is nothing short of gripping and rewarding.
This is a space opera almost on the scale of Peter F. Hamilton, told with grandeur and yet as much meticulous detail as can be squeezed into each 50-minute episode.
None of the primary characters outshine the others (except perhaps Wes Chatham as the awesomely, reliably violent yet strangely likable Amos) but as Series Two progresses, so do all of their characters as well as the ever more fascinating story line which contains large unashamed blocks of political machinations.
And the effects are not just good - they're totally on point. They're *believable*. A lot's made out of gravity in this story. Ship's don't simply zoom to a destination - they have to accelerate/decelerate. Their routes take them round planets. They use thrusters to align.
And when you see a dying woman's eyes literally fill with tears with nowhere to go in zero-G, you realise that the scriptwriters are working faithfully to the novels, and that the crew behind this show are people who know their craft.
The only reservation I'd offer is that there's a high percentage of unnecessary foul language - especially emanating from the potty-mouthed UN Undersecretary Chrisjen Avasarala, otherwise played with great presence by veteran Iranian actress Shohreh Aghdashloo who seems rather halting every time the f-word escapes her lips. Which is almost every other sentence once things start heating up.
Season 5 (up to Episode 7 at the time of writing this) began with a few world-shaking bangs and riveting sci-fi, but has started to deteriorate. Keon Alexander (as Marco Inaros) barely whispers his many lines, and has almost single-handedly slowed the pace of his scenes to a that of a tired snail. It's seems to be a common symptom in many long-running TV shows and it's annoyingly unrealistic dialogue. I hope the writers have bucked up for the remaining episodes.
But The Expanse is otherwise a balls-out fabulous ride, and if you are *any* sort of Sci-Fi lover this is one show you absolutely should add to your viewing list.
The Invisible Man (2020)
Smart, Vicious and Unexpectedly Brilliant.
After the last lamentable version of this concept with Kevin Bacon, I rightly wasn't anticipating anything particularly engrossing.
And the escape scene does seem to be a bit of a rip-off from 'Sleeping With The Enemy'.
After that though - the dialogue fires up, the characters come alive and the movie starts to churn around Elizabeth Moss's increasing disbelief and confusion, as "something" appears to alter her reality at a whim.
The early silent camera work is superb. You'll need to watch several scenes more than once to spot what's really happened, but don't spoil that on the first run-through.
Then there are the split-second pure jaw-dropping WTF moments you just didn't see coming.
Right up to the credits.
Cracking (largely unknown) cast, great script, fabulous camera work and a movie you simply will not forget in a hurry.
WELL worth a watch.
Sharpe: Sharpe's Rifles (1993)
Never an Officer Nor a Gentleman. But Both in Fact..
It's not Sean Bean's ridiculously good looks which makes this, the first of many feature-length episodes of one of the finest UK dramas.
What makes every fabulous episode, is his stolid performance as Sharpe, a from-the-ranks officer in the Napoleonic Wars who's pushed this way and that, used, abused and looked down upon by "English Officers".
Mostly made in the 90's when character development and cracking storylines still meant far more than action, this is a series that will have you hooked.
A SHED load of fun which will have you rooting for characters and hoping for the best.. This is a greate binge watch!
Mark my words.
Lost in Space (2018)
Fluffy Sci-Fi That Misses The Mark.
This show has a decent budget for CGI, and fair production.
The first series wasn't stand-out, but it had the odd good moment between veteran actors Molly Parker and Toby Stephens, the Robinson parents who showed some slowly-building chemistry.
The casting of Parker Posey as a female Dr Smith though.. Ugh. Why?
It didn't take long before I started skipping through scenes which involved her, she's so utterly miscast for the part with her flappy, unflattering costumery and equally flappy hair. She never had a chance to be the actress she is, because her script is just utterly, predictably atrocious..
After watching most of Series Two of a sci-fi show that Netflix decided was worth even more of an investment, it's just been.. well, even more "pretty bloody awful" because the remit for this show was always too wide.
The plot holes would sink a battleship, virtually none of the scenes actually take place "lost in space", the Robinson family is so dysfunctional it's a miracle any of them passed a *single* test for colonisation, and the robot still wobbles like a human in a glamorous suit.
We're an intelligent audience, Netflix.
Stop feeding us fluff, and start challenging us AND our intelligent kids, who spot even more mistakes than we do.
Star Wars: Episode IX - The Rise of Skywalker (2019)
Justified.
Whatever knee-jerk responses you might have read, and despite everything, this is the movie to see.
I'm a Brit, but I had the privelege to see the first Star Wars in America when I was a star-struck 14 sitting next to a glamourous American girl I hardly knew yet I felt sure I was going to marry, right then & there.
We didn't, and I'm back in the UK and I've no idea where that beautiful, exotic girl is now.. but I hope she has the same memory of that day, as I do.
I came out of this movie with that above memory so vivid in me, and that's a testimony to it.
Just go, and let it flow, and be done. Whatever memory you have.
The Mandalorian (2019)
No Story.
I've watched all five episodes so far, and I can see the Star Wars fan attraction of course.
But the early stuff with Carl Weathers was dreadful. He was so over the top it was embarassing.
And where's the story? Because so far, it could be written on the back of a postage stamp.
Mandalorian gets a mission, delivers, has a change of heart and takes baby Yoda off into space. After that, we've had nothing but rehashed cowboy stuff.
I get the simple dialogue, the weaponry, the glad lack of CGI.. but unless the next episode gives us some sort of revelation I have to say.. so far, pretty poor.
The Mandalorian (2019)
No Story.
I've watched all five episodes so far, and I can see the Star Wars fan attraction of course.
But the early stuff with Carl Weathers was dreadful. He was so over the top it was embarassing.
And where's the story? Because so far, it could be written on the back of a postage stamp.
Mandalorian gets a mission, delivers, has a change of heart and takes baby Yoda off into space. After that, we've had nothing but rehashed cowboy stuff.
I get the simple dialogue, the weaponry, the glad lack of CGI.. but unless the next episode gives us some sort of revelation I have to say.. so far, pretty poor.
Luchshe, chem lyudi (2018)
Slick, Smooth and Exceeds Expectations.
I've watched a number of excellent Scaninavian dramas though I've never watched a Russian TV show before. This one appeared recently on Netflix and I thought I'd give it a go. I've just finished watching Episode 7, almost halfway through the series.
First off let's get the dubbing out of the way. It's excellent, the best I've yet encountered. By midway through Ep. 2 I'd adjusted and barely noticed it. The voice actors do a first class job and adjustment for atmospherics is spot on.
The Sci-Fi element in this show centres around Aasimov's famous Three Laws of Robotics and a new, superior prototype robot called Arisa, "acquired" from the Chinese by the ambitious CEO of a Russian robotics company. Arisa escapes and adopts a dysunctional family, and thus begins a clever, well-paced story with multiple threads. There aren't the major twists or end-of-episode cliffhangers so prevalent in US drama. Instead the story unfolds steadily, capturing the imagination through first class screenplay and camera work plus judicious use of moderate CGI (at least in the first few episodes).
Arisa, played with an engaging balance of subtly human facial expressions and smooth, deliberate robotic action by the inimitable Paulina Andreeva, is a mystery wrapped in an enigma. One small revelation after another drives the tale forward without swamping the accompanying side stories. My one reservation is perhaps too much focus on the young love affair, but it does tie in nicely with the comparison between 16-year-old Igor's adolescence and Arisa's own childlike efforts to understand humans.
Aside from that, Better Than Us takes a number of admittedly somewhat cliché characters (tough suspended cop with history, teenager in love, crazy mum who's lost a son, surgeon who's unfairly sued & persecuted etc.) and re-instills a good deal of credibility through an all-round talented cast.
But perhaps the most engaging aspect of the show is its cunning misdirection. What appears clear-cut, is not. Whom you might think is good, or bad, becomes less obvious as the characters' backgrounds are revealed. It's fascinating, and will keep you guessing enough to want more.
So my recommendation is try the first episode. Because this is slick Russian drama and it's definitedly worth a shot. 8.5/10 rounded up to a worthy 9.
The Adjustment Bureau (2011)
Totally watchable, completely enjoyable
We all have our own A' list of movies we're happy to watch over and over.
These days we can load up a movie and pretty much instantly skip to the scenes, even the exact lines, we most love.
When Matt Damon and Emily Blunt first meet is one of those scenes, for me.
There's nothing unique about The Adjustment Bureau - it is after all a take on a great 60's sci-fi short by Philip K Dick.
Zero body count, zero swearing, a couple of punches, and lots of men wearing very cool Trilby hats. It's entirely family-friendly (apart from those punches if that's a thing). It does question God, but in a way that's understandable.
It's also superbly cast. Damon, Blunt, Stamp, Mackie and Slattery all make their parts consummately believable.
But the key to it all is the chemistry between Emily Blunt and Matt Damon.
The scene where they first meet is superbly shot, despite its ridiculous setting. I've watched the whole movie maybe half a dozen times, and that scene never fails to get me. It's one of those ultra-rare moments when I think "No, they're not really acting. They can't be. It looks too real..."
So cast your critique nature aside, sit your SO down (or don't), grab a beer/glass of wine/whatever floats your boat, and just enjoy.
Because TAB is a thoroughly enjoyable evening's entertainment which will leave you feeling.. yeah. Just, yeah.
Rudderless (2014)
Brave and Brilliant
This is not a musical. This is about a father's unconditional love for his son, woven into the accidental creation of a briefly successful band whose songs are frankly unforgettable, and will stay ringing in your ears days after.
Crudup plays the completely believable bereaving father while Yelchin (God bless his passed soul) brings boyish charm and unforgettable music into a story that will both capture, repel and delight you.
It's been five years since this movie was released, but I still go back to it just to watch and listen to the fabulous songs. Especially the poignant last.
Watch this movie, because it's brave, brilliant, and it will affect you.
Children of a Lesser God (1986)
The Name is Enough
Marlee Martin got an Oscar, William Hurt didn't. But who cares?
This is an extraordinary movie, scripted with life, passion and difficult romance.
When they come together it's an extraordinary mix.
Forget Jerry McGuire - this is where the phrase "You complete me" was first coined.
Watch this movie, and I defy you to not be moved.
Black Summer (2019)
Not Worth It
Netflix has a pretty good and growing record for quality TV series, but it can't please everyone all of the time.
Black Summer is one of those intermediate quick releases designed more to expand the brand, rather than impress us subscribers.
What bothered me most was that Netflix gave the impression this might me a new series, which is why I watched all the episodes.
Fact is, it's a small, self-contained, complete botch.
I doubt anyone who sees this through could do anything but laugh, wonder, or just plain switch off because of its plain incompetence.
Zombies? None. A few people running around with bloody mouths, yes.
But not one convincing, proper close-up zombie doing anything zombie-like.
A bunch of incompetents in E5 become professionals the next day in E6, and raid an underground habitation using a plan that defies logic and any continuity at all.
They all - suddenly and inextricably - become soldiers who can seemingly strip any type of weapon and reassemble it prior to a ridiculous walk to the final destination.
Really, don't bother. I wish I hadn't.
Black Summer (2019)
Not Worth It
Netflix has a pretty good and growing record for quality TV series, but it can't please everyone all of the time.
Black Summer is one of those intermediate quick releases designed more to expand the brand, rather than impress us subscribers.
What bothered me most was that Netflix gave the impression this might me a new series, which is why I watched all the episodes.
Fact is, it's a small, self-contained, complete botch.
I doubt anyone who sees this through could do anything but laugh, wonder, or just plain switch off because of its plain incompetence.
Zombies? None. A few people running around with bloody mouths, yes.
But not one convincing, proper close-up zombie doing anything zombie-like.
A bunch of incompetents in E5 become professionals the next day in E6, and raid an underground habitation using a plan that defies logic and any continuity at all.
They all - suddenly and inextricably - become soldiers who can seemingly strip any type of weapon and reassemble it prior to a ridiculous walk to the final destination.
Really, don't bother. I wish I hadn't.
Mortal Engines (2018)
Great Entertainment!
The main problem with anyone's review of any movie, is that it's purely subjective.
And while that stands to reason in some respects - after all, we all love to give our own opinions on things - it's not actually useful unless we can connect in some way with the person who's written it.
So before I say any more, I'll tell you that I'm 54 and a single father with an eight-year-old daughter (going on 12), and we watched Mortal Engines together.
We both literally wowed during the opening scenes. The scope, the grandeur, the sense of real HUGEness. The attention to detail in CGI throughout this movie is mostly Class A. Building a static model of something is one thing - but to make it behave realistically, with sound, is the trick. The opening scene is reminiscent of Star Wars IV but on Earth..
We were both kept guessing about characters. I loved the early quick, tight script which later opened up.
Sheehan and Hilmar's early-on quickfire lines can't help you but like them from the start.
Hugo Weaving plays one of the most duplicitous characters in any mainstream movie I've ever watched.
It's a solid, thoroughly entertaining movie with an above-average script and great characters who deliver. There really isn't much to dislike.
But or rent, you won't feel duped.
(My daughter's verdict: "Daddy, that was brilliant!")
Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom (2018)
Yeah Yeah Yeah...
A very tired and frankly desperate Version Five of what was (and still is) a fabulous novel and movie. But come on, enough is enough. The fact that Jeff Goldblum had to be dragged into this just to give it an iota of back-story credibility speak volumes.
It's enjoyable but silly, and towards the end just annoyingly predictable, as most "quattles" are (Death Wish, Starship Troopers. Final Destination etc..)
Watch it with a beer or two, when you've really - REALLY - nothing better to do.
Meh.
*Original Movie*
Sequel
Duquel
Triquel
Quattle
Quintle
S.. oh give up for Heaven's sake.