pete-collin Reviews

Kaleidoscope (2023)

Plot-holes You Could Drive A Bus Through

[5/10 · 10 January 2023]

I was intrigued by the premise; a story one could watch in any order with the strings being drawn together on an impossibly complex and ingenious robbery. Sadly, Kaleidoscope shoots, but does not score.

The rather convoluted timelines are completely arbitrary and add nothing to the story itself. The typically excellent Giancarlo Esposito stumbles through the entire show looking perplexed at how he ended up being talked into this project. The balance of the cast might as well be cardboard cut-outs save for the excellent Jai Courtney in the role of the vile, but immensely watchable Bob Goodwin.

Hugely stylish and slick cinematography and art direction, fail by some way to salvage an empty, pointless and hackneyed heist story that is far more pleased with itself than it has any right to be.

Shantaram (2022)

Apple TV Suck

[9/10 · 22 December 2022]

Came to write a glowing review for what is a superb adaptation of Greg David Roberts' novels. Not sure I need to as thankfully I'm not alone in thinking this was one of the best shows of the year. I've not always been Hunnam's biggest fan but he absolutely nails it, leading a wonderful ensemble of actors, all at the top of their game. Shubhab Saraf in particular gives a stellar performance as the street-sharp and immensely loveable Prabhu. A story of redemption and love set against a background of corruption, divides and the hardships they entail, the narrative races along immersing us in a strange new world that is foreign to all of us bar those who have visited India. I absolutely loved this show, with a passion.

So what's my gripe? Well here it is... Last night I watched the final episode of season one, an absolute cliff-hanger that sets up the second season beautifully without leaving the viewer feeling short-changed. 'To be continued' flashed up on the screen and needless to say I immediately checked for the scheduled release date, only to find Apple had already cancelled the show, before the final episode even screened. Their algorithm says 'no' apparently. Sod the subscribers, sod their enjoyment, sod building a loyal fanbase or attracting new subscriptions, if this doesn't work for the corporates filling the ad slots, then the game is up. Hike the prices again and **** the viewers. A wonderful way to engender good faith, no doubt! If there's one company that could afford to take a risk, then you'd think it would be Apple, a firm absolutely awash with cash, so here it is, my sad little one-man stand... No more Apple TV for me, no more iPhones and iPads, strictly Windows lappies moving forwards, Spotify over iTunes, Android over all of your proprietary BS. The group have revealed their true colours in recent years and their grasping nature with it. I'm out, for the very little I suspect that will ever mean to Apple. Corporates will be the death of creativity, mark my words :/

Amsterdam (2022)

Wonderful

[9/10 · 14 November 2022]

Sometimes I find it nigh impossible to reconcile the reviews I read on here, with the film I've just viewed. On this occasion, I shan't even try, but rather concentrate on on my own appraisal.

For me, this is a wonderful film and a topical one in a world where power and wealth is concentrated in an an ever-decreasing circle. Yes, there is a stellar cast, but there is no using them to gloss over shortcomings and far from wanting the film to end, this is one of those films that left me pining the moment the credits began to roll.

I seem to say this too often these days, but my advice would be to ignore the haters who seem to relish downgrading other's work in some strange form of self-aggrandisement and instead park up with a friend or several, open a bottle of wine and let this quite incredible tale unwind in front of you with open minds and hearts. The pacing is fine, the performances as accomplished as the cinematography and there's an important life message beneath the outrageous conspiracy plot which just happens to be true. I'll leave you to discern that message yourselves and hope that you enjoy the craft and originality with which David Russell shares his tale as much as I did.

Gangs of London (2020– )

Instantly Forgettable

[5/10 · 25 October 2022]

A show that trades far more on it's violent content than any credible storyline, GoL is notable only for it's absurd blood-spurting special FX, with links between fight scenes so tenuous as to be almost superfluous. Sadly, body counts trump all meaningful considerations and whilst Mr Evans is undoubtedly a talented fight coordinator, he really needs to employ directors who can get their actors to act; Joe Cole is almost catatonic in the lead role, Sope Dirisu stumbles along looking permanently bewildered (perhaps by the fact he was persuaded to do a second series) and the new dark overlord of London emits levels of menace akin to a labradoodle. Only Lucian Msamati adds any tangible gravitas, though his powers of post-trauma regeneration are apparently borderline superhuman.

The one small uptick is that some of the cinematography is cleverly done with almost every camera rig known to man utilised at point or another, but even this begins to grate eventually and the the film score is possibly the most jarring I've ever heard.

Sorry Gareth, but you're a one trick pony. It's a half decent trick, but no more than that and whilst The Raid broke new ground, GoL merely treads a now well trodden path.

Section Zéro (2016)

Marchal Hits The Target Again

[9/10 · 21 February 2022]

Am always surprised at how little attention French productions garner outside of France. Marchal is himself an ex-cop and the gritty realism of his work and his chosen subject matter clearly speaks to that time of his life. This is yet another strong outing from a highly talented actor, writer and director.

As for Section Zero, it is a bold and ambitious piece of work. It lacks the production values of better funded shows, but it's credible, unflinching and compulsive. Marchal also clearly has a talent for eliciting the best out of the actors he works with and a style very much of his own. There's nothing clunky or forced about his work which is typically well paced and devoid of pointless padding.

For any crime buffs out there, I can also give a strong recommendation to Les Lyonnais, Rogue City and The 26th Precinct, to name but a few. Do yourself a favour and check out this guy's work. If the crime genre is your thing, you'll not be disappointed.

The Tomorrow War (2021)

Ouch!

[2/10 · 3 July 2021]

Just a quick write up to warn any potential viewer that this movie is so colossally stupid that it actually had me hoping the aliens would prevail. It is literally so lacking in any tangible sense that watching it actually hurt my brain. Avoid like the proverbial plague.

Skater Girl (2021)

We Can Fly If We Dare

[9/10 · 12 June 2021]

A wonderful and joyous film that deals with some important subjects with a lightness of touch I found both captivating and delightful. This is not a sports movie, nor a skateboarding flick, but rather a love letter to the power of the human spirit and how if we can overcome our deeply ingrained fears and thereby the constraints of the world around us, then if only only briefly, we can break our chains and fly.

As an ex-skater dude, a time long ago now I concede, this resonated so strongly with me and transported me back to a period in a less than wonderful childhood, where I felt free, exhilarated and genuinely happy. With the absolutely heart-melting Rachel Saanchita Gupta quite brilliant in her screen debut, it's a film I'll not forget in a hurry, nor should I. Strongly recommended!

Embattled (2020)

No Punches Pulled

[9/10 · 28 May 2021]

Stark, visceral, even brutal but much more than simply another MMA movie. Stephen Dorff's finest work to date in the role of an abusive and morally bankrupt mixed martial artist is supported by two stellar performances from young actors Darren Mann and Colin McKenna.

Please be assured that you don't need to be an MMA nerd to take something from this film. In the final analysis, the fight scenes are almost incidental. Not an easy watch by any stretch, but a meaningful and powerful outing all the same.

Wrath of Man (2021)

Routine Heist Movie

[6/10 · 25 May 2021]

One senses that Guy Ritchie wanted to make something a bit leaner and meaner than his standard fare and Wrath of Man is certainly that. The problem being, that stripped of Ritchie's trademark touches, one is simply left with a routine and somewhat predictable heist movie that is both plain and unremarkable. You'll see far worse crime movies this year, of course, but I suspect you'll see better ones too.

Stowaway (I) (2021)

Ignore the Silly Reviews

[9/10 · 22 April 2021]

I honestly despair of some of the reviews I read on this site. Is there no middle ground between gushing shills and mardy teens with the attention span of a gnat?

So here it is... If you are looking for slathering space aliens with acid for blood, this won't be your ticket. If you are looking for a considered, cerebral and beautifully filmed sci-fi thriller, then look no further. Sometimes less really is more and happily, this is one such occasion.

Vanquish (2021)

So Bad It Hurts

[1/10 · 16 April 2021]

This movie should have been strangled at birth. A pointless, vacuous trip to nowhere in particular, notable only for the tightness of Miss Rose's strides and the fact that Mr Freeman's fall from grace is so absolute that he felt he had to take on this project.

In summary, lots of people shoot at a girl on a motorbike, yet miss their target by a mile, a fate shared by the makers of this pitiful dirge.

Deadwood: The Movie (2019 TV Movie)

Like Coming Home

[10/10 · 2 June 2019]

And so, 10 years on, we revisit the town of Deadwood. Those of you who watched the original two series will no doubt have wondered how you follow such a perfectly scripted and acted show with a one-off movie lasting less than two hours. Rather easily, it transpires.

No spoilers here, just suffice to say this is a delightful postscript to a quite brilliant series, a bittersweet piece in that it is a glorious space in which to dwell for a short time, but we now know the story is over. Like a dear old friend passed, I'll miss this show most certainly but will always appreciate the pleasure that it brought me. Simply wonderful! Thank you.

Captive State (2019)

An Intelligent Science Fiction Movie - Ignore the Haters

[9/10 · 31 May 2019]

Just thought I'd redress some of the ridiculous reviews I've read for what is a a wonderful, cerebral sci-fi thriller that keeps the viewer guessing to the last. It does indeed lack the crash, bang wallop approach of the likes of Independence Day so if that sort of thing is your bag, then it may be best avoided. If you favour films like Arrival then I'd definitely recommend watching Captive State.

A taught thriller with a twist or two in the tale. One need simply pay attention to the clues left like crumbs along the way to derive a deal of enjoyment from a clever and metaphorical film that deserves far greater credit than it is receiving.

Drive (I) (2011)

Conclusive proof that less is more

[10/10 · 22 February 2012]

The first thing to point out about this movie is it won't be everyone's cup of tea. Some will find it ponderous, others old-fashioned, many will abhor the more violent scenes. For my part I adore this film. Languid, understated and bristling with style, there is no doubt that some scenes are disturbing but there is nothing gratuitous about this film.

The story focuses on Gosling's nameless character, an ultra cool and somewhat mysterious mechanic and stunt driver who moonlights as a getaway driver for the city's criminal underclass. A loner by choice he winds up in all sorts of bother having got involved with Mulligan and her young son both of whom he befriends, against his own better judgement one suspects. The gentle pace of his and Mulligan's relationship crescendos when her husband and the father of her child is released from prison and Gosling's character atypically tries to help them when the father's criminal past threatens the family's safety. There's a certain tragic and harrowing inevitability about the events that then unfold as the good Samaritan bears his darker side in a denouement of almost Taxi Driver style über-violence but as with the rest of this film it is handled with an innate style and deftness of touch that stands this film aside from your run of the mill gangster flicks.

A considered soundtrack, beautiful cinematography and stand-out performances from Gosling, Mulligan, Brooks and Perlman make this movie a must-see, but be warned, it's not for the feint-hearted.

Kill List (2011)

Bone Jarringly Stupid

[1/10 · 14 February 2012]

The only thing harder to comprehend than where the makers of this film spent to purported £500k budget is how on God's green earth they found that level of investment in the first place. Make no mistake this is as lazy, dull and unoriginal as film making gets at any price. The only thing more ludicrous than the resplendently obvious lack of any substance evinced by this film is the line of worthy reviewers both professional and amateur falling over themselves to tell us what the rest of us missed. Oh silly me! There is nothing dark, genre or even peculiarly British about this movie despite the angst-ridden protestations of'substream' whose critique is for some reason headlined by IMDb for any poor unfortunate looking for advice as to whether to watch this rambling cinematographic diatribe, or not.

This is simply the inner workings of a disturbed and not terribly imaginative mind regurgitated at 24 awful frames per second for our displeasure. I suppose the fact that Time Out rate it a 'masterpiece' really should have been the only clue I needed but then I've always been a little dim.

In summary, avoid this like the plague and those who profess to like it even more so. You have been warned.