enitar Reviews

The Hijacking of Flight 601 (2024)

When story goes wrong

[6/10 · 20 April 2024]

The series start very well, about the real story how the plane was hijacked in the 70s in South America. Then comes episode 4 and story rhythm is broken and series is actually divided into two parts. The 4th episode about how these crazy sort of revolutionaries are made is really unnecessary because it tells the banality that our past puts impact on our future. And this banality actually dooms the following episodes. Suddenly it's hard to understand motives of hijackers and crew actions and the ending of the series is very weird. I am also tired of modern concept about stupid cowardly men and brave heroic women. Another example how to ruin a potentially good series.

Scoop (2024)

Excellent film based on real story

[8/10 · 7 April 2024]

I really love cinema which is based on true story and especially the British films and series, and Scoop is another excellent British film of the category.

I cannot judge the level of recreation of the real events but depiction is great, likeness with the real people is astonishing, especially Prince Andrew and Emily Maitlis.

Film slightly concentrates on tension among BBC staff of the time, the main target is the ugly face of the Prince, and this was done perfectly. The episode with Andrew's Teddy bears, his well known rudeness and arrogance and living in completely different universe, it was shown fully and made it absolutely clear why public response after the interview was as it was.

Excellent job done by Gillian Anderson and Rufus Sewell, we could see Billy Piper's Sam as a grey cardinal and less as the titan of the interview, but as the story was told from her perspective we could also witness the private sacrifice of it.

Ronja the Robber's Daughter (2024– )

Greetings from childhood

[8/10 · 30 March 2024]

Ronja, robber's daughter was one of my favourite childhood books and Lindgren's books too, and I was very curious about Netflix series.

Beautiful, beautiful landscapes, scenic waterfalls, forests, mysterious lakes, a land of magic, like I imagined as a child. Little bit confusing to hear nightingale singing in the autumn scene but that's a detail.

Good cast for main characters, a wise, caring Lovis, a big bear Mattis who loves his daughter profoundly, lovely Ronja and Birk. Very good black birds and forest dwarfs, not overly designed.

Still cannot understand do I like the additional story line about village, soldiers etc. I understand how it fits dramatically into the story but it somehow destroyes it too.

Mr Bates vs. The Post Office (2024)

Horrible story. Great series

[9/10 · 11 January 2024]

Another excellent British short series based on true story which as I understand still continues. I love the kind of series!

I was watching the series and my mind refused to believe it was a real story behind the plot. Such a financial scheme, such a disastrous hole in modern legal system, hundreds of people lost their jobs and reputation, lost their homes, some lost their lives and the legal battle is still on, while the head of the Post Office (I cannot name her a mastermind behind of all this) was awarded Dame title and still holds it!

Excellent script in very good length, great actors and I would recommend it.

Fool Me Once (2024)

Everything is fine except the leading actress

[8/10 · 4 January 2024]

Not bad series, good intrigue and plot, well filmed, although the idea of a possible killer crossed my mind a couple of times in the middle of series. The very last part of the final episode called "18 years later" I found unnecessarily sentimental and unfitting in total mood of the story. But probably the writers needed somehow to soften the ending.

Nice cast indeed except of the leading actress. She might be not bad in general but script writers have made her a kind of a bully, a neurotic and arrogant young lady who is rude with everyone else in the story. Nevertheless, she owns a big, lovely collection of different coats and jackets :)

Yellowjackets: Sic Transit Gloria Mundi (2022) Season 1, Episode 10

Strange

[7/10 · 25 December 2023]

You are quite intrigued in the first episodes, the story slowly goes on, goes on and then comes finale which actually is not a finale at all. I am still wondering do I like the approach or not, because Netflix does not offer you season 2 so far.

I couldn't help but all the time I had to think how the teens living in the wilderness for months managed to keep their clothes clean and unragg:) And how it happened nobody was searching for the missing plane and missing teens? For months! And how they didn't run off the ammunition? And nobody visited that lovely, cosy hunting house in the woods for months? So, the holes in this 25 years old story kept me busy while I was watching.

Nevertheless, very good acting from teen and adult actresses.

C.B. Strike (2017– )

One of my favourite crime novels and series

[9/10 · 18 September 2023]

I was very cautious to start to read Robert Galbraight books, although I cannot say I disliked Harry Potter (I simply wasn't the age target group), nevertheless I could recognise a writer's talent in J. K. Rowling. But her Strike novels are really great, beautifully written, excellently developed plotline and I admire it was preserved in Strike series as well. Casting is simply perfect for both Strike and Robin, the chemistry and always a vague attraction hint between Tom Burke and Holliday Grainger on screen is what makes the series so special.

A True Blood is my favourite book and series so far, because the crime was so complicated and so difficult to solve. The huge novel cannot be perfectly filmed in the series but the main story is kept on the screen.

Who Is Erin Carter? (2023)

Well... bad writing?

[3/10 · 25 August 2023]

I stopped watching in the middle of the 3rd episode, sorry, but I couldn't watch it till the end. If Erin is a professional spy or a police officer under cover or whatever (I don't care who Erin Carter is) all her doings are completely unprofessional. Or just stupid. During 2,5 episodes she is involved in three brutal fightings and survive them without any smallest scratch, any slightest damage to her legs or body, a true she-terminator! Actress playing Erin is unconvincing, with unmoving eyes and unchanged facial expression, although yes, I read flattering information she is a rising star.

Unfortunately, the story which had many chances to become a good drama was spoilt by weak writing.

FUBAR (2023– )

Storyline killed by father and daughter relationship

[6/10 · 5 June 2023]

It wouldn't be so bad at all. But for me it was destroyed by Emma (and surprisingly not by Arnold Schwarzenegger). I couldn't stand that girl constantly being rude with her father and constantly questioning commands by officers with higher rank. How could she be called a professional if she quarrels with her partners and close colleagues in the middle of every secret operation and thus she puts the mission in danger again and again? She should be fired from CIA immediately but who would dare to do this to the millennial generation girl?

Arnie was good, really good in the series. Comedy is his real field.

The Law According to Lidia Poët (2023– )

A small gem of period drama

[7/10 · 19 February 2023]

A small gem of period drama! I wanted to give it 8 or even 9 but the last episode with lot of politics spoiled the impression. However, it is a brilliant series giving insight into Italy of the 1880s and Italian women fight for their rights during the era when they were rejected all of them.

Beautiful, beautiful costumes! I cannot say how accurate to the era they are but they are gorgeous. And hair, hats, earrings, ties, every detail so nicely create image of the 1880s, era which is long gone.

Matilda de Angelis is great in the leading role and I am looking forward for the next season. But no politics, anarchists and revolutionaries, please.

The Snow Girl (2023–2024)

Bittersweet and powerful

[8/10 · 12 February 2023]

Another great Spanish drama series and in good length, 6 episodes are very good format.

A powerful and nevertheless bittersweet series. Well written with the focus on inner human tragedies, well filmed, well acted. When I watch dramas like The Snow Girl I am always moved by scale of human soul strengths and weaknesses and depth and I must think of the terrible side of the soul more and more. Sometimes I become scared of the world we live in, the world where an innocent visit to doctor or one your work episode can turn upside down all your life.

I was really moved by drama of Amaya/Julie and the twists and turnes what broke her life twice within 10 years.

7 Women and a Murder (2021)

Not bad

[5/10 · 8 January 2023]

Nice try but there is a much better version, a French film 8 Femmes with absolutely stellar cast including Catherine Deneuve, Fannie Ardan, and other stars. The French film also included charming dances and songs for every female character.

However, the Italian version was not bad at all, with beautiful winter scenery and homely Christmas interior. Maybe too much farce and comic elements and to few drama to make it truly great, also lack of real crime moments in the plot made the film little bit shallow and more like a theatrical comedy than difficult family drama. I also wished less colourful but more truthful, more developed characters, as there was plenty of possibilities for this.

Holiday Secrets (2019)

Typical Netflix family drama

[6/10 · 27 November 2022]

I would say Holiday Secrets is a typical Netflix family drama based on flashbacks which bring you back in time and help to look into cupboard in search for family skeletons. I would say too many flashbacks as they made it too difficult to follow the story and distinguish family women from each other, at least until the middle of the episode 2. Which was half of the series in total.

Anyway, the mini series was rather intriguing, well written and well directed. Nice to see the windy Baltic Sea landscape and dune views which made some fresh difference from usual Mediterranean coastline in Netflix shows.

The Green Glove Gang (2022– )

What a charming piece of comedy

[9/10 · 24 October 2022]

I absolutely loved this Polish comedy about three Robin Hood style elder ladies hiding in elderly people house from police. A charming story reminds us that elderly people can be witty, attractive, very pleasant and inventive and it's great to show that elderly actors are as beautiful as young ones.

A good length of eight episodes, story not too long, not too short. Lovely actresses playing three main roles and a very nice cast of elderly Polish actors. Superb plot with many turns and twists, and the very ending with several cliffhangers is a good promise of another season of well written second part of this charming story.

Bad Sisters (2022– )

Great comedy with drama elements

[9/10 · 10 October 2022]

Probably the best comedy in many years. Brilliant plot, brilliantly directed, brilliant cast, excellent acting, especially John Paul by Claes Bang and Eva by Sharon Horgan. John Paul has been such a disgusting monster that I am surprised he could live to adulthood. The story is skillfully woven together yet sometimes it seems little bit too much, but nonetheless the funny and excellent comedy is in perfect balance with some serious dramatic moments, and it holds the attention till the very last minute.

Beautiful, simple Irish landscape, wine flowing, story of sister unity... I really enjoyed the series.

Ófærð (2015– )

Beautiful Iceland in the main role

[8/10 · 21 September 2022]

Truly great drama from mysterious and little known island of stunning Nordic landscape, snow, hills, volcanos and underground springs. Great writing, great camera work and excellent actors, including show which is playing one of the main roles (season 1, less in season 3). Perfect sense of cinematographic style in season 1. Season 2 lost the grip and was almost ruined by political correctness but season 3 was great again.

Years ago I learned that Iceland was a calm and peaceful place where no crime existed but Baltasar Kormakur TV dramas show us (hidden) criminal side of this distant country, actually like any other place where humans live.

Family Secrets (2022– )

If it only was squeezed in 3 episodes

[3/10 · 18 September 2022]

Seriously? They made long eight episodes with all these uncountable flashbacks to give us nothing in the very end?

The idea of telling story about an neverending wedding day when two unhappy people who even don't love each other and have a very complicated history of the last eight months cannot get married is not bad at all. But not in eight episodes. Not these more and more story plots and characters.

Three or four compact episodes with less characters and with cancelled unnecessary comedy elements and added more developed drama, then it would be excellent. Now it looks like silly soap opera, unfortunately.

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power (2022– )

It is made by people who dislike Tolkien

[3/10 · 9 September 2022]

Once J. R. R. Tolkien created an extraordinary myth about Middle Earth. He combined different myths from European culture heritage and these different layers made Middle Earth so beautiful and attractive. The Silmarillion was made of many epic and heroic stories and the main line was struggle between good and evil. This is what I can't find in The Rings of Power - heroic level of The Silmarillion, epic scope of the Elven and Edain fight against Sauron and Orcs, and the archetypical stories inherited from various myths, but if I see them they are turned upside down. Instead I see different variations of Vikings, The Last Kingdom and maybe some else series put into Middle Earth. I don't see powerful and wise Elves, like Elrond, Galadriel, Cirdan, Gil-Galad from Tolkien's books, the mighty Elven lords who resisted Sauron's evil for centuries. They all are somehow small and weak and more like to the men from the Third and Fourth Age. I simply cannot believe those Elves.

Sorry, but I can't take all this Amazon thing seriously, it was obviously made by people who either haven't read Tolkien or simply hate his works.

House of the Dragon (2022– )

Boring?

[3/10 · 1 September 2022]

After two first episodes I find House of the Dragon quite boring. In general the story is small in scale, it lacks the grip and lack drama, it has plenty of weak dialogues and rather badly elaborated details of sets. Matt Smith has been the only fascinating of all cast so far. Where are power plays and mind games, humour and jokes, witty dialogues, where are colourful characters we remember from the first series of Game of Thrones? Three stars and this all despite of sex scenes, lot of blood and lot of dragons, lol.

P. S. Some actors have funny, obviously synthetic wigs which don't help to take everything seriously.

Death on the Nile (2022)

Is it Agatha Christie at all?

[2/10 · 13 February 2022]

I am reading the list of characters and wondering is it Death on the Nile by Agatha Christie? I thought I knew the novel pretty well but it seems I didn't. But wait! Then I looked at the name of the director and I had no more doubt, one more killing of Christie's great novels by Kenneth Brannagh who already destroyed The Oriental Express and ABC Murders. Which novel is being poisoned or stabbed next?

Roman Empire (2016–2019)

Netflix interpretation of history

[6/10 · 30 January 2022]

I am only in the 10th minute of the 1st episode about Julius Cesar and already so many historical inaccuracies. Roman roads were build not by slaves but by soldiers. Few gladiators were war slaves, more often men sold themselves to become gladiators in hope to pay their debts. Besides many gladiators of Cesar's time were celebrities and adored by audience. Cesar weren't just soldier when he started his military career, he was military tribune according his and his family social status, he was a patrician after all. And Cesar entered army after he was freed of position of Flamen Dialis, a religious office in Rome. Freed by Sulla, one of two waring generals of the civil war mentioned in the first minutes of the series. By the way, Cesar was appointed to the position by his uncle Gaius Marius, Sulla's opponent and enemy. And that tells the Rome was much more complicated and complex structure than Netflix think. Ok, let's go to the 11th minute.

The Queen's Gambit (2020)

This charming world of chess

[10/10 · 3 November 2020]

Well written, well directed and well played. I was so pleased to watch series without violence, abused children and pervert adults. It's a talent to show chess world as something thrilling and exciting.

The War of the Worlds (2019)

What it was what I watched?

[2/10 · 23 November 2019]

I gave it two stars only because Troy. Fall of a City was even worse and I gave it one star. So stupid characters like Amy and George with so little survival instinct, so stupid script ... here you can learn how to ruin a great novel.

The Spanish Princess (2019–2020)

In steps of Reign

[1/10 · 27 June 2019]

Following excellent The White Queen and pretty good The White Princess we got truly bad The Spanish Princess. Following the bad example of Reign (about the young years of Mary, the Queen of Scots in France) we got a bold princess who freely runs around London and all the country, freely says everything she thinks and even allows her subordinates call her just "Catherine"... I am not speaking about historical inaccuracies and freedom of showrunners' imagination. Costumes were nice indeed, but cannot say whether they always were historically correct.

Chernobyl (2019)

Back in the past which must stay in the past

[10/10 · 6 June 2019]

HBO, crew and staff have done an incredible job to bring back these times and these events. So powerfully and so emotionally deeply depicted the big scale of Chernobyl tragedy and the "small" tragedies of everyone involved. The Empire of lies must stay in the past and never come back again, because the Soviet system and how it manipulated with people must be responsible for Chernobyl tragedy.