sarjay Reviews

LOL: Last One Laughing Australia (2020)

First couple of episodes were interesting then it got pitiful

[1/10 · 4 July 2020]

The first few episodes were interesting, if not funny. I expected this to be funny but quickly realised that it wasn't/wouldn't be only to find it quite interesting to see which varieties of humour were able to trip the different comedians up. Unfortunately the only comedians left at the end were filthy vulgar childish debased and uninteresting. I never found out who won, it just got sad and I couldn't hack it out. I don't mind a bit of crass humour but what makes it funny is the unexpected nature of it. When all the rules are out the door there is nowhere left to go but into boring and pitiful insanity. I feel sorry for myself that I watched as long as I did

Extraction (2020)

Refreshing return to believable and satisfying action

[10/10 · 28 April 2020]

The film is well cast with good solid performances from everyone involved. Nice to see Hemsworth playing an Australian, he is right at home and it shows with the typical quiet depth and preference for action over explanation inherent in most Aussie blokes I know displayed very well. If you're a bit jaded by the Hollywood obsession for more and more improbable And overblown action scenes in movies of the genre you'll enjoy this film. There isn't a ton of story but those few moments had some real depth and were exceptionally well acted. Definitely worth a watch. Bumped the score a little to compensate for the location low blows. It's a shame there was some inaccuracy but this film is entertaining and the creative choices still work well for this particular story.

Ramona and Beezus (2010)

Charming, offbeat, innocent

[10/10 · 7 October 2019]

This is one of my favourite movies. It's adorable in every way and most importantly it left me and my kids inspired to just enjoy life and appreciate the small magic all around us every day. What more can you ask from a film than that!?

Mirror Mirror (I) (2012)

Delightful, charming, off beat, innocent

[8/10 · 7 October 2019]

I just watched this film for the second time and was reminded what a gloriously off beat happy little gem it was. I can see this being one of those movies that slowly gains momentum till it is eventually a bit of an underground classic. Lilly Collins is warm, charming and unexpectedly courageous and fierce. Julia Roberts is playing something very different and she did it so well, I have new respect for her as a comedic actor. I'm not sure why it did so poorly with the critics but can only assume it is because critics have become jaded and need total depravity or over the top largess to rate a film well. I think audiences are ready to return to stories that are charming, don't have some huge overarching theme and don't necessarily fit neatly into one genre. Sometimes we just want stories told the old fashioned way, for the love of the listening and telling a damn good story.