Bonesnap Reviews

The Artifice Girl (2022)

Highly Recommended!

[9/10 · 9 April 2024]

It's not often a film manages to be entertaining AND thought provoking, but this inventive and clever film manages to do just that.

Others have talked about how clever the plot is, so I'll instead say that the script is razor sharp and the small cast are all very convincing. It is low budget, but, nonetheless, the production is very convincing. The sound, cinematography and music are all excellent.

This film left a lasting impression left on me, and just like it says on the poster, in the following days after seeing it I thought about it quite a bit.

At the end when Cherry is dancing around the room, I really enjoyed her spontaneity and freedom of movement, and for a split-second, she reminded me of Louise Lecavalier, the Canadian dancer, and I laughed with joy and admiration for this little gem of a film. I surprised myself by bursting into applause like people occasionally do at the cinema when they've seen something truly outstanding, except I was sitting alone in my darkened living room, wishing I could have shared the experience with someone.

This film was SO much more than I expected. Highly recommended.

Taken 2 (2012)

Daddy Driving Instructor

[6/10 · 9 April 2024]

This is a serviceable sequel let down by mediocre writing that missed a perfect opportunity for Neeson to make a comment on his daughter's driving after she led multiple police cars and a couple of bad-guy cars on a high-speed chase around Istanbul. Given passing her driving test was literally the top and tail of the entire movie, you'd think the writer would have the wits to put a tension-relieving little joke after she crashes the car into the courtyard of the US Embassy. But, alas, there was nothing.

The main disappointment for me was the inexplicably fast jump-cut editing in every single fight sequence in the film. The final fight goes on for about roughly 90 seconds, during which it cut to a different shot more than once per second. As a result, the fight scenes had no flow and were at times confusing. As a directorial choice, it just didn't make sense.

And let's be honest, in the first film the sequences of Neeson dismantling one bad guy after another is what made it such a success. To me the editing of the fight scenes in Taken 2 ruined what would otherwise have been an above average, fun movie.

Insidious: The Red Door (2023)

Paint it Black

[7/10 · 28 January 2024]

Look, I get it, many reviewers here have legitimate criticisms of this film and I'm not here to say they're necessarily wrong. Maybe a little bit heavy-handed at times, imo, but my experience was a little bit more positive.

I always struggled with the Insidious series of films because Patrick Wilson was also in The Conjuring films, and thematically, at least, they're very similar. So, I'd always be thinking, 'Is this the one with...?', and so on. Anyway...

So, I like the characters. Dalton was suitably dark and tortured, while his roomie Chris was fun and had good dialogue, and she was actually useful to the story, rather than the typical college sidekick who gets bumped off in the second act. Yes, a couple of the jump-scares got my arm hair standing on end. Not the kind of thing that usually bothers me but, 'ha-ha, yup, you got me there...!'

I liked that the film had a positive, upbeat ending. Call me crazy but I was relieved when there were no last-minute jump scares, although I was certainly waiting for them. That's almost counterculture for modern horror movies.

When the credits rolled and I heard the song being played, I was instantly taken back to my 20s. Who sang that originally? Oh, yes, Shakespeares Sister, 'Stay'. What a brilliant song, and a very good cover too! If you listen to the lyrics, it's as if it was written especially for this film, they fit so perfectly. Bravo. Well done, there. Although, given the way this story unfurled, I wouldn't have been surprised if the end-credit song was that old 60s Rolling Stones' number, the one that goes, 'I see a Red Door and I want it Painted Black...'

Passengers (I) (2016)

Enjoyable, Authentic Film

[8/10 · 6 October 2023]

I saw this when it first came out years ago and I watched it again last night. In the first viewing I enjoyed it without thinking it was particularly special, but after seeing it again my opinion moved and now, I rate it higher.

The characters are well-portrayed and both leads are very authentic and believable. Both Chris Pratt and Jennifer Lawrence both look great, and as the story unfolds their characters each reveal great strength, vulnerability and compassion. They are both absolutely convincing. For me, it was easy to get lost in this story and lose myself for a couple of hours. I like when a film does that. Michael Sheen is peerless, as usual.

The plot is deceptively simple but like all great stories the setting, no matter how grand, is merely a stage upon which human relationships can unfold in all their beauty and complexity. This is a great strength in this film. Yes, for a 'sci-fi' film the special effects are completely believable. It looks fantastic, but without these well-written characters... well, it would just be another soulless Star Wars mess.

I recommend this film to everyone. As I get older - I'm approaching my 60s - I look for films that are well-intended, with good heart. I've seen enough cynicism for this life, so now I want movies where I can feel the good intentions of the film makers, and connect with well-written, authentic human beings. This is a good 'un.

I deduct a couple of points, one because the Laurence Fishburne character was a blatant plot device. He only popped up long enough to hand over his 'higher access' identity fob, then promptly died so as not to make for an uncomfortable third wheel in a romantic dramedy. He played it well, but it felt like clunky writing. The second deduction is because at the end credits, before the end-credits list of characters, Andy-frickin-Garcia gets a single-name credit - along with each of the main characters - even though he has no dialogue and is literally in two shots in the entire movie, one of which is from behind.

"You can't get yourself hung up on where you'd rather be, that you forget to make the most of where you are." Good advice, for all of us. 8/10.

The Dustwalker (2019)

It didn't even have the decency to be ironic

[3/10 · 27 December 2022]

Saw this on Amazon Prime. I rarely quit on a movie before the end but just shy of the hour mark I decided to continue would be A WASTE OF MY TIME.

Instead, I decided checking out other people's reviews of this film would be a better use of my time. In the first review I came across the writer complained about so many other reviewers saying this is 'the worst film I've ever seen', so I had to laugh at the sheer volume of reviews that started with, 'It's not the worst I've seen...' or 'I've seen better...'

For me, the good aspects of this film are worryingly scarce. The Aussie outback looks sensational and barring some strange editing choices the photography is decent. The acting is OK but I kept hoping the redhead sister would get it in the neck. Maybe that's due to her character being written that way and she gave the performance of a lifetime worthy of Meryl Streep at the pinnacle of her career but, then again, maybe not.

The pacing was mostly slow but oftentimes the plot seemed disjointed leaving the film lacking cohesion from one scene to the next. Needless to say, I think if the director was offered this movie - and it wasn't her own script - she would probably have turned it down.

The Terminal List (2022– )

FIRST CLASS - WITH ONE CAVEAT

[9/10 · 13 July 2022]

This really is superb television. The direction is first class, the performances are great across the board and the writing is nuanced enough to at times intelligently make you question if the bad guys really are as bad as you thought they were just ten minutes ago. It could easily have been way too heavy but despite the gritty nature of much of this show the writing is sharp enough to encourage heartfelt emotional investment from the viewer.

SPOILER follows:

For me the only caveat - and this is why it loses a point - is that when in the first episode we meet Taylor Kitsch's character Ben I thought to myself, 'Please don't get to the very end and we find out his best friend has betrayed him!'. Well, if you've watched this already you'll know how it ends. Despite it being a bit of a cliche I think the writers did a good job of explaining Ben's motivations in trying to support Reece in his vengeance but I found the 'at least they get to die with their boots on' line rather weak.

Incidentally, the way this 'betrayed by his best friend' plotline played out has been done many times before. One example that immediately springs to mind the 1998 film Twilight starring Paul Newman, Susan Sarandon and Gene Hackman. In that film James Garner plays 'the friend who made bad choices' who gets shot by the protagonist at the end.

I REALLY liked the finale when the bird/window scene plays out to a satisfying denouement. It's just fantastic writing all round. Not woke, of course, which probably helps a LOT.

The Passage (2019)

I've got High Hopes

[8/10 · 27 February 2019]

I'm one of the few that read the books and didn't particularly enjoy them. I thought the first book was great, with the first half of the first book being excellent, but as the story expanded and with each subsequent book I became more dissatisfied and frustrated with the characters and plot. This series (I've watched the 7 episodes so far released) hasn't reached the halfway point of the first book, so that's the context of my review.

Criticisms: First, I'm quite surprised just how much time is spent at the lab where the experiments are done. It feels like this part of the story has been fleshed out quite dramatically. This may or may not be a good thing. If the story arc of the books were to be followed, this would turn into a ten-year project. I can't see that happening so it means some fat will be trimmed elsewhere.

It does seem like some of the changes to characters have been done not for creative reasons but to broaden the demographic appeal of viewers. This doesn't really matter to me as far as the plot is concerned, but it does feel as if the direction and writing are rather too gynocentric for my tastes. Everyone seems to talk about their feelings all the time. In small doses that's not really a bad thing but sometimes it feels too much and the pacing is impacted. They're trying to give more depth to the characters, but it comes at the expense of moving the story along. Wolgast's wife Lila is a good example. If I remember correctly in the books she's a fairly minor character but in the show it's not long before we're getting her backstory too. I found her annoying and unnecessary.

Some of the writing is too expository and some of the flashbacks were too obvious. I get that 'fill-in' writing can be necessary sometimes but if it should be done with care and nuance. Implied rather than declared. This is a reflection on the standard of writing, which IMO is good but not great.

Praise: When the author Justin Cronin spoke about his reasons for writing this book he said he said his daughter inspired him to write about a young girl who was really special, a girl who could save the world. It feels like Saniyya Sidney as Amy could be that girl. She does feel a tad Mary Sue-ish who doesn't put a foot wrong but remember, this is still early in the plot and her character will expand. Hopefully. Anyway Saniyya Sidney is convincing as Amy and a good choice for such an important central character.

Overall, I'm left feeling about this TV series much the same way I felt when I was halfway through reading the first book. The premise is exciting and the scale vast. I've enjoyed watching so far and am really keen to see how it goes when it reaches the point where the world changes forever and the epic part of the story really kicks off. I hope the latter part is tighter than the books.

Recommended. 7.5/10 with high hopes for the coming episodes.

Salyut-7 (2017)

A real gem

[9/10 · 28 January 2018]

A film like this is always going to draw comparisons to Gravity, and while it doesn't contain the kind of hair-raising action scenes of that film, Salyut-7 does manage to offer a sustained level of tension that lifts it far above the average space movie fare.

This is a good dramatic story well told. Initially I found the main character to be a rather stuffy and wooden, but as the film progresses this reveals itself as a reserved stoicism that makes him a well-rounded and likeable character. The photography and special effects are first class and the acting is universally convincing.

I had no expectations when watching this and was pleasantly surprised. That it is based on a little known true story just makes it all the more exciting and engrossing. The short mid-credits footage of the actual cosmonauts is worth sticking around for too. It's a well-deserved 9/10 from me.

Happy Death Day (2017)

Suprisingly fun and entertaining!

[8/10 · 22 January 2018]

Ten minutes in and I was rolling my eyes. It all seemed so predictable. It was clearly a mash-up between Scream & Mean Girls & Groundhog Day. Yawn! The main character Tree is so patently and predictably unlikeable she's literally horrible to every single person she speaks to until about 20 minutes into the film, so you just KNOW that regardless of plot there's going to be a redemption story because there's no way they could make it to the end of the movie with the main character carrying on like Queen Bitch of the Universe literally ALL THE TIME. So, it seemed a little bit predictable and I almost didn't bother watching it through.

But. The character development is actually done quite well. The plot has enough twists and turns to keep you guessing. And at times - despite my early cynicism - I found myself smiling and enjoying the feel good redemptive moments. The lead actor (Jessica Rothe) really gets to show her acting chops - unusually for 'this type of movie' there's lots of physical comedy and good-natured humor too. So, for me it was a surprise, it was great fun. They took what should have been a run-of-the-mill, B-grade, schlock-slasher-comedy and turned it into a well-executed, above-par, enjoyable gem of a film. Recommended!

Alien: Covenant (2017)

This Time With More Stupid

[3/10 · 10 July 2017]

A script works well when characters are confronted with situations that push them into conflict, where their choices are plausible and realistic within the circumstances they face. That doesn't happen here.

It seems that the writers well and truly ignored the colossal storytelling errors of Prometheus and instead chose to write similarly infuriating characters for Alien: Covenant. This lack of awareness from the film's producers is, frankly, astonishing.

As with Prometheus the characters are not just repeatedly unprofessional but at times incredibly stupid. A crew trained for space travel would be selected for their ability to maintain composure under pressure but these characters haphazardly ignore safety protocols and are overemotional in situations where you'd expect at least some calm professionalism. The only role that actually gets some character development is Daniels, who (someone, finally) shows some quick-thinking Ripleyesque chutzpah very late in the film. Unfortunately, Daniels doesn't feature enough for the audience to really care about her, probably as a result of having far too many minor characters competing for screen time.

The result is a story that feels artificially bumped along by the inane poor judgment of the characters rather than the choices circumstances force them to make. I was going to write a paragraph on the ending but decided it's literally too annoying and predictable to waste time trying.

It's a shame, really. Everyone wanted this to be better than the last one. Like Prometheus it has awesome production design and looks amazing. There are some good set scenes but as a whole the film delivers a frustrating, confounding mess that sadly disappoints.

PS: For a comedic actor in a serious role Danny McBride is actually very good in this but unfortunately his character's unthinking recklessness made me shout at the screen.

The Good Wife: Mind's Eye (2015) Season 6, Episode 14

Brilliant

[10/10 · 12 March 2015]

I've grown to really appreciate the excellent writing on The Good Wife in recent years, but this episode, 'Mind's Eye', has to be one of the very best. That it contains so many threads of plot-lines, characters, possibilities and outcomes... well, I don't want to gush but I thought this was TV at its very best, all brought together with some very clever direction and tight editing.

Some people may have issues with the style of this episode, and yes, the personal narrative does depart from the usual format but I would encourage viewers to just relax and go with the flow. This is a one off, a unique perspective on a brilliant show - and better for it, in my opinion.

Packed with insight and humour, this episode shows us Alicia's intelligence, her wit, her pathos and her insecurities, up close and personal. More of this, please.

The Wonderful World of Disney: Princess of Thieves (2001) Season 4, Episode 9

Brilliant prediction!!

[13 June 2013]

I've not seen this film. I only wanted to commend the reviewer kelley-8 who, in a review posted on 1 September 2001 - at the very least a full year before Keira Knightly made her breakthrough in Bend it Like Beckham, said "The actress who played Gwyn is beautiful and should have a long career." I was so impressed reading this. Of course, Knightly went on to become a famously successful Hollywood actor as Elizabeth Swan in Pirates of the Caribbean, but also got to play famous literary roles such as Anna Karenina and Elizabeth Bennett (in Pride and Prejudice). For such brilliant insight, someone should buy that man (or woman) a drink or six. :)

Horrible Bosses (2011)

Stupid movie

[2/10 · 14 January 2012]

Good Lord. All those famous, highly regarded actors turning out for this horrible movie.

What were they thinking? Of the money? Of course. They couldn't have been doing it for the credibility as the script was unbelievably lame. They couldn't have been doing it for the laughs, as the jokes were consistently low-brow, unfunny stereotypes. The jokes, even when viewed as ironic or cringe-worthy, were consistently terrible. I don't mind swearing or crudity, but it should be within the context of a halfway intelligent script, otherwise it's just rubbish schoolboy humor.

Even a script containing bumbling idiots needs a degree of believability about it. This movie, even when viewed as nothing more than a brain-dead comedy, is repeatedly stupid. The three guys being tormented by their bosses continually make out-of-character mistakes.

I was genuinely offended that actors like Kevin Spacey and Colin Farrell would lower themselves to this guff. Jason Bateman not so much, as he seems to be finding his niche with these kind of movies. (See The Change-Up)

Law Abiding Citizen (2009)

An ending that works (for me)

[7/10 · 31 May 2010]

Almost everyone agrees. Law Abiding Citizen is a great movie but the ending sucks.

The problem is, with about 30 minutes to go, the movie wants us to stop cheering on Clyde (Gerry Butler) and suddenly start thinking of Nick (Jamie Foxx) as the hero. That's not going to work, the audience has just invested about 90 minutes of wanting Clyde to continue with his vengeance. Damn right too.

The plot should have continued to its logical conclusion. Clyde was trying to teach Nick a lesson, that the system was so broken that it could only be fixed by being destroyed first. Rather than the squeaky-Hollywood-ending-slop they served up, here's what should have happened...

In the solitary confinement cell at the end, Jamie Foxx's character Nick should have taken the cell-phone from Clyde then remote-detonated the bomb at city hall, blowing up the mayor, the brass, the whole rotten system, then gone off to watch his daughter's cello recital.

Now, that ending would have been really insane, but it would have taken the movie to its logical conclusion. Nick's conversion would have been complete. As an ending, it would be right up there with Jimmy Cagney at the end of White Heat, 'Made it Ma, top of the world!' Morally dubious, yes, but it would have given us a bona-fide classic. It would be rating 9.8 here on IMDb rather than this insipid seven-point-bleh.

Oh, and the movie loses a point for Gerard Butler not using his own voice. Gerry is a Scot and has a fine Glasgow accent, he should use it.