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Reviews
Ripley (2024)
Stunning Production
This is a truly stunning production.
I was a little unsure about the black and white cinematography, I felt that we wouldn't get the full beauty of Italy, but you know, it really does work. It gives the film a real feel of the era it which it's set, and a somewhat menacing atmosphere.
Andrew Scott, as always is sublime, he really does portray the troubled psychopath Tom Ripley so we almost feel empathy for him.
My only criticism is that the casting is a little "off" Dakota Fanning seems terribly miscast as Marge Sherwood, she looks disinterested at best, Johnny Flynn gave us a good interpretation of the spoilt Dickie Greenleaf, but there was very little on screen chemistry between him and Dakota.
My main issue with casting is that of Eliot Sumner as Freddie Miles. I totally understand why they were chosen for the role, but I personally don't think it was the right decision. Apart from questionable acting abilities, they just didn't seem to portray the arrogant, privilege and snobbiness of Freddie.
Definitely watch it, it's well worth the time you will give it.
Allelujah (2022)
Dreadful.
Written by Alan Bennett, with some sort of reworking by Heidi Thomas (Call the Midwife) and starring some of our best actors, this should have been so much better.
Unfortunately it was not, it was dire, it was embarrassingly bad.
The main story is that of a "hospital/old folks home" The Beth, which is threatened with closure, cue a couple of odd ball characters who were loitering around the foyer "campaigning" against said closure.
The "hospital" ward was run by Jennifer Saunders as a mad Matron who appeared to work 24/7, and 1 nurse aided and abetted by a YTS lad and a stereotypical Good Indian Dr. The patients all seemed to be long term patients, and as someone who has worked in hospitals for many years, I can assure anyone who is actually interested that this was not a true portrayal in any way, shape or form of todays NHS Elderly care.
One of the highlights for me was when Russel Toveys' character, who "had the voice of an angel" as a child, sang for his Father, it was one of the most embarrassing moments I've seen on screen for a long time, hilarious.
Judi Dench (what were you thinking of love) played a slightly mousy lady who wandered around fully clothed and yet at one point had a blood transfusion and cardiac monitor next to her bed, while the good Indian Dr administered an iPad to her instead of medical assistance (more of that later)
The solitary nurse found a character who they couldn't wake up, clearly dead, but this nurse who has sole charge of all these patients had no idea. The Good Indian Dr then tried to ascertain death by taken the poor fellows pulse with his thumb.
There was a somewhat sinister twist brought to light by the aforementioned iPad gifted by the Good Indian Dr to Judi Dench, although even Sherlock Holmes himself would struggle to make a correlation between what was seen and what was actually happening.
Anyhoo, it all came out in the wash, and The Beth closed. Fast forward to the Pandemic and The Good Indian Dr is now wandering around a "proper" hospital in scrubs, he must be "very important" Dr by now, because he just looks at notes, shaking his head knowingly at moribund patients.
Then the best bit of the whole film comes, he turns to camera and gives us all a lecture about how much the NHS cares, blah, blah, blah I can't tell you what he actually said as my husband and I were just laughing so much.
All in all, an utter embarrassment and a waste of several really good actors time.
I watched it on Now movies, I'm just so glad I didn't pay to see it at the cinema, so much time and money that one would never get back.
The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry (2023)
Jim Broadbent carried a very mediocre film
This film starred 2 of my favourite actors Jim Broadbent and Penelope Wilton, always a good reason to watch.
Unfortunately, their characters, especially Wilton's, we're not padded out enough, it was difficult to feel any emotion for them.
The supporting cast were like stereotypical cardboard cut outs, and whilst I know it's on based on a work of fiction, it was too difficult to believe in any of them.
Plot lines were just too far fetched, why did Queenie lie to protect Harold, and why would the Brewery bosses believe that a slight, older, tweed clad lady would be capable of wreaking such havoc ??
The fruit and veg left at the side of the road.
The dog ??
Happening to find sleeping bags and sleeping out in the wild.
Harold's indestructible Clark's shoes.
2 ladies alone in their home took Harold's character in and one even let him sleep in the house. Really ??
There was no humour amongst the angst, one thing we do well in Britain is see the funny side of even the most bleak situation.
The cinematography was very good, some beautiful shots.
All in all, it's perfectly watchable, but it felt like something was missing, maybe it was poorly edited.
It's just as well Broadbent was there to carry it, because I'm not sure it would have worked at all with out him. The dog was very cute too.
The Long Shadow (2023)
Top notch dramatisation
I remember the Yorkshire Ripper murders well, I was a teenager at the time, and the fear was palpable and felt all around the country.
This drama tells the story of the victims, and also of the families affected by the events.
So many well known faces are in this, some in fairly small parts, but the acting was amazing.
The attitude of the Police, media and in many cases the general public was breathtaking, even for someone who lived through that era, it's unbelievable that as a society we treated women like that.
This is historical, social drama at its best.
Don't listen to those that say it's sensationalist etc, it isn't, it's real life, real lives are still affected by this mans reign of terror.
Don't miss it.
The Following Events Are Based on a Pack of Lies (2023)
Farcical take on a serious topic.
This series started well for me, I assumed it would be a thriller about a woman trying to bring down the man who caused heartache and financial ruin for her family.
She sees him in Oxford after 15 years with a new persona, and watches as he snares a newly widowed author, one would hope she would warn the poor woman, but she went off on a tangent, and after a series of implausible events, he was brought down in an even more implausible finale.
Amongst all this farce we had a typical BBC pastiche of real life bad men, and the main female characters being all feminist and PC, a totally unnecessary and bizarre addition to the story.
The acting for the most part was a bit am dram, the wonderful Karl Johnson was a notable exception to that rule. I'm not sure what Derek Jacobi character was all about, he just disappeared in episode 4.
A wasted opportunity to tell a good story about scammers and the effect it has on lives.
Watch it if you've nothing else to do, but don't expect too much.
Blindspot (2023)
Just Look in The Bins !!!!!
I should start by saying I only watched 1 episode, I just couldn't summon up the fortitude to plough through any more.
Personally, I don't think Ross Kemp was ever much of an actor, he was typecast as Grant Mitchell, and when he left Eastenders that seemed to be his acting career finished. He is however, very good at presenting thought provoking documentaries, he should have stuck at those.
As a way back into acting, featuring in this dross was a cataclysmic decision.
The lead character is one of the most obnoxious characters I've seen on tv for a while, I had no sympathy for the character and didn't care what happened to her, the actress was clearly there as she is a wheelchair user, certainly not for her acting talents.
It was like a school play, or an am dram production. Poor writing, no character development, no real story, nothing felt "real" at all.
The scene where the Police were too busy to look in the bins, that were literally right next to them, was the final straw for me, I finished the first episode and retired gracefully, pretty much what the cast of this shameful production should do.
Ross, go back to documentaries love.
Heat (2023)
Mick Carter's in Australia !!
Danny Dyers Eastenders character Mick Carter must have washed up on Aussie shores when we all thought he had drowned (actually I don't watch EE but I had read about his characters demise) anyway, here he is in fire blighted Melbourne, large as life and twice as Cockney, except here he's allowed to eff and jeff a bit as it's post watershed.
Basically the premise of the story is that a couple of old mates and their families meet up every year, only this year all sorts of issues are brought to the table, presumably they've never had any inkling of any of these issues in previous years. Add in the threat of becoming toast in a bush fire, and it's a recipe for disaster.
Unfortunately, apart from the daughters boyfriend Jett, there isn't a likeable or relatable character amongst them, and it's hard to feel any sympathy for them.
This story drags on over 4 episodes, lots of angst, all accompanied by a typical Aussie drama soundtrack, and really hammy acting.
The ending left me quite incredulous, I've lived in Australia and I know the SES and the Police there are not that dim.
It's like a hybrid of Eastenders and Neighbours.
Watch it, if like me you've nothing else to do, you're suffering with a heavy cold, and it's raining (again), but if you've got a life, go and live it and leave Mick Carter to his watery grave.
Lady Chatterley's Lover (2022)
Lack lustre adaptation
I really wanted to be impressed by this, but it just didn't gel for me.
There was very little character development. Lord Chatterley has become emasculated following injuries sustained during WW1, we see little of the effect this has on him, or indeed his wife, who just seems to strop around huffing and puffing.
The affair between Lady Chatterley and Mellors goes from a quick romp, to them apparently being deeply in love with no visible evidence of this on screen, aside from them running round in the nude quite a lot.
Emma Corrin seemed terribly miscast to me, Jack O'Connell tried hard, but it was really just like they were going through the motions.
Joely Richardson was probably the best thing about the whole production.
It passed a couple of hours pleasantly enough, but it didn't light any fires for me.