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Reviews
Woman in Gold (2015)
A golden blend of a film played to perfection by an exquisite cast
I discovered this film "hidden" in the BBC's iPlayer and was sufficiently intrigued by the blurb including a picture of Helen Mirren and Ryan Reynolds to press "start watching". I was not drawn to the story so much but by the "unusual" combination of these stars. The story itself is somewhat predictable (I didn't know the specifics of Maria Altmann's case beforehand) so setting that aside where do my 8 stars come from? There are 2 contributors the characterisation and the cast. Mirren and Reynolds both fully fill-out the roles. Whilst you expect that of the Dame, seeing an actor more familiar to me from Hollywood action and comedy movies in a "serious" role has confirmed Mr Reynolds as one of my favourites. The relationship between them is well played with very believable mixes of cheekiness and extreme tension that you could see forming over a number a years as each tries to understand the other. Reynold's coming to terms with the holocaust (when the bleak reality that it really happened hits you whatever your upbringing is) is authentic as is Mirren's portrayal of a strong survivor carrying a deep sense of loss, scarred like so many of that global generation. The interplay between the two leads in the last scenes where justice is served but not without the taint of bitterness is particularly fine. The supporting cast is superb, and there are big names here, but no one oversteps their own role. Daniel Brühl is very well cast. It was also a delight to find Elizabeth McGovern as the story turned around one corner. Overall the film struck the right chord of telling a story about justice and good conquering evil. I didn't think the film set out to make you feel sorry for someone who came from a very privileged background and lost everything and then happy that they became very rich at the end of it all any more than if it was anyone else. For me it was more a story of embarking on an important journey late in life taking a risk, challenging the status quo and doing the right thing. All of this with the trust and encouragement of friends and fellow human beings who have your back.
Totems (2021)
A hidden gem
Stumbled across this well written, well acted and well filmed thriller and ended up watching it back to back and feeling sad at the end since it had finished. The story is not a typical Cold War US/UK vs USSR drama by way of the French angle and there are multiple storylines that twist and turn very cleverly. The characterisation is superb so you end up attached to the players liking their good points and understanding their flaws and their emotions. I particularly liked the mixed European dialogue and despite not being a French speaker was in no way put off and could easily follow the story. The attention to detail in the scenes cannot be questioned. I am a car fan and every street scene in Paris, Prague, Moscow was filled with exactly the right vehicles. The fashions and house/office interiors were spot on. I also loved the airport and the mid 60s commercial flight scenes. There are some classic cliff hangers that in pre-streaming days would you have had your desperate for next week's episode as well as other familiar techniques to keep the tension and intrigue going but at no time was it cheesy. Well worth watching. Congratulations to all who put this together. I was very well entertained.