kipper-12 Reviews

Bees Make Honey (2017)

What was this?

[2/10 · 21 February 2022]

I cannot tell what this movie was trying to achieve. It was not funny or even entertaining; I had the impression all along I was watching a theatre performance on stage rather than a film.

Art direction and set decoration were pretty good, but that's no reason to recommend it.

Last Looks (I) (2021)

Pointless movie

[3/10 · 21 February 2022]

Good acting; Charlie Hunnam never disappoints. However, the plot is just not going anywhere. After a while I lost interest and started fast forwarding.

A Little Italian Vacation (2021)

Good acting, weak plot

[5/10 · 21 February 2022]

Without Schmae (Jude Schedden) this would be a barely noticeable movie. Good acting and likeable (albeit annoying) characters all around, but the little guy steals the show. Unfortunately the plot is a letdown and the ending is just... meh.

The Ledge (2022)

Pretty impressive for an indie movie

[6/10 · 21 February 2022]

I'm not into thrillers, but I like climbing and I was keen to see some nice mountain scenes. I ended up liking it: acting, cinematography, editing, even the plot was good after a slow start. Definitely recommended.

Max Winslow and the House of Secrets (2019)

The Breakfast Club for the 21st century

[6/10 · 12 May 2021]

A bunch of high school students are locked into a high tech house for a night and they have to face their fears / anxieties in order to get out (and win the house itself).

Quite well made, but it is certainly not for an adult audience. I was trying to watch it through my teenage kids' eyes and it worked; otherwise it would have been disappointing.

The Virtuoso (2021)

Stylish thriller with good performances

[6/10 · 11 May 2021]

It is definitely slow paced, but not boring for a minute; it reminded me of George Clooney's The American. It's certainly not full of action, but the conversations and narrative reflections carry it through.

Reviews say it's predictable; I definitely did not see the plot twists coming.

Nemesis (I) (2021)

Good little British gangster movie

[7/10 · 11 May 2021]

I really liked it - not as much as We Still Kill The Old Way, but I still enjoyed every minute of it. The conversation between Billy Murray and Bruce Payne in itself was worth watching.

The plot is somewhat convoluted, like someone had several different sketches in their mind and tried to pull them into a coherent story; it may have been better to focus on one angle only instead of introducing the vengeful policeman and the victims of trafficking at the same time.

Me You Madness (2021)

Utterly bonkers!

[5/10 · 11 May 2021]

I had very low expectations based on the reviews, but I ended up actually finding it very entertaining and never had the urge to hit fast forward.

First of all, despite portraying a serial killer, it is not dark or scary at all. The movie does not take itself too seriously, with the main characters constantly breaking down the fourth wall at the right times. Acting is also much better than expected from a low budget black comedy.

Quirky? Sure. Cliches? Plenty. I'm not sure I would watch it again, but I would definitely recommend it when you have to kill 100 minutes at an airport or on a train.

In Vino (2017)

What a waste of talent!

[4/10 · 25 June 2020]

Despite a terrific cast and a strong start the movie runs out of steam after half an hour and the plot becomes thin. It's a pity, as 20 minutes into it I thought we had another Knives Out. The acting of every last character is brilliant, but after a while they start to behave like they were in a Scooby-Doo cartoon, running up and down rather pointlessly.

Kill Ben Lyk (2018)

So bad it's actually good

[6/10 · 19 June 2020]

I've heard the term "it's so bad it's actually good", but I could never make sense of it... until now. This movie is so weird I ended up enjoying it completely, with its twisted plot and oddball characters. Not quite Guy Ritchie, but it has similar vibes.

I Am Vengeance (II) (2018)

Best B-movie I have seen in a long time

[6/10 · 2 June 2020]

I was actually impressed by this movie. There was a coherent plot, credible action scenes and most of all much better acting than I expected from this category. The hero, the villains, the supporting cast - they were all very good; I've seen much worse in blockbusters.

This sort of vengeance movies are usually based in the US, so it was nice to see a British village as the venue too.

Berlin, I Love You (2019)

Glimpses of Berlin

[5/10 · 2 June 2020]

Despite the bad reviews I decided to give it a go and I kind of liked it. I expected more, but all in all it is a likeable movie with some uplifting and some depressing bits. There's no plot as such, just glimpses into lives of people living in Berlin in search of something. I would have welcomed some closure in more episodes as it had way too many loose ends, but the visuals compensated for the shortcomings.

The Wedding Dress (2001 TV Movie)

Touching movie with a terrific casting

[8/10 · 20 August 2004]

Originally we sat down with my wife to clear some video tapes for re-recording. We were quite convinced that this never-heard-of piece wouldn't have our attention for more than 10 minutes and we can erase it with a clear conscience.

But after less than that we were trapped into the subtle magic of the movie and declared it to be one of our favorites. None of the names were familiar at that time but I have checked cast details and though there are no blockbuster names, a couple of the actors/actresses have appeared in major movies. Of course the betrayed wife (the amazing Margaret Colin) was presidential aide in ID4, of course the photographer (Neil Patrick Harris) fought against aliens in Starship Troopers, of course the grumpy aunt (Tyne Daly) was Lacey in Cagney & Lacey, of course the groom pawning his watch (Wolfgang Bodison) was accused in A Few Good Men and of course his bride (Kimberly Hawthorne) tried to find a senator's kidnapped daughter in Along Came A Spider. With them and all the other characters this is probably the best casting I have seen for a long time and I cannot understand how this romantic masterpiece is so little known of. (I couldn't even find a region 2 DVD.)

The music is beautifully matching the scenes, cinematography is also first class - this is a great example how to make a great movie without Julia Roberts, Angelina Jolie and the like.

8 Women (2002)

Agatha Christie a la French

[5/10 · 26 May 2004]

I enjoyed the movie all along but I was very disappointed with the ending. I can recommend the film for all theater fans because the performances are great but the final shot is one too many and I had a definite film noire feeling. There are quite a couple of musical scenes in the movie, probably to ease the tension, I found them somewhat out of place. Nevertheless it was a good opportunity to show what else these talented actresses can do. Obviously these song and dance themes were written not for the movie but for the theater, where 8 femmes is also to be seen. Perky Emmanuelle Beart is my favorite!