qmaclaine Reviews

The Tourist (2022–2024)

Dornan let down by amateurish cast

[2/10 · 3 July 2023]

Danielle MacDonald's co-stars billing is a total mismatch. Her vocal-fry, overacting and uneasy wannabe-American accent (utterly wrong for an outback Aussie girl) is uncomfortable and distracting. She's not alone in lacking acting ability. What should be a tense and interesting yarn is undermined by cliche and poor line delivery. Cheap and ordinary. The casting seems based on caricature of the written characters. The setting and concept had the potential for a seriously powerful thriller and Dornan is quality. Another beef is the constant intrusion on the drama by clumsily delivered pseudo-comedy. I tolerated the first episode but the stupidity of the side stories and dire acting killed off any interest in continuing.

Farmer Wants a Wife (2009– )

False eyelashes....

[3/10 · 11 May 2023]

....out on the tractor...rounding up the sheep? As frequent as the wearing of jeans was on the show when it started 14 years ago. What a joke. "Farmer" doesn't need a selfie queen.but that seems to be what the producers.designed for them. The original, successful format targeted down-to-earth genuine young farmers and girls with, if not a background on the land, then at least an understanding of it or a curiosity. The producers have fallen for the trap of feeling that they have to compete with formulaic "successful" reality shows where conflict, damaged character and a keen sense of entitlement are the primary sources of entertainment. The golden goose is dying.

The Proposition (2005)

Patchy but engaging

[5/10 · 25 April 2023]

The film offers an entertaining, if unlikely yarn and the leads, Pearce, Winstone and Watson are convincing. There are two jarring factors which distract from what should have been an engaging film; the woodenness of the extras who act - US-style - in a kind of zombie sync and the appalling overacting of David Wenham. One of the most embarrassing caricatures in modern Australian cinema. How did the producers allow this train-wreck performance to get to screen? They went to the trouble of casting sound foreign actors but failed to match them with the best home-grown actors. Pearce, as ever, is convincing. However, Wenham made his name in light-weight drama and was grossly out of this depth with this heavy material.

Alone Australia (2023– )

The two stars are for the superb Tasmanian wilderness

[2/10 · 10 April 2023]

Given that this show will be shown internationally and be seen as representative of Australians and Australian values, I'm appalled at the cellar-dweller quality of the participants. They could reasonably be collectively described as semi-literate, self-deluded, cliche-driven inadequates, spruiking attention-seeking twaddle about love of country and respect for the bush with limited stoicism or true respect (for themselves or their surroundings). And as for the potty-mouthed winger who describes herself as a "Proud.... Woman" and a "Secondary teacher", it's appalling to think of the lessons learnt by her students when they see her spectacular vacuousness and lack of capacity. As a nation, we're far more than this. A horrible betrayal of our image by the producers.

Antiques Road Trip (2010– )

Introducing self-conscious kids as "experts"

[3/10 · 29 April 2022]

I've just watched a cringe- making 2021 road trip "starring" Tim Medhurst and Irita Marriott. Both incredibly immature, both socially and professionally, doing endless selfie moments for the camera. Maybe the producers think it's cool progress. Irita, in particular, is excruciatingly contrived and childish. Wrecks a good format. Please give us some seasoned and interesting personalities again. More like Romper Room than an adult's light entertainment using these self-conscious post-teens.