A very disappointing attempt at this story, ideal for a movie. The problem lies in the casting of both the main characters. The books make it quite clear that Mikael is a middle-aged fairly unfit financial journalist - and as such Daniel Craig is completely miscast. He is far too worldly wise and 'dangerous' to fit the picture painted of Mikael in the books. Fine actor, does a great job of playing the part but too macho. 'Lisbeth' is described as being very petite, indeed she is often mistaken for a young boy, and as such Rooney Mara is also a poor fit for the character - particularly if you have seen the Swedish version in which Noomi Rapace is excellent in the part. Again I accept that Rooney played the part well but she looked wrong, she was too tall and didn't fit the image. You could argue that reading the books prior to seeing this film (and seeing all three Swedish films) was a mistake - and that your image of a character may be wrong - but in this case the late Stieg Larsson (who wrote the books) was very clear in his description of the main characters. I note that no attempt has been made to film the other two books - hopefully that will continue. The original Swedish films are excellent, marred by the subtitles of course, and I think that this is the way to enjoy this series of books. The English language version could have been so much better than it turned out.
Reviews
7 Reviews
A Mother's Son
(2012)
Excellent viewing
18 April 2014
I have just finished watching 'A Mother's Son' on the ABC in Australia. It was shown as a single 2 hour story and I think that helped maintain the tension. I am at a loss to work out what program one of my fellow reviewers was watching, perhaps the fact that he remembers 'Billy Cotton's Bandstand' is an indication of his age (we are talking 1950's here), but the plot was certainly not 'East Enders' and 'over the top'. The other review pretty well sums up the movie, it was tightly written and extremely well acted. It is typical of the current crop of UK drama, good casts, good scripts and a big dose of conflicting emotions. In many ways it was similar to another excellent production "Broadbeach", although that was a much longer drama and more complicated plot-wise. Room for a lot of extra red herrings. I agree that the tension was well maintained, I could understand the mixed emotions which Rosie felt, although I was pretty sure by half way through that she was backing the wrong horse; her son was the culprit, or at least an accomplice.
Hansel & Gretel
(2013 Video)
If you have 90 minutes to waste....
15 February 2013
Read the other reviews, they summarise all that is bad about this movie. Basically a waste of time and budget, B-grade horror suitable only for a late-night horror channel on TV. Not quite as bad as 'The Thing for the Black Lagoon' (but about 40 years newer) the SFX are woeful and the plot is predictable, including the punchline..... (if that is what it is supposed to be). It is what I think is called a 'cliff-hanger' - allowing you to continue the plot line later - if there is interest. In the case of this movie a sequel would be an act of insanity. Apparently I need 10 lines to submit this review so here is the tenth one.
The Body Farm
(2011–2012)
Could do better
29 June 2012
I have seen this series twice now (on DVD and recently on ABC1 in Australia) and am still not sure about it. The plots are good and the main characters potentially interesting, but somehow it fails to grab me. I agree with other reviewers that the monologues at start and end are a real turnoff, if the chief scientist really feels like that then she is in the wrong business - she is far too philosophical to be 'scientific' in her research. On the subject of 'research' why bother to set their base in a 'body farm' when the work they allegedly do there is completely ignored. My understanding of 'body farms' - at least the FBI one - is that they study rates and levels of decomposition (under different circumstances - heat, moisture, body fat level etc) to allow some parameters to be applied to 'fresh' cases. Part from Oggie communing with one of the corpses propped up against a tree the farm 'product' gets little attention. Most of what they do is basic crime scene investigation (DNA, bugs etc) which has been seen so often before in CSI, Bones...... If this series wants a niche it needs a handle - and it hasn't got one based on this first series. Surprisingly, with Trevor Eve as executive producer, it lacks the bite which was the mark of 'Waking The Dead'. Perhaps he should act in his own show as he was the essential pivot in 'WTD'. A second series? - would be good if they fixed the problems but perhaps the problems in Series One (and viewer disappointment) will prevent it. A good idea poorly executed.
White Heat
(2012)
True to life
13 June 2012
Like at least one of the other reviewers I lived through this period, the characters commencing at university in 1965 and I commenced in 1966 so the events against which their lives were played out are the same as mine. I found the period very well created, and the dynamics in the household were very true to life. British universities were full of 'Jacks' in the 1960's, usually little rich boys who dreamed of being Che or Marx who unlike the Alan's and Orla's of that world had no real principles. I recall my school senior year voting (in a mock election)overwhelmingly Labour - at a public school in Christopher Soames' constituency (Soames was Winston Churchill's son in law and a staunch Conservative). As part of a sit-in group which evicted the Vice-Chancellor from his office at Birmingham University, and as a fringe participant to the Grosvenor Square 'riot' portrayed in Episode 2, I believe that the series captures the period well, including the attitude of the various parents depicted in episode 1 who had no concept of the aspirations of their children, often the first generation to even contemplate a university education and the subsequent events. It was a time of change and the series depicts it well.
Scorched
(2008 TV Movie)
Worth watching
21 November 2008
I don't really think that this was intended as a political statement, it was never going to be more than a 'disaster movie' for TV. In that respect it succeeds. Ch 9 did a good job on the action scenes (mostly if not all Canberra Feb 2003 - certainly the burning embers blowing across the road and past the windscreen of the truck were Cbr) and the dramatisation and depiction of fire-ground action was true to life - and life's a bitch under those conditions. Can't comment about the Emergency Response Room scenes but looked pretty representative of an AIIMS set-up. It was a good drama, well written and well acted. Without spoiling the story the political aspects portrayed certainly echo a lot of 'nasties' which surface in most states - and ably portray the 'say one thing and mean another' pollie-speak which seems to be so common. As a rural firefighter I can't say I 'enjoyed' the movie - too close to my everyday realities - but I did think it was a worthwhile watch.
If....
(1968)
True to life - my old school
26 July 2007
A great movie which I have seen many times over the last 30+ years. It's portrayal of English private school life is pretty close to the truth - the sadism and the bullying was for real. Of course we didn't actually mow down the school staff etc on the day of the big Cadet Force parade - but the option was there, we did have a parade just like the one portrayed in the film. The film is very close to home for me as I actually went to the school (won't say which one) which was used for the exterior (and many of the interior) shots. Actually seeing fictional events happening in locations where you lived and worked for 6 years as a student is spooky. Pity it came out in 1973, in 1963 it might have given us a few pointers!!! - despite the privilege and money inherent in that school system we were a bolshy lot and were always planning 'the revolution'. Of course it would never have worked - after 500 years the 'system' knew exactly how to protect itself. In that respect the film's outcome is not believable.
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