JustSomeIDorAnother Reviews

Ill Manors (2012)

Pretty ludicrous, with so many implausible coincidences.

[20 January 2017]

This film started out pretty well, it his relatively high production values and felt quite slick. It has parts where the characters are introduced with a brief rap, most of which were passably decent and introduced them well.

The first hour was honestly not bad. The basic stories of Kirby and Chris' power struggle, and the induction of the kid into the gang had a ring of potential truth to them. Ed's search for his phone, and marketing of a prostitute to to a host of kebab shop owners felt a little more silly though.

At the resolution of these story lines, the film just got stupid. Aaron found the gun and all of a sudden there's a baby on his train and he's keeping it around for some reason and the mother is naturally an escaped sex slave from a secret Russian BDSM brothel. Coincidentally the mother runs into the prostitute from the last story line and they go on a quest to find the baby. Oh yeah and then Aaron and Ed sell the baby but five minutes later the mother sees Aaron walking around and they go and try to get the baby back. Honestly you would think, based on this film and how many of the characters know each other, that London had a population of about a thousand people.

Then the pub just happens to set on fire and also Chris wants his gun back. Why Chris wants his gun back is unclear, as he throws it into the river soon after getting it as he used it in a murder. Quite why he didn't just let Aaron keep it, as there was no way of tracing it back to him if Aaron was ever caught, I don't know. Anyway Ed goes on a hero mission to save the baby and dies of course, then they give Chris his karma and have him arrested. In fact, practically every character who is dislikable ends up dead. The filmmakers were clearly very conscious of appealing to people's most basic desire for 'justice.'

Overall, the acting was decent, soundtrack okay, the characters did ridiculous things and felt nothing like real people, and the plot was like... something a twelve year old would write as a first draft.

The Elephant Man (1980)

Factually inaccurate, but worth a watch

[2 October 2016]

This film is the story of Joseph (falsely called John) Merrick, the legendary 'elephant man.' It begins with Dr. Treves, the film's other main protagonist, discovering and then going on to save Mr. Merrick. The film chronicles the rest of Merrick's life, up until his death in 1890.

In typical Hollywood fashion, the facts of the real man's life are largely ignored in order to create a more dramatic viewing experience. For example, it appears he was not mistreated by his freak show promoters, and even expressed gratitude towards them according to Treves. His exhibitions in Europe also occurred before he was ever admitted to the London hospital, with the obsessed former promoter who kidnaps him story line completely fabricated to create peril. Merrick was in fact swindled when in Europe and able to return to London without assistance from anyone. That would seem to indicate he was a far more independent man than the film presents him as.

The Treves character is given an over-inflated role, as although he did care for Merrick and some of the film's scenes are based on real events, many are embellished heavily.

Lynch does not so much pull at the heart strings, but attaches them to a pneumatic winch. His lack of music was played to perfection, with the emphasis almost entirely on the other characters' reactions to him. Although the film is beautifully shot and superbly acted by all concerned, the supposed depth is lacking. The 'message' that we are all human, despite superficial appearances is not exactly one of extreme profundity.

American Me (1992)

Slow and kinda overrated

[2 February 2016]

This film is obviously a bit of a cult classic, infamously resulting in the deaths of three consultants. With real gang members in the prison scenes it has the credentials.

Personally, I thought this was a little overrated. It has an interesting arc as observed by many other reviewers, and the way the inter-generational ripple effect is demonstrated is captured well.

My main issue with it is everything is telegraphed. The main plot events are visible from a mile away and everything is really overblown, with intrusive music and a typical Hollywood heavy handedness.

What could have been a really good film was a little empty, with very little character development. Personally I found 'Blood In, Blood Out' a much better film.

Bumfights: Cause for Concern (2002 Video)

Beavis and Butt-Head's Perfect Movie!

[17 January 2016]

This film has naked chicks, people getting beaten up, a guy defecating on the street, people vomiting, smoking crack, urinating, and plenty more besides. If you think that all sounds pretty cool this should be right up your alley.

Seriously though, it is a fascinating sociological insight into the American culture where the underclass are without value. The way in which the spoiled filmmakers abuse, exploit and commit criminal acts against the homeless while gleefully laughing about it says a lot about the attitudes of many Americans.

Naturally I would be lying if I said some of the sheer absurdity of the situations failed to induce any laughter, but on balance I was left far more sickened than amused.

I rate this a 5 only because of the morbid fascination I got from watching the pride and pleasure of these abhorrent people as they made such an awful film.

Terror from Within (2002 TV Movie)

Top quality!

[3 June 2015]

A really interesting piece about America's second deadliest terrorist attack. Honestly this is put together superbly, and is fantastically made. It starts by talking about the White Supremacist groups who were aiming to declare war on the US Government, before moving on to McVeigh himself. The bombing itself is not given a huge amount of time, but there is some really good stuff like a nice animated reconstruction, and a video showing the FBI's test with a half-size bomb. The interviews are really well balanced, with members and ex members of the Supremacist groups, victims and law enforcement. Real quality, and I watch a lot of made for TV style crime based documentaries. This is really up there with the best of them.

Lorenzo & Monica (2012)

Genuinely not that bad!

[9 August 2013]

I decided to watch this film for the same reason I am sure most would. Tray Chaney of course! His portrayal of Lorenzo seems largely the same as that of 'Poot' from The Wire, and this is no bad thing! I am sure Wire fans will get a smile out of his replies of 'huh?', a Poot staple.

Despite watching this for such flimsy reasons, it genuinely was surprisingly impressive. The script was pretty sharp, and I found the lighting and direction atmospheric, although I am sure others may not agree. Most of the scenes are dark, but you can see what is going on. It is a low-budget film, and has all the hallmarks of one. The use of very few extras give it that feel of being slightly removed from reality.

This film is really more romantic melodrama than high octane action, with the relationship between the two central characters at the core, and the crimes receiving less focus. The relationship feels real though, with moments that were genuinely comic.

Overall, decent script, and it makes the most of it's shoestring budget. If you loved Tray Chaney in The Wire you will love him here!