superstar-12 Reviews

Spencer (2021)

Absolute Guff

[2/10 · 11 December 2021]

What a load of utter nonsense. Filmed in Germany with an American actress whispering her dialogue throughout - her head permanently tilted at 60 degrees - and a music score more suited to Diana Krall than Diana Spencer. I realise that there may be an American obsession with our royal family but if they must commission films about them, then please let us believe in them instead of creating this breathy, stilted, caricature. Stewart is particularly awful - her sentences often beginning with an incoherent whisper, rising a few decibels to rare coherence and then through a diminuendo back to oblivion again. I'm offended by this attempt at telling a story which is based on truth. To me, it is an object of ridicule as extreme as would be a biopic of Barack Obama played by Stubby Kaye. It's that bad.

Honest Thief (2020)

Avoid

[3/10 · 7 December 2020]

Really not very good. It seems that Liam Neeson is in danger of joining the Bruce Willis and Nicholas Cage Career Twilight Cash Club. Don't get me wrong, Neeson is as dependable as ever in terms of his performance but really, what possible reason other than his bank balance would encourage him to get out of bed in the morning to shoot this drivel?

2020 has been an annus horribilis for movie output. Honest Thief does nothing to make it any better!

Line of Duty (2019)

Rotten

[1/10 · 26 June 2020]

Absolute unmitigated bilge. Not for years have I watched such a God awful movie. This was an insult to the intelligence. A 2 hour suspension of credibility. What was Eckhart thinking? I know. A fat paycheque. Just sh**.

Secret Santa (I) (2018)

Seriously??

[1/10 · 9 December 2019]

If anyone is in any doubt that this is rotten, just have a look at the trailer.

Unbelievable (2019)

2 episodes too long

[7/10 · 22 September 2019]

A great series, very well-acted and directed and with a decent script. Why run it over 8 episodes. So much padding was totally unnecessary and made some episodes rather slow and pointless. This could have been a much better 6 Ep series.

A Score to Settle (2019)

Utterly brain-numbing

[1/10 · 2 August 2019]

This is right up there with the rest of the late career choices of Nicholas Cage. The first hour is pointless wallpaper. When the action eventually does kick in, it is as predictable as sunrise. Cage takes the money for all these turkeys he makes. Time for me to pass on his future efforts if this is all we can expect from a once fine actor. Don't waste your time on this one

Pyewacket (2017)

Shockingly Bad

[1/10 · 29 July 2018]

There is no plot, no point, no outcome and no justification for this being made at all. Absolutely awful.

Blockers (2018)

Absolute Trash

[2/10 · 21 June 2018]

I'm reading reviews with the words 'comedy' or 'heartfelt' or 'funniest', or 'original'. Thankfully these are balanced in other reviews by 'garbage', 'turgid' and 'dross'. I am in the latter category. Seriously, Blocker is a shocker. How on earth can it have a rating of nearly 7 on IMDB? The first 10 minutes of cheesy American female teen banality delivered by nauseatingly wholesome, saccarine-sweet accents really does my box in. That, combined with stereotypical dysfunctional and goofy parents, sets the mood for the remainder of the movie and that 10 minutes alone should be enough for any serious lover of comedy to switch it off and do something better with their time like knitting a sweater or cleaning out the bathroom instead.

The OA (2016– )

Full of Promise

[6/10 · 11 January 2017]

I wanted to give this more than 6/10 and, based on the first few episodes it was really worthy of 8 but what let it down for me was how the final 15-20% of the plot dragged through 3 episodes when one would have nailed it. I wondered why Ep 5 was only about 30 mins long whilst the rest were 50 or 60 mins.. I now realise that it was to unnecessarily draaaaag out an inconsequential part of the overall story line, presumably to make the series look like a typical Netflix 8 or 10 episode box set.

Beyond that, the 'eureka' moment when the main character developed that Tai-Chi stuff with her soul mates, just looked silly to me. I mean, WTF was all that about?

Good acting throughout but some unbelievable characterisations - especially the teacher.

I really like Brit Marling's writing and this show had great promise from Ep 1-4 but whilst the ending was powerful and conclusive, the latter part of the story could have been constructed better.

There Will Be Blood (2007)

WTF was the point of the story

[6/10 · 4 April 2008]

Fantastic acting but really, what was the point of this movie? We had a schizophrenic pastor and a psychopathic oilman who, until the last scene ,were doing no more than metaphorically throwing handbags at each other. Coupled with that we have a 10/12 year old boy whose loss of hearing suddenly renders him mute until he is in his late twenties! WTF was that all about.

DDL deserved his bauble but the whole storyline was crap and could have been so much better.

This movie benefited from exceptional acting but left this particular viewer unfulfilled by its pace, story and ending.

Taking Sides (2001)

Keitel excels

[21 August 2004]

This is the kind of movie of which Blockbuster branches only get one copy. 'Fargo' was similarly underestimated.

You have to remain skeptical about the accuracy of the history but you can't overlook the performances. Harvey Keitel was quite outstanding. When you compare his performance with those of the best actor nominees in 2004 - well..........

I also liked the authenticity of the sets. They created immediate post-war Berlin extremely well, contrary to what an earlier reviewer said. I'm sorry that more wasn't made of the Furtwangler character before the end of the war and perhaps the inclusion of Von Karajan would have added to the story (maybe Gabriel Byrne???)