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neilwaynesmith
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Luther: The Fallen Sun (2023)
Brilliant.
My heartfelt opinion is this was an incredible 'Luther' story, possibly the best since season 2.
I liked the way the, ahem, 'career halt' was dealt with via exposition & news reports, it got it out of the way so the real story would have more time to unfold.
Elba, as always gives a brilliant performance, so does Serkis. In their respective fields, they truly are amongst the acting greats in this country.
Cynthia Erivo starts off as a typical career-minded-by-the-book trope however, as the film develops, she is allowed to flesh out her character and become a little more creative in her interpretation of the law.
The ending is a clever twist and opens up a whole new story arc for Luther. A 'Callan'-style character for the 21st Century?
Poker Face (2022)
Slow-burner but quietly entertaining
Crowe stars, writes the screenplay & co-writes the music, so. I'm guessing he was fairly well invested in the project...
I called it a slow burner, but it is a pleasant diversion that lasts about the right length of time.
The arrival of the adult characters is helpfully interspersed with flashback images of their younger selves to stop you guessing.
Obviously the long overdue reunion is interspersed with grudges, various degrees of betrayal, guilty secrets etc. But they aren't overblown
Equally, this isn't a Die Hard 'one-man-takes-on-an-army' style plot, it's stylishly underplayed and is better for it.
Couple of things to look out for if you last to the credits;
The number of producers seems to outweigh the cast and;
What on earth did all of those stunt people do?
See How They Run (2022)
Delightful entertainment
If you're expecting a modern type whodunnit full of twists and turns then yes, whilst there are plenty here, they don't take themselves that seriously and the film is all the better for it.
Sam Rockwell does a convincing turn as a weary copper, the accent is subtle and very good. The cast will have you surfing IMDB constantly with repeated attacks of "what else have I seen them.in?"...
Some of the gags are obvious, some less so. Some will be lost on non-British viewers and even younger British viewers (yes sir, yes sir, 3 bags full being a prime example!).
Not a lot else to say without giving things away, but overall a very pleasant and entertaining film that's well worth the time.
McDonald & Dodds: A Billion Beats (2022)
Formula One on a FFord budget
As someone (peripherally) involved in motorsport as an official, whenever there is a motor racing - based episode of a series involving 'professional motorsport' I find myself looking at the detail more than the story. Funnily enough though, the drugs story had more than a few shades of Vic Lee Motorsport about it, which raised a smile or two....
... as did having the 'racing people' flashing oversized watches to the camera at every opportunity... perhaps a mickeytake on the real F1 world of rampant product placement..
Couple of plot holes that stood out;
Unsanctioned testing is a massive no-no.
Also, no HANS devices worn by the drivers....
Deception (2018)
Not just another Police Procedural c/w quirky sidekick....
Mixing cops with a quirky non-related sidekick is getting stale now, but this is refreshed slightly by the 'sidekick-with-a-twin' plot device twist, sort of a 2-for-1 deal!
Cutmore-Scott makes a decent enough job of playing the two twins with increasing divergence in their characters, and whilst to some he may seem annoyingly chirpy, it's an enthusiasm that I personally found lifted the character.
The other cast are pleasant-but-not-memorable essentials to the story & Vinnie Jones is, well, Vinnie Jones and non the worse for that!
Overall I thought this was a pleasant made-for-TV intetpretation of the sublime 'Now You See Me' film series and I'm actually disappointed it was cancelled.
Guns Akimbo (2019)
Utterly bizarre. Extremely enjoyable.
No spoilers, watched the film in an almost permament state of "What The ......?!?!".
Enjoyable romp, blood and bodyparts flying comically all over, the situations Radcliffe finds himself in are increasingly bizarre leading to the inevitable showdown-with-a-twist.
Only gripe is the epilogue. It should have ended on the rooftop.
Temple (2019)
They should have limited it to one series.
As a massive fan of both Mark Strong & Daniel Mays, it pains me to say this but even their superb talents are wasted on Series 2.
It seems that the under-underground Temple is getting more footfall than the station above it, with every new episode seeing at least one additional person discovering its existence.
The side story of daughter Eve's using it as a base of operations for Extinction Rebellion style protests seems like something shoehorned in at the last minute in response to public events.
The idea of extending Dr Miltons illicit surgery to service Rhys Ifans underworld character, Gubby was a good one, but handled.poorly imho, ditto his episode-by-episode plate-spinning and the writers definitely run out of steam. As had I by episode 4. Sorry.
Brassic (2019)
Top notch comedy.
Vinnie (superbly played by Joseph Gilgun) is the sort of mate we all wish we had. Well meaning, genuine & the guy who would do anything for you.
Brassic is an excellent ensemble comedy with brilliantly original, implausible 'adventure-of-the-week's, and a strong continuing backstory.
Cannot wait for season 4.
Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga (2020)
Not as bad as you might think
Obviously a labour of love for Ferrell, he's not as teeth-grindingly irritating as he is in most films & turns in a decent performance.
Rachel McAdams provides a solid performance, helped by having quite a good singing voice.
Dan Stevens is unrecognisable, the Simon LeBon hair looks quite odd and his voice is, imho overzealously re-recorded...
The story, predictable, but none the worse for it & enjoyable.
One anorak gripe; a rear-wheel-drive MINI? Really?
Dead to Me (2019)
Dull, dull, dull, dull.
Maybe a six-parter would have worked, but this just dragged, dragged & dragged on.
Sadly my wife had comandeered the remote as 'her turn'..... but by episode 5, 6 or whatever... about half way through, even she had picked up her knitting....
Coffee & Kareem (2020)
I may have to review my Netflix subscription...
According to Netflix, this is their 8th most watched film in the UK...
Covid-19 lockdown has a lot to answer for...
Terrence Little Gardenhigh as Kareem; Obnoxious, shouty, irritating, predictably gangsta-mini-me.
Ed Helms as John Coffee; 'Stu' from 'The Hangover' in a police costume. >yawn<
Betty Gilpin as, well, whoever. So over the top as the psycho bad cop it was embarrassing.
Plot - plodding, formulaic.
Acting and direction; Black gangsta references & foul language do not a film, make.
The ending, predictable.
The rest of the cast? I could not have cared less about any of them.
UFO (2018)
Great, believable 'Science Faction' movie
A slow-burning intelligent well thought-out movie that takes the polar opposite approach to 'Close Encounters' etc...
Alex Sharp gives a good performance, but is hamstrung by his cliché'd character & is, surprisingly both the lynchpin and the weak-link of the film.
Gillian Anderson's portrayal of a tutor, exasperated with Echevero's savant behaviour is well underplayed and commendably the 'lightbulb' moment shared between the two characters is well handled.
As soon as I saw David Strathairn get out of a big black Government SUV, I leapt to conclusions about the likely behaviour & intentions of his character, fully expecting a 'bury it at all costs, kill all who are a security risk' hackneyed plot, the script, and indeed the finale for this character was surprising and enjoyable.
The UFO of the title is well handled, visible-but-not-obvious.
All-in-all, definitely watchable. Rewatchable even.
Knives Out (2019)
Clever murder mystery
Stellar cast, all of whom pull their weight in this ensemble whodunnit.
No spoilers here, suffice to say I thought the 'twist' clever & both the denouement & close are very satisfying.
There's talk of a sequel, even a franchise based around Daniel Craig's 'Benoit Blanc' character. If so, PLEASE work on his accent...
Ladies in Black (2018)
A nostalgic treat
A gentle meshing of cultures in late 50's / early 60's Australia.
One of those films that's pleasant, charming, gently uplifting....
Extra Ordinary (2019)
Brilliant left-field Irish Comedy
Superbly eccentric movie that mines the rich seam of Irish comedy.
Maeve Higgins as Rose Dooley is your typical single-but-not-through-choice eccentric female lead & gives a solid performance.
Will Forte as Christian Winter plays the 'baddie' with gusto, giving a delightfully OTT performance that strangely reminds me of Kevin Kline's 'Otto' from 'A Fish Called Wanda'...
For me, the stand-out performance is given by Barry Ward playing Martin Martin. At first henpecked by the ghost of his wife, Bonnie, he kicks it up a notch when he is possessed by his wife and becomes both Martin Martin and Bonnie Martin, switching seamlessly between the two characters.
The plot is nothing original, but non the worse for that. The humour shifts between subtle-subtle & brick-between-the-eyes-subtle (mostly the latter) & the 'virgin' gag during the climax (sorry) is both obvious and well played.
A great, very watchable film that will not disappoint.
Ford v Ferrari (2019)
Ignore the Americanised factual inaccuracies, this is still a bostin' racing film...
The Shelby mythology is well fed with this film, but to be fair, Ol' Shel himself was always quick to praise Ken Miles, so it's nice to see film that recognises the input from a truly international band of racers & hot-rodders.
Matt Damon is great as Carroll Shelby, but then Damon is great almost always.... To the casual filmgoer, his wheelin'n'dealin' business style, his brashness and his confidence are well portrayed, but you can appreciate to his performance easier if you've seen interviews with Shelby himself.
Christian Bale & Catriona Balfe are brilliant as the Miles'. They deliver the accent & lingo brilliantly (I was born in the same town) and I loved Bale's inclusion of the Brummie phrase "going round the Wrekin", that shows real depth of research into the character, even if it is wasted on the vast majority of viewers... In a racing car, Bale really makes you believe that he's grabbing that Cobra / GT40 and wringing out Every Last Drop of performance (watch the DVD extra's to see how it was done, well worth it!) as well as fulfilling his role as development driver by constantly thinking of new ways to go fast. You get the sense that he was immersed in the jargon, not just reading it from a page... He Understands.
The crew went to extra-ordinary lengths to recreate the period venues, not, thankfully, all CGI for which this film is all the better. The sight of all of those Cobra's, GT40's etc is enough to have one going weak at the knees (as well as the achingly gorgeous Panhard on a trailer when 'Miles' first gets to Le Mans), even if it obvious that the Superformance etc. cars are the ones running bigger wheels and low-profile tyres. A nice touch, possibly as a nod to Ken Miles' Midlands background, is the Mini (Austin, not BMW) sitting outside his garage.
The Ford politicking is central to the theme and, for dramatic tension is exaggerated somewhat. You can imagine Henry Ford II acting in that imperious manner, but any film needs a true villain and Leo Beebe (quite harshly in many opinions) carries that particular torch through to the films end.
Just like Steve McQueen's Magnum Opus, 'Le Mans', the hero doesn't win through in the end, coming second. Like many sporting controversies, there is opinion, denial, conjecture & opposing sides about the manufactured finish.
Interestingly though, the film has the cars finishing in a perfect line abreast, whereas in real life, Bruce McLaren sped up slightly at the end also, unlike the film, Shelby was also instrumental, with Beebe, in orchestrating the 'dead heat' although once the French officials had wreaked their havoc, he always went on record as having bitterly regretted denying Miles the 66 'Triple Crown'.
It's a bittersweet epilogue where Miles is killed, I guess the films intention was to show how much of a racer he was and, even after getting shafted by Ford, was still intent on making their car faster & better...
In summary, ignore the historical stuff, you've got Wikipedia for that. Simply turn up the volume and enjoy the best motor racing film since 'Le Mans'. Only with more dialogue. And plot.
Welcome to the Punch (2013)
Stylishly shot, but a bit formulaic
James McAvoy, Mark Strong, Daniel Mays, Andrea Riseborough, David Morrisey.... What's not to like?
The plot is a bit formulaic for Brit cop/gangster movies.... Cynical-lead-with-issues, plucky sidekick, corruption at the top etc. although the reasons for the corruption are interestingly different and relatively topical even now in 2020.
The set-piece shoot-outs are well executed, with a bit of 'bullet-time- thrown in. The performances from the cast... well there's not a weak one to be seen IMHO...
The standout sequence for me (spoiler alert) is the chase at the start. When 'Lewinsky' parks his Alfa at the intersection and gets out to listen, you get the sense that he's really tuned in, symbiotically. To 'Jacob Stern', to the City... it is a beautifully shot, lit and acted sequence.
In summary, not brilliant, but very watchable and re-watchable.
Bohemian Rhapsody (2018)
Much more than 'that' song.
It's an interesting backstory to the formation of 'Queen', but, as a quick 'search' will show, the build-up has flaws and is not, perhaps as accurate as it could have been, as if the memory/legacy of Freddie Mercury is somehow to be protected. Nevertheless Malek does a great job of capturing the 'esssence' of Mercury.
The whole 'Queen' ensemble in the film do a great job of representing May, Deacon & Taylor, the dynamic between them, even in the dark moments is superb to watch. Tom Hollander, likewise is excellent in his scenes.
The film uses their 'Live Aid' performance as its anchor and the effort, energy, respect and attention to detail that went into this scene alone is worth watching the whole film for. I was luck enough to be there (wayyyyyy at the back!!!!) so I confess I watched this the first couple of times alone and through VERY watery eyes.... I recommend you go on YouTube and search for the Queen Live Aid split screen 'film vs. reality' download. 'nuff said! DAYYYYYYYYYYYY-OH!
Rocketman (2019)
How come Sir Elton hasn't adopted Taron Egerton?
Egerton absolutely nails Sir Elton, looks, mannerisms, attitude. It is a stupendous performance. The film isn't your 'conventional' biopic à la 'Bohemian Rhapsody', being very much a traditional musical in the true sense of the word.
The music is cleverly used to link aspects of Sir Eltons life & also to skip years to the next key moment. Egerton gives an incredible performance with Sir Eltons songs as well as the background to their creation. Due credit is given to Bernie Taupin (Jamie Bell), the wordsmith behind & alongside Sir Elton.
It says a lot that the film doesn't appear to pull many punches; Sir Elton is fundamentally unlikeable throughout the majority of the 'adult' part of the film & the interspersed 'rehab' scenes serve to highlight and reinforce this, as Sir Elton, initially in flamboyant 'devil suit' gradually sheds his persona through changes in wardrobe reflecting his facing, accepting and overcoming his demons to emerge, renewed, on the other side.
The merging of Egerton into the 'I'm still standing' video is 99% successful from a technical aspect, but emotionally it perfectly rounds out the film. The credits and text fill in the blanks bringing us upto date and the photo comparisons between Egerton & Sir Elton in various costumes are worth viewing.
All-in-all well worth repeat viewing.
A Christmas Carol (2019)
A dark interpretation
Ok, some of the dialogue was a bit 'woke', but if all you can complain about is the ethnicity/skintone of some of the the actors, you either didn't watch it fully or didn't watch it at all & are just picking up on social media comments...
Stunning, dark perfomance from Guy Pearce who took the script & even more depraved rendition of Scrooge and owned it from the first scene. Also.refreshing to see that, unlike Sims & Caine's (et al) over-happy, bordering on manic redemption, Pearce leaves us with a Scrooge that is on the road to redemption, but it is a Work-In-Progress.
Superb performances from Stephen Graham & Andy Serkis (as always) & Vinette Robinson gives a masterclass performance, especially in the moral dilemma; 'how far would you go for your children?'...
My complaint; the first 2/3 episodes were the setup & Serkis' 'Ghost of Christmas Past'. Everything else was crammed into 3/3 and it felt it. IMHO this really should have been a FOUR-parter.
Definitely one to watch, or wait until next year. It's bound to be repeated.
Stargate SG-1 (1997)
Forget series 9 & 10. Enjoy series 1 to 8
Apart from the faltering baby steps of season 1 (puppy dog Carter desperate to be liked & respected, comparisons of reproductive organs etc), this series found its feet in season 2 and went on to be one of the most successful franchises ever. The chemistry between the main characters rarely faltered, aided by superb writing. A great mix of humour, action, pathos, loss etc. etc. With some stand out 'silly' episodes and the obligatory sci-fi bodyswap & timetravel staples thrown in make this a great franchise to bingewatch, or just select an episode at random and enjoy.
Why the 1-8, not 9-10 header then? I felt that they'd done the rounds, they'd defeated the goa'uld AND the replicators. They were done. Then, no doubt at the behest of studio execs, they had to invent a new.baddie to.fight for the next 2 years. It seemed too much like 'Old wine in a New bottle' for me.
6 Underground (2019)
The excellent trailer flattered to deceive...
The opening sequence is an absolute powerhouse. Visually stunning, dynamically enthralling. The scenery is beautiful & the way it fits into the chase is an object lesson in cinematography. Sadly that sets the tone for the rest of the film.
Stunning scenery & locations.
Stunning stunts & action scenes.
And errrr. that's about it :-(
Sadly this film lacks a few important details.... such as direction and a cohesive storyline. No. Actually make that ANY storyline other than some phoned-in dialogue to enable Michael Bay to indulge in his love of big showy set-pieces with lots of explosions and lots.of slow motion.... I.mean, what the heck did writers Paul Wernick & Rhett Reese actually do to earn their place on the end credits? I actually felt sorry for Ryan Reynolds, forced to squeeze 'Deadpool' sass into an Armani suit. Talking of which, I assume the unrelenting barrage of product placement of high-end goods and toys for the 1%ers was the necessary evil to pay for the pyrotechnics? Reynolds turns in a decent performance, as does Ben Hardy & Mélanie Laurent. Dave Franco owns the scene he's in. Unfortunately he doesn't make it past the first set-piece. Which is a shame. Sadly everyone else is absolutely forgettable. I mean, the film has been over for 10 mins and apart from the aforementioned, I'm having genuine difficulty remembering any of the other actors lines or performances..
One last comment "Spoiler Alert!!" What was that rubbish with the magnets on the boat all about??? It made the invisible Aston Martin in the excecrable 'Die Another Day' seem reasonable & rational...
So disappointed & so annoyed that I lost an evening to this dross but I WILL give it two stars, if only for the opening chase sequence.
Margin Call (2011)
11 years on, you realise little has changed.
A superb, low-key dramatisation of the initial stages of the sub-prime & financial market meltdowns. This film doesn't rely on overly-theatrical meltdowns and explosive, shouty alpha-male showdowns to have impact, rather it relies on a superb cast, great dialogue and excellent performances by a totally on-form ensemble cast. Stand-out performance from Zachary Quinto who's shock/horror when he realises what's unfolding is a definite watch/rewind/watch moment. Paul Bettany is great as the 'guy who is great at his job, but not quite great enough' as we see in his thouroughly embittered reply 'it happens..... but not to me' line when referring to the senior executives. Simon Baker and Stanley Tucci give their usual excellent performances in.their own inimitable styles, Baker's incomprehension of events superbly demonstrated by him asking the time, muttering ' me', then a few seconds later, asking the time, muttering 'f me'..... etc.
This film proceeds at a modest pace, allowing events to unfold naturally, but the climax, the dramatic 'fire sale' to me highlights why so many hold investment banking in contempt (although this is perfectly balanced by Bettany's 'hypocracy' rant earlier in the film). Overall, very watchable.
The Irishman (2019)
Get comfy. It'll be worth it, believe me.
First off, do not be put off by the running length. At no point did I look at the clock. This is a well paced film extremely well written and produced that spans six decades. The powerhouse blending of DeNiro, Pesci & Pacino make this Scorsese's Magnum Opus imho. DeNiro adding narration to keep the viewer informed is a great touch and there is humour to offset the brutality. Great performance from Stephen Graham, further enhancing his reputation as one of Britain's best actors.
There are some doubts as to the accuracy of the story, both from Scorsese's interpretation & indeed from Sheeran's own words especially regarding Jimmy Hoffa's demise. You want cast iron facts? Go watch the Discovery Channel! You want to watch a great movie that caps all gangster movies? As I say in the title; get comfortable. It'll be worth it.
Cop Out (2010)
It kills me to downgrade a Kevin Smith film...
.... but this is baaaaaaad. Tracy Morgan is all shouty & desperately unfunny (nothing new there). Bruce Willis isn't as bored & one-dimensional as his later performances, but is on the slippery slope & Seann William Scott is still dining off Stifler & is yet to stretch his acting legs....
The music sounds like Faltermeyer dusted off the 'Beverley Hills Cop' score but changed just enough notes to avoid litigation.
I know Smith took some crap off the critics & had a famously hard time with Willis. The behind-camera tensions kinda transfer to the finished product.