Change Your Image
sophiebudge
Reviews
Russia 1985-1999: TraumaZone (2022)
Mesmerising, informative, personal
Another masterpiece from Adam Curtis - true to his style with its sparsity and the way it still mesmerises and educates with little editing required, without the need for 'expert' testimonies and without over-dramatisation, over-hyping or over-intellectualisation of history.
The footage is unusually candid and raw and often slightly barmy, but masterful in the way it is able to support the narrative with little interpretation needed. The way footage cuts to locations, lives and stories far from the capital and major cities is able to profoundly show with few words how completely unaffected and yet often completely unaffected the rural population were by events that shocked urban centres.
More documentaries need to be made like this which don't spoon feed the viewer and show how lives are truly affected by world events, not the intellectualisation of them by the rich, educated few who usually always have an agenda to their discussion.
Those who reviewed suggesting it was boring and didn't make sense clearly have a hard time working things our for themselves and understanding that this is *exactly* what world events look like.
Bravo Mr Curtis.
The Zone of Interest (2023)
Sinister,
This film is sinister, challenging and disturbing. Felt shocked and dismayed. The screenplay and cinematography is subtle, and once the viewer understands what's happening more is noticed in each scene. Yet the audience isn't spoon fed, and the direction demands the audience understand and experience a different viewpoint. It is almost as though not being able to, some viewers are left unsatisfied. I think it's critical to realise this.
In a world where films must be a thrill a minute and all obvious cues to maintain attention before we inevitably pick up our phones, I can't help but feel that most people will not have the patience or presence of mind to feel the weight of what is shown here. I felt heavy and dismayed after. It did the job - and what is so disgusting about it all is that it was real.
Liverpool Narcos (2021)
Disappointing and surface level
The premise of this sounded excellent and I was really keen to learn more. Unfortunately, the episodes at once try to do too much by using footage, re-enacted drama and current dramatic shots with sparse dialogue of people once involved. I didn't really learn much - just that some people were arrested, or something.
It could've been highly informative and just used current day testimony and old footage, but it didn't actually present a lot of history or context in the detail a good documentary requires.
Felt like it tried to do everything and nothing.
Disappointing from sky.
Constant interruption from adverts also poor.
Minari (2020)
Poignant, sad, touching
I can't see how people rated this film badly. The acting was superb, and the cinematography creative and subtle, with touches of a beautiful score.
I felt incredibly moved by the plot even though I can't fully empathise with the immigrant story - I really felt the pull to achieve what might better the lives of our family and risks we feel we have to take in the name of progress. I recognised a lot of themes, and also really identified the works of John Steinbeck and his themes of naturalism, uncertainty for the future, economic injustice, migration in search of dreams and hopes, and the overwhelming power of nature.
People complained not a lot happened, but it wasn't that sort of film. It was a poem, a reflection of experiences. People find it hard not to be blown away by drama and action now. Enjoy this lyrical gem and the experience of the lives of others.
1923 (2022)
Bizarre, overly-dramatic,
Very bizarrely-written show. Poor character development, many flat characters with outbursts of cheesy demonstrations which gives the show am immature feel. Many overly-dramatic scenes which lack cohesion in their continuity and feel randomly ordered. Hard to feel any sense of togetherness in the multiple (so far) disparate storylines. A lot of gratuitous violence (though likely accurate).
Disappointing lack of progression from the first episode to the season finale. Surprised at the lack of plot development in the final episode. A LOT of filler scenes that feel unnecessary.
All together a bit odd, but an okay romp for mindless watching.