timboie-41684 Reviews

The ABC Murders (2018)

Poirot Reloaded.....

[9/10 · 30 December 2018]

This series is very, very good. It's Poirot and England in the 30's but not as we know them. Darker, grittier, sexier, a completely different take on the Christie story that is maintained for the whole 3 hours and it works very well.

I sat down intending to watch the first one and leave the others for later but ended up watching all 3 back to back. Enthralling, couldn't put it down.

The acting, writing, direction, sets, attention to period detail etc was superb.

Not too sure about the changing of Poirot's back story. It seems strange that he'd develop into a famous detective with the background he had prior to WW1 but that's my only reservation and it doesn't detract from the overall story.

Well done to all involved. Highly recommended.

Hidden Homicide (1959)

Could Have Been Good But.......

[1/10 · 18 November 2018]

This could have been a good film if it had been handled correctly. Trouble is, it wasn't. The plot idea is pretty fair but it's let down by poor writing, very wooden acting (apart from Bruce Seton) and just about everything else.

There's nothing hidden about the homicide they inflicted on this one. Don't bother.

The Naked Edge (1961)

I Really Enjoyed This Film.....

[9/10 · 13 November 2018]

This is a gripping and underrated thriller. It draws you in and holds you tight until the end.

I thought Cooper and Kerr were well matched and that Kerr played exactly the woman the character would have to be, i.e sheltered, very frightened, way out of her depth and near suicidal.

I thought the scene where she's watching a concert on TV was particularly telling, I felt that she's waiting there, expecting Cooper to come and kill her, indeed, surrendering to this fate as the only way out. That's why she has the TV so loud, so she can't hear him approaching and to drown out her own thoughts.

The scene where she's desperately trying to get out of the flat blocks complex was good too; certain that her husband's the murderer she can see the outside world but can't become part of it.

The tension was taut and maintained throughout. Sometimes with these old black and whites I check to see how long's left as they can drag a bit. Not this one, it was totally absorbing.

Being a British film, the censors were a bit less strict than those in the U.S. You actually see a little blood and there's some sexual talk that I don't think you'd hear in an American film of this era.

As with any old film, there's some quaint reminders of how things were back in the day. The remote control Kerr has (as she flicks between the 2 channels! Yes, the UK only had 2 in 1961) had a long wire to the TV on it and there's an ashtray in every room - even the library!

The music is way over the top but that's my only gripe with this superb little gem. See it - it's free on You tube.

The Foreigner (I) (2017)

At last! The kind of character Jackie Chan should have been playing years ago...

[30 December 2017]

I've always highly admired Jackie's martial arts prowess and especially his unmatched stunt work but I've never liked the goofy, kind of nervous character he always seems to play. He's got to be one of the few people in Hollywood who's a genuine tough guy yet he's always played a dorky kind of character, even with the fighting and stunts.

Here at last he takes on a much darker persona. No nervous laughing or even smiling, just a ruthless wronged man on the trail of vengeance. Great to see him doing this kind of role at last. To see him do all his own stunt work at 63 is fabulous too.

The film overall is pretty good, the only gripe being how the JC character was able to get certain phone numbers, know where people were at the right times etc - the usual unexplained points with films like this.

Overall well worth watching and hopefully a sign of things to come from this great performer.