kemmysunshine Reviews

When Evil Lurks (2023)

Merciless and highly effective

[8/10 · 14 May 2024]

This bleak and atmospheric movie does something that I love in any film......it forces us to "catch up".

There is a pre-existing lore overlaying the story and apart from the children, we're the only ones who don't already understand.

This evil is known and even has an inefficient and somewhat ineffective bureaucracy that is supposed to deal with it.

Each new reveal is a further twist to us but simply a matter of fact to the participants. I find this method of storytelling to be extremely intellectually stimulating. We have to continually adjust our perspective as new information is divulged.

Also this was a very refreshing take on possession and any tropes that did manage to creep in were always balanced with startling new ideas.

Not as shocking as popular opinion would have you believe (I suspect that's mainly handwringing from those with a decidedly precious attitude towards children) but of a much higher quality than I expected with a fantastic ending which makes perfect sense if you've actually been paying attention.

Overall very happy with this one. Some great ideas and a fearless attitude towards evil's collateral damage make this highly recommended.

The Zone of Interest (2023)

Tiny moments show us the larger picture.

[9/10 · 30 April 2024]

This is a film about great evil portrayed and exposed to our view by small moments of nuance within the everyday.

There is the greater picture by which I mean the era, location and known events but mostly the ambient soundscape of industrialised human slaughter overlaying everything else. There are also smaller moments, less telegraphed and less obvious unless you already have a more detailed awareness.

The dog is the only one who reacts to gunshots, screams and the camp dogs' almost constant barking but he is just called away or distracted by one of the family members.

The children being washed after swimming in the nearby river and the ring of ash that forms on the bath.

The sullen but incredibly focused domestic staff.

Hoss fastidiously washing his nether regions.

The son and his collection of gold teeth.

The washing of discarded "work boots"

The free clothing from "Canada"

The showerhead used in the family pool

It's a huge lattice of smaller moments overlaying the obvious and it all builds an extremely oppressive atmosphere of horror and incomprehension.

Only Hedwig's visiting mother seems affected by the reality and even this is handled without fuss or confrontation.

Sadly the usual mouth-breathers fail to understand any of this and then give one star reviews saying "boring" or "nothing happens".

The displayed lightness of touch and borderline unimportant narrative is something that the unaware and/or uneducated are never going to be capable of understanding. Please don't let their childish negativity persuade you that this isn't an exceptional film.

The Power: The Day of the Girls (2023) Season 1, Episode 4

Best episode so far

[10/10 · 7 April 2023]

The quality of this show has always been good but this episode is excellent.

Real power, real drama and as expected, the world building and character development begins to really pay off. (Why do so many armchair reviewers not understand how this works?)

I found the Saudi Arabia sequences hugely emotional and fought back tears for the bulk of the episode.

It's beautiful, inspiring, frightening and utterly refreshing. To witness the (potentially real world) oppression resisted and everyday micro aggressions turned against the aggressors is truly a thing of beauty.

This is a chronicle of change which will not follow the hackneyed path we've learned to expect from so much popular media. Few films and tv series actually dare to take events through to the ultimate inevitability.

This one is going all the way.

The Power (2023)

First four episodes watched and loving it

[9/10 · 31 March 2023]

This is based on my absolute favourite book from the last 5 years and I was fearful that a "prime" adaptation might water down or homogenise what is, literally, an explosively revolutionary story line.

Short answer: it hasn't.

The author herself, Naomi Alderman, is in place as writer/adaptor of her own work and, so far, it hasn't lost any of its power, strong characterzation or excitement.

Like any well told and effective story it's taking it's time to introduce the main players. Sadly the "I want it now" demographic will fail to see the importance of such world-building ...but then they always do.

Literary echoes of "Handmaids Tale" "Consider her ways" and even a sprinkling of "World War Z" abound and I'm genuinely eager for the next episodes to be released. All the main characters seem well cast (love Roxy) and there are several truly impressive acting stalwarts in pivotal roles.

So far so good and episode 4 was magnificent. I was in tears throughout the whole Saudi Arabia section.

Keeping everything crossed.

Copenhagen Cowboy (2022–2023)

Distinctly Refn

[9/10 · 8 January 2023]

I love the films and television of Nicholas Winding Refn and within one episode I was fully back in his neon soaked, grimy, atmospheric world of static tableaux, the worst humans imaginable, extended circular pans and long signature pauses between speech or action.

I sometimes wonder if his effectively borderline mute protagonists are a direct criticism of people who use words too freely with no consideration.

As the mass Netflix crowd slowly find this I'm certainly expecting a slew of downvoting to occur and all the usual complaints about camerawork, lack of story, slowness and how quickly people fell asleep.

I hate these tragic people and equate them with the targets of Refn's scorn. The low, emotionally impotent, the unthinking and in this case thematically, the ultimate bottom-feeders, the pigs.

Basically if you like his previous work you will most likely love this too. It's been so long since the awesome Too Old to Die Young and you can see that he has certainly put those 4 years to good use.

Speak No Evil (2022)

Unspeakably distressing

[8/10 · 20 September 2022]

This is a new entry into the "Films I will never watch again" list, joining "Martyrs" and "Funny Games" to name but two.

What starts as a really uncomfortable social realism comedy/drama ends as potentially the most distressing piece of "entertainment" I've ever seen.

If you're easily shocked or squeamish I would seriously suggest that you give this a miss despite it being so well made and truly effective.

It's really tricky. I would recommend it but not recommend it at the same time.

I guess the impact of the finale is a testament to the quality and skill of the build up. Think "Force Majeure" meets "Audition" via "The Invitation" and you're somewhere close.

Love it or hate it just be warned!

Glastonbury: The Movie in Flashback (1995)

The true Glastonbury experience

[9/10 · 6 November 2021]

So many other films and television programs always seem to miss the best aspect of Glastonbury festival but this one truly hits the mark.

To be somewhat out of step with popular opinion, Glastonbury isn't really about the bands. Don't get me wrong; the performers were/are good but they have always been a minor distraction from the bulk of the experience...the life of the festival itself.

As the years have rolled on by and the mainstream has co-opted Glastonbury for a more commercially digestible agenda, much of what makes Glastonbury exceptional has been deemed irrelevant, unimportant and even unacceptable.

This film shows you the full experience. It's the genuine life of the festival with occasional musical interludes and not a concert movie with occasional life interludes.

The unhurried wandering around the various fields, down the main drag, witnessing the people who truly "make" the festival. The impromptu dance parties, the food, the stalls, the sights, sounds and smells of an LSD soaked amble around the various fields in the wee small hours. On the first night I always loved loading up chemically and getting totally lost for hours, having weird adventures in and out of tents/cafes/temporary stages which you would most likely never find again. No other Glastonbury film has caught that experience so perfectly.

This is the stuff that stays with you for the rest of your life. This is what's really unique to the Glastonbury festival.

If you just want to watch a compilation of bands then this film is definitely not for you.

If you want to relive the heady uniqueness that actually raises Glastonbury above all the other "glorified concert" festivals then this certainly IS the film you've been looking for.

David Byrne's American Utopia (2020)

New best concert movie

[10/10 · 18 December 2020]

Stand aside David Byrne. Stop Making Sense is no longer the best concert movie ever made. You have been usurped by yourself a mere 36 years later. What an experience this is. The reliance on the personality of each of the participants is astonishingly clever. As Byrne himself explains, the stripped back visual experience make you focus on the people and not the hardware. Incredibly astute and remarkably timely. Best £7:99 I have ever spent. Watched it 3 times in a row.

Noughts + Crosses (2020– )

Very interesting but also mundane at the same time

[7/10 · 10 March 2020]

A fantastic concept often let down by a somewhat clumsy and obvious storyline.

I love the concept and take great joy in the nuances and small details of the world. The adoption of African cultural dress and hair styles, the music, the ceremony, everything quintessentially English replaced by an alternative culture is so well done. The attention to detail is laudable........

......if only the characters and storyline weren't so hamfisted this would be a 10/10 show for me.

I guess the pedestrian nature of the actual plot is to do with the original text being aimed at young adults.

Back on a positive note though....anything that enrages the right wing, racists, Daily Mail readers, whining man-babies and angry man-boys has got to be worth supporting and this show certainly seems to have done just that.

Well done BBC :)

Cheer (2020–2022)

I want Monica to be proud of me

[9/10 · 15 January 2020]

When I started watching this show I had absolutely no interest in cheerleading whatsoever but someone I trusted had suggested that I give it a go.

In 6 short hours I went from disinterested to a total nervous wreck given to fits of ugly crying and loving everything that years of American cinema had taught me to despise.

What happened to Sherbs' basket? Will Jerry ever make mat? When will Morgan point her toes on a full out? Can anyone save Gabi from her own parents?

Can Navarro triumph at Daytona?

Maybe it's slightly overlong but investment in the first three episodes truly pays off in the last three....

....and that last episode.......

......I seem to have something in my eye again ......

The Irishman (2019)

Funko-Pop Goodfellas

[6/10 · 29 November 2019]

This film was a bit of a disappointment. I guess I bought into the hype because I was really looking forward to this but the reality fell somewhat short of the myth.

First: the elephant

The plastic looking CGI heads were extremely distracting especially Joe Pesci's which regularly looked too big for his tiny body. The others were off-putting but Pesci's was a veritable "Cavill's moustache".

This is a wonderfully made semi-fictional historical biopic with all the sumptuous attention to detail that you'd expect from the talent and money involved.

There were several slow-motion living tableaux moments that were absolutely breathtaking in their depiction of the raw emotional ugliness that emerges as a national drama unfolds. These were astonishing and for me the absolute highlights of this film.

The main cast were uniformly impressive and I particularly enjoyed seeing Ray Romano playing against type.

Sadly though and despite the context, the story was just a bit too familiar. The mobsters, the hitman, the killings....we've seen it all before....and we've seen it better. I realise Scorsese loves this material and this is his love-letter to it but I just found it all a bit dull. No surprises, no excitement and ultimately, for me, no engagement.

It Chapter Two (2019)

How did they get back up the well?

[6/10 · 12 September 2019]

Think about how hard getting down the well was in the first film then realise that this time they had no rope. Not only do they magically teleport down the well into the side passage but later on they're running away through a cave and next second bursting out of the collapsing house. How did they get back up that well?

I guess that they did "all float" in the end!

Sorry but it bugs me.

The Boys (2019– )

Well made but not entirely engaging

[7/10 · 27 July 2019]

Well finally visual superhero media begins to catch up with comics. Unfortunately it's only just caught up with the superhero deconstruction that began waaaayy back in the eighties. Witness the enthusiastic and overly glowing reviews of people who've never encountered this angle before. Sadly this is already "old hat" for many of us.

I quite like Garth Ennis but his work has never been the pinnacle of the "superhero as flawed icon" trope. Ennis is known for his darkly humourous plotlines but they always seem a little bit juvenile to me. Always crude and frequently cruel with a toilet humour bent not forgetting his perpetual adolescent treatment of female characters.

I think this series is so busy trying to be so edgy that it actually fails to be entirely compelling.

Don't get me wrong it's very well made and occasionally very entertaining but copious swearing, sex scenes and crudely intentioned bloody violence are not a valid substitute for a well crafted story.

One more for the Mark Millar crowd and/or thirteen year old boys.

Another Life (2019–2021)

Danny Pink in space

[5/10 · 27 July 2019]

It's not great but it's not 1* bad

Certainly the first episode isn't promising and the "millennials in space" tag has some basis in reality but there is a definitely a bit more to this show the further you watch.

Occasionally it surprises you.

There really are some great ideas here but any quality is never consistent enough. The show definitely gets better in later episodes but never completely escapes the weaker aspects that drag it down. Katee Sackhoff expertly does more than her share of the "heavy lifting" but is totally underserved by a supporting cast of mostly "daytime-soap-quality" actors.

Taking all of that on board you still have a decent sci-fi narrative albeit one that struggles vainly to be better than it's budget and casting allows.

Too Old to Die Young (2019)

Cleverly weeds out the dimbos early on

[9/10 · 18 June 2019]

This is a very clever series which as many have already stated is a supreme expression of artistic vision from a director/creator at the very peak of his game. It's languid, it's transgressive, it's extreme and also absolutely beautiful.

I found it difficult to empathise with any of the main characters. They all seemed pretty loathsome. This initially put me off balance but I soon realised that this is actually necessary for narrative purposes.

I found some episodes difficult to watch and a couple of them actually traumatising to the extent where I had to turn off and take a break.

(On a side note: could Jena Malone actually be any more fabulous?)

Sure this is certainly not for everyone but the greatest incidental trick it pulls is weeding out the dimbos early on. All the "too slow", "couldn't get past episode one" and "fell asleep" reviews are a testament to this fact.

"Hey dimbos; guess what, this isn't for you"

"Go away!"

One Cut of the Dead (2017)

Very good things come to those who wait.

[10/10 · 29 January 2019]

Who knew a zombie movie would leave me feeling so warm and fuzzy inside!

I enjoyed this so much. Luckily, on my first viewing, I already knew to stick with it if everything seemed a bit rubbish. Indeed the first section IS terrible but if you stay around you'll find out why.

It's a real gem.

Easily my new favourite "Zombie" movie.

She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018–2020)

Emotionally mature and thoroughly engaging

[10/10 · 4 December 2018]

Well this turned out to be an absolute joy.

53 year old man here who experienced the poorly drawn and animated, tacky commercial horror of the original She-Ra when it first aired. It was cheap, grotesque and awful, designed purely to sell toys to easily influenced young girls because they were the missing demographic in He-Man toy sales.

I could never have imagined just how good a remake of that trash would turn out to be.

Where on earth do I begin?

There is such a depth of real emotion in all of these characters and an incredible expressiveness in the animation that rivals even some of Ghibli's work. You are left in no doubt how every character is feeling at any given moment with or without accompanying dialogue. It's simple and stylised but incredibly effective. Warmth, wit and humour ooze from every frame. The range of relatable characters with differing body shapes is also a long overdue step in the right direction for western kid's animation.

This is series with an overarching narrative structure where the stakes build with each episode and you slowly become more and more invested with each and every character. All of the separate and interweaving relationships are a delight but the fluid connection between Adora and Catra is extremely well drawn and incredibly poignant. It genuinely pushes the boundaries for subtle complexity in a series of this type.

I am reminded occasionally that this show is primarily produced for children/young women/girls and then I realise that I don't care. Everyone can learn something from the wonderful world that has been created here. It is simultaneously a kid's program and also one of the most mature and engaging shows I've seen all year. I've laughed consistently throughout and even shed an occasional tear.

Congratulations to Noelle Stevenson and the rest of the team this is really something special.