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mikegibb-12341
Reviews
Baby Reindeer (2024)
Truly disgusting
I am never surprised when I read ten star reviews of second rate tv series or movies but to see people give such an accolade to this horrible mess of a series leaves me saddened and perplexed. A programme that has not so much scraped the bottom of the barrel but dug through it. A series where profanity is the norm displaying the writer's lack of talent. A series that glorifies taking all manner of drugs including ones that look to have come close to killing the central character. A progra me where are supposed to be entertained by the same guy staggering around vomiting. A series depicting male rape and graphically showing extreme porn. Rather than providing a warning of what the programme contained it would have been simpler to announce what it didn't. Add in a dire script and second rate acting by the author and you end up with as distasteful piece of television as i have ever scene.
Hitler: The Rise of Evil (2003)
Impressive crowd scenes, horrible acting
Clearly the producers had money to burn with numerous huge crowd scenes which look great and a cast with a large number of 'names'. Sadly all the actors are burdened with a horrible script and a production that is totally devoid of any sense of realism. Okay it tells the story but in a Disneyesque manner. Carlyle does his best but is just never faintly believable - the ability to shout loud and over act is not sufficient. As a result we end with an important slice of modern history reduced to a second rate soap opera. If you want to find out about Hitler and the rise of evil stick to one of the many excellent documentaries available.
Palmer (2021)
Joyous
Every so often as you wade through the morass of truly indifferent movies you suddenly and unexpectedly stumbla upon a gem. Palmer is just that. A simple story but one that is beautifully told and leaves you feeling rewarded fior hsoent having rspent two hours in the company of this small group of flawed individuals. Justin Timberkake is a greatly underrated actor who performs with great poise and he displays all his talents as Palmer an ex convict who is taken on a journey by an unusual small boy. Superb as he is he us not the star of the film, that accolade goes to young Ryder Allan who gives a truly remarkable performances in the central role of the kad coming to terms with being different. The script is first class and the whole.film is an absolute joy.
Lykkeland (2018)
Brilliant just brilliant
It is seldom that a mini series is perfect in every way but this one is. A fascinating era in modern history (the discovery of oil in the North Sea) is told through a host of believable and fascinating characters living a simple life against dramatic changes. Superbly scripted to make it funny and moving by turns and acted by a wonderful cast of actors who will be unknown to British audiences but who bring their characters to life. And it is just so rewarding to be able to watch a mini series that has no crime element and doesn't rely on an excess of sex scenes. Don't be put off by the fact that it is about half in subtitles. This is sheer class.
Reacher (2022)
Skip the gym and try acting school Mr Ritchson
I always thought that the most ridiculous thing about Reacher books and TV series was the way that he goes around slaughtering huge numbers of people without ever being held to count. I usually try to keep count of the mortality score but gave up here when it reached 40 plus half way through episode eight by which my brain had began to melt.
But while that might be crazy it is not half as mad as thinking that Alan Ritchson can act. Okay he looks the part with his physique but sadly you do need a little more than big biceps to be the leading actor in a mini series. He has one facial expression (he makes Nicholas Cage look like an actor - he is that bad) and is more wooden than Pinocchio.
Add in a ridiculous plot line in this second series and it becomes nothing more than escapist entertainment of the most idiotic kind.
The Devil's Hour (2022)
Must have been difficult to make anything this bad
You would think I would realise by now that some people give 10 stars to anything and everything that appears on the box and that all IMDB reviews must be taken with a pinch of salt. I have had a few disappointments over the years but this one takes the biscuit. To suggest that it is like watching paint dry would be an insult to my local decorator as watching his work would be eminently more interesting and certainly less soporific. A truly stupid story badly told - going about wit ha torch rather than turning on a light is not atmospheric juts annoying - with a dire script and some truly bad performances. When you realise that a small child who barely speaks and when he does only repeats the words he has just heard is the best thing in it you realise you are trouble. And no there are no spoilers - you would need a decent plot for that.
All Creatures Great & Small (2020)
Started so wel but has descended into Crossroads
This looked so promising when it first began with some superb episodes like Siegfried caught up in tge First Wirld War. You could even turn a blind eye to the occasional idiotic episode like the wedding one where the dog ate the ring. But with each successive series it has replaced good characters with clowns like Carmody and strayed further from the Alf Wight books and into soap opera land. The appaling 2023 Christmas special where veterinary practice was totally dumped in favour of treacly and totally fictional events is a prize example. Please stop now before you sully the author's name and the original TV series any further.
Breeders (2020)
Truly disgusting
What sort of programme thinks it is amusing and acceptable to open with a grown man screaming obscenities at two very small children? Okay the idea is to show parents frustrations with their children but half decent writers would have been able to do that without resorting to tirades of what TV companies now like to describe as 'strong language'. It is fact weak language and displays a total lack of writing talent. I am amazed that Martin Freeman not only got mixed up with this project but also co-wrote it and that Sky considered it worthy of their patronage. Pity that IMDB didn't have a zero stars category as I am disappointed that I am forced to award this a single star.
The Old Man (2022)
How to destroy a good book
Having enjoyed the novel on which this is apparently based I approached this series with enthusiasm. What a disappointment. For some inexplicable reason the producers of this mess chose to totally rewrite the story. Out went one of the central characters and a totally fringe character suddenly takes centre stage probably for no other reason than to provide a part for John Lithgow. The whole scenario of how the main man meets Zoe is re - written, Libya becomes Afghanistan and so on. Probably the most non sensical change is in making the Old Man of the title into a Jack Reacher type hero. The last 10 minute off the first episode is given over to a never ending fist fight between the old man and a young trained assassin with the former rudiculously coming out on top. The whole thing is total rubbish and a stab in the back to the talented book writer.
Emily the Criminal (2022)
A unexpected delight
I approached this movie with low expectations; it had a pretty third rate title and the blurb didn't seem all that promising. But I couldn't have been more wrong as this tight, well directed and scripted film, is a delight. Aubrey Plaza is quite superb in the titular role and although even paced it has several dramatic and downright scary moments and the modest running time simply flies by as you get drawn into Emily's drab life watching with a mixture of interest and concern as she gets drawn into a life of petty and not so petty crime. With a very satisfying ending this is one small scale movie that should not be missed.
Promising Young Woman (2020)
Superb
I seldom give any movie 10 stars but having watched this one twice in a week I felt it was more than deserving of that accolade. A fascinating story that slowly evolves and frequently heads in unexpected directions. Masterfully directed moving from humour to tragedy with consummate ease. But having said that what makes the film a must watch is the spellbinding performance of Carey Mulligan. Her transformation from a seemingly drunken and incapable person to one rigidly in control is remarkable. Supporting cast are all fine although largely in the shadow of the superb Miss Mulligan. A joy from start to finish.
Where the Crawdads Sing (2022)
Indifferent
It is not often that a movie is on par with the novel it is based on but this one is. The film is just as drab and laconic as the hugely overrated book. It looks okay and the acting is passable bearing in mind the lack lustre script on offer. But it is just so slow and pedantic with an almost total absence of drama. Even the twist at the end looks like an after thought and came so late that my boredom threshold has long been breached. This is clearly a case of cashing in on a successful book without asking the important questions 1. Will it make a decent movie and 2. Is the book any good? The answer to both is clearly no.
Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris (2022)
Embarrassing
Sometimes it is hard to fathom how film producers in the UK chose material for movies and this twee mess is one example of that. I should have been warned by the simply dire title; truthfully they should have called it 'Mrs Harris goes to Paris, buys a Dior dress and comes home' and that way no one would have needed to watch it. The storyline, with the sideline of the ridiculous 'English cleaning woman saves French fashion house', is that thin. Lesley Manville is okay but truthfully she doesn't get much to work with. I had barely recovered from the horrible 'Finding My Feet' when i came across this. Twice bitten I will ensure that anything advertised as 'light hearted British comedy' is given a very wide berth.
Finding Your Feet (2017)
A master class in over acting
Some British producers seem to think that if they gather enough 'names' (especially those of the elder persuasion) together in a cast that you will be able to offer up an enjoyable film. This is by no means the first to disprove that theory but this embarrassing mess does that in spades. I never fancied the movie but all the glowing reviews here persuaded me to give it a try. Perhaps Imelda Staunton wouldn't over act for once but sadly no she was at it again. That would be bad enough if she wasn't flanked by other worthy exponents of that genre of acting, Celia Imrie and Joanna Lumley. Indeed the only 'name' to come out of this with any credibility is Timothy Spall who shows his trio of female companions that generally 'less is more'. Finding Your Feet is one of those films that leaves you frustrated that you wasted an evening watching it when there were so many better things you could have done.
The Sixth Commandment (2023)
Interesting story but dull production
It is hard to believe that anyone could make a fascinating true story like this with a first class cast that included Timothy Spall and Anne Reid this dull and lacking in pace but BBC succeeded. It was disjointed and missed out on so many salient factors surrounding this case. Why did they omit the fact that Ben Fields had a notebook with the names of over 100 potential victims or that he conned the woman out of £27000 to pay for medical treatment for a fictitious brother? Surely facts worth including. The cast, with the exception of the actress who played the niece who seemed to have the ability to display only one emotion, were excellent despite bring burdened by such a pedantic script and such uninspired direction. A pale shadow of the dramatisations of the Wests, Brady and Hindley and similar true stories and a million miles removed from the likes of the brilliant Little Boy Blue. An opportunity sadly missed.
Murder on the Orient Express (2017)
Engaging and Elegant
On the basis of the mediocre reviews on these pages i almost give this film a body swerve which would have been a mistake. Whether another version of this famous whodunit is necessary is a matter for debate but I think that Branagh's classy work justifies it. I also found him a far more believable and emphatic Poirot that the likes of Ustinov, who seemed to play it for laughs, or Suchet; indeed he makes the ending quite moving. I would accept that it does drag a little in the middle but the start and end compensate for that. It is also a visual delight at times despite a couple of moments of dreadful CGI (the train engine viewed from the tunnel being a prize example). Add in some decent performances from a galaxy of star names and lovely score from Branagh's regular composer Patrick Doyle and you have a good piece of cinematic style.
Annie Get Your Gun (1950)
Great musical, dire movie
Annie Get Your Gun is one of the great musicals from Broadway's golden era of the 40's and the 50's. With such a superb stage work and a wonderful score its must have been difficult to make a film this bad. Howard Keel looks, acts and sings well but Betty Hutton as Annie is frankly embarrassing. I know the part is over the top but Hutton makes it look like she is one of the Three Stoogies. The long scene with the 'Indians' is totally unwatchable and thank heavens for the DVD fast forward feature. But it is not just Hutton's performance that makes this a dud; it is a musical so why cut wonderful songs like 'Moonshine Lullaby', 'I Got Lost In His Arms', 'Who Do You Love I Hope' and 'I'm A Bad Bad Man' and yet have slabs of dreadful dialogue - the segment late on on the boat where Annie give a long imaginary conversation is cringeworthy? Irving Berlin must surely have ben horrified by this sorry mess.
Collide (2016)
Too many car chases too much Felicity Jones
The four star are solely for Ben Kingsley and Anthony Hopkins who have a ball and bring some life and colour to this somewhat farcical mess. I didn't time it but would suggest that almost half of its mercifully short running time is taken up with car chases and endless car crashes. But even more annoying than that is the central performance of Felicity Jones who is, as usual, wooden and this time to make matters worse is burdened with an unrealistic American accident. It doesn't help that when I watch her I think of Harry Enfield's Tim nice but dim. You really wonder who thought that making this pedantic story, almost totally devoid of twists, into a movie. Whoever it was lets just hope they don't do it again.
Inside Man (2022)
Idiotic misuse of quality actors
Having David Tennant and Stanley Tucci in tbe same mini series is recipe for success. Right? Well not if you lumber them with one of the most stupid plots to ever appear on tv screens. You can just about swallow the Tucci role as a modern day incarcerated Sherlock Holmes but Tennant as a church minister who...Well let's just say acts in a rather strange and inappropriate manner is just madness. Despite hating it I continued to watch in the mistaken belief that there must be some sort of twist that brings a degree of sanity to this sorry mess. But no. It was just garbage and nothing more. The two stars are for Tucci.
Catastrophe (2015)
Started well then went straight down the toilet
The first few episodes were witty and funny and with interesting story lines and well drawn characters. Sadly like so many similar series it ran out of ideas and resorted to crass dialogue and centred around sex themes and nothing else. And like all bad writers this descended into a plethora of four letter words without a single character without a potty mouth. As a result it becomes a distasteful miss match of totally
objectable characters and a complete waste of actors like Ashley Jensen and Mark Bonnar. If you are impressed by season one be warned - season two is just gross and embarrassing. What a waste of talent and time .
Daisy Jones & the Six (2023)
Superb
Up until the final episode i viewed this series as very entertaining and extremely well written and performed - the actors were clearly also great musicians and performers. At that stage i reckoned I was heading for a seven star review. But then along came track 10 (as they describe episode 10) and it suddenly went up a couple of notches. The last twenty minutes are riveting and deeply moving (get the Kleenex ready) and I was suddenly saddened that it was all over. With so many mini series following the same over trodden path - I don't want to ever see another murder mystery series - this was a hugely welcome change whether you are interested in the music business or not.
West Side Story (2021)
A total delight
In the light of some negative reviews I almost give this a miss which would have been a major mistake. I didn't particularly like the original movie version which i felt tried to be mixture of stage play and film and fell between the two stools. Spielberg in his usual brilliant way ignores the fact that that this was adapted from a theatre work and uses every cinematic device at his disposal to magnificent effect. The street scenes are amazing, the colours vibrant and the music sounds fresh and new rather than from a distant era. I was also astounded to read some of the comments about 'Tony' Ansel Elgort who I think is perfect for the part and works so well with 'Maria' as well as possessing a melodic signing voice which does full justice to Bernstein's music and Sondheim's lyrics. All in all a class piece of work that should have been more successful than it was.
The Kindness of Strangers (2019)
A total delight
I seldom find a film that I consider giving a ten star review to but this one. I am totally at a loss to understand some of the criticisms levelled about poor cinematic values, indifferent acting etc. The characters are quite beautifully drawn creating a group of injured people hiding from society in a sympathetic by never maudlin way. The story evolves beautifully with some tasteful editing and draws you into their sad and desperate lives in a way that leaves you hoping they will get the break, the small break, they need and deserve. The acting is exemplary from the bigger names right down to the younger of the two displaced boys while Bill Nighy gives a lovely gentle performance as the 'Russian' restaurant owner injecting some welcome but gentle humour. A overlooked gem that no one should miss watching.
Blue Velvet (1986)
Emperor Lynch's new clothes
How anyone could possibly award this film 10 stars is beyond me. It is not a totally dreadful movie just not a terribly good one. The plot line is rather silly and full of holes while the script is totally second rate. However the movie falls because of the standard of acting. Okay we know Hopper is baddie but the director didn't need to make him so over the top, comic book evil. But even his acting palls alongside the horrible performances of the two leading ladies. Whether Laura Dern just improved after this film or whether Lynch wanted her to over act in this ridiculous manner we can only speculate but in Blue Velvet she is rank rotten. The scenes where she breaks down in tears are amongst the most embarrassingly awful I have ever witnessed and the other leading lady is only marginally better. All in all a bit of mess.
Hugo (2011)
Utterly enchnating
I can't believe that I have also shunned this film believing it to be children's movie and nothing else. It is in fact so much more. A love letter to movies certainly but also warm and endearing with great poignancy. It is also visually glorious with some great performances especially from the lead roles like Ben Kingsley but also is the lovely peripheral characters which bring great deal of warmth to proceedings with the fulfilled love affairs between a group of mildly eccentric but clearly lonely people just looking for love. I found Hugo to be joy from start to finish and I am looking forward to watching it again soon. And bravo Mr Scorsese for displaying a side to you that lovers of the gangster movies wouldn't believe existed.