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Code 37 (2009)
Top Cop Series
The other reviews say it all, I just had to say how I loved this!
The main characters develop wonderfully almost to the point of being a superhero team, one with fags, sexism, fluid sexuality, diets entirely of fast food, and who all spatter the series with very realistic emotional fallout.
The storylines vary on all levels, with the bigger story thread running through that will draw you to binge watch. But it is more the interplay of the characters, the realism and the humour that makes this series stand out.
It's got the feel of a very good version of The Sweeney and some other top cop dramas of the same era, very much updated and fresh but with remnants of the 70s.
Mary Magdalene (2018)
I wish it had told more of Mary after Jesus
I enjoyed the movie as a very different angle on a well known story, and how within that it didn't overstate the usual story. The cinematography and focus on Mary was captivating, though some of the other acting and portrayal did let it down. I suspect the editing might not have helped.
I was hoping it was going to go on to tell the at least something of Mary following the death of Jesus which would have been adventurous as well as diffficult without resorting to an excess drama or spinning something of the "Da Vinci" line. Maybe one day someone will go there.
As someone else mentioned, this is a movie telling a story which it does really well. It's not a historical document.
Madame X (1937)
1937 v 1966
The only criticism of this film I have is that it feels a little over edited down, though that may well be to do with the length of film needed for the 1930s? It is punchy, fast moving and gripping. The drama is extreme but believable, masterfully expressed by Gladys George. I can't know, but I suspect the director was equally masterful.
I've just watched this and then the Lana Turner version. Both films are different enough in style and content to enjoy in their own right. Lana was wonderful, though overall I thought that film was a touch more bubble gum, and the crescendo end scenes were both less dramatic and less believable. The Gladys George film has more grit, especially in the darker period. The courtroom ending is the meat of the drama. At this point, in this 1937 film, the defence roars emotion and the dialogue between mother and son is perfection. At the same point, the Lana film doesn't quite hit those heights of raw drama, and goes just a little cheesy and too overstated.
A great story, the brilliant Gladys George, masterful directing, and a great opportunity to shed a tear.
The Bastard Executioner: Piss Profit/Proffidwyr Troeth (2015)
Coming together
I've seen the potential in this series from the start, but it has so far lacked a coming together in a richness of the story, and certainly in the pilot it was choppy, and some of the acting wasn't great. From filming to screening it's been very quick, perhaps too rushed, and everyone involved has still been finding their feet. Something of all that.
I think it's worth saying that the whole thing has historical inaccuracies. It's primarily a story, one that is set in a generalised middle ages as envisioned from the US. A lot of care has been taken for reasonable accuracy, a lot of criticisms in the reviews here are wrong or misleading.
In this episode, I felt the plot thicken. It began to bring in more layers of the story, some maybe predictable, some less so. Rather than being left piecing it together, I'm left thinking about what may happen next - a good thing.
The whole production of this episode was smoother. The violence and sex holds up. The characters are filling out and the acting is getting there. And Wales really is wet most of the time - I wish they would show more of the rain, celebrate it, there's no other way! So, baby steps, let's see where this show goes next.
Breakfast on Pluto (2005)
This film rocks!
In brief - an honest, gutsy, feel good movie that will have tears flooding from your eyes with sympathy, despair, but most of all laughter. It rocks!
A story set in a troubled social background, with a truly tragic personal story, though its humour shines above it all. Playing the lead role, Cillian Murphy sweeps you through Kitten's journey with such fantastic heart and conviction, expressing real convincing emotions like a spectacular firework display. The mixture of naivety and devilment in Kitten's being is magical, edgy and hilarious. Stunning work.
Other performances are brilliant too, in different ways, and mostly with great humour, perfectly complementing Kitten in centre stage. A great deal of praise has to go to Neil Jordans script and direction too, simply perfection.
The variety in character and pace of the scenes leaves not a dull moment. The ending is superb, bringing a crescendo of all that the film is about.
How Cillian Murphy didn't get an Oscar for this is beyond me. The choice of the Rubettes "Sugar Baby Love" as the intro song is a masterstroke, it captures the underlying upbeat essence of film so perfectly, possibly because its the sound mantra of Kitten's drive in life?
This is easily my favourite film of all time, 10/10 on all counts.
Of Human Bondage (1934)
Bette van Dyke
A must watch film, I genuinely loved it. Easy to watch and get drawn into, not that dated at all, and a good story we can all relate to.
Lots of reviews here waxing lyrical about Bette Davis' bawdy performance, and in general I go along with them, bar her pitiful attempt at a cockney accent.
Its worse than Dick van Dykes (Mary Poppins) and I never thought I'd say that about anyone. Dick had a naiive comedic consistency in his americanised version. Bette is all over the place, mainly sounding like a posh girl pretending badly to be cockney and throwing in intonations I've never heard anyone speak. Very false and messed up, and irritating - but that is what she's portraying too, so it kinda works. She was either sheltered and made no attempt to get out and hear how people speak or she wouldn't have dared do what she did, or else she has no accent skills.
Beyond the accent, yes, Bette makes the film funky and fun. The other actresses I think perform better, are more convincing character wise. Kay Johnson (Norah) is stiff upper lip British and understated, a mirror to Leslie Howards character, though lighter. Frances Dee (Sally) plays a young girl who accepts her place with a charm and a wisdom beyond her years - and is the heavenly beauty of the film.
Watch, enjoy, and indulge in reminiscences of the unrequited loves in your life.
Island (2011)
Not at all mainstream :)
Raw, awkward, unglamorous, dark, sensitive, atmospheric, poetic, sublimely emotional - I'm sure there's many who will dislike this film, I loved it.
Pay attention from the very start, and settle into 90 minutes of absorbing visuals and sounds as this story weaves its path between fairy tale, innocence and stark interactions.
The three main actors put in great performances, their characters are real people - no generic playing themselves in costume here. Calum is the Island incarnate with his beachcomber treasures and tales, an intimate connection with his environment although in a bubble from the rest of the world. His mother Phyllis is crone like, tired, troubled and protective both of her son and of what she holds inside. Niki is on a mission she describes at the beginning. Her internal discomfort is evident from when she first appears, then lands on the Island to pursue her destiny, a driven catalyst to break the stony status quo.
The scenery is stunning and the sets perfect, the filming capturing everything really well. There is the one scene near the end with boat and water that I thought was erm... rough! The scene at the end worked so well, despite it being challenging, it felt so right. Difficult to say more without spoiling! Its not bubblegum - enjoy!
Hunted (2012)
Poetic
Just watched the last episode and it was gripping to the poetic end.
Whilst its a bit Lara Croft and of course dwells in the realms of spy fantasies, its holds the human touch reasonably well all through. The characters are well acted and realistically... or should I say literary, complex without all having to be revealed.
Some of the lines are cheesy, but I think you have to see that somewhat as understated Brit humour, the kind of humour that would happen in real life in high drama.
The only downside for me was it was too fast paced at times, for me I mean. There was a fair amount of "chill time" in the series, though I'd like to see more day to day stuff, more of the human touch, though I'm not one for fast action movies at all, so for its genre I'd say it was spot on.
I hope we're not fed an identical twin of a second series. I can see there is potential for it to reach another level if the script writers are bold.
Enjoy!
Swingers (1996)
Flat and empty
Hyperactive airhead ramblings of Trent, a plot that was deflating, content with punchlines that mainly felt like a slap with an empty bin liner.
There was potential in this movie but it flew down the strip like a dragster with only one cylinder firing fuelled by doughnut oil (or "chip fat" for my fellow Brits). Every so often there was a scene that raised the stakes a little, like the caravan foursome scene early on - no, not one of those foursomes - which is why I gave the three.
I wanted it to deliver but the dialogue was flat and, to be generous, the characters mainly unconvincing. The woman with the cigar I thought may blossom into something, likewise the waitress at the casino, and a few others, but they were left for dead and Trent lived on... yawn.
Mike was okay in some ways, but at the end it seemed all his potential had been wasted too and I was left feeling I'd been taken on a long ride to nowhere and back. Now I often love movies of everyday life where there is little in the way of fast action and no dramatic conclusion, but they have to engage me in some convincing interactions with well acted characters of depth. Swingers didn't do this by a long way.
The filming and production felt choppy and disconnected. The acting was B movie Hollywood. Maybe it reflects real life in Hollywood? Maybe its a film for a young male age group? Not for me. And what was that gun scene about?! Inane.
I Know You Know (2008)
A Good Story Well Told
I believed this movie, and it left me with a few tears. A ten for me, it is that good.
The setting of late Thatcherite South Wales brings a dour realism to the fast moving and almost glamorous beginning of this movie. The journey you'll be taken on at best involves falling over and badly grazing yourself. But there's humour too, and even joy if you keep your mind open.
The acting is great all round, with believable characters who interact realistically. Jamie and his dad, Charlie, are centre stage, and both performances are superb.
The production is perfect. It thoroughly captures the personal situation, the era, the location. The story is told at a good pace, though yes, its low key and British. I think some non Brits may find the accents a little difficult at times, but you don't need to hear every word to get absorbed in the story.
The story is simple but rich. As one other reviewer suggests, its worth watching it twice, or at least watch the start again - thats a must.
The Other Man (2008)
Real life emotions, real life pace, captivating
Skipping through reviews before watching this film, I nearly decided to give it a miss. But I found out it was a miss for those negative reviewers who didn't get it. It's a hit, for me anyway.
It's gutsy, deals with real emotions colouring them in hither and thither as the scenes flick by in a non linear time line. That may sound like it's complex - it isn't. You are taken on a journey focusing on Peter, his wife being the essential background to the story, with his wife's lover the foil on which they both tread.
If you're looking for a stereotypical Hollywood scorned husband movie, move along, you'll find no joy here. This is real life in content, pace and dialogue. It's not boring, its not slow and it is captivating. I dare any man who has been cheated on by the love of their life not to be deeply moved by this film. The same probably goes for women. As the story unfolds, there's another group of people that will be moved, and that's for you to discover.
The ending is how it should be given the subject matter - some level of completion. And there's plenty to talk about afterwards. I'd love to say more but that would be giving away too much.
Great acting by all, though Liam Neeson has, and holds firmly, the centre stage.
I give this a low end of 9/10 if that's possible. Enjoy!
Romance & Cigarettes (2005)
Down to earth, with musical colouring
I hate musicals, and fell into watching this without realising it was one of them, but this turned out to be one of the best films I've seen. I was thoroughly entertained in many ways.
It's gritty and real whilst indulging the fantasy that allows us to get by. The music adds colour to what is already happening, it's seamless. The Engelbert Humperdinck song near the beginning is possibly one of the best ever performed songs in a movie, it's so funny! The characters are engaging and full, bordering on grotesque. Even with their exaggerated sides, there's part of them thats simple and warm, and could be the neighbour up the street or a member of your own family.
It's not a complex story but it is rich, hitting many of life's notes with degree of understatement spiced with well projected emotions.
The artistic camera work stands out in many scenes, a joy for the eye. All in all a real down to earth arty film that will appeal to people from all walks of life. For me it doesn't get much better than this.
In the Loop (2009)
It left me cold
I watched this for about 50 minutes and almost lost the will to live. Though it managed to make me smile a few times, and to some extent it was intellectually engaging, it left me thinking I could have had more fun ironing bedsheets. It seems some people enjoyed it, so all I can say is don't entirely depend on it for a great evenings entertainment. Invite a few friends round to watch it and your social circle may, possibly, diminish.
I spent my time watching it waiting for it to come together, but it didn't. It seemed to drone on and on at a level that didn't once grab me. It felt dated in its style, frenetically unemotional, disengaged, and heartless. It has a similar style to The Office, but that did have that personable flavour that In The Loop lacks. The characters were as flat as the Financial Times stock market pages. On the plus side, the dialogue was very witty and clever in places (and thats why I gave it two stars), but then just like witty and clever people, that can leave me cold when its not rounded with life and soul. And this film did leave me cold, the bedtime drink I had afterwards was far warmer, more wholesome and hearty, and miles more fun.