downingpatrick Reviews

The One in Charge (2022– )

An absolute gem! Wickedly funny & superbly acted tale of manipulation & deceipt. A must-see Classic

[10/10 · 15 November 2022]

This series took me completely by surprise & is undoubtedly going to remain a firm favourite. The lead actor provides a virtuoso performance of a man in confident control of his own little world & the characters in it. Seducing the audience into enjoying his self-serving nastiness & manipulation. The definition of a lovable rogue.

The atmosphere of the smart apartment block feels perfect & the delicate balance of scene music & natural ambient sounds completes your engagement.

A superb cast make this clever, winding tale of plots & problems, class distinctions & everyday survival, a memorable must see.

The Northman (2022)

Nothing new to see here

[4/10 · 3 June 2022]

Disappointing. I'd been led to believe this would be a strong addition to the library of Viking era epics but no. It's a mash up of Vikings and Last Kingdom and a good few other things. Simple revenge story, with some supernatural-ish bits scattered about and the camera exposure set to low. I was too far in to give up, hoping there'd be a fork off the obvious path but I ended up just willing it to end ... which took a while.

The smatterings of Bjork and Nicole Kidman didn't get much of a chance to make enough of an impact and were probably there for the PR value (or Bjork wanted some horses ... which they apparently gifted her after filming ended) It might have been much better as a series, expanded characters with more depth and dimensions (especially the monotone lead role).

Escape from Pretoria (2020)

Tension through simplicity

[8/10 · 6 March 2020]

Had I seen the IMDB rating I might not have watched it but am pleased I did. This production kept me engaged throughout bringing dramatic tension even to bubblegum on the ens of a stick! Particularly if you knew the consequences awaiting the protagonists if they failed. Perhaps the appalling situation could have been more graphically set up but as a prison break movie it works well but not if you want the graphic violence that so many filmmakers resort to for tension. Ignore the negatives & watch it