carmen163 Reviews

Middlemarch (1994)

No good without the narrator

[6/10 · 24 December 2023]

To be honest, I don't think it's possible to translate the richness, depth and refinement of the book Middlemarch to the screen. A narrator gives the most beautiful comments, which is why this book is such high-class literature. The narrator was 'George Eliot', of course, and she was so wise, funny and compassionate that the story is reduced to half without her comments.

It's remarkable how George Eliot has set up Middlemarch. Usually, the narrator is on the outside of the story, and the events that take place with the characters make the story. But not in this case. The narrator is on the inside. He knows about life, psychology, philosophy, religion and spirituality, and he connects all this knowledge to the small lifes of the characters.

So, without the narrator, what's left is precisely this TV adaptation. It's the outside of the story. It shows the most beautiful clothes, gardens, coaches, china, townhouses, and music. The actors tell the story by saying the words their characters do and mimicking the feelings that go along with them. It's not bad at all. But it misses the heart, the inside.

How can we get to the inside of all the marriages without the narrator? How can we get to the personalities of all the characters without the narrator? It's simply not possible in this case. Maybe, with some class A actors we had a better chance, but that's not the case, unfortunately. So, like the characters without the narrator, we stumble through this adaption, which is remarkably fitting in a way.

If you like to see the outside of this story, watch this series. But if you want to see the whole package, please read the book.

Perfect Days (2023)

Completely authentic

[10/10 · 20 December 2023]

I have never seen a more authentic movie. This movie does whatever the hell it pleases. It's not here to live up to any expectations or to serve a specific purpose; no, it's here because it feels like it wants to be here, and we are fortunate enough to be included in its existence.

This film is about a man who truly lives in the moment without being some spiritual guru. He deals with whatever comes his way, the good, the bad and the ugly, and he welcomes it without words. That's because he doesn't need words. He doesn't need to analyze, remember or anticipate because "now is now". He accepts and embraces reality, finding joy in every little detail. But also not shying away from sorrow. But he never gets dramatic.

And that's why this movie is so unique. There is no plot, there is no past full of hurt, there is no goal, there is no desire. Yet, it was mesmerizing, and I was glued to the screen. I was blown away. It's a movie that will stick with me for a long time.

A Late Quartet (2012)

Too positive

[7/10 · 26 August 2023]

It's a bit weird. This film has 6.7 on metascore and yet there is not one truly negative review. Rolling Stone says in its review: "it's paradise ..." and yet they give it 3/5. Why - if it's paradise?

Maybe that's the problem with this movie. It's hard to explain why it's not outstanding. It has all the ingredients: a cast that makes dreams come true, locations, music, intrigue - it's all there. But it doesn't come together.

Maybe there is just too much going on: mourning, unfaithfulness, narcissism, mother-daughter problems, disease and an impossible love story all have to find their way in this movie. And so nothing gets the attention and the depth it deserves. Even the city of New York, always willing to play a character in movies, isn't really there.

So, ultimately it's a nice movie. But nothing spectacular.

The Death of Louis XIV (2016)

Pretend you're watching a satire, then it's not too bad.

[5/10 · 20 August 2023]

I expected a slow movie, with not much action going on. I mean, it's about a guy dying, so that's says it all.

But my goodness, I didn't expect such a lack of activitiy. Everybody seemed to move in slow motion. Everybody seemed to TALK in slow motion. It got to the point where I seriously checked if this movie is a satire. Because in no way this reflects actual events in those times.

One of the most disturbing (or hilarious) scenes was the one were Louis wakes up at night, feverish and sweaty, and asks for some water. First, he has to ask several times because there is no servant in the room with him. Finally, a door opens and a very sleepy person stumbles in, has to be asked several times again before he - after a ridiculous amount of time - enters again with a glass of water. Now, the water is served in the wrong kind of glass and Louis refused to drink it.

Okay, I get that this scene was about how etiquette was more important than dying of thirst in those days. Maybe it was, I don't know. But the whole set up lacks every understanding of the importance of Louis XIV, and how the court worked. It was an absolute honor to work and live in Versailles and only the best of the best (the creme de la creme) of servants would make it to being a personal servant of him. And they would run, fly, to fulfill his every wish. It would be like serving Queen Elizabeth, only multiplied by a 1000 times. It's completely unthinkable that there was no servant present and some stupid incompetent person was the only one to attent to Louis, in slow motion.

There were much more mistakes like this in the movie. So I decided to view it as a satire. It's actually not so bad as a satire. Oh, and some parts I doubled the speed. That helped a lot too.

De Marathon (2012)

Dutch to the core

[8/10 · 11 April 2023]

If you want to know about Dutch culture, watch this movie. It depicts every aspect of social life and more. Of course, it's all a bit over the top. But the basics are very accurate.

Most accents are spot on, and some words are indeed gems. Like 'fruitschuitje', saying that word in a Rotterdam accent is like a little poem. And the scene where the Marathon guys had to wait for the Amsterdam mover to unload dozens of boxes was also spot on. It is the essence and difference between these two cities; Rotterdam is very energetic - it's all about getting things done. Amsterdam is very laid back - work isn't that important.

There are about a million other small details that are so very true about the way things are in the circles depicted. The camaraderie, the swearing (another review thought it wasn't appropriate and maybe it isn't, but it's very realistic), the food, the determination, and the taking care of each other.

But the best part was the jokes. I laughed so hard! Not very PC (not at all) and not for the faint of heart, but my goodness, there were some brilliant jokes there. Which is another thing that is so realistic. The quick wit of the characters; they have a sharp eye and a sharp tongue.

The acting is also absolutely exceptional. The story doesn't call for characters with many layers, but we get to know the marathon men quite well. We see their vulnerabilities and their struggles. But foremost, we see their 'cold hands, warm heart'. And that's what makes this film irresistible.

Under Fire (2021– )

Amateur fire brigade

[1/10 · 9 April 2023]

I don't know where to start... this is the most amateuristic fire brigade there has ever been. They don't know what way to drive to the building on fire, they find there is a colleague missing only after they are sitting in the fire engine, there is no coordination between police, ambulance and the fire brigade, the police are blocking the street entrance with their car, they continue to use water after they found out they are in a drughouse (like they don't know mixing chemicals with water can cause major explosions), one fireman chases a victim - leaving his colleagues behind, their commanding officer has to ask for an update every 10 seconds, they have to ask their colleague to spray water all the time, they are at a loss to do with a victim, they panic...

I really don't know why people are okay with portraying this service in a way that makes them look like clowns. Fire men and women are highly skilled professionals, working in an environment that depends on good communication, anticipation and confidence in acting. People are extremely well trained. You hardly ever hear about mistakes made by these experts.

So for me, after watching how they handled the first fire, it was exit with this program. What a joke. If I was working in this area, I would consider suing this show for defamation.

The Cook of Castamar (2021)

So many flaws, it's comical

[3/10 · 4 February 2022]

Clearly the director had no clue about what life was like in the 18th century for the aristocracy and their servants. So besides the so/so acting, the shallow characters and the totally predictable actions, the errors made in this timepiece were very distracting.

For instance: a kitchen maid would never have a private room; she would not have two big candles in her room, a young Lady would never attend a concert on her own, the Lady of the house would not say: "refreshments at seven", there was no such thing as a master-key, the aristocrats didn't eat their soup like that (with a full spoon in their mouths) and don't get me started on the hunting event...

There has been put much effort in clothes, scenery and set. But what good is that if the rest is very sloppy and lazy?