leopoldfrank-1 Reviews

3 Body Problem (2024– )

Artistic Void

[5/10 · 22 March 2024]

I was immediately struck by the void of artistry in the direction and cinematography, particularly having watched 'Sometimes I Think About Dying' just before I started watching this (in which EVERY SINGLE SHOT looks like a beautifully composed photograph). It just seems like they flew through it as quickly as possible doing every scene by numbers. As someone who enjoys quality cinema this was an absolute famine for me.

So, with nothing to enjoy visually you are left with the meat of the story which had interesting ideas but was a bit 'this happens then this happens then this happens' without any real intrigue or tension beyond 'so... what's the deal with these aliens? Maybe we'll get an answer at the end...' Everything seems to happen a bit too quickly without any real depth. I was interested enough to get answers to the questions but didn't really care about a single character, although the big bloke from GoT was fairly likeable and the show seemed to miss his charisma when he died as no one else had any.

People seem to love this story enough that I have to believe there's more to it than what I watched so I am currently in the process of downloading the Tencent version.

Wonderland (1999)

Forgotten Gem

[10/10 · 2 April 2022]

It seems this British masterpiece has just been forgotten about. A kitchen sink drama slice of life following the lives of interlinked characters spliced with Koyaanisqatsi tinged documentary footage that captures the chaotic world of life in London. It's about the kind of loneliness you can only feel in a crowd. A beautiful movie for people watchers with a classic score by Michael Nyman.

I hope one day it is released on digital and blu-ray. It deserves so much more than an eternity as a second hand dvd on Amazon.

Gremlins (1984)

Classic

[10/10 · 11 December 2021]

This is one of those movies that I could have sworn was a 7 or an 8. Certainly, from a technical stand point, it probably is but there is something so magical and entertaining about it I've watched it so many times over the course of my life that I've lost count and it's never got boring.

All time classic.

Spencer (2021)

Fun Christmas Movie

[7/10 · 25 November 2021]

Spencer is a great Christmas movie that is guaranteed to be a Christmas day regular alongside the likes of It's a Wonderful Life for years to come. A warm movie about family and togetherness and the true spirit of Christmas. Combined with hilarious japes and catchy songs all the family can sing along with as they open their presents. My kids loved it and are already begging to see it again!

The Humans (2021)

Decent movie

[7/10 · 24 November 2021]

Thought it was an interesting well made movie that was just a little too much like being at my family's own insufferable gatherings to really enjoy.

Confused by everyone else's Schumer fixation. She's not even a huge part of the movie. Richard Jenkins steals the show and everyone else plays their role fine.

The Power of the Dog (2021)

Excellent movie that's not for everyone

[9/10 · 18 November 2021]

I thought this movie was fantastic but it won't be for everyone. If you're unable to read facial expressions, if you're unable to fill in blanks, if for some reason the tension which runs right through the movie goes over your head, if you can't appreciate beautiful cinematography, if you just sit there expecting to be led and bring nothing to the table - you will be bored.

Dr. Brain (2021– )

Mad Scientist Mystery

[9/10 · 12 November 2021]

Two episodes in now and it's very good. I'm a big fan of the director's other work and it has his usual flair. It is sort a mad scientist mystery. It has elements of The Fly (the scientist experimenting on himself, perhaps later to be his downfall?) as well as Sixth Sense and Memento - he is trying to solve a mystery but as he experiments more on himself to put the pieces together, it becomes harder to be certain what is real and what is not.

A very strong start and I have absolutely no idea where it is going and can not wait to find out. Highly recommended.

Halloween II (1981)

Anyone who thinks this is better than the first is a massive idiot

[4/10 · 1 November 2021]

Halloween 1: masterpiece. Halloween 2: fairly well made, badly written horror movie you spend the whole time talking over and taking the piss out of.

.........................................................

Bates Motel (2013–2017)

Core plot is a 10. Side plot is a 1.

[7/10 · 28 October 2021]

Bates Motel has a core plot that is an absolute masterpiece but for the first 3 seasons unfortunately has awful side plots that take up a good 50% of the viewing time. I would love to see a re-edited version that omit all that garbage.

The show is entertaining enough early on but the side plots are so bad that by the 3rd season I was sick to death of them and wondered whether I could continue watching it.

Then season 4 happened. No side plots. Just absolute fire from start to finish.

As the other reviews say, the 2 leads are exceptional and are the highlight of the series.

1st season is flawed but really entertaining.

2nd season is entertaining but the side plots start to frustrate.

3rd season is a dirge with occasional flashes of quality.

4th season is riveting start to finish.

5th season... not there yet. I only hope it's half as good as 4.

Bates Motel (2013–2017)

Excellent series shrouded in padding

[7/10 · 25 October 2021]

This could have been a great series but for hours of padding and ridiculous, uninteresting side-plots. As many have said, the 2 leads are fantastic and the scenes between them are electric. Unfortunately we have to sit through hours of soap opera and half baked marijuana drug ring conspiracy rubbish to get to their scenes.

Candyman (2021)

Rubbish

[3/10 · 10 October 2021]

I'd love to tell you this has bad ratings because everyone is racist, but no, it just genuinely sucks. The story feels jammed in to fit the themes and that's where the problems lie. Rubbish.

Help (2021 TV Movie)

Not 'Total Realism'

[2/10 · 17 September 2021]

As someone who worked in a care home during the covid outbreak, I'm a bit disappointed how many dramatic liberties this movie took. There was enough drama in the real life events without adding more. Did the writer have a consultant? If so, were they just a nodding dog? Great actors, very good directing, but the writing is garbage and has zero basis in reality.

The idea was to highlight care homes but the absolute lack of insight feels more like a slap in the face. Writers - do your homework.

My Brilliant Friend (2018– )

The most beautiful series ever made.

[10/10 · 16 July 2021]

I'm on my third viewing of this series. It is an absolute masterpiece. There is no series ever made more beautiful than this. Many series that are good for other reasons, yes, but for beauty there are none.

The fragments of memory, the entwining of lives have never, up until this series, ever been so beautifully realised.

Luca (2021)

Missed Opportunity

[4/10 · 25 June 2021]

This is a really weird movie. One of the main plot points is that they are sea monsters. I spent the entire movie wondering why the characters had to be sea monsters. Really? What was the point of that? If they had just been normal people the movie would not have been that much different and the makers could have indulged further into their love of Italian culture than they were able to with the pointless sea monster thing.

It is obvious that this movie wants to be an Italian Coco but the pointless sea monster thing knocks it off that path before the movie has barely got going. I would have really liked to see a movie more about Italian culture than fricken sea monsters - My Brilliant Friend is one of my favourite series and I have Italian family but this movie only touches on that whilst wasting our time with the whole sea monster thing.

Aside from that, it is an incredibly run of the mill story - friendship, yada yada yada, wins out in the end, yada yada yada, people overcome their prejudices, yada yada yada, everyone is left wing in the end, yada yada yada.

To conclude, this movie was a bit crap. The animation was good, obviously, it's pixar.

Btw, did I mention I hated the sea monster angle?

The Forty-Year-Old Version (2020)

Great Movie

[10/10 · 10 October 2020]

This movie is absolutely fantastic. It may be 2 hours long but it felt like 1 hour 20. Charming and amusing from start to finish. Really good comedic acting, great direction, full of brilliant one liners and if this was the 90s I'd be buying that OST on cd. 100% a must watch.

The Night Comes for Us (2018)

Total rubbish

[4/10 · 22 April 2020]

Part of the reason The Raid was so good was because the idea was so simple. The whole concept was one idea and it kinda made sense. It was the perfect spine to a bunch of scenes of violence.

This film fails for exactly the same reason The Raid 2 was a shadow of the original movie - a convoluted drawn out plot attempting to be deeper and more meaningful than it has any reason to.

I like the whole gorefest action movie idea but give us a break with the over-written plots - it's not these movies strong points so why make it the focus?

Lucy in the Sky (2019)

I'm baffled by the reviews.

[7/10 · 29 December 2019]

This movie is a solid 7.5. It's a solid study of a character's mind unwinding. Perhaps a few of the directorial decisions were unwise but I see no way in which they undermined the movie to the extent that it is a 36 metacritic/22 rotten tomatoes. It is honestly baffling to me. The garbage I have seen get positive ratings and this gets that? It honestly boggles the mind.

It is a promising first movie from the very talented Noah Hawley and I seriously hope the bizarre reaction to this movie does not hamper his future career. I love movies and tv that are different and interesting and Noah Hawley is in the highest league of talent in that area.