Reviews
Criminal Record (2024)
Good guys, bad guys: whose story is it?
Peter Capaldi and Cush Jumbo show their impressive acting chops as police detectives working seemingly working together - but essentially at odds - on ensuring an old murder case bagged the right perpetrator. It reveals in nonlinear fashion (which can be frustrating and confusing at times) the original investigation and jumps back and forth between past and present to tease out the details of the crime and all the major players. "Us vs. Them" shows itself in terms of seniority, gender, race and criminality. There's a good, solid story here, layered beneath a belabored run time; it could've been improved in its storytelling effect by cutting out an entire episode without sacrificing tension and suspense.
Remedy (2014)
Deja vu all over again
Another hospital-based medical drama with the same power politics, budget woes, bottom-line vs. Social- and ethical-responsibility arguments, second-guessing diagnoses, God-complex surgeons and "the sky is falling" pronouncements as every other hospital drama. Better writers would definitely improve this show.
The family that seems to dominate this hospital has so many personal issues that they shouldn't be anywhere near a place where people's lives hang in the balance. I just can't seem to summon up any concern for the patients, medical staff or tangential characters.
I love Enrico Colantoni, but he's totally wasted in this dreck.
Sea Patrol (2007)
How clumsy can you be?
For people who spend so much time tromping through dense underbrush and through island tree stands, this crew spends far too much time rescuing their fellow crew members after they've fallen down the sides of hills, into swamps or right into traps of some sort. I realize they're more at home on the water, but seriously. They're unbelievably inept. Half of the episodes wind up with someone in sick bay because they've sprained or broken something in a fall. (And that's in addition to getting hit on the head by pirates and other evildoers.) Maybe instead of fishing off the stern, they need to work on some agility exercises.
Grantchester (2014)
Grantchester feels like family
The characters in this show are wonderfully crafted, even when they're misbehaving, and it's because of them that I keep coming back to Grantchester, season after season.
Following along as each succeeding vicar deals with their personal (as well as professional) demons and as they craft a relationship with Geordie - and the rest of their pastoral and public communities - is a step above your typical police procedural and small town mystery. The handling of other topics - gender, race, sexuality, harrassment, religion (of course) - also help elevate the program.
And while the mysteries are engaging, they're really just threads that strengthen the friendships among the main players.
I'm happy to see (especially in season 9) that women's issues are continuing to be addressed. Could we actually see a WPC in the police station at some point?
Unbroken (2021)
Intense. Too Long.
Someone compared this to Scandi-noir, and I think it's an accurate description of the story of a German detective who shows up after being missing for six days with no memory of what happened to her or to the baby she was about to deliver.
In turns, various theories are considered and pursued, usually accompanied by shouting, drawn guns and red herrings, and while all of the leads seem to have some merit, this series falters in taking too long to investigate each. At some point, you almost give up caring and just start hating everyone.
That's not to say the series is bad; it just needed a sharp-eyed editor to cut it down to about four hours for better storytelling. The resolution feels a bit rushed and is quite surprising (or was to me), but it is satisfactory on the whole.
Sandra Brown's White Hot (2016)
Inauthentic, Melodramatic Drivel
This is supposedly a gripping murder mystery, but it's just another cheesy Hallmark family drama (aka soap opera movie-of-the-week with the usual suspects taking the usual roles). The plot, allegedly set in Louisiana's bayou country, could've been set anywhere; there's certainly nothing authentically "Cajun" about any of it, other than a few verbal cultural references that any tourist would know, having spent a couple of days in the state. The accents are nothing you'll hear in Louisiana. And since they couldn't be bothered to even film it in the state, this "Louisiana" based movie is just another attempt to perpetuate stereotypes about the state.
La faille (2019)
Nice to see a female-led police procedural
I enjoyed "The Wall" in part because Céline Trudeau is at the forefront of the action, a gutsy, mature, experienced woman often outpacing her younger male counterparts. The storylines are interesting, and the settings are beautiful. (Plus, the language is so melodic for us non-French speakers.)
Each season's major crime is different, allowing Céline to shine, whether it's dealing with a small northern mining community's murders and mishaps, an urban environmental conference marred by murder or a trip down memory lane among her homefolks that unearths family secrets - literally.
If I have one complaint, it's that the story arcs are about 25% too long and tend to drag a bit. Solid editing could pick up the pace, keep the storyline intact and still allow the plots to develop and the characters to shine.
The Cold Light of Day (2012)
What a train wreck!
I want to believe Bruce and Sigourney were given one version of the script and then stuck with another when they showed up on location. Because who would agree to be in this festering pile of crap as it appears on screen?
This film feels like it was written in another language and translated into English. The dialogue is worse than the plot in general. Who lives abroad for years but can't speak Spanish? How do you walk away from an impending bankruptcy for a family vacation? How does a white-collar kid stand up to world-class assassins? Who writes like that? (And worse, who greenlighted it?) No wonder the "stars" looked like they were sleepwalking through it!
Is it a treatise on Wall Street or the CIA? American interests abroad? Family trust? Is it "Die Hard" lite (rahter than a Bourne ripoff, as so many want to believe)?
Truly one of the worst movies I've seen in years, saved only by a tiny bit of humor, beautiful locations and the gorgeous Henry Cavill.
Wedding Band (2012)
Wedding Band rocks!
This very funny show has great music too. Four guys who might never otherwise be friends are the house band for the stereotypical wedding/event planner - slash - party Nazi. They get to live out their adolescent fantasies: (semi) rock star status, hot and cold running groupies ... or at least the occasional bridesmaid, adventures and a paycheck to boot. The clients and their demands are as ridiculous as their counterparts on the reality bridal/Sweet 16/housewives shows. Some of these antics are actually true in the daily lives of event planners, but mostly it's just good fun (but not for a kiddie audience). Love the guest stars (like James Marsters), the outrageous capers (like grave robbing) and the band's occasion-appropriate costumes (like leiderhosen for Oktoberfest). You don't have to be a 14-year-old nerd boy to like this show! Hope it gets enough audience to stay on the air.