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Reviews
Lilyhammer (2012)
A word about casual racism, sexism and homophobia
Watched the first episode and it showed promise, and with all the great reviews I wanted to love the second episode and the rest of the season. But aside from the ludicrous plot and weirdness of being half Norwegian/half English dialogue (at the same time), most of the jokes and set ups revolved around 'comic' violence and casually racist, homophobic and sexist dialogue. It's like it was made in 1980. It could work if this was done in a knowing or ironic way, but it's all delivered without so much as a shrug. As for the 25 year age gap between the romantic leads, again they don't show this for what it is and poke fun at the implausibility of it - instead they just pass it off as normal. I don't know if this was an issue with just one episode or the rest of the series, but I won't be finding out.
Long Way Up (2020)
A road trip about batteries - and some nice scenery
Ewan and Charlie make an entertaining double act and the old production gang comes back together for a new road trip. The most obvious question, though is, "why didn't anyone tell them batteries don't like the cold"?
It seems that it takes them about 2 weeks to work this out. Whoever did the logistics must have been evilly laughing as they seemed to be constantly 10 miles short of powe.
Anyway, I'm about half way in now and in it for the long haul. The scenery is great (the drone pilot was pretty busy and seems to have his/her own battery supply) and the miles soon disappear.
And at least the charging issue gives a bit of jeopardy for the show. Worth a watch.
Star Trek: Picard: Watcher (2022)
Bad episode - so bad that I found all the anti-"woke" sentiment more entertaining
I'm not a complete Trek-head but even I could tell all the Guinan stuff was off.
The plot, script and much of the acting is getting pretty bad - the Raffi material especially so - although I thought the opening episodes were promising.
End up scanning the episode reviews out of boredom. My God, I never realised Trekkies were so right wing - almost comically so.
Yes, the storytelling is a bit clumsy but complaining that the environment and immigration issues are "woke" and don't belong in entertainment is farcical.
Anyway, I hope the show gets better again. Patrick Stewart deserves it, and so do the viewers, whatever their politics.
Robbo: The Bryan Robson Story (2021)
Bit of a puff piece, but great old football footage
Bryan Robson was my hero as a kid and the reason I supported Man Utd, so I was interested to watch his story.
Amazing career, superb goals, Captain Marvel - no doubt. Trouble with this film, even with the end of his managerial career, it's just a puff piece, exaggerating his achievements to almost god-like proportions.
Noticed he was exec producer. Would have been better with a bit more of an editorial eye, made independently.
Mind you, that all said, I loved the old footage, seeing the great goals and footage of life and times in the 70s, 80s and 90s.
Inventing Anna: Life of a VIP (2022)
Considering the material at their disposal, this is a very boring start
I had high hopes for this series, having listened to the BBC's docudrama podcast, which had me captivated a couple of years ago. Anna is one of the most audacious scammers, who becomes a kind of anti hero for many people.
Combine that with the brilliant acting skills of Julia Garner...
...and you get such a treacle slow start with back stories for characters you just don't care about. (Sigh)
I hope it gets better from here, but I'm not holding out much hope.
Thunderbirds Are Go (2015)
Well-made reboot, with one major flaw
I grew up with the original and introduced this reboot to my kids, and they love it. I don't mind that it's CGI rather then puppets, because all the other major elements remain: the countdown, the music, the vehicles and the Tracy Brothers... ah, the Tracy Brothers, the all-white, male team of "International" rescue. Why-oh-why couldn't they bring this huge part of the show up to date. The only non-white member is Brains, who has been given an Asian stuttering accent. 🤦
A shout out, though, to David Graham, the voice behind Parker - who played the same character in the original in the 60s!! He's 95 years old and still finding the time to do Peppa Pig. Now there's a career.
You Don't Know Me (2021)
Outstanding acting - more than a courtroom drama
The acting is truly amazing - especially Samuel Adewunmi, who carries the plot into the realms of believability.
The biggest flaw is in the courtroom and the latitude the protagonist is given by the judge. No prosecution would have stayed silent throughout. But that's not the point.
It's starts as a really engrossing drama and then starts to become a bit of a twisty thriller, perhaps a bit too twisty, especially by the fourth episode.
But overall it's highly enjoyable. The themes, the setting, the dialogue and sheer class of the core group of actors make you forget the flaws.
Pulp: A Film About Life, Death and Supermarkets (2014)
Essential for Pulp fans, but falls short of the masterpiece it could have been
If you love Pulp, this is a must-watch, lovingly produced tribute to Pulp and the city they hail from.
It's as much about the people of Sheffield as the band, and as a result it's sometimes neither one thing nor the other.
On the band side, Jarvis is as charismatic as ever, but he stops short of really opening up - for example, saying that fame didn't agree with him, "like a nut allergy".
Keyboardist Candida Doyle was much more open, talking about panic attacks and battling rheumatoid arthritis.
The Sheffield scenes are also a mixed bag. I loved the Help the Aged cafe scene and, like the best Cocker-penned tunes, there was plenty of untold pathos behind many of the interviews, such as the little girl who didn't want to grow up.
I was less keen on some of the fan interviews, but these are more than made up for by the live scenes.