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Mr. Turner (2014)
Dross attempting to be important
Really I do not understand why this film was made, it has no story, doesn't inform or educate about the subject. Drifts from one disconnected scene to another with no linkage just a complete waste of the actors talents (and they are good actors) and ok the scenery was well filmed but why bother. I can get a trane ticket and look out the window to see the scenery and probably experience a better story in doing so. People seem to rate Mike Leigh but he is only as good as his last film and that isn't very good at all. So many of these directors seem to look down their noses at the customer and don't feel they have to make a good film, I can't understand why they get funded.
Melissa (1997)
Way too long
Sadly although there is a first class pool of talent they are wasted in this long winded boring trash. It could easily have been condenced into one 45 minute episode. Six episodes is just silly, the dialogues and writing are what a six former would have produced, and I am probably maligning the six former. I haven't read the book and it may well be a good read but the drama written for this mini series is woeful and good luck to those who manged to watch the whole without falling asleep. For myself I would recommend watching ants crawl up a wall or paint drying as a more intellectual exercise rather that this supposed entertainment.
Wicked Little Letters (2023)
Strange and not at all funny
The film is set in 1920's and yet we have a couple with mixed races (black/white/coffee), a black criminal judge or an Asian policewoman ( the first asian police women was Karpal Kaur Sandhu and she didn't join the Met until 1973) , all of which would be very unusual at that time and particuarly in the same town. The problem with this is that it's a bit like one of the characters pulling out a mobile phone, it just doesn't fit with the time setting, so why do it? Presumably just so the producers/directors or sponsers can say they are inclusive. Wokeness strikes again.....
That said my main issue with this film is that although it is supposed to be a comedy it didn't make me laugh at all. There's was lot of swearing and bad language which is OK in context but it isn't, of itself, funny at all, at least to me. The story was quite thin and not really that close to the real story that this is based on. Glad I got the DVD from the library 'cos I wouldn't want to pay for this unfunny mess.
Control (2023)
Oh dear politicians are bad, really?
This seems to be a film that aims to give us a good feeling because those nasty politicians get what is coming to them finally. It is obviouly done on a very tigh budget because the whole film is really about one actress in a car with a voice tormenting her. Frankly after the first 10 minutes it gets rather boring so skip to the last 10 and save the time waste and get the ending. It is one of those films that pretends to be or maybe (being kinder) aspires to meaningful and moral but comes of a bit creepy and one dimensional. The actress struggled with the role and who can blame her with the material she had to present.
Civil War (2024)
What's it all about?
This is one of those films that starts in the middle and never explains itself. We are left to guess that for some reason various parts of the USA are at war with each other for unknown reasons and have seceded from the central government. We follow a bunch of journalists as they seek a interview with the president - who apparently never gives them usually -why? The war is shown graphically and realistically so the Journi's can photograph it. Why? They would certainly video it these days and even if they did photo it where is this published and by who. Non of this is explained, I think the writer / director was trying to make some point about journalists and how things are reported but really I don't think they made the point very well. All a bit pretentious IMHO.
The Flame Trees of Thika (1981)
Really boring and depressing
I appreciate that this is based on a novel and someones life in africa in the 1900's but the story just meander around with not much happening except that you can't help but feel that the 'settllers' have no right surviving at all. The story may well reflect the times of British rule in Kenya and elsewhere in the colonies but it does not make for an interesting film. I am sure that the British, French and even the Portugese did more than this group of half wits that are portayed in the movie. It is little wonder that the British ultimately go push out of Africa if this is the quality of their would be representatives.
Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes (2024)
Not worth the time
This is a long movie with little to recommend it, the cinamatography is excellent but the story, such as it is is weak and meandering. There are only really 2 humans in it and they don't appear until half way through. So we have apes grunting and speaking in pidgeon english for most of the film. The story is just evil ape seeks mans red fire, and is thwarted by good ape with eagles as an assistant. The nod to the franchise being a woman (after all this is Disney) somehow sent on a mission without any technology at all single handed to retrieve a hard drive. We never get the reason why this happens because all we hear is hello huston glad to hear you and the film ends. So just what that all means is presumably the great hope for the next cut of the franchise, which hopefully will never happen.
Major Crimes (2012)
Rubbish
I have to admit I didn't get past the pilot so its fine if you want to ignore this review. The fact is the pilot starts out with a pregnant woman as the prime control officer of a shoot out, I'm pretty sure that even in the USA they would not allow a heavily pregnant officer to do anything other than light duties but no on the pilot there she is shouting and performing like the power woman that she has to represent. Please.... I don't mind some artistic licence but ths is just ridiculous soap opera comfort trash cops and robbers show for presumably daytime non involved viewing. I think I'd rather read a book.....
After the Flood (2024)
Annoying
This is another of the trend for female detectives/police leads - which I do not have any issue with - except that they alway seem to have incompetent and one dimensional male partners and associates. All the guys are idiots or totally distainful of the lead and the lead comes through in spite of all this. Its getting a bit boring to be honest. A female lead does not have to be written this way, and not all guys are distainful of their female colleagues.
As for the show, well a pregnant constable just starting out decides to out detect an etablished police detective department by using somewhat dubious methods. Really?
The lead actress is not that flash and in fact not many are in this soap opera although in fairness the plot and dialogue they have to work with isn't much help for them. Not a class A series and hopefully there won't be a subsequent series 'a la' after the second flood.....
Hijack (2023)
Terrible
Startes OK but I lost interest when the pilot opend the door. That is one thing that pilots are trained and urged NOT to do. And think about it wht would they. Sure the terrorists might execute haostages but they are just as likely to do so anyway and also crash the plane so everyone dies, plus whoever they can get on the ground. No kust not very likely at all.
Acting was crass and no one explained how they got 4 or 5 pistols onto a plane without anyone noticing and what about the bullet, who drops a cartridge in the toilet and doesn't notice.
No just another keep them watching streaming sevice hook.
The Lair (2022)
Dog Soldiers meet Alien
Could have been a passable monster war movie but we have to havea woke input with an actress who makes madam Tousauds wax figures look animated. She was about as convincing as a politicians promise. The rest of the film was as others have commented a sort of 80's/90's throwback but quite watchable although the dialogue was very ordinary and full of stereotypical stuff. Mansters were vague and unconvincing (although compared to the lead actress they were good!!!!). Better films have been made of similar stuff, this was sort of a mixed alien cowboys and kandahar and could have been Ok but was destroed by casting and script.
One Night (2023)
Slow and boring talkfest
To be fair I didn't make it through the whole thing, ther is a point where you just have to say enough and I reached it quite early. Nothing much seems to happen and there are long meaningful chats that mean nothing in the end. It seems all about relationships and even though the actors did ok I couldn't warm to any of them. The whole was just a soapie stretched to fit the allocated time. Not an Assie show I'd recommend unless you have trouble sleeping. Cannot beieve all the 10 ratings - maybe actors friends and relo's, perhaps it appeals more to women as a show although it wasn't a feminist series.
Skvoz vremya (2023)
Forgotten already
Really one of the worst encounters I have had. Acting is rubbish , plot non existant, graphics poor. Sqeecky female actors. It has nothing going for it. I can only imagine that this is a tax loss for some Russian oligarch or revenge on the west for recent political events. It is beyond bad and into appalling. I can onlt think that the script writers and I use that in the loosest sence were smoking something extremely potent and it affected their intelligence in a fairly disasterous way. My advice to anyone contemplating buying this is spend your money on some laxative and cut out the middle man.
Blue Murder (2003)
Really Bad
I have no idea what the show was trying to portray but it failed to entertain at the first step. I really cannot see a DCI with 3 kids and 1 on the way running a team as displayed. The show is neither comedy or drama, neither realistic or fantasy, its just a mess with this woman at the centre . It seems to play to the Jonathan Creek model that made Caroline Q well known but just is so overdone that it is IMHO unwatchable. The writing is really so "over the top" in terms of potraying a DCI with issues at home and in her marriage (don't all these dectective series seem to have the same central character) that it just becomes silly. Not recommended unless you are desparate.
Red Riding: The Year of Our Lord 1974 (2009)
Pointless and depressing
I have no idea why this was even made, it just drags on inexorably into a durge where everyone is downcast and there is no redeeming feature at all. Some police are corrupt "wow what a surprise". Corruption is all around us but not all are corrupt, except apparently in the Yorkshire constabulary. Sorry Yorkshire police have a poor reputation but largely due to really poor leadership IMHO. This film and the rest of the series all show an overload of dour, depressing views of UK society and northern policing. No very entertaining and not especially factual either. No, in case you are wondering, I have no affiliation with police anywhere.
Probably the books are a better option that these films, personally I won't be bothering with either again.
Night of the Fox (1990)
Not Good
The story is quite good, based on Jack Higgins novel almost a reverse take on the Eagle has Landed. It was a good twisty story and in fairness the story was implemented on screen. The Cast was an issue, firstly John Mills does a 5 minutes walk on / off role for hopefully a good cash payment. Michael York did a good job as he usually does. No the real star was George Peppard who unfortunately was well past his use by date at this stage. Trying to portray a thirty year old at sixty on (at least thats what he look in this film) did not come off at all. He acted and looked a little punch drunk throughout sadly. The authenticity of the film was also diminished by used of Cessna 180 as a Feiseler Storch and why is a guy like Rommel flying across water in daylight in that sort of plane. It goes on the Mail plane at the end is a Russian Antonov, and the German night Fighter was a P51 Mustang. The sum of anything is based on the parts and if the parts are rubbish so the whole tend that way.
Outcasts (2010)
Thinking person SciFi
Actually a good series but requires some patience and thought, definitely not your star trek / star wars adventure. Done on a fairly low budget - after all BBC save their budgets for re-makes of literary favorites or 19th century costume dramas rather than anything radical and imaginative.
The acting is good and scripts work quite well with a political focus, the science is OK but as with all these sort of pioneer type scifi efforts I always wonder where the manufacturing of the stuff they seem to have is. Arriving on a new world you would want to organise power and food and then basic manufacturing of metals and fundamental materials. No sign of that here. Still a good show with a cliff hanger end which we will never get to find out about.
Maneater (2022)
Really bad
This is one of those films where you find yourself empathising with the shark. I don't think he attacked the actors for sport as the film suggested but rather he spat them out because they tasted so bad.
The film is enhanced by appalling sound mix and crappy music score which is so loud you can't hear the dialogue. In some films this would be a bad thing but in this one it masks the rubbish acting and diabolical script.
There is no upside to the film except the homage to Jaws in the final line which just tops of the film as beyond bad. In truth the film is so bad it actually is funny so maybe that is what was intended.... I'd avoid if at all possible.
Howards End (2017)
Tripe pretending to be art
Firts the good, scenery and filming was very good and acting was good too in general, given the script.
Overall though the EM Forster story is opinionated dross by a writer who is essentially trying to endorse their own lifestyle choices as being the panasea for all. As with many who regrad the 'arts' as special they forget the pragmatism necessary for people who do not have the leisure to endulge themselves. The Bloomsbury group is a case in point.
Quite honestly why ther are multiple remakes of this boring and silly book is beyond me. So many are saying this version or that is the definitive version, frankly non are very good because the source material isn't very good. Of course that is just my opinion and disregard if you disagree.
Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation (2015)
Impossible to watch
I always think that when watching an action fantasy aka Batman or Jason Bourne and certainly MI there is a line in the sand where you can accept the implausible but beyond which the whole becomes ridiculous. Such is the case with MI RN. Really it is just a series of disconnected action scenes with a miniscule linkage between them. No explanation of the ultra tech and how's or whereby's of the tech toys and the magical arrival of the 'team' at any given place. To me you might as well just extract a bunch of chases's and action scenes from a collection of movies and string them in a loop and you would have the same thing going for you.
Plane (2023)
Implausible meets ridiculous
Really a bad movie, about watchable if you suspend belief totally. Leaving the obvious piloting flaws and the highly unlikely lightening strike that knocks all power of the plane (planes are hit by lightening every day with little or no effect) the story just goes downhill (no pun intended) from there. In effect it is just a action flick with little or no logic and becomes quite sillly - would you get on a plane with a pilot that looks like he just recovered from a heavy night out on the booze? There is the stupid shoot out at the end, all very good but after that the 'oh wow captain' from the crew and et al, come on ? There are better out there, my advice, find one and don't bother with this.
A Man Called Otto (2022)
Dear Me!!!!???
Why this has 7 rating is beyond me, it is a meandering predictable boring story that just drifts along with little wit and less meaning. It is a shame and surprise that Tom Hanks, a very good actor, is involved in this poor effort. The story cannot seem to decide whether it is a comedy a drama or whatever, it seems to be non as it isn't very funny and doesn't have a lot of drama, so I suppose it is a whatever. I cannot recommend this movie for the above reasons and frankly it isn't entertaining it becomes a quite irritating mess after a short time. Save you money and your time and give it a miss.
Signed, Sealed, Delivered (2013)
Terrible
If you like sentimental unrealistic naive. Romantic films this is for you. The whole is so unbelievable as a story it takes mills and boon to epic proportions. Characters are one dimensional and just too good to be true, you know everything is going to work out romanitically from the start, that is the whole reason for this stuff. Its all good if you want to believe in this sort of fiction but if you prefer a more challenging form of entertainmaent I'd give this stuff a miss. Every cliche under the sun is used to support this nonsence but hey, some actors got paid and it is doing no harm to anyone.
Bandit (2022)
Slow and predictable
Thought this would be an interesting watch based on a real character but sadly I was not entertained. The pace was very slow and obviously the director and writer could not decide whether to make a comedy or a drama and in consequence made neither.
The film could have been good but was poorly scipted and somewhat disjointed. I got the feeling it was one of those subsidised 'make it what you want, arty is better than entertaining' though I could be wrong here. Just my opinion. Couldn't really recommend this one as it just meanders along, we all know where it is going and when it does get there it isn't really news.
Enterprise (2001)
Really good show
The show was a back to the roots of the original in its presentation and had more drama and better stories, patricularly the matinee style of a series of episodes. Characters were good and stories moved along. Most were well written, just a few slightly off. There is always the issue of 'cowboys in space' all aliens are bi-peds etc but I can forgive them that given when it was written. CGI was good and really enjoyed the show which is the main reason for watching after all. Interestingly it didn't have the HIGH moral overtones of some of the spinoffs and non of the stupidity of Discovery. Pity that the show was cancelled after just 4 episodes, a real shame.