paulmurphy-25231 Reviews

Destination Wedding (2018)

Terrific and engaging.

[9/10 · 15 January 2024]

I caught about 15 minutes of this one night and loved the verbal sparring.

I had to see it all.

I sought it out soon after was not disappointed.

It is great fun.

Ryder and Reeves (in particular) are in fine form and play off each other delighfully well.

He delivers his lines perfectly.

And what lines they are.

The script is a major star of this film.

It's funny and clever and biting with just the the right amount of amusing insults and comebacks.

In this era of moronic superhero 'movies' it is so wonderful to watch a film made by adults, for adults, covering adult themes.

Not a green screen to be seen - no special effects - heavenly.

Loved how it was shot too - much of the film focuses on Reeves and Ryder with the rest of the cast in the background.

It's a nice touch.

If you want to see a funny film about adults with two actors delivering lovely lines expertly - then this is for you.

Pray for Rain (2017)

Dreadful.

[1/10 · 10 January 2024]

It's a propaganda piece funded by a group that works to weaken animal welfare legislation around the US.

It's an appalling objective in my view and I suspect the views of many.

Also,the views of many I suspect is that this is a piece of crap.

Poor Jane Seymour.

Sure things are tough Jane but surely they aren't as tough as needing money so bad as to appear in this stinker.

I do hope none of your friend and family see it - or anyone in the industry thinking of hiring you.

It won't land well.

The movie is straight out propanganda and it shows - wooden acting, bad melodrama.

Drivel, rubbish - avoid at all costs.

The Old Man (2022– )

So disappointing.

[2/10 · 16 December 2023]

I couldn't wait to see this.

Jeff Bridges and John Lithgow and a solid supporting cast.

Add to that an interesting premise.

First episode - so far so good - nice set-up and the promise of more fun to come.

And then ... nothing.

Talk, talk and more talk.

Don't get me wrong I am not some action head - I love great dialogue uttered by masters of the craft.

My favourite films and TV shows have plenty of talk but - they also have some suspense and some action as part of an appealing and compelling structure.

This was a damp squib.

The makers tried to raise excitement levels with a speedboat being intercepted and a car dodging a few others in an otherwise empty desert.

Wow!

Talk, talk, talk, feelings, feelings, feelings.

Boring, boring, boring.

I gave it a star each for the two leads.

And a question - how is this Afghanistan warlord still so powerful, still so influential he can make US agencies and the government bend to his will?

The Afghan war is over, right?

And sadly the bad guys won.

I understand there is a second series - run for your lives.

For the Birds (I) (2018)

A stunner.

[10/10 · 20 January 2023]

What a magnificent film.

It's a heartbreaker in so many ways - the animals, the woman desperately trying to feed them and care for them, her husband who is increasingly frustrated by the imposition of them on his life and finally the caring people from Woodstock Sanctuary.

They are the true heroes of this film.

They have seen the effects of hoarding of animals before and they see it again in this case.

They know the main subject of the film means well, hoarders usually do - but it's the animals who suffer.

How they manage the situation - with plenty of care and compassion and their dealing with a woman obsessed with her animals is the heart of the film.

So too the relationship between the woman and her husband.

It all packs a big emotional punch.

Highly recommended but tissues a must.

One of the fine animal rescuers later died after the film was completed - what a sad loss.

Threesome (2021– )

Excellent.

[9/10 · 10 August 2022]

I was surprised how good this was.

It was a thoughtful look at what can happen to a couple when an outside 'factor' is brought into a previously stable relationship.

It struck me as realistic and was a story very well told and particularly well acted.

The ending was spot on.

What We Do in the Shadows (2019–2024)

A waste of time.

[3/10 · 29 July 2022]

I liked the first series but it has been going downhill ever since.

Its problem is it's just not funny and it's a long time since it has been.

I am not sure how scripted it is but it sure needs some decent writers to give it a good going over.

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (2011)

Magnificent.

[10/10 · 2 January 2022]

Watched the classic miniseries of the 80s recently and this is even better than the Guinness version, which has been rightly praised to the rafters.

Oldman is the centrepiece and what a performance he delivers.

This is the one he should have picked up an Oscar for - not the vastly inferior Churchill fantasy film.

The rest of the cast keeps pace with him.

Firth is superb as the cynical traitor, as are the rest of the Circus bosses with special mention to Toby Jones - what an actor he is.

Throw in Cumberbatch and Hardy and you have a stellar cast all performing at their peak.

There's even the superb Stephen Graham.

My favourite scene is when Smiley (Oldman) informs the arrogant minister he's been of great assistance to the Russians but does so with classic Smiley restraint.

The design of the production, the look, the feel of it all is spot on - I know - I was alive then.

If only we could have more of these masterpieces and less of those vile, infantile superhero movies.

Betrayed (2020)

Excellent.

[8/10 · 26 December 2021]

I expected a solid film but this fine work delivered much more than that.

A tragic story told superbly with performances to match.

Some reviews have used the word "restraint" and that is indeed a quality of this film.

Bur don't confuse restraint with lack of impact.

It's got that in spades.

Cobby: The Other Side of Cute (2018)

A must watch for animal lovers and those who enjoy a fine documentary.

[10/10 · 27 November 2021]

Fantastic documentary which shows the reality behind the use of animals in TV shows etc. It has a warm heart and has been brought to us by people who care. Fantastic viewing and it packs an emotional wallop. Highly recommended to animal lovers or people who enjoy a fascinating documentary. Cobby's story - and that of other beautiful creatures like him who've been ill treated by humans deserves to be known far and wide. A gem of a show.