ruhi-yaman Reviews

The Head (2020– )

Scientists are not saints.

[8/10 · 15 February 2023]

I am a retired academic. Those reviewers who thought that scientists are depicted erroneously in this series (watched the first season only) either never worked in a university or have such exalted expectations of researchers that have nothing to do with the reality. What is at stake in the plot is once in a lifetime innovation that would catapult the innovating team to the top of the heap instantly. "Researchers just research, everything they do is logical, rational or reasonable" would be an inane statement. They are human beings, just like the rest of us; perhaps more introverted, timid and jealous than most of us. As for the misogyny, misanthropy and predatory behaviour, they certainly match any fictional villain. I'd met many an Arthur Wilde in many countries - as convincingly acted by John Lynch.

It has some plot holes as all good thrillers do and the acting wavers between excellent and passable, which is common in international casting. But the story is not by any means too far-fetched, boring or unbelievable. It deserves 7/10. I added one star for the unusual setting which reminded me of John Carpenter's tour de force, The Thing.

Don't Look Up (2021)

Not nearly as good as it could have been

[6/10 · 14 April 2022]

The message is certainly right. I'll even go as far as the story is plausible. Those reviewers who thought that the satire concerning the President in particular and authority figures in general was overdone must have been in coma throughout the Trump years. Acting is as good as it can get with a script like this one, DiCaprio, Lawrence, and Streep shine in particular. Production values are high.

But it is neither as original nor as affecting as its producers seem to think it is. It is clearly made with an eye on commercial success and this reviewer couldn't shake the feeling of artifice from beginning to end. It is largely because that its broad and cheap satire does not sit well with its well-placed drama.

And the ending is sickeningly saccharine. Hold hands and pray? This viewer, for one, would go out on the streets and laugh and dance, or disappear into a bed with a lover, two bottles of single malt and some good weed and continue until we both pass out. Different strokes for different folks, I suppose.

In from the Cold (2022)

It should have stayed out in the heat

[5/10 · 29 January 2022]

I watched the first two episodes. I don't think I'll go back. I made the mistake of grading it '5' but on the second episode took down to '5'. Production values alone deserves that. Btw, people who find propaganda in such a trivial fantasy make me laugh.

I would have watched it, although there isn't a single idea in the series that isn't derivative. You can trace each scene from Nikita to The Incredible Hulk and countless others. If we only consider "gorgeous heroine kicks serious ass" concept there were at least a dozen of them in the last few years. Atomic Blonde, Ava, The Old Guard, Maria, The Assassin - the list goes on.

Is there room for another one? Of course, there is. The lead actress, an ex-Russian acrobat, with just the right amount of Slavic melancholy in her eyes, is perfect for the role. But it is so badly written, neither the dialogue nor the action makes any sense. Shape shifting is one thing, shifting into a new person with just the right size of uniform is another. Within two episodes I have witnessed just about all the clichés of the genre and then some. There is a plethora of good series to watch nowadays. You need to be a true addict of the sub-genre to waste time on this one.

Strike Back (2010–2020)

Boys' own adventure

[8/10 · 12 November 2021]

This is a boys' own adventure for the arrested adolescents. (In my 70s I'm one of them.) As such it's a fairytale masquerading as a comment on the current political divides and interjections. I find it difficult to understand some reviewers. It's not meant to be realistic, people. It certainly isn't meant to be politically correct, although it tries to pay lip service to that one. One reviewer goes on about an actor's haircut that doesn't agree with her combat skills. Another finds her too small to best guys twice her size. For your knowledge, I've met and trained with women like that when I served in the ancient days. And this petite Aussie girl does make it look real. It's the technique, friend! The bigger they are the harder they fall - if you know what you're doing.

It's true that it sags a little after Season 5, but it's still enjoyable. The Scott - Stonebridge duo is a hard act to follow and perhaps the Yank - Brit bromance formula gets a little tiresome. There's also a tad too much gratuitous sex. But there are excellent set pieces, locales are varied and interesting and the action is immaculately choreographed and shot. If you want a realistic espionage tale try Le Bureau or The Americans. For a boys' only shoot'em up where the men are supermen and every female who talks is gorgeous and deadly, you're in the right room.

And if you hated that much how come you watched it for six seasons?

The Chair (2021)

Not everyone's cup of Bonox

[8/10 · 6 September 2021]

It is the kind of show I expect to find on HBO. Acting is near perfect, especially Sandra Oh, who can radiate trembling empathy with a movement of her eyebrows, and Holland Taylor, who plays a firebrand past her prime and doesn't give a toss about it. Episode 5, which has David Duchovny who plays a version of himself, is alone worth the rating I give. It's not perfect. The first two episodes have the "like it or dump it" attitude toward the audience. Once you're past that and get a hold on the characters it gets better and better.

What's up with you Netflix? Six episodes and you're thinking about the rest? Granted it is not everyone's cup of Bonox, but for a section of your audience neither is Adam Sandler shenanigans. Please bring on the second season. It might not be the hit of the year, but it'll restore the faith of the likes of me. It is sufficiently original and progressive and there are many more stories to tell about academia. Trust me, I'm an insider.

Time (2021– )

Ultimately same old McGovern

[6/10 · 26 August 2021]

Well-acted all around, with flawless performances by Sean Bean and Stephen Graham, realistic settings and high production values. However, in the end, another depressing, humourless and somewhat preachy offering by Jimmy McGovern. The ending is flat and, to this viewer, disappointing. As always with McGovern's work, there is a 'society is to blame' aura throughout the three episodes, but it's unconvincing.

Call My Agent! (2015–2020)

I miss them now that it is finished

[10/10 · 29 April 2021]

This is one of those rare shows where you miss the characters as soon as the curtain comes down. It is a near perfect blend of comedy and drama, fantasy and reality, acted and directed faultlessly. It is also very French in the nicest possible way. Kudos!

Fatma (2021)

As good as any Nordic Noir

[8/10 · 29 April 2021]

This is perhaps the best Turkish mini series I have watched. There are some inevitable plot anomalies as in any thriller and the last episode drags on unnecessarily. Otherwise, it is superbly shot, efficiently directed, well-acted, and well written and paced. It is as good as any French or Nordic Noir and better than most. Those who find misogyny and exploitation in it either know nothing about Middle Eastern cultures or never watched a Tarantino film.

Wanted (2016–2018)

Same old melange, Aussie style

[7/10 · 25 October 2017]

Georges Polti, in his classic treatise from the 19th century, claimed that there were only 36 dramatic situations and all stories are either based on one of those or a combination of few. In crime genre on TV most plots have become a mélange of well-used ingredients. Only through nuanced acting, competent direction, editing and camera-work the repetition can be tolerated and the show becomes watchable despite its lack of originality.

Two episodes into Wanted if you get the feeling of I've-seen-this-before-but-not-really, you're not alone. Wanted is so far a dive into a very familiar pool, yet I don't mind looking at the third offering and so on unless it runs out of breath in later episodes. The story is developing in the familiar unbelievably predictable and predictably unbelievable fashion, but it moves fast. So far, it is an "odd couple on the run" story with "bent cops" and "the devil incarnate hit-man" on their tail. There is also a hint of '24' style development with the baddies exposing themselves gradually in a stratified structure (how else would they sustain the chase for 12 eps?) No matter. It has Rebecca Gibney, maturing gracefully both as a woman and as an actor, and she is a joy to watch. We may have met her character, Lola, before on paper and on screen (attractive older woman with a compromised past and a big heart made bitter and cynical by time and fate), but she inhabits the character with such conviction that you can tell her inner struggles from the minute expressions of her face. Geraldine Hakewille, an actor I have never encountered before, is less subtle, but she manages to put some shade into her stock character (the younger, neurotic, less prim and proper than she seems foil/buddy to the older woman).

The rest of the cast is equally capable in their stock roles. Notable also is Nicholas Bell who has the type of face that can appear avuncular or threatening simply by looking at the camera. I am not quite sure about Mirko Grillini as the dead-eyed-hit-man. He might have watched one Hollywood Mafia story too many.

Direction, sets, locales, camera-work and editing are near faultless. Wanted is unlikely to become a classic of the genre but it is watchable and it will serve as an audition piece for Australian talent yet to be swallowed by Hollywood.

Before We Die (2017–2019)

Excellent addition to Nordic Noir genre

[9/10 · 14 October 2017]

This is an excellent entry into the group of Nordic Noir thrillers, which have been a mixed bunch lately, to say the least. It also shows how a seemingly tired plot device can be made to look fresh and exciting when the production is put together by the right team. This is the case here. The choice of the locale is near faultless, the direction is crisp and editing is so sharp it appears as if the story would lose its flow if another frame were cut out. It wouldn't, but that is how it looks like.

What makes it really work, however, the complexity of characters and the competence of actors who embody them. Looked at closely there are no goodies and baddies, just human beings shaped by their circumstances and landed on the opposite ends of the law. Each main character surprises you with their capacity to act against your expectations and make it believable. Marie Richardson as the conflicted mother and the heroic but flawed detective and Adam Paisson as her capable, self-possessed, hard-headed son are superb and lead a cast of excellent actors. There are no small parts here and the actors seldom take a wrong step. In the case of Peshang Rad as Stefan, it is amazing to see what an actor can do with the little background given to his character. It is perhaps unfair to pick actors from what is an excellent ensemble.

Another aspect that impressed me is that the violence is never gratuitous and mostly implied, leaving one wonder how the suspense is sustained for ten episodes. If I outlined the script it would seem like a collection of police thriller clichés yet the series looks and feels original thanks to the professionals who put it together.

Highly recommended.

The Musketeers (2014–2016)

Near perfect swashbuckler

[8/10 · 31 May 2016]

A near-perfect retelling of one of the most loved stories of world literature. Superbly cast down to the smallest role. Subtly and suitably overacted by all principals. Melodramatic aristocrat with a tragic past Athos, soulful womanizer Aramis with his sinner complex, brooding giant Porthos and the heroic D'artagnan. Lighting, composition, art and camera work are so excellent some scenes look like the paintings of the period. Any reviewer who down voted this minor masterpiece is misguided. Its relation to the real historic events is only marginal, but the same was true for Dumas' original novel. It has soap opera characteristics - of course. It is supposed to be a historical 'romance' (in the literary sense of the word,as in 'Arthurian romance') - not a history lesson. It is a swashbuckler true to the spirit of the genre and with all the advantages of modern film technology.

Kudos to all who have lovingly worked to create this entertainment.

Mad Max: Fury Road (2015)

Sound and fury signifying nothing

[3/10 · 28 June 2015]

Noisy, flashy, jazzy, inescapably visceral and ultimately vacuous. George Miller more or less remade his own Mad Max 2 thirty-five years later with zillions of dollars bigger budget and nought heart. There is not a single original idea which is not from the early Mad Maxes. Nothing makes sense even within the rules of its own universe, where insects are the only source of protein but orthodontistry is state of the art. Tom Hardy is reliable as ever and Charlize Theron is magnificent. But even they can't save this ickily camp two- hour long car crash, which is destined to bring in more gold than an overworked Midas.

Nashville (2012–2018)

Writing ruins it

[5/10 · 28 June 2015]

Intelligent acting by the multi-talented leads, especially women. High production values. Good music, even to a country no-fan like me. But, did someone say "good writing"?

I know it is a soap opera, but the writing is so unutterably bad it is a borderline parody of itself. I am coming to the end of the first season on Netflix. I can tell each 'plot twist' (and I use the term advisedly) from a mile away. Cliché, I would accept, but I would like a little respect for the characters. The whole development is so predictable and banal if it weren't for the music and the three females I'd have dropped it by the fifth episode. As it stands, I am not sure I will be able to take another season unless it improves.

Lawless (2012)

Plays like a Tea Party wet dream

[4/10 · 24 November 2012]

The film is supposed to be based on a true story. I am sure that there is a grain of truth in that. Yet, it doesn't come out in the finished product. Good old boys just out to make a living are by far too good to be true. The big smoke villains are government officials, which had gone rotten past the core, are more than a tad too villainous. And the ending goes beyond the call of duty to show that the problem was (an by implication still is) with the big government. If only, the good old country folk were left to themselves to sort their problems.

For all the care taken to give an authentic feel, the film looks and feels staged and inauthentic. Shia LeBeouf, who makes each movie he appears in look like a Disney production, might as well be running away from the Transformer baddies. Hard to tell the difference except the costumes. Tom Hardy, a decent actor somewhat prone to overacting, believes that he is giving a Shakespearean turn as the philosophy spouting king of the moonshiners but ends up looking like a mumbling thespian that stumbled into the wrong picture. Two Australians that manage to grace every movie they appear in, Guy Pearce and Jason Clarke, acquit themselves but cannot help being wounded by the excesses of the script. Pearce, a genuinely generous performer, is forced to chew scenery as the pantomime-villain with the Dickensian name, Charlie Rakes.

The film is also badly paced, the script is jerky and the anticlimactic finale is the final letdown.

Last Life in the Universe (2003)

The film as an elusive poem

[9/10 · 10 May 2012]

I have seen this when it first came out in 2004 in an art-house cinema in Australia. Recently, I have watched it again in Bangkok, where the story takes place - although this is not a Bangkok that has much in common with its real counterpart.

Then I read some of the reviews on IMDb.

Sometimes people's reactions to a film amaze me. It is not that I would expect everyone to understand or appreciate the delightful idiosyncrasies of a film like Last Life. Nor would I be condescending to those that dislike the film. I don't mind a good actioner every now and then. However, films like Last Life remind me how easily a film can become a poetic experience or an essay in philosophy.

Last Life is the former. With its gentle pace, its in-cinema jokes (did you notice Todunabu Asano's bleached hair Ichii the Killer face on the poster or recognized Ichi's director Miike as the thug?), its very-Thai light comedy pushed into the midst of melancholy, it is a touching yet elusive poem. Poem about what? About life, death, love, and how it is preferable to be with the people you think you cannot stand to being alone.

It is admittedly acquired taste - especially for those that are brought up on supersized Hollywood junk. For the rest of us, whether or not we get all the meaning there is (whether or not there is a meaning) it is a delightful experience.

Egg (2007)

Existentialism 101

[5/10 · 30 June 2008]

The problem with Egg is not that it is rotten. It is not. It is just that it does not feel organic. The director's own admission that he is interested in film-making as an exercise in philosophy is evident in every scene. However, those that need a lesson in elementary existentialism will be bored by the film and those that would not mind a bit of thinking for thinking's sake will be bored by it, too – for different reasons. The lonely poet that left his roots but couldn't grow new ones goes back home because mom dies… Then, he looks at the young woman that never left and smiles to himself knowingly. Then, he looks at the confused young man that looks at the same young woman and he smiles to himself knowingly, again… Then he faints, then he is stopped by a big dog from leaving the village and then…

Nothing. See, it is all about the post-Sartre, tainted with Camus but no need for violence thingy. The universe, like, has no innate meaning other than the one we give to it – like, egg, get it? When I grow up, I will become a nihilist, but for now I believe in nothing much…

It is still watchable. For one thing, it has Nejat Isler, the actor that is fast proving himself as one of the best thespians of his generation in Turkey. In the flawed but much more meaningful film, Barda, he was a mesmerising presence, doing a lot with some that was written for him. Here, he does a lot with nothing. The issue is that doing a lot with nothing still comes to nothing. We feel for him when he cries, but also feel like slapping him in the face: Get over it, buddy, this wasn't all that interesting even when Antonioni made Marcello do it…

My two pennies for the director – you got the cinematography right, you got the actors under control, sound is above average… How about some story for the next one?

The Bank Job (2008)

Not quite what it could have been...

[6/10 · 13 April 2008]

The most dangerous lies are those that are based on kernels of truth. This is why I cringe whenever I see the ominous words 'based on a true story' advertising a film. The Bank Job is the fictionalized story of the walkie-talkie robbery that took place in London in 1971. A small team of Cockney lads, existing on the margins of criminal milieu, successfully robbed the safety box vault of a posh branch of Lloyd's Bank and, on the face of it, got away with most of the proceeds. The film uses some of the facts (the crew was indeed spotted by a ham radio operator, only a handful of safety box owners made any claims) and lots of gossip (the rumour was that one of the safety boxes contained naughty exploits of a royal princess, another implicated a cross-dressing Lord Mountbatten) , then adds some of its own inventions: MI5, or was it MI6, staged the whole operation to recover the pictures and there was also a ledger detailing payoffs to crooked police by a porn king (David Suchet, unfairly looking like the late Ronnie Corbett). Jason Statham, as Terry the leader of the crew, does his Jason Statham act and the rest of the cast turns up to give reliable performances. The whole film works in its contrived and rushed way, but it is much less than what it should have been. The look of the film tries to emulate the 1970s heist flicks but the director (Roger Donaldson) is not sure whether he wants to make a Boulting Brothers style heist romp or a more grungy Brit gangster film. Light-hearted scenes suddenly give way to brutal torture of likable characters, farcical asides lead to serious exchanges. The look of the film, although generally true to the era, sometimes appears sloppy or rushed (underground signs, for example, look distractingly modern).

It is an old-fashioned script with an old-fashioned structure. The use of real names for dead characters, with all the implications on their reputation and on their families, is a nasty element in the film, considering that it is largely based on gossip and innuendo, and it sits uncomfortably with the would-be comedy of bumbling crooks, spooks and coppers.

The Trap (2007)

No room to breathe

[5/10 · 12 April 2008]

Klopka is a suffocating film, so dense in moral righteousness, it defies criticism. It is a lot like the post-Milosevic Serbia (morose, self-pitying and self-important) but not for the reasons its makers would like us to think. The story is presented as a mirror to modern Serbia, but it is very unoriginal, sharing a similar structure with numerous European films: A decent, if somewhat hapless, man agrees to kill a stranger to earn the money that will pay for the operation to save his only child's life. To say anything else would be to spoil the movie, although the plot moves along with unnecessary predictability and contrivance. The actors are highly competent, but they are not given much room to inject any ambiguity into their characters. Only Miki Manojlovic's performance lifts the film from its manufactured faux-noir ordinariness. As the vacuous, soulless Milos, he is the only character that can be considered unique to modern Serbia.

Srdan Golubovic is a promising director. Nearly each shot in the film can be blown up as a still photograph and displayed in an exhibition. He is in control – perhaps excessively so… Ultimately, the film collapses under its own relentless depression. We are not free to question as to how a professional couple leading modest and frugal lives without any debt burden cannot raise 26,000 Euros. Certainly, it is not because they splash on fashion. (Nebosja Glogovac as Mladen wears a couple of tattered gray tops throughout the film. Much is made of his 30-year old Renault.) If you don't know any better, you'd come out of cinema thinking that this could happen only in Serbia and society is to blame. The truth is that Serbia's poor is much better off than those of the United States. At least there is a public health system in Serbia that works – mostly… It is a pity. Because one scene in the film is so fraught with genuine suspense, it leaves the viewer wondering what a better film Klopka would have been if the filmmakers left some of their melancholy at home before coming to the set.

Kabadayi (2007)

First rate disappointment

[3/10 · 11 April 2008]

Unbelievable, exploitative and often downright silly, Kabadayi is a disappointment of the first order. One of Turkish cinema's best loved actors, Sener Sen, reprises his character from Eskiya (1996), without bothering to add a single nuance to his performance. Yavuz Turgul, writer/director of Eskiya, is also responsible for this script. However, where Eskiya managed to convey serious social messages within a rousing tale of violence and its consequences, Kabadayi never rises above the level of a second rate Hong Kong tale of revenge. Kenan Imirzalioglu, a reliable if limited leading man, overacts to the point of caricature as the villain of the piece, Devran. A number of stalwarts of modern Turkish cinema bravely try to inject some individuality into their clichéd characters without success. Young leads, Ismail Hacioglu (Murat) and Asli Tandogan (Karaca) look good but act with the vivacity of a couple of shop window mannequins that were given temporary lives. Editing is a disaster and the script appears to have run away from its writer to be completed during the shoot. There is plenty of unintended comedy – especially during the final climax… If it weren't preceded with fanfare that raised expectations and invited obvious comparisons to Eskiya (one of the most involving Turkish films of recent times) the disappointment would not have been that great. As it stands, the film is a disgrace on all fronts. Comparisons to works of Coppola and Scorsese would have been insulting if they weren't so outrageously comical. 1/10.

Jekyll (2007)

A failure of the imagination

[4/10 · 12 March 2008]

The problem with Jekyll is not that it is a 58th or 59th remake of Stevenson's classic tale. The problem with it is that it is very bad. Stephen Moffat's self-consciously postmodern take on the old story is full of gaping holes. James Nesbitt's performance fluctuates between 'look-ma-I'm-a-serious-actor' grimaces to faux-Nicholson 'Joker' antics. Many scenes don't make sense, even within the logic of the surrealist universe of the story. An organization with endless resources is not only unable to control one individual (no matter how strong he is) but they still think a tough mercenary is his match after they witnessed him strangle a lion and throw it over a high fence like a football. A group of women (one of them heavily pregnant) can outrun a band of highly-trained commandos briefly distracted by a lightning. A man who dedicates his whole life befriending and observing a special individual to reveal his inner demon has no idea what to do with it when he finally manifests himself. Almost no part of the story can withstand scrutiny. It appears as if they made the whole thing up after they began shooting. Acting reflects that, as well. Otherwise highly competent British cast move from high drama to high-camp with barely disguised frustration in a single scene. The clues that are sprinkled into the last episode, seemingly hinting at a sequel, are simply silly.

This slick, expensive but ultimately vacuous production serves to prove that the failure of imagination that is the hallmark of modern blockbuster has now infected the good television, as well.

The Rebel (2007)

A must for martial arts fans

[7/10 · 10 March 2008]

The most expensive Vietnamese film ever (it cost USD3 million to make - probably the lunch budget of Stallone's Rambo) is a rousing action/romance expertly directed by the Vietnamese/American filmmaker Charlie Nguyen. The old-fashioned story is about the 1922 rebellion against French colonialists and follows a familiar but pleasing path. However, if you are a martial arts fan, the film will be of particular interest for its excellent action scenes featuring little known Vietnamese martial art, Vo Thuat. Originally based on Northern Chinese Wushu (Chinese were the first superpower to invade this luckless land), Vietnamese martial arts system has developed incorporating the elements from the fighting styles of neigbouring countries. For many centuries it was the main form of defense for these people because their invaders (Chinese, French, Japanese) stripped them of all weapons. Both leads Johnnie Nguyen and the gorgeous actor/singer/model Vo Thanh Thuy are accomplished practitioners of the style and their prowess is obvious in the film. Dustin Nguyen (no relation, every second person is called Nguyen in Vietnam) makes a worthy villain with his own expertise in various Asian styles.

A must for martial arts fans. It will also be enjoyed by those who like a rousing action/romance.

Underbelly (2008–2013)

Reality imitating art imitating reality

[7/10 · 9 March 2008]

It is called the Australian Sopranos. There are two problems with this tag: Underbelly is not as good as Sopranos and, unlike Sopranos, it is all too real.

I am a Melburnian. I have worked in Carlton for seven years. Most of the members of the Carlton Crew were familiar to me, although I have never met any of them. Alphonse Gangitano was often referred to as the Robert de Niro of the Lygon Street – not after the actor, whatever his real personality is, but after the characters he played in films like Goodfellas and Godfather Part 2. It was obvious to all that have known him that Gangitano was imitating art and this was true for the rest of the so called "crew". On the other side of the non-existent proverbial fence were the suburban kids that had not known a life without violence – Dino, Benji, Carl… Melbourne has been mentioned more than once in the past decade as the 'most livable city in the world. It cannot be too far from the truth. It has the most of the charms of the best cities of the globe – from New York to Paris to Barcelona – without their accompanying woes. It also has a dark side, as dark as anything that you would find in Detroit, Marseilles, or Bangkok. Between 1994 and 2005, this alter ego of the city crept into surface of the cultured, intellectual and tolerant Melbourne. True to the title of Bugsy Siegel's biography 'they only killed their own' (mostly) but they did in broad daylight, in front of children, suburban mothers and 'more than innocent'bystanders. One of the safest cities in the world was suddenly in the spotlight as one of the most violent until the forces of the light (played by the detectives of Purana task force) put a stop to it.

What we know is that most of these hard men who lived as if there was no law, no rules, no morals and no tomorrow, also lived life as if they were actors in a movie. The news footage of the funerals (and there were more than two dozen of them) could as well have been taken from the episodes of Sopranos. They idolized the likes of the fictional characters in films such as Reservoir Dogs, Pulp Fiction, Goodfellas, Godfather trilogy, and Sopranos, because this is what drug dealers, bank robbers and career killers do between 'jobs', workouts and fornication: They watch films. It was life imitating art imitating life. Those, like me, who watched the whole scene unfolding in front of them (I used to live in the apartment building that was 200 metres from the club where Lewis Moran met his end) with a fascination bordering on the perverse, wondered about the price of real freedom. Were these men really evil or were they simply more courageous than the rest of us? Perhaps, they were both… My middle-class friends looked at me with expressions ranging from surprise to disgust when I posed the question to them, only half joking.

Underbelly is a flawed series in a number of ways. Producers' insistence on choosing actors both with local popularity and a striking resemblance to their real-life counterparts takes its toll on the quality of the acting. It is, to say the least, uneven. So are the scripts… Way too much emphasis on fornication, after the point is well made, and too much pondering on the popular taste formed by our, now world-famous, serials: Neighbours and Home and Away.

Let me assure the viewers foreign to the current affairs of fair Melbourne: All the public incidents in these series have really happened and their recreation is eerily similar to reality.

Lost in Beijing (2007)

Lost in greed and apathy

[9/10 · 9 March 2008]

What happens to a collectivist, traditional society after it is traumatized by two extreme social experiments within a period of half a century – dehumanizing communism and equally alienating rampant materialism? Perhaps the best film to come out of mainland China in a decade, Yu Li's Ping Guo is both a scathing social commentary on the state of present day China and a moving human drama. The film, as well as its characters, looks like Beijing: Grey, polluted, crowded and confused. Acting is uniformly excellent. Bingbing Fan, the stunning young actress with morning-after eyes, is superb in the title role as the all-too-human Ping Guo. As the story unfolds and the humanity of the other three leads begin to rise above their greed and apathy, Ping finds her inner strength. The ending, which should be predictable, comes as a touching surprise.

Others have commented enough on the story. It is best to walk into this film without knowing too much about it. If you are a frequent visitor to China or an observer of its mind-blowing ascent, the film will have more to say to you. However, both the story and the characters are universal. Even a passing knowledge of that fascinating society is sufficient to enjoy this minor masterpiece, although you might miss its many subtle ironies.

Chinese authorities banned the film from being shown in China. They also banned its producers from working in the industry for two years. The decision, which is almost an unofficial award, won't stop those who want to watch it.

Taxi to the Dark Side (2007)

How can anyone claim this film is biased?

[10/10 · 3 March 2008]

This horrifying documentary won the Oscar for 2007. Using the case of an innocent Afghan taxi driver who were tortured to death by American interrogators in Bagram prison as the starting point, the film chronicles the atrocities committed by the Bush administration in the name of American people and an ill-defined 'war on terror'.

The film is written, directed and narrated by Alex Gibney, son of a high-ranking naval officer who was an interrogator in World War II. A great American and a true patriot, Frank Gibney's final disappointment of what became of the great nation of the United States in the hands of a few liars is heart-wrenching.

There is not a single frame in the film that is not supported by hard evidence. All of the investigation was conducted by Americans whose credentials of decency and patriotism are above suspicion. The film is a chronicle of how paranoia, self-serving deceit and mere stupidity can threaten the very values a great nation was built on. It should be impossible for anyone who watches this meticulous document to ever criticize the veracity of claims put forward by the recent films, Rendition, In the Valley of Elah, or Redacted - flawed as films though that they were.

Every person in the world, especially every American, that cares about the true nature of freedom and the sanctity of the individual (the basic tenets on which America was built) should see this film. How could anyone claim that it would be loved only by the supporters of Taliban is beyond me.

Rambo (2008)

Pornography of violence

[1/10 · 24 February 2008]

"War is in your blood" Rambo says early in the film, "don't fight it". Say, what? Is the scriptwriter taking the Mickey out of Sly? It is impossible for any person with a primary school education to miss the joke here. Yet, Stallone utters it without a hint of irony.

The same lack of humour applies to the movie. Rambo IV is an over-the-top, idiotic actioner that would have been funny without intention if it weren't sickeningly violent. A redneck fantasy of the basest kind where villains are so villainous, it is not enough just to kill them – you have to dismember them with relish. Stallone stops at no blue-collar cliché to make his point. It is not enough for the chief villain to be feed-them-to-the-pigs, throw-babies-into-fire kind of sadist. He is also a pedophile homosexual.

What is happening to IMDb? Is it taken over by the Rifle Society? How can this loathsome excuse for gross exploitation rate that high? I like a good action movie as much as the next man, but this is not entertainment – this is pornography of violence that trivializes and ultimately denigrates the real tragedy of Myanmar. The only good thing about the movie is that Sly doesn't take his shirt off. For this I will give it one star...