Change Your Image
scot-denhalter
Reviews
Ice (2016)
Typical TV Dross
The series is typical TV fare: pretty people doing stupid things over and over and over. Cam Giandet is cast as the romantic lead. I suspect the script writers imagined him as a likable, tough guy, but his character is so poorly written, he is neither likable nor tough. But a more carefully crafted script would be wasted on this actor. Not likable. Except for Donald Sutherland, Jeremy Sisto, and Ray Winstone, the cast is filled with TV actors who are accustomed to bad writing. Sutherland talents are wasted. Sisto is given a more interesting role, but the whole "It's all about family" tripe gets in his way. Ray Winstone is unfortunately what he always is-a greedy, foul-mouthed, and traitorous East End gangster. Can he do something different? Will he be allowed to? Nevertheless, his penchant for profanity is lost in a sea of cussing characters. Even the character, Willow (a 17 year-old played by an actress who is obviously in her mid twenties) is a potty-mouth, so even Winstone's bravado is diluted. The sex scenes are tedious filler added by writers who think viewers are less interested in plot than titillation.
The Poison Rose (2019)
Fraser Steals the Show
Channeling Chandler, this film captures the author's narrative style but not his poetry. Nevertheless, both Travolta and Freeman are good, but Brendan Fraser is brilliant as a hybrid of Peter Lorre and Sydney Greenstreet (Maltese Falcon).