ianclarke340 Reviews

In the Land of Saints and Sinners (2023)

The quiet intimate local Irish village mood set this film apart from many others !

[8/10 · 31 December 2023]

Not what I was expecting at all, this was not your typical 'Revenge' film that Neeson has become so famous for and didn't focus too much on the politics surrounding the troubles at that time. This was focused entirely on Irish country people and their lives and surroundings and where they intersected with the issues that Northern Ireland became known for in the 70's.

It has all the elements of a great story and a lot of the cliches that we have seen before but it's enjoyable to watch it play out and satisfying to reach the inevitable conclusion. The setting was perfect for the mood, the screenplay was muted in a quietly intimate way and the pace was perfect for the setting.

This was the kind of story that could have been picked up by a big name in Hollywood and turned into a multi million dollar blockbuster with huge explosions and special effects but it would not have improved the experience in the slightest ! It was the quiet intimate local Irish village mood that set this film apart from many others !

Heart of Stone (I) (2023)

No Intellectual Stimulation Here !

[5/10 · 12 August 2023]

I really don't know how to rate this film, it's certainly not great but I wouldn't say it was terrible either, at least not by today's standards !

The entire film is based around a piece of highly advanced technology which can predict the future so accurately that it can draw images in real time that can be used as real life images. Obviously that takes a huge leap of imagination but if you can get your head around such nonsense you might be able to see the entertainment value of the film, if not you'll hate it !

The script is below standard but the film doesn't depend on a script it revolves around fast paced action and in that sense it works fairly well ! The acting is definitely sub par too and I was glad when a couple of annoying characters were eliminated because it changed the tone of the film a little, it's just a pity they left the character with the worst acting ability but that probably had something to do with her ethnic background and they wanted to make her appear 'worthwhile' or something !

I found myself laughing in a few surprising places, not because the film was funny but more because of the incredible ham fisted methods used to get a character out of tricky or impossible situations in one piece and into the next scene. There were far too many situations were everything was going wrong but then at the last possible moment things got turned around and that got a bit tiring towards the end.

They had to find a way to show Gal Gadot in a swimsuit of course, I mean why would they have one of the most renowned beauties of the era if they didn't let you look at her lithe slender form ? They certainly weren't interested in her acting abilities or they would have found a better script writer and director. She might actually have had some rudimentary martial arts training to allow her to do some basic kicks and moves but you can see a stand in doing the more strenuous stuff and HE doesn't look very much like her at all !

All in all though as an action film it trots along reasonably well just as long as you are not expecting anything intellectually stimulating.

Sympathy for the Devil (2023)

Meme generator !

[3/10 · 8 August 2023]

Nicolas Cage is attempting to play a Christopher Walken character in a faux Tarantino film and failing miserably but thinks he pulls it off !

At no point in this film did anything make any sense, I realise you are supposed to be questioning things to get you involved and keep you guessing but it's stretching things a lot !

David gets injured many times but is able to shrug it off and it never causes him any difficulties at all, Cage gets his nose broken somehow but they must have cut that scene because David was not in the car when it happened but Cage makes a big thing about it anyway ! It's just an excuse for Cage to dress up and dye his hair and run around trying out some crazy faces while waving a gun around, maybe he thinks that makes him attractive or something !

You can rely on some stills from this film become memes in the next few months though, Cage did his best to make a few wide eyed close up shots for that !

The Pale Blue Eye (2022)

What's with all the bad accents ?

[5/10 · 8 April 2023]

Great cast, good plotline and fantastic sets with perfect costumes but it was let down by all the forced accents and voices.

There were some reasonably accomplished British actors forcing fake 19th Century Southern drawls and American actress forcing fake British aristocratic accents, it was all a bit mixed up ! What really let it down was the terrible attempt by the actor playing Poe to get to grips with the Southern drawl of the time period and failing completely, if they are going to these lengths for period drama where accents are key they needed to get it right, not hope nobody notices !

Overall it's not terrible, the acting is within reason but why they chose British characters for American roles and Americans to play Brits is beyond me and I found it very distracting along with some of the other terrible attempts at accents !

Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre (2023)

Misses the mark by a fairly wide margin !

[4/10 · 12 March 2023]

So many things could have been better, it's like they were working against the clock and didn't have time to perfect the scenes and they shot a heck of a lot of scenes from multiple angles ! When I see this level of activity and detail I wonder if they included just about everything they shot and what if anything was left on the cutting room floor, they could certainly have omitted a lot more !

It was obviously aimed squarely at the Mission Impossible and James Bond fans and even had a Bond style of soundtrack but the plot wasn't very imaginative or clever and the acting let it down too !

Nice cinematography in a formulaic way and decent sound mixing, the production quality was high but it wasn't a proper action thriller and the attempted comedy was badly delivered !

Guy Ritchie gets a random group of English actors and mixes up their character traits then throws them into ill fitting roles revolving round the tried and tested yet aging Jason Statham to try to cobble together some kind of farcical semi comedy without fully realising this wasn't a great idea ! The storyline was weak, the acting was poor, the dialogue was unimaginative, there were too many set ups for punchlines without any punchlines and it was highly reliant on actors to deliver great performances when they clearly didn't understand their parts !

The story seems like the ramblings of a person who's suffering the after effects of a lot of alcohol and is telling it to a group of people in a similar state, this really doesn't make great viewing, it's not entertaining and it should really have been forgotten about the next morning !

It looks like a rush job with stand in actors because they were let down at the last minute !

Jesse James: Unchained (2022)

There may be a story but it's too bad to watch !

[2/10 · 26 February 2023]

It looks like they had a decent budget to make this but they blew it on costumes and hired the cheapest actors they could find !

I don't know what is worse, the standard of acting, the standard of directing, the standard of cinematography or the standard of the dialogue but there is nothing here to make me want to watch the entire thing ! How can anyone take this kind of film seriously and why would anyone spend time and money throwing it together and releasing it ? There is no good reason to waste time watching this drivel and it should be taken down and hidden from public view forever because if one person thinks they can get away with it, others will too !

La Brea: Murder in the Clearing (2023) Season 2, Episode 9

Could it get any worse ?

[3/10 · 14 February 2023]

I liked the idea for this series (scientists in the future trying to use time travel to fix their issues but everytime they use the machine unexpected events take place which they have no control of) but the writers are trying too had to make it more interesting and failing !

There are too many cliches and obvious plot lines and it's easy to see which characters will live and which ones will die, this removes all suspense, is that intentional ? Also, interesting or creative plot lines just disappear and are never mentioned again like the writers have forgotten them, they just get buried for no reason.

Some of the supporting actors really drag the standard of acting down to their level and it's clear they are only in it so that there is a wider spectrum of stereotypes in the cast, they are not there for their abilities that's for sure, I'm sure there are far better options around who would actually be believable !

Some of the dialogue seems to have been farmed out to people who don't actually know (or understand) the plot and they have been sent a basic outline to flesh out with the only instruction being to 'add drama' ! It's cheesy, over dramatised, often completely cringe-worthy, distracting and clearly intended to add interest while padding out the otherwise fairly simple storyline ! Writers often do come up with a plot then find others to help them but it seems like there were more writers involved here than cast !

I can clearly see why the 3rd series has been cancelled, it looked like they were making it up as they went along and changing the story based on the response from viewers. There were even a few short clips that had been hastily and badly over dubbed and edited back in to either correct errors or redirect a plot line so they wouldn't have to re shoot the scenes ! I'm sure that happens in a lot of things but it's never so obvious !

This could have been pretty good but they chose the cheesy route with fake manufactured drama and underwhelming support actors, the scene in the cave with the big rock, the bunny and the bear (ep9) has to be one of the worst things you could ever hope top watch, even the poor actor seemed to be regretting it the whole time she was making it !

The Old Way (2023)

Can't tell if this is meant to be serious or not

[5/10 · 15 January 2023]

Cage has a way of dumbing down of a film which is fine to an extent but you can't help wondering if he was the best choice for the role.

I think there are much more believable actors who would have added a lot more credibility and realism to this film and it may have become a modern classic rather than a one off throw away novelty.

Young Ryan Kiera Armstrong is the real star here and judging by her standard of ability has a good future in acting as long as she keeps her wits about her. I can see why she was chosen for this part.

Overall not a terrible way to pass some time but not a film that you would watch more than once.

The Last Manhunt (2022)

Poignant and atmospheric tale of bygone times.

[8/10 · 20 November 2022]

I was a little confused at first because I didn't recognise the format or genre but gradually as the film played out I began to see it's meaning.

We have grown accustomed to many stereotypes in Westerns and I'm always looking for films that try to portray a more realistic narrative. There are some fairly decent performances in this film and the simple story is reasonably well told but of course some of the actors based their performances on fiction instead of reality which distracts from the overall experience. However this does tend to work in concept and I can see why it was tolerated. It's not easy to develop character profiles without recognisable stereotypes but it would be possible with a good director and better script.

Without a little artistic license this wouldn't be much of a story and certainly not worth making a film of, there is one sentence in text at the beginning and another sentence at the end and that is what the whole film is based around.

Not a blockbuster, more of a curiosity but worth watching in it's own right.

The Peripheral (2022)

Great storyline and action !

[9/10 · 3 November 2022]

I hadn't heard of this before so was genuinely surprised when I watched the first episode and saw how much depth there was to the story.

I have only seen the first three episodes so far but it is shaping up to be very interesting and extremely detailed, you need to focus on this to get the most out of it, don't try to 'watch it in the background' while trying to do something else or you will miss too much. I suspect this is why some people are not enjoying it as much as others and they expect it to just play into their hands like a soap opera instead of a good piece of dramatic sci-fi which captures the imagination and carries you along as it plays out !

Can't wait for the next episode !!!

Old Man (2022)

A Tale Without End !

[9/10 · 15 October 2022]

Not action packed and no huge famous cast but that just makes it more intimate !

Stephen Lang's performance is incredible, he creates intrigue, mystery and atmosphere with a very understated performance using a well written script in an incredible set !

It's the kind of film that plays out slowly without revealing too much but there are some hints along the way which really keep you guessing almost to the end. These type of films are few and far between and for good reason, you need competent actors to carry it off and a well written plot and script but these things are becoming rare these days !

Walker: Independence (2022–2023)

If Disney made a Western !

[4/10 · 15 October 2022]

It looks 'nice', the characters are stereotypical Western movie characters, they all look good in their 'nice' costumes, the sets are 'nice' and the plot is very simple.

The trouble is I've seen all these characters before and all these storylines in other movies and series, there is nothing new here, it feels like I've actually watched it before and the dialogue is all too predictable ! It's too much like a soap opera for my tastes and not realistic or gritty enough, it would have been much more interesting if they didn't use 21st Century words, phrases and mannerisms and actually looked like they hadn't had a bath for a while or didn't spend large sums of money on hair products etc. All the men have great physiques and are well groomed and well spoken and the women are beautiful and sexy with hidden agendas, clear heads and excellent emotional control !

It's just a nonsense costume drama with eye candy !

The Capture (2019– )

It's good to see something new with so much detail !

[9/10 · 20 September 2022]

So many twists and turns, so many surprises and revelations with great acting and intense screenplay !

I was beginning to lose hope in finding a decent thriller/drama with entirely new material and an interesting storyline, now I want more of this ! What makes this more interesting is it is one the very edge of reality, within the realms of possibility and entirely believable, in fact many of the details of the plot could have been lifted directly from reality making it incredibly relevant !

I was a little perplexed in the beginning and wasn't sure if I wanted to continue but the acting helped me to focus on the story and I'm really glad I stuck with it !

Black Wood (2022)

Disapointingly long and a pointless and meaningless film for the over 12's !

[3/10 · 31 July 2022]

Films like this confuse me, I can't figure out why people want to watch this genre or what they get out of it.

It's set in 1800's America but in reality it's not a 'Western' in the traditional sense, it's a Horror but plays out like a fairytale ! I kept watching and hoping it would improve, I stayed with it mostly through curiosity just to see where the story went.

I found myself disliking almost all of the characters but that's not always a bad thing, sometimes the characters are just not likeable and it can take a good actor to play one. I disliked the story which was clearly based on old legends or possibly old wives tales and disliked the way the story was told through the actors who clearly could use a few more drama lessons and I really disliked the 'supernatural' aspect which was a complete failure in many ways !

There was mixed up clips and bad continuity, terrible lighting and 'fog' effects to create some kind of suspense and awful sound effects and worst of all was the ending which was a huge disappointment !

The Time Traveler's Wife (2022)

Well worth your time !

[9/10 · 30 July 2022]

A rare treat !

There's something very intimate about the way this plays out, you feel as though you are discovering these issues for yourself and it was so well put together the characters are really lifelike !

There are some good acting performances and the director keeps everything flowing perfectly but the story almost tells itself in a uniquely effortless way ! I have never seen anything show so clearly how people expect so much from others and when they get it they want it to be different. There depths in this series that are only possible due to the time traveling aspect and it is so well played that you understand instinctively without detailed explanations !

You don't need to be a sci-fi fan to appreciate this film !

Spiderhead (2022)

Watchable but also easily forgetable !

[4/10 · 24 July 2022]

There are some good acting moments but the actors are let down by a poor script and a story with nowhere to go.

Hemsworth seems a little out of his depth here and is struggling to find his character, clearly he cannot relate to the character he is playing and must have been second or third choice for the role !

The premise is interesting but very limited in it's range and appeal, the reveal is not unexpected and the outcome is very predictable !

Outer Range (2022– )

Gets lost in itself

[5/10 · 20 July 2022]

The series starts off with lots of promise but slowly (very slowly) turns to nonsense !

They have included some ideas from news stories such as strangers and animals appearing from nowhere with no explanation and other things that go missing for short periods and are reported by dozens of people yet cannot be explained. These kind of things that are familiar to many of us give some weight to a story like this and make it seem vaguely familiar and I liked these details but overall it was too ambitious.

The slow brooding pace does create atmosphere and a lot of things are left unsaid which creates tension but many things are clearly red herrings and are only there for effect such as the Tillerson's messy eating defense lawyer who goes missing just before a crucial hearing and is never spoken about ! Maybe that part had to be edited out for brevity but it leaves a huge gap in the narrative which adds to the confusion and creates a distraction.

Some of the actors are obviously used to doing comedy work and are not familiar with dramatic scenes while others seem to be very camera shy and want to hide in the background as extras forgetting they are in crucial roles. Other times it seems the actors just forgot their lines and the editors didn't realise it so just left that part in which is why a lot of things remain a mystery !

Ultimately it's a mess of confused timelines in the last episodes as the writers struggle to get everything to line up with some sort of conclusion which was bound to fail because nothing is explained adequately and you are left just as mystified as the cast !

The Legend of Molly Johnson (2021)

Good to watch once only !

[9/10 · 6 July 2022]

Good film making requires a mixture of many things to work together, you need a story, actors, a script, a director and an editor and they all need to work together, this is one of those rare times when they all work together really well !

The story isn't all that great, there's nothing unusual here, in fact it is pretty mundane but it's not the story that makes this special, it's the way it is told ! This is just a glimpse or a snapshot of life at that time in Australia and we can barely imagine how hard life was for those people. It's a story of right and wrong, what looks right to one person looks wrong to another but it really depends on your perspective.

Not a fun film to watch, it certainly does not require a second viewing.

Rubikon (2022)

Definitely one to avoid !

[2/10 · 1 July 2022]

On first hearing the plot and storyline I had high hopes for this one but it really doesn't stand any type of scrutiny at all !

Yes, I realise you have to suspend any tendencies to disbelieve but there has to be some level of accuracy otherwise it's just nonsense, this had an excess of nonsense !

If you are writing a story that relies on physics then you really need to understand the physics involved, it's no good hoping people won't know any better ! As for entertainment value well this is just a misery fest for the sake of it and every attempt by the victims to rescue the situation fails for no clear reasons ! In the beginning there is a navigation issue with no explanation which gets ignored, then there is the main atmospheric issue which again gets no clear explanation. Then there are technical issues that can't be properly accounted for and of course the old element of 'human error' despite the fact that astronauts are carefully selected to avoid these issues !

Wooden acting, lousy dialogue, all the actors seemed to either hate each other or hate what they were doing ! There is so much wrong with this, it's just a mess and leaves you with the distinct feeling that they had nothing better to do and a huge budget weighing them down so they just made it up as they went along !

Garbage !

Murder at Yellowstone City (2022)

Worth watching for the camera work !

[7/10 · 1 July 2022]

I found this enjoyable on the whole, nothing too outlandish and reasonably well paced with a complete story and very little 'padding'.

Not sure why people are calling this a 'woke fantasy', maybe the idea of an intelligent ex slave is a bit hard for them to understand or maybe they would prefer a white skinned slave and black sheriff, not sure but I only noticed one black actor who was playing a role which is suitable and an important part of the story so there''s nothing 'woke' about it !

There is a 'who dunnit' element to the story which kept me guessing and enough of the back story is told through the film to fill in the blanks and make it interesting. One of the best components of this film was the cinematography which highlighted some of the incredible details of the sets and scenery, this raises the rating quite a bit and makes up for a few continuity gaffs.

I found the acting to be pretty good except for the bad guys who always seem to try too hard and over do the 'badness' but that's because real bad guys don't take up acting.

Operation Mincemeat (2021)

More than the sum of it's parts !

[9/10 · 30 June 2022]

The premise sounds a little dry and unappealing but I'm glad I gave this one a chance, it was worth it !

Desperate times need desperate measures and this was about as desperate as could be ! It's hard to imagine what it was like back then, they were very different times with very different social etiquette and social structures but everyone knew their places whether they liked it or not. This often lead to tension which was very well portrayed in the film, most of which was not even mentioned but was clearly put across with top quality cast and acting, a deep understanding of the social etiquette of the time and through excellent direction !

Films as good as this are very few and becoming even fewer but in some ways that makes them even more special !

The Man from Toronto (2022)

Not worth your time I promise you !

[3/10 · 24 June 2022]

I like Woody Harrelson, he has made some great films and is always able to bring out something different from his characters. He sees things in the role that many people overlook and works on it to make it realistic, at least he used to !

I think this will go down as one to forget for him but it will pay some bills.

The film starts off bad and quickly descends into nonsense then Woody's character shows up and shows a glimmer of hope but that is wiped out with a babbling idiot overplaying to the camera at hyper speed !

I know you are not supposed to take films like this seriously and you have to let it play out and just go with the flow but there is nothing original here and it's not even funny !

Do yourself a favour and give this a miss.

The Man Who Fell to Earth (2022)

Great Acting !

[9/10 · 5 June 2022]

Every once in a while something special comes along which takes you by surprise, this is a welcome change from the usual formulaic drivel !

The story is fairly simple and most of it is explained in the first minute or two of the first episode but it's the way it plays out that makes it interesting. I really like it when a writer puts you in the position of the characters instead of relating a tale through them, you get to understand their points of view and thinking. It's even better when the actors realise this and are capable of bringing the characters to life, there are some superb performances here and I can only marvel at what it takes to perform at this level !

This is not the kind of thing that you just watch in the background while you are doing something else or having a conversation, if you are not giving this your full attention you are missing some superb performances and therefore missing the point !

Memory (I) (2022)

Started out with promise but it was all downhill from there !

[3/10 · 25 May 2022]

I really wanted to like this film and at first I decided it was worth 6 stars but after seeing some of the acting I had to revise that !

I realised why I hadn't seen some of the actors in a while, it's because they suck !

I couldn't decide what was bringing it down so much, the storyline seemed OK, the plot was OK and the script wasn't terrible but it was the actors that really messed this film up !

With a decent cast this could have been a good film but it was seriously lacking in the one thing it needed most and that is character !

Don't waste your time watching this drivel !

All the Old Knives (2022)

Such a good film !

[9/10 · 6 May 2022]

It's been a while since I've experienced a really good film but this almost makes up for it !

Thandiwe Newton is an excellent actress and shines in every part she plays, she even has the ability to improve the acting of of other actors who are in the same scenes !

Chris Pine is also a cut above but more recognizable in semi comedic roles, casting him in this film showed he has a bit more talent than he's normally credited with. I'm not sure if it's Ms Newton's extraordinary abilities bringing out the best in him or he's kept this level of acting a secret for some reason or maybe having a good part with good dialogue mixed with a good co-star and a good director has helped to bring it out but this has to be his best performance to date !

Great storytelling, great screenplay, excellent acting and dialogue and really good pacing mixed with excellent cast and film crew really raise this to a very high level ! It will be a bit slow for many people but this type of film making is quite a rarity in these days of fast action with hyper effects and a cheap laugh every minute, give me more of this !