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Doctor Who: The Devil's Chord (2024)
Darn it - I thought it was getting better....
Nooooooo!
Okay, anyone that has lived with the Doctor far long enough will know that there is generally a feeling of 'not as good as the previous Doctor' in viewers until the new actors-characters-viewer relationships are bedded in. Even so...
After what was for me a terrible opener in Space Babies, this started out with hints of intrigue and darkness that seemed to be going in the right direction. There are some good performances, too. I'm not going to give any spoilers but, for me, after a few wobbles and recoveries, the whole story just tanked at the climactic part of the arc. I'm so very disappointed, as Russell is capable of so much more than this. Is it the new paymasters calling too many shots? Please no.
So, this is marginally better than episode 1. Hopefully episode 3 will continue the trend towards improvement. I only hope it accelerates it a little.
The Queen's Gambit (2020)
Superb drama - I now simply MUST get the book.
What a fabulous drama. The style of the show is wonderfully nostalgic of an era of glamour and prejudice. The hero - Harman - is a three dimensional character with depth in her strengths and weaknesses. As she grows these strengths and weaknesses change and develop and we see her emerge as a strong and confident person yet still with clear fracture lines and weaknesses. Absolutely wonderfully written and portrayed - at all ages!
The story combines her coming-of-age and growth with the drama of her drive to beat Borgov. Will she manage it? Because of the authenticity of the piece, it is not even clear if this series will end in the traditional 'Yay, at last she has the victory' moment, as her growth is more important even than the chess. If you don't know if she wins or loses - or if we don't even find out - then I won't say anything.
Just sit back, enjoy the ride and delight in some brilliant tv that DOESN'T involve fighting and shooting and violence. One of my best watches of the year, and so good I have ordered the book.
The Pentaverate (2022)
A show that answers the question, 'What does puerile mean?'
So, humour is in the ear of the be-hearer, right? I get that. Quite a few people seem to enjoy this show. I'm not among them. Still, it indicates that the show has a certain merit, even if I can't see it.
For transparency, I only tolerated the 1st episode. After that, I'd heard enough childish references to bum-holes and suchlike to last me at least until I die. The entire thing seemed scripted by an adolescent boy who does things with his fingers that require privacy and litres of sanitizer.
So - if you enjoy unashamedly juvenile humour - and there's nothing wrong with that - then take a look; Myers is, as always, a decent performer. If, though, you prefer nuance... take your bum-hole to another show.
Bright (2017)
Nice concept that degenerated into standard fighty fighty
Setting is nicely imagined. Acting is generally pretty good. SOme lovely touches of humour.
For me, though, all of this is swamped by fight after fight after fight after fight after fight after fight...
I just got bored with the thing.
So, if you love action films for the action not the story - which is cool - then you might like this. But, for me, it lacks any iota of depth.
Don't Look Up (2021)
A really strong film with deft humour and fine performances throughout
A superbly thought-out eyes-wide-open if cynical look at how the West tends to approach potential existential threat.
The humour is dark (obviously) and directly aimed at the head-in-the-sand response of a society that uses consumerism as an opiate. It is deftly delivered by a fine cast and excellent direction; even though the topic is horrific the film holds genuine humour throughout that doesn't feel in any way as if it's shoehorned in.
The threat in the film, as you probably know, is a planet-smashing comet but it is clearly representative of the current global environmental and climate crisis - an area of specific interest to DiCaprio.
What might happen if we continue to ignore an existential threat? Will there be a time when we have left it too late?
A really very good film - and I'd go so far as to say it is a 'must watch'.
Green Fingers (2019)
Unwatchable
A lame script, clunky acting and truly awful direction... for me this came across as having been thrown together in a day by well-meaning amateurs. Put it this way, I'd sooner watch Mrs Browns Boys. Really.
Dispatches from Elsewhere (2020)
A tale that is deliberately frayed in all ways...
Clever, witty, off-the-wall, weird...
Listen, if you're after a conventional tale that adheres to the norms of mainstream tv, then this won't cut your mustard. It is very self-aware in its humour and its oddness, but uses that to not only break the 4th wall but to break most of the rest of the house, too.
In short, it's more challenging than most shows, but if you relax into it, enjoy it for the ride it is rather than as a structured tale that takes you along a well-travelled arc, then you might like it!
For me, I wanted to watch it again after I'd finished the last episode - and that is very, very rare.
The Hour (2011)
Complex. Engaging. Just... magnificent.
This story is complex and yet in no way bloated. Everything fits together and makes sense. In short - it is superb.
Every actor is on top form (even the extra in the background that tips a waitress a wink as he leaves - beautifully done!) Performances are uniformly believable and nuanced. Characters are deeply three-dimensional and navigate complex relationships that reach far beyond the 'they are on the same side' and 'they are not on the same side' that sometimes dilutes tales with decent plotlines.
In short, this is a masterclass not only of the genre but of a televisual artform that is deeper than the mainstream.
Watch it, puzzle it through and enjoy the ride.
Leonardo (2021)
Deep. Fascinating. Some excellent performances. Beautiful. Watch it.
Truth be told I wasn't expecting much of this... dramatised versions of real lives often either err on the side of dreary or over-compensate into the ridiculous.
Leonardo, though dipping into rather than soaking in the marinade of recognised history, felt original and gripping throughout. Relationships were strained with the conflicting priorities of reality, often floating in the greyness between black and white... and yet motives were clear, characters consistent, and the acting - especially Aidan Turner - lovely. I found myself repeatedly researching the reality to find the drama's roots.
Very, very good series. Watch it. Or don't. Makes little difference to me, truth be told!
Bleak House (2005)
Absolutely marvellous
For me, Bleak House is a REALLY difficult read. REALLY. This, though, is an easy watch. It flows so very well that time hardly seems to pass when watching it. There is not one single iffy performance - every actor is fabulous in their role. With the likes of Denis Lawson, Timothy West, Gillian Anderson, Charles Dance etc etc etc it feels almost crass to highlight anyone, as they are all amazing - but Anna Maxwell Martin is so incredibly nuanced in the role... absolutely incredible. Wonderful. Fabulous. If you hate the story, watch for the acting masterclass.
Brilliant.
National Theatre Live: Twelfth Night (2017)
NT can do no wrong...
Watched this through NT at home - wish I had seen it live. FABULOUS. A star-strewn cast piling attitude into their roles...
Tamzin Grieg was fantastic - as has been widely reported - but then I love her in everything she does, I think. Daniel Rigby's Aguecheek was fabulous, but for me, it was Tim McMullan's Belch that stole the show - I absolutely adored him!
Overall, a magnificent adaption, full of contemporary humour amid the age-old prose.
Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)
Superb
A marvellous (sorry) film - all the light and fast action you would expect, enhanced with excellent effects all used to move along a standard 'group of misfits on a heroic mission' sort of tale.
But that's not the half of it. It moves between the shallows and depths with fluidity and incorporates its goofball humour effortlessly and naturally, without any sense of 'trying too hard to be funny'.
A very well handled piece... and a must watch for sci-fi/fantasy fans
Iron Sky (2012)
Super fun, silly and with lots of references to spot (or not)
I really like this film. It is not a serious sci-fi, it's a humorous action film that has some sci-fi aspects. It received some pretty negative reviews from critics but I can't see why... it looks good, has lots of fun moments and yet also carries some heavyweight messages. There's no stand-out acting for good or bad, while the script is at least on a par with many other successful action films. It does try too hard, sometimes, I think...
I wonder if some of the negativity around it comes from the fairly jaundiced representation of the USA (even though this is within a jaundiced view of mankind in general, rather than being anti-American)?
Doctor Strange (2016)
I suspect some of this film is CGI...
As far as superhero genre films go, this is pretty good. Benevolent Cummerbund is, of course, a magnificent actor and carries the role superbly. The effects are great and there's a lovely sense of humour lurking behind the script.
The story itself represents nothing new but is delivered superbly. A thoroughly enjoyable film.
Rob Roy (1995)
What it does it does well
This film follows an extremely well-worn path in terms of its main storyline. This immediately puts it into danger territory as far as enjoyability goes. However, the characters are strong and interesting and the acting is excellent throughout. I especially enjoyed Jessica Lange's performance.
The screenplay is generally vast and sweeping, and placed somewhere between dreary highlands and a Hollywoodised Celtic wonderland. In short, it's gritty enough without hammering your head with it.
Inevitably this film is often compared with Braveheart. For me, Rob Roy wins hands down. All in all, this is far more enjoyable than it might have been.
What We Did on Our Holiday (2014)
A thoroughly entertaining film!
Right, so this film has David Tennant in it. Wait, you need more?
Alrighty. It is great testament to the rest of the cast that this talented actor in no way stands out and above the others; everyone does a fantastic job. Even the children (I hardly ever enjoy children in films!)
This film is not beautiful. It is not thrilling. It is not particularly original, has nothing much to say about social issues of the day and does not include a plot that twists and turns with surprises. So, why have I given it a 7? In short, it is amusing (with some full-on funny moments - I'm thinking of the mention of a taser in particular), endearing and entertaining. Characters are interesting and developed, relationships are fully formed and the story explores them well.
So, a very 'British film'. Strong on character, endearing and not at all spectacular or gratuitous. Fabby!
Quartet (2012)
Endearing, amusing and thoroughly entertaining
Look at the cast. Go on... look at it. Some fine, fine actors there, eh? And they do not fail to deliver as they deftly caress the gentle and engaging plot.
If you want a spectacular Hollywood-type film then this is unlikely to suit. But this story of characters of older generations is delightful, believable and without any sign of cliche, the acting nuanced.
This is a film that is beautiful in the best way, rather than in the pneumatic, plastic beauty that seems to dominate the big screen these days.
If you have an iota of romance in your soul, watch this film!
Clash of the Titans (2010)
"Right, that's one fight finished. What shall we do next..? Ah, yes, fight some more."
A problem with films that focus on effects is that as the technology ages the effects lose their edge (or even become laughable) and a major part of the film is lost. That is less a problem with developed plots, characters, style etc.
I watched this film about 8 years after it was released. Already the effects fail to impress. Sadly, there is little else for this film to fall back on. Some gorgeous thespians, perhaps. That's it. Potential subplots are left in the dust as the film charges from poorly-judged fight scene to poorly-judged fight-scene, generally justified only by an 'us versus them trope' or by monumentally clunky exposition. It doesn't even give a new perspective on the old story.
Its only saving grace is that it's only a little over 3 hours long. Or at least, that's what it felt like...
Robin Hood (2010)
Failed to deliver...
I'll be honest, I wasn't expecting much from this. I was thus pleasantly surprised to find myself enjoying the film and keen to see where it was going. The re-imagined eponymous Robin, Marion and even King John were far more interesting than in any Robin Hood tale I've seen before.
However, for me, the film loses its way with an hour to go... and a potentially interesting human-level intrigue is abandoned in favour of a boring battle and an utter lack of the nuance required, leaving a potentially good film as a dud.