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Reviews
Under the Bridge (2024)
Moving and shocking, masterfully handled...
Moving. Shocking. The best of humanity and the worst of humanity. Based on true events, it is really hard to watch this series at times, but incredibly compelling viewing too. That children could commit such a vile, senseless act and be so bold and crass about a human life lost, and show such little remorse, is quite frankly horrific. The story is very well told, sensitive and bold, and ultimately very respectful of the victim and her family. So many lives were damaged and scarred, and this show shone another light on what happened, a fitting memorial for Reena, and bringing this back into the public consciousness. We should never forget this horror, made worse by its reality.
Tracker (2024)
Old school television...
Ok, so each episode wraps itself up very neatly every time, the bad guys spill the beans without much pressure or persuasion. The good guys always win and the bad guys always lose. Reminds me of a 1980s styled series, a bit like a human Lassie. No plot layers at all, very shallow and predictable. Easy viewing, but don't expect to use your brain much. It's a TV series from a bygone era and that makes it a bit of a nostalgic experience, bringing back memories of how it used to be. Things have changed a lot in the last 5 years, and much more is expected from TV material. This is sweet and old school, but lacks the depth and quality we've been spoilt with in recent times.
Fool Me Once (2024)
Soap opera action comedy drama
Dear god, what a merry mess. For someone who has lost a husband and a sibling in close succession, the wife is coping remarkably well. Not a hint of grief. I know she's a hardened war vet, but hey, I needed to suspend belief in spectacular fashion. It feels a lot like a soap opera that has graduated to crime drama status, but not especially successfully. It has some interesting plot arcs but executed poorly and amateurishly. Such a shame and a missed opportunity. I clung on for much of episode one, hoping that it would improve, but sadly it only got worse and quite frankly, pretty unconvincing and unbelievable. I won't make it to episode 2...
Lioness (2023)
Had so much potential
I really liked the idea and thought the acting was very good, and convincing. Sadly undone to an extent by the American hyper-patriotic narrative. The "we are the very best, we are super-awesome" theme that permeates through the story is just too much sometimes. Muscle flexing, testosterone filled scenes, that occur all too frequently, only serve to detract from the main thread in this film - a flawed, badass asset sent into the most dangerous of circumstances on a virtual suicide mission. This should have been more of the focus, in my view, delving more into her fragility, masked by anger, bravado and a very sharp intellect; and her relationship with an equally fragile, but more privileged and experienced, handler. A solid series, but could have been so much better, I think.
MH370: The Plane That Disappeared (2023)
Too much conspiracy
In its attempt to introduce new angles and material not seen before it has focused far too much on conspiracy (painted as seemingly viable alternatives to the current evidence-based versions available). This mystery-tragedy has left hundreds of people without their loved ones and they deserve more than conspiracy and speculation. This series provided a platform for rabbit holes, and gave far too little airtime to the individuals providing scientific and credible information and insights into this missing aircraft. It's hard to see what the point of this docu-series is, aside from trying to introduce new, fresh narratives at any cost.
Men (2022)
Ok then...
A really promising start, an increasingly sinister story that develops well, and then it turns weird, very weird, too weird. I struggled to decipher what was going on, and it only became more and more bizarre and almost unwatchable for me. Whatever artistic arc it was trying to follow, it managed to repel me rather than draw me in.
The reviews suggest that clearly there is an audience for this, but I'm clearly not that target. I stayed with it to the end, but only because I was keen to see if it improved, but it only served to wind me up even more and I was relieved when the final credits rolled....
Troppo (2022)
Took me by surprise...
Ok, so this series took me totally by surprise. Nothing much else to watch, this popped up on Prime Video and I thought I'd give it a chance. To be honest, I expected to give it ten minutes and then walk away. Well, that didn't happen. This is really good and well worth your time.
So, two rather unlikely characters end up becoming partners and working together. A layered whodunnit set in a remote Aussie town, I'm totally hooked and hoping this ends as well as its started and developed so far. Thomas Jane leads the cast effortlessly, accompanied by a few very good performances from a handful of actors. This is not new territory, but the setting (and the crocs) add something extra to the story and keep you interested. Worth your time...
Shantaram (2022)
Really engaging. Worth a watch...
Charlie's accent aside, this is definitely worth a watch. Well written, well paced and put together, and Bombay feels like a character in this tale too. Quickly immersing you in the wonderful colour and craziness of this city. Characters with secrets and demons, this kept me interested, and I really cared about these flawed individuals enough to want to see them win their battles.
Charlie's accent is a bit of a distraction, but not enough to stop watching. His American accent was more convincing than his 'home' tongue. But, the story and it's telling is strong enough to largely drown this out.
Watch this!
Manifest (2018)
Starts well...then...
This series made a promising start, but soon descended into soap opera. It had potential and intrigue, hooking you for a few episodes, and then it takes a turn for the worse, drifting between suspense and melodrama. Missed opportunity, sadly. The wife of the male lead is particularly annoying and unbelievable, quite cringey at times.
The Man Who Fell to Earth (2022)
Magnificent!
Fantastic in every way. A masterclass from Chiwetel Ejiofor. Sci-fi at its very best: a superb cast across the board and a brilliant story brilliantly delivered, this is a first class tale from start to finish. A character driven science fiction story - minus light sabers, warp speed and grand deep space fighter battles - this is all about people, their personal battles and challenges. A must watch, even if sci-go isn't your thing...
In & of Itself (2020)
Incredible, emotional, genius...
Watch this. I don't care who you are, who you think you are, or who you want to be. This is for you, it's for everyone. We are all the Rouletista. Don't miss this!
Retfærdighedens ryttere (2020)
Brilliant, just brilliant!
What a joy to watch. So well crafted, so well cast. An insanely good balance between drama, action and humour. Quirky, off beat, but loved every minute, and will watch again. Highly recommend, don't miss out on this superb piece of cinema. America, please don't make your own version (like 'The Guilty'). Please, I'm begging you, just leave this film alone and let the audience appreciate this original, funny, sad work of art. Brilliant, just brilliant!
The Nice Guys (2016)
Funny and fast paced action...
Good mix of humour, action and some quality acting. Well cast and fun from start to finish. Watch it!
Kastanjemanden (2021)
This is excellent, from start to finish...
Really enjoyed this series. Well crafted and well paced; gripping from start to finish. Interesting characters that are well developed. A creepy concept, that kept me interested and intrigued throughout. Well worth a watch; highly recommended.
Y: The Last Man (2021)
Starts well, and then downhill fast!
Thought the first episode was good, had high hopes, and then it all started to go south. An interesting idea that had so much potential, but loses momentum and it lost me within a couple of episodes.
Run Hide Fight (2020)
Distasteful...
Wow, they made this movie and thought it was ok? A very serious and tragic theme, handled remarkably distastefully and insensitively. A school shooting is not entertainment.
Disparu à jamais (2021)
Good, but could have been better...
I enjoyed aspects of this series, but felt there were just too many things going on, too many layers, plots and sub-plots, some relevant and some not. Developing every character in detail, when there are already other important threads to sustain in the story web, can detract from the story, in my opinion. Just too much going on for me to score this higher.
Dublin Murders (2019)
Brilliant stuff - don't miss this!
This is a gritty, layered, masterfully handled crime drama. Fantastic characters and character development, one is quickly drawn into their lives, some with humour and most with a dark & tragic arc. This series gripped us to the last minute of the final episode - no moment was wasted, it was an incredibly well crafted story and one I'd highly recommend. Don't miss this!
Crime Scene: The Vanishing at the Cecil Hotel (2021)
A missed opportunity
A mystery and a tragedy, and not handled at all well in this documentary. Focusing so much time on interviews with YouTubers and amateur sleuths is bizarre. Some interesting angles from better sources, but far too little to give this documentary the substance and respect it deserved. A missed opportunity and poorly delivered material.
Imawa no Kuni no Arisu (2020)
This is really good!
Read the excellent reviews and decided to give this a go. Not disappointed, really well done. A bit of mix between CUBE and being inside a video game, but well executed and keeps you gripped. Well worth a watch.
The Stranger (2020)
Missed opportunity...
A really intriguing idea, pretty poorly executed. It's not sure what it wants to be: quirky comedy or tense thriller. So much potential to build tension and keep you guessing, but too many silly, clumsy interludes, with bumbling coppers and silly school kids, the tension is frequently broken by the bizarre and the ridiculous. I want to keep watching to see what develops, but it's trying it's best to make me walk away; it's very hard to take it even slightly seriously. Some good acting mixed in with some soap opera, not a good mix. A crying shame and missed opportunity...
Absentia (2017)
Wow, definitely avoid this...
I was really looking forward to this show! The first 10 minutes were quite gripping and then it just went from the bizarre to the ridiculous. She has been through 6 months of torture and trauma, with apparent regular beatings and near drownings, eating slop for food, only to look pretty fresh faced in days. She gets up and about, popping into her ex-husbands house (he remarried thinking she was dead) to visit her son and his new wife. Then seems to get on like not much happened, with the occasional minor flashback. All totally unbelievable, and that's just the first 20 minutes. Very disappointed, an opportunity missed - this show had potential, but doesn't deliver in my view...