Film Reviews by PV

This 1978 3-parter may be a bit dated but it is a great watch. Classy cast incl Kenneth More most famous for playing Douglas Bader in 1956 classic 'Reach for the Sky' - a must-watch, that, as is the Dambusters. I did not see it at the time as it was probably on late and I was a child! Never repeated as far as I am aware, possibly because of some gross sexism and comments to the female secretaries etc.

Fun to see Nigel Havers (born 1951) looking younger than his 27 years here - I watched this at the exact same time Mr Havers was presenting the Repair Shop on BBC1 as his now 70 year old self LOL.

This has the same workmanlike director as Shoestring - but the premise is always fascinating. WHAT IF Germany had won WWII or a peace had been reached with Britain. Nothing original in that as many MANY novels and films and TV series imagine it (1994 novel and film FATHERLAND; 1962 novel THE MAN IN THE HIGH CASTLE; .Films like WENT THE DAY WELL from 1942 a must-see; SILENT VILLAGE 1943; IT HAPPENED HERE from 1962; THE EAGLE HAS LANDED 1976; so many).

This TV drama has an unusual premise - a TV drama about the events of 1940 when the Germans won and invaded Britain is being made and More plays its writer. His sons and the resistance are the sub-plots but the main theme is what the main character played by More will do and which side he will choose.

Remember this was written/made in 1978. The country was in chaos with strikes everywhere - binmen, bakers, the lot! Oil crisis in early 70s. UK had to go cap in hand to IMF for a loan. We were the sick man of Europe and some thought there COULD be an uprising from the far left or far right - both were very vocal and active in late 197os and an uprising or coup was a real possibility, unlike now. That is the context.

4 stars. I enjoyed it. Youngsters may find it too slow for their puppy attention-spans though. Not many whizz-bangs and fast0-edit action here.

This takes a while to get into but it's mostly worth it.

The story is strongest when it focuses on the crimes - and weakest when it deals with relationships with wives/women etc. That is a must these days for pc reasons but is so often superfluous (the final series of Breaking Bad lost it in the same way).

The dialogue and character development is brilliant, as is the acting and music.

I lasted just 30 minutes with this. Why?

Well, I have always disliked these docu-drama style movies - very old-fashioned really as many made in 1960s. Yawnsome.

It all seems so preachy pc - all about DEE ISHOOS. Well fine, but for that you want to make a documentary; for a feature film just TELL A STORY. This is poverty porn.

I dislike the main actress - she was good in Fargo. Did not deserve any Oscar after this.

It is SO over-rated and gets showered with awards because it ticks the boxes - like so many BLM blackcentric movies. Awards given for reasons other than talent.

1 star

OK so if you like scifi and fantasy you'll probably like this more than I ever will, but there are some serious dramatic flaws in this whole series.

Firstly, the characters - they are cartoon characters, two dimensional, and I care not about all but one (the Michael K Williams old drunk uncle/father). The sassy black woman is a stereotype of our age - how many times have we all seen that now? And the brave young black man ('Get Out' etc).

Secondly, one reason for this is the motivation of the film - as stated by the rather full of herself black female director on the last DVD extras. It is clear this was made to deliberately have a black only show promoting that (and no I shall not spell 'black' with a capital as on the subtitles). EVERY SINGLE WHITE person esp man in this film is shown as an idiot racist and a baddie. EVERY SINGL black person by contrast is good and angelic and if they are bad then that is because of white society.

This is racist. The only word for it. Can you imagine a TV drama series doing the equal and opposite? No. And words spouted such as 'whitey' and just plain racism. And this is NOT progress - it is very American race politics which is racist and not to be admired but condemned. I can only hope - perhaps vainly nin these BLM days - that we shall not get more of the same. Endless pity party TV dramas about racism (but only against black Americans eh? Imagine if someone made a film about a white suffering racism in the US or UK - which is common too: most racist bullying in London schools is now against white kids)

Apart from that, the whole thing is too silly for words. I am actually surprised members of the cast could keep a straight face at times when one listens to the dialogue they had to say. I was laughing out loud often!

Scary if you get scared by CGI monsters and thoughts of evil spirits etc. For me, often rather boring. Good music though.

Some good bits. Sad to hear Michael K Williams died of a drug overdose recently as he is by far the best thing in this.

2 stars. 1 for the CGI etc which has good featurettes on the final DVD.

I ad no idea what to expect with this film but was pleasantly surprised. It is a superb little horror movie, especially the first two acts, and genuinely scary - because it uses suggestion. Compare to unscary horrors which OD on CGI and reveals.

The suggestion is from pictures in a book - not CGI monsters. Lots of shadows and creaking doors opening. Great! And the horror is transferred to viewers via the characters and their reactions.

This film is a lesson in how to make an effective horror movie on a low budget. CGI fanatics, please watch. Though many teens these days seem to want in-you-face CGI monsters all through a horror film - pure gore-fests. Not scary at all.

Similar to some possession movies like The Exorcist or others, I suppose. And a book coming to life is an old idea, in the early 20th century short stories of MR James like the 'Mezzotint'. The image coming to life has been used more recently with TV and online monsters, as in The Ring.

It would be 5 stars but the third act and ending (NO SPOILERS) was not satisfying for me - though I know films have to end somewhere. I just didn't buy it, however.

Genuinely scary - and don't mention the lovely little dog!

4 stars

This is decent enough - just one series of 6 parts.

I preferred the HBO 'Rome' drama from 2007 which was on BBC2 - I think more classy with a higher budget. Sometimes this is a bit B-movie, and an Italian co-production.

But watchable and entertaining. Not 100% sure of historical accuracy which is totally different from 'Rome' the BBC2 series.

But anyway, so decent actors and fights - obviously taking a cue from blockbuster movie Gladiator.

4 stars. Just

As others have mentioned, this film is clearly influenced by Lord of the Flies (even a pig.,s head!) and Apocalypse Now (based on Conrad;'s novel Heart of Darkness). Nothing wrong in that. Everything is influenced by everything else and movies always steal.

The issue is this film seems to think it is profound and deep. It isn't. All the guff about a mystery 'Organisation'; is pointless as South America has a great many extremist groups and hostages often taken and ransomed.

Watch NARCOS the great TV series. That shows it all better than this. And it had wonderful plots unlike this one. Great shots of the rainforest in that too.

Or watch Green Inferno for horror down South America way or the great Apocalypto. Or Jungle, starring Harry Potter.

The usual arty critics have fawned over it. That is a warning sign.

It is not BAD - it is just not that good. The plot of wafer thin. I felt no real sense of horror or menace either.

It's all a bit MEH really. 3 stars

I loved this. One of those small,. low-budget films which is way better than most high-budget Hollywood movies.

Full of suspense and genuinely scary. A neat little plot which I fully expect Hollywood to steal soon.

Sure there's the usual supernatural guff but the psychology is what makes it - the edge of seat stuff, and a few jumps out of the seat.

4.5 stars rounded up. One of the best horror films I have seen in ages (together with The Bay and Burning Bright, also on Horror TV channels)

I loved this. I first thought it may be a bit twee - and yes, the way the film deliberately makes it a 'strong woman' story is rather against the truth as shown in the documentary film DARK HORSE 2015 - watch that first).

However, it was not smeared on with a trowel and the film developed nicely in all ways - plot, character and some laugh-out-loud lines too.

Yes, the Welsh stereotypes are there (there is more to South Wales than poverty in the Valleys) but I shall let it pass.

Loved the Welsh national anthem bit and the great cast of actors. Including the wonderful Darren Evans as Goose - every film he is in is worth watching,

I also loved the singing of Tom Jones song Delilah - esp as the local MP has tried to ban it (claims it causes domestic violence....hmmm... it's a SONG!)

I am utterly uninterested in horses and racing - but I loved it.

Watch till the end for a great little musical sequence. That shows the actors next to the real-life people.

GREAT FUN!

OK so this is a remarkable true story. That is true and it is based on an autobiography.

However, as a film it is clearly riding the SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE coat tails. It is also too slushy as if it feels it must have the love story. You could cut those girlfriend bits and make it run more smoothly - the craving for heart is constant in Hollywood though, but it is layered on with a trowel too much for me. The street dancing bit - YEUCK!

Fascinating story, though romanticising non-white cultures - or ethnophilia - is an issue maybe. As bad as demonising them really, and patronising.

Some cartoon character baddies in here and one wonders if it is ALL actually 100% true - most autobiographies are not. Great performance from the child actor.

Lovely Tasmanian scenery too and interesting contrast with the brother.

Nice to see overpopulation mentioned by the mother character: THE reason why there are so many teeming millions and homeless kids in the first place.

3 stars

I loved this. Fargo series 2 got a bit silly - still a good watch but not a great one. THIS is a great one.

I do not usually like Ewan Macgregor - his smugness overwhelms. Here however he plays two brothers with aplomb - ONLY to have the show stolen from him by fellow Brit David Thewlis, with the most memorable grotesque portrayal of a character on screen for years. LOVED IT!

The plot twists wonderfully and some episodes are so original in production that it's breath-taking. One or two bits miss - I dislike any references to other Coen Bros movies, bowling alleys etc. BUT these are small gripes.

Also the ending suggests a series 4 - and who knows of the Thewlis Varga character will appear again. The East German hinterland beckons maybe?

All in all for me, this 3rd is the best FARGO series., Second is series 1. The plot, writing, characters, setting, acting - ALL superb ALL spot on.

5 stars. BRILLIANT!

Gosh - reading the 5 star reviews I feel as if I have watched a different movie.

I lasted 40 minutes of this dross. I rarely fail to finish a film but just could not stand it any more!

Special effects are the usual CGE but the story is ludicrous.

I suspect it is strictly for fantasy movie buffs and steal punk fans (though I do not mind BRAZIL).

Not my teacup.

No idea why this is getting 4 star reviews. For the first film, yes. Not for this Jaws 2 level sequel.

It is yet another weak sequel milking it for all its worth. Silly non-plot, all the usual #metoo pc woke box-ticking casting. Goes nowhere - predictable cartoon character nonsense. I like Cillian Murphy loads, but this is just a pay cheque film.

The fist film was genuinely original - though many sci-fi stories had already covered the ground. Not movies though and the sound design was brilliant.

If you like computer games, CGI and have the attention span of a 12 year old, this may well be for you. It is forgettable drivel.

I actually laughed at some of the scenes - the creatures swimming? Or being unable to? Could never work it out.

If you want a real class monster movie, watch Jurassic Park, which has REAL animals which did once exist (though a fictionaised version) not fake monsters in an absurd alien plot and trite, lazy, by-numbers plot, sub-plot and character arcs. No doubt there'll be a 3 and a 4 if it keeps coining it, and then it will continue to eat itself - that started when they made a meal of this sequel.

For me, 1 star with half added for the couple of scare scenes and the song LA MER, then rounded up to 2.

The only thing that amazed me about this film is how all the actors in it manage to keep a straight face while speaking their absurd lines.

The wonderful Mads Mikkelsen phones it in no doubt thinking of the pay cheque. Tom Holland is clear eye candy for the expected teen audience, no doubt - used as much as any starlet of old Hollywood was. Apparently, that hypocrisy is just fine in the new woke world of metoo.

This is based on highly acclaimed YA books by Patrick Ness - a massively over-rated author and darling of the pc publishing scene. But the whole concept of the plot is sexist - against men. Pure misandry - claiming what this story claims. No spoilers. But if you could not read someone's thoughts, is it realistic to expect you would murder them all? All the fault or the book not the film - as are the 'Spackle'. What a limp name for an 'alien' species. Sounds Spangles, the kids; sweets. Maybe Patrick Ness was eating one and his genius imagination came up with it. No wonder the book won awards eh?

This film is confusing, silly, illogical and ticks all the pc boxes - if #MeToo had made a sci-fi movie, it'd look like this mess.

It cost $100 million to make and made $25 million only, so a massive flop. It had a script from 2011 rewritten multiple times with poor test screenings leading to more rewrites and shoots. Just so people know what a mess to expect.

I am only giving this 2 stars not 1 because the special effects of the 'noise' are done well, and the soundtrack music is decent so 1.5 stars rounded up. Not good.

What makes this film special is the towering performance of Anthony Hopkins who is always a joy to watch. I can watch him in anything.

By contrast, I find Olivia Coleman (stage name) annoying and irritating, so just tolerate her.

The script comes from a stage play, and the director stated he wanted to adapt it to be cinematic and not stagey - nevertheless, it is a bit stagey. And it is very French - it feels French, somehow. Bourgeois Paris transplanted to London maybe? The original play was set in Paris.

I know the script is meant to reflect the confusion of dementia; however, it is still confusing and not all is resolved in the end. I watched this alone but would have liked to watch it to others maybe so they could explain it to me. The whole issue of France and Paul... (no spoilers). Baffling. I may watch it again one day and see if I get that bit.

Also irritating - as in so many films - is the idea ordinary British people like in such houses and apartments (posh ones are not called flats apparently). This is Maida Vale London W( where a 2 bed flat in a mansion block costs £1.2 million minimum - the flat here is larger, so 1.5 or 1.8 million maybe. And then the daughter has a similar flat too. So this is \a seriously rich family, Nor ordinary middle class British people at all.

This is annoying and wrong - no wonder Americans all seem to think we live in Downtown Abbey! Most Brits like in small flats in London and normal suburban semis and terraced houses otherwise. Not this millionaire luxury. This may be that Paris Bourgeois effect again. But it is what I call the PADDINGTON EFFECT as the Browns in that film live in a mansion which would cost at least 3 million quid ad maybe five. In the Paddington books, the Browns live in an ordinary semi. Film-makers deliberately posh up movie adaptations to appeal to American and world audiences. The Downtown effect again. JUST STOP IT!

The DVD comes with a half hour zoon interview with him and the director and Olivia Coleman which is illuminating.

All in all, not the masterpiece people claim, but good enough. Up to now though, I suspect TV drama has dealt better with issues of dementia and mental health generally.

3.5 stars rounded up.