Film Reviews by GD

Gentle rendering of a period in the life of a bitter, funny man given the power to express his frustrations by the medium of the alternative comic.  Skilfully intertwines interviews with the subjects to produce a truly engaging biopic without any melodrama.

What a remarkable depiction of the stresses of the occupation at a human level. Brilliantly evokes the circumstances which diminish the lives of occupier and occupied and gives a real feel for the day to day experience, leaving the watcher to wonder how much tragedy there must be before a solution is found. Some truly fine performances and a lead character with real nobility.

Three episodes in. Lots of sympathetic characters and tension. Obviously seen heavily from the western viewpoint with not much development of the Afghan characters (so far). I can't wait to follow the series to its conclusion. On form Nordic Noir.

Gentle and enjoyable family drama. Interesting glimpse of Japanese society and its values. Good to see a film with strong roles for women who are not defined solely by their relationships with men.

The synopsis struck the right chords suggesting a tale of topical concern, the struggle of disadvantaged immigrants in affluent, urban settings. Despite the indie vibe I just found this cliched, uninvolving and exploitative.

Beautiful film whose main character, Elio, could have been insufferable but was captivating. Perhaps the house was too perfect, the family too understanding and too liberal. A dissenting edge somewhere would have been welcome. Was I the only viewer to see Oliver as a predatory philanderer?

Strong performances by the children. Utterly implausible plot and lead character. Oddly Colin Farrell seemed intent on reprising his role in Lobster but without humour.

Really good cast kept me interested throughout. A great peek into the murky world of the lobbyist though a bit of a fairy tale.

From the political to the personal all aspects of the appalling treatment of aids and its consequences are movingly portrayed. Courage, anger, humour, love, passion, indifference and bewilderment are all here and all expertly communicated by a young cast. From the brilliant portrayal of activist meetings through the set piece demonstrations to the heart rending portrayal of personal loss we were totally engrossed.

So far I have watched only the first two discs. Been a while since I watched series six and was beginning to feel a bit of series fatigue. That has been swept away. Nice twists, good character development and battle scenes to rival any. Effects and general production quality remain at the highest level. Fantastic romp.