Film Reviews by AK

Probably only for Kronenberg's die-hard fans - although I was more of one at the beginning of his career, but despite his body (no pun intended)of work, which for me has been a bit hit and miss but is always interesting and challenging. With this film, he's back to his roots and saying something a little more than flesh fetishism. Can one say what it's about? It's a simple and very Kronenbergesque take on where human evolution might be heading. Probably the cast and performances are the best points of the film.

The DVD extras are worth looking at with insights from actors and collaborators. And it looks great.

No reviews because not worth bothering about. Another BFI-funded film which on the surface is a cliched environmental horror film but got funding because it's in the Welsh language. Probably why it got publicity, not because it's any good. Can't remember how I got to know about it. Don't like to be cynical but...really? This is the new British talent.? Full of unlikeable characters and stupid actions. Greedy exploitation of land agenda. Had to fast-forward most of it and saw every cliche. Have to be very careful with love film selection as in other streaming channels you can just stop watching. Hard when you've paid for your allocation of films per month.

Yes, very understated but holds your attention. Great look. Thought it was shot on film, but amazingly it's shot digitally. Don't be put off by the welsh language as the dialogue is minimal. A good emotional impact as a character-driven drama, unlike more genre-inflected films that the BFI and such bodies often fund.

After a good season 1 was expecting similar in season 2 given the cast. Started off well seeming to present a more hard core-hard boiled tone. But as it went on the tone was all over the place and the post-noir dialogue put you to sleep, especially with the Vince Vaughn and wife tedious monologues. Often scenes were people stuck in rooms working out who was doing what to whom in a bizarre static non-emotive way with a hardcore industrial Lynchian soundtrack to try and make you feel uneasy.

After giving up trying to follow the plotline as EVERYBODY was corrupt or had personal psychological issues just waited for its end in the familiar dark post noir crime way.

The shootout was the highlight but after that was expecting a better bond to form between the three of them. Wasn't all bad but from the Sopranos opening title soundtrack to the Lynchian empty nightclub singer commentary lyrics of characters' inner thoughts and other surreal touches like the giant crow head., most were for effect and just seemed to be there to make a very boring series more interesting. Not sure if it was my player but doubt it as I tried on PC but the audio commentary on the disc doesn't work or isn't there.

A typical overhyped Ch4/BFI lottery new talent promotion. Interesting subject and era that hasn't been explored enough but plodding, cliched, pedestrian directing and script with even less depth than the average gore film of the time. And to think this film got made on the back of an even worse short film. It seems like the Ch4/BFI remit is no longer

developing out of the box innovative , risk taking films but developing filmmakers that tick all the boxes wth littel talent.

Really bad. Terrible dialogue as if they were all reading a terrible script. Too many plot holes and unbelievable character behavior.

A lot of nepotism on set. Kurosawa - seriously? How embarrassing for everyone involved. And about what? How time goes by so quickly. The film didn't go by quick enough for this amazing turkey from a proven talent. Maybe he had covid brain fog?

Expectations were high with the concept of a torrettes PI in a 50s noir. But despite a strong cast it just didn't have the emotional engagement, conflict, or stylisticc noir tropes one might expect. The torrettes with an OCD add-on wasn't really itilized or convincing compared to similar screen potrayal afflictions such as 'Rain Man'. The era and production design was well done given the limited budget but lighting was more flat realism than dynamic high contrast noir. Music and club scenes were more in line with this stylistic tone. Plot was a little muddled with an anti climax pay-off. Didn't really buy the relationship of Ed Norton's character and the girl or care. Not convinced that Norton was the right choice for the leading Man or to write the script. But credit due to pulling off his passion project. Helps to have good actor mates. Shame it was a bit dull.

Movie buffs out there do not confuse this film with THE HOUSEMAID 2010. Saw a BFI revue of this which was nominated for a Palm D'or.

So on Cinemama PAradiso selected it and didn't think there was another film of the same title and KOREAN and with a similar plot

made in 2016. Avoid this 2016 version like the plague. Looks like it was made by a teenager with a budget and some badly dubbed actors.

Not sure why I chose this. I think I confused it with another film or perhaps I was fooled to believe some good reviews from somewhere. I would check the background of any film especially British. And especially made by a bunch of Tv comedy mates who are all in the cast. Brit Comedians from my viewing experience might be ok for TV sketch shows but they haven't got a CINEMATIC bone in their body.

Unfortunately due to the comedy mafia, somehow funding is given to these films. And 90% are very bad. Even when trying to make a so called PSYCHOLIGICAL THRILLER. I don't like to judge and review anything I haven't seen from begining to end in real time. But for this film I'll make an exception to warn viewers especially if they have a limited amount of films to see on their subscription.

I will always give at least a half hour or more to judge if I'm going to like this. Basically having a manic depressive main character with mental/schizophrenic issues played by a poor actor with zero screen prescence is the first turn off and you can almost predict by the thread bare production design (a chair and a table) that the filmmakers low budget hasn't really challenged them creatively, so the best they can do is endless clichesd montage of psychadeilic shots of roads, ceilings , sky etc and talky talky scenes in a room by familiar faced actor comedy mates who are really their to give support to the writer director mate. Anyway saw all the twisty turny stuff coming in the first ten minutes and the way it was going to be shot. I was even bored on fast forward. Some good reviews compared it to Lynch. If you like Lynch you will like cinema. This is nothing like Lynch and nothing like cinema. Not even TV. All comedians really want is to be dramatic actors /writer direcrtors eventually so they're respected and treated seriously in the Film Industry. Some make it with good material but unfortunately this was not one of them. AVOID LIKE THE PLAGUE.