t-d-t-m82 Reviews

The Equalizer (2014)

A Nice Classic Straight-Up Action Film!

[8/10 · 9 May 2024]

The narrative is strong. The characater-development is excellent. It has a great feeling of vengeance and empathy and compassion and vile hatred and mixes those feelings in a toxic blender of violent oppression.

All for Robert McCall to use with his quest to take down the Russian mob. I'm not entirely sure how they got this far with this much exploitation but it is a good basis for a storyline for a movie.

The use of girls and trafficking is heatful and emotional and it sets a big trigger in McCall's mindset to go back to his roots and destroy the mob; once-and-for-all and any corruption entangled with it!

For that just enjoy the ride! The sequences are polished and well-done and not overused CGI. It does get a bit repetitive as a concept but that's to be expected. It has an excellent score.

There is character-building sub-plots going on and I think that really does a benefit to understand his motive. I really enjoyed this movie and if you don't take it too seriously I think you will too! It's very well shot and excecuted with great techincal skill by the Director.

It's very nearly a masterpiece but not quite. Cool movie. 8/10!

Now You See Me (I) (2013)

It's Magic, Jim!

[7/10 · 9 May 2024]

It's a fun film which is great late-evening popcorn entertainment with a strong narrative and the calming pressence of scren icons Morgan Freeman and Michael Caine as well as the younger upstart Jesse Eisenberg.

Already it had my attention as with that kind of cast you reallly can't do much wrong (unless all cameos!). I was not disappointed.

However it was quite structured and the hints in previous displays showed the later aspects before they happened. It was obvious with some things and the 3d visuals at the final was so obvious.

I did enjoy the concept and the dialogue was excellent. I liked the screenplay and the acting was great it just did not do enough for me as a movie. Louis Leterrier did a sound job directing as well as the cinematography crew of Larry Fong and Mitchell Amundsen with loads of John Woo-style freeze 'super-slow motion' frames.

It's a great film to watch to crash to but the budget is mad and the concept is just a bit too much to be honest as it's unrealistic. I'm not a fan of some of the CGI used as well. However the acting is stunning and the dialogue just does the job! A strong 7!

Land of Bad (2024)

Mash-Up Of Action Movies - Good Popcorn Cinema

[7/10 · 9 May 2024]

Russell Crewe is just great in this. I like the casting. Many personality types which suit the military drill persona and the female drone operative was cool and charming and being responsible in her job.

The mission goes wrong and the hero 'Playboy' gets into trouble. He needs to be escorted by the 'drone in the sky' and this is where the drone operatives come in.

Then it goes wrong as he gets captured and the film takes a turn-for-the-worse. So they scramble a jet to attack the enemy base. Except 'Playboy' is in it and extracting the 'asset'.

Just why someone would attack the base with the asset there I don't know. Always do a proper check before authorisation and this film shows ways of when the military goes wrong it can go really bad.

This makes it fresh and riveting for the view. The action is hot and the audio with the bullets is excellent. It's just a very cliched and tired market but this is an above-average flick and gets a 7/10. Especially because Russell Crewe is excellent.

Liam Hemsworth also reminds me so much of Reacher and definitely played the part of a military dude so so well. I take my hat off!

Bullet Train (2022)

Untrealistic CGI In An Otherwise Excellent Action Flick

[6/10 · 6 May 2024]

So this film is a hard one. I loved the Kill Bill-style narrative and screen-play. The Yakuza v Ladybug and the other attendees of this unfortunate Bullet Train to Kyoto.

I am however extremely frusted by the unrealistic and stupid cgi from people running up a Bullet Train (not possible) to fighting on the roof.

The choreography is top-level. The stunts inside the train are brilliant. It just is runined by stupidity. I love the idea and the concept but please try and make films realistic.

We can do action films without the need of countless CGI usage. It is very dull seeing the same impossible action sequences from films recently.

However I loved the storyline. Brad's acting and terrible Japanese was great to view. The casting was superb and I loved the interaction-of-comedy between the actors. Chemistry of casting was absolutely nailed.

I however just can't get over the end which is like something a child created with a toy trainset and a storyboard. That is so disappointing as the general film was thoroughly enjoyable and a riot.

Just bare in mind that adults with realistic action expecations are watching these movies. Please look back to the great (RIP) Sonny Chiba and what he did for movies as a key reference point example.

I'm so sad that this is happening so much to otherwise what would be great movies. A 6/10.

Mrs. Brown's Boys D'Movie (2014)

Cheesy Comedy

[2/10 · 28 April 2024]

The intro market sequence is theatrical cheese. Postmen don't deliver at markets they deliver at your registered address. Grown men in stupid clothes in the name of 'comedy' is weird.

Cheesy score. Why is an old lady swearing? Weird dialogue with a man obviously not from Jamaica as Jamaican. Identify people where they are from. This is not funny.

I don't get the judge courtoom sequence. No jury summery? That's not in compliance with law ..cigarette smoking when at a market...not cool. I don't want ash on vegetables....

Just trash. It's not proper comedy. The Russian accents ..oh dear. Why can't they hire Russians? Lazy casting.

Just very unfunny comedy. I have expected to laugh in 18 minutes and she says she doesn't pay tax so tax-avoidence-promoting. Not a good look.

The house scene looks forced and awkward. Then an old unit ira joke. . wtf?!!?? This is utter dross. About the only thing good in this is the cinematography. Still don't understand 3.8m. ?

Tracker (2024– )

Elements of Justified and vigilante shows like Reecher and Predator

[7/10 · 28 April 2024]

It's a nice show. It's just very formulated and it's got a lot of Reacher and Justified tracking and character elements. A tough but good-looking guy goes around the USA in his personal RV and truck seeking tracker targets.

He doesn't have the skills to look them up online so utilises a geek guy (very typical role again but nice to see a bit of diversity in the role here) who does the job of finding the electronic finger prints.

Additionally he has a team of girls looking after other reseources of information. It's a bit strange that he relies on three people yet expertly manages to navigate his way in the field.

There was enough interesting plot-lines to keep me hooked and I binged it in a whole afternoon however it is already a genre which has been used a lot and the acting was ok not amazing. Therefore it gets a good 7. I feel the creators directed it well and there is some talent with the directing and screenplay.

Unfortunately there's just already so much good stuff like this and it is not as good as those despite it coming across with a fresh tracker concept. You can change a little script point but the concept and execution are similar to others.

Poor Things (2023)

George Orwell meets Bladerunner meets Nutty Professor

[9/10 · 26 April 2024]

My Greek friend gave me the heads' up about this movie a while ago. I have finally got around to watching it on Disney+. I'm very grateful for the recommendation.

Firstly this movie is; if you forgive me; not for the faint-hearted. It's extreme. It's also extremely experimental arthouse ala Wes Anderson meets Wong Kar Wai and a dystopian movie such as Blade Runner and George Orwell's classic novels.

It's set in a bizarre world in the future yet it's also representing the past with the clothes and people's costumes set on late Victorian era with French flair thrown-in for good measure. Interesting.

The art direction is absolutely another level. There is plenty of special fx and CGI used. The face mask for the talented surgeon is also astounding.

Acting is absolutely on-point and utterly mesmerising. However Emma Stone takes it up to another level. Oh wow. She makes the heavy nature of animalistic voyerism and sex look innocent. She unwinds her body to a state of purity which is incredible-to-watch.

Just utterly divine acting. Showcasing many skills which you have to learn in order to get right with the brain functionality being lost. I have rarely seen such mesmerising and yet such poetic acting as she comes from leaps and bounds and matures to the actual women which her body has become. She made an incredibly difficult transition process look normal. Wow. Talent.

I don't want to give much away but this movie was incredible. Mesmerising. Difficult. Wonderment. Divine. Godly. Scientific. Hellish. Debouchery. Challenging.

We really need to take care of society and bridge the gap between billionaires and the poor. This film is a perfect example of what could go wrong. Please watch and educate yourself.

Baby Reindeer (2024)

Trainspotting Meets Takashi Miike's Directive Style

[10/10 · 23 April 2024]

It's a lusty brothel of drama enscapsulated by a fine narratative; script-writing and acting. Unbelievable stuff. Just as it gets crazy it goes into a completely insane new turn and amping it up as it goes from 4 to 11 in a nano-second.

It's fabulous drama. I don't want to write too much and give the game away but damn. Just damn. It's the closest the UK has come to the style of Takashi Miike (with less violence) and the fine writing of Ivine Walsh's brilliant Trainspotting novel except this time it is in England.

The main writer is the lead protagonist. Just let that sit in. The whole main cast are insanely-talented actors. The creator and content-maker has raised the bar; somehow. Wow. Well done. Superb work. More of this please; Netflix. Best show of 2024.

The Beautiful Game (2024)

The Homeless World Cup Strikes Goals

[7/10 · 21 April 2024]

It is a solid indie flic but the problem I have is that the likelyhood of an ex-West Ham youth player going homeless and driving around in an Audi whilst having a kid and a partner is very unrealistic. It's a bit forced-for-tv.

However the general concept is excellent. I love the flair between the teams and the banter and all the comradeship about the modern game. The football played is a hybrid of realistic non-league amateur fails combined with flair; touch and the skills of a professional level.

It has some odd rules which I don't know are that accurate like a two minute sin bin! The referee being suspect as well is another issue.

The writing could be better and they could have sought an expert before writing something which just is not that likely. The weekly earners that youth players receive now at Premier League level are £260k for an academy player so said he have two seasons that would be £400k at least. Most people do not earn that. So how he would be homeless I don't understand.

Anyway the general movie is nicely-done and the acting from Bill Nighy is superb. The American football player reminds me of the pro-FIFA player when you play as a girl in the game. Similar attributes; techical and similar build. I wonder if that was an inspiration. Forgive me but I can't remember her name!

I liked the interplay but at times it was too much showboating and too many ridiculous interplays. Like being too average then utterly astounding and then being unable to play...that confused me.

Methodone withdrawal happens in 30 hours and you get anxiety and tiredness and you start sweating. There wasn't enough of those on display and it was not clear when Nathan stopped taking his methodone yet the anxiety and overwhelmingness was very accurate.

The ending was weird but a nice way to finish the film. I thought it was a bit too long at two hours however the score was exceptional and Fela Kuti on was great to hear however I thought it would have been better with different scores from the countries playing. Japanese jazz for the Japanese team playing etc.

Anyway overall it was a super-fun movie which had me very raw and emotional at the end and it was nice seeing genuine actors and some silky smooth skils involved. With a bit more tweaking it could have been much more realistic. I love the montage at the end of the REAL homeless world cup.

Ripley (2024)

Andrew Scott Raises The Tom Ripley Bar

[10/10 · 11 April 2024]

Oh wow. I did not think it was possible to top the acting done so far as Tom Rippley and low-and-behold Andrew Scott has absolutely nailed-it. Wow.

This is stunning acting. How he reads the room and embraces his surroundings and owns it all with so much ease and natural charisma astounds me.

Serialised for straight-to-Netflix or STN for short; this is some absolutely mesmerising drama and world-class cinematography.

Black-and-white shoot makes it look even more noir than the movies shot in colour. It ads more depth and mystique. The cinematography is astounding and reminds me of Michelangelo Antonioni and Federico Fellini and Jean-Pierre Melville. True cinematic icons!

The script is excellent. I love how it is so close to the movies yet also with so much incredible detail and more explanations and extra scenes and longer shots.

Some great and audascious cinema and I don't want to spoil it just watch it! More of this Netflix.

Scoop (2024)

Anderson Put The X Files Into News Reporting

[8/10 · 11 April 2024]

This is a highly-produced and dramaticised event of the notorious case of Prince (ex) Andrew and his dealings with rampant sex pest Jeffrey Epstein and the huge scope from the BBC during a turbulent time for the broadcaster when it was facing signifant budget cuts and potential job-losses.

It's an accurate account of the studio life and environment. I visited the BBC studios and it's exactly like this. I adore the stage decoration and the atttention-to-detail on everything from the gorgeous teacups in Buckingham Palace to the signage in the BBC studios.

I am particularly impressed with the news night ancorage style of Gillian Anderson. Wow. She can't quite get the accent right but she can act oh so well. I also love how her looks is mirrowing top BBC presenters as well.

I love Billie Piper in this. She is absolutely stand-out as Sam and is so good at impersonating that I actually had no idea it was her until I looked on IMDB!

The other casting is excellent; especially Rufus Sewell as JE; strong empowerment acting. Controlling the entire room with his poise and speach and that rather odd almost sadistic laugh used is most brilliant.

Supporting cast is also very solid. I enjoyed the script and I could imagine how could it could have been. There is almost always artistic cinema license in these production series but this seems to be an honest and accurate take of what I remember from the time.

It's a disgusting event and it's even more disguting that we'll never know the true events of what really went on with JE. This is why investigative journalism is so important. We must hold them to account. Governments and individuals too.

Physical: 100 (2023– )

Squid Games For Fitness Gurus

[8/10 · 11 April 2024]

A huge knock-out competition of 100 professioal atheletes and gym rats combined together for the ultimate showdown!

It's not a lot more than that. The participents are hugely respectful of each other on the way to reach the grand total prize monies of 300 million SK won!

They showcase extreme physical and mental capabilities to compete and gain trust and relationships with competitors.

Team games are mixed and the demographic is more men than women but it is nice to see women in the show but I thought more could have been done for women to be included in series one!

I liked how a lot of national Korean olympians were representing themselves. It's difficult for them to make an income without sponsorship so this is an ideal opportunity to cover income for training and other idealologies.

For me the show was a lot of fun with mixed challenges and extremely difficult events which would only exhaust a normal human being.

These people are super tough and strong and exceeded themselves in many challenges. There is also a degree of intelligence used to participate in many tasks so to overcome the challenges you needed to be not only displined in your body but your mind.

It's nicely shot and well staged. There was no abundunce of cgi apart from the mind unit and this was very refreshing. The stages were real-life items and largely extremely heavy objects which required corporation with others to succeed.

I don't want to give the game away but this show was excellent and a thoroughly enjoyable watch. I'm not muc of a fitness guru geek myself but I found it very rewarding to watch an I salute the heroes of the games with their respected disciplines. I'll look out for them in the Olympics as well.

Excellent tv! 8/10.

This Town (2024– )

Riviting and Compelling and Raw TV Drama from Stephen Knight

[10/10 · 5 April 2024]

Wowee. This show is pure class. Loads of authenticacy on the area and its period. Proper working-class boozers promoting the peried tunes of punk and ska and new wave.

A dodgy gangsta club boss which was reminiscent of the time from the Krays as well. Proper nuts stuff which compliments what I read about in their reports from the period but providing a unique twist of its own from the genius mind of Stephen Knight.

It also shows total capitalism and stark poverty; the Tory age was well and truely alive in 1980's Coventry and Birmingham! People being unemploed and people ripping-off the state in disgust and illegal gross capitalism as well.

The record store is just amazing. The sets are perfect. Council estate and the pub is just wow. The attention-to-detail is staggering.

Then there's the script. Oh yes! A really epic drama and incredibly well-written with a LOT of dialogue; fighting and dancing and merriment.

I loved it. It's one of the best dramas the BBC have had in a long time and it has real Shane Meadows' style vibes from the exceptional 'This Is England' series.

I'm astounded by the excellent acting involved and the realistic approach of scripts used for the IRA and the serviceman giving a huge dilemma from the UK Government.

Clothes are great. The set team and art team have done amazing with the the props. I love all the vintage Fred Perry and Sergio Tacchini are on display and proudly-worn!

The Zulus were a notorious Birmingham football gang in the 1980's yet they were from in the late 1980's and I am wondering if this series is a quiet homage to them?!?

Let's talk about the acting! Wow. Lots of talent here. Incredible stuff. Please just watch it and sit-back and enjoy. A sensational series!

Emily the Criminal (2022)

Bare Bones Credit Card Fraud

[6/10 · 4 April 2024]

Ok I don't get this movie. There is a credit card cloning machine which is not going to work in real life. The banks have particular data on them which is difficult to clone. I don't understand how it's an 8 minute fraud check when on a credit card fraud investigation site this has no mention.

Even so for creative license it keeps the tension going and was one of the better scenes in the movie. The movie had a lot of stereotypes with the chancer immigrant creating a credit card fraud business and his crew of mixed ethnic people.

It was not a good portray of migrants and the working-hard ethos which they produce. I felt that it was a bit generic and dated. The script had some good moments like when Emily gets attacked and shows some great composure in fine acting skills.

Aubrey Plaza can act and is gorgeous. Theo Rossi as the crime boss with a Lebanese parentage was interesting given his parentage is from Lebanon. At least those references were accurate. He can act too.

I like it when original people from countries are used as accents are important in movies and tv shows. Authentic people = good tv.

I'm just a bit stunned by the script-writing. So many times she would have been caught-checked and CCTV is in occurance. They made it interesting by visiting different stores in a week yet if you visit the same place x times in a month you're likely to be caught and placed in fraud.

The cards did not look real enough and they have an IP on them so you can backtrace. There was peotic licensing here for sure. I just felt that the storyline in general was very generic and the acting deserved better.

Internship job interview was just so stupid. She's obviously going to know about those being in her field and in debt. I don't get why that was there at all. I'm confused as the age she was playing as it was hard to figure out if she was mid-20's or early 30's or just-out-of-uni.

For the effect of the movie it was there but it didn't seem so realistic. It's an ok movie but nothing wow. Very repeatted formula. 6/10. Oh and store carparks are probably not the best places to sell stolen tv.

Cleaning Up (2019)

Poetic Artistic License Ruines Any Credibility

[4/10 · 4 April 2024]

I watched the whole series but there's some severe flaws in the show's writing and concept-creation. Like how there is very little CCTV reference despite it being there in that office environment.

That ID checks are properly lapse. That would not happen. The fact that a relatively non-technical person got a usb stick and managed to copy x amount of information and print it on the printers which have a READ HISTORY will not actually happen. DNA is on the USB stick. Jeez!

The IT traders' desks aren't correct. Not enough screens/data. The boss with a heavy accent with a cleaning company not making enough money in CW is incorrect when contractors already run the floors and they are stable operations.

I don't understand how she opened a card in her daughters' names and her ex was able to check the information when it was protected in hers. Not possible.

I don't get how the £14k debt make sense and he kept coming over her house and the school. Like a pro would not waste that amount of time and he would be with other people.

The acting was ok and it was ok popcorn drama with a nice ending but it just so unrealistic. So much poetic license with omitting actual integritiy on trading life. Please ask traders for consultancy roles before writing these scripts. It costs £50 to register a new business not £2,000. I'm a bit confused as how the three of them thought they could cold-call trading companies who already have contracted cleaning firms installed.

Oh well. 4/10.

Fast Charlie (2023)

Die Hard meets Le Samurai

[7/10 · 28 March 2024]

Some nice visual sequences. Some nice acting and a script which is very overused and overdone but is pulled-off in just a nice and refreshing way but not in a particularly wow or standing-ovation type way either.

It's just well-constructed and it has a lot of nice dialogue and Pierce does a solid job of an aging hitman seeking revenge. Morena Baccarin as the 'love interest'/heroine he constantly saves is a sound actress and absolutely gorgous.

It's sad that this is James Caan's last movie and the acting is overall exactly what one would expect from these kind of movies.

The only problems is it's a bit of lacklustre genre and falls a little short. The end is very cliched and it is what you see in so many films and it's predictable but that's what happens when you have so many scripts around and have to find something unique. It does enough to pull the view in and is a fun and enjoyable popcorn movie but nothing much more.

I find it harder to give it more than a 7 as it's so nice to see Pierce kick arse on the big screen. The tone was good and pace was excellent and the concept was good but there's just so much of this kinda movie already and there's better options.

Irish Wish (2024)

Gorgeous scenary; top cinematography just the script-writing is ??!!!?!? what.?

[3/10 · 26 March 2024]

Another one of these tired and cliched romantic love rom comedies except there is no comedy. The jokes are terrible from a bad fish and chips' reference to other dull quips in the opening sequences.

Cliched airport scene which has used been used before is the opening sequence for the character interaction. Then they of course end-up on a bus together. He starts examining his camera and it turns out he's a professional photographer except the lens adaptation is nowhere near enough what a pro would use and then the corny bus journey which is so damn awkward and has me fighting not to switch off my tv. She leaves him and discusses to her friends that he's the 'Cheeky Englishman'...dull and tired script-writing.

The cinematographer of the movie does indeed work overtime and that can't save a mediocre and lacklustre script. It's a movie for a certain demographic in dreamland and aimed at young American women. It's just so dull and stereotyped and poorly-written.

The pub scene is so asthetics gone wrong. There's three casks otb but all are off. Why? It looks forced. Staged. The 'fancy photographs' from his 'journalistic photoshoot' are to be hung on the pub's wall. Just more cheese. Corny as hell.

Yet he's a journalist covering a sheep-shearing tournament!!?!! And he flew over??!!! I don't get it at all. It's so much dross only x minutes' in and the rest of the hour + of this drivel is too much for me.

I don't like to stereotype the audience as much as this movie sterotypes cultures but.....Couldn't even finish longer than half an hour. It's bad. Then there's the cringe clothes and betox and ugh....

There's lots of good romantic rom coms just not this. I couldn't finish it.

Drops of God (2023)

The Great Drinking Conquest of Siblinghood

[8/10 · 25 March 2024]

This is a great show. It's awesome how accents and regionalities are perfectly represented and the most echelon of the wine world to the poorest grower and famer of the grape with the capitalist markets taking over and the guide being an axis of importance in this strange world of wine.

It's quite an interesting critique of how pompous and extravegent the wine world can be but it's also brilliant and warming and earthy and so spirited and everything excellent about wine and that world too. The terrior is strong in this one!

I loved that it has a focus on different elements of French and Japanese lifestyles. That it accurately depicts both; especially the scorn of affairs and the complications of people and the complications of amour.

The pace was fabulous. The acting was superb. I just found some of it a bit pretentious and pompous but that is becuase I don't care for the higher-end of that society and how much money gets involved for the 'creme de la creme' of society.

It's highly refreshing with a serious show about wine and the reviewing and tasting of wine. I loved the notes and the expressions of the tastings and the chase of each task and the gallantry shown. The ending is also most beautiful and poignant

Acting is absolutely first-class and the narrative is excellent. It must have been a long screen play especially as it has to set scenes in multiple locations with extensive research.

Please produce more like this.

Death and Other Details (2024)

An Emotional Voyage With Twists And Turns Which Keep You Hooked

[8/10 · 25 March 2024]

It's a strong Hitchcock-style drama period play suspense series with a LOT of cgi and also a gorgeous interior of a 1930's luxury vessel.

The screenplay is big and the dialogue is very heavy. It's got an excellent narrative and the acting is solid with a lot of talant. Predominately the accents are great but there's a few questions on British ones!!

It's for the thinker and for the ponderor of plots and it keeps twisting until the very end. It's enjoyable as the drama is fresh and there are plenty of turns to keep one occupied. I don't undestand the low scores and I think this is a mature drama and one which is refreshing in today's celebrity-obsessed themeshow bores.

It's also a negative aspect on inequality and the billionaire issue which plights society. I really like the message of the show and I loved the drama and the concept was great. It's quite long and you really need to see it until the end but it is rewarding and a lot of fun.

The interpol goof though is really annoying so 8/10.

An American Werewolf in London (1981)

A Horror Classic

[8/10 · 24 March 2024]

I watched the recently-released UHD Arrow 4k edition and wow the upscaling is just beautiful. I'm glad that I waited for a proper release which showcases the fabulous art direction which occured in the production of this movie.

The acting is great. It's got solid cinematography with lots of close-ups and shock angles before shock cinema was a thing.

There's great screen play and even an appearance by Rik Mayall (rip). The romance between the nurse played by Jenny Agutter and the lead protagonist warewolf; played by David Naughton (in human form) is fabulous and great acting. The chemistry is really there.

The casting is spot-on. It's not a big-budget movie but it is very good with its location and using its areas for maximum effects.

This was when London was far seedier and before it got cleaned-up so there's a porno showcase in a cinema just opposite the Picadilly Circus advertising bilboard.

Now this is not possible as it has closed long ago. However the original buildings remain and these are just now different premises.

It's fascinating to see a historic London and the gorgeous deisgn of yesteryear. I'm 42 and this was made just a year before I was born and the change until now is an awful lot. I'm glad that we can step back in time and see London how it was.

The comedy of the show and the acting and drama and blackness along with the superb make-up department made it thoroughly rewarding. A real gem-of-a-movie and it should be appreciated by generations to come! A classic. 8/10.

Monk (2002–2009)

Monktastic

[10/10 · 19 March 2024]

I have absolutely no idea how I missed this but I have currently been binging on it on Netflix and I am really stunned by the quality of the writing and the way the cases are inticritly built-up with the main protagonist Monk; played superbly by Tony Shalhoub; constantly solving the cases which the Police Department struggle to.

I have to say wow. Firstly there is a REAL (which is VERY rare in the mainstream other than A Typical and The Big Bang Theory) understanding of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. Secondly there is a REAL understanding of neurodiveristy. Thirdly there is definite aspects of Autism Spectrum Disorder. Fourthly it's showcasing HOW neurodiverse people struggle and is making it mainstream and brilliant in its own unique way.

This has long been overdue. As a nuerodiverse person myself it's very hard to educate others on what one can and can't do. There is far too much 'expert' understanding without understanding anything at all as the conditions are so different and people are extremely unique because that's how intelligence and nuerology and our genetic chromosome make-up works!

I love how able and intellectual Monk is a solving the hardest and most complicated cases. Often with complete eureka moments which are skilly-fully played-out in his mind with situational examples which completely bamboozle the Captain of the police force and other Detectives.

It also highlights the discrimination Monk faced for being neurodiverse as he's 'not ready for a job with a gun' yet is always relied on for him to do their work. Funny that how people need our intellect but won't compensate on paid work.

This educates people on the suffering of neurodiverse people and as a person who has been rejected for a lot of stuff in my life; without ever always really understanding why; it hit home hard really hard!

I don't even need to go into the plot line. It's pretty much there in the first five minutes. A case happens. Monk needs to solve it. The only person who can solve it is Monk. Monk is used by the police force and society but society doesn't adjust for Monk.

This is a constant pain for a nuerodiverse person as society doesn't adjust or understand how we think as people are different.

Instead your expected to follow society. This is very hard when your standardised thinking doesn't accomodate with societies' needs and you're just perceived as very different at best or a total freak at worst.

Educational people really need to watch this show to understand others. It should be on during diveresity training in College education and other areas of education. It's a really important aspect and I am glad that Monk has showcased neurodiversity so well.

Exceptional.

Did you know just (in the UK) 22% of autistic people are in paid work? If you saw this you would understand why neurodiverse people face so many challenges.

Furies (2024– )

Fatal Femme Furies

[6/10 · 19 March 2024]

It's a difficult one to review. Firstly there are 8 episodes and over 40 minutes per episode. This is a lot of TV. I think it is just too much for what it is trying to perceive. It could have been compressed into a movie and I think that would have justified it a lot more as it is just a very tired and overrun and extremely cliched series.

The best thing is that the protagonist is a women. It does have a great diverse casting and I like the actors; especially the big bodyguard/fixer; Simon; who is acted superbly by. Steve Tientcheu as well as Jeremy Nadeau as the unfortunate cop Elie and Sandor Funtek does a good enough job as Orso.

The main casts are female which is great and rare in a hitman movie. I just am quite bored of the repetitive plot. There are long and drawn-out violent scenes where in real life people won't survive.

You won't survive a chest of rigged explosives if you stood a few metres from it. You won't survive an x number of bullets into the same area. You won't surive some other scenes either.

That's what annoys me. It's constant where it's make belief and not reality. Acting is there and solid but the script is just badly-written and it's always a twist in the storyline. I am on episode 8 and I just watched the most ridiculous gun show in the 7th episode.

There's a lot of amazing French cinema but this looks like it got snapped-up on the cheap after the success of Lupin. Please try harder.

The Gentlemen (2024)

Richie Nails It Again

[9/10 · 17 March 2024]

Well this is very much signature GR. The great dolly-cameras. The close-ups. The guns. The old school London geezer actors. The amazing suits. The amazing locations. The vintage props and vintage sets. Wow. It's got all you need for a night of popcorn romance infront of the old black box and it's punching knock-out blows after knock-out blows that leave ya wanting more. It's brutal; it's gangland; it's raw and damn it's gritty!

The lead protagonist is the fantastic Theo James as the DUKE or Eddie Horniman. Now you get where the show is going with this kind of funny play-on name. The show starts with his Dad passing. His brother; played by Daniel Ings; assumes he's going to inherit the estate and its main assets. Infact it goes very wrong for him. The hero Eddie receives the estate and in some bombshell twists finds out what is really going on. Then his brother's secrets come out. Then it starts going mental. I loved the pace and the chemistry between the fantastic Kaya Scodelario who plays Susie Glass and our Duke.

Then you have the great Vinnie Jones as the groundsman extraordinaire and Ray Winstone is Bobby Glass; Susie's illustrious criminal father and then you have great supporting acting from Michael Vu as Jimmy; Joely Richardson as Lady Sabrina; Chanel Cresswel as the brothers' sister; Tam Horniman and Logan Dean does a fabulous job as Blanket and Giancarlo Esposito as the tough guy negotiator Stanley Johnson.

It's got a lot of twists and turns and it keeps you wanting more after each episode. The violence is real and often comical and played to great methods. It's a really fun show and you just have to watch out the extra cinematography techniques which Richie loves to use. The pace is stunning and 8 parts soon go by too fast. It's a fabulous show and I enjoyed it more than the movie. Richie you fine god-damn aging wine. You've done it again!

House of Ninjas (2024– )

Excellent Choreography and Dialogue Based On A "Modern" Edo-Period Samurai Family

[9/10 · 10 March 2024]

This came out with little PR and I saw an advert and was suddenly intrigued as I am big fan of J-Cinema starting with Toei Studios and Kitano and The Ring a long time ago!

I'm happy that Netflix are investing in these shows but always worry that we're seeing a one-sason-only run and that's all folks!

The narrative and concept is excellent. The good samurai family; heavily featured in the film must defeat their arch-nemesis; The Fuma clan!

It's got great concepts such as their awesome Shinobi household's secrets being exposed by the young son who is so determined to follow family history once he realises the shocking truth. We see his education from the start and that is a rarity in these movies. It's often when actors are in their adult life when we see the action aspect of samurai/shinobi-styled movies.

As shinobi ninjas they have to keep the shinobi family secret to EVERYBODY. It makes some interesting cross-character developments where sexually-starved and aggrivated family members have to wait for their calling.

It means they do not have the modern lifestyle of relationships; being exposed to others and romance so they are very much a connected and lonely people and may be deemed as losers to their generation.

They have a sort of guild of overlords looking after their code and business and making sure nothing is changed unless their pay masters change them. It is a very difficult period for the family as they have a member taken by the rival clan.

The way the story develops is just fab. The direction of camera is great. There's a lot of excellent action sequences which the great (RIP) Sonny Chiba would have been proud of! Close-ups of actors' eyes is a neat homage to similar movies in the past.

We need a lot more fun J-Cinema on Netflix like this. Hopefully they will deliver. The build-up to the final episode was well-plotted and narrated. It also had you wanting more and the action is top-draw.

Copenhagen Cowboy (2022–2023)

Unecessary Complications

[6/10 · 8 March 2024]

I don't know where to start. This was possibly the weirdest piece of TV I've seen in a long time with the sort of narrative and storyline which would have been better compressed in a movie.

There's a bizarre story of a brothal; another substory of a Chinese Triad and businesswomen and another story of an underworld lawyer who somehow knows everyone and another story of mythology underworld beasts and oh a gang war is thrown in for good measure!

It's way over-complicated! The brothel is super-weird and the main character is thrust into the limelight super-early and is forced to conceive a baby on behalf of the mama. Which is also confusing as there's no interaction for her going into a clinic and any other process.

Miu; the protagonist is a super fighter chick yet constantly lets other people overrule here..again this makes absolutely 0 sense. Why would she stay in a brothel when the girls needed help and she could have helped them all very easily??

The sub-plots create dark twists into alternate universes with really annoying omnious sounds to create "atmosphere". Then it goes into 'Fight Club' mode and then Miu is seen working in the underworld after an arrangment with her lawyer..!!??!!!

Then the underworld gang war happens with the drug cartels so Miu takes full-advantage and somehow doesn't die??!!?! It's also the oddest gang war as it's only 5 v 2 and it lasts as soon as it's start yet this is enough to remit a whole episode??!!!??

There's a huge emphasis on character-development but even that can't save it from a conceptual mess. The style is there but the substance is not. It is slick and great in parts but far far too long. I love that it's a female protagonist hero and somehow it's called 'Copenhagen Cowboy'? I've watced the show and baby; there's no Cowboy!! Metaphorically it just is so stupid and weird.

A strange weird mind-bender indeed.