douglasbrook-1 Reviews

Madonna: Drowned World/Substitute for Love (1998 Music Video)

Atmospheric, mesmerising video brilliantly ties into song and Madonna.

[9/10 · 20 May 2020]

The song is a slow build, atmospheric, classic. The video perfectly fits the song and ties in the themes with Madonna as a real person and as an artist. I love the balance of her going out and coming home at the end. Thematic touches of Animal doco on TV showing wild animals tearing each other apart. Night streets and the attack of flashes and video lights. Madonna alone and trapped in her car as she is chased by the paparazzi. Then putting on a show as she waves apparently sincerely to fans but then is mobbed inside by VIP sycophants. She escapes down a back corridor - passing a waiter and a maid and she smiles in a search for a genuine connection but the maid takes her picture. I love how it captures the search for truth amongst the people of the material world. Madonna can't find it and she escapes home where the pure innocent love of her daughter is more fulfilling than the human animals outside. Everything about this video is so well done especially teh shocking crazy vampirish sycophants at the end party. Love Madonnas defiant look at them all. A brilliant classic video to an epic haunting beautiful song.

Solo: A Star Wars Story (2018)

Excellent, flawless and entertaining with perfect Star Wars "tone".

[8/10 · 12 June 2018]

Alden Ehenreich shone in 'Hail Ceaser" as a rising star with the X factor and unsurpassed Charisma - so it was a thrill to know he had been cast as Han Solo. Upon seeing "Solo" expectations were not disappointed - he morphs into the character and in your mind he seamlessly merges with Harrison Fords rendition - making it a piece of casting perfection. He radiates the essential Han Solo characteristics and his beauty and charisma are captivating. The excellent genre script inventively covers the story points we expected - such as meeting Chewbacca. The script supplies plenty of unexpected twists to elevate the film above a mere origin story and make it work as a great film in its own right. The entire cast and direction are perfect. Of course Ron Howard is a master at what he does so no surprise that he puts the entire film together flawlessly. One can wistfully hope that Disney may dispense with the reckless, egotistical, cerebral, misguided directors like Rian J. and just admit that Howard knows Star Wars and let him direct all future films. Perhaps the most flawless Star Wars film since A New Hope. While The Empire Strikes Back is, IMO, the best - the "Empire" story structure has some flaw. While Rogue One is the 3rd best, IMO, the script has some uneven and illogical sections - while the script for Solo feels as if it has been perfectly edited and as if it flowed out with no lumps or bumps. There are adventures, action, comedy, emotion and intelligence - all exactly in the tone of Star Wars. The only disapointment is the way the critics and fans have decided to make this film the sacrificial lamb to atone for the misguided sins of TFA and TLJ. We should be celebrating that the film makers finally got the formula so right after the unmentionable prequels and the misjudged sequels. I myself could happily watch another 10 adventures of Han, Chewie and Lando. It shows that the sequel trilogy - with it's attempts to follow the originals is waning while there is untapped potential in films like Rogue One and Solo. Heres hoping Disney and the disgruntled fans can see sense and continue with more of Alden and Solo stories!

Teenage Kicks (2016)

Great Film - Great Australian Film great drama.

[8/10 · 24 August 2017]

Great Acting. Great Script. Clever Editing. Great Direction - Great film! So moving. Brings up all the feelings of being a teenager and being hit by life when you are young and inexperienced. Loved the Sydney atmosphere. The Actors are all perfect. Perfectly nuanced and realised. I really loved this film although it was sad and hard to watch sometimes. Excellent drama.

Miss Sloane (2016)

Excellent razor sharp and intelligent

[8/10 · 18 May 2017]

An enthralling, intelligent brilliantly acted and written film that continues to surprise and reward through to the end. Quality film making that shows what America is capable of when it dares to allow clever smart writing to shine. I was very impressed, the character of Sloane was fascinating and it said so much about politics in the USA.

Diana (2013)

A moving tragic look at the real person, a lonely person looking for love and family.

[8/10 · 15 May 2014]

A good film. Amazed at how much bad press the film got. This film is beautiful written, shot, acted. It's focus on the private life of Diana in the last years of her life is fascinating. We see the real person, the everyday life. It is an intimate and moving love story about two people who found comfort in each other but who could not be together because of the press attention. The solace that Diana finds in Khan and his normal life is lovely to see. Yet it is his ironic need to be a normal private person that stops them being together. In some ways it is almost like a spy thriller - they have such a secret relationship and the price of people finding out will be high. Naomi Watts delivers a brilliant performance full of heart. We fall in love with her. Yes Diana was rich and privileged and famous but she was also a human being. Seeing this lonely human being struggle with love and intimacy while her life is in the public eye is fascinating. Her hearing for a family, to be with her boys is strong and it is tragic that she seems unable to get this. It is very moving when we see Khan at the end with the common people placing flowers at the gates. Yet he knew her in a way they did not. It does make you wonder what might have been had a Christian married a Muslim in such a public way. A beautiful moving film.

Paris by Night (1988)

Brilliant, unexpected and stylish.

[9/10 · 1 October 2013]

Brilliant movie. Fantastic cinematic atmosphere and photography. Love the way the camera moves with the emotions of the story - changing angles in unexpected ways. Great Film Noir feel. Charloette Rampling is intense and powerful. She is such a fascinating character - do you like her or hate her? Love the dialogue. Ian Glen, Michael Gambon are superb too. The scene where she is running through the streets and her world of power and control is crumbling is good - the sound of her heels on the pavement. Also like the scene where she gives her big political speech - and then the wife of the guy she murdered says it was a good thing he died and it seems like everything has worked out for her after all. It hilights the way people can be so selfish - even to get away with murder if they can. I found the plot really clever how it all meshed together even the mistaken identity of the midnight caller. David Hare is brilliant. Love this, Plenty, Wetherby and The Reader in particular.

Wetherby (1985)

Brilliant

[9/10 · 22 January 2013]

Brilliant layered film. Love the cinematography and the score - so moving - this is a "cinematic' film - it takes you to another place. I love the moody setting. I read David Hare wanted to show how ordinary lives can have operatic emotions and he captures this with the score. Love the flashbacks and the way the puzzle and mystery slowly forms. All of the different themes and characters add up to a potent emotional cocktail and comment on life, growing up, growing old, dreams and expectations, the search for meaning in our lives. "A girl ran away today". 'Good luck to her". "Yes good luck". I love it when Vanessa Redgraves character feels as if the young guy's spirit is pulling her down and the detective tells her she needs to fight. It seems her broken heart and inner melancholy allowed her to connect to him and his sense of disillusionment with the modern world.