jonathan-747-46162 Reviews

Miracles from Heaven (2016)

Kylie Rogers! REMEMBER that name

[9/10 · 20 February 2024]

While Jennifer Garner gets a lot of well-deserved praise for her role, it's the girl playing Anna who REALLY steals the show. Such a difficult part to play convincingly at the tender age of 11-12, let alone carry a whole movie. And yet...

Her name is Kylie Rogers. Remember that name. Once again: Kylie Rogers. Got it? Good.

Her performance in this movie so outstanding it defies description. It is by any standards worthy of an Oscar. Not a childrens' Oscar, but the real thing. Best Actress or Best Supporting Actress, competing with any adult who might also have been nominated.

It's one thing to put on an amazing performance when you're an adult and have a lot of experience to your name. But to do so AS A CHILD and yet be up there with the best grown-up actors - my oh my, what an accomplishment. I'm literally stunned; I watched the second half of the film in sheer disbelief that such a young actor could pull off such an astonishing feat.

And to top it all off, not only is she a fantastic actor; she even LOOKS as though she could be Jennifer Garner's daughter. Not to mention the chemistry between the two and the whole family as well. Hats off to the casting department!

As for the rest of the movie, it manages to strike just the right balance between conveying its message and being heartwarming without slipping into being sentimental or preachy. It makes its case for faith, and a strong one at that, but it ultimately leaves you to draw your own conclusions, while also reminding you that the true miracles are everywhere in everyday life if we only bother to look for them - and even be them to others.

I'd have given it a 10 if it hadn't been for some awkward dialogue writing in the first act, and perhaps there was one or two tears too many shed on-screen, where staging could have done the trick. But once again, Kylie Rogers' acting covers - if you pardon me the expression - a multitude of sins.

(Oh, and by the way, do look up the real-life Anna(bel) Beam, too. It's worth it, believe me.)

Dr. Death: Like Magic (2023) Season 2, Episode 1

Couldn't make this stuff up - so they didn't

[8/10 · 29 January 2024]

As improbable as the storyline of this season may seem, it is indeed a reasonably accurate if condensed version of what actually happened during what became the largest medical scandal in Sweden since Thalidomide/Neurosedyn in the 60s. As of January 2024, the waves have yet to settle in the wake of what turned out to be a classic example of wishful thinking, groupthink, hunger for prestige, and plain old gullibility.

The series is very well-made, especially in terms of suspense that keeps the viewer eager for the next scene or episode. There's a subtle eeriness about the protagonist very skillfully portrayed by Édgar Ramírez, but it's Jennifer Morrison's direction that makes the lasting impression. I'd really like to see her continue into the thriller genre as a director and keep developing her obvious talent for the moving-image equivalent of an unputdownable page-turner.

As with all good drama, it also makes you think. How could an investigative reporter fail to investigate? How could a top medical institution fail to do due diligence into Dr. Miracle and his credentials? How could so many people fall for sweet talk and charm?

The takeaway from this season, apart from the sheer entertainment value of it all, should therefore be the often-forgotten maxim: If something seems too good to be true, it most likely is.

However, for the cineastic craftsmanship of this season, I'm willing to make an exception.

Journey to Bethlehem (2023)

If High School Musical, British comedy, Disney, and Bollywood made the Nativity Story together

[8/10 · 23 December 2023]

Wonderfully anachronistic, light-hearted take on the Nativity of Jesus Christ.

The 2006 movie The Nativity became the definite dramatic version of the story imho, so the question is, where do you go from there?

Off on a tangent, is the answer, at least according to Journey to Betlehem. And what a tangent - boldly going where no movie on the subject has gone before.

If you could imagine the High School Musical team (yes looking at you Adam Anders) colliding with British comedy, Disney, and Bollywood in some sort of interstellar overdrive clash of galaxies, and deciding to make a film about the Nativity out of the cataclysm, then you'll get a rough idea what this film is like. It's cheesy but with tongues firmly in cheek, it's escapistic but still somewhat real, it's spending a lot of time contemplating arranged marriages and the limited roles for women that a lot of Asian and Asian immigrant young girls have to deal with, and it features a killer - literally - performance by Antonio Banderas as the movie's Prime Evil.

There's plenty of artistic licence taken, even to the point of an alternate reality at times, but at other times, there are lines that are direct quotes from the Bible. It's cheekily subversive but never blasphemous; on the contrary, it's an attempt at presenting the Christian message in a fun way.

Fiona Palomo takes the Virgin Mary down off of her pedestal - what a relief! - and brings her character home to reality as a 21st century American teenager. But don't let that put you off if you're so inclined. She's a capital-A Actress. I honestly thought she was the 13-14-year-old that Mary is thought to have been, and was startled to discover that not only is she a decade older, but three years Milo Manheim's senior. Brilliant acting!

Milo Manheim does a fine job too, even if his character becomes a little too much of Prince Charming/Shining Armour Knight from time to time. But there's certainly the right chemistry between them; when they first meet, there were enough sparks flying for me to look for the nearest fire extinguisher.

Joel Smallbone also does a fine job of capturing the troubled torment of being torn between life choices.

A bit odd at first, the movie really grows on you, and while being a bit sceptic at first, now I find I can't wait to watch it again.

I'm sure we'll be seeing more of Fiona Palomo and Milo Manheim in the future - I certainly hope so.

14 Peaks: Nothing Is Impossible (2021)

A movie about justice

[9/10 · 8 April 2022]

It's a film about hope, endurance, perseverance, adventure, challenging yourself, challenging the odds, challenging the elements and nature itself.

But most of all, it's a movie about justice.

And therein lies its real beauty: to show the world that Sherpas have names.

Nirmal Purja MBE, I salute you.

Eric & Ernie (2011 TV Movie)

Speechless, I am

[10/10 · 8 October 2021]

You just cannot make a better biopic than this.

Even their voices were down to a T, which is usually the most overlooked bit. They couldn't have got any closer to the real Morecambe & Wise unless they stuck a camera in the faces of the real M & W. This is so good it must have been a secret candid camera having followed them in real life. I'm just speechless.

You really can't see the join.

The Crown: Margaretology (2019) Season 3, Episode 2

Everything but the casting

[7/10 · 2 October 2020]

I just don't understand why they insist on making such massive blunders in such an excellently well-made series.

Inasmuch as I am a devoted fan of the magnificent Helena Bonham Carter, and inasmuch as she plays the part with all her (considerable) might... she's miscast. I'm sorry. And in this episode, it shows.

Vanessa Kirby from the first two series was fantastic in the role, and it's inconcieveable why they suddenly changed the cast. Just think about what she could have done with this episode!

The script is, as always, outstanding; so are the sets (although, why has the White House suddenly been flung out into the middle of a field in Kansas?), the direction, the photography.

But who on Earth was in charge of casting? Stevie Wonder?

I'm happy for the subtitles that give you an indication of who'se speaking; I would have been lost otherwise, not knowing who is supposed to be who. I mean, come on, Harold Wilson without a pipe! LBJ looking only vaguely like LBJ (almost as bad as the casting of JFK; that was a near criminal offence), Queen Elizabeth looking more like an elderly Margaret, the Duke of Edinburgh sounding like his son and looking like his grandson... I could go on for ages but you get the picture. (And the previous two series had similar blunders - whose great idea was it to cast the role of the robustly built Scot Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother with a diminuitive mousy actress??)

It's such a shame, really, because it ruins what could otherwise have been near perfection. And the legendary HBC certainly deserves better.

MI-5: Clean Skin (2003) Season 2, Episode 7

Heshima Thompson, outstanding acting

[7/10 · 18 September 2020]

Heshima Thompson saves this entire episode with his absolutely stunning performance. The episode's premise is quite a weak one - surprisingly so given the usual quality of the series - with too many improbabilities and plot holes. But just watch Heshima Thompson breathe life and credibility into a character that otherwise would have been laughable. He displays exactly the right unstable balance between a child who has been let down by society and a child prodigy starting to comprehend his own genius. He says more with one sulking look than our main characters do with all the words of the script. It was very satisfying watching this young man act indeed, and I sincerely hope we will see much more of him in the future.

Notting Hill (1999)

Roger Michell, the unsung hero

[8/10 · 12 March 2020]

Let's get past the obvious: the writing is world-class, the casting genial, the sparks between Julia and Hugh could incinerate the movie theatre, and the supporting cast is fantastic. But what everybody seems to miss is the fact that the direction is absolutely delightful. Just watch the birthday dinner "brownie" scene - one of my all-time favourites on screen - and you'll see what I mean. Roger Michell deserves so much more attention than he's got. He really added something extra, very rarely seen, to the great material he had to work with. That in itself is quite an accomplishment.

Contagion (2011)

Science good, ending great, rest of film bad

[5/10 · 6 March 2020]

Another word to sum it up is "lacklustre". It's done without passion or poise, as if they were all bored to tears while making it. The ending gives an idea about what this film could have been. Sadly, however, it isn't.

Dave Allen at Peace (2018 TV Movie)

Too short

[6/10 · 2 July 2019]

It's an ambitious project, taking on one of the greatest comedians and storytellers ever. They mostly get away with it - but woe, how short it is! Entire aspects of Dave Allen's career are either left out or glossed over. His relation with his brother, almost worth an entire film in itself, is pencilled out with broad strokes, only to come to life with one final banter that shows what the film could have been. Plenty of good Allen jokes, delivered as well as you can if you're not actually Dave Allen, and great acting efforts all over. But at the end of the day, it's little else than a fond reminder of who he was. Go watch some of the clips of the real Dave Allen on the net instead. Discover the genius.

The Wolf's Call (2019)

Plausible, sonic, and incredibly scary

[7/10 · 28 June 2019]

Playing with nukes will eventually lead to disaster. We all know that, but who would have thought that the risks were still there, in the post-Cold War world? Le Chant du Loup exploits a very plausible scenario in which atomic war is still very much a possibility, due to built-in flaws in the system and, of course, the element of human error. Capitalising on that, it builds a suspenseful thriller that keeps you on edge all the way through. I'm especially fond of how the filmmakers are using SOUND as a storytelling device, not just for effect. This is certainly largely, ehrm, unchartered waters in the history of filmmaking, but this movie certainly shows what you can do by giving the symphony orchestra time off and instead propel the movie forward with the available space pn the soundtrack. This fits neatly into the story itself, which revolves around sonic analysis, and... go see and listen for yourselves. A few stars sadly taken off for some unnecessary errors, a sketchy romance that could have been developed further - beyond the "token woman in a male-dominated military movie" level - and a bit of a resorting to submarine movie clichés during the climax. Otherwise, it's well-spent time that should inspire sound designers as it should make the rest of us start asking questions about the handling of nukes around the world.

The Disaster Artist (2017)

A good film about a bad film

[9/10 · 2 June 2019]

While the original is considered "so bad it's good", this film is so good it's great. The attention to detail is outstanding - they couldn't resist showing off a bit during the end credits, and it's impressive indeed - but what really hits you in the face is James Franco's portrayal of Tommy Wiseau. I knew he was a fine actor, but in this movie, he's GREAT. This must be the part of his life, an absolute career peak. Everything is in place. Nuff said.

The World's End (2013)

Two films in one, and never the twain shall meet

[3/10 · 30 April 2019]

Two half-baked film ideas suddenly combined into one, the outcome as well-mixed as fire and water, that is, an impossible match. Especially the first ide was completely wasted just as it was getting interesting. A few laughs here and there for slapstick moments, and Simon Pegg's doing well, but seriously: Who is this movie intended for? As if that weren't enough, the ending is absolutely horrendous. I suppose the movie only makes any sense if you actually follow the lads on a pub crawl and get senselessly intoxicated in the process.

Searching (III) (2018)

Hitchcock-class suspense

[9/10 · 19 April 2019]

It's been a long time since I literally held my breath, gasped with shock, and had the chills from the turns of the story of a movie. Add to that the simple yet inventive idea of having the entire movie playing out in the online world, which becomes increasingly claustrophobic as events unfold, and you have this true gem that really, really lives up to the "Thriller" category name. This was certainly a flick taking the art of movie making a step forward while running on the power of a plot with enough suspense to make Hitchcock proud. You don't see that every day.

Johnny English Strikes Again (2018)

An hour and a half well spent!

[8/10 · 15 April 2019]

Yes, Rowan Atkinson keeps recycling Mr. Bean gags. Yes, most of the developments are quite predictable. Yes, the entire premise of the movie is laughably implausible. But that's all in line with the make-believe world of "MI7" and the Bond send-up concept. And most importantly, Rowan Atkinson himself - the man, the myth, the living legend - saves the day with some absolute top-form performances. It's been a very long time since I laughed so hard all the way through an entire movie. And that's certainly good enough.

Under Siege 2: Dark Territory (1995)

Poor craftsmanship spoils action

[4/10 · 25 December 2018]

Ok. Decently cool premise, all set up for a Die Hard-like movie. Bond-level supervillain. Otherworldly (literally speaking) superweapon. All fine. But then what? The craftsmanship, or massive lack thereof, ruins it. Special effects are hilariously lousy, ever for mid-90s standards. Cinematography is at film-school level. Continuity is a joke and there are plot holes big enough to have been blasted open by that aforementioned superweapon. As for characters... Steven Seagal basically has one facial expression and that's that. Not much depth, not much to make us like him or root for him. He's just a Terminator-style killing machine popping bad guys and delivering criminally lousy one-liners after each kill - every cliché in the action movie book is there, alright - and there is never any doubt who will come out on top. In short: it wastes its potential, and possibly an hour and a half of your life.

The Man from Majorca (1984)

Close to perfection

[10/10 · 23 August 2018]

It's rare to see a movie that is almost without a fault. This is one of them, although you might have had to have experienced Sweden in the 1980s to get the full impacct - and not to find some of the sub-plots or plot points improbable. The reality behind the movie, as eloquently elaborated on in "Call Girl" (2012) starring Pernilla August, was actually even uglier, and the author of the book - criminology professor and police expert Leif GW Persson - this movie is based on had a pivotal role himself in the real-life scandal. This paves the way for a great deal of authenticity, and the director Bo Widerberg pours all of his considerable talent into establishing that even further - yes, life really was that bleak, and the score actually *sounds* like the way it all looked and felt. However, Widerberg adds to that a great deal of suspense and action; a very great deal, even, especially for a Swedish movie of the time. The eerie footage of the villain and his car, for instance, is of Hitchcock class. Some of the finest actors available in those days also contribute memorable performances. Nobody can tell a whole story through a simple sigh as Tommy Johnsson did; the apparent disillusionment and overwork burden of Andersson is told only by Håkan Serner's fatigued-but-hopeful facial expression, and the walrus-like, condescending fatberg Dahlgren becomes equally likeable and revolting when played by Ernst Günther - not much needs to be said of the mutual dislike between him and the detective heroes. Speaking of which, Thomas von Brömssen acts out Johansson's heartbreaking backstory with enough subtlety for us to feel it and ache for it without it becoming preachy. The political dimension of the film also becomes apparent only as the plot unfolds, leading up to... well, let's just say it isn't your standard cop flick. In short, Widerberg manages to internalise the suspense into his audience, making it ever more powerful than it could have otherwise become.

How It Ends (2018)

Now we know how it ends

[3/10 · 23 July 2018]

As soon as modern technology breaks down, Americans grab their guns, get in their cars, and go west. There, of course, lurk many a danger, including vile bandits, traps, and set-ups, by people who have instantly turned feral from suddenly losing their Facebook. However, the hero eventually gets the girl and rides away in the sunset. Of course, after having been officially appointed A Man by her paw. Yee-haw. I think the title refers to the end of movie-making innovation. This must be how Hollowwood ends.

Rillington Place (2016)

Bone-chilling performance

[7/10 · 22 June 2018]

Tim Roth plays the notorious serial killer John "Reg" Christie with bone-chilling eeriness, a masterly performance to no small extent aided by the cinematography and lighting, which would have had Hitchcock nodding in approval, and which borders as closely on the exagerrated as it gets without overstepping the line (in my opinion). The set design provides the appropriately grim backdrop of the poorer areas of 1940s and 1950s London, and the soundtrack is certainly enough to make anybody lie awake wondering what might be lurking under the floorboards of the house you just moved into. The story is very well told, leaving enough for the viewer's imagination to add to the horror as the ghastly details creep into your mind. But there is a piece missing at the very end, as if the director suddenly realised that the allotted running time was quickly running out, and had to cut out a large chunk without forethought. That, unfortunately, takes away a few stars from what would otherwise have been a little masterpiece, but which is now left marred by an ending that seems oddly thrown together with too many loose ends dangling. Nevertheless, it's well worth a watch - you'll never look at your balding uncle the same way again.

Maze Runner: The Death Cure (2018)

Squandering a great premise

[3/10 · 16 June 2018]

The first movie in the series was intelligent, edgy, a great premise that had you wanting more. Sadly, it's all been downhill from there. The sequels have descended into formulaic zombie-standards with tired repetitions of SOME of the original ideas, but starvingly short of original ideas of its own. It's really saddening to watch something that could have had it all ending up with little more than nothing.

Star Wars: Episode VIII - The Last Jedi (2017)

This rubbish is an insult

[1/10 · 15 June 2018]

If you buy a five-dollar Rolex copy in a shady market, chances are that it will at least still work. If you spend your money on this atrocity, however, you will find that poorly thrown-together copies made by pople who haven't a clue sometimes don't. When Disney took over Lucasfilm, you could hear the tills ringing all the way to galaxies far, far away. Now the cost must be retrieved at any price. So let's quickly pull together a bunch of second-class Star Wars fans from the nearest geek fair and have them churn out a few flicks according to the formula "same as the first ones, only more - and don't forget the merchandise placement". The result: As palatable as a cup of coffee left on the counter since 1977 - it tasted good a long time ago, in a time far, far away. There are simply too many faults with this cringefest to list here. Suffice to say is that the passion and artistry from the original movie, that made it jump out like a golden droid at us among all the droves of crappy sci-fi movies that littered theatres in the 1970s, are long gone. I'll take the fake Rolex over this any time.

The Happening (2008)

Attack of the Killer Grass

[1/10 · 15 May 2018]

This takes the "Attack of the Killer Tomatoes" concept to a whole new level. DOWN to a whole new level, that is. Who said the age of turkeys was over? I wish I could give this rubbish a negative amount of stars.

Looper (2012)

Utterly, utterly stupid

[1/10 · 11 July 2017]

The plot of this film is so utterly inconsistent, self-contradictory, and containing more holes than Swiss cheese, that it's unbelievable it was even made. No spoilers in this review, I promise you, because I most certainly didn't get it; found what I did get completely unreasonable even within its own universe (and yet I like both sci-fi, time travel movies, action flicks, and Bruce Willis), and stopped watching about one third into the movie. I don't think it would make sense even when watched while on drugs (don't). The script should have been sent back in time, shot, and dumped into a furnace before landing on Bruce Willis's agent's desk. Now THERE'S an incentive to invent time travel if I ever saw one.

The Mummy (2017)

Should have been buried with the other corpses

[1/10 · 15 June 2017]

The only scary thing about this "horror" movie is how bad it is. It should have been buried in a tomb full of mercury and sealed up for eternity. Without Tom Cruise stumbling over it as a Lara Croft/Indiana Jones wannabe literally dropped from the sky right into the middle of the key to the riddle, the one that other poor suckers have been searching for during thousands of years. Lucky him? Hold on, it gets worse. Ole' Nick finds himself neck-deep in a quagmire, not so much of ancient artifacts and killer zombie-inducing spiders (deary me, who comes up with all this rubbish?), but of incoherent and random movie ideas, CGI-arrhoea, stupidly recycled themes, and plot holes bigger than the giant-*ss one he repels down into at the beginning of the movie. And, of course, the obligatory sequel-connecting non-ending, petering out in a sea of greed and ringing tills. It's all for the money, and you gotta wonder why Tom Cruise is immersing himself into this garbage pit of Hollow-wood waste. But then again, it's expensive to be a Scientologist, somebody's gotta pay the Dianetics bills. Too bad it happened to be me this time.