alison-carlyle67 Reviews

The Creator (2023)

Another View

[9/10 · 22 February 2024]

At its heart the film is about acceptance and tolerance. Drawn into a world that is visually spectacular and instantly understandable. It isn't Bladerunner it's far easier to connect with, I love Bladerunner, it has been in my top ten since I saw it but I had to watch it more than once before I understood what was happening.

The visual choices are stunning but not intrusive. They meld seamlessly and I am all for that. I watch for meaning and the meta message. I will confess I waited for the usual, the Americans are actually the heros but it never faltered from the Luddite, fear of change, intolerant, self-proclaimed saviours, fatally flawed villains message. The "American's" are without a doubt destroyers rather than builders. The New Asians are the explorers, creators, tolerant, underdogs who I instinctively route for.

I believed in this world. I entered the world.

The story was predictable but that did not detract from the experience. I believed in the relationships, human and non human. I believed they existed. I believed they lived and loved. Unlike others I did not find the script stilted, but that is just me. It felt as genuine as the performances.

I can not find fault with the pacing, it is a long film. I wanted to see where it would travel, and for me it was satisfying if predictable. I wanted more, but surely that's a good thing.

How do we view AI? Is it a threat? Is it a blessing? Is it life?

The questions asked were not answered. That is for the viewer to consider.

Mr. & Mrs. Smith (2024– )

This is not the Film, it's so much better.

[10/10 · 4 February 2024]

The performances in this are brilliant. The premiss is interesting and original. Two people apply for a job being spies, days later they are married and in a fabulous apartment delivering a bomb.

It's what happens to ordinary people when they are in extraordinary situations. We do not get to see the overarching reasons for why they are undertaking their missions. It just is what it is. They don't know even know the outcomes. There is no uncovering of a larger conspiracy.

The action is encompassed by the relationship. The action is creative, gritty and beautifully done.

The relationship feels real, a mismatch of expectations hopes and dreams. Ever wanted to kill your ex? They do.

Can't wait to see what they do next. Definitely needs another season. It's fresh enough to be a ground breaker. The questions is, will it find its audience? Is the mature audience this needs out there? Judging by the comments, it will take some finding.

The King's Daughter (2022)

Good story- poor execution

[6/10 · 6 September 2023]

Kayas performance is the best thing about this film, although the SFX come in at a close second. She improves the performances of those around her and the on screen chemistry with her husband Ben is touching. He's pretty great as well and in a more substantial role there's a feeling he's equally capable of being compelling. The sets are remarkable and there's a new take on the mermaid, with fins for arms, rather than the mash-up of human and fish we have become accustomed. All that being said there are things that draw your attention and interfere with the suspensions of disbelief.

Pierce B make up is particularly distracting. It's the wrong tone for his skin tone and stands out in every scene. The rest of the make-up is pretty poor, with misplaced contouring and weird skin colour choices. The hair suffers from a lack of styling and purpose. The costumes are poorly designed. Don't expect any authenticity or actual concept because there isn't one. I can forgive poor adherence to period in a fantasy piece but not an absence of any design concept. The actors do not feel good in the clothes and it shows.

Maybe it suffered in the recutting of the story, but it is a very basic telling. I have not read the book so I can not comment on accuracy.

Everything else is alright, but that's the best that can be said. The score is alright, the directing is alright, the cinematography is alright, the performances are alright. Kaya and Ben performance stands out as excellent. I suspect the script was quite good, but it was not showcased.

If you can get past the poor makeup then it is worth a watch for SFX of the mermaid. Too much money spent in the wrong places and insufficient attention to detail.

An opportunity missed.

Choose Love (II) (2023)

It's a classic romcom but...

[8/10 · 3 September 2023]

You get to work out what you would do or go with something you would never do. It is an illusion of choice though, some things will just happen, some choices are already made. That said it is an interesting concept. It looks effortless and is very well done. Creating the choices and making the film hang together as a narrative must have been quite a challenge.

It is interesting to make choices and then rewind and make different ones. You could watch this film a few times with different choices. Ultimately it is fluff and if you take it as such it is enjoyable.

I do not look for plot holes so I may have missed them. It is enjoyable if you are looking for something fluffy and not emotionally taxing.

Dear Evan Hansen (2021)

So I haven't seen it on Broadway

[9/10 · 27 August 2023]

The lead actor Ben carries the film. It's subtle and nuanced. Yes he's evidently older than the character he plays, suspend disbelief and enjoy the performance of someone choosing to live and growing as a person. The gained confidence of taking responsibility for actions without a "but" is laudable. It isn't tied up in a neat bow with total forgiveness, it's more like this is how you move on.

There are no overly dramatic scenes, but many people don't tare their clothes in grief. It gives them representation. Juliet More's powerful acceptance as his mother is everything it should be.

To anyone who has felt alone, prepare to cry...a lot.

Lockwood & Co. (2023)

A lesson in how to do it

[10/10 · 28 January 2023]

I didn't know this was a book. As a series it is a story well told.

The first episode grips you with action, I've seen it a thousand times but it was done well. Then the story starts and without exposition you know what's happening. You get the ideas. You move through the story, with multidimensional characters with quirks.

The exploitation of children for their abilities by adults is believable.

The performances are great, no one stands out and no one falls behind they are all strong.

The cinematography, set design, costumes, makeup, script serve the story. It's a story that hasn't been told before although the basic premise is that of a mystery thriller.

I binge watched. You won't regret it.

The Equalizer (2021– )

Underrated enjoyable

[8/10 · 27 November 2022]

I watched first and expected Stella reviews, so I was surprised at the reaction. I enjoyed the original series with Woodward. This is different. The premise needs a character and that is provided by Queen Latifa It simply couldn't be led by anyone else.

Yes there is exposition but if you view this as a fairy tale, it starts to make sense. This is a fantasy in a world that desperately needs hope. You know at the end of each episode that justice will be done and the Equalizer has all the answers. I need that. I think we all need that.

I want to believe that there are people in the world that will do the right thing, challenge those with power and look after the oppressed.

I want to believe in exceptional people.

It touches on injustice but the injustice is made right. It's a fantasy. It's a break from the reality that people with power and wealth are untouchable.

The script isn't the best, although there are witty lines in there. The stories are smart, if improbable at times.

Watch this when you are feeling down, you will feel better.

Manifest (2018–2023)

Are you missing the point?

[8/10 · 7 November 2022]

The thing I like about sci-fi is the ability to talk about the things that are happening in our world in a way that is safe. Maybe I read too much into things, but my argument would be that writing doesn't happen in a vacuum and writers are as influenced by their surrounds as the rest of us.

I love that the plot isn't cohesive and it shifts, changes direction. It's as confusing as the world we find ourself in. There are no easy linear answers. There are personal failings, passion, obsession, fear, certainty. People doing the wrong thing for the right reasons.

The mystery remains, the imperative remains but it's under question...did they get it right? Are they right?

It's the human element I like. This is not a hero series, this is ordinary people doing extraordinary things. Getting it wrong, getting it right.

I could explain the commentary on our lives right now, but I'm guessing that it's a very individual journey if you are open to it.

Cats (2019)

I didn't know I wasn't supposed to like it

[6/10 · 29 August 2022]

As I was watching Cats, my daughter came in and said "it's not very good, we don't like it"...I asked if she'd seen it. She said not. I decided to make my own mind up.

Don't get me wrong, the half-cat half-human hybrids take some getting used to but I enjoy Syfi so...well not a problem. I'm also a massive cat lover...he's called Butterscotch.

I really liked Judy Denche's performance, although there is a speech/song that should have been cut. The role is more believable as a female. Laurie Davidson did a believable job as Mr Mistopholees.

James Cordon is great, in his role providing the only laugh in the film. The performance of memories did nothing for me...sorry. It may have brought the crew to tears but not for me. The vocal range & interpretation just wasn't there.

Francesca Hayward's performance of Victoria was suitably gauche and the hinted romance between Victoria & Mr Mistopholees was cute.

They didn't deal with Victoria being abandoned except later in song, but hey it's a portrayal of a cat.

I was left with the impression that it is the source material that is the issue. I watched the stage production after....it's boring. This may have been a case of the Lloyd Webber's name selling a substandard musical. How it lasted 20 years on the west end is beyond me. Maybe it's the two good songs in it? Memories is beautiful and. Magical Mr Mistopholees is catchy. I guess I'm the child saying the emperor doesn't have any clothes. The songs are mostly poor. It's dated.

The film was more interesting, so yes it was that bad. This was a film, well actually a musical that should never have been made.

Surface (2022– )

Interesting.

[8/10 · 30 July 2022]

So weird that people are calling this "woke" it isn't. It's about class, but I'm British, so maybe not as triggered. For me it's about memory and the part that plays in identity, that's why it's interesting.

I love the contained acting. Loving the "beautiful people". I wouldn't watch if you're interested in hero's and villains, it's more complex than that and you'll just become focused on the wrong things. Why does Sophie need to know about the time before she lost her memory? Who is Tess? What is the threat? Are people in Sophie's life who they say they are and are they being honest about who she is? Can they be? How much of our past makes us who we are now?

Get past the colour of characters skin and there are more interesting questions there. This is a slow burn, that promises interesting answers.

Undone (2019–2022)

It's a trip

[9/10 · 12 May 2022]

Some people see this as an allegory for mental illness. I don't think it is. There are elements of processing loss. It isn't like schizophrenia, it's more like dementia where people get lost in time. We are left guessing as to reality.

I like the dialogue which is dry. I found it laugh out loud funny in parts. The do over screens establish the characters.

Playing It Cool (2014)

Am I the only one who loves this film?

[9/10 · 24 January 2022]

So, this is a romcom. A writer who doesn't believe in love finds it, looses it and maybe finds it again...so far so formulaic. That's the genre.

The humour is dry, not slap stick or a comedy of errors. The performances are slick with little exploration of the characters emotional depths. That's the genre. It has some quirky twists like a personification of the main characters heart. Some of the actions of the "me" character fall into the inappropriate stalker category, but hey that's the genre.

So why do I love this film despite its deficits? It runs through ideas about real life verses romcom. It talks about the importance of friendships and taking chances. It's well done. It's hopeful and it's querks make it interesting.

I've been watching a lot of films recently that are directorial debuts where the dialogue is just plain appalling. The dialogue in this film is repartee and sarcastic, I really like that. It's comfortable, not jarring.

The reason I know I liked this film, I actually watched it and did not IMDB once until the end. Sometimes you want high art, sometimes you want the familiar stories told well. This is a familiar story, told well. The writers perspective and first person narrative adds to the story.

So I liked it.

The Gentlemen (2019)

Beautifully constructed film

[10/10 · 7 January 2022]

So, I did not much like the title and was not sure it was the sort of film I wanted to watch but then I did.

Not one second is waisted, not one line is unneeded, the twists and turns are not obvious except for a general sense of I bet this is not going to play out as I think.

The performances, I have never seen these actors act so well and they are all wonderful actors. Not a slip in the fast pacing twists and turns. Pause this one when you make a drink or use the lavatory because you will miss the sparkling crackle and pop.

Cinematography, props, set design, costumes don't distract working together to enhance the film. Guy Ritchie pulls it all together. I love the unique exposition as part of the story.

Don't expect depth from the characters, it wouldn't work if they were complex.

It ends with "that's entertainment" and it absolutely is.

Dune (2021)

Am I the only one not to find Dune too long

[8/10 · 2 January 2022]

I watched Dune 2021 and then watched the 80's version.

Dune 2021 is stunning visually, the performances understated and of our time. You have to watch and think to understand. There is nothing of the tedious exposition that grates through the 80's version. The portrayal of women is infinitely better. Women own themselves in this iteration which is a contrast to the 1980's version where there are micro aggressions towards and from the female characters are jarring. The 80's version of Jessica is overly emotional, in a look at me kind of way. In the 2021 version Jessica's emotions trickle from a suppressed place and are compellingly powerful.

None of the performances are outstanding because the casts performances are all outstanding. They create the Universe and inhabit it.

The first introduction to the "worm" is beautifully done. Understated and routine turning to terror.

I've tried to watch the 1980's version of Dune before. It is confusing despite the expositions and voiced thoughts. The brilliant Director David Lynch is right it is a failure. After watching the 2021 version I understood it better. It is still a failure but engaging, even if it is brimming with information that is absent from the 2021 version. The 2021 version looses nothing for being implicit rather than explicit.

I am looking forward to part two.

Override (2021)

It could have been a contender....

[4/10 · 14 December 2021]

The idea is interesting. The script is stilted and stops flowing after the first Jack. The lead actresses performance is stunning, Goss is believable but the rest of the cast, could have done better. The set design was stunning and the cinematography was great.

The areas of weakness were the editing and its interaction with the convoluted plot. I don't object to a convoluted plot. I rather like twists and turns. Opportunities were missed. The same story could have been told with fewer actors and better direction. At one point a character expresses regret, but without the non verbal indications of shame. It looses credibility long before this point.

Abuse of the android could have been indicated without the long screens of Jack 2.

I'm not one for gratuitous violence but a build up would have helped the plot.

I watched it all the way through, but it's disappointing. So much potential not achieved.

After the Dark (2013)

Facinating

[9/10 · 23 October 2021]

I watched this a few years ago, I liked it then and when I watched it under the title of The Philosophers. I liked it again.

I don't understand the negative reviews, the actors are good looking, people talk a lot, there is pretend violence. That covers every film I've ever seen.

I'm attracted to the ideas, the portrayal of philosophy, and the carefully crafted stories, because there are multiple. Character development in the main characters, particularly the teacher.

The totally pragmatic rational pitted against the moral and ethical.

Choices tells us who the characters are, their motivations.

It takes time to think.

Beta Test (I) (2016)

Great Concept poor motivations

[4/10 · 23 October 2021]

It's a really interesting concept. I can even accept that someone has kept themselves away from the world because their dog was shot. I can accept that someone would undertake missions to save their wife. The thing I find hard is that someone who professes to be anti gun real world and pro gun virtual world would move guns from the virtual world into the real world. It's a delusional construct but the character isn't portrayed as mad enough...it just doesn't scan. The acting from the two main characters is fine, not much range or growth but this is a "shoot-em-up" so why would there be? The fight scenes are choreographed poorly, and it's all a bit repetitive. The script is poor and the actors did their best with it. In the right hands this could have been a great film, examining concepts of coercion, control and responsibility as it is well it's passable.

Ashes (I) (2012)

Best portrayal of Dementia I've ever seen

[9/10 · 15 October 2021]

So Ray Winston is brilliant in his portrayal of a man lost in time, with a tentative grip on reality. This is a dark think piece about relationships, compassion and violence. If you want to see Ray Winston in his usual roles then this isn't for you. He shows real depth and understanding of a horrific condition that leaves someone confused, vulnerable, scared and lost. The journey is incidental and metaphorical, the violence is genuine and not gratuitous. The filming is creative but does not overshadow the story telling.

Best thing I've seen recently.

Cinderella (I) (2021)

Well I liked it

[10/10 · 3 September 2021]

It's about time we had a genuine reimagining of the Cinderella story. It's fun, fresh & different without loosing the fairytale quality. It's still a love story but this is one where it isn't the woman who makes all the sacrifices. Costumes are great. I think it does have a pantomime quality. No one is terribly bad or evil just misguided. I enjoyed the production value & witty script. The acting was without exception on point. Musical numbers had choreography that was interesting and the dancers hit their mark. A feel good film. If you're looking for social commentary this isn't it.

Lucifer: Bloody Celestial Karaoke Jam (2021) Season 5, Episode 10

Who knew Lucifer could sing?

[10/10 · 31 May 2021]

This....well so enjoyable. Loved the selection of songs. The concept...weird but wonderful. The songs aren't intrusive, they expand the story line. As usual lucifer is funny and strange, the acted and the series. My only issue is Chloe's character lost some of her sass, the singing and dancing makes up for it though. No clever camera angles needed; this cast can dance!

Leonardo (2021– )

It may not be the truth but it is a truth

[10/10 · 24 April 2021]

So I watch a lot of films and series, I wasn't sure that I would be interested in this but having watched just about everything else, I watched and couldn't stop watching. I am so glad I did. The series is quite remarkable in so many ways. They wanted to invite us into a "live world" and that is exactly what they did; the lighting, sets, photography, consumes, acting, writing, directing create a believable world from the past. It's quite remarkable.

The story is captivating: a fictionalised murder mystery wrapped around a historical life. The creation of characters, motivations and interactions are fascinating. The journeys the characters make both metaphorical and actual feel genuine. The melding of historical fact and imagined fiction is fascinating. Is this a new genre?

When watching historical productions there is always the touch of the time when it was created, if it exists in this production the touch is very light. We are invited into a world that feels inhabited and very real.

The performances are wonderfully complex and show a depth that is rarely seen across the entire cast. Aidan Turner is Leonardo the man, Matilda De Angelis is a believable spirited woman, Carlos Cuevas is a distinct character, Giancarol Giannini is a maestro, James D'Arcy is a tyrant. The list is not exclusive the supporting cast is equally remarkable in their depiction of real people in a real time.

The exception is Freddie Highmore as the fictional character Stefano Giraldi. He is a man out of the time, the inquisitor that acts as a bridge for the audience into the foreign land that is the past.

That this production was brought to conclusion during a pandemic makes it all the more remarkable. I feel as if I have been introduced to Leonardo, the genius man, centuries ahead of his time not the ikon.