FieldCannotBeLeftBlank Reviews

The Banshees of Inisherin (2022)

A one hour film stretched over two

[5/10 · 8 February 2024]

The acting and location provided a foundation for what could have been a great film. It was wonderful to see great Irish actors together in an Irish setting. The classic dry humour and wit, the stoicism and the lack of pretence of the characters made the film stand out from the mainstream. Unfortunately plot and dialogue are elements that are lacking in this piece. The allegory/metaphor for pointless conflict - especially civil war-, and the commentary on mortality and artistic legacy versus living for the now, is not enough to sustain the running time with the film's paucity of decent interactive scenes and overuse of long shots of people seemingly wandering aimlessly on criss-crossed roads. Then there were the little things that broke the illusion for me, like the unrealistic location of the Pub and several anachronisms both in language and props. Slow and bleak doesn't always mean intellectual and deep, sometimes it means boring.

Life (I) (2017)

Too much exposition and too predictable

[5/10 · 5 August 2023]

This film had a lot going for it in terms of excellent CGI and a great cast. However, there were just too many things I found grating that spoiled the film. An annoying trait in many similar contemporary Hollywood films is the overburdening of expositional dialogue. People in space stations tend to have, at a minimum, many years of training and PhDs, therefore the idea that one crew member always needs to explain to another crew member how basic things work is unbelievable and distracting. This film also had some annoying goofs in terms of the physics of space and space stations, and one of the early scenes of 'manually' catching an object travelling at tens of thousands of km/h was just silly and set a poor tone. The actions of the crew which were sometimes illogical or defied training, and the literally miraculous abilities of the alien set this up to be mostly predictable and by-the-numbers, though I did like the very last scenes.

Tomorrow Never Dies (1997)

A solid and entertaining Bond

[8/10 · 27 May 2023]

This has quite a contemporary plot involving 'fake news' that is quite prescient. Disappointingly the level of collaboration implied between the UK, Russia and China didn't last. The usual suspension of disbelief for a Bond film is required; however some of the live action stunts are genuinely thrilling. Michelle Yeoh makes a fantastic counterpart to Bond and her fight scenes are as good as it gets. Brosnan plays Bond with depth and sincerity, despite the obligatory double-entendre peppered throughout the film. This is quite a well written film with some sound acting from the main characters and a story that is interesting as well as action-packed.

Faithfully Yours (2022)

Could have been much better.

[5/10 · 22 May 2023]

This had a lot of plot elements; each of which could have been more fully explored to make a great film, but all were used at once so the plot was jumbled and not believable. For example the idea of the women deceiving their husbands and then one of them suspected of murder but not able to prove her innocence because of the previously fabricated events would be a good film. As would one of the husbands secretly monitoring his wife's every move to create the perfect murder. Unfortunately the film did not exploit any of these ideas in depth, but glossed over them in order to introduce more, unnecessary twists. Unfortunately the casual approach to the investigation by the police and the idea that Bodil Backer was supposed to be a judge were almost laughable.

The World Is Not Enough (1999)

Solid modern Bond

[7/10 · 20 May 2023]

The plot is reasonable, there are a few twists and turns, gags and great live action stunts; it's what to expect and love from a Bond film. TWINE avoids the CGI of its following movie and had some great action scenes: a spectacular boat chase, large set destructions and some genuinely tense moments. Bond is quite ruthless in this film and makes some kills, including one that M witnesses, that reveal his darker edge and the trouble within his soul. The supporting cast are great, Coltrane is funny as usual, and Carlyle plays the nihilistic villain well. Marceau and Richards give solid performances, despite the ridiculous opening outfit for the latter. This is a solid Bond film that entertains and is enjoyable from start to finish.

The Weekend Away (2022)

Crime Fantasy

[4/10 · 13 May 2023]

Nice setting; unbelievable characters.

Unfortunately this film is a by-the-numbers cliche plot twist move that is just too silly to rate highly. Some of the silly character actions include:

• The 'heart of gold' refugee taxi driver with spare time to drive around in his taxi for many hours if not days, for free, to help a stranger
• The police inspector who thinks her subordinate is a rapist, yet takes his side through most of the film, even though he has failed to file a report on a missing woman, and behaves like a misogynist the entire time
• A twenty year old with a huge modern building to rent out who composes music for a living but owns not a single instrument
• Police that can turn up in force, within seconds of receiving a tip-off from a taxi office
• A protagonist who, every time she gets a clue, rushes into the nearest bathroom to think about things, whilst an antagonist waits outside, and who tells the person that she suspects them of being the killer right when she is most vulnerable
• A police inspector in Croatia who is able to use her 6th sense to direct police in London to the new address of a murderer, despite the address never being said out loud or any other clues being given over the phone as to where the person was.

The Complexity of Happiness (2015)

Shows, doesn't tell.

[8/10 · 29 April 2023]

Whilst the business aspects of the film are dealt with lightly, that seems to be the nature of the film, in that it places visual moments in front of the viewer and leaves the detail and interpretation to them. This is what is so refreshing about this film for me, the lack of expositional dialogue; in fact much of the dialogue is peripheral to the story, but still contributes to the journey of the protagonist. There are long periods of imagery without any dialogue at all, which leave the viewer to think about what is happening and how this fits in. Essentially I think this is about exactly what the English title says; The Complexity of Happiness. What makes one person happy does not make another happy; what a person thinks makes them happy can be exposed in the negative with a different perspective and finally; there is an inherent moral and ethical core to most people, which, if ignored, will always prevent the acquisition of true happiness and freedom.

Danger Close (2019)

Confected drama

[6/10 · 16 April 2023]

The Battle of Long Tan is a key event in Australian military history and the battle was hard-fought on both sides. Lessons were given on it to soldiers in the army, and there have been some excellent documentaries on the subject. This film attempts to portray this iconic battle, and for the most part does an ok job. For me, however, the dramatic scenes of individualism and the disobeying of superiors is not only cliched but mostly false. The Australian Army of the 1960's was professional and disciplined, whether the soldiers were career soldiers, volunteers or conscripts. The exaggerated insubordination, assaults, dereliction of duty and refusing to obey orders in the film severely hampered my enjoyment of what could have been an ok film. The actual drama and tension of the Battle should have been enough without injecting ridiculous 21st century personal conflicts that were poorly written and totally out of place and without the grating overacting in the HQ and the Fire Support Base.

Luther: The Fallen Sun (2023)

Nice action film

[7/10 · 13 March 2023]

It's not high art, but neither is Bond, and I view this movie as an equivalent; a simple, but well executed hero/morality piece. The villain was excellently played by Serkis, who was transformed into such an ugly hideous creep. Elba is such a great action hero, but always with a depth of character. Erivo and Crowley were competent and engaging supports. The commentary on the dark world of streaming/on demand violence was timely and thought-provoking. This is a well-paced and exciting thriller that glosses over a few oddities of logic with its suspenseful and well-made action and suspense scenes. A slick movie.

Kong: Skull Island (2017)

An inconsistent film

[6/10 · 21 February 2023]

This movie flits between action/comedy and action/drama. It works well as the former, not so well as the latter. In the opening act and the denouement during the closing credits, when the film tries to take itself too seriously all of the flaws in the film become grating and distracting. When it is more of a comedic adventure, the flaws are not as noticeable and forgiven by the viewer. There are so many ridiculous aspects to this film that it can only work as a comedy, and John C Reilly excels in this department, in fact he brings the film to life and I started to view it as a bit of a humorous satire and thought all the opening cliches were actually meant to be clumsy and annoying; suddenly the film worked for me. Then the cringeworthy and unnecessary homecoming scene almost undid all that sentiment. Great CGI and action sequences; entertaining.

Scream (1996)

Well balanced and iconic slasher.

[8/10 · 18 February 2023]

This is a film that offers something from several genres: it is a good horror film, a funny comedy and a suspenseful whodunnit. Because the plot does not rely on the supernatural, which is part of its appeal, I think one of the more unique aspects of this film, when released, was that it is a pretty good mystery/whodunnit as well. So many people are set up to be the potential killer, but are gradually whittled away, and even in the last act you are still guessing. Then there is the self-referential comedy aspect and the many cultural references and meta-jokes throughout the film. The action/slasher scenes are exciting, the suspense scenes are well crafted and the whole film is well paced and entertaining.

Foxcatcher (2014)

Fascinating and creepy story

[8/10 · 18 February 2023]

This is a well made film that suggests a scene of old-money venality and moral decay from the opening credits. There is always a sense of unease and darkness despite the wealth and opulence of the Du Pont estate. Tatum and Ruffalo give an excellent portrayal of siblings, one with success and adulation and the other always in the shadow of the first. Carell also does a great job and plays such an awkward and sinister character existing in plain sight, surrounded by people happy to do his bidding, no matter how odd or delusional. An excellent and unusual story filmed with skill and nuance; I found Foxcatcher to be both memorable and disturbing.

CHIPS (2017)

A new classic.

[8/10 · 13 February 2023]

Great cast, awesome stunts, questionable morality, ridiculous plot, what's not to love? Peña is such a versatile actor and always handles comedy brilliantly, Shepard is very funny, and D'Onofrio acts so straight and brilliantly; his scenes almost transform the film from farce to high-end drama. Lots of 'oh no they didn't' moments, great slapstick, running jokes, parodies and satire. I found this to be a very rounded and funny film that is definitely a welcome relief when you need a bit of a laugh. This would make a great double-bill with Stiller and Wilson's 'Starsky and Hutch'. Worthy of a sequel, great stuff.

Logan Lucky (2017)

Great heist film

[8/10 · 11 February 2023]

Does most things right. All the cast perform well and the plot is interesting and funny. Some of the cameos and other roles are a nice touch, and although we all know how these heist movies go there is still enough of a twist at the end to keep it fresh. Tatum, Keough and Driver were great and Craig is totally believable as the southern lay-chemist; Yoakam's warden was a hoot. Some of the comedy sequences were a bit flat or inconsistent with the rest of the pace of the film, but all together it worked well. Great vicarious feeling seeing all that cash ripe for the picking! And the last act and denouement was outstanding.

The Comeback Trail (2020)

Great acting, bad CGI

[5/10 · 9 February 2023]

I have never seen a movie with such great actors, all acting so well, that was so bad. The film is let down by inconsistent style (is it screwball, pathos, black comedy or not a comedy?), unnecessary and poorly executed CGI stunts. It seeks a suspension of disbelief for things like bulls being able to see red, old men being kicked by horses and not really being hurt, or guns getting fired in nursing homes without anyone caring, yet we are expected to feel some sense of jeopardy for Max Barber who is indebted to Reggie Fontaine. This could have been so much better. The characters and acting was superb and the premise (although a bit derivative of The Producers) was good; this should have been a much better film.

BoyTown (2006)

Double satire

[6/10 · 31 January 2023]

This movie is probably too subtle for its own good. Firstly it satirises boy-band/pop music, which is a fairly easy target, but it also satirises the very genre of 'getting the band back together' type films. Because it plays the cliches it satirises completely straight, at times it appears exactly like the bad movies it parodies. The performances are generally good and, given so earnestly in the face of deliberately cringeworthy dialogue and songs, are a subtle highlight. The predictable and extremely fantastic course the film takes sat somewhere between brilliant satire and mediocre plot development. Still, an enjoyable film with a little more going on than first appears.

Zach Galifianakis: Live at the Purple Onion (2006 TV Special)

Needs more work

[5/10 · 23 January 2023]

I like most of what Galifianakis has done outside this and I understand his comedy, but I found this show to be a little bit too indulgent, ill-disciplined and not very funny. I can do without seeing long inserts of him driving a Kombi and the 'twin' character didn't add anything but highlight the weakness of the main set: In a 1 hour show nothing should be trying to detract from the stand-up unless there are problems with the stand up in the first place. And there were; (unintentionally and repeatedly) flubbed jokes; excessive and repetitive interaction with one audience member; lack of much coherence; and inconsistent delivery. There were occasional lines that brought a smile, but more often the comedy fell flat or awkwardly for me.

Munich (2005)

Technically great, weak plot.

[6/10 · 18 January 2023]

Watching the recreation of the period, the camera work, special effects; experiencing the diegetic 'score' and general feel of 'Munich' was a treat and allowed one to push many nagging questions about motivation, coincidence and false morality to the back of one's mind. However the excessive run-time, weak plot (and its holes) proved a bit of a downfall. The film is an hour over its welcome. Avner's approach at the last act is just not believable, and the bizarre sex-scene/'flashback' sequence was implausible, weird and ultimately comedic. The film is only saved by the technical directing, and classic tense action sequences (however cliched).

Glass Onion (2022)

Great Fun

[7/10 · 15 January 2023]

A wonderful cast in a fun film. The locations, dialogue and technical aspects of the film are spot on and I very much enjoyed watching it and would not hesitate to see it again. In fact it would possibly be better on a second viewing. Daniel Craig's character-acting is sublime and its brilliant to see him launching what is shaping up as a fantastic post-007 career. The film tackles all sorts of social issues and satirises many aspects of 21st Century western society. My only real criticism is that the ending, although wonderfully satisfying, seemed a little trite and stuck-on; to me it felt much less sophisticated and witty than the rest of the film. With a neater, less bombastic finale it would have been an 8 or more.

Wine Country (2019)

Very watchable

[7/10 · 30 December 2022]

A nice film that is genuinely funny and doesn't stray too far down the schmaltzy alleys it sets up for itself. Surprisingly satirical take on wine country touring and the upper-middle class lifestyle. The film also dances between genuine introspective-group-vacation-movie and a send-up of the same. The fact that it doesn't take itself too seriously and actually subverts some of the tropes normally accompanying a movie about a middle-aged group of long-time girlfriends made it fun and easy to watch, and there are some great physical comedy scenes interspersed with some very funny dialogue delivered by a group of competent and well cast actors.

Midsommar (2019)

Not very suspenseful

[5/10 · 17 December 2022]

Unfortunately, without much investment in the characters (despite an overly long, and at times annoying, prelude) and with a story that is derivative and therefore predictable, Midsommar lacked any sustained sense of suspense or danger. Almost every major event in the film was broadcast before it happened or eminently predictable, which made it frustrating to watch such a drawn-out sequences, very long silences or monotone conversation. Additionally, the film plays on, and partly validates, childish xenophobia and cultural ignorance, which is why I found some of it comical when perhaps that was not the intended outcome. I get that this is not meant to be a 'horror' film, but if it's trying to be a psychological drama about relationships it doesn't do that too well either.

All Quiet on the Western Front (2022)

Overplayed the ending

[5/10 · 27 November 2022]

With the advances in CGI and movie realism, I was looking forward to watching this new adaptation of Erich Maria Remarque's famous anti-war novel. At the beginning, all seemed well, with the futility of the war played out in the imagery and dialogue. I missed having the training scenes of the earlier adaptation, as this highlighted even more the foolishness (in hindsight) of the fervent patriotism and rigid disciplinary training for a war that was already out of control. This film veered too far from the book and earlier films in adding a stack of modern war movie tropes, cliches and villains. It also inserted some historically and tactically questionable Hollywood action scenes and also a climactic ending. In reality and in the novel, death does not usually come dramatically, but mundanely.

The King's Man (2021)

Only glimpses of the previous Kingsman films

[4/10 · 21 November 2022]

I liked the earlier Kingsman films, though found the closing sequence in the second to be off and unnecessary. I was really looking forward to The King's Man, which had so much potential to be a riotous and irreverent take on the politics and insanity of global relations that led to WW1. However, the film is patchy at best, and boring at worst. Ralph Fiennes is great at comedy, as is Rhys Ifans, but this film exploited their talents in a very clumsy way, or not at all. The Rasputin character was extremely funny, for about two minutes. The constant desire to make historically accurate in-jokes, and establish back-story of the other two films became overwhelming and lost the innovation and parodical humour of it predecessors.

Death on the Nile (2022)

Fool me once shame on you, fool me twice...

[4/10 · 21 November 2022]

I really like Sir Kenneth, both as an actor, and what I have seen of his personality. It is because of his involvement that I was lulled into watching this film, despite being extremely disappointed in the previous Branagh Christie-remake. I should really have known better. All the attempts to 'modernise' or correct the morals, sexism and racism of the early 20th Century are just distracting and disrupt the suspension of disbelief. For example, white women in 'Love Boat' style uniforms working as Nile deck-hands was ridiculous. The WWI prologue added nothing but time to an overly-long film, and the subsequent establishing scenes in the first half went on for far too long, were often awkward and pointless. In my view, if you, as a filmmaker, rightly, find the racism and sexism often present in the British Empire of the 1930's unpalatable, then don't make a film set in that period and attempt to rewrite history. Similarly if you want to make a decent film about love and loss don't try and shoehorn it into a Christie whodunnit.

The Good Nurse (2022)

The Bad Movie and the Ugly Truth

[3/10 · 3 November 2022]

There is 'cinéma vérité', and then there is 'really boring watching an actor pretend to be a ward nurse working a shift for hours'; Good Nurse is the latter. Compelling subject matter, incredibly mundane retelling. Redmayne does a great job, but it's probably too good, because his under-the-radar character is so under-the-radar as to be boring- except for his Tugg Speedmanesque renditions in the final act - which weren't boring but weren't good either. Chastain too is good, but both felt more like good actors portraying over-the-top theatrical confections of 'depressing working folk'; so for me I was never drawn in enough to feel any real tension.