Rumplestilts Reviews

Astrid et Raphaëlle (2019– )

Don't stop.

[10/10 · 15 March 2024]

Sara Mortensen is perfect and endows Astrid with vulnerability and the acquired (learned) tenacity required for police work. Watching her various tics and subtle (and not so subtle) movements is amazing; what an actor! All of the other actors portray their characters with believable attributes. You care about all of them. The stories are complicated but Astrid is the smartest one in the room. The surprise addition of...someone (won't spoil the surprise by providing any identification) gives Astrid more opportunity for growth. If the crew could continue to provide one show per week, I'd watch Astrid for the rest of my life. It's that good.

Sister Boniface Mysteries (2022– )

Less than the sum of its parts

[4/10 · 26 July 2022]

As others have written, Sister Boniface "just is" and, except for a subtle hint about her earlier work with MI5 or whatever, there is no acceptable reason she runs the show for the cops. As well, the story resolutions are in the vein of "then a miracle happens" with something evidentiary.

This show makes the Father Brown shows seem like Grantchester; in short, there's much less here than meets the eye. Pity.

Tango Shalom (2021)

Simply Charming

[7/10 · 1 March 2022]

Plenty of details about this title in other reviews so I won't repeat them here. Suffice to say that this is a charming comedy with a few well-chosen messages about tolerance and community. I thoroughly enjoyed it and can recommend it for all ages.

Nightmare Alley (2021)

Extremely uncomfortable

[8/10 · 5 February 2022]

I will not reveal any details about the film except to note that every actor was excellent in their roles (and this, of course, is partially due to Del Toro's usual first-rate direction).

Some parts of the film were predictable but that's just the nature of this sort of story (and that's not a complaint). Bradley Cooper's character is warned, repeatedly, not to go too far in his act lest he either cause major emotional damage to his "marks or start to believe his own shtick.

Of course, he ignores the warnings and "hijinks ensue". The title of my review was "extremely uncomfortable" and, truly, many of the characters (though not all) are pretty miserable people and watching them ignore basic human dignity was unsettling. Maybe some (many?) of them got what they deserved. Certainly Cooper's character did.

Midnight Mass (2021)

The mountains tremble and a mouse is brought forth

[1/10 · 28 November 2021]

When the writer and the director are one and the same, there is no one who can stop this trainwreck of a series.

Vampires? Check.

Walking Dead? Check.

Angels? Check.

Homicidal Drunk Driver? Check.

Resurrection? Check.

In the best tradition of Stephen King's acolytes, the writer/director not only kills off 99% of the characters but burns down the entire joint and even cripples one of the two remaining alive in the last 5 seconds.

This was the runner-up script to "Springtime for Hitler".

Seven hours of my life I'll never get back. Save yourself and run away as fast as you can.

Greyhound (2020)

Grabs you by the collar and yanks you into the action

[8/10 · 26 July 2020]

As others have noted, this film is fairly short and doesn't provide much in the way of character development unless you include the way some of the characters have to grow up in a hurry.

Regardless, it's exciting, visually stunning, and you don't dare turn away from the screen for even a second. There's no wasted time nor effort (as, in naval warfare, there is no time for wasted effort if you are to survive).

Tom Hanks delivers yet again and, this time, provides the screenplay as well as his always-stellar performance.

Knives Out (2019)

A romp in the park with some wonderful actors

[9/10 · 26 December 2019]

Really enjoyed this soft-of "who-done-it-and-why-and-maybe-not-all-is-as-it-seems" story with a great cast. Of course, Daniel Craig makes you forget that Bond guy in an instant as he seems to be having a great deal of fun. I wouldn't mind seeing him in a few more films with this character. (He really could be a great Poirot if he had the appropriate mustache.)

Lots of twists and turns to keep you guessing all the way to the end. I left the theatre completely satisfied and thinking about how entertaining this film really was.

Lucifer (2016–2021)

LMAO! Hell is complicated...or is that L.A.?

[10/10 · 26 June 2019]

What a howl! The actors and storyline and dialog are all first-rate. Saw that a fifth season was approved so that's a bonus. Tom Ellis as Lucifer is sort-of acting in his own show and doing everything to break the fourth wall except looking directly at the camera.

I have absolutely no complaints and agree with many other reviewers who wonder how this show could have had any difficulty getting renewed while zombie garbage keeps appearing on my TV like bird droppings.

Oh, one more thing. Lesley Brandt (Maze) is drop-dead gorgeous and is surely the sexiest woman in Hollywood.

The Umbrella Academy (2019–2024)

Episode 1 only - may go for the 2nd

[2/10 · 19 May 2019]

Five interesting minutes wrapped in an hour(? - seemed like more) of boring drivel. If this is what we are to expect, the director should have his license revoked.

Knowing the last 30 seconds of this episode (which I will not reveal) sorta-kinda makes me want to give the next episode a chance. If, however, I have to wade through another hour of mindless, boring angst (teenage and otherwise), I'm out of here.

Shoplifters (2018)

Fascinating film about...family? Well, yeah.

[8/10 · 15 March 2019]

What makes a family? What does one teach the children? What do people do to survive? Maybe they should do -something other- than what they've chosen but as they say, you make your choices and you usually get the life you deserve.

I sat, spellbound, for the entire length of the film and, even though some of the characters are pretty sketchy (in terms of morality), you find yourself rooting for them. So the script, cast, and director all grab your attention and you wish for a happy ending. Maybe you get one. I won't say. Go watch the film.

The Favourite (2018)

Still waiting for the ending.

[5/10 · 24 February 2019]

Yeah, break-dancing in Queen Anne's court. Should've turned it off then but decided to stick with it. Good acting from all the players and we'll see what the Academy thinks about the performances. But, c'mon, is it so hard to write a screenplay that actually has an ending that doesn't look like a scene from El Topo? While I can't say it was a total waste of time, my 9 year old grandson could have written a better ending. I give it a 5 out of 10 so that means it's your choice whether to invest 2+ hours of your life.

Atlas Shrugged: Part I (2011)

Spoilers but only if you haven't read the book

[3/10 · 10 November 2018]

...and if you think this 3-part series is a substitute for reading the book, you're truly a moron so go back to watching Fox News and voting accordingly.

This review is for the entire three-part series. I've watched all 5+ hours over two days so you don't have to wonder about those 5 hours I'll never get back.

This rather ham-fisted attempt at pigeon-holing Ayn Rand's tome starts out with some premises that have been conveniently altered to make the jump from the 1950's into 2017 (allegedly six years in the future at the time this film was released). While there has been a gallant effort by the cast to emote on-screen, one must remember that much of what is revealed about Atlas Shrugged's characters' happened not through plot (in spite of Ayn Rand's protestations to the contrary that the three most important elements of a novel were "plot, plot, and plot") but through the major characters' introspections. Pages of introspection that, in the book took you 30 minutes to read but, in this movie, can only be conveyed with a glance or a daggered look. Perhaps if the movie stopped at those points and we heard the inner voices...but then we'd have a 75 hour movie.

It appears that each movie has its own set of character actors inhabiting the various roles; Dagny, Hank, Francisco, Jim, etc. are played by decreasingly convincing SAG members who evidently needed the work. It's apparent that each set of actors, having finished their stint on the movie, saw what they had wrought and decided to run away as fast and far as possible. (I will write that Esai Morales as Francisco in Part 2 did a good job and was probably the most convincing actor in the entire series.)

The appearance of the Fox Fake News cast (including Sean Hannity!) for the justifiably outraged social commentary was convenient but did serve to identify the financial backers of at least the latter two parts of the series. Do understand that I take no exception to the arguments they spouted but was their appearance even warranted given the softballs they were pitched by the screenwriters?

The argument that regulation is bad is painted with such a broad stroke that you are expected to ignore environmental concerns (as Ayn Rand did in her book). Allegedly, regulation is the means to destroy freedom. Yes; according to Rand (and the screenwrtiers), your rights do not end where mine begin. This convenience is the basic tenet of those who take what little they can get away with just from the edges of Atlas Shrugged and ignore what doesn't fit into their narrow world view.

Oh; one more thing. Remember that engine John Galt invented? You know, the essentially perpetual motion machine that ignored the laws of physics. Well; if you listen closely enough, you can hear it running! It's Ayn Rand spinning in her grave.

The 100 Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared (2013)

Laugh out loud funny

[10/10 · 3 September 2018]

Allan (at 100) climbs out the window of his nursing home and the fun begins. The action jumps back and forth through his lifetime showing the outrageous situations he manages to get himself into that provide the appropriate background for the present. I will provide no specifics as they would be spoilers (and you want to watch this film knowing nothing about the details until they happen).

Some people have described this film as a sort of Forrest Gump. I can understand that comparison although there are enough differences to make this movie a completely novel experience.

As the title of my review says, I laughed (wickedly sometimes) all the way through the film. The last time I had this reaction to a film, it was "Serial Lover".

The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (2017–2023)

Absolutely Perfect

[10/10 · 17 August 2018]

When Midge is on stage, she's perfect in every way. Totally laugh-out-loud, tears-coming-down-my-cheeks hilarious.

When she's off stage, the dialog is crisp and mostly wonderful. Then it exceeds that level and I'm convinced that Aaron Sorkin is at work here...but he's not. Maybe that's the best compliment I can pay this series; the writing is superb and the acting is totally believable...in spite of some incredible situations. Pay attention or you'll miss things. (That's not a complaint.)

Thank you, Amazon, for treating us as adults.

Dawson City: Frozen Time (2016)

Remarkable documentary - have patience as all will be revealed

[10/10 · 10 June 2018]

At first, I thought this was an okay film.10 minutes later I thought it was very good. 10 minutes after that, I realized it was excellent. The pace is slow, deliberate, and has more than its share of "Holy cow!" moments. Be patient as there's a huge story that needs to be told and it has a cast of thousands. Using old movie footage (from films both preserved in Hollywood and "found" in Dawson City) and interviews with some of the people "who were there", Bill Morrison has crafted a big story of a small town in a very big world with history playing out all around it.

An extraordinary piece of documentary film-making. Bravo!

The Man from Earth: Holocene (2017)

I wanted to like this film; I really did

[3/10 · 30 January 2018]

The original The Man From Earth was, indeed, one of the best films ever made. How could one hope to do a follow-on or sequel? We learned everything we needed to know about John Oldman in the first film. I was extremely disappointed but what should I have expected? What "new" thing would I learn from the sequel? As it turns out, one extremely minor detail that has/had nothing to do with the plot. (I won't mention it here as, minor though it is, it might be construed as a spoiler...even though it's really not.)

In many ways, this was an attempt to do a sequel to John Carpenter's "StarMan" (a fabulous movie). Hollywood tried a TV show and it was miserable failure that, frankly, was an embarrassment.

The Man From Earth was a wonderful film and makes a great live stage show on the order of 12 Angry Men. Let's look over the shoulders of all those in attendance at John's farewell party while mind-blowing revelations are revealed.

This sequel, however, had no real means to advance John Oldman's story. I'm not saying it can't be done but only that -this- film's story and script was a tortured and torturous path that ended up being a waste of time. Such a shame.

Approaching the Unknown (2016)

90 minutes of my time I'll never get back.

[2/10 · 16 September 2017]

Whatever moments of logic were in this film could not save me from a fate worse than boredom. Drop a few hints of "just maybe there's a purpose to this whole thing" and, like the sci-fi sucker that I am, I stuck with it until the end...and felt betrayed.

I did not notice that the film was written -and- directed by the same individual, Mark Elijah Rosenberg. My experience has been that, most of the time, such a production is more of the writer/director playing with himself than accomplishing anything productive or having value (except, perhaps, in his own mind).

Mark Elijah Rosenberg - remember that name. That will allow you to avoid making the mistake I did and watching anything of his ever again. Maybe we'll get lucky and he'll go back to doing something productive...like measuring drapes.

New Tricks (2003–2015)

Didn't want it to end

[9/10 · 1 January 2016]

Wonderful cast working well together. I've been binge watching one episode per evening and am up to season 10. New cast members with their own quirky back-stories arrive as old cast members move on (to, presumably, other projects). You wonder how the now-departed cast members can ever be replaced because they all mesh beautifully; yet smart writing and acting grab you and, all of a sudden, the new cast members are as comfortable as an old shoe.

I wish we'd see such a show produced in the USA as I can think of a dozen actors whose careers could be extended (or revived) with such smart, creative writing. Tip: Check out IMDb info for the relationships among the cast members; Jerry's policewoman "daughter", Brian's wife is really...?

Will miss this show when I finish the binge.

Grantchester (2014–2025)

Brilliant, Moody, unforgettable characters

[10/10 · 27 January 2015]

As another has written, I came to Grantchester after a few seasons of Father Brown. While another "priest+cop" series seemed redundant, Grantchester is brilliantly written and acted.

Sydney Chambers (the Vicar of Grantchester) is conflicted...almost tortured by the choices he faces; the complications of the crimes that drive the main part of the story don't make Sydney's life any easier. (No add'l info on this as that would be a spoiler.)

The last time I was this caught up in a British detective series was with Jeremy Brett's Sherlock Holmes. Yes; it's that good - even better.

Go with it; you won't be sorry.

Save the Green Planet! (2003)

First 20 minutes great...then garbage

[2/10 · 5 January 2015]

It started out really well; crisp direction, good acting, interesting script. Twenty minutes later, is degenerated into gratuitous violence and gore. Another 90 minutes and we finally get to understand the protagonist's motivations. Then, in an ending worthy of the worst of Stephen King, everybody dies.

Rarely do I watch a film that makes me think: "Well, that's two hours of my life I'll never get back." But this is one of them. Maybe we'll get lucky and the director will get a real job flipping burgers and we'll never have to see anything by this guy again.

Had I noticed the director also wrote the film, I would have known the potential for disaster here. When you combine those two functions, there's no one to yank the leash.

Shamefully awful. If you enjoy torture, go watch Heaven's Gate.

The Hundred-Foot Journey (2014)

Nothing truly unexpected but you root for the characters

[8/10 · 25 December 2014]

Helen Mirren is, of course, wonderful in whatever she does. Here, a strong cast of character actors bring believability, humor and compassion to a well-told story that Mirren seems to run with her character's iron fist. The Indian family is played pitch-perfect by an ensemble of (mostly) lovable characters (and "characters" is, indeed, a good description)and, as I mentioned in this review's summary, you root for all of them. Of course, the director and screenwriter make this happen by permitting each actor and actress (supporting and otherwise) to make a lasting impression through smart dialog and patience (as the film does not feel rushed).

Why is it that films about food seem to strike such a chord among audiences? Well, I'm hungry for more.

The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (2011)

Alternately side-splittingly funny, touching. A beautiful film.

[9/10 · 5 August 2012]

Sometimes a good book gets turned into a fine screenplay. Sometimes a good director has a clear vision of where he wants to go. Sometimes you get lucky and manage to gather together brilliant actors. Sometimes the cast works together like a well-oiled machine. Rarely, however, do you manage to get all four of these 'sometimes' in one film. From the opening scene right through the closing credits, I was riveted to my seat wondering how the heck this whole situation (the plot) would work out.

There's plenty of crisp dialog, a good portion of it absolutely hilarious. Yet the director managed to get everyone back across the line into some quite sober and serious situations seemingly without effort. I guess having Tom Wilkenson and Judi Dench in your cast (among all the other wonderful cast members) makes it almost easy.

A bonus here (for me) was how well Dev Patel (the hero in Slumdog Millionaire) worked with the rest of the cast. He's a fine actor and should be proud of his contribution to this film.

Bravo!

Albert Nobbs (2011)

Compelling film - Glenn Close and Janet McTeer are marvelous

[8/10 · 25 March 2012]

Wow! The producers really took a risk making this film. I can see how many people would object to its treatment of the subject matter (or the subject matter itself). The acting was first-rate and there were surprises throughout the movie. Each time I thought I could predict where it was going, the movie took a sharp turn in an unexpected direction.

The cinematography was beautiful as were the costumes and sets. Can't really say anything bad about this production.

What can you say about Glenn Close? She continues to stretch herself in unanticipated ways. Janet McTeer's performance is brilliant and nuanced; I could not take my eyes off her.

I'm still thinking about the film today. Powerful filmmaking.

Amélie (2001)

One of my "10 best films ever"

[19 November 2011]

This is one of those French movies where complications accrue until you just can't figure out how things can be resolved yet you just -know- (based upon the exquisite performance by Audrey Tautou and spot-on direction by Jeneut) that the ending will satisfy.

The first time I saw this film, I turned to my wife and said "I know I'm going to love this movie" and that was about 30 seconds into the film.

I cannot write enough good things about Amelie. All the actors and actresses are perfect, the story has you smiling and rooting for Amelie, the direction is flawless, the mystery of the guy who has his picture taken at every photo-booth in the city (only to throw away the photos) had me stumped.

Frankly, if you want to know how to make a great film, study this movie.

Dean Spanley (2008)

Quirky but quite entertaining

[4 September 2011]

A lovely film set in early 20th Century England with accomplished actors obviously enjoying their roles. While it's always nice to see Peter O'Toole, here he turns in a fine performance in what is, frankly, not a huge budget mega-blockbuster; and, in fact, it doesn't need to be so. Content is king and the story is well-crafted on-screen. Good script, good actors, good direction.

I think I will forever more think of Sam Neill with his nose stuck deep into a glass of wine...inhaling...and being transported to another place and time. What a howl! ;D

Perfect for the entire family. No foul language, nothing in any way inappropriate for children. A thoroughly enjoyable film.