lightbeing-48261 Reviews

How to Fake a War (2019)

very enjoyable, attractive actresses

[9/10 · 25 August 2020]

Kudos to Tim Price and Raid Sabbah. This a great piece of British, low key humour. I guess if you don't get the humour as a guy, you were too busy wanting to see guns and cleavage. As a woman, it's clear this movie is held down by two beautiful women (Katherine Parkinson and Lily Newmark). This movie was well written, VERY funny even though the jokes are subtle. Acting is at a high level, it's not the best movie of the year, but possibly the best budget movie of the year. Ultimately I think this movie is closet satire, happy to laugh at everything including it's own production levels. It's sincere, and it's worth keeping an open mind to anything these writers are working on...

6 Underground (2019)

Angel Has Fallen copulates with Baby Driver

[5/10 · 15 December 2019]

This movie lacks substance, yet it's not terrible, more of an adolescent popcorn movie. It tries to be subversive yet it's tedious as a social commentary (it doesn't dare to imply that the problem is at home like Fight Club does). It's unfortunate that Ryan Reynold's presence so heavily lends from Deadpool that it quietly threatens to dilute the Deadpool franchise. All the actors were given two dimensional characters with snappy but bland comebacks. It's no where near as bad as Angel has fallen, and not quite as stylised as Baby Driver. but there is something in this choppy, sloppy movie to keep the adrenaline pumped. In the first few minutes where a wing mirror reappears seems to be a little indicator that you have to suspend your disbelief with this movie, I suspect they kept the goof deliberately to give you a heads up; begging you to "please don't take this seriously". The movie is not trash; but it's forgettable. In the right mood it's fun, just daft machismo. In another setting it's awful... but you respect it for knowing it's awful and, that's the guilty pleasure.

Angel Has Fallen (2019)

A crap has fallen

[2/10 · 9 November 2019]

Whilst it's not garbage in the sense of a low grade B-movie, but to be a movie where millions of pounds are spent (less in each movie) you would think they might put a bit of effort into it... it's cynical and stupid, poor everything... meh, I only wrote this because I wanted to print into eternity "A crap has fallen"

In the Tall Grass (2019)

slow and laborious, yet also gripping...

[6/10 · 12 October 2019]

This movie does deserve patience, it's brooding which a lot of people will describe as "boring"... Everything about this movie was perfect, maybe not a memorable movie but adequate. If the movie has been saved by it's derivative story, it was Patrick Wilson's "Shakespearean" performance. I can imagine a less accomplished actor would have hammed it up and could have made the movie just preposterous.... Now to watch Triangle 2009 again and check on the similarities :)

Into the Ashes (2019)

Excellent work, gnawing sonics and brooding views...

[8/10 · 20 July 2019]

Personally I felt the musical score gripped me. The dramatic sequences were suspenseful, quite minimalist, yet perhaps small town America is minimalist, bland, bleak and inhospitable.... There were parts that made me feel like I was watching a horror movie, not in the sense of monsters of course, but monstrous things people do and somehow; a force of nature that enables vengeance for broken people.

Red Joan (2018)

slow, worthy women's perspective on what post WW2 Britain.

[5/10 · 3 July 2019]

The feeling I get is most people will only regard this movie as "driven" is as if Judi wielded a Rambo-esc machine gun. Whilst I truly believe that Judi would be able to hold down a movie with a Bowie knife clenched between her teeth; it's important to not lose want is special about this movie. Red Joan is about a woman's perspective; it's about how people thought in those days; and what it is like to live in post war Britain. This movie feels authentic in every way. Although not a must watch movie, it certainly passes the time pleasantly without the American obsession with guns and bombs.

The Predator (2018)

Gets better each time you watch it

[3/10 · 30 March 2019]

But only because you have to lower your standards..... Each time I watch it I enjoy the fact that the level of dialogue is weak, the comedy is weak, the drama is weak, and the action is weak.... Once you get over that the rest is silly and cool in the background when you have friends over or are messaging on FB with a side order of "unrealistic action"... The main reason we have sequels is to either capture an original, or take the original to new levels. Unfortunately it's only levels with The Predator and levels going down. But it's not awful once you know what you are going into...

Pickings (2018)

Be patient with the movie and it will reward you

[7/10 · 3 December 2018]

At first I didn't really warm to the movie, the first few minutes proved to be coming from a jagged, low budget perspective... Yet somewhere lurking was a Tarantinoesc bombshell that went from lukewarm to boiling hot and easily could have been far darker than it actually was. What could have been a horrific ending up being dark poetry. The direction, continuity and acting sometimes felt a little lacking, but it's easy to forgive as everyone seemed very genuine and all those involved are likely to mature into making a higher production value despite the low budget. All in all, it felt more authentic than many big budget movies that wow us with CGI and global actors that earn millions. Personally I will keep my eyes open for more from Usher Morgan...

Papillon (I) (2017)

disappointing remake... Not quite garbage, but defiantly for the rubbish bin...

[2/10 · 10 September 2018]

I wanted to root for Charlie Hunnam, but who could equal and top Steve McQueen and Dustin Hoffman? Although the musical score and scenery was top notch, the screenplay and dialogue lacked any real grip on my senses. Remaking a masterpiece was a waste of money that could have fed the poor or built a new hospital and funded a few local libraries etc etc.... Don't bother with this one and watch the original if you have not already seen it....

SuperFly (2018)

I wanted to hate this movie.... but found I was casually captivated!!!

[7/10 · 29 August 2018]

I cannot comment on the original, so perhaps I was able to be open minded. Superfly is not without faults and an over produced style, yet that adds to its quirky charm. It is a movie that allows its self to be ridiculed and there are elements of Black Dynamite in there, without being as extremely cheesy. One really needs to take out the idea of realism and suspend one's disbelief and enjoy the ride and its obvious cliches. Whilst being far from brilliant, it has its guilty pleasures. As a non white I did get a little kick from the a white male police officer getting a kicking from a black man. Although I beleive there is the likelihood of the vast majority of white male police being honourable and not racist, it's those rotten apples that get noticed as murdering black men and being protected by a corrupt system. With the murder of Priest's comrade I felt I couldn't empathise with the whole scenario, the comrade himself was a murderer and in reality a lowlife that got what he deserved, not to justify the the police officer that murdered him, but just saying... A lot felt preposterous, such as the flippant throwing of money in crowds, but I am British and what do I know of black american culture. As I said, you have to get passed some of the stupidity and enjoy some of its intelligence, even if the intelligence is surface level. Whilst I cannot see any awards for this movie, try not to take it too seriously and you may enjoy it. Some might see it as a polished turd and others may see it as an uncut diamond...

Us and Them (2017)

excellent movie, Jack Roth comes of age:)

[10/10 · 13 July 2018]

Whether you are rich or poor, you can emphasise with this movie. I was gripped early on, realising that this is again some of the "best of British"... Myself growing up alongside the punk era, Tim Roth was an icon in "Made in Britain". Hence, Jack Roth is uncanny in appearance and sound whereby you can hear and see Tim in so much of what Jack portrays. The filming was excellent, the cast was perfect and although it was close to the truth, it's only a movie ;) What I felt was glimmers of a revolution or upheaval when facing the real struggles of day to day life of being working class and discarded like chattel... Simply stated this is social commentary in the moment and on point... Both clever, witty and able to see the perspective from alternate aspects. What I felt was this is just the beginning and a prologue to more in depth work to come. It feels like a revolution of consciousness that spans out into potential reality, that people wake up and work to the cause of equilibrium and a more just society of self governing...

Affairs of State (2018)

Solid, gripping and gruelling

[10/10 · 18 June 2018]

State of Affairs was well received, it had a strange detachment to it where one felt a fly on the wall... pretty much one becomes a spy camera in the movie and it's definitely immersive. The strangest thing about the movie was it felt like being in the moment, as all good writer's director's and producer's aim to be, to create an atmosphere whereby one feels connected to the sentiments and drives or hopes and of course fears of the human condition. Usually, when a film makes you face certain truths, this can inspire one to reassess one's own life and, particularly relating to greed and sexual corruption. I think this movie can be undervalued by many when not realising that with so much power that can come to one, one becomes fragile and transparent. This is where truth illuminates us all. How do we transcend the depravity of sex, drugs and rock and roll? State of Affairs makes a generous expose of who we are behind the mask...

Rampage: President Down (2016)

despite low budget and weak script; EXCELLENT!

[7/10 · 12 September 2016]

I didn't really have expectations with "President Down", I have seen the first two movies and for me there's a darkness and chill that suggests that the trilogy is closer to horror/thriller than action. Brenden Fletcher seems to look madder and scarier and as an anti-hero you get the feeling he's not that likable a person; highly intelligent yet potentially volatile, not the type of person you take home to mother...

Somehow I was gripped by President Down, low budget and weak script aside, the message is powerful, the fantasy of one person making an impact whereby "the people" take back their power and follow the (somewhat jumbled) message...

However, the message is powerful and although the use of violence/control to instigate a potential egalitarian society never works; the sophomoric use of action and sensationalism at least will attract some people that need the message/parable to casually sink into their subconscious.

Overall it's a worthwhile watch if you want your noodles cooked (brain stimulated) but don't expect high end action or deeply choreographed fight scenes. President Down deserves a watch as the thinkers will find it intriguing...

Cell (I) (2016)

confusing beginning; sloppy direction yet builds nicely

[5/10 · 10 June 2016]

Samuel L Jackson does his best to hold the movie together, John Cusack doesn't really impress but holds his part well, I don't think the actors fault for lacking real depth, what was given didn't feel robust enough for them to have a strong impact. Unfortunately all of the other actors felt a little bland and two dimensional. Stacy Keach also unfortunately also had a weak role; his part (spoiler) seemed forced and his character felt too well informed for the amount of time given to understand the situation they were in. If you wanted to empathise with any of the characters; it's not easy as everyone but Cusack gets bumped off before you can really connect with them; even Samuel gets left behind as Cusack takes the lead in the last ten minutes. Although the plot was weak; the story line or concept was intriguing (if a bit confusing) and even though I have no problem with low rent movies or something done on the cheap, it did have a feel to it that built from a sluggish beginning to a creepy end. I think Stephen King would be best honoured if this movie was remade in a decade or so when someone has a little more patience and cash to give it the depth it deserves.

The Keeping Room (2014)

the slow burner is the high earner!

[10/10 · 30 January 2016]

For people that are interested in black/white history this is a gripping movie; The Keeping Room has a very real-feel. So many movies in trying to be a movie are just that; A MOVIE; and suspending disbelief becomes an effort. Thinking this is an action movie is like driving fast down the motorway; you get to your destination quickly; but miss the scenery. TKR is full of scenery; a feminine treat for men and women alike. Absorb it's slow momentum; the grinding tension of ignorance coupled with power. Ultimately it's a quote that captures the movie "we are all ni99ers now", denoting shifts of power and the casual onset of humility that comes with empathy and desperation.