PeterSp1 Reviews

Poor Things (2023)

Not quite bad enough to be really funny

[1/10 · 16 March 2024]

Sometimes a brain or head transplant movie with a high-minded message can be, either by design or by accident, a bundle of laughs. For example, I refer you to the Thing with Two Heads (1972) . However, in the case of Poor Things, the latest in the brain transplant/social message genre, it's just pretentious and tedious. It is also wasteful of some good acting talent and photography as well as 2 hours+ of my time.

As, apparently I have to write 600 words to allow my review to be included, I would add that my wife also found the movie "tedious" and "up its own arse". So hopefully that helps to get me over the word hurdle. Also, to all of the people giving it 9 or 10/10, each to their own. It takes all types to make a world.

The Inventor: Out for Blood in Silicon Valley (2019)

Could have been edited down a bit and focused

[6/10 · 19 March 2019]

Like others, I followed the Theranos/Elizabeth Holmes story and in addition read the excellent book that investigative journalist John Carreyrou authored and published last year (Bad Blood).

It felt that the first part of this documentary was a hagiography rather than an incisive investigative documentary - the focus on the "female Steve Jobs" perspective dominated and she certainly seemed to have the same "reality distortion field" powers he had. However, having read the book my perspective was that she, and her boyfriend/COO Sunny Balwani were bullies (via lawyer David Boies, security guards and others) to their staff , associates and others and who benefited by manipulating otherwise smart, powerful people and taking advantage of their wishful thinking. Eventually the documentary got to the reality but it felt like a long time and frankly I found some of the interviews (eg with the respected behavioral economist Dan Ariely) to be somewhat ethereal and did not add value to the story.

I have been around start-ups and understand the notion of "faking it a bit" to get to the final "vision". However, to compare her to an Edison, a Jobs or a Musk was inappropriate. in terms of her ability to manipulate, tell brazen lies and intimidate I feel a much more appropriate comparison would have been Bernie Madoff.

They Shall Not Grow Old (II) (2018)

Stunning

[10/10 · 17 December 2018]

A true labor of love, this documentary does justice in bringing to life the horrors as well as some poignant and occasional humorous moments from the trenches on the Western front during WW1. It does not take a political, historical or moral stance but just shows the experience of young men and what they went though. We saw the 3D version on a big screen and stayed for the 30 minutes Peter Jackson narrative of the making of the movie which was fascinating. This may be the first 10/10 review I have given.

Collateral (2018)

Flawed but still very watchable

[8/10 · 26 March 2018]

Yes, this has a number of flaws. The unsubtle political messages, the, convoluted story, the unnecessary subplots. The annoying direction with each scene starting with a view from above or from some random angle for 2 seconds or the scene transitioning from out-of-focus to in-focus. And yet for all that, I really enjoyed Collateral. And it could not have been better named. Special shout-out to Carey Mulligan who I had only seen a couple of time before but I will definitely look for again.

Battle of the Sexes (2017)

Really ??

[2/10 · 14 January 2018]

Given the pretty decent reviews, my wife and I were looking forward to an easy-watching amusing rental movie. We were prepared for a certain level of PC, sermonizing and revisionism but this did not turn out the be an issue. What was, however, was the acting, direction and script. Not to mention the choice of music in some of the scenes. Steve Carell seemed to be playing .... Steve Carell. And a 1-dimensional version to boot. Emily Stone - a fine actress - was bland in the role of Billy Jean; and some of the other performances were worse. The dialog at times was banal but not bad enough to make this a truly awful and therefore high enjoyable move - cf. "The Room". My wife gave up halfway but I was determined to watch it to the end given that I had rented it from Redbox at a net cost of 27 cents after applying my coupon. However, I could not stomach anymore and had to quit just before the match. It is not often that I feel that I did not get value for money at 27 cents.

The Big Sick (2017)

Underwhelming

[5/10 · 28 July 2017]

Went to see this with my wife and we both had the same impression - underwhelming particularly given the rave reviews this movie has received. At best, it was "cute" but it felt lightweight and as others have pointed out it was not particularly funny or romantic. I was disappointed in Kumail Nanjiani given how good his character (and portrayal) is in Silicon Valley. Here he came over as somewhat flat and in addition I found Zoe Kazan as Emily irritating. Not a horrible movie but kinda blah

Get Out (I) (2017)

Seriously ???

[1/10 · 21 March 2017]

I should have Got Out before the movie started..

I am shocked by the high ratings this got. Seems like a case of the Emperor's New Clothes to me. It wasn't as clever, certainly nowhere near as funny or even scary as reviews led us (wife, me) to believe. Very disappointing...

The Last Time (2006)

Not quite awful enough to be great

[1/10 · 7 September 2015]

There are movies which break through the barrier of being really awful to become hugely watchable and enjoyable (see "The Room"). Unfortunately The Last Time does not quite get to that point –it remains just awful.

Ultimately an interesting plot premise *** SPOILER ALERT *** how to buy a company on the cheap to get its IP, *** this movie fails in the execution. Meaning the script writing, the direction and the acting. Add in the inconsistencies (Michael Keaton's character, turns from vicious high testosterone sales shark to soulful, poetic ex literature professor with sad eyes) and awful dialog (they could have trimmed 20 minutes off the movie by just editing out the word "c***su**er" from all of the salesmen's dialogs).

One to forget - can I have my time and neurons back please ?

Green Street Hooligans (2005)

Best worst movie ever

[1/10 · 13 June 2009]

Now and again one is privileged enough to stumble across a movie which is so truly bad that it becomes spectacularly good. It goes off one end of the spectrum so far (and this may be a gravitational lens effect for all I know) that it reappears all the way over at the other end.

Take a movie about Football violence. Firms from West Ham and Millwall kicking the holy crap out of each other with spectacular slow motion fight scenes with blood spurting out of mouths. Add in dialogue that makes Eastenders look like Shakespeare. Add in many, many meaningful soulful close up photos of hooligans who clearly came straight out of RADA. Sprinkle on top a Bono/U2 soundalike soundtrack. And, in a truly inspired piece of casting, put Elijah Wood, yes, he of the Hobbit fame, in the middle as the Yank who joins one of the firms. And we have "Green Street Hooligans".

I laughed till I cried.

Thank you thank you. This one will be hard to beat (unlike the Hammers).

My only quandary was whether to give it 10 stars or 1