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Reviews
Such Brave Girls (2023)
Superb - can't wait for the next series.
I binge watched this in two days. It's the type of comedy that us Brits do really well. There is nothing 'polished' about it. It's down and dirty and very real. The relationship between the two sisters is brilliant. A combination of disdain, toxicity, combined-delusion and affection. And then I found out that they're sisters in real life! I think it's the raw honesty that makes this so funny. The acting from the whole cast is spot-on. From Louise Brealey as mum, Deb, who plays favourites in the most narcissistically manipulative way, to Freddie Meredith as Seb, the wet-dishcloth 'boyfriend' of Josie. As for Lizzie Davidson who plays one of the sisters, Billie, and Kate Sadler as Josie. Just wow! No doubt the honesty and chemistry between Billie and Josie came from the actresses being sisters in real life. Yet, even so, the acting is top notch. In some ways, I imagine it could be more difficult to play out what was, undoubtedly, certain real scenarios or feelings from their own personal lives. But they put it all on the line in the most endearing, gross, watchable and compelling way. This makes you feel so many emotions. It's laugh-out -loud funny and it definitely makes you cringe at times. These characters should be unlikable, but they're not. And that's because such a good job is done of exposing their vulnerabilities amid the humour and self-serving actions of the sisters and their mum. Each character is multi-dimensional - even Dev (mum's boyfriend). As a viewer, it's hard to get a grasp on his motivation. He's a combination of wet, weird, sympathetic and odd. And it's impossible to know who's playing who as Deb desperately tries to work her way into moving her and their girls into Dev's huge house, yet seems to end up always paying for everything (including his petrol). This is up there as one of the best comedies in recent years. And I think that's because it doesn't 'try' to be funny - it just is. It takes brilliant writing, as well as acting, to pull that off; so I was in awe when I found out Kate Sadler, who plays Josie, also wrote this. And she's still in her 20s! I literally can't wait to see what she comes up with next.
The Buccaneers (2023)
Strangely compelling
I absolutely hated this when I started watching it. It felt like a rip-off Bridgerton. And in many ways it is. It was Bridgerton but not as good. I almost stopped watching. But then something odd happened. Partway through episode two, I began to enjoy it a bit more. A storyline of sorts began to develop. Someone's said the acting was bad. It wasn't. In fact, there are some good, well-known actors in the show. What irked, initially, was probably more the fault of the director than the actors - the vacuous cheerleader type vibe, which didn't sit well with 1870s England. It was also a mistake copying Bridgerton and using a modern music score. That jarred. And where it worked in Bridgerton, it didn't here. But even so, as the story and characters (along with their secrets) developed, I found myself pretty hooked on this. Is it historically accurate? Nope. Is it slightly the wrong side of light and frothy? Yes. But it's also quite addictive. I found myself thinking about it when I wasn't watching it and wanting to get back to the characters. There's also a darkness (particularly with one character) which helps to take the edge off the fluff. It's not a long series and, by the end, I wished it had been longer. I really hope a second season is on the way.
Bad Sisters (2022)
Superb - absolutely riveting viewing
.... But then again, has Sharon Horgan ever been involved with something that's less than brilliant? Nope. For me, Sharon Horgan has become one of those must-watch actresses. Her creativity is awe-inspiring and her ability to pull of any role, whether it's a comedy creation or a complex character full of depth, is just ... wow! And alongside Horgan are four other actresses (again, Ann-Marie Duff is another superb actress - and Eve Hewson is proving to be one to watch) that have been perfectly cast. The bond between the sisters (and the chemistry between the lead actresses) is totally believable. This show isn't a who-dunnit or even a why-dunnit but more of a how-dunnit! And it's gripping. As a viewer, you're behind the sisters 100%. As for JP, Claes Bang plays the part chillingly well. I don't think I've detested a fictional character that much in a long time! He's the ultimate toxic, NPD gaslighter. Duff plays the part of Gracie, his downtrodden, victimised wife, with such nuance and sympathy. Honestly, this is a masterclass in acting from all involved. I literally can't find fault with anything. Just watch it - you won't regret it!
Obsession (2023)
Utterly tedious
For a series that's supposedly about a torrid affair (and featuring nudity), it's amazingly boring. Anna isn't really convincing as a femme fatale - she's a cardboard cut out cliche. She's supposed to be intriguing, but her character is so one dimensional that it's difficult to see what William sees in her. Are we supposed to believe that a few smouldering glances really makes someone interesting? This is where the series falls down - there just isn't enough dialogue (or anything) between William and Anna to make the obsession feel convincing. And the sex scene themselves are pretty tame. William never seems able to last longer than five seconds, and putting a blindfold on someone isn't enough to convince viewers that they're enjoying some sort of unique or edgy dalliance. The whole thing is very slow going - you could summarise the whole plot in about 12 words. These are good actors, but the writing, direction, plot all conspire to create a really wooden, unbelievable (bordering on laughable) story.
GameFace (2017)
We need a Season 3!
Truly great comedy is a natural combination of brilliant writing and great acting. I've read scripts of Fleabag and Alan Partridge etc and, on paper, you can't imagine some things being funny - but they are when delivered by the right actor, in the right way. You couldn't imagine anyone else other than Phoebe Waller-Bridge playing Fleabag. Here, you couldn't imagine anyone other than Roisin Conaty playing Marcella. The situations are synonymous with her and, although she gets herself into them, it feels natural. Like, of course that would happen to Marcella! It's erratically and brilliantly believable. Marcella manages to feel at once like the orchestrator of her mishaps but also an unwitting and unlucky bystander in her life. Things happen to her - but is the chaos Marcella-Made or is she just a magnet for this stuff? I could watch Rosin Conaty act all day because you don't actually see her acting! She makes totally off-the-wall situations look natural and inevitable and it's because you believe the character, it's as if you're a bystander in somebody's incredibly funny life. Like Miranda, Marcella is a larger than life, totally lovable character. I can't comprehend why C4 wouldn't bring this back for a third series (or more). I just didn't feel like I was done with Marcella after just two series. There's so much more to explore with a character like that. The scope is huge and I really do hope they revisit it at some point in the future.
I Hate You (2022)
As unfunny as you can get
I've just come to this hot off of Game Face and, truly, how C4 can air two comedy shows, one of which (Game Face) is brilliant and the other so dire, I have no idea. This probably has to be the worst 'comedy' I've seen in ages. I parenthesise it because to actually call it comedy is an affront to comedy. The characters are one-dimensional and lacklustre. I can only compare them to those people who tell you how 'nuts' they are and what a good laugh they are. The moment someone says that, you know that they're not. It's too try-hard. We have lines like 'Fair enough' and the repartee thrown back in response is 'furry muff'. I mean, I like a bit of crass humour along with the best of them - but serve up something less juvenile than this, please. I doubt my 12 year old would even laugh at that.
A lot of the dialogue is just meaningless - as are the 'situations'. When you think of great sitcoms, like Not Going Out, they take a premise and build on it until it reaches a comedic climax - sometimes the viewer sees it coming (which is intended by the writers), other times it's an off-the-wall surprise. Either way, it provides a satisfying resolution; the story arc has paid off. No such thing happens in this. We have Charlie having some conversation at the start of episode two about having seen a ghost car. It's puerile, unfunny and adds nothing to the story. Is it intended to show how whacky the two friends are and what jolly 'bants' they have together? If it is, there are better ways of doing this (show don't tell applies to TV too).
There was an unfunny moment in episode one, where Becca stops outside a dog shelter and changes the words 'dog adoption' to 'dog abortion'. It wasn't funny the first time but then, for some reason, she does the same thing in episode two. I couldn't tell you if this is some pathetically unfunny running 'joke' as I didn't get beyond episode two. We have more mind-numbing dialogue - Becca says: 'I thought it was access denied' (having been told she couldn't go somewhere with Charlie). Charlie's response: 'Well now I'm saying it's access 'nied'. In what universe did anyone think that was funny? It's not even delivered in an amusing way. While Tanya Reynolds (who plays Charlie) was pretty good in Sex Education, she falls flat here. Perhaps because she's inherently quirky and trying to make her quirkier just doesn't work.
I'm not really sure where the series is going. I was delighted to see Joe Tracini in this - he plays a minor character in the haberdashery shop where Becca works. Frankly, he's the best thing in the show - he needs his own show. Some people are naturally funny, even without saying much - and where Melissa Saint (who plays Becca) and Tanya Reynolds feel like they're straining for laughs, Joe Tracini just lands things in a natural way. I looked up the episodes to see how many he was in (I'd have only kept watching for him) and could see he's in just two. What a waste. The same goes for the (again) unfunny character of Mr. Oxygen, Charlie's boss. So we have two episodes featuring the girls' respective workplaces. We have what looks like (another unfunny) running joke being set up, around Mr. Oxygen always falling asleep at work. But, clearly, nothing else is done with these characters. In fact, a look at IMDB shows that Tanya Reynolds and Melissa Saint are the only two characters in all six episodes. This means that there's no building of characters and relationships. And if you find the interactions between Charlie and Becca staged and unfunny, then it's not likely to get any better, because all that's carrying the series are these two characters.
It's hard to say why some comedies work and some don't. Of course, it's often subjective - but even if I don't find certain shows funny, I can still appreciate (objectively) why other people do find them amusing. Not so with this one. I can't find one redeeming thing about it. I suppose the main thing I felt was that it was unprofessional. It came off like something a couple of university students would write. I'm not convinced Reynolds and Saint are naturally comedic actors (but maybe they were let down by the writing) and I don't feel this show is one people are going to be talking about or recommending as a must-watch.
Ghosts (2019)
Great fun
This is such a wonderful feel-good comedy. It's both quirky and heart warming (I never thought I'd actually want ghosts of my own!) I don't think they could have really gone wrong, as there's a fantastic cast of much-loved and super talented actors. It's not an easy thing to pull off - having one actor interacting with other cast members and another (Kiell Smith-Bynoe, who plays Mike) having to ignore them, but Charlotte Ritchie (who is fab in everything) and Smith-Bynoe make it look effortless.
Every character is well fleshed out, and as we being to learn about the ghosts' back stories in subsequent seasons, it makes them even more interesting.
On a side note, I've seen clips from the American version of this show, and it's just not the same. I think this is the sort of thing that feels quintessentially British and I do think the already existing relationship between many of the actors, who've starred in things like Horrible Histories and Yonderland together, just makes the whole thing hang together in an (oddly) believable way.
365 Days: This Day (2022)
If there was an Oscar for the worst movie ever, this would win
Okay, I'm here because I watched the first film. It wasn't great, but it had its plus points - a bit of sexual tension, some pretty hot scenes and a bit of a storyline. But I think the writers and producers of this follow-on made the mistake of thinking the only reason people watched the first (and hence the second) was for sex. Newsflash - we're in 2022, we can get soft (or hard) porn any day of the week. If we're watching a film, we also expect a bit of a storyline to go with it.
This film is so full of (bad) soundtracks and (cliched) montages, it looks like a naff 80s pop video. I think there are about 4 songs in the first 17 minutes of this film alone. It's sex for the sake of sex, and because all the plotline and tension has been lost, it's about as erotic as watching two gibbons mate at Whipsnade. Also, the way those two kiss is quite disgusting - the face-licking and open-mouthed salivating. The two main actors actually become incredibly unattractive.
The 'plot', for what its worth (when it gets going) doesn't really mean much. The acting is either wooden or OTT (the 'baddies' are like parodies of baddies). And let's not even start on how bad the English language parts are. Now I know that, in real life, non native speakers of English will muddle tenses etc, and that's charming and perfectly acceptable. But in a film, it's grating to hear someone say, for example, 'You've got to take responsibility of your own life' rather than for your own life. Maybe this scripting was intentional. But it just feels amateur when, in reality, many people who speak English as a second language can do so fluently. It was just one more thing, on top of the lousy acting, that's going to jar with an audience, as it makes the scriptwriting values look as shoddy as the rest of it.
All in all, I'd say to give this film a miss, even if you liked/loved the first one. If you watch it, you WILL be disappointed.
You Me Her (2016)
a vaguely watchable pile of toot
The concept is good but, boy, are the characters annoying, Actually, it's pretty much Izzy who's annoying and comes off a somewhat unhinged. Unhinged in a way that (at nine episodes into season 1), I can't fathom what the married couple see in her.
Spoiler alert: or is it a spoiler? Probably not really, as the whole thing is about this throuple or whatever it is - so I'm assuming they all sort of continue to jog along together - but Izzy seems to be making a lot of relationship demands after a very short space of time. So she's got this boyfriend who she's been messing about for about three months - no sign of commitment at all. But after one 'date' with the married pair (and a threesome) she thinks moving in might be a good idea? For me, this made the whole thing unbelievable. Take out the polyamorous dynamic - you wouldn't expect monogamy after a few dates either.
I don't know - for me, the whole thing comes off as a bit silly. It's not that I can't see how people might be attracted to that sort of a setup; I just can't see why two successful people are so smitten with the petulant, immature Izzy. Her roomie is a far cooler character. Still, it's vaguely watchable if there's nothing else on.