Reviews

First the good news. This is a really meaty piece of sci fi .full of ideas neatly strung together into a compelling and satisfyingly complex plot. Nothing thin about this narrative as it deals with the Earth shaking events that arise from the reality of alien contact.. 3bp does a good job of suggesting how this event might impact on human society even if the invasion will not happen for 400 years. This detail allows for plot nuance as arguments.arise concerning the merits of committing vast resources to something that will not happen for nearly half a millennium.

On a human scale 3bp serves up some interesting sub plots- illness and unrequited love among them.

And the bad news? Well there's not too much.

The casting ofsome main characters is a bit uninspired but not terrible. And the production values sometimes look a bit drab.

...but for me the outcome was somewhat less than the sum of its parts.

One of Hollywood s most acclaimed directors at the helm of a cast chock full of acting talent; all in the service of what should be a compelling true story of racial injustice and exploitation. Throw in the origin story of the FBI for extra flavour- how could this not be a riveting even scintillating tale? Yet it's not. It's worthy yes! Well acted , of course! Looks great , I suppose so. But it is so one paced and soo! Long.

Some have suggested KOTFM might work better as a mini series. Perhaps; but there have to be those moments of tension that compel viewers to watch the next episode. Not sure there enough of that here.

For a long time I've felt Scorsese a little overrated. This film does little to change my view.

... or kind hearts and coronets goes large. An odd but not unentertaining offering from the makers of a promising young Woman; built though it is, with stuff we've seen many times, not least in the pages of both Waugh and Highsmith.

There is an ambiguity within this tale that kept me engaged and guessing almost to the films conclusion.

Unfortunately the last five minutes treatsi it's audience like an idiot child with an all too blatant reveal.

The performances are all pretty solid (maybe a little over praised in some quarters) with the central character Oliver probably most notable .

The film has been described as a black comedy in some reviews and I did chuckle once or twice but truth be told it nowhere approaches the wit and waspishness of its source materials.

PS: There are some controversial sex scenes that might offend anyone who was not once a teenage steelworker ensconced in rugby club culture.

It's a bit Wire Lite which is ok by me but this does mean that some of the sub plots,mostly involving Maddy, can seem a bit 'meh!" The best bits revolve around Bosch and his relationship with Honey: both hard nosed with a strong sense of right and wrong but approaching from opposite directions much of the time.

Some of the supporting characters are very cut and paste ( this is a quality the show shares with Conelly's Lincoln lawyer), but the strength of both the plotting and the main characters more than compensate.

I also applaud the show's exceptional consistency-including the original series -we are talking around ten seasons; and if you enjoy the first then I see no reason you'll not go on and be entertained by the entire series.

This is a great,epic,frontier yarn that hits all the right beats. Daniel Day Lewis absolutely nails the role of Hawkeye; totally convincing as the man of action with a sensitive side. Madeline Stowe is every bit his feisty equal; their love story is utterly convincing.

But, perhaps the prize tomahawk goes to Wes Studl's Magua: managing a performance both terrifying and somehow sympathetic: he manages to make his goal of killing all the offspring of his enemy and then eating his enemy's heart, quite understandable.

All the supporting cast are top draw and Mann squeezes every last bit of "epicness " out of the spectacular location.

And if all that's not enough the music is pretty fab too.

Taking the plot of a classic 19th century and adapting it to fit 1990s California has proven inspirational.

Heckling substitutes Georgian mores for modern.

The jokes are are funny and true to the spirit of the source material. In addition, Heckling gives us hilariously funny sight gags, like Emma obliviously creating havoc while learning to drive.

Of course an inability to see the ramifications of her-all be it-well intentioned actions,lays-at the centre of both Austen's story and this bright joyful adaptation.

A mystery does however haunt this film: how did Alicia Silverstone not become the biggest comic actress in Hollywood?

Wes Anderson films are one of those things in life that can make you feel like an outsider; like you're not quite in on the joke. Or if there's a joke at all.

I saw Rushmore when first released and came away not sure what I'd sat through: elitist comedy? Half baked drama? I certainly couldn't tell. And yet I wouldn't say I was ever bored watching this or any other Anderson films.

Hotel Budapest could lay claim to being the most Andersonesque of all his films, and for many (although none that I know) this is a good thing. So if you like this sort of thing you'll like this sort of thing- I'm still not sure.

This film could have, should have been great! In the end we have to settle for passingly entertaining.

On the plus side of the ledger- it looks fab. Convincingly noirish (though filmed in rich colour), full of memorable (if a little on the nose) images that foreshadow our protagonist downfall.

The performances are uniformly excellent, special kudos goes to Blanchet and Defoe who really go to town on their respective characters.

So what's amiss in this film? Well the pace is a tad sluggish in parts-a running time of nearly two and a half hours doesn't help. And maybe I wasn't paying enough attention, but what exactly was Blanchets characters reason for her behaviour?

So far from perfect but certainly worth a peek( Cate is fantastic).

There are many interesting elements to found in this series. Not least of all the unusual (and true) subject matter. Not many progs out there dealing with gruesome murders in fundamentalist Mormon communities I'll be bound? Woven into this unsettling narrative are themes of misogyny and abuse,but as much as anything the drama revolves around issues of faith, community and family.

Very much depends on which edition you end up watching. The Director's cut would be my choice. Although any version other than the one with fords totally unconvincing voice over (which also looks a bit shoddy compared to other cuts) would be preferable.

The first six or seven seasons are truly extraordinary.

So much brilliance. If I had to pick a favourite maybe I'd go for clown college. The line burn that seat kills me every time.

No matter how good the plot or the acting or any other dramatic feature required of an entertaining series, first, foremost it has to make sense.

I'm alll for suspension of disbelief in the cause of a couple of diverting hours, but come on!

Disbelief hasn't so much been suspended as hanged drawn and quartered.

Put simply the central premise is all kinds of stupid and it never allows the viewer to forget it!

Skill fully evocative of Dickens, Collins and Conan Doyle this is top draw story telling. All the performers rise to the occasion and what a great twist at the end of an already serpentine plot.

Simply the greatest tv sitcom I've ever enjoyed. It never seems to get old and I've watched it a lot.

And yet it's not for everyone and it only seemed to achieve limited penetration here in the uk. But this is the country that gave the world love thy neighbour so maybe not so surprising.

'Sponge worthy', 'double dipping', 'soup nazi', 'master of your domain'. These have become American idioms.

George costanza funniest character ever.

Just give it a try. If you like you'll love it.

Now here's a film to get you thinking and keep you guessing. What exactly is it? A western? A psychological thriller? Or a domestic drama? Well it's all of the above I suppose and I think it succeeds on all fronts.

Campion as an outsider (both as a New Zealander and a woman), brings a unique vision to the western setting. Not necessarily in how the film looks but certainly in her choice of themes and character development.

Those who've complained about the film's slow pacing are, I suspect, of a certain age. Similarly talk of ambiguity around the films ending might be coming from younger viewers used to clear Hollywood conclusions.

Ninety percent intriguing but in the end in order to resolve the storyline we had to put up with the "get out of gaol free card" of arbitrary "superpowers" which, paradoxically, is what attracts the punters in the first place but always leaves me dissatisfied.

Liz Olsen was good though!

Quite an unremarkable even leaden effort. Malick performance is the stand out element, but even that seems more like an impersonation on a tv comedy skit rather than something more substantial.

Then again I don't like the music of queen much so maybe I'm missing something?

Wow! This is a proper grown up film. Not a frame is wasted. The relationship between the protagonists feels shocking and inevitable; forbidden and natural.

They were electrifying. One of the best films this punter has seen in many a year.

This film has all the ingredients to make it a foolproof smash. It also contains more than enough flaws to guarantee failure and ridicule.: a curates egg if ever.

Rickman is enjoyable.

Enough already! How many zombies can there be? If 50% of the population were turned the survivors have seen off shedfulls more than required.

Enjoyed first few series though.

Clare grogan Clare grogan Clare grogan Clare grogan Nuff said😍

If you know someone who doesn't like musicals (and we all have friends who don't), this could be the film that changes their mind.

None of that improbable bursting into song whist pursuing everyday chores. All the singing takes place in the context of the cabaret and the story itself contains fascinating threads both personal and historical- probably the most grownup of musicals.

Lots to admire yet so little to love, everything about this film could be labelled brilliant, dazzling, genius even; but it does raise the question. Who could enjoy what Scorsese gives us here?

Full of career best performances, this movie is relentless brutal and finally dispiriting.

Now where did I put that moral compass?

Mysterious and unsettling, this very noirish thriller seems to present us with a morality free universe in which everything is determined or random: you decide!