Change Your Image
scopesclare
Reviews
Cat Person (2023)
Insightful commentary on gender relations
What stuck out to me most was how much I related to the female character. I'm 57 and she is 20 but I could totally relate to how she navigated the short love affair.
The pattern is so familiar. Firstly, knowing nothing about him, she constructs an idea of him in her head, building up a romantic attachment. This attachment becomes so strong, she gets dependent on it and panics when he does not return her texts.
So, to get his attention, she resorts to texting him a photograph of her breasts. Her motivation to pursue him at this point comes from a bruised ego rather than anything real, from not being comfortable with the idea he may no longer be interested.
But then they go on a date. It doesn't take long before she realises they have very little in common, but she pretends to like what he does. When he kisses her the fantasy breaks and the power balance shifts, she realises he is not an experienced older man, he is actually inexperienced and awkward and a very bad kisser.
However, instead of ending it right there, she goes back to his house and ends up having really bad sex. We learn that she thinks it is easier to 'just go through with it' than to say no. She also does it out of a sense of obligation, she feels she is doing him a favour but she is not doing herself a favour at all. This is a common scenario, a default setting, women feeling obligated, to be accommodating, to not speak up or assert themselves.
I disagree that this is a man-hating film. The male character's point of view is revealed as the film goes on. He is understandably confused by her behaviour and near the end we see them curled up together as they shelter from the fire. They are both victims of something bigger. Society. Culture. Technology.
The sense of obligation women feel to just have sex when they don't really want to is a really big issue that needs to be addressed. And this film helps to do that... so well done for making this thought-provoking film!
Spaceman (2024)
Who doesn't love chocolate hazelnut spread?
Wow, what a trip! This movie is profound, funny and extremely original. This film is about humanity, what happens when we deny our emotions and turn to empty heroic pursuits. This film is about everything and nothing, time, space and most importantly - the intergalactic appeal of hazelnut chocolate spread. It's also about an incredibly wise, giant spider with cute little teeth.
It has a touch of David Lynch about it, especially with the Isabella Rossellini factor. It navigates the uneasy edge of menace and humour, but with a plot that actually makes sense.
It also reminded me of eternal sunshine of a spotless mind with the retro fittings, brick phone, and chunky eastern block tech, placing the film both in the future and the past at the same time.
Bravo for making a film about space that isn't about space or man's burning ambition to beat the odds. Bravo for making a film that is less than two hours long and never gets boring. Bravo for doing something entirely different and putting two actors together I never thought I'd see in the same frame.
After seeing Adam Sandler in Hidden Gems I became a fan, and I'm an even bigger one now, and Carey Mulligan is excellent, as usual. Although I have to say if anything annoyed me in the film it was the age difference between Carey Mulligan's character and her mother. The mother looked perhaps 10 years older than the daughter, max... how's that work...? Same old same old. The reluctance to cast older-looking, age appropriate women in this industry continues...
Lots of people won't like this movie. For many reasons. If you're expecting a film about mr big dick beating the odds in a tin can you'll be be sadly disappointed. However, if you're up for the most excellent man-hugging-spider scene in the history of film, you'll be well pleased.
I haven't watched Chernobyl but I definitely will now!
Mister Organ (2022)
A documentary about a documentary maker making a documentary
I have to admit I really don't like documentaries in which the documentary maker features heavily. This is one of those documentaries. From the very beginning there is lots of narration by the documentary maker, rather than putting the story together using other sources.
When the documentary fails to do the expected - uncover more serious crimes committed by the subject - it switches to an attempt to examine the subject's extremely odd and unpleasant personality.
The subject of the documentary is a difficult person. A very difficult person who has burnt a hell of a lot of bridges and leaves destruction in his wake. A person who has problems telling the truth and likes to manipulate people.
I have had dealings with a person like this in my life. He had a diagnosis of narcissistic personality disorder, and the mister organ in this film is likely one of these types. A compulsive liar who can never ever admit to being in the wrong, a serial litigant who represents them self in court, and generally a pest to those he comes across. More than a pest, a menace, a palpable, malignant presence.
I had a visceral reaction to this film, it brought back the bad experience I had with the same type of person in my life. Another reviewer points out that unless you have experienced a person like Mr organ, you can't know what it feels like. This part of the documentary I understood. How much the documentary maker is creeped out by his subject.
But the documentary maker make some questionable decisions himself. He decides to harass the family of his subject even though it is abundantly clear they have no intention of talking to him. Yet the documentary maker takes his equipment and turns up at their door expecting them to talk to him?
No of course he doesn't expect them to talk to him, he just wants a little bit of footage of them refusing to talk to him. It's the kind of journalism you see on crappy current affair shows. From the very start, he has his camera on as he approaches his subjects, before asking permission to film. There's a disingenuousness to this sort of behaviour. It reminded me of a Martin Bashir style documentary.
A mistake the documentary maker made was not abandoning the project halfway through, throwing all the footage in the bin and setting fire to it. That's the only way to defeat the malignant narcissist, deny them any kind of attention whatsoever.
Unfortunately people like mister organ thrive off attention, and this film will probably give him some sort of thrill. He will probably try to sue the documentary maker for defamation.
Finding Michael (2023)
Not as bad as the reviews would suggest
Yes there are quite a few cringe moments in this documentary, which, in the beginning, has more in common with a reality TV show than a documentary, with the contrived family scenes and perfect hair and make up.
But things start to improve when Spencer gets to Nepal. I did wonder at first what the motives were for making this documentary, it did seem a bit of a vanity project, another way to get on TV.
As many reviewers point out, it is only because they have lots of cash that they can do this at all. My initial reaction is that climbers who risk their lives should expect to stay on the mountain for eternity if they die. But I think if someone you love is missing, you would do anything to find them. This family does. Because they've got the money.
I've watched many many shows about climbing Everest. I actually think it's ridiculous sport and would never do it myself but I'm strangely drawn to watching other people do it. In the many shows I've seen I've never seen so much footage of the trek up to base camp as there is in this documentary. I didn't realise it was so incredibly beautiful. Absolutely stunning. I also enjoyed the scene where the monks give their blessings.
I don't think this documentary is anywhere as bad as the reviews suggest. I think people are really enjoying bashing this person because of their celebrity and privilege. But it doesn't necessarily follow that they have no feelings or emotions or are devoid of any sensitivity. Yes they can be seen flashing their finery about, but I don't doubt the feelings of this family, who have lost a loved one, are very real. One reviewer even canned Spencer for saying the word 'cathartic '... okay... And the problem is...?
I have to say the worst bit is the bro moment with bear grills who advises Spencer not to do anything stupid and to stay at base camp. I immediately thought, oh no, he's going to ignore that advice like a great big idiot and join the rescue team.
But Spencer does stay at base camp with a walkie-talkie, which some reviewers claim as evidence of his moral bankruptcy. On the contrary, with no experience of mountaineering, he would have only been a hindrance. However, if he had been an idiot and joined the rescue team, I'm sure reviewers would have had a problem with that as well. I think it's definitely a case of dammed if you do, dammed if you don't.
For example, if there was no plan B, if Spencer had decided not to (get the rescue party to) retrieve any of the three bodies discovered in the search, he would have been accused of utter heartlessness. However, he does do one family a favour (Although I suppose he could've done three families a favour). At least one family was able to say goodbye to their loved one and have a funeral. I do agree though, the scene in which the young child is crying should have been omitted.
There's a BBC Channel 4 documentary about Michael's death that looks into the claims about faulty oxygen supply and possible negligence of the part of the tour company. All the claims were ultimately rejected I believe. Michaels family did try to sue the company for negligence. Reviewers claim this is a disgraceful act. However, if you were a grieving family and heard from one of the other clients on the climb that there was something wrong with the oxygen, you would certainly fight back. When people are in stressful situations, a lot of anger and blame gets thrown around, and people believe what they want to believe. And even when they're not in stressful situations people believe what they want to believe...
It's always very interesting to see how reviews can generate waves of hatred that gain momentum, or in this case, an avalanche of hate that snowballs into something quite ugly. Just sayin...
Bulkland (2017)
Very interesting behind-the-scenes story
Ever wondered where the stuff from your two dollar shop comes from?
This is a very interesting short documentary about where the goods Westerners buy in two dollar shops (That's what they are called in Australia) come from. A huge market place with thousands of stalls selling disposable novelty items like dancing Santa Claus or fake rubber penises or hairclips etc.
The film talks to different people in the process, from workers earning .04 cents per item to sales people wheeling and dealing and foreigners hoping to set up profitable businesses.
Recommended for everyone who is interested in the way the world works. Very insightful.
The Kardashians (2022)
Really quite sad to see these people devolving
I used to like this show. It used to be fun. Unfortunately, all the spontaneity has disappeared because the family members are way too preoccupied with how they look, literally and otherwise, to give us any Real Reality TV.
But now they are prisoners of their own making, trapped in an extremely weird existence. A very strange place where money is spent on hollow experiences such as ridiculous birthday parties for children who would probably be happier with less material crap.
There's so much waste, so much materialism, why do they need so much stuff? Why does Kim have to take her son and five of his friends all the way to Europe to watch a soccer match? Because she can. She's got a private jet and can do what she wants, It's so lavish and disgustingly unnecessary and most probably harmful to the soul.
They may be self-obsessed and psychologically warped by fame and extreme wealth but I don't think these people are bad people. I think they are all pretty intelligent and/or funny individuals. That was what made the show interesting in the first place.
I think the saddest part of all is how thoroughly these naturally attractive women have embraced plastic surgery as a way to feel good about themselves. If only they would stop mutilating their bodies and faces and be advocates for growing old gracefully. That would be something good for society, and they have the power to do it.
The Bear (2022)
Unnecessarily stressful toxic work environment
I can see that this is a good show in many ways but I'm finding it quite stressful to watch.
I worked in hospitality for 10 years in the 90s. My first job was as a kitchen hand in a pub that served about 200 lunches in a two hour period. The chef, who we never called chef, was very chill and never yelled at us when she wanted something done, she just asked in a normal voice that was loud enough to be heard.
I'm sure there are some actual establishments that are abusive and toxic like the kitchen in The Bear, but as other reviewers have pointed out, perhaps the writers have been influenced more by reality TV kitchen shows than the real thing.
Of course a drama series needs drama, but working in a fast paced environment with fire and knives is stressful enough without people yelling all the time. I just kept thinking, shut up you macho wankers!
001LithiumX (2020)
Compelling, dark and surprisingly funny
The best film I've seen in ages. I didn't have a problem with the pacing, in fact I think it gains momentum with each scene, there is no saggy middle part, instead it drives on through to the ultimate, satisfying conclusion.
The last scene has some hilarious dialogue. I think I even laughed out loud.
Yes, perhaps the ideas have been used before. Cloning, virtual reality, alienation via Technology. But still the film is compelling, you're not quite sure what's going on at first but facts reveal themselves and the story becomes clear. The acting is excellent, particularly the main character, and the woman who plays Maria, the protagonists virtual lover.
I'm surprised it's got such a low rating. It's definitely one of those love or hate it movies. I think perhaps it doesn't appeal to sci-fi lovers, it's really more of a drama set in the future. Drama about human relationships and how they are affected by our fast changing technological world.
Refreshingly, this film does not drag or overstay its welcome. A brilliant low budget piece of work. Highly recommended.
Oppenheimer (2023)
Overrated, bloated, too loud and overall, quite dull
Very disappointing.
I avoided watching this movie in the theatre because it's so long. I'm watching it now at home in bed and I'm very glad I didn't go to see it in a movie theatre.
First thing I noticed was how incredibly loud to the soundtrack is. It is also very intrusive. Shut up!
The next thing I noticed was how very choppy the film is. The scenes very short leaving no time to immerse oneself in the action before it switches to some other situation, all with the annoying soundtrack blaring in the background.
I got so bored I checked my email while still listening to the audio. It was then that I realised that this film is more like a film Preview than a film. What I'm trying to say is that the action is made up of tiny little snippets of apparently exciting drama, accompanied by an over the top Soundtrack.
The film has no Down time where the viewer might get to know the characters or wrap there head around one of the story arcs, it just charges on portentously without ever actually being interesting in the present tense.
I feel like it is a complete mess and can't understand why people think it's such a masterpiece.
Leave the World Behind (2023)
Gets boring about halfway in
I enjoyed the first hour of this movie, or maybe the first third of this movie... Or maybe I didn't enjoy it that much because I was scrolling through YouTube while listening to the movie audio.
Even though it wasn't interesting enough for me to use both my eyes and ears, I did want to know what was going to happen, so the first half (or third) could be described as compelling.
I too was worried as soon as the film began. First red flag: the blatant, lazy exposition coming out of Julia Roberts mouth. Isn't the first rule of storytelling - show, not tell? This is why I think some people are saying the writing was subpar.
As I was saying, I wanted to find out what the hell was going on. If the father and daughter who own the house are hiding a malevolent secret and are up to no good. But unfortunately they are not, and the movie quickly falls into predictable territory; the white family and black family overcoming distrust and prejudice to come together in the face of a greater evil. Nothing wrong with that but it's quite heavy handed.
The scenes in which this happens are a little bit past the halfway mark. This is the point where I started fast forwarding through. The white woman and a black man pulling out some records and having a little dance together, her husband and the homeowners daughter having a little chinwag out at the pool... I didn't give a damn about these supposedly touching scenes, nope, I only wanted to know what was with the crashing planes/Menacing deers and strange ole shed in the woods.
And by the way, Tesla cars are very unlikely to rear-end each other. But in this movie they crash with wild abandon. I'm sure they could have been ordered to clog up the roads very efficiently without a single accident. But then again, maybe the hackers wanted to indulge in a little bit of smash bang fun while annihilating the US of A... Yeah probably. Although it would take a bit of extra coding to override the teslas anti-crash brains, so I doubt they would bother.
The flamingos in the pool and wildlife going weird is supposedly a result of the cyber attack playing havoc with migration patterns, (as stated over the radio in the car when it gets reception for a few seconds) But this is far-fetched as the attack has only just begun, unless the flamingos happen to have been taking off to migrate on that particular day...or whatever.
A lot of reviewers have said they were left wondering what the hell was going on by the end of it. But I think the cause of the mayhem and disaster is revealed (in general terms) quite early on. Perhaps too early on, leaving the movie with nowhere left to go.
But because I fast forwarded through the second half of the movie I missed the more subtle message, that a divided America (or society in general) is even easier to manipulate by a third party - or third parties - than a united society.
Other reviewers have said the movie might have worked better as a series. I think that might be true. As a movie it is way too long but at the same time not long enough. In the sense that you never really get to explore the characters enough to like them or dislike them.
I thought the acting was okay, but the younger child was overly enigmatic for my liking. However I did enjoy the bit where the teenage boy's teeth fall out. I've had lots of dreams about my own teeth falling out so it was nice to see it happening to someone else.
Avatar: The Way of Water (2022)
Machine guns muscles and the same old same old
The main thing I kept thinking was:
Why put in so much work creating the visuals and forget about the story? Why, when you could create any kind of world that is unlike our own world, decide to have lots of musclebound machine gun wielding men being macho idiots?
Is that so we know they are the bad guys. Okay. I get it.
If we are exploring a different culture, why did they have the same mannerisms and speech patterns as humans? Why do all the sea creatures seem so benevolent to these human like people? Do they have no enemies in the sea? Or are they so Noble and virtuous they are immune from other creatures in their environment?
I think one of the reasons this movie is nowhere near as good as the first is we are getting to a point where CGI no longer amazes us like it once did. In someways the closer we get to a perfect replica, the less interesting it becomes. Think of manga animation which is simple but incredibly effective.
There is something lifeless and souless about the Extreme verisimilitude of Avatar the way of the water. Thanks to motion capture the movements are so very lifelike and believable, it's almost like, meh, okay, so what? Although the way the reptile-birds fly is way too ungainly and clumsy. If these were real birds they wouldn't be able to fly at all.
Also, the thoracic and cervical areas of the human like characters still doesn't look right. A bit awkward. The shoulder joint is a very complicated situation. Keep trying. Or don't.
Another thing that annoyed me was the action and story mostly revolves around the male characters. Yes there are strong female characters but a lot of the movie is about the men having fights with each other or proving themselves or getting the hots for someone, the women and girls serve as accessories to a degree. I've only watched half the movie so maybe the females get more of the action later on.
There is a 10 minute documentary on Disney about the making of the movie. In a Studio where you can see about 25 to 30 people working on set, only one was a woman. Maybe that has something to do with the focus of the film.
The plot is very flimsy, the dialogue is awful. And it's too bloody long!
I'm only halfway through. Three hours is ridiculous and unwarranted considering the lack of story. Really crazy, considering the cost and work that goes into just one second of animation. It's bizarre to think that they left so much unnecessary stuff in, amazing. I suppose being a three hour movie is supposed to make it seem more serious or something, but it really just makes it more boring than it already is.
Of course the visuals are striking, the best thing about this movie are the incredible sea and land environments inspired by our incredible planet we are so Lucky to live on.
Sly (2023)
Started out interesting
At first I was quite interested. To learn about his family and upbringing was promising, but then it went downhill. Like other review was have pointed out, he does like to talk a lot but we don't learn very much.
It's really more of a monologue about the film, Rocky, which he wrote. I watched it for the first time this year and couldn't believe it got an Oscar (or was nominated for an Oscar) the script was so bad. I admire the fact that he actually wrote a script and the film was made. That is an incredible achievement, and he certainly seems like a person who worked his arse off to get what he has today.
If the camera work in Rocky wasn't so innovative and groundbreaking there is no way this film would have come close to any kind of Oscar nomination . Sorry sly, good on you for making something of yourself but the film is remedial at best. And so is this documentary.
Alone UK (2023)
Good reality TV show turned bad
What happened?
I've watched all the series of alone. When I discovered this series ages ago I was mesmerised. Firstly, the idea of the person actually being alone and trying to survive in the wilderness without cameras following them around is an excellent idea.
Secondly, the first seasons did not have some of the annoying things most reality TV shows have;
One. Intrusive background music to evoke emotion. This UK version of alone is ruined by overly dramatic Music. So annoying. What I found refreshing in the earlier seasons was that the viewer was able to someone imagine what it might be like to be alone in the wilderness. The sounds of nature, or silence - Not being bashed over the head with Music better suited to a blockbuster action adventure movie. So annoying. Watching the show used to be a relaxing experience, now every two seconds a voice-over narrator tells us something about the contestant. Shut up! In the earlier seasons information was conveyed via subtitles. Now we have to put up with this annoying voice-over narration.
The other annoying difference is that the footage of the contestants in the wild is interspersed with footage of the contestants talking to the camera interview style. Why? So it looks more like all the other 5000 Reality TV shows? Very annoying.
Other reviews mention that the contestants are all very good looking. Looking back over all the seasons this is generally the case, you can't really get on TV if you're ugly. That has been a staple for at least a decade now.
Nyad (2023)
Very boring indeed
I had to skip through most of this. I loved seeing Jodie Foster she does a great job, but the writers have done very little to actually put any kind of story arcs in this retelling of a real story.
Admittedly I think people who do stupid sports like jumping off cliffs or swimming until they nearly have a cardiac arrest are stupid for putting themselves in danger just for the sake of achieving a pointless and ridiculous goal.
If this film had focused more on why the character was so driven to achieve it might have been more interesting. Yes there is an attempt to uncover what might have been one of her motivations, but this was such a minor part of the film.
If the film was about some man achieving some such goal I would have stopped watching about 10 minutes into the film. Because it was about Women I gave it more of a chance, but it really does fail to create any interest outside of the incredibly obvious and uncomplicated yes no Will she make it question.
The only good thing about it is seeing a couple of older women who have not succumb to ugly plastic surgery. I enjoyed seeing the wrinkles and ageing bodies of strong and beautiful women. We need to see more of this, not ugly Botox, filler faces.
I was disappointed.
Chimp Empire (2023)
Unequal screen time
The footage is incredible. The violence and hierarchy so evident and necessary to maintaining the structure of chimpanzee Society forces a burning question. Are humans capable of evolving past inequality and violence?
Disappointingly, the female members of the clan did not get an equal share of screen time and I found myself getting more and more angry about this bias until I could no longer watch it. Instead I went to Wikipedia and found out more about female chimpanzees in two minutes then I did watching two hours of this series.
I also wondered whether the narration matched the actual events occurring in the footage.