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Reviews
Game Night (2018)
I am a grumpy old man but I enjoyed this a lot.
I thought it was a smart, funny film that kept me engaged. Can't ask much more than that. Sharon Horgan's character seemed a little bolted on as if they'd been asked to create a part for her but that's really my only criticism. Even enjoyed the soundtrack. Lot of detail and game references that mean it would withstand repeat viewing.
Not a wasted moment, gags that were set ups for later gags, wit and visual humour, not an over reliance on toilet humour. Almost everyone is ridiculously good looking and anything resembling gritty realism has been sacrificed for the jokes but it's a comedy so really that's fine.
Back to Life (2019)
Every day is like Sunday
I watched both series. The second seemed to lose it's way a bit with more focus on the supporting characters and Adrian Edmondson just plays Adrian Edmondson so I thought poor casting. The private detective character in the first series hints at complexity but other than him leading to an important plot point he just seems to be a needless character. I'd also question some of the understanding of the British criminal justice system but then it's hardly a documentary.
But, overall some lovely humour and pathos with fine performances by the main characters. The filming around Hythe and that area makes great use of location and gives that 'every day is like Sunday' feel of out of season seaside towns.
Quite short episodes so it's an easy binge watch.
The Rig (2023)
Rigiculous
I kept thinking surely this must get better once all the exposition is out of the way. No, it didn't. A few nice visual moments, I thought, although mostly the cinematography owed much to 1970s soaps. Some credible actors giving terrible performances so let's assume that much of the blame lies with the script and direction. The onboard affair with no chemistry, crew members who are all technical wizzes but can't follow basic orders, the odd acceptance that this is The Ancestor, the heavily signposted eco messages, the surprisingly mild weather in the middle of the North Sea (maybe it is but there was little or no sense of this being at sea), the willingness to accept that lethal negligence at work just makes you a slightly bad person rather than needing addressing,etc. Utterly lacking in the kind of atmosphere that might be expected. I think there's probably an okay 90 minute film to be made where a faster pace over a shorter period of time makes it easier to suspend disbelief.
Young Wallander (2020)
Forget the Wallander connection, it's a police drama
I seem to remember that there was a young Wallander novel, there was also a novel based on Wallander's daughter as well as the original Wallander novels and the Swedish and U.K. TV productions. This doesn't appear to be directly related to any of them, it's a contemporary police drama in which the central character is a rookie cop called Wallander who references the odd thing you might remember from all the previous works. Although the central story line around asylum seekers and racism would fit well into the canon.
It is set in Sweden but in English with a variety of British accents, except for Wallander himself who is the only person in Sweden with a Swedish accent apparently. Fairly complex, fast paced, engaging. Good to know that all Swedish police officers have such expensive cars.
Would have been better as a stand alone crime thriller without the confusing Wallander connections.
There She Goes (2018)
Recommended
I had missed this the first time around and the first episode was shown again on the BBC the other night and I watched it really from being too lazy to change channels. But it is quite exceptional - funny and sad and seemed so familiar from the families I've known in similar circumstances. Miley Locke as Rosie was excellent, such a well observed piece of acting.
Highly recommended.