Reviews

Don't get me wrong, I really did enjoy the film. Visually stunning, it transports you to 2053 which seems very recognisable and imaginable. We do have to suffer the good ol' Hollwood formula that requires the 'good guys' and the 'bad guys' and in this case the good guys are AI. I just don't get why AI has to be portrayed as so damn human whereas the human 'baddies' (which natch is the US) are a bunch of psycho nutjobs. I simply don't get how AI could lose a war against humans; just doesn't seem realistic. But still... When push comes to shove, it is an enjoyable 2hrs 13 but it takes a truly great film-maker like Christopher Nolan to wrestle with these meaty issues as he did in Westworld.

This truly absorbing drama transports you to the Tokyo of the 90s and thanks to a star turn by Ansel Elgort, you get an idea of what being a gaijin in such an opaque society is like. Based on the (true) story by Jake Adelstein, we look into the murky world of the Yakusa and the particularly Japanese relationship with the police. Jake is a character you root for and I really enjoyed Rachel Keller's performance as Samantha as a counterpoint to Jake; the writers resisted the simple line of having them hook up. The various Japanese characters are complex and well drawn; they are all superbly acted. Ken Watanabe is spell-binding as ever, Sho Kasamatsu is truIy brilliant and I couldn't take me eyes off Atumi Tanida as Tozawa.

This is a review purely of the content of the TV show. I haven't read the comic so I have no axe to grind. It was strange, magical, wistful and entrancing. The acting was great, did like Tom Sturridge as Dream - just the right side of a moody twat. Any show that has Gwendoline Christie as Lucifer has my vote.

It meanders a bit but I think that is purposeful and it is a journey surely? Yes, liked it. A lot.

Astounding. A really well acted sci-fi drama with all the elements you want - Dystopian future, save the world mission, a secret on the moon. All the characters were nuanced and no cardborad cut-outs here. The pace was excellent and it became totally immersive. Really enjoyed it. Stellar cast who were very, very good as an ensemble.

It has been tried before. On the big screen, on the small screen but nothing really worked. Until now. I think Villeneuve was brave to film it in two parts but the book so obviously is two parts of the same story. I was held gripped by a narrative I know inside out and it seemed so very fresh. The cimematography was gorgeous and the acting universally excellent. Chamalet goes from a boy to a man in front of us Stellan Skarsgaard was underused but will no doubt have a bigger part to play in part 2. Who will be Feyd?

I cant wait for the story to unfold. Too long to wait!

The evocation of 16C Seville is incredible and without a vast amount of special effects, you feel all the rhythms of the city, a long with its finery, stench and hypocrisy. It doesn't pull any punches and the rigid strata of society with their inflexible norms and to the sense of claustrophobia. The plotting is tight and the characters beautifully drawn. None is a saint but neither are they pure sinners; just people trying to get by. Gorgeous filmography completes the picture. Unmissable.

The Bridge remains one of the most original and atmospheric dramas on TV. There has been a bit of a tend in 'spin offs' (think The Tunnel) and Der Pass gets wrongly cast as the German/Austrian version. It's not. The writing is crisp and clear; the premise is way more supernatural and the characters (especially Gedeon Winter) are superb. Very good drama indeed.