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Brave New World (2020)
Rather sanitized compared with the book.
On the whole I enjoyed the adaptation but had the feeling right from the beginning that it had lost something of the novel. I had not read the story for decades so immediately after watching the series I read the novel. To me the book reads as a satire on US culture as it appeared to be developing to Huxley in the early 1930s (and I think the satire still works well with the current US). This does not emerge from the TV adaptation at all.
However, the adaptation does nicely bring up to date certain aspects of the novel. It was written before the computer age so incorporating developments beyond even Huxley's imagination was a good move. Equally imaginative and appropriate was the re-design of the feelies.
Some of the physical appearance of important characters in the novel is lost (Bernard Marx, Linda) and in both cases their appearance is fairly important to the story. On the other hand the actress playing Lenina will be forever my mental image of that character.
The novel is darker and a better, more layered, story than the adaptation, but if you treat the adaptation more as "inspired by" rather than "adapted from" the novel it stands up reasonably well in its own right.
Amelia 2.0 (2017)
Thought provoking and well done
To be frank I had low expectations but I was very quickly engaged by the story and by the characters. The acting was decent generally though Amelia's husband seemed to lose quality as the story developed.
Some very nice touches, such as "Theseus' ship" done with a pen to illustrate problems of identity and anatman. Or, in a different field of philosophy, the rights (or lack of them) for a new class of human.
The ending was somewhat predictable given the US context: when in doubt shoot something. However the ultimate ending was very nicely conceived.
It is a relief to find a sci-fi film that explores ideas mostly through the story rather than endless CGI.
A Castle for Christmas (2021)
The views of Scotland were nice
If Mills and Boon made films, even they would burn this one - though judging from the positive reviews, they'd discover there is a market for pulp.
The one redeeming feature of this film is Scotland.
(Actually the supporting cast do as much as they can to offset the dire Brook Shields).
The US is famous for adding excess sugar to its recipes, and this film is positively glazed. It was only missing a chorus of carols by children in a hospital to top off the schmaltz.
In fairness, I should say the dog is pretty good too.
Behind Her Eyes (2021)
Best thing I've watched recently
It is hard to say much about the plot without giving away its twists and turns. Suffice to say there is a lot of misdirection fleshed out over several episodes. The character of Adele is played beautifully. Just when you think it is a personality disorder it is .... Well you'll have to watch to find out.
Katla: From Under the Glacier (2021)
Fell asleep a couple of times
Certainly conjures up the sense of how grim life is in a near-abandonned village living in the shadow of an active volcano on an island in the arctic.
The actors are good (so much better than plastic Hollywood automata).
Very slow, but at least makes you wonder where the story is going.
I think the first mission to Mars should be Icelanders - I suspect they will find Mars more comfortable than Katla.
The Pursuit of Love (2021)
Lacks the wit of the novel - tries too hard.
I re-read the novel before watching the adaptation. This might have been a mistake.
I can see what I think the adaptation was aiming for but seems to me to be neither one thing nor another. It tried (unsuccessfully) to connect with how adolescents might feel kicking against the constraints of a world split between those locked in Edwardian reaction, and those in post-War rebellion. Maybe the sense of 'neither one thing or the other' was part of it - growing up, adolescent, and neither one world nor the other - but as a stratagem it failed for me.
It does contain a lot of the actual dialogue from the book, yet somehow manages to deliver it in such a way as to loose the essential humour (albeit of a rather understated English nature). Maybe the producers were thinking of the US market possibilities.
Maybe my problem with it is simply that I was inevitably comparing it to the earlies adaptation (Love in a Cold Climate), and finding it wanting.
Not utterly awful, but a bit unlovable.
The Irregulars (2021)
No redeeming features
If this had been written and directed by s substandard AI system it couldn't have been worse. Acting was dire. Storyline was absurd. No development. It is possible episode 2 would be better, but I will never know.
Assassin's Creed (2016)
Where do you start?
Sadly forgot I'd seen this before - or more likely obliterated the memory as too awful to live with. I can only assume it was paying well to get the cast it did. There could be no other reason for having their name associated with this dire mess.
Nothing in this made sense - the motivation of the characters, the pseudo-science, the action. It was all just appearance without purpose.
In case you haven't picked up on it yet, I loathed this from beginning to end.
Life or Something Like It (2002)
A new take on 'A Christmas Carol'
Ok, so maybe that is not quite what the director had in mind, but the same basic message stood out for me - and with a better twist.
I guess the categories of 'romantic' and 'comedy' do fit, but it is also a sort of enlightenment film. The Jolie character has a goal in life, but it is a goal in a box presented to her by societal conditioning. In her case the goal is career. Her sister also has a goal from the societal checklist. In her case, it the perfect suburban homemaker. Most of the focus of the film is on the Jolie character, but the sister is there was a purpose: neither is fulfilled.
Enter the prophet (very nicely played, quirky) like one of Scrooges ghosts to lead the Jolie character on an adventure to think outside the box.
The ghost of christmas yet to be is the Stockard Channing character, the successful TV personality, Jolie's career role model, who has the career but underneath is not at peace with her choices. Beneath the cloak of assurance lie unquiet ghosts.
I'm generally not a fan of Angeline Jolie as an actress (robotic style) but in this she shows a bit of range.
Having read other reviews (and with Jolie in the lead) I was expecting to be disappointed but I enjoyed the film and wondered whether some reviewers had been paying attention.
Spectral (2016)
What a load of tripe
On the plus side, it gives a big thumbs up to the role of Darpa. And it gives a very good idea of a major city torn-apart by urban warfare.
It does have a plot, utterly insane but a plot nontheless.
The engineer character does a fair representation of 'working the problem'.
On the downside, it is a mishmash of technobabble attempting to glue the insane plot together and justify some CGI effects recycled from Raiders of the Lost Ark.
I suspect if I say more it might count as spoilers, so to be vague: stock characters, a checklist of inclusions from designed-by-committee script.
I'm sure a lot of people will enjoy the film, but for me there were too many flaws.
Little Women (2019)
Confusing - followed by pointless
I am at a loss as to why people gush about this film. Went to see it a couple of days ago with my wife. When we got home she asked what I thought and I said 'meh, ok'. She said she didn't dislike it, but not great.
One big difference between our experience of the film was the first half-hour or so. I've never read the book but have seen (a long, long time ago) another adaptation. For the initial section of the film I was completely confused about what was happening - I got the idea it was jumping about in time and space but trying to piece it together was more effort than it was worth.
Once it settled down to a level not designed for those with ADHD, I was mostly waiting for a plot to emerge. I guess it was more akin to wandering round a garden owned by someone who likes colourful flowers but isn't that keen on gardening.
Clearly not a film for me.
The Dead Don't Die (2019)
Not enough plot for a full movie
I was drawn to watch the film by the cast. Very often Bill Murray's sense of the absurd works well for me.
Unfortunately what I found was a bag of reasonably good ideas that would make for good sketches in a TV comedy show, glued together by far too much weak filler.
Bill Murray plays the part of the seen-it-all, unflappable local sheriff very well sherriff(he's made for the part). Tilda Swinton was equally born to be far-out-of-left-field strange character, and does so very well. But they just don't have enough material to work with.
The film does make some nice swipes are current political themes, but they are almost lost. Subtle is good, but distracted and unfocused isn't.
The repeated mantra of 'this is all going to end badly' I think is more a comment by the actors on the screenplay than on the Zombie invasion.
The Very Private Work of Sister K (2016)
A film with many levels, greatly enjoyed.
It is almost impossible to write a review of this without including spoilers of some kind, so I'm going to avoid any detail of content.
This film contains broad hints at how to be formally punctilious and simultaneous avoid actuality. It contains an exploration of semantics. It contains an exploration of what it is to be human. And so much more.
And all done with drama and humour.
Outlaw King (2018)
Disappointing and rather tedious
Right from the start there was something about the writing and directing that made this feel fake. Unfortunately that coloured my viewing of the rest of the film.
Chris Pine does a good job as Robert the Bruce despite (for no obvious reason) being made to look much older than he would have been at the time of the events in the film.
As a side note one of the goofs listed talks about the Act of Union 1707 but claims this was in the reign of Henry VIII: union took place long after death of Henry VIII - in fact after a whole different dynasty was in power and Queen Anne was on the throne.
As many reviewers have said it probably should have been a mini-series rather than a film and then some of the characters could have been fleshed out a bit more so that you actually care about them.
The final battle scene is one of the best parts of the film, though let down by the camera work. It conjures up the blood and mud of a full on medieval battle.
Jonathan Creek (1997)
Dire
Only just watching this now on Netflix. Didn't see it first time round on the BBC.
The first couple of episode were ok-ish, but very quickly the series has descended into over-acted, absurdity.
I've got to give the show credit for finding some wonderful locations, but really when the locations are the best thing about a program that is hardly a recommendation.
I've reached the point where I can't bear to watch any more. The Maggie character (Caroline Quentin) is so awful I'd be quite happy for her to become the victim of a gruesome murder.
What it most reminds me of is TV dramas of the 1960s with very theatrical style of acting. Alan Davies doesn't fall into this style, to his credit, but this just emphasizes the caricatures that everyone else is playing.
It's obvious from many reviews that it is a program with an appeal to some, but definitely not to me.
Star Trek: Discovery (2017)
What were they thinking? Dire
I've watched 4 episodes now, and I'm not sure I can really be bothered watching another. I've been watching Star Trek since the original series was first broadcast in the UK, and it has had its ups and downs in quality (the deepest downs often being the films), but Discovery is a new low. Actually it's hard to really see it as part of the Star Trek franchise.
No amount of CGI can replace actually writing a story. May be this is just a slow burn and will develop into something to enjoy watching rather than merely tolerate, but it needs to catch fire pretty soon.
And what have they done to the Klingons? What were space Vikings now seem to have as much verve as a zombie. The subtitles I don't mind, but please deliver the lines with some energy.
There's always got to be some suspension of disbelief with Star Trek, but nonsense in Discovery moves it from Scifi into fantasy.
One good things (from the point of view of drama) is accepting that major speaking characters can be killed off. Perhaps this principle could be extended to make room for better writers and directors.
EDIT: On the second attempt I have watched all the way to season 4. It does have a few (very few) good episodes scattered among the seasons, but overall my opinion hasn't changed and if anything I think the show got worse in later seasons. (With a special mention of the character Gray who just makes me want to skip forward until he has left the scene). It feels like some of the characters should be singing operatic arias given the unhurried farewell scenes in the face of time-critical impending danger. My heart grew heavy when I read there was to be season 5.