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Reviews
Why Women Kill (2019)
Forget everything you thought was going to happen at the start.
I've loved this series. To give you some idea of where I'm coming from, previous favourites were, number 1 the Wire, closely followed by the Sopranos, Desperate Housewives and Big Little Lies ( this is a very abbreviated list). The final episode of Why Women Kill is as close to perfection as any single television programme I've ever seen in my life, absolutely brilliant and if Emmys don't rain down on the heads of the producers, writers, cast, costume designers and everybody else involved for the whole thing from start to finish but particularly, that final episode, there is no justice in this world. If you can't stream it, buy the box set. I promise you won't regret it.
Jonnie's Blade Camp (2021)
Just wonderful
So full of admiration for these kids who have dealt with so much adversity with such determination and happy, smiley faces and their families who have been to hell and back with grief and worry and are so supportive and quite rightly very proud of their resilient children/brothers/sisters/grandchildren. Never thought I could like and admire Jonnie Peacock any more than I already did but there you go, he's proved me wrong. Truly uplifting.
Manifest (2018)
Season 3 just too preposterous
I was happy to suspend my disbelief for the first two seasons, I was intrigued and enjoyed them but I can understand why Manifest was cancelled after S3 when it was decided that the mystery was down to divine intervention. It was the moment when Grace turned into Rambo that made me burst out laughing and realise that I couldn't be doing with another 3 series of this though. If somebody wants to make a movie tying up all the loose ends, I'll watch it but I wouldn't bother watching another 3 series of this overblown nonsense that takes itself fat too seriously.
Hunt for the Wilderpeople (2016)
"Why do you reckon he calls himself Psycho Sam?
I really enjoyed this. It's warm hearted without straying into schmaltz for one second, laugh out loud funny and the New Zealand scenery is absolutely stunning. Don't you just love a feel good movie when it's done as well as this?
Fargo (2014)
S4 is not the Fargo we know and love
Where's the humour gone? Where's the dogged cop determined to bring the bad guys to justice? Where's the fun gone? I wish I'd rated this before, it would have been 10 stars. I had to knock one off for S4 but I can't even recommend the first 3 seasons not to mention the original film highly enough.
Leap Year (2010)
Don't get me wrong, it's a good romcom
While Matthew Goode is a very handsome romcom actor and there was great chemistry between him and Amy Adams, I don't understand why an Irish actor wasn't cast in the role. Also, why was the bride whose wedding they gatecrashed American and not Irish? If you're going to set a film in Ireland, cast Irish actors ffs 🙄
Kingsman: The Secret Service (2014)
Great fun!
Very funny and they have a point. CIA, MI6, Mossad, Beijing... What IS the name of China's secret service?? 🤔🤣
Time (2021)
Just when I thought I couldn't have any more respect for Jimmy McGovern
The *prison is just a holiday camp, lock em up and throw away the key* brigade need to watch this. It's a hellhole full of people with limited life choices, mental health problems and violence. Sean Bean as the 50 something alcoholic school teacher who could not be more ill equipped or more wracked with remorse and Stephen Graham, a decent prison officer with an unblemished record, trapped within the system as surely as any of the prisoners under his care, are both beyond brilliant. Astonishing performances, even from them. I cannot recommend this highly enough.
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Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018)
Blew my socks off, what on earth was going on though?
The craftsmanship that's gone into making this a stunning treat for the eyes, ears a general sense of wellbeing deserves 10 stars. The only problem was I didn't know what on earth was going on half the time.
The Pact (2021)
Disappointing
Says it all when you stick it out to episode 5 of 6 and can't even be arsed to see it through to the end. This is a mess. I don't care about any of the characters so what's the point?
The Underground Railroad (2021)
Absolutely brilliant. Just don't try to watch it in daylight
Roots in the 70s was the landmark series that made me anti racist for life. This is in the same league. My only quibble is that some scenes are so dark it's very hard to see what's happening. And then there are scenes of such brutality you wish you couldn't see them. Slave traders/owners were barbarians #BLM.
Stan & Ollie (2018)
Wonderful homage to a pair of comic geniuses
Touching and laugh out loud funny, never schamalzy and perfectly cast. Steve Coogan and John C Rielly make a bloody good fist of recreating the comic genius.
Finding Jack Charlton (2020)
Ten stars and I don't even like football!
Jackie Charlton contributed to the peace process by bolstering Ireland's self esteem when it was in tatters. His decline into dementia was heartbreaking. Please stop heading the ball.
Peterloo (2018)
Didn't do my blood pressure any good at all
Brilliant and prescient. One star off the full 10 because it's half an hour too long.
A Quiet Place (2018)
Ssshhh!
You know you're absolutely invested in a film when you find yourself silently screaming SSSHHHHH! at the tv when the adverts blare out. Brilliant.
All Creatures Great & Small (2020)
Gotta hand it to Channel 5, they have upped their game.
I was sure this wouldn't be a patch on the much loved original but it's actually much better in so many ways. The casting is absolutely spot on, the script is sharp, I'm totally invested in the characters and I spend much of my time watching it with a huge smile on my face. Absolutely wonderful, well done and thank you Channel 5 and all concerned. I love it 👏👏👏
The Queen's Gambit (2020)
Don't be afraid that it's overrated, I promise you it is not.
This is as exciting and wonderful as everyone says it is. It's character driven, warm, exhilarating, nail-biting stuff and I can't recommend it highly enough. Absolutely loved it.
Roadkill (2020)
Brilliant!
If this was any further up my street it would be living in my house. David Hare as reliable as ever, Hugh Lawrie and Helen McCrory quite rightly being showered with plaudits but the whole cast is tremendous with special mention to Saskia Reeves. Political intrigue and backstabbing, shady civil servants, personal conflict and an ending that is crying out for another series. I for one can't wait. Perfect Sunday night viewing.
Why Women Kill (2019)
Forget everything you thought was going to happen at the start.
I've loved this series. To give you some idea of where I'm coming from, previous favourites were, number 1 the Wire, closely followed by the Sopranos, Desperate Housewives and Big Little Lies ( this is a very abbreviated list). The final episode of Why Women Kill is as close to perfection as any single television programme I've ever seen in my life, absolutely brilliant and if Emmys don't rain down on the heads of the producers, writers, cast, costume designers and everybody else involved for the whole thing from start to finish but particularly, that final episode, there is no justice in this world. If you can't stream it, buy the box set. I promise you won't regret it.
Spitting Image (2020)
It didn't disappoint! I'm so happy!
I've been looking forward to this so much I was scared it was going to be a letdown but I needn't have worried. As a deaf person, I was initially gutted when the subtitles didn't work on Chromecast but I was watching with my son and his partner and they were cracking up laughing. Just tried it again and the subtitles have been sorted now (thank you, much appreciated) and I absolutely loved it! Well done to all concerned, as a massive fan of the original, you didn't let me down at all. Hilarious! 🤣🤣🤣
Well Groomed (2019)
Brilliantly made documentary but...
...all I could think all the way through was *Those poor dogs. Seemed to me they'd been trained to tolerate the endless hours standing on tables being groomed to within an inch of their lives, used as their owner's artistic (?) canvas, judged and under no illusions that the failure to win was their fault, based on the feedback from their owners . Didn't see them having much joy in life though. This documentary captured all that and left us to make up our own minds. I'm fairly sure that's the definition of an excellent documentary.
The InBetween (2019)
Very disappointing
Great concept, mediocre script and plot holes you could drive a barge through. Two crack detectives are guided by a woman who sees dead people and no one ever questions where they got their information from. The biggest problem with this though is the dreadful acting. I'm happy to suspend my disbelief if I care about the characters but it's impossible to care about planks of wood. There's zero humour. Sometimes people cry except they don't really, there's just an identically placed line of vaseline or whatever it is from the corner of their eye to halfway down their cheek in every single case. The special effects are good though.
I Know This Much Is True (2020)
Absolutely outstanding
As a mental health professional, albeit not in America where systems appear to be very different from ours in the UK, I was gripped by this from the outset. Virtuoso performance/s by Mark Ruffalo but everything about this production is faultless. I can't recommend it highly enough, it's excellent.
The Man from U.N.C.L.E. (2015)
Looking forward to the sequel
I used to love the TV series and when this got such a luke warm reception I didn't bother going to see it. More fool me. It's
funny, the script is sharp as a tack, the action scenes are exciting, we have a woman who's a match for any of these egocentric but very likeable men. There was clearly a plan at the end for a follow up. I hope it happens, it's good craic.
La casa de papel (2017)
This is a real treat 10/10
Absolutely loving this. It's exciting and intriguing with more twists and turns than you could shake a stick at. Production values are first class but most crucial for me in any good fiction, it's character led and there's a wee smattering of well timed comedy in there to lighten the load. Can't recommend it highly enough.