cbrandonj's Reviews

Cinderella (I) (2021)

7/10

Pleasant timewaster with some excellent bits

2 February 2024

This movie began rather weakly, but got better. Idina Menzel's singing and Billy Porter's...everything were well worth the effort of watching. Minnie Driver was understated and effective, Pierce Brosnan chewed the scenery like he was starving. Nicholas Galitzine is a talented singer, actor, and pianist, and well cast, although his range was wasted in this. Beverly Knight was *the* Queen :)

Camila Cabello clearly has a lot of enthusaism and talent, but her voice didn't do it for me, unfortunately, nor did a lot of the songs (though there were some enjoyable ones in the mix). James Corden was hammy and icky, but the mouse trio was fun and funny. There were enough laughs as it went on to keep me watching.

Plot 8/10. Costumes 9/10. Palace ballroom dance 11/10 :)

I like the subversion of a very tired old plot (I mean, how many versions of this story do we really need?) but the 'fall in love instantly' idea needs to go away. Movie needs a sequel when we find out how Ella deals with Prince Robert deals with actual adulting, and more of Princess Gwen, thank you :)

0 out of 1 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink

X: First Class (2011)

5/10

Great cast, terrible writing

19 March 2022

I love all the actors in this, and they are as charismatic and charming as any director could want, but the dialogue is *awful*. The 'training' scenes were particularly cringey and clunky. I really don't know or care how close this is to any comic or movie canon. I just know that the group bonding stuff was really poorly written and executed. Very dull.

The Wolverine cameo was fun.

The Bay of Pigs stand off has particular resonance, watching it in March 2022 :( Can't fault that bit at all.

Worth watching for the intense chemistry between McAvoy and Fassbender (I mean *really* intense!), but not much else.

0 out of 3 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink

Traces (2019–2022)

3/10

Waste of a good cast and lovely scenery

15 January 2022

I adore Laura Fraser and Scottish Noir, but this was just ridiculous. The plucky young naif line just didn't work, and the mystery itself was pedestrian. Some of the forensic stuff was good, the acting was terrific, but man oh man, the plot was woeful. Strictly for wasting time when there is nothing else to watch.

8 out of 9 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink

Don't Leave Me This Way (1993 TV Movie)

1/10

Utter tedium

3 January 2022

Slow, nonsensical, and dull beyond belief, this movie wastes an astonishing cast (I mean, just look who's in this! It's like a Who's Who of British film and television acting!) and makes all of them plod through the worst script of the worst TV movie I have ever had the displeasure to see. Worst of all, I suspect McTeer and Staunton were only cast because the powers that be thought the visual would be funny - it wasn't.

Avoid, avoid, avoid.

6 out of 18 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink

Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021)

6/10

Fans only

17 December 2021

This one is big sloppy kiss with tongue to all the diehard fans of the various iterations of SM, and everyone else can go fox themselves (to paraphrase Dr Strange's mug.)

The many wonderful actors give it their all, but they are wasted in a film that is too long and too confusing, and while there are a few tidbits which will raise a smile, it's just too much. Half the number of villains and superheroes would have made it twice as much fun.

I'm prepared to be in a massive minority in this, however.

2 out of 4 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink

Skylight (2014)

10/10

It rarely gets better than this.

5 December 2021

Three incredible actors at the top of their game. A sharp, funny script by one of Britain's best playwrights. And an incredible vivid staging that allows the actors to really show off their chops while enhancing the claustrophobic material impoverishment of Kira's current life. When Nighy bursts in, it's like a 1000w light has been lit, and he rages around this tight set like an angry lion. Mulligan is not frightened of him, though. She rages back, but in a more deliberate manner, showing who really has the control over her life and the situation.

And delicate, gangly, funny Matthew Beard is the thread that unites the two halves of the play and the lives of the two players, playing a spoilt, obnoxious but also incredibly endearing Edward.

Honestly one of the best 'theatre' experiences I've ever had. Thank you to NT Live for allowing us to participate even though we live in Australia.

3 out of 3 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink

No Time to Die (2021)

10/10

Daniel Craig is simply the best Bond

28 November 2021

Warning: Spoilers

Saw the Bond film yesterday, and I cried. Was the story stupid? Yes. Were there ginormous plot holes? God yes. (I mean, what were those people doing for hours and hours every day in that big toxic river thing?) And was the villain more implausible than usual? Yes, indeed he was.

But was there terrific acting? Were there laughs? Were the female characters great? (Oh Paloma, I love you :) ) Was there fan service? (Q's cats! Q's date! Q's temporary house mate! :) )

Did I adore Q, M, Moneypenny, Tanner, Nomi, Felix, and damn it, even misogynist, violent, cruel James bloody Bond himself?

Did I even forgive the ridiculous plot moppet?

Was the ending perfect?

YES!

Was it too long? No, (though an interval would have been nice for those of us with bladders)

Was it too slow? No.

Daniel Craig owns that role until the end of time because he made me cry. None of the other Bonds made me care enough no matter how much misery they endured. And the way the ending was handled, from his brave, cheeky grin, to the last "chin chin", was gorgeous.

*A* James Bond may return (though it will be utterly stupid). But not the *real* James Bond.

Well done, old man :)

5 out of 19 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink

Love and Other Disasters (2006)

10/10

You need to see this movie

23 July 2016

Because

1. It stars the very pretty Santiago Cabrera (who looks just wrong without a beard and moustache) and the gorgeous and lost-too-soon Brittany Murphy

2. It's a story about a gay best friend which won't make you cringe, and actually puts him and his needs and his romance ahead of the female lead's

3. Tango!

4. Catherine Tate is hilarious, and her double act with Stephanie Beacham is a scream

5. It uses modern London as a backdrop very nicely (please to be excusing the blatant b*llsh*t about how Heathrow and registry office marriages work)

6. It includes the most accurate description of the stages of a relationship I've ever heard

7. It's funny enough to make you pee

8. It's just lovely

4 out of 4 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink

cbrandonj

Reviews

Tell Your Friends

Recently Viewed