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Reviews
Luther: The Fallen Sun (2023)
Try not to compare it to the TV show...
When i saw all of the recent negative reviews and I must admit to thinking the film must be a complete turkey, up there with Jaws: The Revenge or The Return to Blue Lagoon. But its not, its a well made film based on a popular TV show that runs to 2hrs and has to develop the plot (yes there is one, if you pay attention) and characters at pace. The trouble is that its army of fans are clearly annoyed at the fact that the filmakers have been unable to squeeze a 6hr TV show into a 2hr film.
It picks up where the last series ended, our protagonist has been sent to prison and the writers clearly knew they needed to break Luther out rather quickly so the story could be pushed along. They give him a reason, to hunt down an old enemy from his past. The break out is far fetched, but needed, as i for one didnt want to spend half of the film watching Luther be repeatedly beat up in the showers.
Once out he cant return to life as a police officer, after all he is a wanted man. It does make sense if you give the film a chance. But rather than sneak off to the Costa Del Sol, which would also be dull, we see Luther begin tracking down said enemy.
The enemy is played by Andy Serkis, whose hairstyle reminded me of Liberace, but not in a good way. His nefarious plan involves using modern technology to obtain dirty secrets of various people to blackmail them and in many cases make money by charging other people to watch them die - like a modern day snuff movie. As criminals do hack into our technology, this isnt as stupid as some would lead you to believe. The idea of snuff movies have been around for decades and you dont need to be a genius to think up a modern equivalent.
Towards the end of the film, our criminal vacates his London pad for his Norwegian lair, which is very James Bond. But can you really see him carrying out his nefarious deeds from a bedsit in East Finchley?! There are plenty of other dumb bits like when Luther travels to Norway to chase after the criminal, without a passport or a change of clothes - he must wreek. He can then be seen sauntering through a snow cladded landscape in just his normal attire, he must have some very good woolen underwear on. But then a lot of good movies still contain dumb aspects.
For me it was an enjoyable two hours, the problem is that the TV series always looms large in the background. Had the film not been connected with Luther, i suspect it would get much more positive reviews. In my opinion, as the film cannot replicate a 6hr TV show, it shouldnt be compared to one and should be reviewed as a stand alone piece of work.
Druk (2020)
Is there a longer version?!
I read the other reviews and it felt like i must have watched a shorter version. The four leads carry out an experiment to see if alcohol can improve their performance as Teachers. It does and there lives get better, until they go on ONE drunken night out together and there lives fall apart! Eh? One minute Mads' wife is saying she has missed him, next minute she is alluding to have slept with someone else and leaves him. One character descends into alcoholism, while the others recover. Its all very quick. One of the other reviewers says that Mads' wife offers to take him back, prompting a fun dance routine. Sorry, the subtitles i saw werent as explicit as that. The dance routine was fun though and on the whole, the film was good. I just felt that there must be a longer Director's cut out there.
Midnight Asia: Eat Dance Dream: Manila, Philippines (2022)
1 restaurant review, 1 club and 1 dull rap 'battle'
I suspect that there is more to Manila than this, well I hope there is otherwise, it's a pretty dull city.
It felt like the production team ran out of ideas or perhaps just didn't know their subject matter particularly well. I am amazed this episode has got so many good reviews. All I can think is that the production crew have roped in their friends and family to review the episode or I watched something totally different to everyone else.
There seemed to be so much more crammed into the other episodes in comparison to this one and as a result it didn't inspire me to think that I must visit Manila.
Midnight Asia: Eat Dance Dream: Mumbai, India (2022)
Ruined by terrible dubbing
The stupid production company have dubbed the interviewees who speak good English with American actors speaking English. Apart from the fact that it's insulting to the local population, it is quite annoying.
They dont reduce the volume of the person speaking, so it sounds like there is an echo, which is quite off putting.
They also often dub everything, so if the interviewee meets friends who laugh, they include laughter. Also annoying is that they include subtitles as well.
The Tourist (2010)
Pretty dreadful
It could have been so much better in the right hands. I found the near constant background music quite annoying. The characters are pretty daft and their is little development. Both lead actors are wasted and the dialogue is badly written. It felt like a 90s B movie in places and not the Hollywood extravaganza it trues to be.
The Shape of Water (2017)
A stunning film
How anyone can give this a 1 or a 2 is utter madness. It's a beautiful film, that is well made and has a good story. Although, it does remind me of another similar, slightly more light hearted film from the 80s. I went in with minimal expectations and was kept entertained for every minute.
I felt that a 10 was warranted in part due to the film and in part to neutralise some of the damn fool negativity. All I can conclude is that there are clearly many deranged and sour people out there.
The Stranger (2020)
Great show let down by rushed writing
The source material was clearly excellent, I had forgotten how good Harlen Coben is. As an aside, if you like this show you should check out the French film 'Tell No One', which is also based on one of the author's books.
In returning to the Stranger, the story is great and in the main, it has been beautifully transferred to the screen. I was happy with most of the show up to the very last episode, which to me was full of holes.
I will only concentrate on my perceived faults. Starting with a relatively minor one, where in flashbacks to when Dervla Kirwan's character is seen holding her infant children, she looks exactly the same as she does som 14 years later.
OK, now for the big issue, the ending. One character shoots another one at the end. A police officer arrives and we again see in flashback that together they blame the killing on another character who is already in custody. Said character uses a gun that was used and removed from an earlier crime scene. Surely someone would have noticed that the gun was used in woodland many miles away, when it should have been at a crime scene? Surely forensics or someone would have determined that the character in custody couldn't have got to the woodland due to him being incarcerated. Even if they assumed it was done before he arrived at the other crime scene, surely this would have been ruled out by the forensics team?
The ending felt like it had been written Hollywood and everything was tied up too quickly. There was no conclusion to a particular subplot concerning a certain Malbec40, which I found annoying. Overall, it felt like the build up was a long time coming and the final episode was rushed.
Adolf Hitler: My Part in His Downfall (1973)
Don't compare it to the book
Yes, i know the film has the same title as the book and yes the description sites Spike Milligans life as being the basis of the storey, but dear readers if you look at the film on its own, I believe it deserves a far better review than some would have you believe.
The trouble with films that are supposedly based on books, they usually fall short. I have lost count of the reviews that compare the film to the source material and they typically follow the same path and end with the same conclusions. Directors come under fire for either sticking too closely or veering to far away. The current film is no exception and it mauled because its strays too far from the book. Here's a thought...maybe that's because the book cannot be filmed!! As one reviewer points out, the book is too crude and filthy, which doesnt translate itself to a great film. Another reviewer complains that the film is akin to a Carry On movie, which is unfair, there are no scantily clad ladies and minimal innuendo.
It's just a light hearted look at army life in the days before troops were sent off to the front. It is very loosely based on some of the stories in Spike Milligan's excellent memoir, but it is in no way an autobiographical film. There are one or two sad moments, but much silliness and whimsy. There is little or no smut or outright softcore, which became prevalent in the late 70s. Its just a little comedy portrayed by some well known faces.