jamesbrucedarroch Reviews

Dog Face (2007– )

Funny, but repetitive...

[4 February 2013]

As a big fan of Peep Show and Matt King, I ploughed through all 6 episodes of Dog Face on 4OD recently, and there is probably about an hour of comedy gold thinly spread across nearly three hours.

It's not to say that it's not worth watching every episode, but they clearly filmed 7 or 8 scenes for each sketch then put one in each episode! So you can laugh at the funniest version of each scenario, then smile as they rehash several similar, but less funny versions over and over again.

If they condensed the best bits into a one hour special, it would shine!

London Boulevard (2010)

Could have been so much better

[4/10 · 25 November 2010]

Glimpses of what could have been a far better film appear at regular stages throughout what is essentially another 'Landan' crime flick.

You could be forgiven for assuming the predictable plot is actually a clever ruse, with a huge twist or revelation certain to turn events on their head in the back end of the film. But alas, William Monahan's directorial debut points you in one direction from the start, then follows a fairly straight line for it's 100 minutes run time.

What elevates this movie from Danny Dyer fodder is the rather exciting cast of British and Irish big guns, with David Thewlis perhaps the most interesting character and screen presence. The likable Colin Farrel's posh-boy cockerney accent is consistent enough not to distract, and you certainly root for his reluctant protagonist Mitchell. Ray Winstone is typecast as the (needlessly racist) villain, and Anna Friel is perky and trashy as Farrell's screen Sister.

Ikea Knightley on the other hand, is wooden and unconvincing as the 'Superstar' whom Farrell's Mitchell is hired to protect. A limited screen presence at the best of times, it's hard to tell if Knightley's emaciated Supermodel/Actress is supposed to look so frail or if that's just how Knightley turns up to work... Either way, she makes for a particularly unattractive and unconvincing screen starlet, and when her Charlotte laments that Actresses are merely in films to make the male heroes look good, she struggles to do even that.

The under explored sub-plot regarding Mitchell and a young thug shamelessly bookends the film with a predictable climax 'borrowed' heavily from the far superior Carlito's Way, and left me for one, thinking about the far better film this so-so effort could have been.

Alas Smith & Jones: The Homemade Xmas Video (1987) Season Unknown, Episode Unknown

An true Christmas classic!

[10/10 · 5 February 2007]

Smith and Jones's funniest half hour by far; Why this has never been shown again is beyond me! Just like the previous reviewer, I also taped this by chance back in '87, and now have to fight my brother and sister for custody of the tape each Christmas! If you ever saw the regular Smith and Jones series, you might remember the odd skit of a Dad filming his family with a camcorder; This is the same, but writ large.

There are too many highlights to mention them all, but of particular note are the "Traditional stealing of the xmas tree" and "Len's xmas head scrambler". The family are quite endearing in a chavvy sort of way, and leave you wishing they'd taken their video camera on a few holidays too...

(Also worth noting, is the appearance of a young Nigel Harmon as Peter the teenage son)

Severance (2006)

Very gory, very funny and very British!

[10/10 · 11 January 2007]

Ignore the trailer that implies that Severance is simply a Danny Dyer vehicle and enjoy what is essentially an ensemble piece.

All of the main characters are well written and given just enough depth to make you care about what happens to them, which makes the sinister and gory last third of the film all the more enjoyable/unbearable.

Whilst Danny Dyer does take up a lot of screen time, he is bang on the money and very, very funny. The rest of the cast however, deserve equal credit as they ensure the film stays just real enough to stay scary, and provide just as many laughs and shocks.

An excellent film that does what it says on the tin!