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Nefarious (2023)
Two stars because Sean Patrick Flannery was amazing
I had to switch it off. I was enjoying it. Very curious to see where it was going. But then the proselytising started and I'd had enough. Don't get me wrong - I'm so far left I feel guilty about being right-handed, but I'm not into propaganda.
It's such great premise for a film. I love this type of storytelling where the focus is on a single location and the interactions between two main characters. These types of stories come across as more authentic than other types of movies. But, please - I lived under a Scott Morrison government and have had more than enough evangelical preaching in my life.
I'm going to cleanse myself by watching Circuit - a low-budget film about gay drug-taking partygoers in Los Angeles.
Elsbeth (2024)
Good, but not in the same league as the Good Wife/Fight
The Good Wife is not just one of the best legal dramas, but one of the top television programs made. I was a latecomer to the show. I didn't think it would be my bag, but it was featured in the documentary America in Primetime and I decided to give it a go. I was blown away. Easily a 9 out of 10.
When the Good Fight came along, it seemed to me to take the best bits of the Good Wife and amp them up, and through some unconventional storytelling and up-to-the-minute social commentary made what was great about the Good Wife even better. 10 out of 10. My second favourite TV show after Twin Peaks.
Both of these shows centre around a core group of characters who are essentially all playing the straight man with the whacky, quirky stuff happening around them. Think Colin Sweeney, Judge Wapner, Felix Staples, the freakin lightning balls and, of course, Elsbeth Tascioni.
With Elsbeth, the whacky, quirky stuff is front and centre. With the rest of the cast playing the straight man, and I'm not 100% convinced that it works. Elsbeth was such a delight in the earlier too programs because there was limited exposure to her, and it felt like we were only seeing one facet of her amazing personality. With an opportunity to spend more time with her, maybe we would have a chance to see the other facets.
Unfortunately, now that we are spending more time with her, it feels like this is still the only personality we see. Every now and then, she hints at her past life, her clients, her husband, where she grew up, but not enough to develop the character in a truly meaningful way.
I've fascinated by the fact that a few other reviewers have likened it to Columbo, a show I only watched for the first time recently. It actually feels like someone went to the network as pitched it as The Closer meets Columbo. Like The Closer, we have a female lead, new to town, but who is a fish out of water. She doesn't know the city she's living in, her colleagues are hesitant about working with her, but they start to warm to her when they realise her unconventional approach is actually leading to results. Plus add on the Columbo-esque storytelling where the audience know who the criminal is and go along with the ride while our protagonist figures it out. In both instances, I feel like Elsbeth doesn't quite lives up to the calibre of those shows either.
I am enjoying the show, and will likely continue watching it, but it definitely does not feel to be of the same calibre of The Good Wife or The Good Fight. I'm hoping this will change.
EDIT: Lastly, has anyone in the production team actually seen Cats? I mean I haven't, but I at least know the song is called 'Memory', not 'Memories'.
Freaks (2018)
The lies parents tell to keep their kids safe
Lately I've been finding movie recommendations to be kinda meh. I've been using IMDb, JustWatch and the streaming services' algorithms and they're all horrible! I switched to Rotten Tomatoes and found this. I think I've ranked it so high because all the other recent movies I've watched have been horrible. Saltburn? Bleurgh! Reptile? Vomit! Leave the World Behind? Ugh...leave my memory of that movie behind.
If you like supernatural horror (or even if you don't), this is a great example of good storytelling. The filmmakers give you enough to keep you interested but not too much to blow the story. Plus, they surprise you with new breadcrumbs that add a lil twist that keeps you guessing but, unlike some of the other films mentioned earlier, don't feel like a desperate attempt to stay relevant and interesting.
Even if you don't like supernatural horror, it's still well worth a watch. This is the best Jack Black movie I've ever seen. Wait....hang on... that's apparently Emile Hirsch. It's also the best Emile Hirsch I've ever seen, so this still work.
If you find yourself increasingly frustrated by the Netflixification of modern cinema, then watch this. On Netflix. Uh...yeah.
A Haunting in Venice (2023)
I really wanted to like this...
I had just recently read Hallowe'en Party for the first time. Watching the film, I could barely make the connection. I think this is the reason why I didn't enjoy it and rated it so low. It just wasn't what I was expecting. The one thing that really bugged me is Fey's Ariadne Oliver was not the same character as written by Christie. This is not meant as a criticism of Fey at all. The cast do a good job, but the material is seriously lacking. It feels like the screenwriters borrowed plot devices from other Christie novels, and novels that Branagah has already adapted. It came across a bit lazy. I've yet to watch the Suchet version, but I'm hopeful that it's a more faithful adaptation. I also hope that Branagh keeps adapting Christie novels, because I think overall he's doing a good job - Death on the Nile is much better.
The Batman (2022)
Terrible movie!
I'm a casual superhero film watcher. These characters mean nothing to me unless it's contained within the film. I could not relate to any of the characters at all. It feels like the filmmakers were relying on goodwill audiences already feel for these characters, but I came in blind and got nothing. Also, what was with the extended periods where they were just watching online videos?!
The good stuff... Robert Pattinson has a cute chin dimple. Zoe Kravitz was outstanding.
The bad stuff... Robert Pattinson's hair. The whole movie.
It's just not fun to watch. It's too long. It's too slow. You feel nothing for the characters. Avoid!
Escape Room (2017)
I was actually enjoying it...
My friend and I were watching...it's by no means a good movie, but we were enjoying it. We kept theorising who was behind it. Did she do it as vengeance for her cheating boyfriend? We're she and the friend who didn't come in it together? Was it all fake? Was she calling 911 to give herself a credible story? What was going on?!?!
We could not believe that the movie just stopped. I can't say it ended because that implies the film had an ending!! What the hell was going on?! I didn't care if the film had a bad explanation for what was going on, but to just have NO explanation?! My friend's theory is that the director had a crush on the girlfriend and just wrote a film that meant she had to be nude for most of the film. After the way it ended, it's the only explanation that makes sense.
The Nines (2007)
Was a 9, then went to a 1
I have never seen a movie go so bad so fast. I was really digging this up until the last 15 minutes when it turned into a big steaming piece of garbage. I haven't even finished it yet and it just keeps getting worse and worse.
The Equalizer (2021)
Not faithful, but not horrible either
I love Queen Latifah as an actress, and I think she does the role justice. It's a very different beast from the recent movies (which I also love), so comparing them isn't really fair. I only have a vague memory of the '80s show, so can't compare that either. I also love Adam Goldberg, so it's great to see him on the screen. The one thing that I am critical of is the music in some fight scenes is overwhelming. I really hope that it is picked up for a second season. I'm interested to see where the story goes.
I Care a Lot (2020)
Completely unsatisfying resolution
When you have a main character that is so dislikable, you want them to have their comeuppance. You want it to be slow, you want it to be painful, and you want to see the look on their face when they realise what a horrible mistake they've made that's led them to their current abysmal situation.
The sharp shock ending of this is completely unrewarding. To make this work, let's get rid of the middle third and let's say they come to arrangement much earlier in the film. They go on to have a resounding success and then things start to not go right. Maybe it's little things to start with - nothing too concerning but enough to make her worry. Maybe trouble accessing money, or she gets pulled over and there's no record of her drivers licence in the system. Authorities start to investigate, and it turns out that the Russian mafia have set up a completely fake history for her where it appears she's stolen the identity of someone else. Authorities come in, completely take over her operation and shut her out. She decides to come clean and starts talking about how she made a deal with the Russians and that they're in on it. She sounds crazy!! A doctor decides that she can no longer look after herself and she's taken to a mental hospital. The glass sliding doors close, and there's Jennifer Peterson, staring her down with a sly smile on her face.
Will someone give me a few million dollars to make this version? Thank you!!
Line of Duty (2019)
Ridiculous, but enjoyable
This movie is horribly, horribly flawed but I couldn't stop watching. This isn't really 'so bad it's good', but rather so bad and they're having fun with ridiculousness of it. Well worth a watch if you know what you're getting into.
Kath & Kimderella (2012)
The perfect complement to the TV series
I felt the need to write a review after the 2-star review featured on the front page was written by someone who freely admitted to a) never having seen an Austrlian comedy film, and b) never watching the TV series.
The is the perfect companion piece to anyone who's been a fan of the girls since 'Big Girls Blouse', where Kath and Kim (and to a lesser extent Prue and Trude) first started.
These women have been living these characters for so long that the dialogue and performances are flawless - absolutely spot on, but not predictable.
The cinema I watched it with similarly had a great time - everyone was splitting their sides.
Ladies - if I were wearing a hat, I'd take it off and show you my bald spot.
To everyone who didn't find it amusing - there's so much of Australian culture you do understand. If you call yourself an Aussie, you should be ashamed.
Hard Candy (2005)
This left me flaccid.
All the way through the film, I was on the edge of my seat. Every now and then, a new tidbit would emerge and I'd nearly fall off the lounge! The history of each of the characters was so vague, that you really felt that it could go either way. And the cinematography was so amazing - especially the use of the walls in his home as transitions. While watching it, I was thinking that it had the edge of 'Se7en', the ambiguity of 'Doubt' (I've only seen the stage show) and the twisted perversion of 'Boxing Helena' (maybe not a good comparison...) Then, at the end, it seemed like the film-makers had run out of ideas and needed to find the quickest way to wrap the story up. Could've been great. But wasn't. I bet people who like this movie read Dan Brown "for fun" in their spare time.
Harvard Man (2001)
Slots its way into my top 10
I'm not saying that I have the best taste in movies, but this film is severely underrated. Performances are great, story is really tight, the film has a great feel about and it deals with its subject matter really well.
I think you need to be really confident with your material to pull off an editing technique like jump cuts, but it's done really well here. Keeps you on the edge and really drives the story forward. Also gives you the sense that the story is multi-faceted, that a lot of what's going on has to do with perspective.
Now, I'm a fan of SMG, but let's face it - more often than not, she can only pull off angry Buffy and sad Buffy, otherwise it's all a but wishy-washy. She handles her role in this spectacularly, which was a pleasant surprise.
I also have to admit that it's been a while since I've seen this film, but seeing a lot of comments from users that didn't have as fond memories as I did, gave me the need to say something in its defence. I think that if you can approach it with an open mind then you'll be happily rewarded!