nemogirl7 Reviews

Blade Runner 2049 (2017)

Not a shade on the first Bladerunner

[2/10 · 10 June 2022]

Ridley Scotts film was of a time and place never to be recreated. How was it going to work in 2017? Honestly, you'd have to have some serious talent equal if not better than the genius of Ridley et al.

When I saw the first film, I left with a sense of something visceral, deep down in my flesh and bones, something primal, existential. I loved it. Nothing had been made like it, and nothing has come close since. This film tries to work out questions from the first film, but it utterly fails in it's attempt at depth. The story is simple enough, that's fine, it's how you tell it that matters. But the characters felt flat and unoriginal, the script was boring, the long drawn out scenes/shots were pointless, even the SFX looked terrible - many city shots looked like tiny models! I don't get it. Honestly, how can the first film from 1982 look better that one from 2017!?

Who knows why people have given this high ratings. Maybe it's nostalgia, maybe it's the bandwagon, maybe it's the kids who weren't around for the first want to feel some of the same excitement like we did. Idk. I saw it twice to make sure I wasn't missing something, but I felt the same both times.

This is my first Villeneuve film, so I'm not familiar with his style, but judging from this example I can't say I'm too impressed. He seemed too self indulgent and distracted by paraphernalia and missed the point of making an engaging story. Nice try Vil, but maybe you should go into architecture instead, you seem to love filming your bougee sets complete with water features.

Watch it by all means, but go back to the first film afterwards and remind yourself what real art on film feels like.

Btw Dune is my favourite book series, you better not mess that one up!

Fury (2014)

Trying too hard to be hard

[2/10 · 13 November 2021]

I'll keep it short. The whole thing is very heavy handed, a trite attempt at gravity. So much so it weighs like a tank. I felt like I was watching a film made by that kid whose obsessed with everything WWII, all the gory details and wants to impress everyone by showing how awful it was. There's a weird kind of voyeurism to it aswell, a display, a performance. Call it war porn with a mirror.

Having seen some rare and exceptional war films like The Victors (1963), When Trumpets Fade (1998), Come & See (1985), this really doesn't compare to the depth and sensitivity of these largely forgotten films. Watch this by all means, but seek out these others.

Miss Rose White (1992 TV Movie)

Over 20 years later, this film is still deeply moving

[9/10 · 23 September 2021]

Anyone who has a relatively recent immigrant background, or 2nd generation like myself, would probably relate to the characters in this film, especially 'Rose'. I saw it years ago and have never forgotten how deeply I felt for all the characters. It's a simple story, but the complexity comes as ghosts from the past turn up and each of the 3 main characters move through unresolved emotions and memories. Kyra, Amanda and Maximilian are amazingly convincing. You know when you watch modern tellings of periods past, and it's just not right, from the makeup, hair, the mannerisms, the dialog, the attitudes. It just doesn't convince and spoils the authenticity. They got this just right. Max and Amanda are standout performers here, even though I knew the accents weren't as authentic, it really didn't matter as much as how deeply they both inhabit their characters. I couldn't see anyone else acting in their roles.

One thing I really appreciated was they didn't sugar coat the darkness of war, genocide, murder. Something tells me, if they made this film today, they would have tried to whitewash or over sentimentalise so it would become bland, insipid and more 'commercial'. I don't know what's happened in the last 20+ years since they made this film, but it really does seem like film makers are taking less chances and going for quantity over quality. But that my rant over.

If you get the chance to see (tip: I found it on YT), please do. I've given it a 9, as I thought they could make it bit longer to tell Davids story, the film somewhat finished before we got to know anything about him.

NOTE to IMDB: The film description is wrong, it says 'Italian' but it's about a Jewish family.

Home Fires (2015–2016)

Superb realistic WWII home front drama

[10/10 · 20 August 2021]

It's been 4 years since this series was cancelled and I still think about the characters and their lives. I was devastated when I found out, so much so, I signed a petition to get it back on, to no avail. I only have the books to console me now. All those cliff hangers at the end of series 2 drove me mad! Everythings been said by other fans, so all I can recommend is to watch the series and go onto the books to get closure.

This is yet another superb show cancelled to make room for another more profitable/marketable one: Victoria.

Victoria is ok, a little bland and dull, but it's obviously made to appeal to a wider international audience - *ahem, American*.

I'm afraid Home Fires was judged too realistic and particular for Americans to appreciate. It's a real shame, if you really want to know what it was like in Britain for women on the home front of war, please watch this excellent series. Maybe if enough people did, Netflix or some other media company will pick up again.

Peterloo (2018)

Socio-political history told badly

[3/10 · 17 August 2021]

Good god what a bore! This should never have been a film. Someone should have told the makers it would be best told through a TV series. Did the film makers not see The Mill on channel4? A similar socio-political drama set later in 1833, this was excellent. A series would afford the time to develop the characters and story properly with the respect they so deserve. Not this poorly rendered mashup of dry as dust history. It seems the film makers got carried away by their own personal passions and forgot they were making an actual film.

As for the reviewer who made the analogy to Tiananmen Square. Sorry, no. Making analogies out of total ignorance of historical facts is just plain lazy and smacks of self conceit and arrogance. If this is the kind of thinking that went into making this film, that it's some sort of poorly thought out contemporary political critique, then we're in real trouble.

Crimson Peak (2015)

Predictable, mediocre, disappointing

[2/10 · 27 July 2021]

No idea this was a Del Toro film, just thought it looked interesting, at least I'd get a scare or two. But unfortunately, none of the above. What a waste, it's looks magnificent, but that's about all. Style over substance, any substance will do.

Apparently the film was novelised afterwards by Del Toro, and considering how mediocre the film was, the books might actually be better. It could have worked as a mini series, maybe Del Toro couldn't get it going and had to fit everything into a compromised film. Not good for an artists work, when that happens this is what we get. It's a real shame, I loved Del Toros Hellboy.

Shtisel (2013–2021)

Excellent drama, but probably not entirely realistic

[9/10 · 1 April 2021]

I won't echo what's already been said. But to add, I think people love this series because they see something that we miss in our modern secular lives. Something that we used to do, have, feel, value even. I'm not really talking about religiosity per se, but those 'small' things that are actually rather precious and give meaning to life. At least that's what I loved about Shtisel.

As others have pointed out, there are some major holes in the plots/character journeys. For example, even though we see Kive in conflict with his family over certain issues, I have no idea how Kive actually feels about his religion or how it plays into how he feels about things. As he's an ultra orthodox Jew, this seems amiss. And, more practically, wouldn't the family or community gather together to support a widower with a newborn? I'm imagining a whole load of busy body women coming in and out of the Shtisel home to 'help out'. But maybe that's not how the culture works?

There's quite a lot that didn't quite add up, so I got the feeling that this wasn't supposed to be a super realistic depiction of Haredi life. I'm sure they'll be complaints from those who know about this way of life. But all in all, the series ultimately shows us humanity in all it's ugliness, tenderness and hilarity (it's laugh-out-loud funny at times). And it's from an unexpected place, so is doubly impactful.

Watch it, despite it's flaws, it's well made, well written and well acted. I loved all the characters, and I'll be intrigued about a 4th series?