propertypa1234-926-138849 Reviews

Mum (2016–2019)

Wonderful

[10/10 · 19 February 2018]

I also missed this the first time around and, after catching a promo to the second series (which looked like something I would enjoy), I quickly caught up on the first series over the course of last w/end courtesy of iPlayer, and I am hooked.

Reminiscent of the Detectorists in that the comedy is subtle and underplayed. The characters are well written and the acting is top-notch. You really feel as though you're eavesdropping on a real suburban set-up in Chingford.

Would recommend to any fan of Damned or Detectorists.

Life in Pieces (2015–2019)

Fantastic Show

[10/10 · 29 September 2016]

Spotted this show on Amazon Prime about a month back but did not download the first series until a week ago - now all episodes are watched and I am feeling slightly bereft! This show is fantastic - cannot find fault in either the writing or acting. The humour is fast-paced and clever, and reminds me at times of Brooklyn Nine-Nine (with a pinch of The Goldbergs). The only thing that slightly lets the show down for me is the cocky know-it-all youngest granddaughter but it is about a typical American family (wherein you would expect to see the odd young child kicking about). Each episode contains four stories and whilst these can contain some very separate tales that are never touched on again in the series, there are other moments that are continued throughout the series thus enabling you to really get to know the characters.

I am very happy that this show has been awarded a second series which I hope also makes it on to Amazon Prime.

Caveat (2011)

Unspeakably Dull

[4/10 · 13 June 2016]

A tale about a group of (estranged) sisters who reunite after the death of their wealthy father. They are each bequeathed an equal share of their father's wealth after his demise - which one of the sisters is not happy about.

The first thing that's noticeable is the film's sound off in places (external shots seem to have rather loud background noise making the dialogue of the characters - at times - hard to hear). The subtitles are, however, next to useless as they seem to be about a minute earlier than any dialogue spoken.

There is a lot of 'flashbacking' in the movie by the sisters which is not shown clearly and, at times, can leave the viewer puzzled as to whether the events they are watching were something that happened in the past or are taking place in the present time-line.

As for the acting - this varies between average to poor. Lindsay Goranson's portrayal as vengeful sister, Kathryn, is adequate but missing any emotion. She rages a lot but that's about it. As for Lorraine K Bingham's performance as Mrs Cravitz towards the end of the movie, the least said about this the better.

I watched this courtesy of Amazon Prime but would not recommend due to the pacing of the story, the script writing and the yawn-worthy (non)twist at the end of the tale.

Experimenter (2015)

Thought Provoking Film

[7/10 · 24 May 2016]

I remembered reading about Stanley Milgram's controversial 'shock experiments' a while ago so was interested in watching this movie when it appeared on my Amazon Prime account.

Peter Sarsgaard's lazy portrayal of Milgram is both fascinating and annoying. Whilst he is successful in making you believe he was Milgram I felt there was something lacking in his performance of a man who was driven in everything he did in real life by the horrors of the Holocaust. Even when confronted by a team of professionals to justify his experiments Sarsgaard's laidback style dilutes what should have been a moment in the film when you get to the heart of Milgram and what drove him on to do the work that he did.

Michael Almereyda's device of having Sarsgaard (as Milgram) constantly interrupting the flow of the film by talking to the audience is novel at first but mildly irritating towards the end.

Winona Ryder holds up her own as Milgram's wife. However, her character pretty much remains in the background - other than when she is called out by one of Milgram's students who tries to imply that Milgram's experiments are more to do with control, and controlling those around him, than a genuine scientific interest in human nature.

The story itself is a fascinating one, however, and whilst the main actors are a bit watery/laidback, I think it will leave you wondering about yourself, individually, and the fundamental nature of the human race.

PS : If you enjoyed this film, I would also recommend Craig Zobel's 'Compliance'.

The Power of Three (2011)

I wanted to like this ...

[4/10 · 17 May 2016]

... but couldn't.

Uploaded free via Amazon Prime I watched this film in its entirety yesterday.

Slightly reminiscent of the 'old women striking out for themselves' theme in The First Wives Club, this film sees Toyah Wilcox' character as a frustrated 50 yr old film director reunited with her two best friends (a frustrated 50 yr old Canadian criminal lawyer and a frustrated 50 yr old South African financial adviser). Everyone is frustrated on both professional and personal levels and advice seems to chop & change from striking out independently, to finding a man for some fun (although if a relationship come along then all the better as this is really the ultimate goal).

In the midst of all this, Toyah is trying to get a film funded by 'the 3Fs' (a foundation that provides funding for films run by three blokes who look like they've never ever acted before and are truly mystified how they ended up in such rubbish). Whilst impossible to do at the beginning of the film, after being reunited with her gal pals the funding suddenly falls in to place.

The acting (from everyone) is curiously wooden and there are several scenes where long delays without any dialogue being spoken take place which makes for rather awkward viewing and makes you wonder if the director or subsequent editing suite were on the sauce that day.

Very disappointed and, after watching, really not sure what the message was. Should older birds strike out independently or should we keep looking out for men to complete us? Who knows.