stephenhawthorne-78218 Reviews

The Holiday (2021)

Last episode

[3/10 · 13 March 2022]

You just need to watch the last episode and not bother with the first 3 as they are like watching paint drying. At best a mediocre story poorly told with no real pay off at the end.

Dark Night (2016)

I don't get the hate

[6/10 · 9 August 2021]

Watching this is not meant to be exciting, we all live mundane lives and that is what this film is saying.

Ordinary people going about a routine day can just happen to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. From the ordinary to the extraordinary. The director doesn't exploit the people we don't know, there is no violence and what happens to the people is left ambiguous deliberately.

A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood (2019)

Watchable but a little too cheesy

[6/10 · 8 February 2020]

A wonderful and beautiful cinematography really captured the era. Very watchable and Tom Hanks as ever almost perfect. Only flaw it felt like a Christmas movie with hanks as the kindly Santa figure changing lives along the way.

Cobra (2020–2023)

Hoped for better

[4/10 · 18 January 2020]

I had high hopes for this but it was very lame unbelievable and more like a TV movie feel to it ,more of a time filler than top drama as I hoped

Cold Call (2019)

Nice idea poor script

[5/10 · 21 November 2019]

I loved the scamming and the insight into that part of the story. The main characters seemed implausible and far fetched with a script with very predictable lines. The psychology of the characters flip flopped for no apparent reason spoiling the integrity of what could have been a very very good drama

Ad Astra (2019)

A stunning story of a journey

[7/10 · 29 September 2019]

The director of this was heavily influenced by Heart of Darkness. I dont understand the incredibly low reviews, yes the film can be a little introspective through Pitts character. After all the story pivots on his story and the feeling he encounters through the story. The space scenes are flawless and beautiful especially the cinematography on the the Earth (highlighting our beautiful planet). The physics of the story are complex but as we are dealing with the far flung outer limits we can't know exactly what effect the vacuum of deep space will have. The people complaining about the movie are the people who probably prefer a spoon fed drop of plot and storyline while missing the value of the storylines philosophy. It is Apocalypse Now in space is the best way I can describe this movie and it is no lesser of a movie for being set in space but equal in vision.

Britain's Greatest Pilot: The Extraordinary Story of Captain 'Winkle' Brown (2014 TV Movie)

Stranger than fiction story

[8/10 · 22 September 2019]

I have watched many of James Holland's documentary's his passion for his subjects shines through. I must admit I was intrigued as I had never heard of Eric Brown and his remarkable life and achievements. He comes across as a genuine softly spoken man who dealt with the extraordinary with tremendous bravery and skill as a pilot.

I will surely not forget this gentleman's name or his remarkable life

Downton Abbey (2019)

Not a fan of the TV show

[5/10 · 15 September 2019]

I never watched the TV series but thought I would give the movie a try. The cinematography outside was flawless but inside the main house the bookcases looked painted. all the lamps lit during the day while in a room with huge windows felt a little like a soap opera. However some really lovely subtle pieces throughout the movie. But I felt like I was watching a 1920s themed party rather than being immersed in the period. Fans of the show will love this movie outsiders I fear will not

Brassed Off (1996)

A movie I revisit fondly

[8/10 · 9 September 2019]

A gritty movie with a heart, these were dark times in Britain and pride was all some families had left. This movie captures the period well with the humour and hardship In equal measure

Horrible Histories: The Movie - Rotten Romans (2019)

Fan of the TV show

[4/10 · 27 July 2019]

I love the TV show so I thought this would be fun to see. It had the feeling that this was a great idea but then we need to fill time to make a decent running time, with little thought to the content. Some jokes overdone especially the Roman numerals. I found the funniest bits of the movie were the little references to The life of Brian, which probably shows my age. I think kids who love the show will enjoy this movie more than I.

Black Mirror: Smithereens (2019) Season 5, Episode 2

Andrew Scott in a lifetime performance

[8/10 · 15 June 2019]

This episode breaks with the near future theme, in turn setting it in the slight past makes this episode even more of a dystopian nightmare. The quick fix of dopamine from a like or retweet is addictive each time chipping away at our humility for that little hit. Great to see Topher Grace as the Zuckerberg social media giant.

Ma (I) (2019)

Badly paced

[6/10 · 1 June 2019]

Quirky horror carried mainly by Octavia, the set up and mid section seemed ill paced against the finale. Enjoyable and little too many unanswered questions

The Widow (I) (2019)

The writers of The missing score again

[7/10 · 15 May 2019]

This was as equally compelling as The Missing, the formula of jumping back and forward in time is manipulated just as the writers have previously done. This was complex with many twists and turns along the way. Not one to casually watch it does need some commitment to enjoy the story at its best