Change Your Image
nickshanagher
Reviews
Carmilla (2019)
Deserts of eternity
One of the characters believes that after death, there are "deserts of eternity". I experienced these while watching this beautifully shot but so, so, so slow-moving film.
The acting by Jessica Raine and Hannah Rae is good. However, the story fails to get out of first gear. While there are some great moments, there is no suspense, and you won't remember much about the film a week after viewing. Slow and beautiful like Kubrick does it but without any message.
The Operative (2019)
Gripping twists and turns without car chases!
This film tells a good story simply while avoiding cliches and peeling away a lot of Western hypocrisy about the value of human life. The opening suggests a routine thriller. Then the plot wavers a little before Diane Kruger's character takes centre stage, her back story excellently explained by Martin Freeman. Moving forward, we are captivated by her story. She falls in love with an Iranian, with Teheran and with its people. Her operative is more courageous than Jason Bourne, operating without superpowers and somehow navigating danger in an attempt to reach a better world. I liked the portrayal of the Iranian people.
Beyond White Space (2018)
Sometimes you have to choose
This film suffers from trying to pack too many ideas and storylines into a single outing. It borrows plenty of sci-fi tropes and fails to blend them into a memorable story.
Some of the visual effects are stunning, but they fail to build any real tension. Is the story about two brothers? Or about a dying police officer? Or about a crew of misfits discovering teamwork? Why are there pirates? What is the meaning of the white holes?
Less plot may have given the actors some time to connect with the viewer, so you care what happens to them.
Missable.
Cinderella (2021)
Painted by numbers
An ultimately empty updating of the classic fairy tale, this film lacks any internal tension. The lead characters are never in danger, and their journeys of self-discovery see them "woke" up rather than wake up.
The songs and dance numbers are competent but not to my taste. At times, the visual imagery is brilliant. For example, when the prince and princess dance in front of a frozen ballroom. And when the butterfly turns into the fairy godmother (?).
Missable.
My Spy (2020)
Fun - it made me smile
Dave Bautista and Chloe Coleman are very watchable as the wooden action hero and precocious nine-year-old who takes control of the agenda, winning popularity at her new school by introducing her "special forces friend" to her classmates.
The plot is as plausable as most spy films and there are a few very funny scenes. Kristen Schael, Dever Rogers and Laura Cilevitz have good cameos.