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darrenhrose
Reviews
Gen V (2023)
Poor characterisation & writing
Another big budget series with crash, bangs, special effects, money spent on screen. Clearly this is positive but alas this is where the good stuff ends. The characters are woeful, four episodes in and I couldn't care less about any of them. The writing is perfunctory, pedestrian and feels like writing by numbers. There's the occasional laugh out loud moment, usually based on a gag about genitalia or an exploding body part. But otherwise this is a bit of a letdown and after four episodes I decided to give up and move on to something more interesting. This is a sadly such a common trait of modern day tv shows these days, huge budgets but second rate writing and plot.
Greatest Days (2023)
A car crash
I would never review a movie I've not watched all the way through but my gosh this is a car crash of epic proportions. The cliched dance routines, how cheap it looks, the simply horrendous decision to cast this rather odd looking collection of boys to represent Take That. During the first musical number, Pray, you'll probably burst out laughing when the boys appear out of kitchen cupboards in the midst of a shouting match between two parents. Could it be magic is more could it be tragic, set during a market with various stall holders singing the lines until the boys pop out from behind WH Smith's to join in. Yes the movie clearly wants to say something important our childhood friends and the lead actress has plenty of energy and screen presence but it's all been done better before. After 25 minutes I'd suffered enough.
Oppenheimer (2023)
All surface but no feeling
Nolan rarely does empathy well but this is a soulless three hours of men mumbling at one another. Florence Pugh and Emily Blunt are wasted and portrayed as damaged souls. Scenes come and go barely registering on your conscience. Watching this movie is a bit like thinking back to you time in school where you were forced by your teachers to watch educational videos which were kind of okay but you'd rather be playing Lego or riding your bike. That's what watching Oppenheimer is like. It's like a three hour lecture with a bit of sex thrown in. Yes, it's a competent artistic film but that doesn't mean it's that good.
In from the Side (2022)
A film in desperate need for a decent script
I was warned this wasn't great but I wasn't expecting it to be as bad as it was. The script is so appaling I am perplexed how it ever got commissioned. All of the characters are woefully underwritten or developed with little though given to their actions or decisions. Finally the finished product desperately needs half hour removing from its laborious running time. The lead does a good enough job portraying his situation but everyone is so unlikeable it's very difficult to care about anything or anyone. Four starts for the lead, the photography and wanting to portray lgbt relationships within a sports team.
Aftersun (2022)
Another example of critical acclaim meaning very little
Aftersun was a very difficult film to get all the way through. In fact I thought about leaving. It's dull, very little happens and you realise after half hour of watching that the movie is going to stay that way. There's no real story o narrative. Just a series of memories / images from a holiday the adult Sophie took with her father years earlier. Paul Mescall is a great actor, I could watch him in anything and he's able to convey the complex emotional trauma he's unable to vocalise. What irks me is other users on here claiming you have to be emotionally intelligent to appreciate this film or have gone through depression. I find that offensive, as if any of us have had the chance to walk in another persons shoes. Ultimately this film lets down the viewer, by telling them very little. It's style over substance, a movie with a heart but not a beating one. Time and time again critics tell us what they deem art and what isn't. With Aftersun they've reached a new low.
The Bear (2022)
There's a great show waiting in the wings
I've just finished watching this overly hyped series and I found parts of it tiresome and noisy and tedious. My main issue is with the character of Richard; bombastic, angry and just extremely unlikeable. There's no shade, he just shouts and swears and acts like a car crash wherever he goes. Finally in episode 8, we desperately get to see a more balanced Richard, one with depth and humanity. It's a shame I had to wait until the last episode to feel like this. In fact episode eight is a beautiful piece of television and shows you just how good The Bear could have been. Some beautifully played scenes between Sydney & Marcus and another between Carmy and Tina. They even got me crying by playing out with Radiohead's Let Down. Jeremy Allen White is tremendous as Carmy, the clearly troubled younger brother still grieving the loss of his idolised older brother. I just wish I cared more about episodes 1-6, which although beautifully directed and captivated brilliantly the intensity of cooking, fell well short of what this show ended up being.
Uncoupled (2022)
Wasted opportunity
There's definitely a tv programme to be had about finding yourself as a middle aged gay man navigating being single again after sixteen years but uncoupled let's us down. It's really not that funny, the characters are wafer thin stereotypes and the leads cynicism at the new world he finds in verges on whining and patronising. The conversation about Prep is a case in point, as if Neil Patrick Harris' character has been living on Mars for the last twenty years. It's as if the writers room have come up with a raft of what they thought were hysterical situations for the lead when actually they fall flat on their face. There are a few nice touches, the relationship between the lead and his female colleague along with the scenes between his two best friends. But they are all woefully under developed, lacking any substance. Also, minor observation, but is everyone living in New York City super rich? The privileged nature of these characters life's becomes unattractive.
Black Bird (2022)
Tour de force from Apple
HBO have a new competitor. After the astounding Servernce, Apple TV knocked it out the park again with Blackbird. I won't go into plot details and would urge you to stay away from any true crime blogs. You'll be rewarded by two stand out performances by Taron Egerton and. Paul Walter Hauser, the later of who puts in the performance of a lifetime. If you're a fan of Mindhunter on Netflix then this show is for you. Kudos to the writers who put the script way above everything else. I'm sure this show will feature on the converted best of 2022 list later this year.
The Gray Man (2022)
Netflix hits rock bottom
Why do people continue to put up with such mind numblingly dumb output from Netflix, a company who are heading ever closer to the home of lowest quality dross in the apparent golden age of television. The fact that they've greenlit such a project as this and allowed apparently 200 million dollars to be spent on it should be a punishable crime. The gray man Is a like watching a fancy computer game with cartoonish action sequences and generic cut sequences in-between the dross. Most of the cast grapple with such a poor script that it's almost embarrassing watching their careers come crashing to a halt. Some might call this escapist entertainment. I'd call it derivative, hollow, tedious nonsense which should never ever have been made. Netflix should be ashamed for wanting to be associated with this.
Ozark (2017)
Not nearly as good as it thinks it is.
Somewhere within Ozark and the story and the characters is a great show. Season 4, especially the final part demonstrates that the writers ego got in the way or they're not nearly as clever as they think they are. It's not the ending I have a man issue with. It's the clumsy story telling with no character consistency, its the plot holes as wide as a crator. Just because it's a work of fiction doesn't mean it shouldn't be believable within the confines of the world they'd set up.
I'm going to make a Breaking Bad comparison to demonstrate just how inferior Ozark is. Remember Season 3 or was it 2 with the objects floating in the swimming pool at the start of every episode, we had no idea why we were seeing this or what it meant. But it was only at the end of that season that we learnt that the father of the drug addict who Walt allowed to die was so traumatised by his daughters death, that he caused a plane to crash. I remember it was shocking and a superior use of this kind of story telling set up.
Ozark on the other hand starts off season 4 with a horrific car crash but when we see the after effects of the crash 13 episodes or so later they all walk away with not a scratch on them. In fact they're back being cartoon villains before they've even rung the insurance company.
Then there's Wendy. She could have gone down as one of all the time great characters, a genuine bad ass female Walter White. Instead she becomes a caricature, someone you just want punishing in the most evil horrid way. One minute she's checking her self into an asylum, 24 hours later she's making deals with politicians. It began to get so tiresome. The writers would introduce a new challenge for the Byrds to overcome, and of course, they'd achieve whatever they wanted. Imagine the writers room, 'hey how about Wendy runs for president of the USA?' 'Great idea, let's do it but can we make that happen in one episode?' Even the countless deaths become laughable. A local sheriff goes missing, but law enforcement doesn't seem to care. Darlene and Wyatt are murdered but law enforcement leaves a ton of Heroin behind.
Then there's all those tedious storylines with the FBI who apparently roll over like a dog whenever the Byrds get in touch. They want to visit a Mexico drug cartel leader in prison, five minutes later it happens. The Byrds day jump and the Cartel and the FBI say 'how high?'
Sometimes, Ozark was great, sometimes you get caught up in the absurdity of it all. Some of the storylines were genuinely interesting; Wendy having her brother killed and the after effects it caused, especially the rift with Jonah. But it allowed nonsensical storytelling to get in the way.
Yellowjackets (2021)
Tedious
It's definitely got potential but gosh does it drag. I watched six episodes of this show, thinking it'll get better, it'll start to make sense, everything will fall into place, but it doesn't. It drags and drags. You care very little about any of the characters and each episode could be played out in ten minutes. Ultimately this is poorly written with badly thought out character exposition and tedious plotting.
The Lost Daughter (2021)
Gave it an hour, just boring
I'm a big fan of Olivia Coleman but I found her woefully miscast in this two hour snooze fest and yet another movie lauded over by critics. I'm actually interested in seeing a film about a mother coming to terms with her past as a toxic parent but this film spent one hour going absolutely nowhere and I had to give up. There were lots of scenes of Olivia Coleman making various angsty poses into the distance and odd appearances by Ed Harris and also Paul Metcalf, from Normal People. Considering the very beginning of the movie gives some indication as to the ending, I couldn't be bothered to stick around to find out why.
Don't Look Up (2021)
Ignore the critics. This is great fun
I went in with zero expectations and can't believe the unfair bashing this movie got. It's got some laugh out loud moments, it zips along at a great pace, has a fantastic cast being pushed out of their comfort zone and ultimately...(dear critics, read this next bit).... ITS ENTERTAINING.
The Beatles: Get Back (2021)
Glorious, magical but too long
I wasn't alive in 1969 but I've always loved The Beatles music. I used to play Sgt Pepper as a child mesmerised by its songs. This documentary reinforces my belief in A: the power of music and B: the magic of Lennon and McCartney. It looks absolutely glorious and watching them create timeless songs like Get Back and Let It Be, will stick with you forever. By the end you realise just how much you cherish this band, it was like saying goodbye to an old friend.
So why haven't I given it a ten? It's just too long. A lot of conversations are repeated or unnecessary. How much of the Beatles messing about do we need to see? Perhaps Jackson could have released supplementary clips of all the material he wanted to include but was irrelevant to the main story being told.
However, if you love music, if you're fascinated by the song writing process, by history, by seeing genesis at work, then watch this.
The Power of the Dog (2021)
Just dull
At what point am I allowed to critique a movie? After watching in its entirety only? One hour? Half hour? Well on this occasion I gave up after 45 minutes. Yes the performances are great but gosh, is it dull. It's so slow burn, I felt like I was watching paint dry. I'm repeatedly baffled these days at critics who gush over movies like this. I note that the director has recently commented at her dislike of superhero movies, which by the way I tend to agree with. But perhaps she should take a look at her own story telling technique before criticising other movies. I was intrigued about the relationship between Benedict's character and the teenage boy, but I wasn't prepared to waste another 75 minutes of my life watching to find out.
Yesterday (2019)
Interesting concept, amazing music, insipid execution
Watched this on Netflix as was very curious about the concept. Unfortunately I have to report that this is tired cliched movie making. It's about as brave in its execution and story as eggs on toast. Ultimately it's a dumb love story between two very dull characters. Also adding to the rot is a horrendously poorly written music manager and other vacuous pointless characters. I note this movie is written by Richard Curtis which doesn't surprise me. This movie could have taken on a far more interesting, darker story if Danny Boyle had engaged a writer who wasn't living off his decade old glory of four weddings and a funeral.
And yet, the movie is fun to watch. Fun but dumb and it makes you realise just how amazing the Beatles were. Finally the movie gets half a point extra for it's fun heavy mental spin on 'Help'
Your Honor (2020)
Outstandingly watchable, but don't expect realism
I'm a fussy tv viewer, most shows frustrate or bore me so it's rare for a new show to come along, grab me by the b**ls and take me along for an exhilarating ride. Listen, is the story far out? Yes of course it is. I seem to recall Bryan Cranston (an honest citizen, a school teacher) chopping up dead bodies in season one of Breaking Bad, but we suspended our disbelief because his actions fitted in with the confines of the world created by the writers. This has slight similarities with Breaking Bad but in this case the question is 'How far would you go to save your own child?' In Bryan Cranston's case he would do anything but I don't want to get into spoiler territory. Peter Moffat (the creator) and the rest of the writers have created a rich multilayer world with plenty of suspense to keep you watching. Is this show realistic? No of course not? Is Adam annoying? No he's a 17 year old boy. How stable and sorted were you at 17? Are there plot holes along the way? Most probably but I didn't dwell on them because I was far to invested in the show. Judging (get-it?) by the hype I'm hearing from other people about this show it's clear that lots of other people are enjoying Your Honour.
Love, Victor (2020)
Another inflated score for what is a cliche ridden let down.
Really IMDB users, this show warrants a score over 8.1. I really liked Love Simon the movie, despite its glossy, happy feel it was great to see a mainstream Hollywood movie tell a high school coming out movie. Then we have Love Victor which brings very little to the lgbtq genre apart from a raft of cheesy cliches. Most tv fails because of the script and this one is no exception, it lacks guts, characterisation and drive. It's so predictable. You want 'high school party because parents are away'? Check. Clumsily written homophobia followed by instant change of heart? Check. For a movie which supposedly celebrates lgbtq people it spends most of its time dealing with heteronormative relationships. Make no mistake, this is a Disney-fied version of what it means to be gay in 2021. Sexless and empty. The three shows are poles apart but when you compare this to shows like It's A Sin or even Ryan Murphy's Hollywood, it's a giant letdown which should never have left the pilot stage. Which is why I'm astounded how this ever scored so highly.
Save Me (2018)
Thinks it's better then it really is.
So I'm sat here half way through season 2 and I really wish I never started. It's just dreary and meandering featuring a raft of characters you couldn't care less about. It's problem is the usual burden so many dramas suffer from, poor script and characterisation that suits the writers not the characters. There's a raft of talent on screen but they're repeatedly let down by such a poor script. Tempted to use the 'save me from this travesty' as a headline but that's just cheap right ?
Tenet (2020)
The epitaph of everything that is bad about movies in 2020
I've seen thousands of movies. Some great. Some not so great but nothing is as flawed as Tenet. It's a shallow, empty, narcissist piece of film making with blatant disregard for those who are giving up 150 minutes of their time to see it. What makes matters worse is that Nolan's last movie, Dunkirk was a masterpiece.
Clearly I'm foolish as I had no idea what was going on throughout. I'm also not sure I'm supposed to. Call me old fashioned but I like a movie with either some semblance of plot or characterisation. There's no empathy here. You will not care about anyone or anything on screen.
Then there's the sound. I watched this in imax. The music shook the speakers to the point where they were trembling. But could I hear anything the actors were saying? Of course not. They were buried beneath an avalanche of noise. Great swathes of dialogue remain unheard.
As the movie lurches towards its third and abysmal final act and you're forced to watch a third rate version of call on duty intercut with a woman pouring suntan lotion on someone's back, you begin to wish that you could move backwards in time and claim back those 150 minutes of time that you've wasted watching this dross.
In a time when we deserve great escapist entertainment, Tenet is a travesty. Clearly Nolan is at a point in his career when he's surrounded by 'yes men' as no one had the balls to tell him that Tenet is an absolute disaster.
The Plot Against America (2020)
Nearly quit this slow starter
It's such a shame that the first couple of episodes of this outstanding drama are so slow, you feel like you're back in the class room being forced to watch an educational video. Then around episode four something magical happens, you start to care about every character, the storyline feels more urgent and narrative driven, everything falls into place. This is beautifully shot, stunning art direction and beautifully played by all the cast, including the children. Make no mistake, this might be set in 1940s America but everything about it rings true here in 2020. Hopefully those who take the time to watch it will remember that peace and tolerance is a fragile thing that can be snatched away from us at any moment. There's no getting away from the fact that in order to be rewarded with such great television you have to endure the first couple of episodes. Personally I'd have brought episode one and two together and created a more urgent story driven first episode
Giri/Haji (2019)
Under whelming in every way
I do wonder about users use of 9s and 10s when reviewing television shows on IMDB. Opinion is of course a matter of taste but is Girl/Haji as good as The Sopranos, The Wire, Breaking Bad, The Americans? I'd say that it's not even close.
Episode one starts off with promise, but after that each progressive episode descends into cliched characterisation (London gangsters, American coke head), absurd plotting (it's Yom Kippur so let's invite a Japanese cop, his daughter and a rent boy I've befriended round for dinner) and a banal script (back to the American coke head and London gangsters).
I wondered how they were going to stretch out such a painfully thin story and characterisation for eight hours, but after three of them I had no interest in finding out.
Gangs of London (2020)
Violence does not make a great tv show
Once again flabbergasted by the high reviews for this show. Yes, the fight sequences are great, of course they are, I've seen the Raid 1 & 2. But take away these sequences and you're left with a meandering, second rate tv drama which should never had made it past the development heads desk. Where's the tension, the characterisation, the script!!!!! If you want a good tv show featuring violence and gangs then watch the sopranos.
Hollywood (2020)
Escapist entertainment for dark times.
Critics need to take a deep breath. This show is not meant to be a high end quaint drama meant for niche viewing. It's escapist entertainment reframing a period from Hollywood history that's ripe for story telling. Sure it's cheesy and perhaps it's key message is handled a little to bombastically in the final episode, but in a world full of doom & gloom it has heart, bravery and balls 😀
Normal People (2020)
Heartbreaking portrayal of ordinary people
I binged watched this over two nights and gosh, it's an immersive distressing watch and a highly realistic portrayal of two people who experience falling in love for the very first time and the fall out. I've been thinking more about the title and it's relevance and for me it comes across in how this drama portrays the ordinariness of life; putting on your clothes after sex, going for a walk, working, making a cup of tea, starring at your phone, having a cigarette, buying shopping, visiting the ice cream man, simply meandering and procrastinating through life.
Those who have criticised this show fail to understand that this isn't a show where storylines are wrapped up in neat bows, there are no cliche shocks or turns in story. We don't need to understand past events or trauma to work out why we are all like we are. We are all flawed in some way. We all screw up at some point. We've all hurt people that we genuinely care about. We all fail to communicate our wants and needs at some point. And for me that's what this drama excels in. And why most other dramas fall down in stock cliches.
The two leads are superbly cast with both of them displaying unrelenting vulnerability, pain and love. You'll remember both of them for a long time.
My one criticism is how Mariannes family are portrayed. There's no subtleties here, especially with her brother and I would have liked to understand more about why they hate each other.