Reviews

I was stuck at home after surgery and this show was on TV. It depicts the most vacuous, brainless, consumerist bunch of wastrels I have ever seen. I lasted one episode (S2) before I gave up. It covered such riveting topics as: getting an overpriced present for giving birth, drinking champagne and talking about nothing, boob jobs, and shopping. These women have no life's purpose other than to buy expensive stuff. They are not intelligent or charismatic enough to be entertaining. The show is an insult to hard working Aussies doing it tough during a cost of living crisis and should be euthanised. I feel sorry for their kids because they will pass their shallowness on to the next generation.

It blows my mind how few people know about Irish history, the occupation by the British for 800 years, their cruel oppression of Irish culture, the famine that killed a million people, and the ensuing struggles for self-determination.

The Irish Civil War (early 1920s) provides the backdrop for this film, even though the conflict is disconnected from the mythical island Inisherin, off the coast of Galway. The islanders do not really know what the war is about, but they can hear bombs and what could be executions taking place on the distant mainland. I took the Banshees of Inisherin as a painful allegory of the Irish Civil War, when the nation cut its own nose off to spite its face. The story follows a refined man, Colm, who one day decides he does not want to be friends with Padraic, a sweet man who lives with his sister and loves his animals, because the latter is too dull. The film is almost Shakespearean, as it lurches from farce to heartbreak, as Colm's depression manifests as a desperate need to be left alone. The plot's underlying themes portray the boredom and frustration of island life, a man's yearning to leave something important behind, and the sadness of broken dreams. Banshees is quite a beautiful film, but bleak. I did not come out of the cinema feeling uplifted. However, it is McDonagh's most mature work and another of his odes to the Irish people. I feel some people will 'get' this film and other's will not, as evidenced by some of the scathing and inaccurate reviews here, which portray the film as empty, patently untrue. Maybe my knowledge of Irish history gives this film personal meaning. The cast is terrific, I have always thought of Colin Farrell as an astonishing actor who has made dodgy film choices. I hope he follows his gut instinct to be a character actor, and avoids more Hollywood blockbusters.

To be honest I cannot see this film garnering a swag of Oscars (I hope I am wrong) because the Academy loves sentimentality too much.

I do not agree at all with the negative review written here. First, a disclaimer, I was doing a PhD in community-centred climate adaptation discussions when this series was released on the ABC TV. 'People's Republic' gave me hope that community-driven conversations and novel approaches to the horrifying weather and climatic events in Australia were possible. I am glad that the viewer was not exposed to the horrifying events of Black Summer, the trauma was evident through the beautiful photographs by the local artist, and flashbacks depicted in the series. I am not sure I wanted to sit through the fires again! I found the community members interesting enough to sustain six episodes but then again, I am a Social Researcher and people are my business. The series focuses on the elections and decision-making that followed the fires, in a community with a history of conflict. I loved the context provided at the beginning of the series, which introduced a community of fishers, artists, and environmentalists in Mallacoota. The only thing missing for me was the lack of conflict in the process, I wondered if the series brushed over the difficult issues that may have arisen over the details. I found the show extremely moving and evocative.

I once visited a cafe in Melbourne and had the temerity to ask for coffee WITH MILK and was curtly advised: 'We don't do that here' by the barista. The best thing about Fisk is that it puts Melbourne's cafe and food snobbery under a microscope but also captures this city's occasional kindness and community spirit. Season Two: the cafe downstairs from the legal office has turned into 'Blendology' with $16 thick fruit and powder blends with $25 reusable straws. The next best things about Fisk are Kitty Flanagan and Aaron Chen, both have such dry wits, they almost float into the air above the streets of North Melbourne. This show gets laughs out of the small things that bring people to a probate law office in Melbourne. I am thoroughly enjoying the second season and hope to see the high standard continue.

When the book was released people I know either loved it or hated it. One of my friends thought that Shantaram was going to change her life, I remember working in a dead end job and the staff shared a dog eared copy, dreaming of a better life. Another person howled at what he saw as a poorly written self-help manual. I think how you responded to the book depended on your state of mind. I loved it at the time and have waited a long time for the adaptation which could only have been made in the era of prestige TV.

The cast and crew have done a great job of filming the 'un-filmable' book. They have stayed fairly close to the source material from my recollection. I think Hunnam has given an accurate depiction of an Australian male, the immediate feeling someone is a 'mate' with affection and the easy larrikin humour. Having known people who have quit heroin Hunnam is convincing Dale/Lin as someone whose pain is raw and who desperately wants to atone for past sins. Can I remind everyone that not even Meryl Streep did a convincing Aussie accent? That being said, it will be interesting to see how the complex source material pans out over the series which I think is 12 episodes.

Updated: I just finished episode 10 and it was quite a tense and interesting part of the story. The whole series has taken ages to build up and I feel the writers could have selected parts of the source material but then again, they may have ruined a complex story. Lo and behold I just found out that Shantaram has been cancelled. It was a lot better than a lot of the uninteresting dross on Apple TV+ or Netflix for that matter. Overall, I would give the best episodes 8 out of 10 and the slowest one's 7 out of ten. Turns out the novel was un-filmable. Go figure. I might switch off my AppleTV+ subscription now, very little grabs my interest.

I must confess I am not a football fan, in fact where I come from, we call it 'soccer.' However, football becomes the catalyst to exploring the inner emotional and psychological lives of men, and their loved ones, in what is traditionally a masculine domain. If I made this series sound boring and preachy, it is not: Ted Lasso is very funny and encapsulates the best of British and American humour. As well, one of the writers, Brett Goldstein, is a huge pop culture fan and episodes often contain references to films in hilarious and touching ways. Some people did not like the season two but I thought that it was only fitting to explore the darker sides of family backgrounds. I love this series, as others have said here, we need Ted Lasso and it made me want to believe in believe.

I subscribed to Paramount just to watch Strange New Worlds and do not regret doing so. I have only watched five episodes so far but each episode has had the right mix of entertainment, storytelling and character development.

What I said about S1: as per entertainment value, some episodes have focused more on comedy whilst others have introduced new terrifying alien species. The writers have been bold and confident enough to introduce tonal shifts from week to week, the most recent examples being Memento Mori and Spock Amok.

I much prefer the storytelling mode in SNW, which keeps storylines episodic. My complaint about Discovery and Picard is that both tried to write complex narratives unfolding over a series which got so convoluted I almost gave up. When you combine complex stories with a multitude of characters, a series can seem exhausting, rather than exhilarating.

Most of all I love the characters in SNW, they grabbed me straight away, much like the original three had done in Discovery. The writers have introduced new characters who remain true to canon and so far are developing as three dimensional. Pike's contribution to the canon seems to be 'radical empathy' - and what a refreshing opportunity to reset Trek leadership. I am going to address the first episode, and how it referenced January the 6th and Capitol insurrection - this alone made the series worth pursuing for me. I am not an American but this is how other countries see you: polarised and heading for a great fall. See my point below.

I see that half the people here have come to bag the series for being too 'woke' and I ask you: were you asleep all these years? Having a radical humanist viewpoint was one of the reasons the original and subsequent series appealed to me as a child and adult. You must have missed a black woman on the bridge in the original, a woman captain and Native American number one in Voyager, a non-binary guest character in Next Generation, the list goes on. The whole idea of Star Trek is to challenge ourselves, so just go with it!

What I'm saying about S2: wow, what an amazing follow up to S1. Even richer writing allows the characters to become more nuanced by fleshing out their back stories. At the halfway mark of S2 the stand out episodes for me were 'Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow' and 'Charades.' Both episodes built on the canon: the former time travel episode was rich and emotionally driven; the latter episode was one of the funniest I have ever seen and allowed Ethan Peck's talent to shine. You go, Nepo Grand-Baby! I'll never forget the line: "A vulcan should be able to control their bladder" as long as I live.

SNW has given me some small joy during a difficult time in my life. I look forward to more brilliant seasons to come.

I cannot understand people who gave this episode one star. I was expecting an abomination but this episode, whilst not the best of the series, was still well acted from all involved, watchable and tied up most loose ends. Negatives: I felt parts were rushed as AC-12 closed in on the 'fourth man.' It had less tension than some of the earlier episodes in this series. Positives: the reality check for everyone thinking AC-12 was going to ride off into the sunset having defeated 'bentcoppers.' In the end, corrupt systems have a way of reinforcing themselves. It was not the ending we wanted but the ending we deserved.

I have an AC-12 shaped hole in my life now.

I came to this series quite late as it has been on Netflix for ages and I do not know how I missed it. This is one of the best crime series I have ever seen and reminds me of early 'Prime Suspect' and Jimmy McGovern's 'Cracker' The most tense parts of the drama take place inside police corruption interrogation rooms. Each episode is exceptionally well written and acted, I cannot fault any of them so far. I have come to love the characters with all their flaws. I have tried in vain not to bingewatch.