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walesara54
Reviews
London Kills (2019)
Could be much better.
Whilst watchable This series is being compared with Line of Duty, a brilliant an outstanding series. Cannot fathom why as it does not get anywhere near LoD. Whilst story lines hold, the directing seems very wooden, so is the acting sometimes. Fillers in-between scenes are almost identical, views of the city sky line, the police building, the interview room, the same people walking down corridors. Bad continuity, good example being in season 3 while the corrupt senior officer is in hiding at a safe house someone knocked on door. The presiding officer goes to open the door and immediately one thinks why didn't the door have a peep hole. Then comes a view from the other side of door and lo and behold there is a peep hole. Then an immediate switching to inside and it's gone again. So many errors like this throughout the seasons and same in-between fillers. Unbelievable scenes for example when a suspect wants to get something before being taken away and then escaping as they were not accompanied. Petty failures but had hoped for better in S3 but sadly not.
La Brea (2021)
There's bad and then there is this.
2 stars for trying. Concept not new but could have been used better here. Sink hole opens up, people fall through end up in 10,000 yrs bc. Ice age in particular. After 4 episodes I had to give up. I tried. We find out there have been other sink holes over many years and there is a future as well as a past. The father having visions is the link. But like many of these films the women seem to look like Hollywood stars ... all the time... and every 5 minutes one survivor comes up to another and says "we need to talk. " Reminds of the long running british soap opera Eastenders where that used to be the most spoken line. The government agency is involved trying to hide the whole concept with the usualfew that disagree. Would have been better with obvious things like total disorganised people looking rough and not like models. Loads of people fell through but no animals from the sink hole. Plus the big one how did they survive the fall from the sky with all that debris falling through.
Sex Education (2019)
STILL FUNNY
I gave this a 10 because it has always been a brilliant show and very funny. Season 4 however seems to have stopped the usual and gone with one aim only and unfortunately totally focused on LBQT. Its still very funny but has become ridiculously serious as well. I'm All for new characters and perhaps if it was to continue with a Season 5 then maybe they would grow on us but right now the opinion seems to be the same. A little bit worked up for my liking and whilst my review is not going to please many it is my personal opinion. I'm no expert but there are going to be similar reviews for season 4. Don't get me wrong it's still got the bits we all liked just that there is less of them.
John Wick: Chapter 4 (2023)
Homage to a classic
The usual John Wick. The guy is armour plated. Even more than usual. He meets some old friends. Some good some bad. The same with new friends. The action very rarely stops. Some impressive room to room views from above towards the end. What impressed me the most was the similarities of him on the run at the end to the escape run of the Warriors trying to get back home to Coney Island. This time they are trying to get John before his duel with the head of the high table. The lady DJ calling out the news and the guns after them. This was a surprise. Don't know if there is a coupling here but Watch it and tell me I'm wrong .
Y Golau (2022)
Carmarthen born so a little biased
Living in Sweden now it was a pleasure to see my old home town and surrounding areas. But that's not what counts, yes it was a little slow and could have had 4 episodes perhaps, yes it was depressing but its not meant to be comedy. From the off it was obvious Joe was not the killer. Shame that the actor didn't get a more powerful role to play but hey, It's Ramsay Bolton here, don't mess with him. In all a surprise killer a bit of a nuisance mum but welsh noir is what it is, isn't it!! Great scenery and good acting. Remember Hinterland, depressing but good and the main reason I took my swedish wife on a big tour of Wales north to South. You either like this series or you don't.
Morran och Tobias (2014)
Hidden little gem.
Until Xmas 2022 I had never heard of this series. Lived In Sweden nearly 20 years and their humour is obviously going to be different. This series is based on a particular region of sweden and one must have lived here to appreciate why it is like it it is. Think how hard it would be for non brits to understand the humour of The young ones or Bottom or earlier Comic strip presents. I guess it's no different with this swedish series for no swedes especially with undertext that's translated to something one understands in their own language. What can be hilarious in swedish won't always work in English and vice versa. For me an ex brit, (welshman) fluent in swedish, this works and I find it hilarious. Can't wait for new series.
Hypnotisören (2012)
Book fantastic film ok
As with a lot of film adaptations you lose a lot of the full story. For Everyone that thinks Game of thrones was superb, it was, but read the books.
The hypnotist was just the same, missed out a lot from the book but still a classic scandi noir. It's ten years old now and Persbrant was recently in a British comedy called Sex education, along with Gillian Anderson. His acting is always calm but positive. Having met the guy he is a different person to his characters by far, but still a good actor. The film was appreciated in the scandics not so much elsewhere. But that's how it is. ............
Marco effekten (2021)
Not quite as good
Not a patch on the first 3 movie. Ulrich is a great actor but the precedent was set with Nikolai and Fares Fares. This doesn't have the same punch. Hopefully this might change with future movie.
Journal 64 (2018)
Classic Scandinavian noir
My swedish wife has read the novels from the day the first was published. A fantastic critic of films based on books. Her suggestion to watch the available films. I am brit expat but fluent in swedish and ok with Danish. We get swedtext anyway. I thought this film was just perfect and the expert said it held quite well to the book. Farris Farris is a great compassionate actor and this film gave him an opportunity to show it. Great series of films.
The Rook (2019)
Wrong pronounciation
Gave up as soon as the lead name was miff ann wee. They could at least pronounce it as it should be. Miv van wooi. Welsh name welsh pronunciation not say it as one thinks it should be.
Rig 45 (2018)
Unbelievable
I give this a 2 because there was a little intrigued at the beginning in series 1. Then it transpires that it's petra. 2nd series she ends up on rig again with police, escapes and one by one peopke start dying again. Is it her, I can't tell you as i stopped on episode 2. Total crap.
Penance (2020)
Obvious
I cannot rate it more. Very obvious. Usual plot. Typical discovery by wife that would send normal people running to police but no, take it on herself. Poor acting.
Gangs of London (2020)
100 mph intrigue and back stabbing.
My only criticism of this series is a high powered bullet removal at one point, which was in perfect condition, and the Welsh traveller gang. Very good actors but this is down to Gareths roots. Nice touch but they dont exist. I am welsh by the way.
The Good Doctor (2017)
Cute and an insight.
One thing i hate about medical dramas and reality sometimes, is the simple things like doctors stuffing their white coats into their lockers, seemingly to use again.
Surgeons walking around the ward in their day clothes and the old favourite the intubation tube in the throat when the patient is awake. That's general throughout though. The storline is nice and having several autistic children in my family I can associate with some things that the doctor has problems with and agree they see tvings differently. Sadly I can only rate this as I have because I like the storyline. Medically its obviously accurate to a degree but in the sterile sense any doctor wearing day clothes on a ward would not get near me.
De Dag: Chapter Six, Inside (2018)
One must remember to breath
Well written and well presented with every other episode showing the story from the bad guys side. Quite a few twists and very often not anywhere near how you think it might play out. Ending was perfect. No more what ifs required.
The Crown: Aberfan (2019)
Sad
I was nine years old when this disaster happened. The age of the majority of the children that died that day. I lived about 50 miles from Aberfan but now live in Sweden. Two years ago I brought my swedish family over to Wales and we visited the graveyard. 2 grandchildren one of them the same age...9... said to me that she felt so sad after visiting there. But was able to learn about and tell about the disaster in her school. The whole school wanted to hear about it. There are many on here that were not aware of it. I suggest you read the BBC story...Aberfan the mistake that cost a village its children. Also I highly recommend you visit here if you wish to feel it for real. Read the story first though. What you see in the crown is nothing to what really happened. The story about the National coal board will anger you. God be with you little ones.
Craith (2018)
Brilliant
I'm Welsh and biased but there you go. I noticed a few people comments complaining that there was dialogue in Welsh. Wow how strange. In the most prominent welsh speaking areas in Wales. I'm living in Sweden and watched it here. It had swedish subs naturally, it was loved over here. No complaints of language. I assume dialogue in Welsh had English subs. What's the problem ? Ok rant over. The program is great. Just watch it. But if you're affected by the use of another language being spoken in a drama it's not for you. TIP don't watch DasBoot
Departure (2019)
Actors?
Actors usually act. Shame the cast forgot this. I have wood planks in my shed that act better. Terrible plot....cast......and so much dramatic music when nothing is happening. Watched 1 & 2 to give it a chance. Then gave up.
The Handmaid's Tale: Liars (2019)
3 down
Wow after episode 9 slow speed , episodes 10 and 11 hit the gas. Serious spoiler alert!!! But if you look at the images for this episode it gives some of the game away. June's plan is gathering speed...she learns the marthas will help get 52 stolen kids out.....June's commander Lawrence is going to help her..... then he wasn't.....then he was again.... He drives June to Jezebels to see Billy who works with the resistance..... June hopes that Billy will help also..... when she is seemingly leaving Commander Winslow turns up and takes June to a bedroom , he attempts to misbehave with her but ends up dead ....good one June...1 down .... the maids help her get away and dispose of the body..... The Waterfords drive to meet Mr Tuello near the Canadian border ... a "friend" that got near Mrs.W when she visited to see the child.....and offered to help get the child back......they met and drove to a secluded spot.... which just happened to be over the border ..... and the evil Waterford pair get surrounded by soldiers and are arrested.....good one Mr Tuello....3 down....closing scenes of Winslow going into a furnace....and commander Lawrence handing a gun to June saying "they are going to be coming for us" .... we are waiting for it to go pear shaped but right now it rocks.
Timeless (2016)
Hooked on time
Only 2 in and hooked. My only comment us don't they get fed up of the paper blowing around everytime.
Utøya 22. juli (2018)
Sad and real
I'm writing this mainly to criticise the reviewers that gave it low markings because of " camera shake" ...... "to long" etc. Jesus people this is about as real as it get. How long is the film? How long was the attack. 72 minutes that must have felt like hours and hours for those youngsters and yet a complaint the film was to long read what some victims have said about this film then please stop reviewing things like this a you do not have a clue .
Evil Aliens (2005)
Mad and a good laugh
I happened to watch this on Showtime TV movie channel. They were just arriving at the farmhouse when I started to watch. Never heard of this before and had no idea they were in Wales until I saw the writing on the wall. Being welsh I could see the dig at English language when they asked the brothers if they spoke English, English ? Pa Pa Pa ! Bit of many films with a Shaun of the Dead blackness! Not all welsh people are like that mind, but I could think of a few names..... but thats another story. Really funny film not meant to be brilliant so all you buffs or "experts" be warned its not for you, for those with a sense of humour, watch it!! Cymru am Byth!
The Warriors (1979)
Watch it and be damned if you don't watch it again.
I was 20 when this film was first released, I am now 49 and I still enjoy watching it. A classic that should have been followed up with another but it does have that one off status of course. If you can take the violence then you will enjoy. There is also a degree of humour present. Look for the scene in the park where one of the gang picks up a prostitute. You also have to realise that this kind of gang warfare still exists and at the release time was very true to life. The story focuses on a seemingly small time gang that are wrongfully suspected of murdering Cyrus, a major gang leader, I say seemingly because.........! They have to find their way across the city with all the gangs they come across wanting their heads on a plate. Favourite Quotes:- Warriors.... come out to playeeay.
Can you dig iiiiiitttttt! Cyrus.