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sberridge77
Reviews
A Spy Among Friends (2022)
Uneven but fascinating account of a traitor
The brilliance of the two lead actors kept me watching this series in spite of the fragmented action back and forth in time and location. The lighting was very dark such that I could barely identify who was in frame at times. I persevered to the end when the full horror of the story came through and the bleakness of the fate of the main characters was revealed. Guy Pierce was simply brilliant and managed to infuse complexity and moral ambiguity into a very opaque character. Damian Lewis was a close second but the character of the MI5 woman interrogator together with her back story I found irritating. It was a device to explain the story through the questions but I felt that it could have been just as good without her. Worth watching for the acting and important story of our recent history.
Munich: The Edge of War (2021)
Enjoyable but uneven
For the first twenty minutes or so this film nearly lost me, a bit slow, hand held camera very jerky, and rather two dimensional characters, but then it got into its stride as the political plotting and scheming began, with the spying element introduced. The scenes in Germany were gripping and the characters began to emerge. The British scenes were more stereotypical but gradually the relationship between the two men began to live and the tension ramped up. Once the scenes moved to Munich itself the plot hummed along. The main thread of the story was excellent but the subplots were sketchy, especially the relationships with the women. Overall good and worth watching but difficult to wrap up because it was based on a real historical event. I felt that it was left to the viewer to infer what was going to happen based on historical knowledge.
Stephen (2021)
Gripping drama at its very best
I came to watch this with a certain amount of anxiety because of the subject matter but how glad I am that I did. It was drama of the highest order, gripping, terrible, poignant, emotional and thought provoking. The acting was uniformly excellent but Steve Coogan was outstanding and possibly the main reason I decided to watch it, and he didn't disappoint. The ending was not fulfilling, too many errors of investigation and corruption to overcome but at least this young man will not be forgotten and stands for so many knifed to death.
Little Women (2019)
A reinterpretation that works
I enjoyed this new film of a well known book and other movies very much indeed. I know this story so well, read the books a few times, saw the version with Janet Leigh, June Alyson, Elizabeth Taylor and Margaret O'Bryan, and decided to see it again with a few doubts. I need not have worried because I was in safe hands with Greta Gerwig. The imaginative blending of the story behind the story worked perfectly for me and the casting, about which I had had my doubts, was spot on, with one exception. Even this was allayed by the time I got to the end of the film. It was Professor Bhaer who annoyed me when he first made an appearance, all wrong for the short sighted middle aged stout professor of the book and previous films. By the end, when the clever blend of fact and fiction ended entirely satisfactorily, I thought yes Greta went the whole hog and not only made Jo marry, but gave her a handsome Latin husband, perhaps loves young dream! Result!
Succession: Tern Haven (2019)
Brilliantly observed social divisions
We take for granted the social divisions in the UK, but what this episode did was to forensically dissect the social divisions in the USA. The social contrast between the Pierces and the Roys was so well done that it hurt to see how each side played against the middle in the fight for control. It mirrored the old school monied aristocracy of the Pierces against the new rich Roys in a way that skewered their differences. At the same time showing that there's no honour amongst thieves even though Nan Pierce made a big thing about honour. I also like how we the audience have privileged information about how attitudes were changed as in the Kendall Roy and Naomi Pierce relationship. I wonder how much old man Roy intuited this in his final play. This was an absolutely brilliant episode especially because Shiv Roy acted quite out of character, again for personal power reasons which may be her downfall.
Sanditon (2019)
First impressions are good
I got into the story quickly and found the heroine Charlotte, quite charming. The so-called saucy parts seemed authentic to me, men nude bathing is nothing to get steamed up about. The settings, cinematography, costumes and camera work are all enjoyable and there is an underlying cynical edge to the story in the first half hour of original story which seems authentic to me as the novel following on from Persuasion. I shall certainly be watching more. It's not cutting edge television but excellent Sunday evening viewing.
Roma (2018)
A slow burn which draws you in
This film starts as if in slow motion and very little seems to happen as we observe the mundane actions of a young woman. I did wonder if I was going to stay the course. Gradually the pace picks up and draws you in to the daily life of the young woman who we learn is the maid, and the life of the family she works for. The ups and downs of life are in this chaotic city are well conveyed with the ordinary and the dramatic side by side. Beautifully shot with every frame counting it has heart and soul and is very moving at times. If it has a weakness it is a lack of narrative drive, it is essentially anecdotal but gripping none the less if you allow yourself to be drawn into this world.
The Favourite (2018)
Brilliant in every way
This film is an absolute stunner in its settings, costumes, music and above all the acting. Its brilliance was literal as multiple candles glittered and flickered in the gloom of a pre- electric world, while the brilliance of the three women at the heart of the power struggle was outstanding. The men came off second best in this even though they actually held the power. I cannot recommend it highly enough to anyone who appreciates the genius of film making. It never lost pace throughout and was daring in its use of long held closeups of the actors, who seemed to revel in their chance to give us an insight into their inner worlds. It reminded me of Barry Lyndon in the recreation of a period world without losing sight of people's essential humanity, warts and all.
McMafia (2018)
Chilling, thrilling and re-watchable
I thought this was terrific the first time around but it's even better on second watching. The sheer horror of the way international crime is carried out, with both brutality to those involved, and the ruin of millions of lives for those who are victims, is brought home in a twisting and turning plot. The acting, particularly by the Russian actors, is excellent, although I found the character of Rebecca played weakly, and the human face of criminal masterminds is also highlighted by the relationships with their nearest and dearest. My only reservation which stopped me giving 5* is the severe cutting from scene to scene, which muddied the plot but was much clearer on second viewing. This should not be necessary and is a weakness.
Phantom Thread (2017)
A stunning portrait of love, power and obsession
There is love of son for mother, brother for sister, man for woman in this film. Above all this is a brilliant examination of the obsession of a genius for the work that consumes him. The film examines the lengths to which a person may go to obtain their hearts desire in terms of both love and power. The music is magnificent, expertly tailored to mirror the themes of the film; the cinematography is excellent and very moody, brilliant and chilling at times. As for the performances, the casting is spot on, not a weak link with Daniel Day Lewis outstanding, you understood completely this complex difficult man, closely matched by Lesley Manville and Vicky Krieps. I became very irritated by the latter, correctly in the context of the film. In fact she was a manipulative, potentially murderous woman in the way many women have the capacity to be to take power in a relationship.
A Bigger Splash (2015)
Slow burner but springs to life
This film is a curious mix of banality and insight. The first third was the boring part, with characters who didn't spring to life, about whom I did not care and who were not very likable . They were shallow but thought they were important because one of the four main characters was a rock star. Then a much deeper exploration of their characters and motivation as well as the complex relationships between them came into focus and the story took off. They suddenly became real and their hopes and fears made them more human. I stuck with it although it took some doing and ultimately did care about their fate. It is beautifully filmed with a strong sense of place and worth a look.
Medici (2016)
Promised a lot but delivered less than expected
The story, the cast, the location all promised a lot but the dialogue let the overall standard down. The early story of the growth of the Medici family to the height of influence in medieval Florence was told by switching the setting 20 years backwards and forwards, which made it tricky to grasp who all the characters were and what exactly was going on. The main characters of father and two sons were clear but you really need to know who the subsidiary characters are to get the full story. With that caveat the settings are gorgeous, the two brothers are well cast, Lorenzo in particular is good, and I hope that as the story progresses the other characters fall into focus. Historical accuracy is a bit hit and miss but quite honestly only to be expected.