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Killing Eve (2018)
Killing Eve: very compelling and thrilling drama
I absolutely loved Killing Eve. There are so many excellent aspects of the show. From Sandra Oh's delivery as the MI5 officer Eve Polastri. which just keeps me transfixed on the screen, to Jodie Comer's portrayal of the ruthless psychotic assassin Villanelle. Combined with the excellent casting, of not just these two leading ladies, but the whole crew deliver on what is a really entertaining show.
The storyline and plot drive the programme in so many ways, and rarely takes a pause like so many shows. This may be a result of only having eight episodes in the first season, but still I found it to be really compelling.
The production and direction is excellent, really showcasing different aspects of Europe. From beautiful Tuscany, to the splendid architecture of Paris, to the rural English countryside, to the nightlife of Berlin, and even the starkness of the Russian prison system. All that in eight episodes!
The twists and turns were very good, and my only slight criticism, is that I did anticipate a few of them. But this only wets my appetite for more, and I look forward to season two with relish. I will have to contend with reading the Villanelle novels by Luke Jennings to tide me over.
Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens (2015)
almost worth the wait!
I felt a lot of anticipation for Star Wars: The Force Awakens, as the trailers showed and promised plenty of action and drama.
In terms of action, it definitely delivers from the start, with a natural drop to tell some back story during the middle part of the film. The drama comes mainly from our new leading characters Rey (Daisy Ridley) and Finn (John Boyega), who deliver some good performances. It was good to see some of the old characters return, with Harrison Ford quite rightly getting the majority of screen time. Han Solo has good scenes with almost every other character in the film. Funnily enough the only scene that felt a little weird was with General (Princess) Leia, which might have been intentional.
Our baddie Kylo Ren, portrayed by Adam Driver struggles to deliver, but I would excuse this partly because he is wearing a knock-off Darth Vader mask, which makes it difficult. Once he takes the helmet off, he actually lost some of his mystique.
To the storyline, and this is where my disappointment is evident. If JJ Abrams was using the original films for inspiration and content, then he overdid it. There was so many déjà-vu moments I failed to lose count. For example, fighter pilots battling the First Order's death-star to stop a weapon which will destroy worlds, whilst Han Solo and his resistance infiltrate to lower the shields surrounding the aforementioned weapon. Return of the Jedi again!
The only saving grace for the plot is the search for Luke Skwalker, by both sides, but even that is reminiscent of Luke searching for Princess Leia back in a New Hope. I did like the final battle between Rey and Kylo Ren. Whilst raising the ire of some other reviewers on IMDb, because of Rey's novice status of using the force, it did produce some nice action. Even the finish to the fight with the ground opening up between them, was reminiscent of the fight between Obi-Wan Kenobi and Vader in Revenge of the Sith.
This could have been a much better film, if it had more original content! I would have preferred more background on our new Jedi hero. All we are treated to is a brief memory flashback when she picks up Luke's light-sabre. I am hopeful that the next Star Wars film will deliver on this story and some originality!
Gotham (2014)
Rise of the villains ... and heroes!
Having watched season one and almost halfway through season two, I felt the need to share my views on Gotham. The program has grown from a shaky start into one of my must-see shows to watch.
I love the whole feel of the show. The dark gritty world created where crime is a way of life, that even the police have adopted it is a fantastic back drop for some brilliant story lines of which there is plenty.
After two and half seasons, I have finally started to like the development of Bruce Wayne side of this story. Perhaps its because David Mazouz is just beginning to connect with the character of Bruce, or is starting to expressing some of the darkness that leads to his donning the cape and cowl.
During the first season, I felt like Ben McKenzie as James Gordan was struggling with so much screen time, but halfway through he appeared to relax, and began to act comfortably with other characters. The villains in season one definitely kept me watching. To see Oswald (penguin) work his way through the Gotham mob was very well crafted. Rober Lord Taylor is brilliant in his portrayal, and works both sides of Penguin's character fully with some lovely touches - learning the dark ways of Gotham with the ruthless Fish Mooney, Falcone and Butch whilst showing love for his eccentric mother.
All of the villains provide much contrast for the ever present heroic Detectives James Gordan and Harvey Bullock, who feel like they are fighting a lone crusade to clean up Gotham. Again that feeling of isolation to our heroes comes to the forefront of the program.
On to the second season, which absolutely hit the ground running and pushed a number of characters to the front like Edward Nigma and Barbara Gordon, whilst introducing us to the diabolic Theo Galavan and his dangerous, and gorgeous, sister Tabitha. Jessica Lucas is absolutely stunning!! Theo Galavan's interactions with both James Gordan and Bruce Wayne, have provided some brilliant moments of suspense, and I look forward to the revelations to come.
On the whole, Gotham is prepared to get more mysterious and darker to provide suspense, and i can't wait to see it ....
The Young Person's Guide to Becoming a Rock Star (1998)
a comedy gem with some cracking satire!
I have just re-watched " A Young Persons Guide To Becoming A Rock Star", as I have finally converted my VHS to DVDs. I found it to be even more funny than the first time I saw it all those years ago, when it first aired on Channel 4 back in 1998.
A lot of the humour is very obvious, with a slightly satirical, but realistic look at how a rock band gets to the top in the UK music business, with ups and downs along the way.
The pace over the 6 episodes is perfect, and a continual love story between Jez and Fiona in the background, helps the plot progress.
It helps that I actually like this style of music, which was quite prominent during the Nineties. Think Nirvana meets Oasis meets Pet Shop Boys?
The acting for the most part is very good, and I love the cameo appearances by the music/entertainment celebrities.
On the whole, an entertaining watch!
The Class of '92 (2013)
Left me wanting more....
I started watching this with anticipation. This was a great opportunity for the world to see the incredible process of how a bunch of talented footballers became part of a fantastic football team, who achieved amazing sporting heights.
It began quite promisingly with good input from their youth team coach Eric Harrison and interviews with the players themselves. Unfortunately, this is the best part of the film/documentary, and it descends into a strange mixture of self-indulgence and laziness on the part of the producer.
Little input is provided by other footballers. Eric Cantona and Zinadine Zidane are the only players to contribute. I understand the producer want to set the scene for Manchester during the Nineties, but the repeated, and pointless, interviews with Tony Blair and Mani left me cringing at the screen, and this went on for way too long.
The history of Manchester United is very briefly looked at through the eyes of Gary Neville, who, not surprisingly, is the most articulate of the ex-players.
The whole film felt like one big interview with a few clips thrown in for substance. There was very little mention of how this team dominated English football during this period, very often making late wins, grinding out those important points, or surging to cup victories.
Little appreciation is shown to the other players in the team, who helped United to their amazing treble winning season. This may be why there is no interviews with these footballers, coaching staff or management who worked with the "class of 92" players.
Credit to Ryan Giggs, Gary and Phil Neville, Nicky Butt, Paul Scholes and David Beckham for doing their best to make this remotely interesting. It was nice to hear them tell us what we already knew, that they are mates, who have been part of an amazing time at Manchester United's success.
For the avid Manchester United fan, I guess what happens at the club, stays at the club, because there is no juicy insider information to give the viewer.
Is it a biopic, that only looks at a small part of people's lives, or a documentary charting the success of 6 footballers? This film fails to deliver on both accounts!
Daredevil (2015)
Finally a decent Marvel Comics adaptation!
I recently got very disenchanted with the whole genre of comic book adaptation, after numerous poor efforts on the movie scene. So, it was with great trepidation that I began to watch Daredevil. I was relieved to see that the whole feel of the show, takes on the feel of the Frank Miller era of the comics, with a lot of emphasis on the dark/light aspect of the characters. Speaking of the characters, excellent casting, particularly on the parts of bad guys Wilson Fisk (Vincent D'Onofrio) and Wesley (Toby Leonard Moore). These two exude menace from every syllable when they are in intimidation mode, but both characters have shown genuine affection and in the case of Fisk, deep love for Vanessa.
Maybe, its because a TV series has more time than a movie, but you do get to know each of the characters within this show. Even a few of the supporting cast. This may cause the pace of the show to feel slightly slow, but after a few episodes, I appreciated the patience and care that the writers/producers gave each moment. The storytelling is excellent, and never got over-complicated, and generally built to a climax, encouraging me to watch the next episode. The fight scenes are very good, and feel more realistic than the majority of action films. Spoiler alert - my favourite scene is when Daredevil takes on Nobu, a ninja with a sharp edge for a weapon.
You can't help but draw comparisons with the 2003 film, but I personally feel this succeeds in focusing its energy on the core characters - Matt Murdock and Wilson Fisk, and their love of Hell's Kitchen, where they both grew up, rather than outside characters like Electra and Bullseye.
My only concern was Charlie Cox's ability to lead the show as the main character. After the first two episodes where he seemed to be a bit shaky, there seemed to an improvement, and I was able to relax and enjoy the show.
Verdict - A deep, thoughtful and entertaining adaptation from the best parts of the Daredevil comic books.
Now my anticipation has turned to the second series, and with plenty of decent stories to choose from, I can't wait for it to come to the small screen. If the same effort is put into future seasons, it should be a success.