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DominosthroughAgrate
Reviews
Fallout (2024)
Fast paced and satisfying
Someone who's not played the games but was aware of the lore and visuals of fallout, I was pleasantly surprised to be taken on an almost instantaneous, bizzaro joyride through an apocalyptic Americana. Great performances running throughout, with a nearly unmatched fast pace that leaves you no time to pause, something I find lacking in so much TV of today. Walton Goggins is as usual excellent, a layered and confident performance. The set dressing, locations and costume work are all superb, worn out, destroyed and strikingly impressive. Worth a watch for anyone who enjoyed the high energy and violence of 1980s sci-fi, great fun!
Fool Me Once (2024)
So ludicrous that it can be enjoyed as a comedy
Throughout this unintentionally hilarious mess I kept thinking, what does this acting remind me of?
Then it hit me, the tone, delivery and mannerisms were conjuring up something from some dark recesses of my mind.
Tracy Beaker ! It feels like a surreal and violent episode of Tracy Beaker. After this realisation I really started to enjoy the show, not as the creators intended, but as a farcical camp comedy laced with atrocious acting, dialogue and casting.
Keegans character pushes the boundaries of believability to the furthest it can go, an ex military hardass, despite weighing about 8 stone and being half the height of the men she throws about.
Truly awful entertainment for an audience of imbeciles.
Good fun though !
The Doll Factory (2023)
Incredibly dull
Visually interesting at points, very inaccurate casting and set dressing. Agree with other reviews that the accents are all over the place, confusing also because it's taken two episodes to figure out exactly who is who, and considering the pacing it's rather odd that it's not become apparent earlier, as it's clearly taking it's time.
And again,
Visually interesting at points, very inaccurate casting and set dressing. Agree with other reviews that the accents are all over the place, confusing also because it's taken two episodes to figure out exactly who is who, and considering the pacing it's rather odd that it's not become apparent earlier, as it's clearly taking it's time.
Dreamland (2023)
Fully bad
The usually brilliant Sharon Horgan is attached to this production, but it's clear as day she's not had much involvement in this limp mess. Surely the whole concept was thought up in some Soho House coke-fuelled session? "Babe y'know everyone's moving to Margate now". The whole thing oozes overfunded and under-skilled girlboss energy, much like so much of British television today. The addition of Lily Allen just intensifies the privilege and disconnection on show.
To make up for a lack of script, acting and storyline they've added a lot of Technicolor saturation to at least keep you involved...
Funny Pages (2022)
You can always visit
In the early 2000's when I was the same age as the protagonist in the film, the world of underground comic books was a universe I loved dipping my toes into. The grot, the beauty and the ugliness of Weirdo magazine and Bagge, Clowes, Pekar and Crumb. It's an enchanting scene, full of strange curmudgeons, men who smell and collect jazz records. I used to love going to a now defunct "comic-mart" convention, marvelling at the stench of body odour, the lack of civility and obsessed desperation of the men that permeated these events, despite being the privileged youth who went back home afterwards to a clean, household of love and affection. To say this film resonated with me is an understatement.
At times hilarious and ridiculously niche, a really interesting little film that makes me excited to see what Owen will create next.
The Mandalorian (2019)
Adored first two seasons BUT season 3 is appalling
Somehow the producers and money men managed to get hold of The Mandalorian and ruin it for season 3. It looks cheap, devoid of earlier quality and tonally off from previous two seasons. It seems the same imbeciles who brought us Boba Fett and Obi-Wan managed to insert themselves into the brilliant Mandalorian for the most recent season, therefore quality has dipped remarkably whilst kid friendly casting and cheap scenic/costume work has been snuck in, at points it felt like I was watching Xena Warrior Princess... What a waste, well almost, as there's flashes of the old seasons at points, but all that does is to remind you of what you're missing.
EastEnders (1985)
Fantasy land
I've travelled all over the "east end" and grew up in inner city London. The absurd casting now just looks almost like an insult to the current East Asian community that has taken over this fabled "east end".
Where is this even set ? East Ham - Whitechapel - Stepney ? All these areas are predominantly Bangladeshi. It's like they preserved the old "east end" in a sort of Jurassic Park amber and then continue to pretend it's the same place. They should up sticks and just set it in Canvey, or somewhere similar at the fringes of Essex.
Does my head in, I couldn't care less about the depressing storylines, the bleak lighting and repetitive bilge. Just make it at least accurate or knock it on the head.
Utter nonsense.
Glass Onion (2022)
Are we living in an alternate reality?
This has to be one of the most pompous, disastrously clumsy and downright awful films I've ever seen. Who on earth thinks this is acceptable awards fodder, really, who the hell watched this film and thought it deserved anything but a razzie. Knives Out was an acceptable distraction, a handful of decent performances helping to mask the overcompensation and self-satisfied approach Rian's accustomed to.
Glass Onion on the other hand has no redeeming features, no subtlety, just awkwardly shoehorned in culture war dialogue (that Rian doesn't seem to understand). Craig's accent, the costumes, the wooden writing, the lack of depth... you'd get a better cinematic experience watching an episode of StreetSharks.
Emily in Paris (2020)
Paris Syndrome
As someone who's had the misfortune of having to visit Paris a few times throughout my adult life, I feel this show needs to come with a warning. It's such a ludicrously outdated version of a Paris that never really ever existed, and certainly does not exist today. Emily never seems to have to deal with gangs of men catcalling her, getting pickpocketed or scammed or worse. Instead she floats around a crime free "chocolat" box version of the city that's so far removed from reality it verges on dangerous propaganda. If you haven't read about Paris Syndrome, I recommend googling it, very telling.
Russia 1985-1999: TraumaZone (2022)
An absolute masterpiece
I could lie and say I've watched every Curtis, I haven't, in honesty I've watched around 5 of his creations. Often found his work a mixture of mesmerisingly brilliant and somewhat simplistic.
What he's done here is truly impressive, and I say this as someone with a particular interest in the subject matter. For weeks friends have been telling me "I must watch the new Curtis" and "it's all the stuff you find interesting, how haven't you seen it".
I folded and turned it on, and have been thinking about it ever since.
He's somehow managed to organise (with his team) a patchwork of archival footage into one of the most hauntingly brilliant works of film. Many moments I thought, he's going to miss this thing, this moment or important reference and yet he never does.
A harrowing and important work, makes the viewer feel the absolute madness of the place and time, the visceral horror and unbelievable unfairness of it all.
Triangle of Sadness (2022)
On the nose, wished it was wasn't
Having adored Ruben's first film and admired his second, I had high hopes for Triangle of Sadness.
Unfortunately, whilst there were some strong moments (mostly in the trailer) and I enjoyed many of the performances, it felt overly long and rather self-satisfied.
Lampooning the lives of the hyper rich, the ugliness, the greed, should come from a place of neutrality and I feel, MUCH more challenging and nuanced than this rather basic farce full of cheap stereotypes.
At no point did I feel that Ruben and the writers felt for a second that they were also part of an elite, as a creation of a privileged bunch of Western European creatives, I'm surprised there's been not much to question this.
Was there any introspection as to the hypocrisy of their position? The cinematic equivalent of a western teenager wearing a Che Guevara t-shirt to their private school.
Not surprisingly the disconnected Cannes audience ate it up. Awarding it, celebrating it and then popping back to their yachts in the harbour to demand cold champagne and hot massages from "the staff".
Louis Theroux Interviews... (2022)
Who was tasked with selecting the subjects
Louis has managed to somehow wrangle some of the UK's least interesting, and in some cases, most annoying subjects possible.
Despite wielding enormous TV power, in which he's pretty much able to select whomever he fancies spotlighting, he chose the untalented Rita Ora and the impossibly uncool, faux "weeerrking clas*" human porcupine Yungblud.
Judi Dench is not included in my frustrations with his selections of subjects, a fascinating and brilliant woman.
Stormzy and Katherine Ryan are media savvy safe choices, hardly obscure or particularly challenging. We see them both consistently on TV and the media in general.
When I first saw the trailer I was waiting to see if James Corden would pop up, maybe he could interview him, could possibly do some of the Top Gear lot or why not just go all out and profile Amanda Holden.
I notice he's got something coming up with KSI... never mind.
Am I Being Unreasonable? (2022)
Village oddness
Discovered Daisy May Cooper rather late, at the recommendation of someone else watched This Country and it quickly became a favourite of mine. With so much British television set in cities and towns I love the fact that Daisy actively pushed for village life to be heard and seen. The witchfinder was an absolute mess of a show, and absolutely squandered her talents so am glad to see her back on TV working on such an enjoyably unique comedy/thriller/noir. Daisy and her co-writer Selin have concocted a truly bonkers and somewhat hellish universe here, occasionally comfy and cosy and then quickly sledgehammered with a queasy darkness. Some great performances and a unique journey.
Resident Evil (2022)
To think Netflix cancelled Mindhunter for this.
Obnoxious teenage girl nonsense.
Does it ever end Netflix? Will you ever stop making these deeply depressing woke kids shows. Who even likes these detestable characters, these storylines, the unending boringness of remaking things just to recast them with sassy gen-Z cretins.
I watched most of the Resident Evil movies when they were released, hardly masterpieces, yet in comparison to this chaotic-kindergarten sludge, they look like they were directed by Cassavetes.
Cha Cha Real Smooth (2022)
An over confident mess
Liked the concept, enjoyed the look of the trailer and then sat down and watched the film. I don't think I've ever see a film with such an accidentally claustrophobic and unrealistic fictional landscape, well certainly not a romcom, anyway. From the very start it feels as though the story is being told an inch away from your face, creates a very unsettling and hard to describe tone, like watching a sub-par Woody Allen neurosis-laden "comedy", but, with camera work that mimics the closeness of Ridley Scott's 1979 Alien. Sadly, the protagonist came across to me as completely self absorbed, hyper- confident and deeply smug. A major issue with Cooper and this character he's created, is age, he looks as though he's 30'years old and yet is playing a 22 year old babysitter/children's party host with a heart of gold, which regularly just feels deeply odd and unsettling. Absolutely bizarre film, I couldn't make it to the end.
Hacks (2021)
Sort of brilliant
Came to watch it off the Emmys hype and ended up falling in love. It's just so refreshingly accurate and yet playful. In a world of OTT pushing of agendas, this one program manages to handle all of contemporary America's ID politics and yet still carries a brilliantly written/directed telling of aging and youth vying for attention and importance, without ever going overboard (even on a lesbian cruise). Some really stand out performances from all involved. Kayla regularly made me weep with laughter, and everyone else just absolutely made me root, believe and care for them. I was a big fan of Broad City (despite that bonkersly chaotic season where they went googoo for arch Neoliberal Hilary Clinton) so I'm not surprised that the team behind it managed to pull off another brilliant TV show. A refreshing, intelligent and heartfelt comedy, centred around women, yet open minded whilst never feeling exclusively for this one audience over another. Bravo.
The Baby (2022)
Gave up
Another terrible British production. My partner wanted to watch it, despite the fact I had low expectations we gave it a go. Pretentious attempt at a sort of quasi Giallo-synth horror score, pointless amounts of swearing to mask the terrible script and a whole lot of very outmoded #girlboss realness.
The sort of production that the Guardian will award a 5 star review, of course.
The Witchfinder (2022)
Complete waste of talent
The brilliance of the actors and talent involved in this is completely squandered. Stath let's flats, this country and Partridge are brilliant because they are pinpoint accurate in their portrayals of a time and place. This sadly flops.
Don't Look Up (2021)
Not as clever as it thinks it is
How this sort of entry level satire has captured the critics is one of the most puzzling things about the past year. It's a mess of a film, utterly weak and unable to accurately convey anything it claims to stand for. The worst thing is that the people who've praised it go for the "you just don't get it" or "it's lampooning the very people that don't like it".
This may be true of a handful of sensitive conservatives who feel mocked.
In reality it's an incredibly badly made snoozefest with way too much confidence in it's own smug brilliance.