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Reviews
Mystery Road: Origin (2022)
No mystery here
I keep wanting this to get better, in fact I would love for it to get better. But with a pathetic story line, so full of holes it would make a fantastic Swiss cheese, its obviously not going to. Scenery is OK but the acting generally is as weak as. Everything is apparently done in slow motion to make it seem suspenseful - all it does is make it so terribly dull and boring. The only way to watch this is to tape it and then watch it in little pieces, otherwise you'll just drop off as the Keystone Kops blunder along on the road to nowhere.
Florence Foster Jenkins (2016)
Streep is magnificent!
If anybody had told me I would enjoy an opera film I would have told them they're dreaming! But I don't remember having laughed so much for many years. Streep is absolutely magnificent and carries the show. To sing as off key as she does is a mighty performance and leads to many of the comedic moments. Hugh Grant is also great as her husband who has to keep the truth from Florence.
I really enjoyed this and give it a big fat 10/10.. .
Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan, Lord of the Apes (1984)
Tarzan Forever
A great retelling of the Tarzan tale with the first half dominated by his childhood and rearing by the "apes". Stunning visuals make the apes generally seem almost human - which of course they are!
I am surprised that there have been few if any comments about young Tarzan played by Eric Langlois. Apparently his only film role. But his acting with the apes was brilliant and he , as well as Lambert must get an A+++ rating for their ape mannerisms. Just brilliant in what was for Langlois surely not an easy role, running naked through the jungle throughout! And yes I must agree that the second half does drag a bit but is rescued by Richardson, Holt and Lambert to at least a watchable standard. Photography was excellent & the storyline good. The most realistic Tarzan ever!
Ned Kelly (2003)
An Innocent Man????????????????
Well, you can see where this is heading by the statement in the preview of an innocent man! Kelly was an outlaw, pure and simple. A cattle thief and horse stealer. And yes, many of the rest of the population of NE Victoria were too, and most were oppressed by the mainly Irish constabulary. So if one can excuse the poetic licence presumably to sell the film in the US market you will find a reasonable representation of the time and place so well done for that. Rush, as always is an absolute star as one of the head police and Ledger was good in the lead role.
So I found this quite a watchable version and certainly superior to the Mick Jagger effort.
The Charge of the Light Brigade (1968)
Trevor Howard - what brilliance
You really need to be interested in history to appreciate this film fully, although everyone brought up in a British educational system will have heard of the infamous Charge of the Light Brigade. The story is relatively true to facts, and is extremely critical of the way that the standards of the British Army have eroded since Waterloo.
But if you need a reason to watch then it is the acting. Trevor Howard is nothing less than brilliant as the hard living, womanising Cardigan. His ongoing spat with his brother-in-law, Lord Lucan (Harry Andrews) is brilliantly carried out by two fine actors. Gielgud as Lord Raglan, (obviously under direction) plays the Army commander as almost a dithering idiot, and if that was his intention he is also excellent. The film finishes with all of the commanders arguing as to who did lose the Light Brigade and is quite funny after such an horrific event.
It's worth viewing this film to appreciate the talent and skill of Howard at his absolute best. Totally believable in this role, it is marvellous to see him equally as good in other roles such as the priest in Ryan's Daughter. An actor of superb quality.
Morte a Venezia (1971)
Any slower one would be dead
OK, so this is for opera and classical music buffs - ONLY. There is some great shots of Venice and the camera work is OK but for anyone but the above this is dull, colourless and boring. The first twenty minutes are agonisingly slow and then it gets slower!
Miss Marple: The Body in the Library (1984)
Not a great effort by Christie
This is one of the weakest murder mysteries of Agatha as far as I am concerned. That a qualified pathologist cannot distinguish between a 13 year old schoolgirl and a buxom woman would have Sir Bernard Spilsbury turning in his grave, even though the body in the car was burnt.
That ruins the story for me - always has. Christie was not great in my opinion in her non murder books, often stretching the bounds of credibility to great lengths.
Outside of that the settings and acting were excellent, but Hickson is at the bottom of my list of Marple actresses which made this a long and tedious tale spread over three episodes as it was.
J. Edgar (2011)
Little man with too much power
Eastwood misses the boat again by casting just about 6 foot De Caprio as a 5 foot 5 little man with real short men problems. That really was what many of Hoover's problems stemmed from - by his grabbing of power he could fight back. None of that comes through due to the casting. Still it is a presentable film that manages to skim the surface and not touch any of the nitty gritty of Hoover's sexuality. After his lifetime Hoover became very much persona non gratis and the film, whether intentionally or not, does at least show sprinkles of that. But at the end of the day it didn't say enough about anything - a lot of hot air about nothing. I was really disappointed with Eastwood's molly coddling of his subject. Hoover was ripe for the picking and Clint let him get away.
Howzat! Kerry Packer's War (2012)
Packer wins again
What a pity that Kerry Packer was such an unlikeable bloke. He had the money to be able to step on anyone's toes to make a buck, and the bottom line of this show is that he does it again - doesn't matter who or how many are in the way. Look at the way he humiliates his staff - fact or fiction? There is enough evidence around to know it was fact, but that was Kerry Packer all over - just that this time it was cricket.
What is good about the show is that it gave a chance to many younger Aussie actors - too often we see the same old faces time and again. It was refreshing to watch some other actors all doing a decent job. I am sure many watched to see how their old cricket heroes appeared in this series. And I don't think anyone would have been disappointed. The producers really did spend time and money to groom appearances.
It's just a pity that Packer's obnoxiousness keeps getting in the way.