Reviews

I loved the book and it was beautifully written. I enjoyed its similar vein to the 100 year old man who climbed out of the window. Melding the life of the Count as the main protagonist whose life in the hotel bubble is juxtaposed with events of Russian history. At the same time whilst his class has given him manners and good humour this is seen as an anachronism within the revolutionary context. His adaptation to the circumstances is necessary but the relationships that he establishes with all those he meets is consistent. It reminds us that a person whose conduct is impeccable to all will transcend any definition of class which is naturally prone to bias. McGregor has captured the Count's personality so well and a number of great moments from the book have happened. My only concerns are that reading such a great book will inevitably lead to some disappointment as rarely can TV truly recreate such art. There will always be plot lines removed or layered or simplified (and that is why I feel books are a dominant medium for intellectuals). This has happened a bit but my wife has not read the book and is really enjoying the TV version so that for me is an important barometer for the production. As someone who did read the book the only weird thing for me would be to try and convince me to deny this is set in Russia during the revolution. I enjoy Russian history itself and it was this context that made sense for me in the book and it shapes the drama and humour, the motivations and characters behaviours. I'm not interested in trying to parallel this with modern Russia or any other view of a distopian adaptive society. Otherwise the book / TV show would not be a Gentleman in "Moscow" but a Gentleman in "any distopian context you care to imagine". Maybe that is what is wanted but it could be considered revisionist and culturally disturbing given the supposed desire for integrity and authenticity.

I've read articles implying that Moscow is not an important factor and should be lessened so that broader messages can be portrayed of a modern context. Maybe this is spin to attract viewership and might help. But I'd still hope people would read the book for it's gorgeous. My view is that the Russian past is the past and is also its past. It should be respected for what it was however agreeable or not to those outside Russia. It is not a predictor of alternate countries present or future which is to use an analogy why Civil War is about America and not a metaphor for any other country.

This film was so way ahead of its time. If you liked Knives Out etc then this has a similar vibe and introduces the undertones with the overtones in just the right measure. Featuring an ensemble cast of all the great period actors that do their usual thing, alongside the hilarious. Advised by the ghosts of five notable British killers, small town librarian Jodie (Jane Horrocks) sets out to murder her domineering mother, Iris (Brenda Fricker) and anyone else who stands in her way to happiness. This includes the character Bunny who almost manages to steal the show with a character portrayal that is now an absolute must in all modern films of this genre.

At first you get drawn in and then you begin to wonder and then you say WOW and then you feel a bit silly and then you say WOW again and then you begin to realise that you have a brain and then you begin to think and feel beyond the initial need for a dopamine rush toward the realisation that you want to leave the cinema having experienced a life changing experience. This is what Nolan did with this movie. Batman was reborn. You then seek to tell your friends about your experience and you are searching for new expressions as WOW just don't cut the mustard. However it's Okay as the rest became a new history anyway which was credibly incredible!

I'm a massive Nolan fan and won't give this a 10 because I don't even think he'd want it. As a Director and cinematographer he continually pushes the boundaries in search of perfection and wants his team and the actors to go with him. Sometimes he'll win and sometimes he won't but he doesn't patronise his audience. Yet again this is another of his films where you'll need a second or third viewing to fully enjoy the nuances and interactions that evolve. Murphy leads brilliantly and all the support and ensemble cast are portrayed very well. The script is deep and the meaning that one can take from the experience is multi-layered. The movie has different facets that will appeal from the use of colour and B/W to the powerful score. The sound is amazing in IMAX albeit can overwhelm the narrative (a recent and I'd say valid gripe against Nolan). The story arc is not linear, a classic Nolan feature which I like and the pay-off is haunting. For me this ending is as close as one can get to a movie about pacifism albeit you'd never have felt that for most of the entire film!!!

Enough positives have been said with which I concur. This is Scorcese at his best. Left field opinions I include are: I loved Vera Farmiga's role, the fact that she was conflicted as the shrink to the lead protagonists, a microcosm of the plot...she felt lust and love for 2 sides of the police force displaying good against not so good. Ironically the casting of Ray Winstone made me also think this was like an homage to a Boston meets Britain (London) gangster movie! My wife is not interested in this film so read into that what you will.

Come on film goers, what do you want from a Nolan movie? 2 separate Guardian critics gave bipolar opposite ratings which says it all. Nolan is marmite - love or loathe. I'm a fan so kiss unconscious bias Goodbye, for I am biased! I want to see the film again and why criticise Nolan for that? Either see it in IMAX or buy it on DVD or see it on Netflix.......which is what film and Nolan addicts do. Rinse and Repeat which is what Tenet is about; albeit you will Repeat and Rinse too!! Get it????!!! So thicko critics out there go away and Nolan lovers or noobs are welcome, for CREATIVITY is what you will get from Nolan; AGAIN and AGAIN and AGAIN! The

It's season 8 for Pete's sake of an awesome series. I liked the fact that it was a slow burner because the character recaps helped me as an old fart understand where we'd got to!!! It also reminded us that it is a political relationship drama as well as good old fashioned adult entertainment! But once it got going, well it delivered an epic battle episode as all fans would have wanted, reminds us that all good stories HAVE TO END somehow and by not being perfect has given us reason to still yearn more great fantasy adventures!!

OK, it's a Star Wars movie and as a fan since childhood I'm going to be biased right? Wrong. After all I was one of those who bitched about Force Awakens, quite a bit. However, after watching this movie I felt like I did when I first saw films like Casino Royale or Batman Begins. These were movies that you thought could only go wrong or could only disappoint those who loved these "franchises". But I loved the way they could take the movie to a new setting, create an escapism yet still respect the "fans" desire for that place they recognised - not so much a home but a story that has mirrored them for each life stage. My proof was my 13 year old left Rogue One feeling like I did when I first saw Star Wars. Good overcoming evil, how people make big sacrifices and even go to war for things they believe in. How to cope with loss? Yet this is juxtaposed with the amazing backdrops of sci-fi and space which create a sense of wonder. You know why Disney bought this and all the crap about their interference can be put to bed on this one. The action is closer to Saving Private Ryan than Jar Jar Binks juggling bombs (jeez), the set pieces are awesome, the pacing superb, the story is engaging despite fans knowing its destination and the characters are able to draw emotion almost akin to scenes when Obi Wan died - this ain't bad for a spin off!! I fail to see how true fans would be dissatisfied and even my wife who is not a fan liked it. It is not deep sci fi by Arthur C Clarke or Shakespeare and it never was. But Rogue One honours the tradition of Star Wars A New Hope and that is all one should ask for.

Inception is a movie that ends with a beginning; the beginning of your imagination. Christopher Nolan makes movies that appeal to movie goers but also to that side of us which in the digital, fast food age, enjoys reading story books and the stimulation it gives to the mind. Inception is another example of Nolans' style to stimulate both the senses with great visuals and a great story; yet you are left at the end with your imagination in overdrive. What happened? What did you experience and what will happen next to the characters with whom you went on the journey? That last question is the teaser that is symptomatic of his style and defines this movie. The movie poses that we only use a fraction of our brain's true potential when we're awake. When we're asleep, we can do almost anything. Leonardo DiCaprio gives another fine performance as the main protagonist supported by a brilliant cast on journeys that to all intent and purpose take place in other people's minds and souls. For all those questioning whether it is too early to rate Nolan alongside the great Directors...who cares? Do you think Spielberg really cared about that when he made popular movies that didn't get the acclaim of the industry? He made incredible movies and the "credible" ones followed. Nolan will be the same. Inception is incredible as Nolan's style goes, perhaps not mainstream. But it will get young people thinking about movies rather than just ingesting them. My teenage son was actually stimulated to read books after Inception because movies like the Transformers franchise had become only visually stimulating. We all at some point like to dream and need to dream....well Inception takes you there.