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The Sopranos (1999)
Great series with some wobbly moments
There's many episodes, particularly in the early Series, that score a '10' - riveting even with sometimes ropey and inconsistent writing surrounding them. These were enough to keep me hooked and watching the show right through to the end hoping it would get better again as it seemed after Series 3 to progressively go off the rails. However, it got worse - many of the later episodes are at best a '4' - inconsistent, self-indulgent (for the writer/directer), badly written, left me yawning. Series 6, as a whole, was a huge disappointment. The Series Finale, in particular, is cheesily awful, one I wish I hadn't bothered with. It felt like the writers just didn't care anymore.
There's no doubt it's James Gandolfini who makes this show what it is, aided by Edie Falco who plays her role as mobster's wife to perfection. I have all the episodes on DVD and will at some point go through the whole series again. But I also know there's a fair few episodes I will skip as they bored me enough the first time around.
Schindler's List (1993)
Overly long and indulgent director's porn
This is a GOOD film but it's * not * the GREAT people like to think.
First, it's over long. It could easily have been cut by an hour and been improved for it. The colour ending, in particular, should not have been included. Particularly, as it gives credence to the lie many wrongly believe this story is all historical fact when it's absolutely not.
Second, it's very schmaltzy with cookie cutter characters, either all saints or sinners, cartoon Nazi villains, where the only people who seem to suffer from the war are the Jews. This film could have been utterly brilliant if it had been more honest and looked at the complexities and contradictions of Schindler and Goeth's characters and even within the Jews themselves. Schindler's change of heart is never adequately explored.
Third, it being shot in black and white doesn't work well. Though some of the masses may be impressed and think it's arty, it misses the style and lighting of Film Noir. It likes to think of itself as German Expressionist and Italian Neorealist but that it is not. The colorisation of the little girl in the red coat and the candles etc is heavy handed and a patronising distraction that doesn't achieve what it sets out to do.
There's some solid performances particularly by Fiennes but this is one that could have been great but missed it's chance.
The Time Traveler's Wife (2009)
Superficial and contradictory with uncomfortable yuck factor
This appears to have been made by somebody who doesn't like thinking very much, with producers who think giving us two good looking leads will please us enough to be satisfied by this kind of tripe. The movie's mindlessness is displayed among other ways in the murderous rendition of Joy Division's 'Love Will Tear Us Apart' they have the band play in what is meant to be a romantic moment at the couple's WEDDING. Somebody didn't bother listening to those lyrics.
There's numerous contradictions and inconsistencies in a one dimensional plot. Though he claims he can't change the past, he obviously does - he can change things by time travelling back or fro when it suits the script. Why he can't change his mother's death is never discussed. Why he has to be nude each time he travels to and fro is likewise not gone into. His daughter who inherits his time travel gene conveniently doesn't seem to suffer the same problem of being nude. Though he claims to not be able to control it, he controls it when it matters for the script, such as at his wedding when he turns up older but nobody else but his wife seems to notice. Much like his habit of disappearing/appearing only seems to occur in front of his close friends. Lucky that, eh....? It is also hard to follow at times which version of himself is where and when. He's not different enough looking.
The biggest issue for me though is this is MEANT to be a love story. What comes across is a very superficial "romance" between them when meeting as adults with strongly abusive elements to it in the back story. I mean, does anybody actually THINK - this is just wrong? The concept of a grown man appearing (naked) to a young girl of around 6 years old and wilfully make her fall in love with him? We see the child wants to marry him that first meeting. We see her drawings in her diary of wedding stuff, love hearts etc. Her whole life is then made to wait for the next time for him to reappear. This is child abuse. Oh, not it's not, it's a love story because she marries him when she's older and they don't actually kiss until she's 18. Oh okay, then.... if you say so. Why on earth they didn't have her meet him until when she was suitably older, I don't know, the set up could still have worked. There'd still have been gaping plot holes but at least I wouldn't have been cringing at those childhood scenes.
Midnight Cowboy (1969)
In my all time top ten
This is a classic piece of cinema that plays well today even after an (unbelievable) 50 years. I can't think about anything in it I would change.
The casting and performances by Voight, the naive but charming hustler, and the at first unlikeable crook Hoffman are flawless. We watch what is essentially a love story as their friendship develops. Their chemistry is what makes this sizzle. Any other casting and this would not have worked so well. Hoffman understands the depth and subtleties needed to play his part and Voight's innocent charm makes the country boy believable and likeable so we root for him.
The film's stylish. The genius French New Wave inspired direction works brilliantly for the film and does not seem a pretentious distraction. I liked the whole Warhol thing too. Although the film explores sexual themes and the seedy side of life, the script has the right balance to not have this overshadow the main thing - the relationship between two men. The ending still leaves me in tears. One of the best films of all time.
Life (2017)
Gripping contained horror
My partner wanted to watch this, and to be honest, I wasn't thrilled at the thought of the night's viewing when most space dramas make me yawn.
However, I was pleasantly surprised. A great cast in a well-directed piece that kept me on the edge of my seat a good way through the film. Yes, there ARE predictable plot points. You're going to get that in what is basically a contained horror set in space. You need characters to make repeated dumb decisions to get catastrophe upon catastrophe and keep it moving. But I'm not sure that matters when you have likeable enough characters you're rooting for and the gore is well directed.
I got a little bored after the first hour but then it got more interesting again. I won't give away spoilers. Nice little twist at the end. Implausible but cool nonetheless. Nice one.
Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels (1998)
Overhyped confusing movie
I watched this movie again recently after many years. It was entertaining enough as an evening's viewing, but afterwards I was left scratching my head, genuinely not understanding the hype - on any level. The best thing is probably the soundtrack.
The acting is abysmal. It makes Vinnie Jones' acting look good. It doesn't help the actors the script is abysmal. (Michael Caine can get away with being a bad actor because at least he has some charisma). The casting was bad because in addition to crap actors, in a plot with way too many characters, none of them developed, you need them to stand out visually from each other. With the exception of the Scousers and Hatchett Harry, they don't. I was grateful one actor, at least, had a high pitched voice and pony tail, because I found myself lost not knowing who the hell everyone was much of the time.
I note the script was written by Guy Ritchie - any other script writer and the film wouldn't have got made or would have had considerably more development first - exactly what it needed - for plot , character and dialogue. That and a bit more rehearsal time for the actors so they didn't sound like they were delivering lines at a read through. I'm a Londoner so didn't have any problems UNDERSTANDING the dialogue, but all the characters sounded the same - none speak in a unique voice. Same flat characters (with absolutely no development or back story) in dull monotone voices delivering what is supposed to be witty dialogue full of one liners.... when EVERYBODY sounds like that it sounds like a pretentious script writer trying to be cool, clever and failing miserably. Far better imo to have one character doing the witty one liners for impact.
The Scousers can be funny at times - I don't care about stereotypes) but they could have been even funnier by toning it down a bit. The British are known for subtlely, and I think that's what this movie needed to make it into the cracker of a film it could have been.
The plot is confusing with way too many characters we can't follow running around, many things happening for the sake of happening. I think there was one woman in the whole film. Not sure they even employed female extras. Much of the plot is thin and cookie cooker, ripped off from other movies. The violence is not funny and it's not shocking either. It's pointless. It fails miserably on all front. As for style, Pulp Fiction or Reservoir Dog, Train Spotting etc s it is not. It failed on the styling front for me too - costume wise and cinematically.
Perhaps it did so well at the time due to hype and the lack of cool British gangster films at the time. Watch it for something to watch by all means, but not for a piece of great British cinema, because that's most definitely what it is not.
Nightcrawler (2014)
Disturbingly brilliant
This is one of the best films I've watched in a long time - the script, the acting, the cinematography, and the direction is all excellent and Jake Gyllenhaal plays his role to perfection. One is left with a depressing view of American media - the questions it asks about voyeurism and media ethics are brilliantly asked. There's no need to preach. The result is disturbing. But flick between a few American news channels afterwards and one will see its truth.
Gyllenhaal is the star, the sociopathic cameraman, but this is not to negate the fine supporting roles played by particularly Bill Paxton and Riz Ahmed.
The film is refreshing and original and it doesn't resort to clichés or tropes. There's some unforgettable moments In the film, such as Bill Paxton's final scene, which are genius. (I won't mention what it is, so as not to spoil the plot.) Let it be said, the film is riveting from beginning to end. I haven't given many films 10/10 in my life, but this deserves all the stars I've given it and then some.
The Gray Man (2007)
Lacks something
Although there's solid performances from the main cast, particularly Patrick Bacau who plays the notorious Albert Fish, this film seems to lack something - thus it's left like its title, grey. What could and should have been an excellent film becomes, because of bad direction, a lack of character development (the detective in particular is poorly developed), plus a poor script, an unsatisfying B movie which is at times tedious and plodding.
Regarding the subject matter, there's too much skipping over of important facts, and the characters are mainly one dimensional clichés. The lack of intimacy in the direction and cinematography - which is perhaps intentional - doesn't work. As a viewer, I'm left not drawn in enough to the characters to really know them, and at times, this left me bored. No time is taken to explore motives of anyone. The film is OK - but that's about it.