Change Your Image
tobydale
I'm a bit of a sucker for cult pieces of all kinds.
I am a student of the human condition and films/TV that try to capture it.
Generally I only comment when comment is required. Most films/TV series are just so-so. I will comment when I see something that stands out of the ordinary; either for being particularly strong, or particularly disappointing.
I will never say anything on IMDb that I am not prepared to back up and justify.
A strong film or TV piece requires a strong review and I am careful to craft my comments to the calibre of the offering. However - where the film is an absolute dog, my comments will be brief and to the point.
In 2020 I will be 62. I've travelled and seen a lot. I am a graduate in Philosophy, and a retired teacher living in London. I hope you enjoy reading my reviews!
Ratings
Most Recently Rated
Reviews
Sweetpea (2024)
This is ok
Sweetpea starts from a decent premise. It's ok, but it doesn't quite work.
Ella Purnell plays Rhiannon. In her twenties, she is a downtrodden and disregarded administrative assistant at a local newspaper. As a kid at school, she was on the receiving end of some "treatment" by other girls. Rhiannon believes that this experience has ruined her life.
No spoilers, but what proceeds is an unraveling.
There is some decent drama here, and we soon find ourselves rooting for Rhiannon, even though she commits horrible acts. In this respect, Sweetpea has the same effect as Breaking Bad - we side with the bad guys because we sort of have a connection with them through our own life experience. But that's as good as it gets.
The problem with Sweetpea is that it's too much of a stretch to believe that a timid bullied schoolgirl can turn as bad as she does as quickly as she does. A lot of it trades on Ella Purnell and her big expressive eyes! She does ok with a limited script. The supporting players are ok.
Sweetpea is engaging and entertaining enough, and I will be tuning in for season 2.
Liebe '47 (1949)
Obscure, interesting & occasionally surreal
Liebe '47 describes a place and a time we cannot imagine today. I include in that description the impossibility of imagining the emotional place that Germans were in at the end of World War II.
Everything that could have been destroyed WAS destroyed - lives, families, morality. All that was left was the ruins of a vaguely remembered time and place. The dislocation was profound.
Two figures, a man and a woman are seen separately at the waters edge (Hamburg docks). They are contemplating suicide. They have lost everything and appear to have nothing to live for. We see them come together. Other shadowy (Bergmanesque) figures swirl in the sidelines and discuss the destinies of our two players.
We see Anna's story first. She has suffered greatly. Shattered dreams, harsh realities. Terrible. Her story is handled sensitively and superbly, and sets the scene in many ways. Nazi era films tended to show women in minor/love interest/home maker or subservient roles as this was the place assigned to them by the regime. Not in Liebe '47 though. Here we see a different reality. Anna is downtrodden, abused and broken. She is a hero that many post-war German women could identify with.
Then we see Jürgen's story - a war survivor from the German army. He is also a hero - but not a hero through military acts of bravery...
I watched Liebe '47 in the original German without subtitles. My German isn't great - but I managed, despite the basic sound quality, because the images are strong, the acting is strong and the stories and emotions shine through.
The film really gets to work in the second half (building on Anna's story), when Jürgen is forced again to confront the banalities of war and the subsequent peace. Or rather, we the viewer are forced to confront his realities. The scenes he sets up in a Cabaret bar and at the home of his former commanding officer are unnerving and carefully chosen by the script writers. The bizarre dream images he conjours are impactful and surreal. The implication is that Germany has endured some kind of apocalyptic schizophrenic nightmare that it is only just waking from, wondering what happened, daring to remember.... There are further implications for audience to consider.
This is a good film, with impactful story telling made in an ex-Luftwaffe hangar in Göttingen on next-to-no resources or budget.
The ending is strong (no spoilers). Our two characters have fought their way to here. They have survived, somehow, and decide that they should look after each other. This is the moral core of the film.
Liebe '47 is a Trümmerfilm - rubble film. The meaning here being - the rubble of previous lives. Historic films - we need to see these pieces. They are usually bleak - but they show us aspects of the human condition that we would not otherwise see. Watch Liebe '47 and see what you think.
A Man Called Otto (2022)
A moving and affecting film
A Man Called Otto deals with grief and loss - it talks to the human condition.
Hanks gives his usual strong performance and is well supported by Mariana Trevino as Marisol. She is an excellent foil for the grumpy character Otto.
This film is not about a grump. Far from it. A Man Called Otto attempts to portray how an individual might deal with deep loss. I say attempts, because I was not entirely convinced.
I didn't buy the pieces around Otto's various efforts to join his beloved recently departed wife. To me these were weak, verging on comical pathos (I nearly gave 7/10 due to these).
However, this film scores when we see the inherently big hearted Otto driven by his own nature to help those around him, in spite of himself. In turn - they begin to help him, and the man begins to find a new self and new place in the world. We warm to this.
Watch A Man Called Otto, and see what you think.
Lee (2023)
A powerful film
I'm surprised there aren't more reviews here (currently just 49) for this powerful and affecting film.
Kate Winslet is literally very highly invested in Lee - which took 8 years to make, and nearly didn't get finished. Winslet personally ensured that the project was completed. She clearly has a deep and personal interest in the life and work of the remarkable Lee Miller. And it shows.
Winslet is front and centre, and she gives a strong performance as someone driven to step far outside of the accepted norms for women in the late 1930s and war years. The fim is graphic, gritty and gutsy - embodied by Lee Miller.
This is a strong film, but it comes off a 9 or 10 rating for me because it relies too much on Winslet. We don't see enough of other characters (eg. Her husband/colleagues) who could throw the Miller character into sharper relief. Similarly, although we see wonderful pre-war scenes and friendships, these do not have adequate follow-through in the story lines of the film.
However - do not be misled, Lee definitely deserves to be seen. It's a powerful film. I especially liked the conversational/flashback storytelling. The ending is particularly noteable.
The Acolyte (2024)
The Acolyte is really not that bad!
If you have a short attention span, or think that Star Wars Episodes 2, 3, 8 are good, then The Acolyte is not for you. But all you people giving this 1/10 need to get over yourselves: it's really not as bad as you say it is.
Ok - The Acolyte is about 100 years before A New Hope. It doesn't follow a formula, and has no recognisable characters. It starts very promisingly, and there are mysteries inside mysteries. That's all to the good.
Unfortunately, the thing meanders horribly in episodes 2 through 6. It's hard to see what's going on - and I understand other viewers frustrations. However, in episodes 7 & 8 The Acolyte begins to come into focus.
It looks ok - with scenes from Scotland, Ireland, North Wales and other alien planets. The light sabre fights are brilliant. Strong characters. Good Star Wars stuff!!
The Jedi are flawed. We know this because Yoda has told us! In The Acolyte, see how that can manifest itself.
Stick with it - it's really not that bad!
The Substitute (1996)
Deeply flawed - but I quite liked it!
A film doesn't have to be technically brilliant, have great acting, great script or great cinematography in order to be entertaining. The Substitute fits in right there!
No spoilers, but The Substitute is kinda like a kickass version of The Blackboard Jungle...!
The Substitute is actually very funny. I laughed a lot, because it's so corny that passes through on to another level. I nearly gave it 7 - my score for an average film - but that would be overplaying it. The concept is just too silly - but somehow it doesn't matter. I was thoroughly entertained!
Berenger plays the über tough guy that we know him so well for. Heck - there's not much else he can play with a face like that! Some memorable lines and a hell of a lot of action later, we arrive breathless at the end.
If you like kickass, some silly rainy afternoon entertainment - then The Substitute could suit you well!
WALL·E (2008)
A really lovely film, with a big heart
My family and I have always loved WALL-E. It's got a big heart. It's really good family watching.
The first 20 minutes of this film contain science fiction imagery of the very highest quality - it's as good as anything you'll see.
As the film progresses, we quickly gain a sense of how the film makers use music to create an atmosphere of intimacy and attachment. The imagery continues as we see robots form attachments - all centered on WALL-E and his obsessive attention to detail. He's a fully loveable, fully human character!
Ultimately, WALL-E does not quite score a 10 from me because it's a bit too silly and cutesy at times. But that doesn't matter - it's still a really lovely film.
Lightyear (2022)
This is just about OK
I really like the Toy Story universe, so when my family and I saw Lightyear released, we knew we'd have to see it. It's just about OK.
Considering that Lightyear is really family viewing, the story should be accessible to those aged 6 and up. I suppose it is. Small children will just see the action and blaming. Adults will see plenty of pathos and diverse characters coming together through adversity. And it's all OK. It's a little unusual to have a Pixar film that can be classed as an "action film", but that's what Lightyear is at root.
My grown up family liked it better than I did. For me, the story is thin and characters a little too predictable - but this is a film for kids, afterall.
Jojo Rabbit (2019)
A very good film - that makes you think...
More dark comedy than tragi-comedy, Jojo Rabbit is a stylish film that makes you think.
Sometimes, it takes the surreal and imaginary in order to bring out the truth, this film does just that.
It doesn't really matter that Jojo Rabbit is set in the last year of the war. What matters is the slow-burn shock in the imagination of the 10-year-old Jojo as he begins to realise the truth.... This is done in a pleasing and amusing way - played out in his mind, as well as in ours.
The banal, surreal, stupid and actually insane obsessions of the Nazi cult are shown in full effect. In the Hitlerjungfolk, Jojo is caught in the middle of it, trying to process it in the way that his limited life experience allows.
The acting is good - really good. Roman Griffin Davis as Johannes "Jojo" Betzler, the young German boy, is a picture of innocence and naivety. Archie Yates as Yorki, Jojo's best friend and a fellow member of the Jungvolk - plays a particularly charming piece. Scarlett Johansson as Rosie Betzler, Jojo's mother is also excellent. All the supporting roles are done well, including an hilarious Taika Waititi as Adolf Hitler. It's good stuff.
Stylishly filmed, with a wicked sense of humour in the imagery and script, Jojo Rabbit is an entertaining and recommended watch.
Masters of the Air (2024)
Frustrating. This did not hold my interest
I'm a big fan of Band of Brothers (10/10), Generation War (10/10), The Pacific (7/10) and the war genre generally. So when Masters of the Air came along I was very interested.
Masters of the Air did not hang together at all. I struggled to complete episodes and often broke off half way through because they just did not hold my interest. The longtitudinal story lines & characters were just not engaging. It was sloppy. For example - at least one narrative arc was not closed off - I waited to see what would happen to the English girlfriend of one of the characters. Unless I missed it - we didn't see the conclusion to that. I struggled to the end of the series. Disappointing.
Then we also have irritating tokenistic pieces: the English children, the African American pilots, the French Resistance, the lifts of quotations from philosophers - to name but a few. But the worst by far was the disrespecting of the British pilots who served just as gallantly and just as dangerously as the USAAF. The UK and US were ALLIES for Pete's sake! The writers here have taken a cheap shot at the RAF just in order to make the USAAF look big and strong. I didn't like that - it wasn't necessary for the writers to do that.
The characters and dialogue are disappointingly "Hollywood". Also macho. Didn't need it. Full of cliches. In real life - the young men would have been as scared as hell. They would have been terrified climbing into those B-17s. They would have seen their friends blasted to bits in front of their eyes and falling out of the sky. This is alluded to - but it's treated in that "Hollywood" way - as if the terror was just ignored and therefore didn't exist. I didn't like that at all - it disrespects the huge sacrifices made.
I wanted to give this a lower rating - by rights, Masters of the Air should get a lower rating because of the poor unengaging story telling and cheap tokens. However, I did like some of the ground scenes and air combat scenes and effects. Many reviewers have said they're rubbish - but I'm an experienced pilot, and for me at least, the air scenes were ok. Generally, the series looks very good as well, so 6/10 overall is probably fair on balance.
So, there we are. Masters of the Air is frustrating, with many weaknesses. But see what you think.
Belfast (2021)
I rather liked this
Jude Hill does a star turn as the schoolboy (Buddy) innocent caught up in the stupidities of the beginnings of the "Belfast Troubles" in 1969. Ostensibly about Kenneth Branagh, this is based on true events.
I was around the same age as young Buddy when the Troubles broke out. I remember the events quite well - as most British of my age had their lives punctuated by some bomb or outrage or another.
"Belfast" points to the stupidity, sadness and sometimes humour of those trapped by events. I rather liked it. A time capsule - of the innocence of another time.
Unfortunately, "Belfast" will never gain any kind of traction outside of the UK as it is a British film about British events with fairly obscure British actors. It tells its story in a British, not American way. It's a lovely movie, beuatifully and sensitively filmed.
Recommended.
The Zone of Interest (2023)
A very difficult but almost great film
Where does one start with this?
The greatest evil ever perpetrated by man-kind was perpetrated by people. Real people...
The Zone of Interest shows us the life of the family Hoess - the commandant of KZ Auschwitz - in their house right next to the camp. No spoilers.
This is a very complex film. Terrible. True. Devastating. It remains beyond human comprehension how such things could happen. But they did. In The Zone of Interest, we see a representation of this and what it looked like.
There is a story here, but the film-watcher will be less interested in that. They will be more interested in the way the film is shot and how the sound permeates the whole piece to create an atmosphere of chill and horror removed from any sense of reality. Oscars for sound and best international film.
The camera is used very frequently to give perspective shots which render the individuals small and isolated. The players and their story are almost inconsequential compared to the pervasive feeling and ambience of the proximity of great evil. Indeed - we can hear it constantly and sometimes we see the smoke of the crematoria too, adding to the dread.
The film trades on what we already know about the Holocaust, it doesn't show us, it doesn't need to. So, as a result, much of the story is played out in the imagination of the viewer rather than on the screen. It's clever and devastating to use the imagination of the viewer like this, and disabling.
And the perpetrators of these horrors were themselves disabled. Wholly emotionally disabled. To organise and oversee those things - they would have to be. We sense this in Hoess. His camp is a killing machine - an extention of his personality. Yet - he has a wife and children. In any other reality, he would probably be a reasonable and generous family man. But he is a mass murderer - a ruthlessly efficient one. We the viewer cannot penetrate his mind.
The Zone of Interest is a very good film, but it's not a great one. The reason it's not great is not because of bad filming, acting or technique. Nothing like that. The reason that this is not a great film is because too much of it rests outside of the movie. It rests in our imagination. The film itself leans into this too when using black & white cut-in sections. This does not make it a bad film, experimental yes, but not bad.
I would recommend having a clear mind when sitting to watch The Zone of Interest. It is appalling and chilling. At times I wondered if I should switch it off, it was so upsetting, but I made myself continue. Watch this film - and see what you think.
Hurricane (2018)
This isn't very good
I'm interested in all war movies and I'm always willing to give a wartime drama a fair go. However, unfortunately Hurricane isn't very good. I struggled to give it a 6.
There's no doubting the bravery of all who fought against evil forces in WW2. But many of the pieces brought to us about it either recently or in the past, just don't portray events well or credibly. I'm thinking: The Battle of Britain (1969) 6/10. A Bridge too Far (1977) 7/10. However, some stand out: Saving Private Ryan (1998), or 1944 Forced to Fight (2015), both 10/10, or The Forgotten Battle (2020) 8/10, or the blisteringly good Band of Brothers (2001) 10/10, or equally brilliant Generation War (2013) 10/10.
The better films work because the stories are better, acted better, filmed better, more personal.
Hurricane doesn't work because it's trite. The stories are forced. The acting isn't great. Somehow they've made a film which is un-engaging, despite what should be good action. The flying scenes aren't done very well - but the film relies on them, highlighting the weaknesses. Direction and camera work is weak. I found that I just didn't care.
On the plus side, Hurricane looks spot on for 1940. Some (very few) of the flying scenes are good. The ambience feels right.
Another thing Hurricane does well is remind people that it took all of Europe working together with many other countries to beat down the evil forces. It wasn't just England on its own. Far from it.
Overall, I'm not recommending Hurricane, and I've watched it twice now just to make sure!
Fallout (2024)
Season 1. A strong opening
Yes. One of those rare shows that we picked up on the day of release. Watched it in a couple of days, enjoyed it thoroughly!
Watching this reminded me a lot of Westworld.
I haven't played the games - didn't know anything about them. But that doesn't matter, you don't need to know.
I like the way Fallout plays history: action in, say 1958-1962, to 219 years into the future. It's clever and believable sci-fi. The imagery is strong and themed.
The action is good - very good. I liked the storylines of the central characters which developed and delivered. The overarching stories are compelling. Good sci-fi. It's got its own sense of humour too!
A weakness is that Fallout is a little predictable. Also, we see quite a lot of the vaults and vault dwellers, but we don't see enough of the other "tribes". Maybe season 2 will give us more?
Overall - Fallout season 1 is a strong opening.
Back to Black (2024)
Other reviewers are just plain wrong
What is it with some reviewers? Do they think they make themselves look big and clever when they post reviews rubbishing good films?
Forget other reviews - they're wrong. Back to Black is A REALLY GOOD FILM! It's obviously 10/10.
Marisa Abela is outstanding as Amy. And I mean OUTSTANDING. This is one of the greatest performances you'll see. She brings emotion, energy, vulnerability and weakness all to the screen. Her acting AND singing are Superb. This brought tears to my eyes on many occasions. A great future awaits this talented actress.
Elsewhere, Jack O'Connell is strong as Amy's infatuation Blake. He's a piece of unpleasant north London rough. Believable. He's a wrong 'un though, and they are bad for each other.
The supporting players are good, with Eddie Marsan and Lesley Manville as influential father and grandmother figures well portrayed.
I really liked the photography, editing and sound. The look is perfect too. We are close in to the action and emotion because the performances are so good and the camera work and direction excellent.
Sure, Back to Black may only show us a narrow view of the brilliant edgy young woman Amy Winehouse. But what we do see here is an outstanding performance by Marisa Abela that is worth seeing and 10/10 in its own right. And nothing detracts from it.
A great film.
Die Wand (2012)
I rather liked this
Hard to write this without spoilers, but here goes...
The Wall is not sci-fi, and it's not what a lot of other reviewers seem to think either. It's not a bad film at all.
Deliberately set in a beautiful but challenging place - the place the central character inhabits, The Wall could be about any boundary between ourselves and the outside world. It's very solitary, very existential, very personal. I rather liked this: an inner journey.
Superbly photographed, The Wall is worth watching just for this.
Speaking personally, to me it's obvious what the sub-text is. I won't name it, but the symbolism is clear: a white crow, two animals giving birth, a single mature woman alone, a companion who can be no more than that. There are other more subtle symbols too.
At root, The Wall is an exploration of extreme isolation, and a realisation of what that really means.
Irgendwo in Berlin (1946)
I wanted this to be better
Like "The Murderers are among us", "Somewhere in Berlin" is filmed in the ruins of that city in 1945/46. It's part of a group of films Germans call, Trümmerfilme: Debris films.
Whilst appreciating that conditions in Germany at that time were appalling - nevertheless, Somewhere in Berlin could have been a better film.
The idea of the community of street children had been seen before in "Emil and the Detectives". "Somewhere..." attempts to recapture this spirit. But it doesn't work. This film is too disjointed, has no core and doesn't highlight, well - anything.
Sure - the boys have their moments, a veteran wanders in, and mothers (who are dressed surprisingly well, and operate in surprisingly good conditions) go earnestly about their business. But really - the story that is trying to be threaded around them all is weak and purposeless. The characters lack interest and focus.
The saving features are the sometimes very good stationary camera shots, and the background ruins. But that's all.
"Somewhere in Berlin" was made on zero budget, that's very clear. But considering the general situation, the possibilities offered by the unique setting, and the blank canvas offered by a "new start", more could have done.
Die Macht der Bilder: Leni Riefenstahl (1993)
This is an interesting one...
This is a very competently assembled documentary about one of the greatest artist film makers: Leni Riefenstahl.
That this documentary is necessary at all is down to her association with the vilest and most evil regime in history: Hitler & the Nazis.
The documentary maker, Müller, does not hold back in showing us - and by extension Riefenstahl herself - what she did, what her involvement was in Germany in the 1930s. Similarly, Müller tries to hold Riefenstahl to account. It's interesting to watch the 90-year-old pushing back and holding to the line that she's always held: that she was never a party member, never a true believer. Watch this documentary and see what you think.
There's no question that, seen through today's eyes, Triumph of the Will (TotW), and Olympia can be seen as propaganda. However, the former film won top awards before the war for its innovative techniques and imagery. The art is there. The films weren't seen as propaganda in 1938.... The problem, for Riefenstahl, is that these films are seen as propaganda NOW.
The other problem is that these two films are just too good as innovative art-in-cinema. In this documentary, it comes through that Riefenstahl wishes she hadn't made TofW. All of her (probably well-rehearsed) protestations about not knowing or realising what Hitler was are acceptable. As a matter of fact, Riefenstahl made no further "propaganda" films after Olympia (1936-38). If she had been a committed follower, then she would have made dozens of films for the Nazis 1936-45. Others did (e.g Veit Harlan). But she didn't. This suggests to me that there is a large element of truth in what she says here.
She was appalled by what she saw in Poland in 1939. This also moved her strongly away from wanting to make films for the regime.
Riefenstahl fell out badly with the Nazi authorities. She states that even as early as 1934, Goebbels hated her - and he was in control of the Nazi propaganda industry. She clearly was a strong minded artist who refused to be seduced or controlled.
The pity of it all is that Riefenstahl was pilloried and rejected after the war and made no further major contributions to cinema. In this documentary, we sense her regret - but we also sense that she is prepared to stand and justify her pre-war work. She cannot, even many years after the events, be separated from her art, even though many have identified her as a Nazi sympathiser because of it.
This documentary is about an hour too long - but then perhaps it has to be? Riefenstahl is a strong and compelling person.
A good documentary about a very remarkable film maker.
Dune: Part Two (2024)
Fantastic film!
Well... Part 2 DEFINITELY delivers on the promise of Part 1. Try to see them close together. This is really one film cut into 2 parts.
There are some quite major deviations from the original Frank Herbert. I am at a loss to explain why the writers have done this - as they didn't need to.
The impact of Dune 2 is as tremendous as the Novels. Acting is excellent, camera work excellent, music superb. The mesmerising quality of the desert planet Arrakis is brilliantly done. This thing is breathtaking, its scale is vast.
Don't listen to anyone who says the Dune films are no good! They are fantastic!
Alice in den Städten (1974)
This is a lovely film
Wim Wenders makes great films. Period.
There's always a style, a tale, and a panache to Wenders' films. "Alice in the Cities" sets the tone.
Filmed in black & white, this movie is almost a homage to that medium. It's beautiful to behold.
Seen today, Alice in the Cities is just beyond the edge of believable. But park that feeling! It wasn't believable in 1973-74 either. This film is NOT about what it looks like on the surface. No. This film is about a journey.
A journey from where to where, then?
Well, physically, the writer Winter moves from under a broadwalk on the Atlantic east coast of America, to a train somewhere on the Rhine in Germany. This vast distance is mirrored by the vast inner journey the writer is forced by circumstances to undertake. He makes no choices - he's doing this journey because, emotionally - he has no choice. He doesn't even try to choose.
We get the first clues to the visual language employed right in the opening scene under the broadwalk. The writer Winter is taking pictures - Polaroids - of his impresssions of America. This sets the tone for a film filled with images, views and interpretations. In many ways, Alice in the Cities is about America & capitalism: superficiality and fleeting transience.
Alice appears and is a catalyst for what happens next. Although Alice is just 9-years-old, she represents a lot more.
Alice in the Cities is not a film that could be made now, not by a measure. The imagery of the 30-year-old man travelling with a girl who is not his daughter is not credible. But remember - this is not what the film is about.
The brilliance of Wenders' films is that they appeal to our sense of ourselves. How we see them is entirely up to us.
Past Lives (2023)
Rather good, and beautifully photographed
I had no expectations as I took my seat to watch "Past Lives". I didn't know anything about it, except that it had Oscar nominations.
Past Lives is a rather good and beautifully photographed film.
I like films that touch upon the human condition, but are not too overt and philosophical or sentimental. I like great settings and beautiful photography. I like good and sometimes understated stories. Past Lives has all of this and another ingredient - the mystery of what we do with our lives, and why.
There is a lot to think about here. Past Lives invites us to reflect upon our own lives - our own life choices, and why we made them.
At times, this movie is magisterial in it's choice of settings and camera angles. It's a homage to New York - much in the same way as Woody Allen's masterpieces: "Annie Hall" and "Manhatten". The photography is brilliant and creates a visual language worth seeing simply for it alone.
Masterfully acted, with simple but effective dialogue, I really enjoyed Past Lives.
Poor Things (2023)
A Remarkable Movie
Hadn't read any reviews and didn't know what to expect as I took my seat in the cinema. 2 hours 20 minutes later, I'd had my sensibilities thoroughly jangled by "Poor Things". A remarkable movie.
You don't see many movies like this one!
Visionary imagery - interesting interiors - like being inside a series of Viennese Succession interpretations. Bizarre and vaguely unnerving styling. Clipped and odd camera angles. A weird world has been assembled, all the more unhinging for the fact that it all looks so recognisable!
This thing is visually and morally jarring. More than equally jarring are the differences between the created world of "Poor Things", and the way that world relates to our own, or what we perceive to be our own. Poor Things sits just beyond the edge of what could be our reality. Remarkable, and a little chilling.
The story is as complex or simple as you want it to be. A woman, literally ANY woman, a free woman, uninhibited by learned societal norms, desires total freedom, and achieves it.
There is a commentary going on here about "acceptable behaviour" generally. But particularly, how it seems that what is acceptable for a man to want is not, somehow, acceptable for women. Why is that? Poor Things tackles our presumptions.
Stone is first-class. Possible Oscar there. Defoe is very good. Ruffalo has a difficult script to work with. He didn't write it. But he does ok.
Poor Things packs a punch! It's an assault on the senses. Not the sort of thing your mother would want you to see!
Women Talking (2022)
A challenging and uncomfortable watch... if you're a man
A different and difficult film which is about more than just what it looks like.
The setting for Women Talking is a fundamentalist Christian sect. It doesn't say which one or where. It looks initially like it could be around 1910 Philadelphia. Once you notice that it isn't, you start to realise that the film is built like this because that's not what matters. What matters is the power of the experiences of the gathered women, the conversation, and how, bit by bit, a critical decision is arrived at.
Women Talking is filmed in an unusual way. The players are set in a darkened Tableau vivant, like in an artist's studio or a theatre stage. Colours are muted. The only things moving are the children. It's all delibarate - part of the stort telling.
A strong cast with a good script. It contains timeless but wholly relevant messages that will mean different things to different people.
Als Hitler das rosa Kaninchen stahl (2019)
A good film. Other reviewers are talking rubbish!
"When Hitler stole pink Rabbit"
This is a lovely movie! Beautifully filmed, excellent story and acting. It's 8/10 in anyone's money, but it's 9/10 in mine.
This German film (English subtitles) is the TRUE story of the early years of Judith Kerr OBE, and how she and her Jewish family escaped from Berlin & Germany 1933-1935.
One reviwer here has rather foolishly said that the story is set just before Hitler takes power. No, it isn't. The whole reason why the Jewish family is running is BECAUSE Hitler has just come to power. If he hadn't come to power, they wouldn't have to run. I guess some people just don't pay attention... Another reviewer complains that the dialogue is: "not what you would hear in the 1930s", and gives the film a low rating. Nonsense! How does that reviewer know how people spoke in 1933? Do they have a time machine? Put bluntly, anyone giving "When Hitler stole Pink Rabbit" less than 7 must have been watching a different one to the charming film I saw.
The costumes, vehicles and interiors all all pure 1930s. Young Riva Krymalowski as Anna Kemper, and Marinus Hohmann as Max Kemper are first class.
This is a moving and excellent film. Don't miss it just because other reviewers have said silly things about it.
Cabaret (1972)
A tremendous film
A film from the '70s, with Michael York... bound to the rubbish, right? WRONG! Cabaret is a tremendous film.
Liza Minelli is brilliant. A superb and natural performance, she lives her role. Perfect.
But Liza Minelli isn't the only reason why Caberet is a great film.
The story has "Caberet" (the stage show) at it's core and the whole piece cleverly revolves around this and the 1931 Berlin setting. It looks GREAT!
Fantastic direction from the obvious choice to direct: Bob Fosse. Oscar. The best pieces are the actual Caberet show scenes. Brilliant.
There are very obvious reasons why Caberet won 8 Oscars. Look out especially for the Master of Ceremonies role played by Joel Grey - gaining a well deserved golden statue.
There is quite a lot going on in the story. No spoilers! Suffice to say that York as an English writer, Minelli as the Caberet starlet and Helmut Griem as Baron Maximilian von Heune work well together as a sort of confused triangle. It's very clever.
There's plenty more going on - all sharp observations of the state of Germany in 1931-1933. Watch this and learn.
For me, the film at just over 2 hours is just a fraction too long. It's unusually long for 1972. But this doesn't stop Caberet being a tremendous film.