Review: Dangerous Liaisons

Dangerous Liaisons is a masterclass in how a small cast can convey the mores of an entire society. For most of the cast, these are career best or very nearly so performances. Even Reeves manages to come across as not quite so wooden as usual, while Close and Malkovich really deserved Academy awards for their work in this.  Who fans like myself may also spot a youthful Capaldi lurking around as Malkovich's character's manservant.

For a film with limited action, it is also an utterly compelling watch as Close and Malkovich scheme to destroy not one, but two other characters in their game of sex and power.

Verdict: Lively study of decadence.

Review: Doctor Who: Rose

Back in the ancient past of the 1970s and 80s, the only way you could relive much of Doctor Who was through the ever increasing numbers of Target novelisations. They were often slight retellings with little done to expand the original scripts. There were a few notable exceptions though - particularly at the beginning and end of the range.  The Daleks novelisation, for example, reimagines the series' origins.  Others fleshed out minor characters and described much better special effects than seen on screen.

Most of these have long been out of print - superseded by VHS, then DVD and even the spoken word.

Rose forms part of what might become the next generation: novelisations of new series episodes.  I picked up Rose - based on the introductory episode of the new series. It had a lot to do - but primarily it had to sell Doctor Who to a whole new audience as well as reward those who'd kept the flame burning during the wilderness years.

Having read the prologue on a Kindle sample, I was convinced enough to read the rest on a long train journey.  The prologue promised a lot as it brought to life an off-screen character. Unfortunately, this opener turns out to the best addition to the book - giving succour to the idea that you should never judge a book by its opening chapters.

It's not to say that the rest is bad - there are lots of nice touches which make characters like Clive and Mickey much  more sympathetic and bigger more coherent set pieces, as well as some fun pieces of foreshadowing - it just feels slight when compared to the prologue.   Also, and in common with many previous novelisations, there's almost nothing about the Doctor's own internal dialogue - although a few projections of what the Doctor could be in yet unseen regenerations will either intrigue or annoy. Personally, I really want to see the giant frog story now.

Verdict: Recreation of the original Target magic.

Review: The Blinds

The Blinds is unusual crime novel with a distinctly western, even Westworld, feel.  It's not overtly science fiction, but it does rely on one piece of technology that as so far as I know doesn't exist yet: the ability to remove targeted memories from individuals. 

Starting from this innovation,  Sternbergh has weaved a entire community that on the face of it is probably not too different to many run down places in mid-America - and perhaps calls to mind the lyrics of Hotel California - you can check out, but never leave.  The difference here, however, is that it's secure, extremely isolated and all of the residents are either criminals or witnesses to horrible crimes - but none of them remember anything about the reasons why they are there.

And he knows how to write an involving story too. It took me a little while to get into the story, but once I was - I was totally sucked in. The flash backs, reveals, and twists put me in mind of a less gruesome Stephen King.

Verdict: Engaging and atmospheric thriller

Review: Wanted

Wanted is a hyperkinetic comic book fusion of the Terminator, Matrix and Fight Club.  So much so that some sequences feel like a direct lift from those films.   The story follows the Campbell monomyth template: a young hero is living an ordinary life until he is called to reluctant greatness via a series of training vignettes.

The generally well staged action scenes and sober fake ending make up for a series of fairly obvious twists and limited exposition.  Given its age, it's a remarkably grainy film on blu-ray.

Verdict: Cast are clearly having a ball with this amusing comic book movie.

Review: Do You Trust This Computer?

Do You Trust This Computer is a competent whiz through the current status of artificial intelligence. Inevitably, there's some groan-worthy imagery (eg globes with sun bursts, networks spidering across the Earth, people running towards beaches etc) and it leans towards sound bites than detailed examination. But it is bang up-to-date - even down to covering some of Cambridge Analytica's methods and would serve as a good introduction.

Where I think they did go wrong was hinting the leap from narrow AI (which is what we have now) to generalised AI to be a relatively small one - and focussing on the relatively sexy existential threats from superintelligence.

"Machines are natural pyschopaths"

Jerry Kaplan

Messagewise, I guess it would serve as a good antidote if you feel you've been drinking the AI kool aid too much recently.  Personally, I was a little disappointed considering the maker's previous pedigree - "Who Killed The Electric Car?" which was a genuinely interesting exploration of a little known area at the time.

Lastly, nearly all of the talking heads are men which isn't really representative of the field.

Verdict: A call to arms rather than a nuanced exploration. 

Review: Unforgiven

It's been a lot time since I revisited Eastwood's much lauded Western - but I find my opinions haven't changed much. In short, I still can't see what the fuss is about.

It's a competent and involving example of the genre and I love Hackman's amusingly psychopathic lawman/incompetent house builder in this. His insistence on referring to Harris' character as "The Duck of Death" while providing a rather different interpretation of his past exploits never fails to raise a laugh as much as his explosions of sudden violence are shocking.

Eastwood is an older and even craggier version of the western hardman he's played forever. It's more controlled and oblique than in High Plains Drifter though.

But it's the framing device for the whole movie I struggle with. I simply don't buy it.  Freeman too seems a bit wasted and stereotyped.

Verdict: It's good, not great.
 

Review: Stake Land

I'll admit I don't really watch a lot of horror nowadays, but I was suckered (!) in by the cover of this vampiric road movie and it's huge number of four/five star reviews.

Does Stakeland live up to its reviews? I think it does - if you set your expectations accordingly. This is a low budget tour of a post-vampire apocalyptic America which is grounded in fine performances all round, some wilderness photography near worthy of the Deer Hunter and touches of intriguing exposition which really go to work on your imagination.

There are some gruesome moments as the vampires are closer to 30 days of night than Twilight in their realisation - but thankfully it never became unbearably tense.

I'm glad we watched it in daylight though.

Verdict:  Far right Christian cults enabling monsters make this a vampire movie for our times.

Review: Delicacy

On the face of it, Delicacy is a bit of French oddity as essentially it's a story about grief, recovery and even harassment - but still manages to be a comedy romance.  As a result, while this film manages to step around the issues with great subtlety and French sophistication - it's hard to imagine a Hollywood remake anytime soon. Bollywood on the other hand...

I'll just come out and say it, the lovely Tautou is superb in this and Damiens also a lot of fun as the initially bemused, but very eager, romantic interest. I loved the way the romance was developed and the reactions of those surrounding them - from incredulousness from her jealous boss to immediate acceptance by her grandmother.

The ending is a bit abrupt - but after thinking about it, it was completely perfect.  He's hoping for a place in her future memories.

Verdict: Grief, comedy and romance are three things I never thought I'd write in the same sentence.

Review: Downsizing

This Damon vehicle takes an intriguing science fiction concept with lots of comedic potential and takes in wholly unexpected directions.

But what initially started off as a Truman show or Edward Scissorhands like satire ended up feeling more like a European drama. That makes it a difficult movie to pigeon hole - but also a tonally variable one.

Also strangely, one area not fully explored is the impact of the real sized world on the small sized one. After about the first hour or so, you could easily forget that there was a difference.  The sense I got was they were no longer interested in exploring that difference (or perhaps the budget had simply run out).


Verdict: The great escape.

Review: The School of Life

I was completely drawn into this quietly engaging French drama set between the world wars.  Sure, there's nothing spectacularly original here plot wise - but the quality acting, rich script and beautiful countryside pulled me in.

I don't know quite why the French are so good at this kind of thing (see also BBC for costume dramas), but I'm glad they are.

Verdict: Gentle slice of life drama.

Review: Soylent Green

Soylent Green fares better than most 1970s science fiction movies in the anachronistic stakes - but it still feels like it's from another less demanding era.  Heston's slightly too old and hammy an actor for the part of determined future cop who's irresistible to women (who are nearly all "furniture").  Some of the riot scenes - especially those with the scoop - are near laughable.

But elsewhere there's some nice production design detail - in particular, the flat Heston's character shares with Robinson's.  It ably conveys the sense of two men living in quiet desperation - while "doing alright" in comparison to others.

And it is the scenes with Robinson which lift this dystopian police procedural above the mediocre.  His last scenes in particular rank with some of his best work and are sadly prophetic.

The final twist revelation remains as shocking - but only if you haven't had any prior exposure. My wife hadn't and the her realisation was delightful to watch.

Verdict: Not all that's green is good.

Review: Full Metal Jacket

Kubrick's epic war movie remains a brutal and stark watch. As ever the first half remains more powerful and tighter than the second. It's almost Groundhog Day like in its repetition as the recruits undergo basic training to a barrage of highly creative insults from Ermey's Hartman.

It's easy to see why D'Onofrio has made a career out of playing ambiguous characters since with his portrayal of the slow deterioration of Private Pyle's mental state.

The missus was puzzled by the inclusion of the oil palm trees in the later scenes - "you'd never plant them that close to buildings" and "they look sick" until I told her they'd been shipped for filming on the Isle of Dogs and Beckton Gasworks.

Verdict: First half almost a standalone film - and also the best part of it.

Review: Clarity

OK made for TV movie that really should have been an episode of Tales of the Unexpected.  There's an intriguing idea here, but one that's milked for maximum melodrama and overlong running time.

It doesn't help that much of the acting is mediocre, even poor, at times - and the dialogue doesn't always convince either.

Lastly, the double-meaning of the title had me almost face-palming at the obviousness of it.

But I did like the moments which focussed on what matters most when death is approaching.

Verdict: Not as smart as it thinks it is

Review: The Philadelphia Story

Light hearted rom-com featuring three legends of the genre; Grant, Hepburn and Stewart.  The dialogue exchanges aren't quite as whip smart as other comedies of the era - but's still a fun watch.  The storyline is an unusual variation on the spoilt rich girl being accidentally courted by someone from the wrong side of the tracks. In this case, she's already been married to him once before.

Some scenes undoubtably wouldn't be filmed nowadays, eg Grant's pushing over of Hepburn's seems rather shocking to modern eyes (especially coming after him checking himself from punching her).  Other themes, like those of press intrusion, feel as contemporary as ever. .


Verdict: Classic screwball