keith-618 Reviews

Ripley (2024)

The cinematography is breathtaking

[10/10 · 19 April 2024]

Ripley is based on the novel The Talented Mr Ripley by Patricia Highsmith as was the movie with Matt Damon, Jude Law and Gwyneth Paltrow. This though is an entirely different kettle of fish. It's an 8 part series for one thing but it is filmed in monochrome. And as it is set in the late 50s in Italy it has a very European feel to it. It stars Andrew Scott and is adapted and directed by Steven Zaillian who wrote the screenplay for Schindler's List and The Irishman among others. The cinematography is breathtaking. In the first two episodes especially every shot is a masterpiece. I've always been a fan of film noir and this is film noir with knobs on. So it's beautiful to watch but also it's also beautifully acted and directed. It's impeccably paced, slow and full of tension. I haven't finished it yet but when I do I might just watch it all again.

Highly recommended.

Finders Keepers (2024)

Excellent black comedy drama

[8/10 · 5 April 2024]

Excellent acting all round. Neil Morrissey in particular plays his part to perfection. The writing is subtle - it could have been hammy. Of course the plot is increasingly implausible but that's when the black humour comes more to the fore. The story reaches a level of dark absurdity in the last couple of episodes which makes it all the more enjoyable. Judging by some of the reviews it would appear that some people didn't realise the program was a dark comedy so entirely missed the point. The series is set in Somerset and there are some glorious drone shots of the Glastonbury Tor and its tower.

Oppenheimer (I) (2023)

Tedious and self important.

[3/10 · 27 December 2023]

It is difficult for me to understand how a movie about such a monumental period in world history could be quite so dull. It's full of endless dialogue that the director trusts so little that he covers it all with bombastic orchestral music. He also has so little trust in the audience's intelligence that to demonstrate that Oppenheimer's mind is in turmoil or indeed to demonstrate the potential power of nuclear fission we are presented with short visual clips of explosions and flashes. The actors, as has become the fashion, whisper their lines in order, presumably, to signify the importance of what they are saying. It doesn't work. It sounds phoney. I've already mentioned the music but when it isn't obliterating the possibly important dialogue it is telling us what to feel. Oh please! And why bother having Emily Blunt in the movie. She's given nothing to work with. There is no connection between Kitty and Oppenheimer in this movie. They don't even look at each other in their scenes together. But perhaps my greatest criticism of this movie is that after three hours I learned nothing of the man or the Manhattan Project. I was just told one more time that America was paranoid about communism in the fifties.

Payback (I) (2023)

Well plotted thriller

[8/10 · 9 October 2023]

I made the mistake of reading some bad reviews and almost didn't watch this. It's way better than average and how anyone can give it only one star is beyond me. It was produced by Jed Mercurio the creator of Line of Duty so it was a cut above. The plot is unusual in that it involves finance and the hiding of illicit profits. It is well written, well acted, well directed and has great pace. What's not to like? Morven Christie, Peter Mullen and Derek Riddell are good as always and it's great to see Steven Mackintosh on our screens again. DC Kahn played by Prasanna Puwanarajah is an interesting conflicted character. Well worth a watch. My only quibble was Lexie being in tears the whole time.

The Woman in the Wall (2023–2024)

Exceptional TV drama

[10/10 · 5 October 2023]

I'm very loathe to give 10 to a TV drama but I have to make an exception. This is a wonderfully executed piece of television: spot on casting, beautiful nuanced acting from all the cast, great music and above all great writing and direction. Acting of the calibre of Ruth Wilson in this piece is rare to see but also Daryl McMormack's contribution is exceptional. It's a first rate television program and demands to be seen.

I have read other reviews, some only one star. All I can say to anyone reading this is to ignore anything less than a six star. Even if you had gripes about English folk playing Irish or issues about Irish history being trashed by a British TV program you can't miss the quality of the production. It's way, way above average.

The Lincoln Lawyer (2022– )

Tired and formulaic

[5/10 · 15 August 2023]

This is so formulaic and so typical of current American TV series. (Yeah, I'm a Brit and used to writing that makes me use my brain!) Sure it's flashy, nice locations, good production values, nice cars, nice frocks but it's shallow and oh so obvious. The casting is predictable and uninspired - the plotting is so thin that you could write the dialogue yourself as the story unfolds. Where is the drama? Where is the tension? Where is the element that keeps the audience willing to sit through another episode? David E Kelley is credited as writing 20 episodes. This is obviously a different David E Kelley to the one who wrote and sometimes created such shows as LA Law, Chicago Hope, The Practice, Ally McBeal, Big Little Lies. Etc. Etc. No?! Then he's really phoning this one in. You're better than this, David! I gave up after two episodes.

Paranoid (2016)

Great plot full of wry humour

[9/10 · 9 August 2023]

Ignore the reviews about poor acting. The acting is superb. Indira Varma is particularly good and I imagine she had a ball playing such an annoying character. It's a very high calibre British cast including Lesley Sharp, Robert Glenister, Neil Stuke, Kevin Doyle, Polly Walker, John Duttine and Michael Maloney and and they know just how to play the underlying comedy. Bad acting!? You've got to be kidding! The narrative is excellent and full of missteps that you don't always get in police procedural dramas. I loved the Dusseldorf connection and loved the actress playing the German police inspector. The series held my interest for its entirety and I don't concur with other reviews that thought eight episodes was too long. Great television.

The Offer (2022)

Could have been so much better

[6/10 · 7 June 2023]

What a great idea. A great premise for a TV series. What could go wrong? Well - the casting, the direction and the acting. It's impossible to know who was responsible but many of the actors, notably Matthew Goode (as Evans), Born Gorman (as Bluhdorn) and Giovanni Ribisi (as Colombo) were so intent on aping their characters that they played them like caricatures. Their performances were risible. On the other hand Dan Fogler (Coppola), Juno Temple (Bettye), Patrick Gallo (Puzo) and Justin Chambers (Brando) managed to deliver nuanced performances and be completely believable as their characters.

Which brings me to the lead - Miles Teller as Albert Ruddy. Where on earth did they find this guy? I've seen tables with more charisma; chairs with better acting ability. He was truly awful and wooden and the casting director should be shot.

It was a great story and could have been executed so much better.

Annika (2021– )

Irritating

[6/10 · 19 May 2023]

I've always liked Nicola Walker's work ever since I saw her on Spooks but her performances have become littered with mannerisms and tics and pauses. I first noticed this in the wonderful Last Tango in Halifax and assumed she had developed these mannerisms for that particular character. But, no, now every character she plays is cursed with these tics and mannerisms. And it has become, for me at least, increasingly irritating.

As to Annika, it has great scenery but not great storylines. Same old, same old police procedure. I don't mind the talking directly to camera but have seen the technique employed to better advantage. We don't get any fresh insight into the character so it feels gimmicky.

James Sives is excellent as always.

A Room with a View (1985)

Poorly directed froth

[6/10 · 19 November 2022]

I saw this years ago and was tempted to watch it again largely because of the cast. Sadly it's a rather a lumpy pedestrian affair. The two young leads Helena Bonham Carter and Julian Sands are out of their depth and fail to ignite the experience with the necessary chemistry. The supporting cast are fine but have little to play with. Interesting to see Rupert Graves so young, Simon Callow gives his usual affable performance and Daniel Day Lewis brings us his enjoyable but almost too detailed method performance. The best and most truthful moment in the movie is Denholm Elliott's Mr Emerson's speech to Lucy towards the end of the movie but sadly not enough to make the experience worthwhile. The star of the show has to be Jenny Bevan's costume design.

Crossfire (2022)

Great tension

[9/10 · 2 October 2022]

I almost didn't watch this because of the reviews on imdb. Thankfully I did. The multi ethnic casting is terrific and Keeley Hawes as the lead does not disappoint. The setting is one of those self contained high end resorts on a remote coastline in some far flung place. It's about a group of adult friends and their children who decide to get away from it all by taking an expensive sunny holiday. It's apparent from thee start that things aren't quite as cosy as they appear on the surface. And then what takes place is one of those horrific events that we see on the news happening to people we don't know. The resort is attacked by a number of gunmen shooting randomly into crowds around the swimming pool. The success of the series is that we feel we know these people and so it's personal. The drama of this group of friends is played against an atmosphere of, at times, unbearable tension. Watch it and make your own mind up.

DI Ray (2022– )

Not great

[6/10 · 14 May 2022]

This is not terrible. The race politics is handled quite well and the acting and production values are fine, but the plot is way too obvious and hammy. And are we really expected to believe that the same white senior officer would give our protagonist the job on race grounds and then after her success sack her for the same reason?

Why Didn't They Ask Evans? (2022)

I got halfway through episode two and lost the will to live

[2/10 · 8 May 2022]

It must have been High Laurie's intention for the actors to play this script with their tongues firmly in their cheeks. (He did direct it as well as adapt it). Lucy Boynton played the whole of The Ipcress File in this manner so she's obviously used to it. Judging from other reviews people admired her performance. I'm afraid I found it irritating and somewhat condescending. Agatha Christie still enjoys a following in theatre but it seems that on television there's a need to make it obvious to the audience that 'of course we don't really take all of this whodunnit nonsense seriously. We'll gently pokes fun at the genre lest anyone out there watching suspects we lack sophistication.' Or maybe I'm missing something?

Stay Close (2021)

Could have been good

[3/10 · 19 January 2022]

Sorry, this does not work. It has a great cast but it comes across as far fetched and risible. I think it was meant to be a black comedy but the director didn't realise it.

Don't Look Up (2021)

Both hilarious and terrifying

[10/10 · 29 December 2021]

Don't Look Up is essentially a satire. It has some laugh out loud moments and great performances. It's also terrifying because this is indeed how the world acts in the face of the seemingly inevitable catastrophe of climate change. And I feel compelled to say that this isn't a leftist view. Sure, Trump would have behaved like this as president of the US but so would most world politicians. The film is about mankind's inability to see what is important to us especially under the influence of egocentric political leaders and social media giants.

The Tin Star (1957)

Wonderful movie

[10/10 · 6 December 2021]

For my money this is in the top ten of all westerns ever made. It is up there with High Noon and Shane - a beautiful simple tale of morality with a wonderful cast (Fonda is exceptional) and is directed with such a sure hand and so economically by Anthony Mann.

Tombstone (1993)

Mediocre

[5/10 · 1 December 2021]

I am not anti Western - I love the genre but this is just not up there with the best. There are some great moments and set pieces but the attempts at romance are tiresome, unnecessary and overlong. (Reach for the fast forward button). Added to which the actresses are less than wonderful. Val Kilmer and Kurt Russell are just fine as the two leads but for me Sam Elliott steals the show for sheer realism and believability. If only it were better directed. And the finale was not a revenge fest. I could list twenty westerns from the 60s that are much more gripping.

Ocean's Eight (2018)

I assumed I'd like this but it SUCKS

[2/10 · 30 May 2021]

I'm puzzled by the decent reviews by professional critics. At least four of these actresses have turned out sterling work in other movies but not here. I imagine they had a jolly romp making this but not one of their performances measures up in the hands of this woefully second rate director. The movie has no pace, no sizz, no life. It's plodding. The script is awful and the whole experience is like wading through treacle.

A Man Called Sledge (1970)

I've never seen James Garner in such a bad movie.

[2/10 · 17 March 2021]

A bargain basement spaghetti western. I love James Garner which is why I watched this but he is well past his prime for this sort of caper. The plot is thin but with a better director it might have been passable. The theme song is truly appalling.

Finding Alice (2021)

Ignore the reviews

[8/10 · 16 March 2021]

I almost decided not to watch this as it was rated 5.6 overall but then I read a 10* review against a 1* review and knew I had to watch it. And I'm so glad I did. This is an excellent black comedy with a great plot and some very funny one liners. Of course, I understand perfectly why some people might not take to this; black comedy is not to everyone's taste. However, anyone who derides the acting just because they don't like the script is entirely ignorant of the craft/art of acting; this is a cast of superb actors and they know exactly how to play this script. I look forward to the second series.

Traces (2019–2022)

Substandard writing

[3/10 · 9 March 2021]

It is a while since I watched a BBC drama series quite so implausible and shoddily written. It reminded me of an adventure written for children's TV.

Dead Man's Walk (1996)

Long and aimless

[3/10 · 14 February 2021]

A good director could have made a half decent 90 min movie out of this but sadly this epic does not have a good director. It's way too long and little happens in a 500 mile walk across the desert apart from too many deaths. The cast are overall fine but considering that the Comanches are written as great survivors in the toughest desert conditions why are they all so overweight? It's all worth a miss.

The Jewel in the Crown (1984)

A unique classic

[10/10 · 30 September 2020]

Ignore the poor reviews. This is an exquisite piece of work, possibly the best British drama series ever. I have watched this five or six times since it was first aired in 1984 and every time it's fresh. The casting is impeccable. The TV series launched the careers of Charles Dance, Tim Pigott-Smith, Art Malik and Geraldine James but also featured established actors of the day such as Eric Porter, Judy Parfitt and the legendary Peggy Ashcroft. (The latter's performance is a master class in simple - or seemingly simple - truthful acting - our hearts bleed for her character, Barbie. Peggy Ashcroft preferred theatre so there is not that much of her recorded on film. This is the very best of her recorded work and should, and will be, treasured). Of course in 2020 when I'm writing this review we are now well used to extensive and beautifully made HBO TV series but in 1984 Jewel in the Crown at 13 episodes was a rarity. Brideshead Revisited was released three years earlier in 11 episodes but such productions were rare - we were used to 6 episodes at most. But Jewel in the Crown was a true gem. Somehow Ken Taylor for Granada TV managed to condense Paul Scott's Raj quartet of four lengthy novels into 13 one hour episodes and Christopher Morahan and Jim O'Brien directed the impeccable cast with perfect pace and care. The result is wonderful and captures the turbulent time in India's history perfectly. We learn so much of the troubles of India in the last few years of British rule. The series is presented as a composite of interlocking stories and characters revealing the collapse of the British Raj from 1942-1947 just prior to the independence of India. It also reveals the snobbery and sense of entitlement of the British which today makes us feel uncomfortable. Now with another lockdown looming I think it might be time to read the original novels.

Summertime (1955)

Don't bother

[3/10 · 11 September 2020]

I read an article that David Lean got the director's job on The Bridge on the River Kwai because Katharine Hepburn had recommended him to Sam Spiegel having recently worked with him on this movie. It's a great story but I fear if Sam Spiegel had taken the time to watch this film things might have turned out differently for David Lean. This is a poor movie. It's set entirely in Venice which is one plus but the there is no narrative. Nothing happens. The script is hopeless. And Katharine Hepburn is so hammy. She overplays everything and seems determined to cry in every scene. About what we never find out. I can only assume that David Lean was so besotted with the actress that he was unable to give her any direction. Rossano Brazzi is fortunately very good and the little Italian boy is the best thing about it. That's a 100 minutes I won't get back.

MI-5: Nest of Angels (2003) Season 2, Episode 2

A highly dramatic and believable episode

[10/10 · 27 May 2020]

Written by Howard Brenton, this is perhaps my favourite episode ever. From a time when the programme was rooted in credible trade craft before the less believable thrills and spills of later series took hold.