davidallenxyz Reviews

By the Grace of God (2018)

Elegant direction and superb performances bring a scandal to life

[8/10 · 21 May 2024]

Child sexual abuse in the church is not an easy subject to tackle, but Francois Ozon expertly weaves the experiences together to create a compelling drama.

After one of the victims of a paedophile priest in Lyon goes to the church to make a formal complaint, word gets around among others who were assaulted, and momentum builds to seek justice, even though decades have passed.

The three main leads are excellent, and excellently supported. Melvil Poupaud's Alexandre is precise and remains close to his faith. Denis Menochet's Francois is angry and keen to capture the public's attention. Swann Arlaud's Emmanuel has struggled through adulthood and is deperate for something to go his way.

The first half is a little slow, with a lot of reading for those of us watching with subtitles, as most of the plot development is via correspondence between Alexandre and the church. But as more victims come forward, the subtleties of their relationships with their families and each other come to the fore, and the viewer becomes fully involved.

The film ends before the true story ends. The judgements came 2 years after the film was released. So check Wikipedia after the credits roll.

Astrid et Raphaëlle (2019– )

Interesting premise but a rather dull excecution

[5/10 · 17 May 2024]

Using autism as a way to tell a murder-mystery story is an interesting approach. But "Astrid" suffers from a serious problem as a result.

Having a "savant" on the team - who knows more about medicine that the patholgists, more about criminology than the detectives, and basically more about everything than everyone - means that solving crimes becomes far too easy.

Which is a shame, because the episodes I have seen go to great lengths to create unusual crime scenes that make you wonder what could have possibly happened. But then Astrid pops up and solves it instantly.

Sara Mortensen's portrayal of autism is not the worst I have seen, but it does get a bit "Rainman-y" at times. And for someone that is obsessed with following rules she does seem to break them rather a lot.

Lola Dewaere is good as the flawed Police commander Coste who takes Astrid under her wing - in fact she is much better when she is doing police work on her own. Her relationship with Astrid is strangely "motherly" rather than respectful as a colleague, which isn't how someone on the spectrum should be treated.

Although well made, there is a small scale to the early episodes - action is rarely outside the confines of the murder scene or the police offices. Episode 4 (the last I watched) uses the seaside town of Deauville as a key plot device, but they don't visit, they just use some "science " to prove it. In fact there is a general tendency for key developments in the investigation to happen suddenly, even when Astrid isn't involved.

If you're looking for a easy-going murder-mystery, Astrid will probably suffice. But it doesn't get the viewer's brain working. You know that Astrid has already got the answer, so you don't bother wasting your own energy in trying to work out whodunnit.

Operation Petticoat (1959)

Gentle comedy that sails on the charm of its two stars

[6/10 · 10 May 2024]

Cary Grant plays Sherman, commander of the Sea Tiger, a WWII sub that is rather the worse for wear after being attacked in port. He wants to get the craft back out to sea as quickly as possible, but in trying to pull together a skeleton crew he is lumbered with Tony Curtis' Holden, an officer with an unconventional skillset for the Navy. And later on he is burdened with a group of 5 female recruits that they rescue from a remote island.

This is a very gentle comedy of a type you rarely see now. There are plenty of jokes about how women and men can't be trusted to get along professionally in confined spaces, and various misadventures by Holden as he tries to bend the rules in his own favour. Lots of scenes involve women's underwear, which come across as very twee nowadays and are unlikely to have been sensational in 1959. And there are some unexpectedly accurate representations of the submarine in a war footing which adds some light drama.

But it is Cary Grant that holds this all together with his natural screen charm conveying a commander who has seen it all before but knows when to play along and when to keep his crew in line.

A pleasant 2 hour diversion.

The Man Who Fell to Earth (1976)

I do love this film but I have to admit it isn't particularly good

[7/10 · 7 May 2024]

I've watched this film several times in the last 20-30 years so the temptation is there to give it a 10. But I know it doesn't justify it.

It is packed full of haunting visuals, with a smattering of sharp dialogue and moments of good acting. But the storytelling is so rushed as to be almost irrelevant, the character development comes out of nowhere, and the second half in particular can be very, very slow.

Here's what I love about The Man Who Fell to Earth: the stunning imagery, especially of Mr. Newton's distant memories and the amazing technology he brings to market; Candy Clark's energy as a young hotel worker who falls in love with the mysterious visitor and gets frustrated and fearful when he won't give her what she needs in return; Rip Torn as a mid-life campus crisis cliche who is frustrated by the system and still thinks he can do something great; the haunting, elegant ending; and of course David Bowie, whose gaunt awkwardness is exactly what the lead role needed.

But most of the best moments are in the first half. The second half is slow, and the theme of betrayal is poorly explained. Clark and Torn become peripheral figures. Roeg falls lingers on a few too many fantasy sequences which look good but are better suited to an art gallery than the narrative. And the prosthetics used to age Clark and Torn don't convince at all, especially when the world around them doesn't change at all (it still looks like 1970s USA).

In a way it's quite impressive that Nic Roeg managed to make so many experimental films while in plain sight of the mainstream film industry.

If only a little more time had been spent on telling the story - and it is, at heart, a very good story - this could have been a truly spectacular film. But in the end it's just an artistic novelty - and I need more than that to give a high rating.

Cape Fear (1991)

Let down by the details

[5/10 · 3 May 2024]

If all you wanted from Cape Fear was an unsettling experience, it succeeds. It's certainly unpleasant to watch, but it rarely draws you in to the story or characters. It's a visceral experience rather than a psychological one.

Here are the good points. Nick Nolte is solid as lawyer Sam Bowden, who is revisited by ex-client Max Cady who has a bone to pick after an extended sentence. Juliette Lewis is disturbingly convincing as his teenage daughter who is both fascinated by Cady and fearful of the risk he poses to the family.

But the biggest negative - and I'm sure this will attract a lot of downvotes - is Robert De Niro's performance as Cady. I have never rated De Niro as an actor as 90% of his screen performances are just a combination of face-pulling and shrugging. This is one of them. He's threatening, he's unpleasant, but he isn't believable, with seemingly super-human abilities to travel through time and space that break the connection between the viewer and the story.

The plausibility of the film is shattered early on when Cady commits a crime that in any normal situation would see him re-arrested - but bizarrely that isn't the outcome.

Scorsese also throws in a few cinematic tricks that land awkwardly, often switching to the negative of certain shots, and doing his trademark zooms into the face far too often.

By the final confrontation, it's all started to get a bit too silly and you're waiting for it to end.

This could have been so much better if Scorsese had reined in its indulgences.

Croupier (1998)

Soaked with atmosphere but leaves a few too many loose ends

[7/10 · 29 April 2024]

"Croupier" takes you into the seedy world of London's late-night casinos where everyone is looking to get ahead and nobody can be trusted.

Clive Owen puts in one of his defining performances as Jack, a writer who is short on money and short on inspiration, and finds himself returning to his old job as a dealer behind the baize tables.

Jack isn't like the other characters in the casino. He doesn't gamble outside of hours, and remains a detached observer of everything that goes on around him - and he's seen it all before.

The return to the table gives him the inspiration he needs - but also gets him caught up in the scams that those around him are always trying to pull.

There is a decent supporting cast. Alex Kingston brings sensuality and a slightly dodgy accent as a South African femme fatale. Gina McKee is Jack's girlfriend and "conscience", who is in love with Jack the writer and doesn't want him to be lost to the dark appeal of the croupier. And Kate Hardie is the only streak of honesty inside the casino.

It has a cool sexuality and casual attitude to deceit that is very engaging.

Unfortunately it doesn't really bring the story together at the end. Some character arcs come to sudden endings, or simply aren't mentioned again. Even though there is a twist of sorts, it falls a bit flat.

Having said that, this is exactly the kind of space I'd like to see more British movies occupying - it's a shame that domestic noir thrillers have become such a rarity.

The Song Remains the Same (1976)

More than just a concert film

[8/10 · 24 April 2024]

This is a wonderful combination of a live performance by a band at their swaggering peak (filmed in New York in the mid-70s), and a series of fantasy scenes where each band member gets to share something of themselves.

Peter Grant fancies himself as a 30s gangster, John Paul Jones a highwayman, Robert Plant a romantic knight, John Bonham a petrolhead, and Jimmy Page as some kind of gothic nutcase.

But the indulgence of these scenes and the nascent visual effects used in them just add to the charm and are a great backdrop to the songs - which because they are live performances, go on for a VERY long time because Led Zep were known for doing extended jams on stage.

But even after the passing of half-a-century, this remains an awesome music film.

One Million Years B.C. (1966)

Iconic effects. Terrible story.

[5/10 · 23 April 2024]

One Million Years BC is all about the visuals. Ray Harryhausen's effects still look fresh after nearly 60 years. Raquel Welch is stunning in her fur bikini. There is a lot of visual creativity on screen and for the most part it succeeds.

But the story is weak, and rendered meaningless by the decision to remove any kind of script beyond a few simple words with unclear meaning. Grunting and pointing basically. Now this may well be in the interests of "prehistoric accuracy", but this is also a film when men and dinosaurs co-exist and terrapins are the size of buses.

Very few of the actors manage to bring their grunting to life - although funnily enough, Raquel Welch, who obviously wasn't cast for her acting reputation, does a much better job than anyone else. Martine Beswick is a bit crazy, John Richardson has lovely blue eyes, and if you think the tribe leader looks familiar, it's Robert Brown, who later played "M" opposite Roger Moore.

So sit back, switch off your brain, and enjoy the pretty pictures.

Naked Gun 33 1/3: The Final Insult (1994)

Drebin's third cinematic misadventure is still a good laugh

[7/10 · 15 April 2024]

It's easy to assume that sequels will be worse than the original. And although the Naked Gun 3 doesn't reach the brilliance of the first in the film series, it remains a very funny film.

The tone is a little different than the first two entries, with far more reliance on film parodies and pop culture references, most of which hit the mark (although 30 years on a growing portion of the audience won't get them). The opening tribute to "The Untouchables" gives you a good idea of what will follow.

The film suffers for momentum in the middle section, with the decision to focus on Frank's marriage problems with Jane resulting in too many weak and smutty jokes about male sexual performance and traditional gender roles. A man baking cupcakes wasn't funny in 1994 and certainly isn't funny in 2024.

Fortunately the star studded climax at the Oscars ceremony is on a par with anything else in the series with plenty of laughs as Lt. Drebin inexplicably saves the day (again).

Top Gun: Maverick (2022)

Good but not as good as the original.

[7/10 · 11 April 2024]

Have people really become so starved of traditional blockbusters that they think Top Gun: Maverick is something special? This genre was everywhere in the 80s and 90s.

It follows very closely in the footsteps of the original. In fact a couple of scenes are shot-by-shot tributes. But it rarely stretches itself.

The only scene that adds a new angle is at the very end, where dogfighting results in US airmen on the ground behind enemy lines, who have to find an unconventional way of escaping. This final mission is the best part of the film overall.

But generally speaking it doesn't have the charm or energy of the 1986 original. Top Gun focused on young pilots who were building their lives, finding their friendships, and facing up to rivalries. Maverick gives us an older Captain Pete Mitchell who doesn't really have anything to prove. And the younger cast don't really have enough screen time. Adding a female pilot to the mix, while more contemporary, drains all the crude machismo out of the situation. But that crude machismo was part of the charm.

By far the worst part of Top Gun: Maverick is the introduction of Jennifer Connelly as the love interest. Thankfully she is age-appropriate for Cruise, but her character is so obviously a substitute for Kelly McGillis' Charlie that it becomes embarrassing. She seems to be living in the same beachfront house, and even drives a classic silver Porsche (a 911 this time instead of a 356). It just isn't a convincing romance and could have easily been left out of the whole film.

Best moments are the flying scenes, with their slick combination of real footage and CGI. Again, these are clearly inspired by the formula created in Top Gun, but with an extra layer of slickness and complexity that makes them feel modern yet still suspend-your-disbelief realistic (take note, superhero movies).

There is a brief yet touching appearance from Val Kilmer (who has been battling cancer in recent years), and Glen Powell and Miles Teller both put in decent performances. But overall the cast just isn't as engaging as in Top Gun.

Top Gun: Maverick delivers what we should expect from a big budget production with a talented cast. But it doesn't deliver anything beyond that. It's good. But not THAT good.

The Wiz (1978)

A fever dream from Oz, New York.

[4/10 · 26 March 2024]

Don't watch this while drunk or high. There may be irreversible damage.

"The Wiz" is weird in so many ways. Visually it's very creative, but what is has created is a very unsettling world. One that could just as easily be the basis of a horror movie. The sets, costumes and makeup are freakish.

Sidney Lumet may not have been the right choice as a director. Very few scenes are cinematic, and it wears its origins as a Broadway production heavily, with the big song and dance numbers being filmed from a distance on giant soundstages.

Diana Ross is really poor as Dorothy. Her age isn't necessarily the problem, but the awkward nervousness of her performance is. Her acting is wooden, and her dancing is several steps below those around her. She's also burdened with a very unflattering haircut and dress (probably in an attempt to make a thirty-something look more naive).

The final disappointment is how little Richard Pryor is used in his role as the Wizard. In part this is because the film starts to rush in the last half hour.

There are a coupe of good things. The song and dance scenes are strong (despite my earlier criticism), and Michael Jackson turns in a great performance.

But considering the budget and the cast it's a missed opportunity.

48 Hrs. (1982)

Unrelenting aggression stops it from coming to life

[6/10 · 17 March 2024]

If you're a tough guy that likes non-stop violence and bad language in your films, then you'll probably love 48 Hrs.

Unfortunately the relentless "grittiness" makes it hard to fully enjoy.

Nick Nolte's Jack Cates is an a-hole from start to finish, which makes it impossible to actually care about his character.

The best scenes are where Eddie Murphy's Reggie is given a little space to show his charm. Singing "Roxanne" from his prison cell. Taking on a bunch of hillbillies in a bar. Trying to sneak guns and knifes into his pockets for later.

But it's never long before Nolte comes along with a bloodied face, punching, shooting and offending everything in sight.

The language is very racist, which will probably offend modern viewers, but let's not pretend that early-80s policing had any sensitivity about the colour of people's skin.

If director Walter Hill wound Nolte in a bit to make him someone you could actually root for, the film would be so much better. Instead you end up hoping that the bad guys will get a shot in and put the world out of its misery.

The Card Counter (2021)

Starts well but then meanders on to an odd ending

[3/10 · 15 March 2024]

The opening scenes of "The Card Counter" draw you in to the mysterious world of an obsessive casino player who travels the country to win small from rubes so he doesn't get banned by the owners. He's served time in a military prison because of what he did in Iraq, and the memories still haunt him.

Paul Schrader's direction does a great job of portraying the seedy glamour of gambling, and Oscar Isaac is well cast as the stoic William Tell.

We're introduced to Lalinda (Tiffany Haddish), who runs a group of high-stakes gamblers that play on behalf of secretive money men. And to Cirk-with-a-C (Tye Sheridan), whose father died as a result of what happened in Iraq, and who wants revenge on. Major John Gordo (Willem Dafoe), who is now working as a private security expert.

So we're set up for an interesting thriller.

Unfortunately that isn't what we get.

There are lots of issues. The main one is the relationships between the characters. Tell takes Cirk under his wing at great expense, but you quickly wonder why he has bothered. Tiffany Haddish seems to be a character from a different movie, and again you wonder why Tell joins her group so willingly, and why he gets so close to her so quickly, when it is the opposite of what he is naturally inclined to do. Willem Dafoe is massively under-used, and although his final scenes are not the ending you might expect, that doesn't make them satisfying, with too much storytelling happening off-camera.

If the film had focussed on the casino scenes (he's a card counter after all), and made the pursuit of Gordo the real focus, it would have been much better. Instead it wanders down a variety of disappointingly sentimental cul-de-sacs for an hour before a sudden ending.

Stalker (1979)

Slow and impenetrable

[3/10 · 14 March 2024]

A dystopian state. A group of misfits. A journey to a mythical "Zone" that might provide happiness. The theme has promise.

But my-oh-my, "Stalker" is so, so slow. And the conversations/meditations of the various characters are impossible to make any real sense of.

It's really hard to think of any scenes that work beyond the framing and the sets/locations. If you were to take a series of stills from the film you would think they were beautiful. But when you string them together, it simply fails as a film.

It lacks the spark of life and curiosity and surprise that is needed to engage a viewer. It's just a pretentious bore.

Funny Face (1957)

Singing, dancing, Paris and an absurd romance

[7/10 · 13 March 2024]

There's loads to enjoy in "Funny Face". Audrey Hepburn lights up the screen (are the audience really expected to believe that she is some kind of wonky-faced plain-jane?), and although she isn't a great dancer and singer, Fred Astaire and Kay Thompson are.

Particular highlights for me are Hepburn's "jazz" dance in a darkened Paris club, the opening "Think Pink" number in a fantasy fashion office, and Astaire and Thompson pretending to be beatniks as they perform "Clap Yo' Hands". And it's great to see so much on-location footage from 1950s Paris.

There is gentle humour throughout, sending up Hepburn's naivety, and the frivolous obsessions of the fashion world.

But the May-December romance between Hepburn and Astaire just doesn't work. He's twice her age. He's a great performer but I wish they had cast a more believable romantic interest. Combined with the sweet but schmaltzy love songs, it weighs down the second half of the film.

Solaris (1972)

An experiment that isn't entirely successful

[6/10 · 12 March 2024]

"Solaris" seems to attract lots of analysis that asks the question "what does it mean?". Not knowing what something means isn't a good thing.

The most engaging part of Solaris is the "what if" scenario - what if people from our past came back into our lives again? How would we respond? Would we remember them clearly? Would we treat them better? It's this scenario that sustains the interactions between "astronaut" Kris Kelvin and Hari, a woman who is also on board the space station he is sent to.

I say "astronaut" because the space station is the least "space-like" location you could imagine. It has it's selection of buttons and shiny surfaces, but essentially it is just somewhere that is far from home. This is sci-fi in the sense of asking otherworldly questions, rather than travelling to other worlds.

The scenes featuring Kris and Kari are by turns thought provoking and unsettling, and they are far and away the best part of the film. Kris trying to remove Kari's dress and Kari fitfully regaining consciousness are two highlights. Donatas Banionis and Natalya Bondarchuk are both excellent. But you really only see them in the second half.

The rest of the film is very, very slow. Some sequences are deliberately extended for no clear reason - for example a car journey along a (Japanese) motorway that lasts for much longer than necessary. There is also a stiff artifice to many of the supporting performances, which isn't helped by the use of dubbing (I assume there was no on-set sound).

There is a lot of artistry on display, but it's lacking in focus. As if every idea that Tarkovsky had found it's way on to the screen, including the ones that weren't fully formed.

A tight 90 minutes on the space station would have been a stunning film. But at nearly 3 hours, it drags.

Save Yourselves! (2020)

Quirky apocalypse horror comedy let down by a lazy ending

[7/10 · 4 March 2024]

Jack (John Reynolds) and Su (Sunita Mani) play an infuriating 30-something New York hipster couple who decide to detox from their phones and spend a week at a friend's cabin. But while they're offline some strange things start happening in the city...

"Save Yourselves!" has a really witty script that cleverly combines the obsessions of young, privileged urbanites with the tension of an unknown evil lurking around your cabin. By turns you are laughing at their conversations and sliding towards the edge of the seat, waiting for something to jump out of the shadows.

But in the last act it starts to become clear that writer/directors Alex Huston Fischer and Eleanor Wilson don't know how to end the story, so they just throw in an unexpected event and leave the outcome hanging.

"Save Yourselves!" makes the most of its low budget by focusing on good writing, engaging performances, wise use of locations and simple yet persuasive effects. But it would have been so much better if they had thought of a decent ending.

Dune: Part Two (2024)

A slow build up to an underwhelming finale

[5/10 · 3 March 2024]

After Dune 2021's bait-and-switch ("oh did I forget to mention it's only the first half" cackles Denis), I had high hopes for Dune: Part Two. I really, really wanted it to bring the story together and blow my mind.

Well, it didn't. It's more like Dune: Part One than I expected. And not in a good way.

Let's start with pacing. It's slow. Oh my word is it slow. The first 90 minutes are taken up with quasi-religious disagreements among the Fremen about whether the prophecy of a saviour is true or not. Most of this is in a non-English dialect so be prepared to read a lot of subtitles. Villeneuve can film an underground stone temple and scores of hooded followers like no-one else - but don't fool yourself that this is good material.

After a long wait, we are finally introduced to some of the new characters that are going to bring this chapter to its conclusion. A common theme is that the big names that came on for the second half are barely used. Austin Butler's portrayal of the unhinged Feyd Rautha is great. He is introduced in a striking visual setpiece. But I wanted more of him. Christopher Walken is well cast as the Emperor but it is a small role. Florence Pugh has very little to work with, and two-thirds of her scenes are essentially narration. Lea Seydoux must have shot her scenes in a day. Anya Taylor-Joy probably shot her scene in an hour after visiting Denis at his beach house a couple of weeks before the premiere.

The cast really misses the humanity of Oscar Isaac and Jason Momoa. There is far too much Timothee and Zendaya - and to be honest, they aren't strong enough actors to carry a film of this scale. Villeneuve spends most of his time doing slow and meaningful zooms into their lovely faces as they stand on windswept sand dunes.

Now in its defence I will say that a handful of the "action" scenes in the film are striking, in particular, an early Fremen attack on a spice harvester, Feyd Rautha's debut in the colosseum, and Paul Atreides' final contest in front of his rivals. Nobody can create a cinematic feast quite like Denis - it looks and sounds fantastic. But the large scale battles are disappointing, starting and ending suddenly, and with a level of destructive power that makes you wonder why the rebellion hadn't happened sooner.

I watched Dune: Part One at home the day before watching Part Two. One was a disappointment. Two is, unexpectedly, an even greater one.

PS I think this had a rough ride in the edit suite. Keep an eye out for strange continuity and sound anomalies in the last hour. I reckon the first cut was well over 3 hours...

Purple Rain (1984)

Amazing performances. Dodgy storyline.

[6/10 · 26 February 2024]

If there was a 40 minute cut that was just the on-stage performance from The Revolution, The Time and Appollonia 6, this film would be a 10/10. Prince et al have SO much talent. And the fact that their style of showmanship is so rare nowadays makes it even more enjoyable. You won't be able to resist bopping along in your seat.

But the supporting storyline really drags the film down and unfortunately it's hard to recommend it as a whole.

At first, it seems like bunch of teenagers have been given a movie camera and the freedom to do whatever they want. Silly comedy skits featuring Morris Day go hand in hand with an unbelievable romance between Prince (as "the Kid") and Appollonia Kotero. Amateurish but somewhat forgiveable.

But then the movie moves on to domestic violence. To its credit, it is trying hard to say something important about a difficult topic. But times change, and 40 years on the scenes we are left with fall somewhere between confusing and downright objectionable.

The Kid's parents are in an abusive relationship. His mother is invariably getting a beating from his father, while their son hides in the basement, experimenting with his music. This is an awful situation to be in.

But "The Kid" himself is an abuser. He ignores his bandmates pleas to listen to the songs they have written, and aggressively puts them down. He manipulates and bullies Appollonia in the early stages of their relationship - tricking her into stripping off, pretending to dump her in the wilderness, striking her in the face when she talks about someone else.

Now in theory there is supposed to be some kind of "redemption arc" where the father shoots himself and The Kid realises that he can be a better person (by playing his bandmates song, "Purple Rain").

But it is not enough. Going on stage and looking meaningfully at people you haven't treated well as you rip through a guitar solo isn't the same as saying sorry. Domestic abusers don't deserve sympathy and tributes because they play a little piano and attempt suicide.

The badly handled drama spoils what should have been a celebration of Prince's music.

American Fiction (2023)

A fantastic script anchored by a superb performance from Jeffrey Wright

[8/10 · 17 February 2024]

American Fiction is not only a satire of "white" attitudes to "black" art, it is also a believable family drama and a reflection on a man's struggles to connect with others.

Let's start with the satire. It is biting. And generates many, many laughs as a frustrated Thelonious "Monk" Ellison creates a cliched "black" novel as a prank on the white-dominated industry that wants him to fit a stereotype, before the joke takes on a life of its own.

But this film is not just a satire. Just as much of it is about the challenges in Monk's life - dealing with the loss of family members, his relationships with his siblings, and the care of his ageing mother. And this part of the film, by turns happy and sad, remains engaging thanks to the quality of the script and the performances.

Wright is superb as Monk. A recurring theme in my reviews is my dislike of ACTING. Jeffrey Wright is acting in the best way for cinema, using small gestures to create a believable character that you both root for and get frustrated by.

There is strong support too with a particular mention for John Ortiz whose role as Monk's agent brings so many of the jokes to life.

The film goes for a "meta" ending which is OK but removes some of the impact. I would have preferred a traditional ending. But that is nit-picking.

American Fiction is a superb comedy-drama. Highly recommended.

Live and Let Die (1973)

One of my favourite Bonds, but not without weaknesses

[7/10 · 2 February 2024]

"Live and Let Die" was the first Bond film to have an impact on me as a boy.

I'd never seen anything like the "voodoo" scenes before.

And I'd never seen anything like Jane Seymour as "Solitaire" before.

Rewatching as an adult, it remains a good Bond film. The momentum is kept up thoughout, from his assignment with an Italian agent at the start, through his adventures in the New York underworld, and on to Louisiana and the Caribbean.

Yaphet Kotto makes a convincing villain, and aside from a few issues with the tone of the script, the depiction of criminality in the Black community is a lot better than it could have been in 1973. Having said that, the prosthetic he wears as "Mr Big" is terribly unconvincing.

Jane Seymour is a stunning Bond Girl whose tarot readings are at the heart of the story. The way she loses her "gift" may not stand up to scrutiny, but we're talking about the occult in a Bond film here so you can't have high expectations. After she stepped out of a reading gown that opened up around her, I was willing to believe anything.

The "voodoo" scenes are memorable but a bit rough round the edges, as are the scenes in the villains "lair" which lead to a rushed finale.

The main drag on the movie is the introduction of Sheriff J. W. Pepper (Clifton James). His character should have been a gag in a single scene, but ends up disrupting a whole boat chase with a long side-story of his struggles to catch up with Bond. The jokes aren't that good and the momentum of what should be the central action sequence is totally lost. A shame. But I assume he played well with the audience because he was back in "Golden Gun".

This is a strong debut Bond from Roger Moore. It's easy sport to say that he is not as good as Connery, but he brings his own wry style to the character, and in his early films he manages to convince as a tough guy too.

The Man with the Golden Gun (1974)

A great villain and great action in a peak Moore Bond

[8/10 · 2 February 2024]

Bond films follow an established formula. But just following the formula doesn't guarantee a great outcome. The best Bonds make use the formula creatively and bring the best out of cast and crew.

The Man with the Golden Gun is one of them.

You have to start with the casting. Christopher Lee - already a legend outside the Bond universe - is fantastic as Scaramanga, an assassin who can only be matched by one other - and we know who that is.

The scenes in his "fun house", sadistically operated by his assistant Nick Nack (Herve Villechaize), are tense and visually striking. Scaramanga's ruthless desire to toy with Bond and savour his death is authentic. And his gadgets are imaginative.

Roger Moore is also at his best. Still young enough to do his own action, the direction is above par for a Bond film and actually makes the scenes convincing. The humour is well timed and rarely strays into silliness.

Maud Adams and Britt Ekland are great looking Bond Girls who manage to bring a little life to their characters.

The extended boat-and-car chase in the middle of the film is one of the best in the series. The decision to reintroduce Sheriff J. W. Pepper (who made his debut in Live and Let Die) is questionable, but at least he is fully involved in the action. Although the decision to play a swanee whistle over the incredibly difficult corkscrew-car-jump scene is unforgivable.

The Far East is used well as a location (although a Thai gangster is written as if he was Japanese), with a well-choreographed martial arts scene and creative use of a sunken ship in Kowloon Bay to give extended screen time to M and Q.

If you want to sample a Roger Moore Bond, this is a brilliant place to start.

The World Is Not Enough (1999)

Brosnan's third outing doesn't make the grade

[5/10 · 29 January 2024]

Writing as a Bond fan, it can be really frustrating to actually watch the films sometimes.

"The World Is Not Enough" has all the elements of an entertaining watch. Elaborate action set pieces. Two beautiful Bond Girls. A fine actor as the main villain. Some innovations that became staples of the later series.

But it just doesn't come together. Not enough dramatic tension and too much silliness (the series' repeated weakness).

Consider the action. It starts well with a boat chase along the Thames (which is tolerably silly), and an explosion at Mi5 headquarters (a theme that has been returned to since). A chase on skis is equally effective. But a later scene involving an attack on a warehouse, and the final sequence in the reactor of a submarine go on for far too long and are simply unbelievable (even if you apply the required amount of 007 disbelief).

Onto the girls. Sophie Marceau has a really interesting Patty Hearst-inspired role to work with. But whether it is the language barrier, the script, or her own performance at fault, the simple truth is she does not bring the character or her relationship with Bond to life. Denise Richards is wooden throughout, with some leaden lines about nuclear physics that even short-shorts and a tight top can't overcome.

Robert Carlyle's Renard is another interesting character. A villain who can feel no physical pain or pleasure. But again, he fails to bring him to life.

The supporting cast is as problematic as ever. Robbie Coltrane does not convince as a gangster/antagonist/ally - just too light for the role. Giving Goldie a supporting role shows how this is a Bond with a view on the zeitgeist as much as the storyline. And John Cleese is just awful in his slapstick turn as "R", the new man in charge of Bond's tech.

Pierce Brosnan's Bond is just "meh". He benefits from some well choreographed action scenes but he lacks charm.

Having said that, Judi Dench's M is given an extended role (another plot device that has been used since) and plays it very well. A much better "M" than the politically-correct bureaucrat we were introduced to in "Goldeneye". And there is a very touching on-screen farewell to Desmond Llewellyn in his last appearance as "Q".

"The World Is Not Enough" could have been so much better with a tiny bit more care over the storytelling and the performances. But instead you find yourself waiting for it to end.

Octopussy (1983)

A solid entry in the Bond canon

[6/10 · 24 January 2024]

Octopussy is a solid Bond film, and like many of the later Roger Moore films, is actually somewhat better than its reputation.

The highlight is Louis Jourdan's performance as Kamal Khan. He has brings a wonderful combination of elegance and ruthlessness which is the perfect counter to Bond himself (lets ignore the fact that this is a Frenchman playing someone from South Asia).

Locations are spectacular as usual. A tuk-tuk chase through the packed streets of India is full of energy, as is an unconventional car chase through Germany, and the acrobatic attack on the villain's base at the end.

But the introduction of Octopussy (Maud Adams) feels rather forced. As usual, it doesn't take much for her to fall into Bond's arms. However the skills her circus troupe brings do add a lot to the story, as does the appearance of her assistant, Magda (Kristina Wayborn)

As is often the case, there is weakness in the supporting cast. Steven Berkoff is particularly hammy as a Russian general and should have known better. Some corny gags and innuendos remain but don't detract too much.

Overall "Octopussy" is a perfectly acceptable entry in the canon.

A View to a Kill (1985)

Moore's last Bond outing is better than its reputation

[6/10 · 24 January 2024]

There are points in a View to a Kill where you sense that even Roger Moore himself is tiring of the puns. A frustration that I share.

"A View to a Kill" is a serviceable Bond film. But had they resisted the temptation to play some scenes for laughs, and placed a slightly tighter grip on casting, it could have been a good one.

The story is classic Bond territory. Mysterious villain has access to advanced technology, and wants to guarantee world domination with it. He has evil scientists and ruthless heavies at his side. And of course, only one man has the skill to take him on.

The film starts badly. A mission in Siberia is spoiled by the use of "Surfin' USA" as the musical accompaniment for Bond's escape on a snowboard. Never has Monty Norman's classic theme been more missed. Someone is murdered with a poisoned fishing lure. The innuendos are particularly clumsy and laboured.

But put those to one side and there is some solid story development and some excellent action scenes. It's a real delight to see Patrick MacNee in an extended role as Sir Godfrey, helping bond as he visits the main villain's home in France. A horseback chase around a booby-trapped training course is great fun. A car chase around San Francisco is creative and entertaining. And the final confrontation deep underground is surprisingly brutal.

Unfortunately the villains are unconvincing. Grace Jones as Mayday is striking to look at but can't really act. And Christopher Walken as Max Zorin is doing... what... Christopher-Walken... always-does. Which in this case doesn't bring the character to life.

As for the girls, it's good to see a slightly expanded role for Lois Maxwell in her last appearance as Moneypenny. Fiona Fullerton's brief appearance as a Russian agent feels completely unnecessary, but Tanya Roberts combines beauty with enough brains to help Bond out instead of being a source of trouble.

Stunt doubles are very visible in most scenes so it was certainly the right time for Moore to bow out.

"A View to a Kill" is no worse than it's predecessor "Octopussy" and certainly better than Moore's low point ("Moonraker"). But the time was right for a change and Dalton's "The Living Daylights" successfully clears out 90% of the weak humour and brings the action to the fore again.