kfdynks Reviews

Stormy (2024)

Stormy is such a strong woman to open herself to this scrutiny.

[10/10 · 6 June 2024]

I live in the UK and saw this movie on channel 5. I have only seen the headlines and not paid much attention to this case but now I learnt the truth. How a woman stood up for the truth and refused to be called a liar. I would have given in to the bully Donald Trump. Billionaires know the threat of litigation to regular people is so terrifying due to the massive costs involved that they usually back down. This is how DJT bullies people like Stormy. I was upset to see both Stormy and the journalist who created this move became briefly romantically involved and this adultery was a factoring her divorce. It is understandable how this happened with Stormy away from home and spending so much time with the journalist and sharing her thoughts and emotions but the journalist should have been professional and not allowed it to happen. The only fault I find in Stormy's story is that she came out of the bathroom and somehow ended up being humped by a 60 year old man and she could not recall how she got to the bed. It is more believable to say she slept with Trump because she wanted to seduce him and get on his show celebrity apprentice. Not remembering may be true but it feels like a narrative to maintain her good person appearance. The movie shows the was Stormy's live was torn apart by DJT. The movie also highlights the terrible circumstances of her childhood. Lack of parental love. Child neglect by her mother. I realise I care about what happens to STORMY DANIELS when I watched this film. I wish her happiness in her future. Stormy has many positives going for her with intelligence, strong work ethic, loving daughter and being attractive. At one point she says she just wants to be loved back. I hope she has been through counselling for her childhood sexual abuse. I hope we don't hear stories in the future that she has transitioned into drugs and her life has fallen into chaos which is so common in these situations. I fear most of all that DJT will be re-elected as president and the effect this will have on the world. Rome became so powerful it elected emperors who were psychologically damaged and Rome suffered the consequences. Let us hope that doesn't happen to the USA.

Heroin: Cape Cod, USA (2015 TV Movie)

Harrowing

[8/10 · 21 May 2024]

The movie just blew my mind. I was aware of the opiate epidemic in the states but this movie just exposed the underlying problems. 85% of crime is drug related. It seems that American children just have everything in material terms and have more freedom to experiment in drug use. One guy says why wouldn't you? It is really tragic seeing young people die so young especially the 23 year old with 2 young children. There is clearly no trying heroin because it is such an addictive drug. So in a moment of weakness for reasons outside your control your life can be destroyed by this drug. The west needs to get much tougher on drugs. Addicts should not go into detox. If you overdose you go to prison for 5 years and have daily drug tests with a year added every time you test positive. Dealers go to prison for life. Being in possession of class A drugs carries a 10 year prison sentence. Countries like Singapore realise how corrosive opiates are to society and the hidden costs of drug addiction. In the US it seems detox houses are big business everyone is trying to make a dollar out of a situation. I'm an addict, it is an illness. If it is an illness then the state can section you under mental health laws for your own safety. We have to improve society.

Mass (2021)

A Hard Watch....May Bring Tears.

[8/10 · 20 April 2024]

This is a very difficult topic to make a film about. So often we hear about mass shootings in the US and school shootings are so common schools practice for them like we do fire drills here in UK schools. I thought the acting was phenomenal. The film starts very slowly and I initially considered turning it off because it was boring, This initial 15 minutes is important in setting the scene and how the movie is going to end. Is this what really happens in these situations? If this is based on fact then people engaging in this process are extremely brave. Parents want to understand what happened. I would recommended watching his film. The film emphasises how lucky I am not to live in the US. I would have higher income, larger pension, more stuff but more risk.

Barbarian (2022)

Georgina Campbell is amazing in this edge of your seat horror.

[8/10 · 8 April 2024]

This is a typical horror movie in which you are constantly screaming at the screen don't go down there. Don't go back. Don't stay. Run. This movie has several twists and turns that you never imagine. Straight away I spotted Georgina Campbell who is a very good actress and now with an American accent. I first became a fan of her work in the 'hang the DJ' episode on black mirror which was one of my all time favourite episodes. Even in my own life now I have consciously decided to trust my intuition when I sense I am in a bad situation after that classic scene in the girl with the dragon tattoo when Daniel Craig goes back into the house for a drink to avoid being impolite against all his evolutionary intuition which was screaming don't. This movie cracks along at a decent pace. I enjoyed it, I spotted the guy off Jeepers Creepers who seems to play characters who end up with no eyes!! Again another great horror movie. Definitely worth 90mins of your time. I think the message is beware of Air BnBs and be careful visiting the USA especially districts of large cities. The areas are just lawless which have been abandoned by the police force as being beyond redemption.

Still (II) (2014)

Didn't Maintain My Suspension Of Disbelief

[6/10 · 29 March 2024]

I watched this film to the end but it didn't fit together. The story did not maintain my suspension of disbelief. A man loses his son in a presumed tragic accident and he is heart broken but within a year he is living in a squalid house that has not been maintained for 20 years. He has no income, rarely showers or shaves and yet manages to have a drop dead gorgeous partner who is happy to stay at his squat of a house. You would not take a bin bag into your house and open in your bath. You would not chase a gang of youths down the street in the middle of the night because they were knocking on your door. You would not kidnap a young lad and then kill him by injecting him with heroin. It is too much of a coincidence that the lad who he kills was present when his son died. The newspaper character was so poorly acted. It was an interesting concept and could have been done better. Work needed to be done in character development to ensure you believed why the characters took the action that they did.

Ukraine: Enemy in the Woods (2024 TV Movie)

OMG War Is Dehumanising

[10/10 · 25 March 2024]

Everyone I speak to avoids documentaries like this. They want to watch feel-good moviess. For me this documentary and the 20 days in Mariupol documentary are statutory watching as a mark of respect to the brave men and women losing their lives on the front line. For once the brutality of war is not airbrushed and dead soldiers smudged out. Of 99 soldiers in this brigade defending 500metres of the 1500km western front 66 suffered serious injury and 10 were killed in action. We see people being killed, soldiers being shot at point blank range and frozen dead bodies lying everywhere. This is a nightmare for the soldiers knowing they could be killed at any second. I would not be able to cope with the stress, but these soldiers have no choice. It is amazing to see how humans adapt and make the best out of any situation. It is a war of attrition. Russia has the numbers and the firepower. Ukraine has to fight with teamwork.

20 Days in Mariupol (2023)

Harrowing

[10/10 · 16 March 2024]

I am a Dr and I have worked in emergency medicine and resuscitated children and delivered babies and been there when children die and people are brought in with horrific injuries from accidents so I have a string threshold for emotion but this film made me cry. The reason is that the documentary documents unnecessary deaths. This footage is essential when Russia is prosecuted for war crimes. The Russian propaganda machine is ruthless and efficient. When Chernobyl blew up the Russian leaders lied and deceived and the public found out the truth with disastrous consequences for the USSR. A city of 1 million people was destroyed, burnt and its inhabitants killed. This is an illegal war with one aim of expanding the Russian territories. Putin needs to be tried, convicted and hung for his crimes in the same manner as Saddam Hussain.

If Anything Happens I Love You (2020)

short, simple. moving, reflective.

[10/10 · 25 February 2024]

Great short animated film about the situation in American society. Credit to Netflix and the creators of this deeply moving short film. I came across this 13 minute long cartoon by accident but was fascinated by the animated creativity presented. The cartoon has no dialogue and every emotion is expressed through creative animation. I dont want to give away any spoilers and simply want to say this short if worth 13 minutes of your life. I was pleased to see the short film was nominated at the OSCARS and also pleased to see that Netflix has become so diverse in its content. Very much in the tradition of the short film the snowman which is a famous Christmas movie here in England.

Alice & Jack (2023–2024)

Amazing

[10/10 · 16 February 2024]

I rarely binge watch a series but I could not stop watching this series. I was upset when I came to IMDB and saw the rating from 122 users was so low at 6+. DG and AR are 2 of my favourite actors. The humour is intelligent. The dialogue quick and witty reminiscent of the west wing or the newsroom. I am only 3 episodes in but really enjoying it. I guess there are only 6 recurrent characters and most of the dialogue is between DG and AR. The funniest character is DG best friend. There is a bit of Sheldon from the Big Bang theory in this character who analyses the relationship issues in a highly scientific and statistical one. My fear is that it is going to end like One Day with Anne Hathaway. I tried not to give any spoilers and I hope people give better ratings and enjoy the series. I guess the main criticism will be the characters are not believable. DG's character is just too nice and sensible but this is TV and it is entertainment.

The Marker (2017)

Dark Paedophile Movie

[6/10 · 13 January 2024]

This movie is extremely dark and explores themes of paedophilia, abuse, drug use, prostitution and organised crime. There is a core story about a man called Marley working for an organised crime boss called Brendan who regretfully kills a female drug addict called Ana partly in self defence and this action is witnessed by the woman's young daughter. After 7 years in prison in which Marley becomes psychotic seeing Ana the woman he killed constantly, Marley is released and the true back story is revealed. Marley himself was taken from his drug addict mother who later died from a drug overdose by the OC boss and physically / sexually abused. Marley uncovers that vulnerable children are being taken from care when they turn 16 and homeless children are being snatched up from the streets and sold to paedophiles. One sick paedophile is Brendan's brother who keeps his victims in a cage and rapes and murders them. It has some very disturbing scenes in this movie. At one point Brendan cuts Marley across his buttocks with scarring visible from a previous cutting. The whole film is shot in Birmingham and at one point a body is thrown into a canal in a suitcase. This happened to a friend of mines brother so it hit a raw nerve. Not a film to be watched by the faint of heart. This could all be happening at the present time so it makes the movie more disturbing.

Rurouni Kenshin: Final Chapter Part II - The Beginning (2021)

Deeply Moving Film About Love and Duty with Excellent Cinematography.

[10/10 · 9 January 2024]

This movie is not what I expected. It was recommended to me by Netflix. I know very little about Japanese history. The storyline is simple but complex. I found myself watching the film through the eyes of Tomoe. The film has some sword fighting scenes but for me they are part of the storyline and this is not an action movie. The quiet, respectful nature of the two main characters and the excellent acting which demonstrates conflicting emotions especially in Tomoe but also clearly in Himura is breathtaking. I watched the film a second time and I enjoyed the film more and changed my IMDB rating from 8 to 10. I found myself researching this period of Japanese history on wikipedia. The musical score adds to the feel of the film immensely. I would strongly recommend this film to anyone who enjoys drama.

The Hunt (2012)

Drama at its best. A MUST WATCH.

[10/10 · 9 December 2023]

I watched riders for justice and now the hunt. Both are extremely good drama films. I wish more films like this were made instead of endless superhero CGI movies. This story is set in the real world and could be a true story that has happened to many people. My friends are hesitant to watch films with subtitles but I found the conscious effort of reading the subtitles disappears within 5 minutes. 'young children don't tell lies?" The film does show the emotions and conflicts that happen in these circumstances. How common sense gets thrown out of the window. Lucas is a very likeable man and this makes what happens to him all the more unjust.

Riders of Justice (2020)

A Must Watch.

[10/10 · 23 November 2023]

It is very rare for me to watch a film and enjoy it so much. I was laughing out loud and had to stop and rewind 3 actions scenes so I could watch them again. Mads M is a talented actor with a huge range and this is demonstrated once again when he plays a war hardened army officer.

It is hard to place this movie in a genre. It is so refreshing to watch movies like this which just don't get made in Hollywood. Complex damaged support characters with individual stories all interwoven into a magical film with very broad themes. Family, revenge, religion, justice, slavery, organised crime, discrimination and the central theme of human psychology.

Initially I was aware I was reading the subtitles in English but I quickly lost that awareness. I found it actually enjoyable to hear the Danish words. I find a strong sense of onomatopoeia in German and Danish words.

I've had this film in my watch list for ages because it had such good reviews and a high score on IMDB but I guess I never watched it because of the foreign language status and the sense I would need to not be tired to watch it. Netflix has become full of second-rate movies which are easy to watch but just feel unoriginal. This movie which I watched on Sky Cinema pushed all my buttons. I cannot remember laughing out loud so much since I watched The Newsroom by Aaron Sorkin.

I am hoping with more competition such as AppleTV+, Disney+, Netflix and Paramount+ more 'independent' original movies like this will be made. The last original movie I watched was The Banshees of Inisherin. I suspect there are so many great foreign language films out there that I miss out on because I live in the UK.

God Is a Bullet (2023)

Did Not Make Sense

[6/10 · 27 September 2023]

I watched this film to the end, but it did not make sense. The movie starts saying this is based on a true story but I cannot find which true story it is based on. The plot did not have enough detail. I could ask so many questions that the film ignored.

Do girls get snatched off US streets and inducted into gangs / cults and used for sex?

I could not understand what Jamie Foxx was saying.

Malka Monroe gave a good performance.

How did he survive the snake bite?

How did he survive the crossbow in the shoulder and the abdominal laceration?

How did he survive being shot and not bleeding out?

Where did all the fire works come from and what was there purpose?

How did Malka's character pay for her taxi's?

What did she eat out in the hut? I couldn't survive for a day in a freezing cold hut but she was there for 2 weeks plus.

Could a real person go around killing people without any consequences? It was like the Wild West.

Why would Malta's character not reconnect with her mother and heal her suffering?

Why do American films have to have a happy ending?

Not worth watching in my opinion and could have been so much better.

Hell or High Water (II) (2016)

Thought Provoking

[7/10 · 15 September 2023]

I live in England so this review is from a different perspective to the ones I have read.

One theme that interested me was that the USA for all its amazing economic capitalist power has a large percentage of the population who are very poor and struggling whilst big business thrives around them.

Chris Pine's character describes being poor as a disease passed down through the generations. There are constant references to how the US economy is run. 3 tours in Iraq but not fit for a bailout. Small towns in decline. Post-industrial landscapes. A rancher escaping a wildfire with his cattle saying no wonder my kids don't want to do this. A way of life disappearing from west Texas. Signs saying cheap credit, essentially enticing the poor into a debt trap that keeps them poor. The waitress, protesting she needs her tips to keep a roof over her child's head.

The main story is about a family that borrowed against their Ranch. The problems that poverty creates. Alcoholism, domestic abuse, broken families and people who have to fight to survive. Eventually one smart man see's the big picture and decides to change the life of his son's.

There are constant references to the Native Americans who had their land and livelihoods stripped from them. History repeating itself.

Jeff Bridges plays the wise old Texas ranger who has seen it all and is close to retirement. His acting is a masterclass. His relationship with his partner brings humour to the movie.

Ben Foster has the fun role of bad boy.

Chevron is referenced several times. Oil seemingly the only thriving part of the economy in west Texas.

West Texas attitudes are shown with respect to the right to carry guns and minors being able to drink alcohol in private homes supervised by adults.

At the centre is also a bond between brothers and an understanding of their respective situation.

Exposed (III) (2016)

A-list Actors, Complex Storyline & Religious Overtones

[7/10 · 9 August 2023]

I was surprised this movie has an average rating of 4.5 in the UK. I rated it with a solid 7/10. Even without the A list actors this is an intriguing storyline with is told in a way that keeps you guessing until late on.

Ana plays 'Isobel' a deeply religious woman who is kind, caring and beautiful. Her husband dies in the US Army in active combat.

Heavy spoiler here. She is violently raped in a subway station by a police detective. She kills the detective by stabbing him in the back and he falls on the tracks and it killed by the train. Isobel suffers complete amnesia of this event and her brain replaces the horror with visitations from Angels.

Later she finds out she is pregnant and she tells everyone it was an immaculate conception and is shunned by her dead husbands family and loses her job at young children's school.

The police believe the detectives murder a result of his corruption and involvement with a drug dealer that he was shaking down. The police want to drop the case because not only would it be an embarrassment to the force but also his wife and children would lose the police pension.

In a final twist it is revealed that Isobel has been sexually abused by her father as a child which may explain her intense religious devotion.

The presence of the Angels at various times in the movie do creep you out. Especially when they start talking to her.

Certainly not a masterpiece but watchable.

A Violent Man (2022)

Amazing

[8/10 · 6 August 2023]

This film is amazing, incredible, fascinating and dark.

Craig Fairbrass deserves awards for his acting. He plays a psychopath. A man who feels no remorse for his actions. He is calm and calculating.

The film is set almost entirely in his cell. We see first hand how the UK prison system is broken and offers no rehabilitation. The complexities of the prison society are fully demonstrated.

I agree it may be hard to follow at times. The speech is provided mainly with a London accent and uses street and prison slang so you have to listen carefully.

There are scenes when Steve meets with his counsellor in his cell. There is a scene when he meets his brother in his cell. There is a scene in his cell when Steve imagines what he would say to his younger self. The most intense scene is saved for last when he meets his daughter.

The film starts with a murder and ends with a murder. Both take place in Steve's cell.

I have watched it twice and the film certainly leaves you will a sense of disquiet.

Bull (2021)

It has a happy ending!

[7/10 · 5 August 2023]

Bull Review: Brutally Violent.

You do not understand this film until the last scene. This is because the movie proceeds in the present but with regular flashbacks to the past to explain how we reached this point. I found the film very watchable. It's a revenge film on steroids. Don't read more if you want to avoid spoilers.

My impression is a young man nicknamed Bull, loves his son. His marriage has collapsed. His wife is using heroin and is unfaithful. His father-in-law is the head of a local organised crime gang. Bull is part of this gang which intimidates local businesses using violence and Bull is the most aggressive, no-nonsense man in the outfit.

The father-in-law is fiercely protective of his family and asks Bull to leave the marital home because that is what his daughter wants. Bull agrees to leave but says he must take his son with him because his wife will not be able to care for their son and he worries for his son's well-being.

This is not acceptable to the father-in-law. Bull is kidnapped and threatened. Bull does not agree to go quietly without his son. Bull vows he will kill all of them. The gang burn Bull alive in a caravan and bury his remains in a field. Whilst he is burning alive he manages to escape the caravan and is shot by his father-in-law which is witnessed by his son.

Ten-years later Bull returns from the dead and starts killing everyone linked with his murder. His concerns for his son were correct. His son is now a street junkie.

My impression is that he made a deal with the Devil to come back and bring new souls to hell. In the final scenes his eyes are black.

Bull's favourite weapon in the movie is a huge knife. He uses this effectively and without mercy or remorse. He is the anti-hero doing horrific acts but you are rooting for him. There are two particularly hardcore scenes. One in which he saws off a man's hand and then cauterises the wound over the gas stove. The other is when his mother has a fatal stab wound and he suffocates her to death to ease her suffering.

The film has a happy ending!

I'm not sure how the movie industry works. I never see films like this advertised at my local cinema. It has the feel of a low budget movie made for Netflix.

Neil Maskell's performance is excellent. He played a similar character in Utopia who showed no remorse with a more important aim in mind.

The Clovehitch Killer (2018)

Sociopathy Education - Single Not Double Thumbs Up.

[7/10 · 19 July 2023]

This is the story of a teenager who realises his father is a sociopath. The main positive of this movie is that it educates you about Sociopathy. Everyone should watch Mindhunter on Netflix which explains how Behavioural Sciences started and involved Director David Fincher.

There are some very graphic scenes which show how a sociopath has no remorse or feelings for their actions. Once his secret cache of trophies has been destroyed, he can no longer function sexually with his wife. He tries to avoid going back to killing people to obtain more photos by photographing himself dressed as a woman but when this does not give adequate results, he plans his next victim.

There is a clever twist in the film which adds interest.

The main downside here is that I don't think teenagers would behave in this way. It would be too much for them to cope with emotionally. Could a teenager really carry out the cover-up at the end so well, especially one who is so religious.

I live in the UK and I ask, is this a true representation of an American family? I have never met a family with so much religion in their daily lives.

This movie is definitely worth watching. I gave it a thumbs up on Netflix but not a double thumbs up.

The Lost Daughter (2021)

Would you leave your children if you met your soulmate?

[8/10 · 16 July 2023]

I find myself with the need to write a review of this film having just read the confusing featured review.

It is a very simple film with few characters set on a Cypriot Island.

A 48-year-old female Professor in language, translation and literature aims to go on a relaxing beach holiday by herself. She watches a young woman who has a challenging young daughter that clings to her 24/7 giving her no respite.

Suddenly the professor starts to remember her own life as a mother and the difficulties she faced looking after her 2 young daughters, one of whom was challenging and her husband offered little support.

There is a scene involving hitch hikers which highlights her deep love of words, poetry and culture. Her husband never finished school and does not share this love. The Professor meets a male hitchhiker who abandoned his children due to meeting his soul mate and lived a life in a free and fulfilling way with her.

Memories return showing that she met a fellow Professor at a conference and immediately developed a connection through their shared love of poetry and language. An affair begins. The woman is forced to make a choice between her daughters and her soulmate.

The Father (I) (2020)

Prepare for tears and a deep emotional experience.

[9/10 · 13 July 2023]

This movie it about a man who develops Alzheimers Disease and you experience its destructive progressive nature both for the main character played by Anthony Hopkins and those around him especially his daughter.

At times the movie is confusing which is an aim am sure to simulate the experience of the main character, but by the end you do make sense of it all.

The effect it has on his daughter played by Olivia Coleman is so sad to witness.

Topics of Euthanasia (mercy killing), verbal abuse and physical abuse are explored in a mild manner.

The recurrent sad theme of his daughter Lucy.

The soundtrack is amazing and I was shaken to my core when Cyrille Dubois Les Pêcheurs de perles, Bizet "Je crois entendre encore" was played and just pushed all my emotional buttons.

It explores how the disease is unpredictable and the sufferer can move between being entertaining, lucid and caring to someone who can say the most awful things without any remorse.

There are recurrent themes of his missing watch, his mistrust, his attempts to remember and make sense of his situation, his love of music, his ability to embellish stories, Paris, his chicken dinner.

At times I grew concerned he was going lash out physically without warning which is a common occurrence. So a sense of uncertainty is present.

The subtle changes of the layout of the flat, the changing lampshades and artwork. Moving anyone with AD out of their home is usually catastrophic in my experience.

When he says he feels like he has lost his leaves and starts sobbing it feels so realistic. A man who has some insight into what is happening. It is so frightening.

The film shows the immense job provided by carers and nursing homes and the skills they need to help people in this dreadful situation.

I have worked as a GP caring for people with AD in special dementia units and I have seen all the themes highlighted in this movie and many more.

I have recommended this movie to all my friends. It is not a feel good movie. I am so pleased movies like this still get made although they are becoming fewer in number.

I used to watch Olivia Coleman on the Peep Show and she has done so well to highlight her amazing acting talents.

I dot know why I don't give it 10/10, maybe because its not on level with Schindlers List.

I have tried not to be too explicit with my spoilers.

Black Mirror: Demon 79 (2023) Season 6, Episode 5

Hurray BM is Back At Last: Demon 79 Was Original, Nostalgic, Charming & Whacky.

[8/10 · 15 June 2023]

Just watched this episode of Black Mirror and being from England and being 10 years old in 1979 this episode hit the spot on so many levels. Do these episodes appeal to the US fans? Bandersnatch won an award after all!

This was not classic Black Mirror because it was not about the effects of technology on our lives or about the future, instead it's a chance for Brooker to relive some of his childhood memories and have a go at some comedy horror.

Overtones of the Dead Zone and the Waldo episode in terms of political campaigning. It's amazing how BM recreates the 1979 I remember, it must take major research especially with the look of the streets and shops with the mini making another outing in a UK show (Four Weddings). I remember skinheads, overt racism and concerns about nuclear war in England at the time. No Two Tribes from FGTH until 1984, but snippets of Boney M and Madness.

The question about whether the main character is having a psychotic break does get repeatedly asked. The scene at the police station really does bring home the absurdity of her story.

It's a good start to this new series and I am sure it's going to be another good mix of plots. Thanks to everyone involved with BM for bringing more of this unique entertainment to my life, I was worried it had ended.

After Yang (2021)

Touching. Thoughtful. Peaceful. Reflective.

[7/10 · 24 May 2023]

The Lobster, The Killing of A Sacred Deer, Banshees of Inisherin and After Yang. Colin Farrell just picks some quirky movies that I just love but are not for everyone.

Some overtones of the movie Her and the anthology series Black Mirror. Focusing on the interactions between humans and technology.

Great quotes,

There is no something without nothing.

What a caterpillar calls the end, we call a butterfly.

Original (? Ex-Machina) and hilarious synchronous dance scene in which the families of the main characters compete against each other.

Yang is an android. He is bought second hand to act as a sibling and mentor to Mika his adopted sister, but he has been altered and has an additional memory recorder, which may be spyware, which seems to be the source of his emotions (Bladerunner) but is likely the source of his malfunction. Echoes concerns of tech companies using cookie trackers in browsing history to sell us items and services.

Simple, polite, direct dialogue (The Killing Of A Sacred Deer). At one point I wondered if Jake was going to be an android husband for his wife.

It is a short film at 90 mins and has a great Cello score which adds to the melancholy vibe (Joker). Well worth a watch.