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Reviews
Last Sentinel (2023)
Claustrophobic and Well-Acted
This is an intense and well-acted drama concentrated in a claustrophobic environment. It follows the collapsing morale of 4 soldiers in a post-apocalyptic world stationed on a solitary tower or sentinel deep in the seas between the 2 remaining landmasses.
I won't detail the story suffice to say that it gripped me and that the actors inhabited their roles very well given the sparse confines and the relationships. If you are looking for a taut thriller which manages to create a worn-out and well-lived in world, this succeeds. Ignore the other reviewers here and instead delve into character-driven drama using a minimal script and spare directing. You won't be disappointed.
Y: The Last Man (2021)
Taut Writing and Direction
First episodes can be a little clunky or set-up heavy sometimes and that's ok. It can take a while for a series to bed in. Not so with the first episode of Y: The Last Man. The acting, writing and direction are all on point. The characters are well-fleshed out and introduced with interesting dimensions and character conflicts. The initial opening has a little of The Walking Dead feel to it but very quickly it rewinds back prior to the 'event' and several other characters are introduced in believable and well-written contexts which deepen the sense of doom and panic to come.
The main actors are given space to develop their characters and are spread across a range of social backgrounds. Diane Lane is merely the tip of a strong ensemble here and praise to everyone involved - dialogue and direction are taut and engaging without being overly dramatic or artful.
All in all, a very strong opening which has all the earmarks of a solid series to come.
The Man in the Hat (2020)
Charming Movie with a Sting in the Tail - SPOILERS
My first review here and felt compelled to add it after watching this movie.
On the surface this is a charming faux-travel movie where the titular character drives through a series of whimsical scenes with recurring characters reminiscent of the famous Monsieur Hulot. On one level this is dangerously close to a French travel advert. What lifts it however is a number of elements - not the least being Ciaran Hinds' presence, Stephen Dillane's mournful turn, and other vital cameos. The key however is the soulful picture of a woman Hinds places on the passenger seat of his Fiat 500 and also the desperately un-desperate pursuit of a motley crew in their Citroën Dyane. Hinds witnesses these characters pulling up and depositing what appears to be a corpse into the waters so in alarm flees from them. This flight is the core of the movie but it is a flight redolent with picnics, charming interludes, picturesque landscapes and inevitably a meeting with destiny.
It is a destiny only revealed at the end and which broke me.
The look on Hinds face in the final shot tells all and reveals the true weft of the movie: it is a serenade to his passing over and putting behind of his life. What was put into that water is all too obvious now and all the whimsy and beauty and loves he witnesses are to help him make peace and move on over that final river we must all cross over.
Am I reading too much into this movie? Possibly. Probably. But something in his face at the end and the fact the passport which is stamped bears no national markings makes me think not.