Ioreka Reviews

Wind River (2017)

Powerful

[9/10 · 26 November 2022]

Beautifully filmed, great atmosphere, and real depth to this piece. Characters are engaging and their backstories matter. The setting is desolate and gorgeous, and the soundtrack works. It's both an entertaining thriller and a thoughtful exploration of a number of important matters. Could have done with a little less gun violence, and the flashback to the crime was unnecessarily graphic. But those are judgment calls from the director and others will feel differently about those kinds of thing. I got completely caught up in the story, which was well told and well acted. Very, very moving in places.

The Next Three Days (2010)

Excellent thriller

[9/10 · 11 November 2022]

This film makes you care. You can't help but root for the protagonists and the tension is all the greater for that. Of course, a suspension of disbelief is required, but it doesn't ask too much of the viewer in that regard, and you do remain uncertain about how it's all going to turn out. The script is good, and the performances are terrific. Crowe puts in a terrific performance, and an absorbing atmosphere is created. It's also moving. You really feel for the situation that the family finds itself in and some of the sequences are very nearly tear-jerkers. I really enjoyed this. Terrific Friday evening thriller.

The Scapegoat (2012)

Great adaptation

[8/10 · 13 September 2022]

What a terrific adaptation. Beautifully played by the ensemble cast, in particular by the lead. This film entertains while providing plenty to think about. It's a little bit black and white, of course, with one character apparently wholly good, and the other apparently wholly bad. But the setup works and you get carried along with the relationships and the possibility of change. The direction is perfect, in particular in the way that it convinces the viewer to go along with the deceit of the main character finding no opportunity to get out of the situation until he starts to feel some affinity with his new 'family'. It's some trick to convince the viewer to go along with that. But it works and you can see him getting drawn in in ways that feel plausible. A thoroughly enjoyable film of a great story.

The Adam Project (2022)

Terrific

[9/10 · 10 September 2022]

Okay this is utterly brilliant. Funny, heartwarming, stupid, implausible, and thoroughly enjoyable. Some of the lines are spit your popcorn out funny, and there is a pervasive feelgood feel to the whole thing. The plot is daft, of course but that notwithstanding it somehow it manages to be mildly meaningful (like actual speculative fiction) and in places moving. The action sequences are fun. The characters are brilliantly cast and brilliantly played. The young Adam is terrific. And the relationship between young and old Adam is perfectly carried off by the two leads. I loved it. Great Friday evening film.

Kimi (2022)

Thoughtful and entertaining

[8/10 · 9 September 2022]

I enjoy Soderbergh films and this is very identifiably one of his. Great feel, great atmosphere, characters, and plot. Everything is enhanced by attention to detail. The film takes its time and develops into a really enjoyable thriller. We're never quite sure what's going on at a corporate level, but that doesn't really matter as it's obviously something fishy. The human stuff is engaging. The tech stuff is fun. The lead performance is excellent. Soundtrack and look are great. The portrayal of agoraphobia is convincing. And the film works towards a satisfying denouement. I do wish they'd put a character count feature on these dialogue boxes as sometimes it would help to know how many more characters are needed before the review can be submitted.

Anna (II) (2019)

Unengaging

[5/10 · 8 September 2022]

Diverting for a while but it's much too long and it's difficult to care what happens. Besson forgets that you have to have some sort of emotional engagement with the characters in order to make a film work, even this type of nonsense. No amount of plot twists can, in the end, make up for characters that add up to very little. The fight sequences are ludicrous. The constant flashbacks and leaps forwards make it feel as though the film was constructed by a precocious 12 year-old. Pretty much gave up on it with about 30 minutes to go, but watched through to the end because... we'll, I'm not sure why.

Alita: Battle Angel (2019)

Entertaining nonsense

[7/10 · 6 September 2022]

Entertaining futuristic sci-fi movie with a schmaltzy love story built in. The central characters are likable and the action sequences are fun. A sort of cyborg superhero film, with a Hanna feel to it. It's probably forty-five minutes too long, and a little bit tired in some aspects of the narrative. And there are some uncomfortably big leaps to keep the plot moving along. However, it kept me engaged to the end and you do care about what happens. Does have the feel of a pilot show for a TV series and it's one I might watch, should it ever happen. Worth watching on a big screen with surround sound turned right up.

Odd Thomas (2013)

Oddly brilliant

[8/10 · 14 August 2022]

Thoroughly entertaining. Funny, in places. Great characters. Great dialogue. Great action. A few good jump scares and some terrific action. Moments of scariness. A great love story.

Side Effects (I) (2013)

Entertaining psychological thriller

[8/10 · 12 August 2022]

This film is great. Great cast. Great characters. Great plot. A bunch of hocum, of course, but convincingly portrayed. Rooney Mara and Jude Law are excellent. Overall, exactly what I want from a film of this sort.

Pieces of Her (2022)

Miscast, messy, slow

[6/10 · 11 August 2022]

Quite an engaging story but the pacing is too slow in the flashbacks and the young Jane is credible neither as Toni Collette's character's younger self nor as a concert pianist. The acting is surprisingly uninspiring from all but Toni Collette and some of the dialogue is just poor. The daughter does a very good line in 'anxious'.

Inside Man (2006)

Diverting

[6/10 · 24 July 2022]

Overly long, overly 'clever', and not terribly convincing. Insufficient attention to character means it's hard to care very much what happens. Too much plot, not enough content.

Double Jeopardy (1999)

Diverting

[6/10 · 20 July 2022]

You have to get past the massive plot holes - the ones where you think 's/he would never have done that' - which are distracting. But it's a fun and entertaining 1990s style thriller.

State of Play (2009)

Superior political thriller

[8/10 · 19 July 2022]

Polished, entertaining, satisfying plot, and mostly well acted (only Helen Mirren doesn't fully convince). The pacing is good and the story hangs together, notwithstanding the somewhat overblown conspiratorial web upon which it is premised. Very enjoyable.

Underwater (2020)

Meh

[5/10 · 15 July 2022]

Starts off well, with fast-paced thrilling action. But it soon becomes clear it's just going to be a series of scary, actiony challenges that this group have to encounter. And there's not enough character development to make you care. Repeating "But you've got kids" and giving a character a Teddy bear just isn't enough.

A Civil Action (1998)

Thoughtful

[7/10 · 12 July 2022]

An understated, thoughtful film. It's well acted and the story is well told. Travolta and Duvall are terrific and believable. The story itself is also believable and evidently based somewhere in the real world.

Up in the Air (I) (2009)

Warm

[8/10 · 4 July 2022]

What a surprising, warm, thoughtful film. Well acted, great script, engaging plot. Really worth a watch. Some humour, yes. But comedy? Not really. There's some real depth to this.

The Ghost Writer (2010)

Thin

[5/10 · 18 June 2022]

Familiar Polanski feel, but a shallow plot, disappointing dialogue, unconvincing relationships, and not terribly well acted. Even McGregor doesn't look at ease with his character or accent. Really, take a look at the plot and it's wafer thin.

The Dry (2020)

Atmospheric

[8/10 · 28 March 2022]

Enjoyable, well told murder mystery linking past and present through engaging flashback memories. The drought enfused atmosphere is effectively used to create a compelling tone.

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)

So beautifully told

[9/10 · 26 March 2022]

A gorgeously told love story about a couple losing sight of each other and then struggling to find one another once more. The two leads are superb. Their portrayal of their relationship is utterly convincing. Loved it.

Alien Code (2018)

Lost interest

[5/10 · 14 December 2021]

Started well but lost its way big time. I find the trope-y 'brilliant, offbeat genius in full chaotic flow' thing irritating and there is a lot of that. Ultimately the plot and characters are not sufficiently strong to sustain the whole film.

Prospect (2018)

Character driven sci-fi

[8/10 · 1 December 2021]

What a surprising and rewarding watch this is. A properly crafted story, beautifully shot, and well acted. Reminds me of Firefly without the humour. Cee is a tremendous protagonist. Loved it.

Joker (I) (2019)

A parable concerning anomie

[9/10 · 6 November 2021]

Joker is an extraordinary piece of work. It's not really a Batman film. It's a parable. And Joaquin Phoenix's performance is mesmerising.

If you haven't watched it cos, like me, you're not particularly into Batman, do reconsider. It's not an easy watch, mind.

On Golden Pond (1981)

Just wonderful

[9/10 · 26 October 2021]

This film stands up to multiple viewings. Dialogue, characterisation, plot, soundtrack, cinematography - all just wonderful. There is so much depth to the story, and so many moments that you can relate to. And the additional interplay of father and daughter on and off the screen only serves to add to the richness. A real favourite.

Cruel Summer (2021–2023)

Remarkably entertaining

[9/10 · 21 October 2021]

I loved this series. It's well written with a compelling plot, properly developed characters, and a complete story that satisfyingly lasts the full ten episodes. The 'three days on consecutive years' structure is a great idea, and it is extremely well done. The story is told by flipping backwards and forwards as we find out more about the events at the centre of it all. The characters show real development, and the device of giving each year a different pallet of colours not only contributes to the mood of each phase of the story, but also helps you keep track of where you are. Absolutely loved watching this. And glad it came to a proper ending in one series.

Sicario (2015)

Del Toro is mesmerising

[7/10 · 8 October 2021]

Terrific soundtrack. The haunting, grating background music at moments of tension works really well. Not utterly convinced by Blunt's character, but Del Toro is terrific and carries the film. Worth a watch.