christopherlewisprice Reviews

My Name Is Alfred Hitchcock (2022)

An interesting video essay into Hitchcock

[7/10 · 23 July 2023]

This film will undoubtedly become a must-watch for film students. Watching it makes it clear that Hitchcock was a true pioneer, and many filmmaking techniques originated from his creations. Also the sheer volume of work he produced was immense.

As someone who isn't a film student, I probably felt that some parts were a bit wasted on me, and I would have preferred if it ended 20-30 minutes earlier. Occasionally, it seemed like there wasn't enough source content, resulting in repetitive shots of Hitchcock's photographs.

However, apart from that, the production was excellent, and I gained valuable insights into Hitchcock's films. It is definitely more of an essay about his work than it is an insight into his person. The narration by Alistair McGowan was excellent and the film is a fitting tribute to an historic man.

Air (I) (2023)

A very long Nike Advert

[4/10 · 13 May 2023]

I wonder if in 40 years from now, they will make a film about how some marketing guy from Nike offered a lot of money to some producers in Hollywood to make a film about how another marketing guy from Nike offered a load of money to Michael Jordan to put his name on their sneakers.

In all seriousness, is it any surprise that Hollywood screenwriters are worried about AI taking their jobs when they write the same cliché after cliche and follow the exact same formula of every film. It's Like some Hollywood big wig asked Chat GPT to "write me a screen play about sponsoring shoes and make it sound interesting."

The idea that Nike were some small unfashionable brand in 1984 is as ludicrous as the idea that Michael Jordan signed with Nike for any other reason other than them offering the best deal.

Saint Omer (2022)

2 angey hours

[1/10 · 10 February 2023]

I've dimmed the light on my phone so as not to offend anyone sitting behind me that is not asleep already.

But I'm so bored in the cinema that I thought I owe anyone planning to watch this film a favour: spare yourself two hours. Cut your nails, paint your walls, or go to an actual court case.

One thing is for sure...if you are looking for a court room drama, then you will not find it here. You will find more drama in any court anywhere in the country.

IMBD won't let me post this yet because I need more characters so here is one final sentence about how this film is boring. Very boring. Very very boring.

Still not quite there yet.

I'm sure somewhere in Paris there is a room.full of boring people talking about how amazing this film was.

Armageddon Time (2022)

Felt like black comedy without the comedy

[6/10 · 20 November 2022]

This film tangled with some difficult subject matters and themes: Privilege, guilt, the American Dream, the role of the family, intergenerational aspirations, Ronald Reagan, an odd out of context trump family cameo, structural racism, antisemitism, immigration, classism... the list goes on.

In the process, the film stayed tangled. It tried tackling too many themes without really exploring any in great detail, instead listing a catalogue of issues in late 70s America.

The nostalgic nods to The Sugar Hill Gang, large spectacles and early Apple computers didn't provide much of a light break from the overtly serious subject matters. There was little humour at the dinner table and not much happened away from the dinner table, except the smoking of a spliff and the theft of a computer. Ultimately, if If I wanted to watch grainy old videos of a disfuncional family eating dinner, I have plenty of my own.

Although the plot felt muddled, it did have some heartwarming moments, most of which come from Anthony Hopkins- one of the only likeable characters in the film.

I think this film will ultimately go into the cannon of arty, fairly boring American films trying to win Oscars, by portraying "gritty topics." The writing made some of the acting feel awkward and I'm not sure I would've finished it had I not been in the cinema.

The Terminal List (2022– )

Why do they keep making things so dark?

[8/10 · 3 July 2022]

For the life of me, I can't understand why producers of shows and films these days make things so dark it's almost impossible to watch. It's so dark that I had to maximise the brightness on my screen to the point that it distorted the colours. I mean, why spend millions on action sequences and explosions that your audience can hardly see. And then who conducts interviews in dark rooms... A doctors surgery? Turn the lights on Doctor. The bar- I'm surprised they don't miss their mouths. This whole series, you can only ever see one half of Chris Pratt's face, because the other half is covered in shadow's. It's not creating mystery- it's just annoying.

Anyway, other than that - it was a pretty good show.

The Northman (2022)

Very long and very dark

[5/10 · 22 May 2022]

Or perhaps my attention span is getting shorter and my vision poorer. .

There were some good suspenseful moments and action scenes, but there were also some moments that were more Monty Python Holy Grail than it was the Viking Gladiator.

I'm not quite sure what was going on with the accents either.

The Pentaverate (2022)

Austin Powers without his mojo

[6/10 · 20 May 2022]

As a huge fan of Myers, I really wanted to enjoy this. It had all the nostalgia of Austin Powers and I enjoyed some of the absurd gags, stupid dad-joke one-liners and even the gratuitous sex and nudity. Unfortunately, the one-liners or dad-jokes haven't stuck in my head, meaning my only parting memory is of the "button in the bush" from the last episode.

I hope this isn't the last we see of Myers and that he gets his mojo back soon.

If you like his style of comedy, then you will tolerate this as I did, with the odd chuckle here or there.

If you are not too familiar with his earlier work, I will forgive you for not enjoying this in the slightest.

Time (2021– )

Fun, cheerful and lighthearted viewing...

[10/10 · 23 December 2021]

... is what you need after you finish this bleak affair.

Stephen Graham and Ned Stark face one impossible choice after the next as they try and navigate the treacherous terrain of her majesty's prison service.

This show is dark and so not for everyone, but then again - as this show demonstrates, neither is prison!

If however, you enjoy your shows to be gritty with realism, complex moral hazards, nuanced character arch's and a complicated exploration of everything from mental health to criminal justice and redemption, then you will find this show faultless. (Albeit somewhat depressing)

Late Night (2019)

Predictably unremarkable

[5/10 · 23 December 2021]

This film tried to follow a fairly predictable formula... neophyte underdog is able to overcome adversity and save a fledgling institution from its own stagnation through bringing fresh ideas.

The biggest problem with this though is how unlikeable Emma Thompson's character is. She fires staff spuriously, refers to other staff as numbers and has had an affair with a junior member of staff. The biggest problem with the institution is not the writers, it is her.

Instead, Emma Thompson's character gets her redemption and the institution is saved, but nothing is said about the characters she fired for no reason.

Dopesick (2021)

The pharma-industrial complex

[9/10 · 18 December 2021]

Though the book behind this series was written long before covid was even a word, it serves a stark reminder that both large pharmaceutical companies and their 'independent' regulators are not always acting in our best interests.

This is a story of how corruption and greed has led to the other biggest epidemic ravaging America at this moment. Well acted and heartbreaking - a must watch.

Click & Collect (2018 TV Movie)

One thing jarred me about this...

[9/10 · 17 December 2021]

...It didn't look anywhere near cold enough to be Christmas Eve. I mean, driving in an open golf buggy through Carlisle in late December (without gloves on) and in an elf suit without gloves.... I reckon it was filmed around late September at most. (Probably wasn't Carlisle either!)

Otherwise, this is a stupidly and brilliantly festive, full of Christmas spirit and only 53 minutes!

Merry Christmas! 🎅 🎄 .

The Outlaws (2021– )

Original dramedy by Stephen Merchant

[7/10 · 24 November 2021]

After watching this, I still maintain that Merchant & Gervais write better stuff together than alone. Merchant writes funnier gags, but Gervais creates deeper and more believable characters.

The Outlaws is funny and it is enhanced by an excellent soundtrack and strong overall background plot. There is some clunky and over engineered dialogue at times, but overall a solid and very watchable show.

Seaspiracy (2021)

Shock-spiracy

[6/10 · 4 April 2021]

I have to credit the filmmaker for presenting some shocking discoveries about some of the worst excesses of the fishing industry. I will certainly rethink my food habits and be far more mindful of the fishing supply chain when choosing to eat sea food in the future. I hope too that NGOs and regulators take note... Consumers need to be able to make better informed decisions when presented with "sustainable food" stickers. We must have clearer definitions of what sustainable means and the regulators must be more transparent.

However, I cannot ignore my inner skepticism when I hear stats banded around unsubstantiated. This is shock journalism and one where absolute truth is substituted for the "story truth." Cartoon reconstructions of guns firing and images of bloody seas substitute well referenced facts. That jarred for me and meant I spent most part of the film, pausing to fact-check on my phone, or at least view sources to validate claims made in the film. Many of the claims are valid, but some should be taken with a pinch of salt.

It is an important documentary and one that will inevitably achieve its ultimate goal, which seems to be recruiting vegans. Whether veganism is in itself a sustainable or realistic long term solution to the problems the film addresses, I believe more evidence is needed.

The Best of Enemies (2019)

Great Sunday film

[9/10 · 28 March 2021]

Highly recommend watching this film on a Sunday with your loved ones and a glass or two of wine. Have a little tear at the end and then wake up on Monday ready for your week ahead, with the sense that there is always more that unites us than divides us and that it is never too late to do the right thing.

News of the World (2020)

Goodies, baddies, cowboys and Indians!

[7/10 · 23 February 2021]

If you like the Wild West genre and you like Tom Hanks, you will like this film. It's a difficult film not to like.

Potentially, there is something in there a bit deeper about the origin of newsreaders and news bias.... pandering to your audiences, so you can leave alive etc.

Either way, it's worth the two hours

Killing Eve (2018–2022)

Very good

[7/10 · 30 January 2021]

Jodie Comer, is fantastic as the psychopathic assassin Vilanelle. The show is original, new and disruptive to the genre- part comedy, part catch a killer.

The goofy plot holes and Vilanelle's seeming ability to teleport around Europe undetected is overlooked by the humour, dialogues between interesting characters and great acting.

However, by seasons 2 and 3 these plot holes start to jar a bit and the originality starts to fade. I have no doubt they will continue to try and milk every last penny out of this series, but I think artistically they should quit while they are ahead.

Santa Clarita Diet (2017–2019)

Weird, absurd and wonderful

[8/10 · 30 January 2021]

This show was great fun- A very weird and original mutation to the "undead" genre.

The Great Escapists (2021)

I'm sure it was fun to film... it wasn't to watch

[4/10 · 30 January 2021]

I feel this could have been good. It clearly had a huge budget, know-how and a great setting, but it just fell completely flat. The only redeeming quality is the dessert island setting.

They don't go in to any depth explaining how things are made or what the things are making actually do, because they spend 70% of the time on stupid cutaways and daft acting sketches.

Killing Eve (2018–2022)

Fresh, different and unique

[7/10 · 28 January 2021]

This series was so different when it came out, but after 2 series becomes a bit samey. Still very enjoyable

Outer Banks (2020– )

The sort of show that's best to watch when not paying too much attention

[5/10 · 28 January 2021]

Nice scenery, visuals and good music in the teen swashbuckler genre- wants to be the goonies with six packs.

Feels like they didn't have enough storyline for all the episodes so packed it out with loads of guff.

We are supposed to believe these are kids even though they all look well in their mid to late twenties.

It's easy to watch if you are not paying much attention, such as if you are working from home.

The Serpent (2021)

Well shot but grim viewing

[7/10 · 28 January 2021]

The show is superbly shot and well acted, but makes for grim viewing because of the nature of the show.

You can only imagine how horrific it would've been for naive backpackers off on a self-finding adventure only to find themselves being manipulated by The Serpent.

It feels "Catch me if you can" meets 'Hannibal Lecter.'

Blown Away (2019– )

A new meaning to the term "glory hole"

[8/10 · 27 January 2021]

Reading some reviews, I find it odd that some people watched the whole show and then gave it a poor review because they didn't agree with who won.

Art is always going to be divisive, particularly when it is political and I appreciate people don't like to be preached to. But even if you don't agree with the politics, you must admire the phenomenal craftsmanship that has gone into creating the artwork.

I think the show would benefit from more explanation on some of the techniques during the creation process. There are some great fire shots and shots of molten glass, but would be nice to have a bit more insights into what is going on.

The Undoing (2020)

Hugh dunnit?

[9/10 · 14 January 2021]

I thought this was very well acted. There is never really any doubt "who dunnit" as the series develops. However, because Hugh Grant is playing his usual charming, witty rom-com self, you don't want it to be him. I guess such are meant to be the allures of a charming sociopath.

Mulan (2020)

Worth watching

[8/10 · 14 January 2021]

I nearly didn't watch this because the reviews were so bad. But I actually quite enjoyed it.

Lupin (2021– )

Watchable and fun but full of gaping plot holes

[6/10 · 14 January 2021]

The show is good, fun and well acted as long as you don't take it too seriously. Otherwise you will find yourself falling down crater sized holes in the plot.