sotheran57 Reviews

The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry (2023)

Points , long winded, predicatable

[4/10 · 25 May 2023]

My wife and I have just watched this film at the cinema. We were both unimpressed by it. He whole concept of Harold's walk was contrived to form the basis of a predictable five hundred mile journey on foot. Why didn't he use his car, the train or his bus pass? That would have made the tedium of the journey too brief. How could he walk that kind if distance in the same pair of every day shoes? The people he meets along the way are too 'convenient' or pointless to the plot. His life's background seen through flash backs if totally predictable as is the ending. Only the superb acting of the leads save the day.

Babylon (I) (2022)

Boring mess

[2/10 · 21 January 2023]

I went to see this film with my wife this afternoon and both of us came away with the thought that we had wasted 3 hours of our life!! From the overlong, pointless orgy scene at the beginning to the very end we were wondering what the point was. The story has been told before so very little new was offered. There were large sections that had no relationship to the story and the whole could have been reduced to a couple of hours at most. It was actually boring and had I been on my I would have left before the first hour. I found later that my wife was of the same mind. An example of its 'OTT' delivery was early on in the film. A large pick-up truck carrying an elephant ran away in reverse down a very steep winding track and the two from the vehicle in front ran down the hill and physically stopped the vehicle and its load!! Come on...! The rest of the film is made up of improbable situations. The rattlesnake sequence is right out of Indiana Jones (but Indiana doesn't have any pretences about being credible) I am amazed that anyone with any interest in cinema could give this overblown hodge-podge any credit. My two stars are offered out of kindness.

Emily (2022)

Concentrated tedium

[6/10 · 6 October 2022]

Over-long, plotless and pointless with a highly improbable, corny drawn out story line. If I had been on my own I would have left an hour and a half earlier!! Overall the acting was mostly wooden with fluctuating accents from main characters. There was far too much atmospheric thunder and heay rain (its not like that in Yorkshire!) in outdoor and some indoor sequences. Predicatble story. Filled with groan inducing cinematic cliches too numerous to list and discuss here. The six star rating is for the authentic looking interior sets and excellent lighting . I sure that I will soon forget it. But some might like it.

Crucible of Horror (1971)

What happened?!!

[1/10 · 28 May 2022]

I watched this film on TV lately. It is one of the worst films I have ever seen! The direction was laboured, the acting poor and what the heck was happening? It was simply pretentious clap trap and if anyone call tell me what it was about and what was happening I'd like to know.

Judy (II) (2019)

Long haul

[5/10 · 2 October 2019]

I have been to see this film today with my wife. We both found it a long haul due to its slow pace. We didn't expect a 'musical' so its not the lack of Garland's song book that was a problem. After the first 15 mins. or so we were fidgeting in our seats! Half an hour later, had I been on my own, I would have probably left; but we stuck it out. A lot of problems arose wondering what was fact and what was 'artistic' licence. The dialogue was stilted and unnatural. It had been adapted from a play which I am sure would have worked better, perhaps the playwright should have done the screenplay. We both regarded the experience as two wasted hours, but it was forgettable so we will do that - forget it.

The Ghost Train (1941)

Dated and disappointing

[2/10 · 30 August 2018]

I have just watched this film on Tv. It was terribly dated and very unentertaining! But styles have changed, though I can't see anything amusing in Arthur Askey's irritating presence and the whole film seemed to be a vehicle for his act. Possibly made at the apex of his dubious popularity. Some of the set pieces were acceptable even though everything else was obviously poor modelling. The story was convoluted and barely understandable. Thank goodness times have change!

The Shape of Water (2017)

Predictable, cliched missed opportunity.

[2/10 · 8 March 2018]

I saw this today after looking forward to it on the strength Guillermo's earlier films and very thoroughly disappointed. The idea had the makings of a fine story but was marred with a promenade of predictable characters and obvious denouement. There was the obligatory 'Baddy' (see Avatar), the good Doctor, the singularly unconvincing Russian agents, and peripheral characters who's final demise was inevitable. It was like watching a second rate western where you knew the outcome and inevitable characters - the baddies get their comeuppance, the good triumph above all and everyone else is there to add the usual type- cast figures in the goings on. How this won best film is unbelievable, the re must have been so pretty awful stuff out there.

Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri (2017)

Overhype

[5/10 · 17 January 2018]

My wife and I watched this film yesterday and were both disappointed. What had the makings of a very good, if not excellent, film was let down by series of improbabilities. Too much was going on!! and a lot of the 'action' was totally unnecessary and unrelated to what could have been a gripping movie. What the hell was the scene in the dentists about? Did we really need the exaggerated mannerisms and attitude of the 'bad' cop to show us he was a bad cop? What the hell was the scene by the lake with the kids add to the story? Was the appearance of the ex-husband and his girlfriend needed? What was the point of the brief encounter with the midget about?The rapist is overheard in the bar - earlier in the film the police officer refers to 'overhearing someone in a bar etc': excessive foreshadowing or what. I could go on and on, like myself and my wife did in our discussion but I think you'll get what I'm saying when you've seen it. Most of the acting was very good and the locations credible... but overall? No.

Billy Bathgate (1991)

One of Doctorows best stories

[12 January 2017]

I have been a Doctorow fan for a long time and have read most of his works. His book Billy Bathgate was given to me for a Christmas present and I read it three times in a few months. I had not seen the film but, again, I got it for a Christmas present this year. While I enjoyed the film the book was still fresh on my mind and I found, while a lot of the story was adhered to, the ending in the film was not as satisfactory as the book. It seemed to 'fizzle out' when I was expecting the final ironic twist in the tale. Also because the story is quiet complex I would expect that viewers who had not read the book might find the film a little bewildering. Loren Dean was certainly not up to the titular role - he just didn't seem to be a credible character and looked almost bemused by what was going on around him; in reality, I mean, not as the character. Dustin Hoffman was good as Schultz but did not have enough to do. Steve Hill as Otto, one of the important characters in the book, was excellent. Enjoyable with reservations. If you haven't, you must read the book.

Road Kill (2010)

Oh, dear!!

[1/10 · 15 March 2016]

Having a penchant for good horror films I started to watch this one by chance on the TV Horror channel but I am afraid that I didn't get very far.

What I watched of it led me to believe that the whole film is utter dross. From the very first opening scene with its obligatory sex content ... then it gets worse. I'm just glad that I didn't waste any more of my life watching it all!! Or, even worse, paid to see it in the cinema. How the heck could anyone make a film as bad as this? It has nothing to commend it - story line, acting, direction, shallow unbelievable characters, corny outdoor sets, predictability, nothing at all that I can think of... I gave it a 1 rating because there's no minus facility.

Taken (I) (2008)

Crass

[7 April 2013]

I have just watched this film on TV having made a point of missing it on the big screen - the awful trailer put me off! It is one of the worst, pretentious pieces of cinematic clap trap I have ever watched. Surely it is not trying to be a serious thriller. The plot line is clichéd, and predictable. The car chases likewise, the dialogue excruciating. It was like a third rate James Bond film without the humour. What ever was a well respected actor (Neilson) doing getting involved in this crass feature. Does he really need the money? It was as bad as the old Rambo films from Stallone, but at least we got what we expected from them. It seems that the film going public will watch anything today. This idea had the potential to become a superb, credible thriller. But what did we get? Avoid.

Brighton Rock (2010)

A poor show

[1/10 · 11 February 2011]

I saw this film last night and found it to be one of the most boring films I have seen in a long time (including 157 Hours!). It is dull, slow, predictable (I haven't seen the original), full of cinematic clichés, dated in style and poorly conceived. The story line is absurd, the acting talent wasted (check out those exaggerated, obligatory southern accents). The ultra close up direction soon becomes tedious after a while, and whatever was the mods and rockers situation there to add? Overall it is like watching a corny 50s British 'thriller', maybe this was intended but the director really should know that 'thrillers' have come a long way in the past 50 years. I am sure that it will die the death that it deserves.

The Next Three Days (2010)

unadulterated tosh

[4/10 · 6 January 2011]

A totally improbable sequence of escapades by the protagonist put this 'thriller' in the big yawn category. Most of what happens is beyond the means of the 'ordianry' guy. I mean who would try to duplicate prison keys (James Bond?...), how would a school teacher know where to locate all the counterfeit paperwork he needed? OK its supposedly on the internet but would Mr. Nice Guy have the courage to approach criminal low life coolly and calmly? If you analyse the film the flaws are endless. How many different wigs did the kid wear throughout filming.And the director ought to known that suspense is different thing to boredom. Ho hum...

The Optimists (1973)

good all round film

[7/10 · 21 October 2009]

I have seen this film a couple of times over the years and even though it is a little maudlin (most films with dogs and kids are) and, possibly, naive, it is very entertaining. Sellers does what I consider to be one of his best performances - up there with his rogue friend Terry Thomas in Tom Thumb. But being a Keaton fan it would have been wonderful to see him in the role with all his years of vaudeville and film experience. Can you believe young kids wandering the streets and befriending an old man? I wonder if PC would allow this kind of thing to be produced today... It has no pretensions, just good story telling. Well worth a watch without deep analysis.

Barry Lyndon (1975)

an opportunity missed?

[3/10 · 2 June 2007]

I was enthusiastically recommended Barry Lyndon by a friend who loaned me a video of it insisting that I must see it. Now its not often that I don't watch a film through but, unfortunately, this was one. I struggled through 'part one' then turned off the machine somehow feeling that I had lost a large proportion of my life! Undeniably beautiful to look at (but not for three hours...) astonishingly wooden acting by some (whatever was Ryan O'Neil doing in there?), seriously corny and intrusive musical score (God! That corny Irish theme!! and couldn't the army bandsmen play anything but British Grenardiers?), poorly scripted and unnecessarily detailed to the point of tedium. Kubrick should have left this well alone and stuck to what he excelled at.. What might David Lean have done with it? Still you can't win 'em all and others will love it.

Beyond the Sea (2004)

debatable quality

[4/10 · 22 October 2005]

I have been a Darin fan since around 1959 after obtaining a copy of the LP 'Darin at the Copa' so I looked forward to the film. What a let down...I saw it on release in London and have just watched it again tonight. The whole has little going for it - the Darin-Dee Italian episode, for example, was toe curling embarrassing, the chronology was all wrong and Darin's massive ego did not come across. Some of the musical numbers were good especially the authentic looking 'Copa scenes, I'm sure that the photo on the 'Darin at the Copa' cover must have been referred to by the set designer! I'm not sure that Darin indulged in big show/dance numbers as shown. Any one not familiar with Darin as an artist might wonder what's going on a lot of the time. I won't say anything about Kevin Spacey's age problem (Darin was 23 when he first appeared at the Copa), but, and this is a shot in the dark, why wasn't Edward Norton considered as a lookalike?! Pretty poor effort overall. Oh!,and it came thirty years too late...

The General (1926)

Possibly the best

[10/10 · 31 July 2005]

As a film buff and a Keaton fan I have seen The General many times and I consider it to be one of the best films ever made. Considering its age (1927)it is as fresh today as it must have been on its release. So much has been written about it, and Keaton, it is difficult to enthuse without repetition, but anyone who hasn't seen it has a visual feast in store! The story is told logically with astonishing, faultless continuity. Photography, direction, acting are all impeccable. I never cease to be astonished by Keaton's amazing graceful stunts, mostly accomplished on a MOVING train. It took skill and courage to fall backwards onto the cowcatcher of a moving locomotive while holding a railway sleeper (tie) in his arms. And the ridiculous little figure sitting on the con rod as the train moves into the engine shed is my favourite piece of any film. I have recently updated my copy with a new remastered version on DVD including a new orchestrated sound track and tinting. I would strongly advise anybody interested in cinema to get themselves a copy and relish the experience... Definitely 10/10!

Curse of the Demon (1957)

one of the best

[29 July 2005]

I saw this film first time around in- 1957 I think - and,as a teenager, was very impressed then. It stands out as a veritable oasis in the desert of 50s 'B'movies! I have watched it several times over the years and every time I do I never fail to be drawn into the creepy atmosphere. It may be of interest to other viewers that the 'monster' that appears at the end to dispose of Karswell was tagged on to the finished film at the behest of Hollywood moguls who thought that (at the time) without it the story was, visually, too subtle... I wonder... There are some set pieces - the Lockheed Constellation 'plane etc.- that date it, but as a film of its time and specific genre I would rate it very highly. Possibly 8/10? Might I suggest that interested parties read the original M. R. James short story 'Casting the Runes'?

Greed (1924)

Stroheim at his most powerful...

[14 April 2002]

I saw GREED a few years ago at a, now closed, 'Art' movie theatre in Sheffield. Having been a a silent screen buff for a number of years I had seen tantalising snatches of Greed and had read a great deal about it. But nothing of this prepared me for the experience. Even in it's canibalised form (from it's 42 reel glory to 2 hours) it's impact is tremendous. It should preferably be seen on a large screen. The final scene in the desert is one of the most powerful images in all of cinema. What a pity Hollywood moguls couldn't - and still can't - keep their financial fingers out of the artistic pie... Anyone seriously interested in von Stroheim should get hold of a copy of 'Von Stroheim' by Thomas Quinn Curtiss (1971)