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Reviews
The Holdovers (2023)
It was Watchable but could have been......
For me this film took a little while to get going but once it did I found it to be watchable, yet nothing to shout and scream about - and this in just my opinion.
When I provide my take on a film, I will not go into the cinematography, the Direction, whether the cast was right/wrong, the costumes, the editing etc..... I will just be brief in my experience and what could have been done better and then my score out of 10.
The Holdovers:
I can relate a little to storyline setting as I myself went to a boarding school but I was born in the late 70's and the film is taking place in 1971, so that's where the comparisons end.
Now to the film, the characters were okay, but truly nobody stood out for me, and so I couldn't feel any drawn connection to any character as a result.
The story being told was enough to get you to understand exactly what was going on, but for me they could have gone so much deeper into the emotions of each of the 3 main characters... (SPOILERS NEXT)
The effects of stress/trauma to the lead boy being played by Dominc Sessa was not told at any point until it was only revealed much later and towards the end of the film, this could have been introduced into the story much sooner for me, even if it was seeing him taking the medication pills.
The alcoholism of the main character played by Paul Giamatti, it was made obvious that this was happening and I feel again they could have included shots of him sleeping and speaking/shouting during dreaming, maybe words which would indicate the events that led to his expulsion from when he was at Harvard..... Again this was not really explained until much later, so, you just got the impression his excessive drinking was due to stress and the School itself, this could have been developed better for me and you could then be empathetic to his character.
Lastly the Grief of "Mary" who was played by Da'Vine Joy Randolph... I felt it was almost shoe horned in her parts of this film and they were not powerful enough. A mother's bond with their child is truely unique with a love that cannot be replaced/replicated, and for me, mentally she should've still been an emotional wreck but she was not given the screen time to truely show this. I remember the moment when she is sat on an armchair, having a cigarette and a whiskey whilst watching comedy TV on the TV set but there was no photo of her son on her person, whether her lap, her on her lap or her hand or on the chair.. Yes they included the feeling of loss & grief but not neearly enough in a true way for m.
This could've been a far more emotional viewing experience but for me, it wasn't
At best I give 6.5/7 out of 10.
Page Eight (2011)
An MI5 espionage caper, a certain worthy watch
I will continue my review trend of not using big words or make believe. I watch every film unbiased.
Bill Nighey & Michael Gambon are brilliant for me, the epitome of what I believe to be aging MI5 top brass. I'm in my 40's & have watched so many British films and in my viewing of this film, I enjoyed it. I had a feeling of wanting a just a little bit more and I think they could have added length to this to make it a 8 or 9 out of 10. It gets a 7/10 for me which I'd Good!
The cast is perfect in their selection, whether for their sophistication, ace t dialogue but best of all for me, they're all rightly cast.
I got a sense of the Thomas Crown affair meets the Ipcress File. 7/10 for me.
The Whale (2022)
Conflicting emotions felt throughout, great story
It has been quite sometime (long since I can even remember tbh) that each & every character/actor played their role(s) in a film so well. I watched The Whale knowing that the lead actor Brendan Fraser had already won the Oscar for his performance but I did not want my experience to be swayed by this. I was not disappointed.
This story was very good and directed very well (also in 4:3 ratio) and my emotions were certainly put through a mental blender, I felt an array of feelings; disgust, understanding, compassion, sorrow, hope, sadness the list goes on. My biggest gripe was that it could've been at least 25-30 mins longer which I suppose confired my enjoyment of this film. A strong 8/10 from me.
RRR (Rise Roar Revolt) (2022)
Loved It!!!
It has been a number of years since I've what's something that has gripped me as much as this film has, the drama the suspense the action the cinematography everything about this film it's just absolutely superb (although admittedly I watched this in English with English subtitles but my laziness aside this is a brilliant film). Friendship, love, deceit, heartache, freedom it had it all all. I'm not an historian, so cannot prove any truth to how the British Empire has been depicted here, but if there is an ounce of truth, I am so truly sorry for those that suffered from this. A***** 9/10 from me.
Mike Tyson: Undisputed Truth (2013)
What an eye opener
I've loved Mike Tyson the boxer from the very 1st time I remember watching him during my tennage years back in the nineties. I'm from a rural town in England a million miles from Brooklyn New York and a million miles from the "gutter" as Mike would call it. To this day the media in the UK does its best to put people up on high down to the depths of despair and Mike alike so many others was never portraid to be anything other than an "animal" from my memory. IgNorant to media I could care less and ignored bad publicity because in my eyes Mike was a phenom a unique once in a millennia gift from the so called God above. An unmatched raw talent with electric speed and god like power that instantly made me a fan and gradually in a short space of time would see him rise to the top of the tree in my own "best boxer" pecking order.
Yet who is Mike Tyson, what was his life like and would the "baddest man on the planet" ever share his story.
Luckily Yes and he has. Whether you want to or not there is a lot to like and in some love about Iron Mike and you will be pleasantly surprised in Mike,s one man show delivery that he seems to be a natural. There may be profrainity and there may be violence described (within moderation) but hearing the story from the man himself may put all those sad sad doubters to bed. 9/10