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Reviews
Paranoid (2016)
A fair to middling crime drama, but could've been much better.
I really wanted to like this as crime dramas are a favourite of mine. The premise is good, the locations are lovely, there is a good cast, but the writing is incredibly poor with stilted dialogue. The actors do their best with a hokey script, but poor direction does them no favours. I've seen all of the main actors in other things where they've had a chance to show how good they actually are. It's a pity they weren't utilized better. This passes the time in a vaguely interesting way, but it could've been so much better. Having just finished binge watching the really wonderful Unforgotten, Paranoid just can't hold a candle to the best of British crime dramas.
Spy (2015)
Very underrated spy spoof
Having read a number of 1 star reviews I'm amazed at how many people just didn't get this gem of a film. Either that or they've had a sense of humour bypass. I saw Spy in the cinema when it first came out and I haven't laughed so hard at a film in years. I have since seen it three or four times and still find it hilarious.
Some seem to have missed that it's a spoof, it's not trying to be Bond, Bourne or even Kingsman, it's taking the familiar tropes and turning them upside down to comedic effect. The cast are all excellent, with particular praise for Jason Statham and Peter Serafinowicz as a hard man spy who's really an idiot, and an Italian lothario agent, respectively. Statham's willingness to send himself up mercilessly is just brilliant. This is first and foremost a very funny comedy, but it also works as an action movie. The action sequences and stunts are well done and exciting and would not be out of place in a straight spy film.
Basically, don't believe the 1 star reviews. It's not Shakespeare, it's not trying to be, but it is a consistently funny spoof and well worth a view if you're looking for a bit of escapism.