somersetboy Reviews

The Patient (2022)

BORING DRIVEL AFTER A PROMISING FIRST EPISODE

[4/10 · 20 January 2023]

Started off great. I was hooked in, or so I believed, after the first episode. This feeling dissipated very quickly after the second and third episode. I even did not bother after that. It is properly self-indulgent tosh. I tried to see an episode further along just to see if I was wrong in boycotting The Patient. But no, I was right to not bother with this. It is drivel.

The story is believable That is not the issue. The pace, dialogues, etc are not captivating. I could not care less about the main character who is imprisoned. The villain of the story is neither interesting nor is there anything that makes you curious about what is going to happen next. There are a lot of slow pauses that break the flow. Overall it is astonishingly "un"captivating.

Halo (2022– )

Very Impressed With This Halo Adaptation

[10/10 · 8 June 2022]

I am truly surprised to see an excellent adaptation. It is very exciting to watch as the overall feel is excellent. The narrative is very good. The character of John 117, Master Chief Petty Officer, is surprisingly played by the brother of Ray Donovan fame and the Leprechaun from American Gods, Pablo Schreiber. This is an excellent choice. He is fantastic in bringing emotions and likability to anything or anyone he plays. Brilliant! The overarching stories that are building are good and gives options for many seasons and many plot twists in the future. Plenty to build on. Why did they not do this earlier? My generation who played Halo a lot will feel a tingling down the spine as it fleshes out stories and familiar locations well. Next season is definitely worth waiting for.

UPDATE: I am truly enjoying the Season 2. Shabna Azmi, along with the mindset she represents, is truly an impressive presence giving greater depth to the story. I would not have imagined seeing Shabna Azmi and Pablo Schreiber in the same frame together. Makes earth as a planet seem like a small place! A "Covenant" is a contract we have with something higher. With our creator. So the use of the word in games and a lot of mention of it in these serial is interesting to note. I only had the games to connect with before, however, with season 2, and any more seasons they may do in the future , this series has become a story in its own right that all can connect with and enjoy.

Foundation (2021– )

A Very Good Attempt At Asimov - Highly Recommended

[10/10 · 18 October 2021]

This to me is a very good attempt. Enough changes to keep Asimov fans guessing! I hope it keeps the overall values and import of Asimov. Originally, Asimov does not have ideas of free market in his books. It is always centralised power, autocracy etc. So that bit is shown authentically. The changes are nice and keeps past readers guessing. These episodes are very good in its own right. I bet 95% of the views have not read any of the original works of Asimov, in any case.

The quality of production is as high as it can be. It is cinematic and at par with Dune etc. There is a slight tendency for not much progress happening in some episodes like the episode 05 that just transpired. There is a lot of story to tell, so there is not much money that is saved by simplifying the story or by not progressing the story. I can understand that the storyboard can get very complex but the viewers are equally hungry for a full blast of Asimov complication. I am sure this Foundation episodes and seasons will be remembered as a classic for a long time to come.

Star Trek: Picard (2020–2023)

No Warp Speed?

[6/10 · 1 March 2020]

Would Picard like to do his missions in slow ships without warp drive? Great story told very awkwardly and slowly. It often jumps to keep pace but ultimately disatisfies with short episodes that are over before the story moves forward to a satisfying degree. Picard feels old but very likeabe. Without him I would not have bothered watching. All the characters are cool. The pace of the story is geriatric. It takes a more grown up look with mild adult harshness which is quite a welcome as opposed to shallow, gay playfullness with intergalactic planet destruction. Also, strange French accent creeps in sometimes. Nowhere near the quiality of The Mandalorian. I would still recommend it with the above caveats.

1917 (2019)

Quite Possibly the Best Picture and Best Cinematography Oscar

[10/10 · 19 January 2020]

This would be my favourite to win quite a few Oscars. We cannot forget the First World War. We just must not. Never. Our Western society is built on certain values and we faught and died for it. We defeated the Ottoman Empire with great difficuty so we may enjoy the freedoms and values we have today. This movie captures that. Well done for a gripping, edge of the seat movie that I can never forget!

Joker (I) (2019)

Cinematic Classic! Heath Ledger would be Proud of This.

[10/10 · 9 October 2019]

This is an incredible achievement. It has the much needed depth for modern day movies and is equally gripping. The origin of Joker is as poignant as the origin of Batman himself. The seemingly unsmiling Batman who wants order does need, and indeed does depend on the equally mighty force of laughter and chaos that comes to be the Joker. The descent into disorder, the hatred of the successful, etc. is all seamless. I am truly glad that this movie held on to its darker tones as it is, after all, a dark Batman and Joker story. Order and Chaos. Bring it on. I do sincerely hope that they continue with this storyline and we see more of this intense stuff. 10/10 from me. Not 9. Not 9.9 but a full 10 out of 10.

Ad Astra (2019)

A Better Movie: What is Meaningful in Life?

[9/10 · 22 September 2019]

This is a moive showing that the most meaningful things in life are basic relationships like promises between husband and wife, and the father who sacrifises career glory and better prospects to stay with his family. Of course, in the movie, Tommy Lee Jones chose the latter, puts work first. Puts career and human society first, over and above his son and wife. The son is not a total failure. The movie is told from the son's POV. It is entirely and consistently. The son, Brad Pitt, is there is every scene. He is there on screen almost continously.

The son has done his best (in life), but there is a gaping hole in his heart because of which his relationship with his wife is also flawed in the same manner. He puts his work above his wife. His father is his ideal, his source of meaning to life.

He can feel his father and slowly he finds the hole in his heart is too big to fill without finding his dad, whereupon the mission becomes a personal quest, more than duty.

Now watch the movie with just this premise and you will find how deeply meaningful this movie is. There is ugliness in equal measure as there are clear depictions of ugliness in beautiful backdrops. Only failing of the movie is the distracting technological backdrop. There is a reason for this as scientism and positivism is taking hold in our society despite Nietzsche's warning.

This is a must watch.

Thanks for reading.

Glass (2019)

Empty Glass

[4/10 · 20 January 2019]

I was engrossed in the movie and the movie felt more and more empty as it plodded along. James MacAvoy saves the movie, but again the build-up is lacking in substance and not enough to make the movie going experience complete. The whole movie is underwhenlming.

Mr Shyamalan comes accross as self-indugent and full of himself. The references to comics and archetypes are superficial and not deep enough. I am assuming that Mr Shyamalan has read about Jungian archetypes, well, where is the impact in the story? All the characters, and their depth is ultimately wasted. As a viewer I felt betrayed, and my time invested in analysing the depth of characters taken for granted, and trodded upon. Lazy ending, and a shame. There is also a play on morality which is all a bit bizzare.

So I cannot give it more than a 5. Bizzare and creepy camera angles and positioning is, well, just creepy and not lending itself to the storyline. It seems like it has a purpose for the first half of the movie and then it gets annoying.

All the McAvoy clips should be put together into a 15 min reel and it would have bilions of views on Youtube. Other than that this movie is just rubbish.

If there is another Mr Shyamalan movie, I might give it a miss. Thanks for reading.

Under the Silver Lake (2018)

Quite Unique and Compelling

[8/10 · 10 December 2018]

When we started watching, both my wife and I felt hooked in. It is a movie that makes yu fee the disenchantment of the young man, the protagonist. This is done through surreal visuals, dome great camera work and expert directing.

I highly recommend this movie for its uniqueness. Well many reviewers appear to have been reminded of Muholand Drive, but it is less heady and more surreal. It can draw you in even more. It has a floaty feel. The name aso suggests water. There are false climaxes and dead ends in the movie. It is quite clever and unique. First I thought that they were flaws, then I realised that they are al intentionaly there. Many layers of meaning unravel long after you finish watching this movie. Very clever indeed.

Thanks for reading.

Nativity Rocks! (2018)

Good Amateur Film That My Children Loved......but Extreme Pro Leftist Agenda

[6/10 · 2 December 2018]

Technicaly very good filmmaking made with iphones probably and edited on a laptop. I am actually very pro amateur filmmaking. So this gets a 6/10 for that. It gives us all hope that very good talents and an iPhone is all you need to make a good movie. One that even gets released in the cinemas accross the country. It gives young and new filmmakers a hope for the future. Great!

As a parent I found it tedious to sit through but enjoyed the occassional silliness. My children, however, absolutely loved it. It is a very British, locay identifiable movie for them.

Now the hugely leftist agenda of the movie. Nothing wrong with that. Except that it is very clever to package it within a conservative sounding movie title such as 'Nativity Rocks'.

Interestingly, the immigrant Syrian is very 'christian', occidental (looks very much like a Norwegian or Swedish), rock song singing, guitar wielding, etc. etc. It was all very bizzare... and Christmassy. So its all good.

Look, it might feel like torture, but the children are going to love it. We were forced to choose this as The Grinch had run out of tickets. Actually, I keep thinking that the children seemed to have enjoyed this more than the multimillion dollar Grinch as we eventually got to see that a week later. Interestingly, the Grinch is also played by a Brit. There are a couple of tear jerkers in the Grinch but the sheer silliness and constant verbosity and action of Nativity Rocks made it a winner with my chidren.

Thanks for reading.

Addicted to Porn: Chasing the Cardboard Butterfly (2017)

Stopped Watching This Tedium 20 Minutes In

[2/10 · 22 June 2017]

My childhood Catechism classes were way more interesting than this dribble. Humans are social. Porn is so old school. Today couples may share their intimate moments with other couples or anyone interested to watch through video uploading and sharing. A loner might record themselves touching themselves and upload it for another loner to watch and touch themselves. This is a strongly social motive. This documentary is a pseudo-documentary, archaic and appalling.

Humans are well, very human. Get over it.

The Young Offenders (2016)

Fantastic Little Gem of a Movie

[9/10 · 13 January 2017]

I expected some comedy, but this was hilarious fun. There is pace and action not dissimilar from Guy Ritchie movies. It reminded me of Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels on a much lighter tone and probably twice as funny.

I absolutely loved the stylised but down to earth storytelling, and the narrative. I hope the director/writer come up with more stylised comedy like this. It is not filled with gratuitous violence. It is definitely recommended viewing.

I have given it an enthusiastic 9 because I have not laughed so much in a while. It would have still been a 7 if I laughed 50% less!!

Spectral (2016)

I Am Going With 10 out of 10 Stars!!

[10/10 · 12 December 2016]

What an unexpected gem of a sci fi movie. I was worried that there are not enough sci fi movies being made lately. I still am. This one has been a reprieve and a total thirst quencher. Perfect.

***why are so many reviews claiming this to be a bad or average movie?*** I am scratching my head why there is so much acerbic criticism of this movie. Yes it may be adapted from game or books but this movie is quite original. I don't know what people expect when they go to a science fiction movie. If you thought this movie was about war then you might be disappointed that there is no gore and blood splattering. This movie is much more intelligent, fast paced, and actually very engaging. It may have lacked big budget actors and big advertisement budget, however, you can see where the money went. •decent• special effects and a decent production, that lets you just enjoy the story.

I would suggest that you watch this movie without further delay if you are checking the reviews to make up your mind on the title. This is a must watch. I strongly advise you not to watch any trailers or read up on the story line. The surprises in the story are the real gems in the movie.

It is always great when a movie has the possibility to become a sci fi classic. This definitely has the potential and I do hope that more people discover this gem. All the acting are good and the surreal war zone is good and a perfect backdrop. This is not a gory war movie. It stays on topic and develops a powerful narrative as it goes along. So enjoy. Highly recommended. :)

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (2016)

Oops! What can I say?

[5/10 · 24 November 2016]

I kept waiting to engage with either the characters or with one of the beasts. Such an engagement was not forthcoming. I like Eddie Redmayne, so it is nothing to do with him. So much emphasis on creating this alternate world that the basics of filmmaking appear to have been sacrificed. Never does anyone look into you, the screen, and speak. There is never any eye contact. You do not feel attached to Eddie's character. Even my children were squirming in the seats and looking around bored. They wanted food and said they were hungry. The movie therefore appears to fail both children and adults like me. My 12yo son who is a mega Harry Potter fan could not engage with the movie. "I like reading J K Rowling's books but I am not sure about this one" is what he said. What he means is that, after having watched the movie, it has put him off the book as well.

I got up to get food for the kids, they followed me and were more keen on ice creams and sweets rather than getting back to the screen to what happened next. So much for fantastic pointless beasts. If you liked Harry Potter then that is not a guarantee that you will like this one. That is for sure. If you liked The Lord of Rings and sat through the trilogy, then you may have what it takes to sit through this one. Perhaps looking at this as a movie nothing to do with Harry Potter might help. If your children do not get attached to the movie then don't be surprised.

The Grand Tour (2016–2024)

Wow! Sublime! Perfect! Provocative!

[10/10 · 19 November 2016]

I just watched an impressive, thoughtful, provocative, memorable, perfect first episode of the first season.

I was not sure what to expect with the trio's new take on what they love to do the most. Actually it was imaginative and provocative enough to show that these three can come come up with the most watchable car programme on earth.

The cinematography was better than anything I have seen before. Even better than the show they left behind at the 'Baa Baa See'! :)

The picture quality was astounding. Whatever cameras and jigs they have used to film the show are probably the best equipment available. The overall visuals look spectacular and 'grand'. Smooth Amazon Prime streaming in proper HD gets credit for that too. Vibrant colours, smooth camera work and not the shaky vibrating car mounted cameras of yore. - Even in this department, it appears as though BBC has been beaten! Even the sound recording felt better. Now, sound recording is something BBC (Baa Baa See) used to excel in. Now, with an iPlayer that does not appear to play full HD and with a sound that feels compressed, Baa Baa See has unwittingly given these three guys an edge over their own sorry show. The audio playback was really superlative in Amazon Prime for what I was expecting for a streaming playback.

Something dreary like a motoring show becomes so exciting with these three. I was completely expecting a few laugh out loud moments. What was actually there exceeded all expectations. I would expect more fun and more laugh out loud moments. I am totally spoilt. Would imagine that eventually, there will be scenes and episodes that sets new heights and standards. Is this a stunt show? Is this a motoring show? Is this a sitcom? Who knows. It is superlative fun: - That is what it is . I cannot wait to watch the rest of the season, as it looks like each episode may have its own unique flavour, because of the changing locations. Wow! Brilliant!

****Just this one show alone makes my Amazon Prime membership worth it****

I have watched more episodes since this review and wanted to report back. Yes, this show is definitely mega fun and it looks like it has been a game changer for Amazon. I would now expect Amazon to throw even more money at not just Grand Tour, but to other potential programming. One the whole I am extremely pleased with Amazon streaming quality. After this, BBC's old version of Top Gear is probably dead. I still like BBC drama as they are more quintessentially British compared to current content on Amazon. I also think that Amazon should try stuff like Jools Holland doing takes on Songs, as an example. I do hope Amazon makes more strong stuff like this! :) Thanks for reading.

Alcoholist (2016)

Downward Spiral.

[4/10 · 12 November 2016]

The lead character renders a real portrayal of a real alcoholic. The acting is good to the point that you are forced to wonder if they got a real alcoholic to act in the movie! The support characters' performances are OK and 'almost' there. There is an overall darkness in the movie without any redeeming qualities. There appears to be an attempt to portray the obsessions, or the hidden darkness, of people with addictions and the people without. But this aspect is not made clear, or explored. I personally had an uncle who was never sober. He died when he was 42 years old from severe liver damage from alcoholism. That said, this movie perhaps tries to be a deterrent to viewers taking up the bottle. I don't see the point. I am not sure if it is effective in that message either. The bottle is taken up, even as this movie acknowledges, as a method of slow suicide. A brokenhearted or suicidal person taking to the bottle has already stopped caring about oneself or others, there is no real message or redemption in the movie. I felt that the movie took something away, my time, my desire to understand, and so on. The movie gave nothing. No entertainment, no real message. It left me depressed and regretting watching the movie. Hence only 4 stars. Just a fair warning.

Swiss Army Man (2016)

Must Watch Entertaining look into Loneliness, Sexual and Social Dysfunction

[7/10 · 16 October 2016]

If you either stumble on this movie, or purposefully seek to watch this movie, you will find that this film is memorable. This movie, unfortunately, is more memorable than 10 of the best movies of 2016. I do not wish to unwatch this movie. I found Daniel Radcliffe was hilarious in this movie and Paul Dano did his part disturbingly well.

Although the actors did very well, what it was achieving was strange. It was queasy humour. Lots of laugh our loud moments. Nevertheless, at the end of the movie, it is memorable for all the wrong reasons.

Will I recommend this movie? Maybe, if you have come as far as reading this review, then you could as well watch it. Daniel Radcliffe is fantastic. He has done something rather difficult with aplomb. There does not appear to be any message in the movie. Just a peculiar movie that is hard to forget. 7/10 for its weird humour :) Definitely!

Edge of Winter (2016)

Good Actors but Poorly written

[4/10 · 14 August 2016]

It started off promising. The lead role is mostly played well and everything seemed set for a good movie. The feel and the production value was good. However, as the film progressed, it began to fall flat. Despite a good effort from the lead character, the character is not well written. I am not complaining about initial ambiguity, but at the overall way the lead character as well as all the other characters are scripted poorly. None of the characters have any depth and the whole story became 2 dimensional and irritating well into the film. But since my wife and I had invested good part of an hour by then, we continued watching anyway. This turned out to be an error on our part.

The problem is two fold. The viewer is not allowed to connect with either children even though there is every reason to. The viewer is also left hanging at the end of the movie with a very unsatisfactory outcome. I would not recommend it for that reason.

Kung Fury (2015)

Wow! Fantastic Lovable Idiocy Suited For Repeat Watching!!!

[10/10 · 2 August 2016]

When you are looking for a party movie that is comical sketch on typical plot lines, free from sex, full of originality and humour.

Look no further, this is it.

It makes Hot Rod seem serious. This is Napoleon Dynamite meet Top Secret(1984) meet Jackie Chan... If you want a vague idiotic reference :)

The fight scenes are hilarious to say the least. The time travel (oops! spoiler) is genius, and that is putting it mildly. It is not exactly a parody movie, yet it constantly reminds you of every, yes every; movie that you have ever seen.

This is such fun!

Jason Bourne (I) (2016)

Shaky Camera-work But an Excellent Sequel

[8/10 · 2 August 2016]

I would have given this movie 10 out of 10 if it was not for the shaky camera. It came close to being unwatchable on some occasions.

Why such big budget movies are employing cameramen who are high on coffee and doughnuts are beyond me. The jittery camera is just awful. It takes the focus away from the story, and from the action. The idea that home-made footage gives intimacy or authenticity is far from true. I have many footages from my phone that me and my kids have shot. They all mean a lot to me but they are, honestly, totally unwatchable. Even to me! So when I pay my money to watch a Jason Bourne movie, I expect not to be given a headache in return. Each instalment appears to get worse in this regard. Please can someone in the production team for the next Jason Bourne film hire some gimball, or whatever stabilisation equipment?

Now that the rant is over, I actually felt that the story was carried forward quite well. It is an expected storyline but done well. I enjoyed the part played by all the actors. Despite some other reviewers, I quite like the complex genius portrayed by Vikander. She lends herself to the role well.

The stunt scenes are not a cliché like many other films. It stays true to Jason Bourne style. Very much so. The stunt scenes are gritty and yet spectacular and memorable. It is quite remarkable that Jason Bourne series have even managed to create a 'style' that is easily recognisable as the Jason Bourne 'brand'. Even other big brand movies like James Bond, have struggled to create a unique, recognisable style to their stunts. Less camera shake would have rendered some parts sublime and supremely entertaining. It is possible that the director thought this camera shake is part of the brand. I would disagree. There is an immensely identifiable style that is very 'Jason Bourne' without all the jittery shaking.

I love the colour tonality, the intimate feel of scenes, the pace and quickness, the expectation of movement each shot appears to carry, the view or the angle the camera takes, etc. etc. ...well too many to list. Then the sound, both the background, and the music.

The film gently touches a critical current political issues. Very lightly. This is nice. It is not bogged down by anything. It does not offer solutions, just shows it as a clever and purposeful backdrop to the story of this instalment.

So I recommend this film with a caveat that if the shaky camera gives you a headache, make sure that the cinema offers you a free aspirin on the house. Thanks for reading.

Don't Worry Baby (2015)

Shaky Camera-work Makes It Unwatchable.

[5/10 · 31 July 2016]

I liked the way the story was going and seemed like I would enjoy the movie, however, The camera constantly shakes throughout the movie. In the beginning I tried to ignore the shaking. But the unsteady camera meant that I could not connect with the characters. Acting was fine, story may have been fine. The camera is so shaky that it makes Cloverfied appear to have been shot with a steady camera.

Most of the shots are close and personal. So why the shaky camera? Surely, a tripod is not that expensive? The camera man is not having to run with the characters or anything like that. So what is the need for a shaky hand-held camera cinematography? I was compelled to stop watching after 20 minutes, which is a shame because every other aspect of this movie was probably good.

Edge of Tomorrow (2014)

What a Fantastic Movie!

[10/10 · 10 July 2016]

Superb! I rarely get to go to a movie with my older son after his siblings came along. We did manage to go to this movie in the cinemas. Not only were we glad we chose this movie to watch, but two years later, we still recall the impact this movie had on both of us.

This science fiction story is deeply satisfying. The movie treats the viewers as intelligent people. It is not in the same league of a plethora of science fiction movies that hit the cinemas every year. For example this year we have Independence Day 2, a high budget sequel to a high budget b-movie from a long time ago. It is profoundly forgettable. That is in stark contrast to Edge of Tomorrow, which has stayed with me for so long and today motivated me to come here on IMDb to write a review after two years!

This movie is a must watch. Thanks for reading.

We'll Never Have Paris (2014)

Generally good.

[8/10 · 5 December 2015]

I am perplexed at the low IMDb score. So I have offered to spend a few minutes in a bid to rectify this wrong!

Simon Helberg is good in the role. Few of the other actors fall short. The script could have been better developed. It is actually quite alright. Melanie Lynskey is also quite all right, even though the viewer is initially not made to connect with her character much. It sorts itself out later in the film. This does not have the Big Bang Theory sort of comedy. It is a much darker sort of comedy British viewers will enjoy more.

This film is not tedious like many Woody Allen copy cats. It is should have had an average score of 6 on IMDb.

Sicario (2015)

A Film That Captures The Horror Of Illegal Drugs and Cartels

[10/10 · 21 October 2015]

Occasionally, a film comes along that moves you enough to write a review on IMDb. So here it is. This movie fully commands your attention. The subject matter is grim. The way the director and the art producer has laid out the feel of the movie is what really makes this a deeply disturbing, unforgettable movie. I did not pay attention to the other movie called Enemy by this same director. This movie has nailed it. The cast is sublime. Emily Blunt, Benecio Del Toro, Josh Brolin and Daniel Kaluuya all bring a depth to their respective roles to the point that it almost takes on a documentary or news footage like reality during certain brief periods.

On the whole I highly recommend this film. Quite possibly the best film of the year. Do you remember the movie called Traffic? Well, this one is more gritty and digs deeper into the viewer.

The Terminator (1984)

Thirty Years On I Realise This is 10 out of 10

[10/10 · 19 July 2015]

Hi. After 30 years and having seen many attempts to recreate the glory of this movie, I now realise how quintessentially sublime and genius this movie is. It not only deserves a full 10 out of 10 but must remain the benchmark of how a movie must excel for the era it released in. I was in school when I saw this and this movie changed me. Similarly movies like Jaws did the same. Very rarely do we come across movies of the calibre of Jaws or The Terminator. I am writing this in 2015, about 31 years after the movie after I realised how culturally and socially significant this movie turned out to be. You may not feel the impact fully if you watch this movie today, but the impact of the story is still present. Anyone keen on watching modern interpretations and sequels MUST watch this first! Thanks for reading.