bobbsaunders Reviews

End of Summer (2023– )

Layers Like Filo Pastry

[9/10 · 28 March 2024]

This is a classy piece of work. Starting right at the top, the writing is superb. Most screenplays slap on big, chunky layers of intrigue, a bit like lasagne, but End of Summer is so much more subtle, creating layers, so quietly introduced you hardly notice, like Filo pastry. Its a guessing game right to the end and no-one will guess in advance, even though they might think they have the answer. The casting is excellent, acting top notch and direction makes the complex screenplay hang together almost effortlessly. This is screen production of the higher order. And of course you need very strong screen talent to carry it, especially in the early episodes when the intrigue hasn't really had a chance to ratchet up yet. This is where Julia Ragnarsson excels as Vera ( and the young actress who plays her child self). Both so very good and totally believable being the same person. To the entire crew and team, thank you for an excellent screen drama.

House of Gods (2024– )

Good drama does much to encourage multiculturalism

[8/10 · 3 March 2024]

How else can we learn about our neighbours? Walk into a mosque? Watch the news? No, intriguing and entertaining drama is really the only way to break the ice and let neighbours in. And this drama does it very well. Some may criticise it for being inaccurate, predictable, melodramatic..... but ultimately it provides an engaging window into a culture that lives amongst us. This is well written, acted, produced and directed. All the cast appear totally authentic, the settings real and the emotional conflicts are universal. Matchbox and ABC obviously put much effort into this production and all should be applauded. A second series would build on this good work. Will that happen? Probably not, but it should.

Because This Is My First Life (2017)

Fluffy at times but often quite deep

[9/10 · 23 December 2023]

Only Koreans can cover so much meaningful content wrapped in light and fluffy wrapping. The ensemble cast are all pitch perfect, the script is first class and I have never chuckled so often as in this drama series. I mean who breaks up with a girlfriend by comparing her to MacOS while preferring Windows, cos thats what Ive always known.?? And done with a straight face. And Chairman Ma is just downright hilarious. Yet this show covers so much meaningful and deep issues covering mainly adult relationships, and offers some very liberal and new age moralistic thinking - very unusual for K Dramas. Highly recommended.

Monster (2023)

Complex, Tragic and Heartrending

[9/10 · 19 June 2023]

The story isnt that complex but the journey the film maker takes us on is complex, exaggerating along the way the opacity of the conundrums facing the subjects. Life is difficult, until you see the end result, so navigating life can be extremely taxing and frustrating. This movie is called Monster, meaning that assumptions are often the monsters that they lead us down painful paths, often unnecessarily.

This is a deeply compassionate film. It requires an investment from the viewer but pays off handsomely in the end. This is a filmmaker who is improving with every release. Soon he will be in the same strata as Park Chan Wook.

Behind Every Star (2022– )

Pretty much scene by scene recreation.

[8/10 · 8 November 2022]

Having seen all of Call My Agent, this version has no surprises, but it is a pretty good transfer to Asia. The genre does sit well in the Kdramedy style, though its not often you see such a camp male role as that of the Korean Herve. Strange though that the lesbian character is rewritten as a man chaser this time. Episode one did a decent job setting it all up. Very strange though knowing each character as they arrive on screen even though you dont physically recognise them! Call my Agent featured some real heavyweights of French screen production. Lets see who features in this Korean version. Did they get Lee Byung Hun? We will see.

Truman (2015)

The Intimacy of Frienship

[9/10 · 23 September 2022]

This very intimate study of friendship in the face of death is a showcase of two of the best Latin actors around. Darin and Camaro capture the great expanse and miniscule intricacies of lifelong friendship immaculately. It is an acting masterclass. Yet they need a well balanced production in which to shine without distraction. The film is beautifully scripted and elegantly directed, with a great balance if timing, light and shade. Funny and gut wrenchingly sad almost at the same time. Deeply sad, yet uplifting in its portrayal of the compassion and empathy of old friendships, Truman is a cinematic gem, not to be missed.

Belfast (2021)

A story too personal to be arty.

[7/10 · 20 September 2022]

Branaghs very personal movie is undoubtedly entertaining and beautiful to look at with it luminescent B&W film. But as a drama it lacks. The violence that drives the family to leave doesnt really ratchet up. The tension doesnt bite deeper as the story progresses. And the open air scenes are so choreographed they could have been pulled directly from a Busby Berkley movie. But Branagh delivers pure gold in the intimate scenes with the family. Its worth watching just for these exquisite collections of little scenes. Its been compared to Roma, but doesnt come close. Both have fabulous cinemaphotography, but thats where the comparison ends. Dench and Hinds are superb, Balfe is the strongest apart of course from the child lead who lights up the screen like no other. Lingering closeups .....yes thats what I will remember most.

The French Dispatch (2021)

Hollow, Indulgent with Callous Disregard for Audience

[3/10 · 27 August 2022]

Anderson used to be a visionary, playful artist of the screen but he has slipped back into indulgent self-regard. To employ so many top names, then only give them less than 2 minutes screen time each, but feature them heavily in trailers - well thats just callous gouging of loyal viewers. Then to almost completely re-stage multiple scenes from Budapest Hotel tells us that 'Big Wes' has run out of ideas. Anderson's auteur visual style is attractive, but it needs solid content to back it up. This film was devoid of that. He is going to have to re-invent himself big-time for his next film or he will be dead in the water. My advice, avoid this film, it is a waste of time.

The Beatles: Get Back (2021)

Truly Awful Documentary - Redeemed Only by Roof Concert

[2/10 · 6 August 2022]

It was a mistake to shoot so much footage of aimless musicians reaching the end of their collaboration and friendship. It was no mistake to leave it in the cupboard for 50 years. But It was another mistake to pull it out. Peter Jackson has failed miserably to make anything out of it apart from a waste if 6.5 hours of the lives of each person who sees it. I say 6.5 as the rooftop concert is worth re-visiting, so 30 minutes or so is dead fab, the rest is truly awful.

My Mister (2018)

A Richly Detailed Story of Salvation and Redemption

[9/10 · 28 June 2022]

There is no escaping that this is a very slow burn. You'll need patience, but you will be rewarded. By episode 12 you'll have a sense of what might come and it just gains pace from then on. And at the end you're left with a great enveloping blanket of warmth, goodness, love, happiness and hope. A massive achievement for a screen drama, especially as it seems so dour to begin with. Two moribund characters dragging themselves through life get entangled in some corporate skullduggery, the outcome of which forces themselves to dig deep and find life, light, strength and hope from within. There's plenty of texture and some amusement provided by the secondary characters along the way, but their contribution is more than passing. They all form a community and family that is unsophisticated but pure in terms of authenticity, strength and love. My Mister deserves the accolades it has garnered. But best of all it provided a platform for the creative team to move on and make 'My Liberation Notes' which is even better. Watch both shows, you won't regret it.

Our Blues (2022)

Drama with Heart

[9/10 · 9 May 2022]

Korean drama can be a bit prone to melodrama, with overacting and padded storylines being the main weakness. But 'Our Blues' avoids these pitfalls and delivers consistently fine storytelling, excellent acting and thoroughly engaging scripts and screenplay. This is top-notch drama delivering many deeply poignant scenes as the ensemble cast reveal their life struggles. If you want to dip your toe into the global phenomenon of K-drama, then this is the perfect starting point.

Petite Maman (2021)

Trying so hard to be arty, it fails as a movie.

[1/10 · 7 May 2022]

The one word to describe this film is economy. It under-delivers in just about every respect leaving the audience to fill in the gaps. Now some would say thats a sign of high art, others would call it pretentious. This tiny film (5 mins of value delivered over 80 mins) will send most to sleep with its under lit scenes, devoid of script, undescriptive photography and screenplay that assumes we will indulge the writer/ director's fantasies. I'm left wondering what the director actually did on set. Each scenes seems like it was "action, do whatever you like". One central scene has the camera hang on the mother and daughter sitting on the couch looking at something ( we know not what). It hangs, and hangs, minutes follow minutes, then, wow some action when the mother asks the daughter to pass her the glass of water. Did this portray deep bonding? Nah. Am not sure why I gave this one star as I can now not think of anything I enjoyed or admired about it.

The End of the Affair (1999)

Masterful

[9/10 · 30 April 2022]

Neil Jordan interpreting Graham Greene, now there's a match made in heaven. Then get Feinnes and Rea as lead men...superb. The surprise for me was Julianne Moore who I have not taken to to date. This changed my mind. She was the perfect enigmatic and lusty lover, temptress and heart shredder. Excellent cinemaphotography wraps up a powerful production. This is the sort of story cinema was made for. Intimate, powerful and engaging.

Anatomy of a Scandal (2022)

Severely Ill Judged

[3/10 · 30 April 2022]

The question is....how can a show be so flawed yet remain watchable? And this show is flawed across every metric. Worst of all is casting which is so off point its tragic. Sienna Miller is best but she is only average, it gets worse from then on. Bottom of the heap is Rupert Friend who is so badly cast, being totally unable to cut the character he plays. Michelle Dockery just doesnt have the gravitas for her role, though she tried hard. And Josh Maguires role of the PR man was just a charicature. Next poor element was direction. SJ Clarkson has some serious experience but she threw it all away focussing on fancy camera and edit tricks rather than giving actors guidance. Next comes the location/sets. House of Commons and Law Courts were just plain amateurish, truly awful. Other locations were fine. Script? Was it the script or the actors inability to interpret it? I think probably a bit of both - not convincing at all. Lighting? Very lush and intricate....well over the top really for a British Production. Looking very much like House of Cards, some may say its gorgeous, most would say that Brits do things more realistically. Special Effects? Well its loaded with them and they are a dominant character in the production. So you have to ask yourself, why was that so? Were they so lacking confidence in the story that it had to be embellished so heavily. If you have a good story and good actors then all you need to do is tell it straight. Yet in spite of it all, it remained watchable! Netflix can do a lot better....so can David E Kelly.

Press (2018)

Terrific ending, middle flawed at times.

[8/10 · 23 March 2022]

Quite a lot to praise here, mainly the writing, but thats inconsistent. Most importantly it knows how to build through the series to a rousing finale that makes twist on twist on twist. That said its forgivable to have a few flat bits now and then, especially if the show cracks a good pace and is generally always entertaining. Ben Chaplin excels in the lead role but he is matched for ruthlessness by Charlotte Riley as his moral opposite. Its a pertinent reminder that the industry that brings us our daily fodder of news and current affairs is deeply flawed, filled with ruthless and driven people who will do anything for their advantage. But they have a product we all want so we put up with it. A bit like politics really.

Train to Busan (2016)

Classy movie.

[9/10 · 16 March 2022]

Korea became a powerhouse screen producer when it could make any genre standout. Now up to today I'd considered zombie movies unwatchable, but Train to Busan changed all that, though I am not expecting to make it a habit. This is all class, pure quality in all departments, though I'd have to say that casting and direction were standouts. Pacing is delightfully irregular, which adds so much to such a frenetic subject, with gentle poignant moments scored with pensive piano....who'd have thought in a zombie flick. Long live K-screen.

Troppo (2022– )

Oh Dear.

[7/10 · 15 March 2022]

Lots of ambition, lots of production skills but Australian drama often falls flat due to weak scripting. In this case, just inconsistent. It actually became quite addictive, but the last two episodes were quite laughable. Riddled with holes, implausible, a lot of effort let down by a weak script. The two leads put in big efforts but their characters were built on too many cliches or just silly assumptions. Thomas Jane did seem a bit B grade and Nicole Chamoun, although amazingly striking on screen, just didn't have the grit to pull off that character. What she needs now is a character she can actually inhabit because she has so much potential. OK, that's it, nice try but very flawed. P. S. Trying to pass off Gold Coast as FNQ just cant work unless you make it seem really hot and sweaty - so you need to spray all the actors to look sweaty.

Little Forest (2018)

An Ode to Bucolic Country Life

[9/10 · 23 February 2022]

This film has two sparkling stars. #1. The irridescent Kim Tae-Ri and #2. The rich harvests of the Korean countryside. One provides solace, comfort and inspiration for the other as she hibernates back into the cocoon of her childhood to salve the wounds collected from living too long in the big city. Slowly she mends, nourished from home grown vegetables all garnished with herbs and roots foraged from her own local Little Forest. And in due course she emerges from her cocoon having found herself. As always in cases of redemption, you realise that it was always there, hiding in plain sight. This is a simple yet beautiful movie, as much about the power of friendships as anything else. It is lovingly observed, constructed and crafted. The setting is gorgeous as is the female star. Its a feast for the eyes and will provoke phantom aromas as the camera gazes lovingly at earthy forest floors followed by exquisite cooking sequences. Don't watch this when hungry.

The Crowned Clown (2019)

Why K Drama is the Future

[9/10 · 7 October 2021]

This show demonstrates why kdrama is on the rise. Because it tells moral stories, where people show respect and underlying messages and philosophy are positive and uplifting. Hollywood on the other hand is the polar opposite, representing all the worst of human attributes. But Korean film makers also know how to weave this goodness into compelling and engaging stories. The west has much to learn here. This series is a strong story, well made, with excellent production values and very rarely puts a foot wrong. Investing 16 of your evenings to watch it will be well rewarded.

D.P. (2021– )

Unswervingly critical and searingly honest.

[10/10 · 20 September 2021]

Quite possibly the most riveting and affecting TV programme ever. After each episode I am left speechless, could just sit in my armchair and say....wow....wow.... Having recently switched on to Kdrama I'd thought it was really just good entertainment, but it also proves to be gritty, bold, brave, unswervingly critical, searingly honest, insightful and single-mindedly brilliant as well. This is a new series and it must win all screen production awards next time round. Wow........

Atlantic Crossing (2020)

Fine acting in historical expose

[8/10 · 29 June 2021]

Anchored by two strong performances by Sofia Helin and Kyle Mclachlan, this solid production provides a window into episodes of history that many would be unaware of. Although real history has been tampered with, sometimes in overtly glossy fashion, Sofia Helin demonstrates her remarkable acting chops to such extent that you are drawn into the emotional outcomes without having to worry that some scenes are not exactly credible. Kyle Mclachlan strikes a very believable Roosevelt making Bill Clinton seem a pillar of fidelity, though the Norwegian locations made Washington DC snowier than its ever been. Some supposed London scenes were also ridiculously Scandinavian. Plenty of cash was splashed on this production, it was just a pity that a bit more couldn't have been spent on more credible locations. But costumes, photography, direction, casting and acting all excel.

Summerland (I) (2020)

Better than I'd Expected

[7/10 · 20 April 2021]

It looked like just another 'warm the cockles of yer heart' British feel good movie but evolved into something of more substance. Gemma Arterton's best role to date for sure and the lead boy actor was very authentic. Writing and Direction quite good, but needed a bit more verve and muscle to really stand out. Still, entertaining and thought provoking.

Finding Alice (2021)

Grindingly banal, ineffectual at best.

[3/10 · 17 April 2021]

When actresses play executive producers it can only be about creating a 'vehicle' for themselves. Did Keely Haws possibly negotiate the percentage of time in close-up before the script was written? Did they order (tear-inducing) onion spray cans in bulk? Did any of the backers worry that they only had enough material for four episodes so then had to write the equivalent of two episodes of padding to be scattered throughout? Is Keely Haws such a big drawcard that no-one cared about any of these questions? How on earth did this get a second series? Sooooooo many questions.

The Dry (2020)

Smouldering Lead, Undercooked Direction.

[6/10 · 20 February 2021]

Eric Bana commands the screen, ably supported by Genevieve O'Reilly but the direction just lacked spark. This was a film that begged to be evocative, yet it just plodded through, getting the job done with no standout atmosphere. Robert Connelly is a journeyman director. Solid but unremarkable. If it were not for Bana, this film would have passed by unnoticed. By comparison Iven Sen creates slow burn, outback, damaged detective films that burst with atmosphere and leave you with red dust up your nose.

Puzzle (II) (2018)

Delightful

[9/10 · 2 November 2020]

I dont care that Kelly McDonald has played similar roles in the past, she is screen gold, such a lioness in a mouse's clothing. And Irrfan Khan is a towering pillar of humanity. Such humour, such empathy, such restraint. He is greatly missed but movies like this, so rich in authentic heart remain as his legacy. For those tired of the regular hollywood predictable violence, this is a real breath of fresh air. Engaging social drama evoking tears and joy. What more can you want?