pallelli Reviews

Mr Bates vs. The Post Office (2024)

An incomplete view.

[7/10 · 4 January 2024]

For me, there was a complete lack of focus on those who where responsible for the Sub-Post Masters' scandal. There are hints., such as the evidence in court that Fujitsu were employing staff to fix the data while the Sub-Post Masters slept. But who authorised it, and why did nobody seemingly question that? And what were Fujitsu doing to fix the problems wasn't even mentioned. As to the dramatic part of the show, top marks for everyone. The acting and writing we excellent. They certainly made me cry, even though I already knew the key facts, but making it all about the people affected by the scandal made it all so much more real. I predict a Bafta or two.

Blood & Gold (2023)

The good, the bad and the ugly

[8/10 · 22 December 2023]

This is an unashamed reworking of the Sergio Leone classic, Il buono, il brutto, il cattivo, or if you like, The good, the bad and the ugly. It's set in Germany at the end of the second world war, and like the spaghetti western, the film starts with one of the main protagonists being hanged, though in this case it's the good, and not the ugly. The ugly is quite literally the commander of the SS troops that are looking for Jewish gold in a small German town. He's ugly because he is SS. But also because he is disfigured, presumably as a result of the war. The film also borrows a classic scene from the western; a gave is unearthed, only to find that it does not contain any gold. The score has some heavy nods to Ennio Morricone, though the Mac the Knife bit towards the end was weird, maybe its a German thing. As to the bad, they are clearly the town's folk. Suffice to say that at the end, the bad and the ugly are all dead, and the good gets his gold, but not the Au type of gold. It made me cry.

Suits (2011–2019)

The plot is absurd

[3/10 · 25 October 2023]

I was going to give Suits one star, but it's a nicely tailored production, with excellent filming, writing, and acting, so it deserves more than one star. Where it fails is in the basic premise for it's plot, and as such, I don't think that I'm not spoiling the plot by saying that it revolves around a high end firm of New York lawyers hiring a brilliant young man who has no absolutely no qualifications to be hired by them, and as such, they are breaking the law and it would ruin the company if anyone were to find out (indeed that very fact is a sort of back plot). You'd think high end lawyers would know that. The whole idea is absurd.

Who Is Erin Carter? (2023)

At times a bit daft, but I loved it.

[9/10 · 25 September 2023]

On one level, it's sort of absurd. Could someone become an adoptive "mother" without the due process of the law, especially when the child goes to the same school that her "mother" is teaching. On another level it get absurd. A lethal martial arts mother/school teacher, who survives getting shot in the abdomen, but why not! It's no more absurd than batman or some ninja warrior film. I loved the acting, I loved the story, I even loved the nice Mr Douglas Henshall playing a baddie. Above all, daft and unbelievable as the ending is, I still loved it. I only marked it down a point because nobody can get shot in the abdomen and not require major surgery.

Jaws (1975)

Timeless

[9/10 · 28 May 2023]

As long as people flock to the beaches, because of this film, people will think, what if? I've just watched this classic for the umptenth time, and in nearly forty years, it hasn't dated. The people on the beaches look just the same them, as they do now, and I could easily imagine myself there. The "move along, everything is fine, no need to worry" political mentality is also still very much alive and kicking. If I had to name my favourite bit, it would be where Quint and Hooper trade scars on board the Orca, in the darkness, while waiting for the shark to return. The acting, filming, direction and writing all come together to make it a truly remarkable moment.

Marie Antoinette (2022– )

A well made drama.

[8/10 · 7 March 2023]

I was somewhat surprised by this series. Initially I was expecting something a lot more fanciful, but it worked for me. I will admit that I haven't taken time to find out how historically accurate the drama is, but other reviewers seem to suggest that isn't that fantastical. The early episodes did need a pinch of make believe magic, as the actors were clearly a not the prepubescents they were playing, but by episode 4 it became more plausible. Their young love blossomed. The filming is excellent, as is the editing, the writing, and the acting. As an entertainment, I can't fault it! I sure I'm now going to take some time to explore all of this history in greater detail.

North Sea Connection (2022– )

Nice advert for the Irish Tourist Board.

[6/10 · 23 February 2023]

The location is certainly very scenic. It was filmed in and around the small fishing town of Roundstone in County Galway, a place I've now added to my list, but a show has to be more than the scenery. The plot works up to a point, it's easy to see how the characters could have gotten involved in the situation they find themselves in, but there are too many stupid mistakes in the writing. Take for instance the scene where Björne retrieves a mobile phone that has been hidden in a dry stone wall, presumably for a long time. He turns it on, and it works. No need to recharge the battery. But were it the writing gets really bad is in the last episode. Firstly the Swedish detective has a mobile phone when she gets locked in the cold store. Secondly, a baby can't just be given to someone in somewhere like Ireland, the authorities would find out and take the baby away. It's a shame about the writing, because the acting was OK, as was the filming and editing.

Inside Man (II) (2022)

A modern day Ealing Comedy.,

[8/10 · 19 October 2022]

OK, the plot is ridiculous, and it's silly, but that's the point. However, the acting, film work and writing were very good. It's well worth a watch. I think it owes a nod and a wink to The Lady Killers. That's all I have to say, but apparently I need to make this review 600 characters long.

So David Tennet looks good in a beard, and if you can have such an amazing house, then I may well consider being a vicar. I liked the tumble weed scene, though on reflection, I'm not sure that happen. I once visited Alcatraz, so the prison cells look sort of right, but they were quite generous in size, though privacy would be an issue.,

Derry Girls (2018–2022)

All that is missing is the wee donkey.

[9/10 · 13 April 2022]

The Derry girls is mined from the same rich seam of Irish Catholic angst that gave us Father Ted, but setting it in that divided place has added an edge. My only real problem is that the "girls" are clearly too old to be girls, but then again, would younger actors have made the grade? A tricky one. One the plus side, it made me laugh, and after all, that's what comedies are supposed to do.

Return to Space (2022)

Space is a family business.

[8/10 · 9 April 2022]

One of the things I liked about this documentary is that it showed the two astronauts as dads, albeit dads with wives who are also astronauts. Indeed the film ends with Katherine, Bob's wife, blasting off to the ISS in the same seat that her husband flew in. (Spoiler, not covered by the film, but she also made it back OK). Biology aside, there is also the bigger SpaceX/Nasa family that stand out as people doing their jobs because they love it, and have 100% belief in the mission (even if they do get a little bit superstitious on the day of the launch). It was also interesting to see a little bit more of Musk, though he remains somewhat enigmatic.

The Promise (2020– )

Patchy

[8/10 · 12 March 2022]

At times this is a good watch, good acting and I like the way they handle the time switches. On the other hand. At he end of episode 4. Where did the matches comes from ?? Silly. It's errors like that, that made me give it a 4.

Downfall: The Case Against Boeing (2022)

Don't blame the Boeing family.

[8/10 · 22 February 2022]

I can sympathise with the Boeing workers. I once worked as an quality engineer in the industry (for a subcontractor of Airbus). I get the safety culture. Much more recently I worked for a company where the share price was king (thankfully not one with any safety concerns). Guess which one I more enjoyed working for. This film does a good job of exposing how corporate greed overrides the people who are trying to do their best to make quality products. Sadly it could have done a better job on exposing how the corporate types get away with it.

The Tourist (2022–2024)

The 1st episode is misleading, but in a good way.

[7/10 · 27 January 2022]

About halfway through the 1st episode, our hero is driving a small hatchback, and is being pursued by someone driving a large articulated lorry, off road, in outback Aus. It should be simple enough to get away, but for some reason he's having problems. What rubbish I say, (that's the polite version), but I stuck with it, and towards the end of episode 3, the show reveals its true colours as a deliberate and amusing comedy. So far that's all I've watched, but I'm looking forward to Episode 4.

Vigil (2021– )

Unrealistic premise.

[7/10 · 22 September 2021]

It's a nice idea, but it fails to some extent because there is no way a civilian plod would get involved with a crime on a strategic sub that is on active duty. I'm fairly sure the navy will have have their own plod or equivalent on the boat to deal with any incidents, but if you are prepared to ignore this, then this is entertaining.

The Pursuit of Love (2021)

Contains scenes of fox hunting and other upper class absurdity.

[1/10 · 25 May 2021]

I watched 20 minutes of nothing much happening, and then the action then switched to a fox hunt. I'm sure that no foxes were harmed in the filming, but I find the whole idea of showing such a thing to be abhorrent, and not something suitable for a 2021 BBC broadcast. I can't say what happened after that, as I didn't bother to watch any more.

Unit 42 (2017–2019)

Don't get worked up over the IT fantasy.

[9/10 · 16 May 2021]

I've seen some reviews that have down voted this show for its clearly absurd take on IT security and the general ability of computers being able to do magical stuff. It's as fantastical as a superman film. We know superman is nonsense, but we still enjoy the TV shows and films. And so it is so with Unit 42. If you look past the IT nonsense, then there are interesting plot lines and characters that you can feel for.

Secret City (2016–2019)

It's not paranoia when they really are out to get you.

[9/10 · 12 May 2021]

Secret City is everything that a great suspense thriller should be, and the scariest part is that something similar could happen for real, and maybe has.

This show ticks all the boxes in terms of acting, plot, writing, directing, etc etc etc. It only loses a point because of the hacker who hacks into something that can't be hacked. Why do film makers keep using that outdated trope? (Rant over)

This show is well worth watching.

StartUp (2016–2018)

Too much pointless sex.

[9/10 · 10 May 2021]

There are too many things wrong with this show. My pet hates are 1. The number of pointless sex scenes that add nothing to the story. 2. Computer hackers with a mythical ability to gain access any system. 3. Martin Freeman playing an American FBI agent (he should never have been cast in that role) 5. The usual racial stereotypes. I could go on.

Supplemental: It's worth sticking with. It has now got a lot better. I'm at S1 E9, and its full of heavy, but plausible plot twists. Betrayal, un-intended killings, strange alliances, more betrayal, more killings. Desperation and salvation, and some truly fantastic music over the end credits, oh and the pointless sex scenes seem to be a thing of the past. I'm now loving it.

The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin (1976–1979)

A true classic of British TV.

[10/10 · 10 March 2021]

I remember this as a kid, and when I recently saw it again, my biggest question was how badly it might of dated. As far as I'm concerned it hasn't. OK it was filmed in the 70's, with 70's sets, 70's special effects and 70's acting; but then again that means that the acting would have been honed by many hours in theater rep in front of live critical audiences. The result is some sublime acting. Add in some top notch writing, and you end up with the most wonderfully thing. In many ways it reminds me of Dads Army and Porridge, its that good.

Schitt's Creek (2015–2020)

Heart warming, but best viewed from behind the sofa.

[10/10 · 6 March 2021]

Why do I like this show so much, I mean at times its toe curlingly bad? It makes The Office seem normal. What this show is though, is a journey from outsiders to community bedrock. It takes time, and I'm sure some tiny minded types will be offended by some of the story lines, but the one thing that shines is love and respect. Love for the family, love for the community and love for wherever cupid's arrows happens to hit. Its life.

The Dig (2021)

Interesting

[8/10 · 30 January 2021]

Some of the dramatic plots were, how cam I say, probably fanciful, but I certainly learned some stuff about the actual dig. The fact that there was only the ghost of a ship recorded in the soil, and I knew nothing of Basil Brown or that Edith Pretty donated the treasure to the people. As a film it mostly worked. though the score was OTT, thankfully the acting and cinematography made up for that.

The Shape of Water (2017)

Man in a rubber suit (Think Hannibal Smith from the A-team)

[1/10 · 4 January 2021]

This is the worst film I've every seen, and that includes some memorable B-movies. Utterly predictable plot, if can call it a plot. No real place for the actors to act. How did this even get nominated for an oscar?

The Equalizer 2 (2018)

ZZZZZZZZZZZZZ

[1/10 · 17 July 2020]

40 minutes in, and I'm literally watching paint dry, and so far, its the highlight of the film.

Edit

1 hour and 23 mins in: see above ^^^^^^

The Irishman (2019)

It's like a $1000 bottle of vintage wine ...

[1/10 · 5 February 2020]

... that's corked.

Ok, I've never actually drunk wine that comes anywhere near to $100 a bottle. let alone $1000 bucks a pop, but I've had $20 bottles of wine that have been corked, and I've felt cheated. This film is the equivalent of a $1000 bottle of wine, and it's corked, and that makes me feel more than a bit disappointed.

Wonder Woman (2017)

Yawn

[1/10 · 11 January 2020]

I'm surprised at being awake enough to yawn. A pointless film that should never have been made.