donn-25550 Reviews

Black Spot (2017–2019)

Watchable But Not Recommended

[5/10 · 13 April 2024]

My wife and I are fans of British crime drama series (Endeavor, Forgotten, Prime Suspect etc) and Scandinavian and other European crime/noir (The Bridge, The Killing, Spiral, etc). Black Spot is nowhere near the level of the best of these in script, plotting, character development or entertainment. The visuals are engaging and the lead detective (although lacking investigative skills) is interesting enough to build the series around. But there are numerous plot holes, subplots that lead nowhere, a Colombo/Clouseau type detective who's presented as essential to solving the mystery but is largely ridiculed or ignored (despite solid investigative skills) and a legendary 'presence' in the surrounding forest whose involvement in an ongoing series of killings is never adequately explained. Indeed, the number of murder victims in the small village increased to the point where we joked that the killer will be revealed as the only person left in town. Black Spot is not without its charms and delivers occasional suspense. But if I knew from the beginning what to expect, I would've passed it by.

Criminal Record (2024– )

Intense and Unsettling

[7/10 · 6 March 2024]

I admired and appreciated this memorable series more than I enjoyed it. The power and control of the lead male detective Dan Hegarty and his veteran cohorts - all (not coincidentally) older white males - to bend the law, exert their biases, intimidate colleagues and shape events and outcomes to their liking was chilling.

Veteran DCI Hegarty (a frightening Peter Capaldi) and younger colleague June Lenker (the phenomenal Cush Jumbo) clash over her questioning of an old murder conviction Hegarty and cohorts obtained against Errol Mathis, a black man.

The main plot plays against a myriad of personal and family problems afflicting all characters. Some scenes are stressful to watch, and Capaldi's character by the third episode made my stomach tighten with every appearance.

The script is unflinching, the acting is first-rate and the bigger-picture story of unequal justice is memorably driven home. But if it's escapist entertainment you seek, look elsewhere.

Monsieur Spade (2024)

Artificial noir attempt with Owen miscast

[6/10 · 21 February 2024]

The backstory is co-writers Frank and Fontana (neighbors in L. A.) had the idea of a retired Sam Spade (epitomized by Humphrey Bogart in Maltese Falcon) riding out the wave in the south of France, with ensuing complications. Clive Owen - a fellow fan of Hammett/Bogart/film noir - heard about the project and offered his services in the lead role. Which, to my mind, is where things went awry.

Owen is a fabulous actor, but I think he's miscast as Spade. What made Bogart's portrayal compelling- and timeless - is the undertone of menace/violence lying just beneath the surface of his Spade, liable to strike at any moment. There's something unhinged and reckless about him, and Bogart carries that cynicism and simmering malevolence through every scene.

Owen, conversely - try as he might to deliver the tough-guy lines - seems more like an attractive nice-guy retiree who finds himself in the middle of mayhem that he doesn't quite know what to do about. The tough-guy personna doesn't fit him, and rings false in scene after scene. And while the noir-ish wise guy lines must have been creative fun for Frank and Fontana to write (I'm picturing them sitting across a kitchen table), they sound off-key when delivered by Owen, who's simply not believable as a cynical, hard-boiled survivor of mean streets. Similarly, many of the 'colorful' characters (bar owner/chanteuse; police captain, etc) seem stereotyped and artificial.

Having said that, it's certainly watchable, with passable plot twists and nice scenery. But overall it's less than the sum of its parts, with a miscast Owen the unsolvable problem.

The Tall Man (2012)

Psychological thriller poses deeper questions

[8/10 · 15 November 2023]

This film was much better and far more thought-provoking than I expected. Not a horror movie, but a nicely-paced psychological thriller with an unanticipated twist and a deeper theme. It leaves viewers to ponder what actions are moral, ethical and -arguably - justifiable to ensure the health, safety and future of children. Although that sounds ponderous, the film works simply as a mystery involving the disappearance of a number of children in a broken backwater town. Is there a human perpetrator, or is the mythical 'Tall Man' an otherworldly force that claims the kids? Jessica Biel - with typical verve and intelligence- plays a nurse who is desperately searching for her abducted son. As co-producer, the movie is a precursor to the compelling, thoughtful dramas such as 'The Sinner' that Biel would later help to create. Satisfying, thought-provoking and a cut above typical B-movie fare.

Happy Death Day (2017)

Better than expected

[7/10 · 3 November 2023]

It's an obvious - as amusingly acknowledged in the film - and reasonably entertaining teen horror takeoff on Groundhog Day. Our selfish sorority diva heroine keeps reliving her birthday murder, hoping to figure out whodunit before she grows too feeble to carry on (each successive 'death' weakens her).

There's enough plot alterations - and creative ways of dying - in each successive day to keep it entertaining. The backstory revelation adds emotional depth and explanation for Tree's disdain for humanity. The cute/nice frat boy hero is appealing. And her personality alteration as the film progresses isn't too sudden to feel artificial. All told, it's like a reasonably entertaining carnival ride - some thrills, some laughs and a satisfied feeling after the final twist and turn.

The Tenant (1976)

Unwatchable

[3/10 · 9 October 2023]

The only possible explanation I can imagine for this dull, overlong, unconvincing imitation of a psychological thriller is a studio executive ticked off Roman Polanski and this film was how he exacted his revenge. It's hard to believe that the auteur who gave us 'Chinatown,' and 'Rosemary's Baby' also produced this glacially-paced, uncompelling, tension-free exercise in film school indulgence. There may be an underlying theme about the victimization of the meek, dominance of the obnoxious and triumph of paranoia over sensibility but...I'd just be guessing. The pieces of plot were inartfully assembled , the protagonist's descent into instability so unconvincing, that I wonder if the film would've gotten widespread theatrical release had Polanski's name not been attached.

The Bear (2022– )

Contrarian Opinion

[5/10 · 14 March 2023]

I admittedly may be missing something, given the lavish praise from most reviewers. But I didn't find The Bear particularly interesting, charming, or appealing. The first episode hits the ground running at a frantic pace with so little context that I thought I'd mistakenly started midway through the season. I have friends who worked in the restaurant industry, so the kitchen mayhem was not surprising. But the writers must get paid by the f-bomb. The protagonist's cousin is a walking PTSD infector whose juvenile thirst for chaos infects every scene.

The talented chef returns to the family's failing Chicago greasy spoon (after his brother's suicide) to do - what? Turn it into an upscale restaurant? Do more of the same, but more efficiently and with better bookkeeping? It's never quite clear. Characters constantly scream at each other, emitting maximum heat with little enlightenment. It's an anxiety-provoking ride that I was happy to punch out of.

C.B. Strike (2017– )

Amazing chemistry between the lead characters

[9/10 · 18 February 2023]

It's no accident the Cary Grant - Katherine Hepburn classic 'Bringing Up Baby' is playing on the TV in a Season One scene. The charming, intelligent and ultimately irresistible chemistry - with understated sexual tension - that Grant and various co-stars were renowned for gets its contemporary equivalent in the Tom Burke - Holliday Granger pairing. The rumpled rakishness of Burke's title character in the private investigator drama pairs wonderfully with assistant Robin Alladay's (Granger) intelligent charm, against a beautifully-shot backdrop of London's tonier neighborhoods. Dialogue is crisp, characters are requisitely eccentric, plots drawn from the J. K. Rowling's novels are suitably twisty and the leads are not just winningly astute, but lovely to look at. Each episode feels like an anticipated visit to an engaging world.

The Brokenwood Mysteries (2014– )

Lighthearted Mystery Fluff

[6/10 · 21 September 2022]

An appealingly rumpled lead detective and a cast of quirky characters make for a Down Under descendent of Columbo and a host of other lighthearted whodunits.

Mike Anderson relocates to small town Brokenwood from the big city in search of a slower pace and a simpler life. He predictably finds neither. The residents have secrets, grudges and animosities are unearthed, and clues are dropped like puzzle pieces on the long, winding path to justice..

The series likely appeals to Agatha Christie fans, or - for me - as a break from a steady diet of intense Nordic noirs and grisly crime dramas. But I found the light humor and shallow character development hard to sustain through each 90-minute episode. My mind wandered, my eyes often closed, and the resolutions seemed arbitrarily chosen. Despite its charms, I found Brokenwood a nice place to occasionally visit. But I couldn't handle an extended stay.

The Capture (2019– )

Compelling, Deep-State Murder Mystery

[9/10 · 13 September 2022]

Part murder mystery, part deep-State plot twister, The Capture winds down unexpected paths and takes intriguing turns on an absorbing, cerebral journey to the heart of technological darkness. Moral ambiguities and righteous justifications abound in this densely-layered look into a near future - or, perhaps, an intelligence service present - where seeing isn't believing. Unless the seamlessly altered images - in this case, standard CCTV footage - serve an arguably higher purpose. Or do they?

Impressively acted by both leads and support players, nicely-scripted and quickly-paced, the six-episode Season One is the streaming equivalent of a page-turner. It is never less than compelling viewing, with the added value of raising the larger, pertinent question of whether fakery serves a larger truth.

Black Bird (2022)

Gripping But Uneven

[7/10 · 27 August 2022]

Uneven start as the characters are seemingly engaged in a 'cooler than thou' F-bomb contest, most ludicrously including the female law enforcement official whose real-life counterpart was hopefully more professional. Ultimately though it's the compelling work of the principal actors - notably Paul Walter Hauser as puffy, mutton-chopped serial killer Larry Hall -- that draws us in and hits deeper emotional notes. Some scenes work better than others, and the in-prison arrogant-to-humble transformation of informant Jimmy Keene feels fast-forwarded. But it's nonetheless a creepy, memorable drama marked by exceptional acting.

Intelligence (2005–2007)

Pretty Good Canadian Crime Drama Ends Prematurely

[6/10 · 22 June 2022]

Compelling lead actors in a Canadian crime series that meshes the alternately adversarial and common interests of organized crime and various police and intelligence agencies. Frankly it's not nearly as edgy or deep as others of similar ilk - comparisons for instance to The Wire are absurd. And it was spinning it's wheels until the plot accelerated late in Season One. It chugged briskly through Season Two, seemingly poised for a renewal with unresolved developments in the final episode. But alas CBC pulled the plug, leaving viewers in eternal suspense.

Tokyo Vice (2022– )

More Style Than Substance

[5/10 · 18 June 2022]

Beautifully shot in Tokyo, with physically beautiful lead actors and a compelling glimpse into Japanese culture but...The visuals wear thin after several episodes, the protagonist comes off like a privileged private school brat, the thin plot moves slowly and the two leads clearly were hired for their looks rather than thespian ability. With the glut of well-acted, suspenseful crime/investigative drama series available, this imo isn't worth the time.

Suspects (2014–2016)

Plots on fast-forward

[7/10 · 7 May 2022]

Unusual crime drama not just for the unscripted dialogue, but the meta-speed of plot developments. Puzzle pieces and connections among characters that on most crime dramas come together over several episodes fall into place in the course of each crime-to-solution hour. The pace is a bit off-putting, often defies credibility and comes at the expense of deeper character development. But the appeal of the primary detectives and the satisfaction of one-episode resolutions (in most cases) is it's own reward. I prefer the slower-burn dramas but thought this was an entertaining change of pace.