I am going to miss lockdown a tremendous amount, the hermit that I am.
Fri. 1st May : The Man From U.N.C.L.E (2015)
Netflix.
In the third Pirates of the Caribbean, there is a moment where Black Pearl captain Barbossa is looking out with a telescope, only for rival captain Jack Sparrow to appear alongside him, producing an even longer, slightly wobbly and totally ridiculous telescope in a gag all about who has the biggest penis. If you take that scene and stretch it into a lean, two hour Guy Ritchie spy film, you get this. Henry Cavill is the ultra suave American agent; Armie Hammer the muscular, hotheaded Russian (and Alicia Vikander the middle woman). The two chaps trade quips and show off their skills and gadgets in a gloriously whimsical way, and it does make for very fun viewing. If there was more clarity and boldness in the action then this would be a top spy film.
Also check out : Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery (1997)
Sat. 2nd : Black Hawk Down (2001)
DVD.
Ridley Scott makes a tense, all out action war film that shocks with its gore and injury detail but bewilders with its invisible politics or stance on war. It does not get bogged down with character much, which is a shame considering the cast: Eric Bana, Orlando Bloom, Ewan McGregor, Tom Hardy, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau. A bit too much violence, not enough motive.
Also check out : Jarhead (2005)
Sun. 3rd : The Frighteners (1996)
DVD.
His last film before The Lord of the Rings, Peter Jackson directed and wrote this bizarre B-movie which stars Michael J Fox as a unique chap who can see and interact with ghosts; using them to 'haunt' places in order to con the home owners out of some money through his psychic business. This concept is not utilised enough before a Grim Reaper starts killing people at random around the town and has to be dealt with. The 1990's CGI is goofy and fun and the third is pretty monumental; moving from set piece to set piece with sustained energy. Harmless fun.
Also check out : The Goonies (1985)
Mon. 4th : The Third Man (1949)
DVD.
In post-war Vienna, a writer of Western books comes to see and stay with his friend Harry Lime (Orson Welles), but upon arrival finds himself unraveling the mystery of what happened to Lime. Stunning in the usage of shadows and light, this noir tale unfolds with intrigue. Welles, in what can only be described as a cameo, is sensational; his introduction and exit the kind of filmmaking that sticks to the brain. But a poignant moment at the end elevated this from one of the best films in the 1940s, to one of my favourites of the 1940s.
Also check out : Citizen Kane (1941)
Tue. 5th : Ida (2013)
Box of Broadcasts.
This Polish film concerns a young nun investigating her familial ties. Shot in superb black and white, it features a moment and camera set-up that inspired Tommen's death in Game of Thrones. It is a shame I was not more invested in the story than I was with the photography.
Also check out : Cold War (2018)
Wed. 6th : The Lady from Shanghai (1947)
DVD.
Another Orson Welles film (this time also directed by him), this 40s noir mystery runs at a brisk hour and a half and is a highly rewarding watch. Welles' accent walks a tightrope between Irish and pirate, but the colourful characters, numerous twists and an exceptionally shot ending in a hall of mirrors ensures this is worthwhile entertainment. To think that in a hall of mirrors sequence, the camera always has to be invisible, and this was accomplished without easy CGI.
Also check out : The Maltese Falcon (1941)
Thu. 7th : Destry Rides Again (1939)
DVD.
A very young James Stewart plays Destry, or Destry Jr., a summoned sheriff deputy with a famous father. Brought in to control the string plucking criminals that effectively govern the town of Bottleneck. The majority of this film takes place in a saloon but it is, to use my dad's go to adjective, utterly charming. The performances are winning, the characters likable and the politics shockingly progressive for a film of this genre at that time. The fact that it also has something to say about legacy and law is a bonus.
Also check out : Winchester '73 (1950)
TV Roundup:
Westworld Season 3 Episodes 7-8
Sky Atlantic.
The third season of Westworld has ended and whilst liking it overall, it has left a lot to be desired. With the titular park nowhere in sight, the focus has been on the real world, but the show has failed to find a character to fully focus on. Dolores is hardly compassionate and it is head scratching to know if we are meant to be supporting her or not. Maeve is still stuck with the irritating 'my daughter' arc and William, the show's best acted and most fascinated character, is barely used in this season, appearing in only half the episodes, and even then barely at all. Aaron Paul did make a fine addition to the cast, but for season 4 to work, Westworld really needs to find an audience surrogate to get behind. Still, each episode crackles with invention and thought and the score has been superb throughout. Maybe I just miss the Old West stuff too much. And Anthony Hopkins.
The Bodyguard
Netflix / BBC.
I am about two years late to the discussion but The Bodyguard rocks. Its opening sequence on a train is remarkably suspenseful filmmaking, and following terrorist attacks are equally riveting. Richard Madden plays David Budd, an ex-soldier assigned to protect the Home Secretary, Julia. I was constantly riveted by what was happening and the show would not work were it not for Budd who, brilliantly acted by Madden, inhabits a grey area that allows most scenes to serve multiple purposes as he uses the police force tools to get answers, helping his own line of inquiry outside of the government officials. This makes the viewers and Budd's colleagues constantly question his motives and shady actions and the lone-wolf thread works a treat. If the happy ending feels like a cop out (no pun intended), then you can't help but feel it is somewhat deserved after the preceding events.
After Life Seasons 1-2
Netflix.
Ricky Gervais has a real talent for evoking emotion and here he has carte blanche to say and do whatever he likes in this drama comedy about Tony, a man struggling to exist in a world without his recently deceased wife Lisa. Directed, produced, written and starring as Tony, this is Gervais operating without Stephen Merchant but still has his recycled actors from other series. An After Life is very predictably structured around a handful of locations. Firstly there is Tony's home which usually bookends each episode, second is the office of the local newspaper that Tony works for and the goings on of his colleagues, next is the bench that overlooks Lisa's grave where Tony regularly chats to an older woman who has lost her husband, then there is the care home of Tony's dad and the nurse that may or may not be of romantic interest, then there is the overly masculine therapist and finally there are scenes of Tony doing his field work investigating progressively funnier 'news' stories. There are also exchanges with his postman, Pat, and a sex worker called Daphne. This formula may come off as repetitive (there are numerous mentions to Groundhog Day) but there is a hidden beauty to the routine of an ordinary person and the sanity and reason to continue attitude it encourages. Gervais is admittedly terrific with the intense grief and misanthropic attitude, even if it does feel like another platform for Gervais to voice his atheism or thoughts on the world. If Gervais had lost his wife, then this show would be autobiographical. There are times, especially in the second season, where it feels like every conversation ends up revolving around Tony talking about Lisa and this does get frustrating as it prevents the other characters receiving a spotlight. The numerous cam footage that Tony watches on a laptop can also be irritating and overdone, but for the most part Gervais mines fresh material out of each location and character throughout both seasons. And the therapist, played by Paul Kaye, is among one of Gervais' finest comedic creations. Utterly disgusting and bitingly satirical, he reminds me of many of my former colleagues: "anyone he doesn't want to rape Hitler is a fucking bender" and "I think my broke my thumb up some bird's arse" remain two immortal lines from this crazed 'therapist'. It is a shame a third season has been made, as it breaks Gervais' usual 'two season and a Christmas special rule' but I will judge the content when I see it.
Ricky Gervais has a real talent for evoking emotion and here he has carte blanche to say and do whatever he likes in this drama comedy about Tony, a man struggling to exist in a world without his recently deceased wife Lisa. Directed, produced, written and starring as Tony, this is Gervais operating without Stephen Merchant but still has his recycled actors from other series. An After Life is very predictably structured around a handful of locations. Firstly there is Tony's home which usually bookends each episode, second is the office of the local newspaper that Tony works for and the goings on of his colleagues, next is the bench that overlooks Lisa's grave where Tony regularly chats to an older woman who has lost her husband, then there is the care home of Tony's dad and the nurse that may or may not be of romantic interest, then there is the overly masculine therapist and finally there are scenes of Tony doing his field work investigating progressively funnier 'news' stories. There are also exchanges with his postman, Pat, and a sex worker called Daphne. This formula may come off as repetitive (there are numerous mentions to Groundhog Day) but there is a hidden beauty to the routine of an ordinary person and the sanity and reason to continue attitude it encourages. Gervais is admittedly terrific with the intense grief and misanthropic attitude, even if it does feel like another platform for Gervais to voice his atheism or thoughts on the world. If Gervais had lost his wife, then this show would be autobiographical. There are times, especially in the second season, where it feels like every conversation ends up revolving around Tony talking about Lisa and this does get frustrating as it prevents the other characters receiving a spotlight. The numerous cam footage that Tony watches on a laptop can also be irritating and overdone, but for the most part Gervais mines fresh material out of each location and character throughout both seasons. And the therapist, played by Paul Kaye, is among one of Gervais' finest comedic creations. Utterly disgusting and bitingly satirical, he reminds me of many of my former colleagues: "anyone he doesn't want to rape Hitler is a fucking bender" and "I think my broke my thumb up some bird's arse" remain two immortal lines from this crazed 'therapist'. It is a shame a third season has been made, as it breaks Gervais' usual 'two season and a Christmas special rule' but I will judge the content when I see it.
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