It's a bit of a cheek to style itself as "Bram Stoker's Dracula" given how much it deviated from the source material but as an overall interpretation, it stands up well. I never liked the reworking of Mina's character arc to be the reincarnation of Dracula's wife as, given the addition of the origin story, it took the plot in an entirely different direction to the original novel. The cast is wonderful apart from Keanu Reeves who is wildly miscast but he does his best. The film is a sumptuous feast for the eyes and a worthy winner of its three Oscars though I'm not sure Bram Stoker would've approved turning his legendary vampire into a tragic romantic character.
Reviews
12 Reviews
Blonde
(2022)
Brutal misery
30 September 2022
I know Marilyn Monroe didn't have an easy life but this is just brutal misery with some bizarre fictional storylines. It could've been the story of any Hollywood starlet in the 1950s without embellishing her history for seemingly voyeuristic purposes. Ana de Armas is mesmerizing though and gives a poignant portrayal of Marilyn's vulnerability, perfectly capturing many of her mannerisms. I appreciated the faithful recreation of many iconic photographs and scenes from her films and life. The cinematography is also quite beautiful but overall, a missed opportunity for the biopic she truly deserved.
Do Revenge
(2022)
Formulaic forgettable fun
17 September 2022
As formulaic as you'd expect for a high school dramedy but it had its moments. The cast is great especially Maya Hawke and Camila Mendes although Sophie Turner stole the show with her cameo. The story itself is a watered down poor imitation of Cruel Intentions, so I wonder if the casting of Sarah Michelle Gellar as the school principal was intentional? That is a far superior film as is its predecessor, Dangerous Liaisons, both films being remakes of the original French classic, Les Liaisons Dangereuses. All worthy of a watch if you haven't already seen them. While I've seen the latter three multiple times, I doubt I'll ever watch this one again.
House of the Dragon
(2022– )
So far, so good.
22 August 2022
Watching this is like reconnecting with a former friend who let you down very badly, but you give them a second chance, trusting that they won't hurt you again. Given that it's set a few centuries before the events of GOT with completely different characters, I'll judge it on its own merits.
Morbius
(2022)
Worth a watch
10 April 2022
Not as terrible as the critical reviews suggest but fairly generic overall. Great VFX though and Matt Smith was especially good. His moments of levity were the saving grace as Jared Leto obviously took his character far too seriously. Jared Harris was wasted though; I would like to have seen more of him.
Trigger Point
(2022– )
Line of Dullness
28 February 2022
Sort of fills the void left by Line of Duty as they tried to recreate the formula but it's not a patch on it, and I found myself not really caring what happened. Vicky McClure is always watchable but her character is a fairly rubbish bomb disposal "expert" though.
Reacher
(2022– )
Surprisingly good
20 February 2022
I had no expectations for this spin-off series but it was far better than anticipated. At least this time, they cast an actor who matches the physical description of the literary character as he has about a foot in height and over a 100 lbs of muscle on Tom Cruise. 😄
The Power of the Dog
(2021)
Unexpectedly boring
15 January 2022
The acting performances are superb but the film itself is a snorefest. I kept waiting for some semblance of a plot and then it was just...over. Just goes to show how little choice there is this year for awards season. Total Oscar bait though.
Another Life
(2019–2021)
Solid Sci-Fi
24 August 2019
I really don't understand the mentality of people who rate a whole series based on a few episodes. It's like walking out of a film after 15 mins and rating it, based on that limited view.
Sure, it has a shaky start and Katee Sackoff is its principal driving force but it gets better especially when they start investigating the alien artifact. You may not like the characters starting off but the interesting story makes it worthwhile.
Sure, it has a shaky start and Katee Sackoff is its principal driving force but it gets better especially when they start investigating the alien artifact. You may not like the characters starting off but the interesting story makes it worthwhile.
Inferno
(I) (2016)
A Wasted Opportunity
15 October 2016
I enjoyed the Inferno film for the most part as I'm very fond of Tom Hanks as Robert Langdon. One of the main reasons that I like these books so much is because they provide such a wealth of background historical information so they're a prefect blend of education and entertainment.
While it was obviously impractical to include an involved literary discussion of Dante's Inferno in the film, it's a shame that it was barely touched on at all as to me, it was one of the most interesting aspects of the entire story. Like many, I was also surprised and disappointed by the changed ending. The book's solution was challenging but elegant; the film clunky and predictable.
Pity.
While it was obviously impractical to include an involved literary discussion of Dante's Inferno in the film, it's a shame that it was barely touched on at all as to me, it was one of the most interesting aspects of the entire story. Like many, I was also surprised and disappointed by the changed ending. The book's solution was challenging but elegant; the film clunky and predictable.
Pity.
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