elene-botha Reviews

The Last of Us: Long, Long Time (2023) Season 1, Episode 3

Absolutely terrific!

[10/10 · 4 February 2023]

It took me by surprise and I loved it! It is so genuine and heartfelt. Why would you keep on going through an apocalypse if there is no one to share it with?

Giving this character this backstory is absolutely genius and juxtaposing that against Ellie and her killing that zombie, signaling the journey she still has to go through - the human journey.

The two actors are phenomenal. I loved the fact that they were queer and that the outbreak probably gave them the confidence to be with each other that they normally would not have had. Neither of them would have made it all on their own, they had to be together to survive.

The Following (2013–2015)

Follow The Following? Yes please!

[10/10 · 10 April 2013]

As a 21st century viewer I, of course, just had to come look if everybody loves this show as much as I do.... Disappointed much? But that is when I realized that this show has been wildly misunderstood by SO many people.

The first thing that makes this show so amazing is its cast; where I would think that Bacon would make a better villain than Purefoy, this show just pulls the rug from under you by making your favorite professor and dear father and husband, a manic serial killer with an Edgar Allan Poe obsession. Bacon, on the other hand, who I thought would never be more than 1984 Ren McCormack, becomes the resident hottie and troubled good-guy. Other stunning performances include the Elektra-complexed Valorie Curry and the not-meant-to-be-a-follower Warren Kole.

I have watched (not battled as some users have stated) and thoroughly enjoyed every realistic (yes, I think it is very believable) moment of this intensely complicated show. Therefore I think it is also just fair to note how brilliantly this show is written! Kevin Williamson, who also brought us The Vampire Diaries (which I don't think is believable, by the way), Scream and I Know What You Did Last Summer, to me, showed with this series his true talents as an immensely talented horror-writer capable of reaching places in the human psyche that is not very often reached in post-modern television.

Bravo! With an amazing show, cannot wait to see what the final will bring...

Skyfall (2012)

And the sky did fall!

[8/10 · 14 January 2013]

Daniel Craig as James Bond, to me, has always been a winning combination. Through the 007's that he has made, we have seen a more 'human' side to Bond, which has become synonym with Craig. In this regard Skyfall is no different, we see a more aged Bond contemplating stepping out of the service, only to be returned by a sense of duty. Trips to the Scottish countryside and 007's childhood home, all contribute to the 'more human' Bond-image of Craig.

But enough of Bond, because for the first time, for me, in a very long time the 007 movies have produced a bad guy that can easily be compared to Heath Ledger's Joker, etc. Javier Bardem plays the role of Silver superbly. During the entirety of the film you have to battle between the sympathy you have for him because of his likeness to Bond and the aversion you have towards him for his intolerable cruelty. Love him or hate him, Bardem captured my attention and blew my mind with his five-star performance.

Bravo for, yet again, an entertaining James Bond experience!

Sherlock (2010–2017)

Bravo for 21st century Holmes!

[9/10 · 14 January 2013]

I am a huge Robert Downey Junior as Sherlock Holmes fan and was therefore very skeptical of not only the lead in this series, but also the concept behind it. Relocating Sherlock Holmes to the 21st century, for me, was going to be the end of him, but this brilliantly thought out series did justice to Holmes in a way it has not been done before. The most interesting character, for me, in this adaption is non other than Watson, who as a war veteran perfectly displays Watson's brooding character which in turn then makes him such a worthy companion for Holmes.I praise the makers of this series, the lead actors and of course the people who adapted Holmes to the 21st century. Bravo Certainly a must-see!